Why?? (Baby 2's name)

Poppy Ballerina Smith

Now here's the back story!  

It started with Alyssa's name, Alyssa Kristina.  You'd never know that her middle name is Kristina if you're around my family ever because we always call her "Alyssa Louisiana."  It started from the very beginning and just stuck.

So when it came to naming baby 2, I started with naming her Poppy Marilyn.  Our last name is Smith, so her initials would have been PMS.  I was still okay with it -- she'll get married eventually!  But then Mary started calling her "Poppy Ballerina."  After a few days of hearing it, I decided that her middle name should be "Ballerina."  It's a girly, pretty sounding name and if is anything like "Alyssa Louisiana," it was going to stick whether I embraced it or not!  An added bonus??  The fun, craziness fits our family!

Tyler was easy to convince because he was happy that I'd moved on from Meggie Monroe, but as we got closer to her due date, he started having nightmares second thoughts!  At that point, it was a done deal, though!

So Poppy Ballerina is the name -- I had fun choosing her name!  I also love it because naming babies is so fun -- when else do you have such power a big decision to make that effects someone for their entire life?!

She's here!!!

Poppy Ballerina Smith arrived this morning at 9am! We are so in love, especially Scarlett!!! More details to come, but for now, we're just enjoying our newest little lady!

41 Weeks...??

Well, I didn't make it to 41 weeks, but I'm posting this anyway...look at how huge I was!!!  More news on baby 2's arrival to come...!

40 weeks 4 days -- this picture will make me feel accomplished in a few months...!  Haha!

Baby's size:  Just about 8 lbs and could be over 20" long -- what?!  Baby 2 get out!!!

Sleep:  Scarlett has been sleeping well, so that helps.  I'm just so dang uncomfortable!  Every time I roll over, my hips sound like what I would imagine a snake's jaw does when unhinging...it hurts!!!  

Maternity clothes:  I prefer sweatpants.

Food cravings:  Everything in moderation...if I eat too much I can't breathe!

Food aversions:  Nothing, really, just cooked broccoli...anything cold is consumable! 

Symptoms I have:  Pain everywhere, especially my sciatic nerve!!!  Ouch x 100!  ...Still I MUST remember this misery when I am sleep-deprived!

Doctor's appointment: My ultrasound last Tuesday showed a happy (chunky!) baby that is very active and healthy.  Couldn't ask for more...except for maybe a baby outside of my body!!!

Movement:  Lots of BIG movements -- they just happen less often!   (Yup, same.)  Baby 2 is folded right in half -- doesn't look comfy!

Belly button:  Flat and weird.  (Also still the same.  I don't remember such a wonky belly button the first time around!)

Gender:  GIRL!

What I'm looking forward to:  Meeting baby 2!  Seeing her face in the ultrasound made it so real; it's almost strange that she's not here yet because she's really a part of our family!  Scarlett goes around saying, "I love my sister!"  I'm pretty sure she says it because I give her positive reinforcement, but I'll take it!

What I miss:  Being un-pregnant!  I mean, really, being a week overdue is just wrong!  I feel like my life is on hold until she comes because everyday I think is the day.  I really am trying to enjoy and appreciate the quiet before the storm, but I'm getting impatient!!!

Currently

Loving:  Sweatpants!  Even maternity jeans are too restricting for this stage of pregnancy!  And Scarlett in her piggy costume; pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen!!

All dressed up for the Halloween party at our library!

Reading:  Lots of Sandra Boynton books to Scarlett; they're her favorites right now!  Pajama Time, especially.  I could use some ideas for a nice, interesting adult read, clearly!

Watching:  My all-time faves; The Office, Parks and Recreation, and New Girl.  I've recently been DVRing Nashville out of curiosity and it's been pretty entertaining.

Listening to: Taylor Swift.  Mostly due to the fact that she is everywhere!  Also, I have been listening to Christmas music lots -- it makes me feel festive and reminds me that there are lots of fun things happening in the next couple of months!  (Other than having a baby!!!!!)

Thinking about:  Scarlett.  How much I'll miss her and worry about her when I'm in the hospital.  How she'll adjust to not being an only child.  How to make sure she doesn't feel jealous of the new baby.  I want her to feel included and love her baby sister!  It's just something that I want to remain conscientious of for Scarlett's sake.

Looking forward to:  Meeting baby 2 and seeing who she looks like!  Scarlett coming to meet her sister and the party that will ensue!  Giving the gifts from baby 2 to Scarlett at the hospital!!!  And CHRISTMAS!  

Making me happy:  Sweatpants!  Talk about full circle, but really, sweatpants, sweatshirts, the pellet stove to make the house cozy, and yummy home fragrance!!!  We are going to batten down the hatches in preparation for Sandy.  Now lets hope that we don't lose power...or that I don't go into labor...during the storm!

 *Thank you, Love, Matt and Kara for the inspiration behind this post!

It's my due date!!!

NO PICTURES THIS WEEK -- JUST KNOW THAT I'M HUGE!  Sad times!  I'll have to make a point to do at least one belly shot before baby 2 is born, so that when I'm losing the baby weight, I can see how far I've come!  Gotta have some goals!

Baby's size:  7.5 lbs and 20" long -- about the size of a small pumpkin  (fitting comparison!)

Sleep:  What's that?!  J/K, I know I'm getting lots of it compared to what my nights will be like in a few days...

Maternity clothes:  OBV.  And even those are getting tight.  No joke!

Food cravings:  All the foods.  Especially the delicious ones and sandwiches with cucumbers.  Yum!

Food aversions:  Veggies are still eh.

Symptoms I have:  Pain everywhere.  I hope I remember this when I am sleep-deprived, but not pregnant!

Doctor's appointment:  I went today!  I am 1cm dilated -- which means nothing.  BUT she stretched my cervix (TMI??).  It's what they do instead of stripping the membranes.  

Movement:  Lots of BIG movements -- they just happen less often!  

Belly button:  Flat and weird.

Gender:  GIRL!

What I'm looking forward to:  Watching Scarlett love little baby 2.  (I mean, I really hope she loves her and there is no jealousy!)  That's my goal with this whole thing -- I want to make sure Scarlett's needs are being met, so that she isn't threatened by baby 2.  And baby 2 is coming bearing gifts, I feel like that starts out their relationship on the right foot...!  

What I miss:  I'm feeling so sad about missing one-on-one time with Scarlett already.  Like, really sad.  I just keep reminding myself that I'm giving her a sister.  That beats everything bad, right?!  

So here I am...

...less than ONE WEEK away from my due date and I have twisted my foot.  AGAIN.  It's the same foot that I twisted last summer.  Ugh, what a pregnancy!  On top of twisting this dang foot twice, I also fell on my baby bump and had the worst sunburn of my life.  Maybe that means and easy labor and delivery?!?!  Or baby 2 will be an angelbaby to make up for her rough pregnancy?!  That would be okay with me!

So now I'm couch-ridden.  With a toddler.  BUT at least Tyler's here this time!

Here's how it went down: Scarlett had her flu shot appointment today.  It was an absolute must that she got it before baby 2 is born.  I was helping her go to the bathroom before we left for the doctor office when I turned funny and heard, "POP!"  It was my foot.  Instantly, I could barely hobble around.  I called Tyler to have him meet me at the pediatrician's and hopped to the car.  We were called right in and the shot was a quick little thing -- Scarlett survived!  (I think that was more traumatic for me than Scarjo; I hate to see her cry!)

After the appointment, we all went back to the house, Tyler set me up with Tums and some ice and back to work he went!  Scarlett had a play date this morning, so at least she had fun then, but with me on the couch, we just turned on Sesame Street.  Thank you, Elmo!

Luckily, Mary was feeling generous and she came (after 2 episodes) and rescued Scarlett!  They're shopping  together with Lulu right now!  Phew!

Scarlett gave me her sticker from the doctor!  Sweet little girl!

On the plus side, I did get to enjoy The View today!  Alanis Morissette was on to perform (the song was okay.) and she was a guest on the couch to talk about her new album.  The topic of attachment parenting came up and the co-hosts had lots of questions.  My favorite part was how confident Alanis seemed while answering all those questions.  She was confident and bold in her answers.  Yes, she still breastfeeds and, yes, she co-sleeps with her son.  There was almost a, "duh" at the end of her statements.  I loved that!!!!

It makes me feel less crunchy in my parenting decisions and like they mean something because I'm just doing what feels right to me.  Love, love Alanis all over again!!!

39 Weeks

I think there were enough baby bump pictures from yesterday's post, so I'll spare you from another one today!  Welcome.   

Baby's size:  She weighs a little over 7 pounds and she's about 20 inches long -- like a mini watermelon!  At least this is what she's supposed to be at this time; Scarlett was born under these measurements, so I'm curious to see how big little Miss #2 will be...!

Sleep:  What sleep?!  J/K!  I fell asleep at 7:30 last night and aside from my 4 nightly trips to the loo, I slept the whole time until 6:45am!  MAGIC!  (and yes, I wish I was British!  don't judge!)  

Maternity clothes:  Yes.  And I've stocked up on black yoga pants for after the baby to start the move from maternity to regular clothing again!  I'm hoping for an early Spring, so I can bring the babies on the loop and to the playground/toddler time and shed this baby weight!  Pipe dreams?!  Maybe... 

Food cravings:  Same as before, but Mexican seems to be especially tasty!

Food aversions:  Vegetables and beef.  Still.

Symptoms I have:  Heartburn, exhaustion, hip pain.  Fun stuff!

Doctor's appointment:  The baby dropped last week, but then at my appointment yesterday, she hadn't dropped any more and seemed to be happy and content to stay in there.  That works for me -- I want to have a November baby!

Movement:  Still a wild thing, but seems to be moving less often.  I think she's squished!

Belly button:  Photographic evidence.  Sorry for that!

Gender:  I hope she's still a GIRL!

What I'm looking forward to:  Going for walks with the babies.  Scarlett's already planning on taking her stroller filled with baby dolls for walks while I have baby 2 in my stroller.  She's psyched!

What I miss:  Feeling like myself.  

At this point in my pregnancy, this is completely accurate!  Also, pulling on maternity jeans could be classified as "doing yoga" too.

Truth!

Baby Belly...you've been warned!

Scarlett was finger painting one rainy afternoon and I got this crazy idea that it would be fun to paint my baby belly.  We didn't have a plan, I just let her go crazy!  While it wasn't pretty, Scarlett had fun, and now I have photographic evidence of my bare baby belly.  Eeek!!!

Belly painting is serious business!

Honestly, I wish I'd been more creative with it, but at the time I was really just in it for the messy fun!  In the end, my baby bump was covered with paint-- Scarlett was having a blast!  I think she was a little shocked that I was all, "Suuuure, paint all over my skin!"  She was going to have fun with it while it lasted; smart lady!

38 Weeks

37 weeks and 3 days

Baby's size:  She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long -- like a leek!

Sleep:  My hips and back are killing me -- especially by the end of the day!  But that's to be expected, right?!   

Maternity clothes:  Always.  Still wearing short sleeves lots and no jacket; baby 2 is making me roast 24/7.

Food cravings:  Does everything count?!  I don't think there is anything that doesn't appeal to me that I would normally eat!  

Food aversions:  Vegetables and beef...for the same reasons!

Symptoms I have:  STILL HEARTBURN!  And I'm exhausted all. the. time.

Doctor's appointment:  I got to have an ultrasound last week!!!  I was all excited and thinking I was going to get a sneak peek at her features, but no such luck!  Baby 2 has her head wedged down and turned away. The u/s technician did say, "Wow, she has her legs shoved up into your ribs."  Um, yes, I realize that!!!  Baby 2 has hair, though!  That's the only picture that we got!  Baby 2 did pass all 8 things that they were checking for, so no inductions!

Movement:  She is still a crazy mover -- especially at night!  

Belly button:  Still wonky.

Gender:  I hope she's still a girl -- we didn't check that during the ultrasound!

What I'm looking forward to:  Not being pregnant!  I hope I remember the uncomfortable state that I'm in when I'm taking care of two and getting even less sleep!

What I miss:  Being able to move comfortably.  Every time I get up, I have to run to the bathroom!  With her head being so low, it makes me wonder if she will be early or on time.  I am torn because it would be nice to have her and then be home for halloween, but then it'd probably be easier to have her after and enjoy my last celebration with just Scarjo!

Taken by Scarlett!

Confused much?!

Happy Saturday!

That means 36 weeks for me now; just FOUR weeks away from my October 27 due date.  I think I confused my MIL though because her facebook status said this, "Happy Friday! A new baby for us soon! Will keep you posted! So happy!"  Hmmm....!  Maybe she thinks I said September instead of October!!!  I'm pretty excited for baby 2, too, but I am counting on these last weeks to tie things up!  

Mary's comment was my favorite though: "I don't know, the way us Beal girls carry those babies, Tiny Two might not make an appearance until Election Day!" 

She is SO right; I have already ordered my absentee ballot to be mailed to my house, just in case I'm in the hospital when it's time to vote!  And my to-do list does not have everything checked off...yet:

• organize all baby and toddler clothes
• tag all of my consignment clothes to sell next weekend
• vacuum baby 2 and Scarjo's room
• wash, dry, and fold all of the cloth diapers
• buy newborn 'sposies for baby 2 because she probably won't fit into the cloth diapers right away
• pack hospital bag and diaper bag
• bring down all of the baby swings and bouncers from the attic
• set up Scarlett's bed in her own room.  (I think this will be harder for me than for Scarlett!)
• buy lots of gifts for Scarlett from baby 2!  (I'm most excited to check this one off the list!)
• rearrange our bedroom to fit the co-sleeper next to our bed
• put the car seat into the jeep
• move Scarlett's car seat to the other side to make my life easier with two little ones
• freeze witch hazel monster-sized pads for post-delivery (awesome.)
• bring big girl toys up to the nursery for Scarlett to play with while I nurse/change baby 2
• order the cutest, most snuggly hat for baby 2 to wear in the hospital
• find the best big sister shirt for Scarlett

I have more to do than I realized!  Best be getting on that, especially if baby 2 follows my MIL's plan, and decides to come early...!

35 weeks down, 5 weeks to go...

Belly shot!

34 Weeks 2 days

Baby's size:  4 3/4 lbs and 18" long -- a cantaloupe!  She feels more like a watermelon these days, though!

Sleep:  My hips are killing me.  I wake up lots during the night to fix my hip pillow and am consequently exhausted always.

Maternity clothes:  I'm switching to my Fall wardrobe, but have still been rockin' the tank tops.  I'm roasting all. the. time.

Food cravings:  chocolate milk!  

Food aversions:  Still veggies.  Ugh!  I hope it changes as soon as baby 2 is here!  And beef.  Blech!  But I think that has more to do with the visit to the farm a few weeks ago; cows are so sweet!

Symptoms I have:  HEARTBURN.  I breathe air and I get heartburn.  It's the worst!  My hips are killing me too, but the doctor said that her head is LOW, so that's why they're so painful.

Doctor's appointment:  I went last Friday.  Everything looked great, but they had to check my blood for iron levels...hopefully I passed!  

Movement:  Baby 2 is a wild thing!  Her movements are slowing down a bit, but the doctor said that's normal due to her size nowadays.  

Belly button:  This is just a weird thing to talk about.  My belly button looks wonky.  There!  Said it.

Gender:  I hope she's still a girl!

What I'm looking forward to:  Watching Scarlett as a big sister!  I really hope that it's smooth sailing and there's not a jealousy issue...especially not from me when Scarlett spends Tyler's 2 weeks off with him.

What I miss:  Being able to move around and exercise without getting so easily winded.

Man, it is fun to complain about being pregnant!  Though it doesn't seem like it after this post, pregnancy really isn't that horrible for me.  And I can eat ice cream (almost.) guilt-free!!!  

Baby 2's Name

I pulled a MODG and tested out my name for baby 2 with a stranger at Cam's soccer game.  I told just one parent to see her reaction and to see if people outside of my family will think it's a crazy name or a crazy-fun name, like I do!

Well, it went about as well as MODG's online experiment ...the one parent I told absolutely despised the name.  Even the first name, which is actually a normal and real name!  I thought just the middle name would be the kicker, but it was whole thing.  It didn't bother me -- instead I started judging the names of her kids in my head and I got all nasty!

Because baby 2 is a part of my family, I'm (mostly) sure she'll rock her name and really love it!  (Unless she's built like a brick house -- then she'll hate me and her ultra-feminine, happy name.)

So my little experiment just re-affirmed my decision to keep my name a secret until baby 2 is born and it's official.  Then people can voice their opinions.

On an unrelated note...Alyssa Lou is a cheerleader!  She even has her own groupies (Lulu & Scarjo!) to watch her practice.

Such a rockstar:

Another stolen picture from Mary!

32 Weeks...already!

This really would be more interesting if I had bump pictures.  The truth is, I don't even have unflattering pics; this pregnancy is completely undocumented!!!  I really thought I'd be better about taking pictures of my baby belly because I really wish I had more pictures from when I was pregnant with Scarlett, but I have done an even worse job this time around!  Oh well...I have 8 weeks left to fix that!  I just feel so huge that I don't want to remember this feeling.  It's almost like taking before pictures when you start a diet.  You know you'll want to see your progress, but it's jarring to actually see what you look like!  Right?!  Anyway...here are my pregnancy symptoms at 32 weeks:

Baby's size:  3.75 lbs. and 16.7" long.  About the size of a jicama(??)...is that a type of potato??   Whoa!  Baby 2 is getting huge!

Sleep:  When I first lay down, I feel like I can't breathe.  Very scary!  But other than that and my 3x/night trips to the bathroom, I'm sleeping pretty well!

Maternity clothes:  Lots of tank tops with my stretchy skirt and one pair of capris.  When I found out I was pregnant, I donated ALL of my clothes from pregnancy 1 because the thought of wearing them again made me sick/I worked while I was pregnant, so the clothes were a bit too fancy for this time around!  Baby 2 is due in October, so silly me, I bought all new FALL clothes...my summer wardrobe leaves much to be desired!

Food cravings:  FRIED CHICKEN AND FRUITY DESSERTS!  Weird.  I have been dying for fried chicken and anything fruity sounds delicious.  I just bought local strawberry jam and have eaten the entire jar in one week.  Yum!

Food aversions:  Vegetables.  SO. BAD.  I try to gag them down, but I really just can't.  To make up for my lack of veggies, I've been extra diligent with my prenatal vitamins and eating lots of fresh fruit.

Symptoms I have:  Sore back.  And I'm tired always.

Doctor's appointment:  Last Thursday...I gained 5lbs:(  I had gone 8 weeks with no weight gain and then, BAM!  Other than that, everything was great!  Her heartbeat was 140bpm.  I forgot to ask if she was measuring big, small, or right on track...I am so curious about that!

Movement:  Baby 2 is a party animal!  And she feels long -- she tickles my right hip bone and my left lung at the same time!

Belly button:  It's stretched almost flat...seeing the inside of your belly button is so strange!

Gender:  GIRL!

What I'm looking forward to:  That baby smell!!!  And I'm hoping to see a happy toddler taking care of her baby sister...

What I miss:  Laying on my stomach!!!  Doing the loop and feeling active -- my back is too painful to really do exercise-y walks.  I also am just trying to soak up my last 2 months with just Scarjo.

And because I can't post on my blog without a picture of the cutest ladies biggest ragamuffins around:

Taken by Auntie Mary!

5 Whole Years!!!

On August 17, 2007, Tyler and I made our way to City Hall on a sunny, perfect day to do the wedding thing!  It was very casual, but I still got to wear a pretty, white Marilyn Monroe dress and hold a bouquet of flowers!!!  Our immediate family was there and we jetted off to Florida (to his grandmother's retirement community.  Seriously.) to spend a week sunbathing and shopping!  My idea of the perfect vacation!

Poor Tyler is absolutely cropped out!

The ceremony.  Short & sweet!

That was all FIVE YEARS AGO!  So much has happened in those five years; crazy fun, arguments that I always win, (almost) two babies, house buying (and trying to sell), a few different cars, and lots of time with my insane family!!!   I am so fortunate to have Tyler, even though I don't say it enough!  He works so hard to provide for our family and he puts up with the crazy that IS my family!  And he fits right in!

Today, Tyler has continued his tradition of bringing me coffee in the morning!  Even with half the caffeine, it was still delicious, and just tastes better because I didn't have to leave the house to get it!

After Tyler left for work, Scarlett and I started unpacking baby clothes from boxes.  I didn't get very far when I noticed that she was trying on all of my discarded items.  Fruitcake!  I have a feeling the next 10 weeks are going to be spent putting stuff away for baby 2/following around Scarlett and redoing everything she's undone!  At least she keeps me on my toes!

It's been an eventful anniversary so far...the rest of our day includes Rhyme Time for Scarjo and then I have to figure out what to get Tyler for a small, thoughtful gift...boys are so hard to shop for!!!

Scarjo has lots of plans for baby 2!

While on the way home this evening, Scarlett and I were talking about baby 2 and all of the things she was going to do to help me.  We passed "Mummy's doctor" which prompted me to say, "When we pick up baby 2, is she going to sit in a car seat next to you?!"  Scarlett responded, "Yup!" and then waited a second and decided that, "no, baby 2 is going to sit on my lap!"

Not exactly, but I love her enthusiasm!

Guess who is getting all of Scarlett's abuse attention even more lately?  Mr. Rex!  Hopefully she's a little more gentle with baby 2...

MUST HAVES for Baby 2

I'm pulling a modg and making a list of stuff I like that I want/need for baby 2.  Hopefully, this will keep me organized and once I have it all, I'll feel super-prepared for the arrival of the baby!  On top of shopping, I have a to-do list that's forever long!  The upstairs of our house needs to be completely rearranged because all the bedrooms are changing, Scarjo's going to actually sleep in her room, and I need to wash and sort through baby clothes from the last 3 baby girls in the family and decide what we need.  Oh yeah, aaaand I still have to sort through Scarjo's closet and figure out what she needs, too!  Ahhh, the stress!!!  I'll just stick with the internet shopping.  It's less stressful and way more fun!!!

We need to buy baby 2 a car seat.  Scarjo's car seat has expired.  Lame because I loved it so much, but car seat shopping isn't so bad!  Now the Maxi Cosi Prezi would be the perfect car seat.  The Prezi is almost as perfect and amazing as this, BUT only a little less spendy!  I can still dream...

Prezi love!

even if we're probably going to go with this car seat or this one.  They're both really safe and definitely fit into my strollers.  Perfect!  We'll see...up next?  A mirror for the back seat!  This one looks awesome and I love all Baby Einstein products.

Entertainment and helps me make sure Scarjo's not poking the baby.

We also need to buy baby 2 a bath tub.  Puj tub?  YES, please!

Fancy baby things are awesome.

But then I found this:

Less expensive and different from what I used the first around!

It's PINK!  Definitely a serious contender!

I'm planning on sticking both girls in the big bath tub together once baby 2 can sit up, so we'll need one of these, too!

Dreambaby Deluxe Bath Seat

In order to get back in shape after baby 2 is born, I'll be doing the 3 mile loop near my house with BOTH babies (unless I can work out some kind of deal with Mary!), so I'll need to pick up a second seat to fit my stroller.  

It will look so clean next to Scarlett's glitter covered seat.  At least at first!  

I wanted to try this with Scarlett, but it was never in stock in our town, so I just forgot about it eventually.  I'd like to get this for baby 2 from the get-go because lots of friends have sworn that it's magic at putting babies to sleep!  Sign me up!

When baby 2 is starting to teeth, I want to use this necklace!  I also never got around to purchasing one for Scarjo because teething was no biggie for her, but I think the concept is neat!  

Plus, Tori Spelling uses it, so it must be awesome!  

This whole list really is kind of boring, but definitely necessary.  Fun, girly things that I want for baby 2 are more frivolous, but make the whole "getting ready for baby" exciting without spending too much!

Scarlett never used a pacifier, but I'm going to stick one of those bad boys into baby 2's mouth as soon as she's figured out the nursing thing.  I'm legit bringing a stash to the hospital.  And these are so pretty!  I'm a fan!

GumDrop Newborn Pacifier


Baby 2's due date is October 27.  Now this makes things tricky because what if she comes early?  She'll definitely need a festive outfit, but then if I buy a festive outfit and then she comes late (like Scarlett), that would be a waste.  I found my solution at gap.com!  

PERFECT!  Baby 2 needs knit hats, so this really would be fun!  And if she's born late, these are still adorable and can absolutely be worn all through the fall and winter months.  Love!  But the best part of it all???  Look at these little booties!  I am DYING for them!  My babies never wear shoes until they're way older, but these are pretty much just cozy socks!  Cozy socks that I want to wear.  

Speaking of knit hats, I need this in my life.  Kelle Hampton put baby Nella in the cutest knit hat when she was in the hospital, so she has inspired me to do the same.  Etsy is the ruler of all things cozy and handmade, so that's where I found the best knits.  This one is from Chloe's Crochet Closet.

And this one from knoodleknits is making me giddy for baby girls!!!

Eeeek!!!  I'm excited!!!!  Only 11 weeks and and 2 days left before PBS makes her arrival...!!!  I'd better start getting my business together!

Newness!!!

HAPPY JULY!  There are lots of new things going on around here...

1. Tyler surprised me with a new laptop when he returned from his work trip in Colorado!!!  Woohoo!  I'm loving how light and CLEAN it is.  I always swear that I'll keep it all fresh & new, but it never stays that way.  You should see the crude on my old key board!  Ew.  Now I just need to figure out how to transfer all of my photos...I bought my old laptop a few months before Scarlett was born, so every picture of her is on it.
2. I'm about to enter my last year in my 20's!!!  I'm feeling excited for my thirties, but maybe that's because I still have a year buffer!
3. Mary and Louisa are thinking of moving out on their own.  This is happy news and sad news at the same time.  I'm PSYCHED to be able to do my make-up while Scarlett plays in the playroom without having to play interference to two toddlers fighting.  That will be awesome!  Buuuuut, I'm sad that Scarlett and Lulu won't be living like sisters.  Luckily, Mary's not moving more than 10 minutes away, so we'll be doing playdates constantly!  (I keep hitting this ~ instead of ! and it's driving me crazy!!!)  Anyway...so that's a change that is coming soon-ish.
4. The new rule in my house:  SCARLETT IS NOT GOING TO GRAMMUM'S WITHOUT A NAP!  EVER.  That should solve the monsterbaby-ness and maybe Grammum will start to like Scarlett again after her afternoon from hell!  Smart thinking on my part, I think!
5. I'm getting excited for baby 2!  It's less scary now that Mary's moving out because there will be less chaos instantly.  That will help, but really I'm way less worried because now Mary will have a place to bring Scarlett to play where she'll feel comfortable while I nap with baby 2!!!  Score!
6. My hair is BLONDE!!!  Like, blonde blonde!  I am more blonde than I have been in years and I love it!  Though I will admit...I desperately need violet shampoo!  

Now here is the latest from my crazy Scarjo:

She was posing for Auntie Mary...this was her craziest pose, so naturally Mary had to post it on FB!

HELP!

I am obsessed with naming baby girl #2, but how do I compete with the awesomeness on Katie Scarlett?!  Prudence was my first choice, but if my name were Prudence and I had a sister named Scarlett, I would hate my mother!  Now that leaves me with my back-up names; Marilyn and Francesca "Frankie."  Now I'm not in love with either of these names, so I'm back to spending my free time searching nameberry.com instead of working on Tyler's resume.  So far I've come up these names:

Cecelia
Lavinia
Georgina "Georgie"
Gemma
Lucy
Cornelia
Posey

...and that's pretty much it.  I just need help with a first name that goes well with Belle!  That's going to be her middle name.  (I'm pretty sure, at least!)  We're thinking Belle will be perfect because Scarlett wants us to name her "Princess Belle" after her favorite princess, so we're just making Belle the middle name.  And it has to go well with Scarlett.

So are there any suggestions out there?!?!

Gender reveal!!!

Baby 2 is a...

YESSSS!

GIRL!!!

        This morning I saw almost an hour of my little baby 2 bouncing around in my belly!  Before I knew she was a girl, I saw her hands playing with the umbilical cord and toes that were not so twinkly!  It was so fun and my ultrasound technician was super happy and chatting.  The whole experience was awesome.  When it came time to look at the baby's gender, she told me, so I would look away.  It was so hard not to peek, but I knew that if I did, I wouldn't be able to act surprised when we cut the gender reveal cake in a few short hours!  As I was leaving the office, all the ladies at the front desk kept asking what I was having.  When I filled them in on the plan, they said they were just going to go and ask what it was.  I thought that was nice that they were excited along with me!

       I went straight to the Hannaford bakery to make sure they could have my cake frosted in just one hour. They were accommodating and excitedly took the envelope that held the gender on a piece of paper and opened it up while I was still there!  Luckily, I couldn't see, but the baker was pretty excited about knowing the gender before me!

       An hour later, I picked up this cake...

       And when I cut into the cake, we saw the PINK!  

      

       BUT, Mary really tried to get everyone excited for boys, just in case...!

Team Blue!

       Although, Scarlett and I were hoping for a girl...

Team Pink!

Needless to say, we are really pleased to have another little girl in the family!!!!  Now I just need to decide on a name...!!!!

20 Weeks!

How far along?  20 weeks!  We're halfway there!
Baby size:  10 1/2 oz and 6 1/2" long!  From head to heel, baby 2 is the size of a banana!!!  Whoa!
Sleep:  More of the same.  I sleep when Scarlett does, which isn't always all night.  Needless to say, I'm constantly sleepy...
Maternity clothes:  Always.  Today, for my doctor appointment, I wore yoga pants because they're lighter and I know I'd be weighed.  Smart.
Food cravings:  fruit, especially lemon.  But not like healthy lemons, more like lemon danishes!  Yum!
Food aversions:  Broccoli.  Blech!
Symptoms I have:  HEARTBURN.  x100!
Doctor's Appointment:  Today!  I gained eight pounds in the past four weeks.  There, it's out in the open.  It makes me so sad...Kirstie Alley here I come!  On the bright side, I did schedule my 20 week ultrasound!!!!  Woohoo!  It's on Monday morning...I'm dying.
Baby 2's heartbeat was beating from 148-158...not giving anything away!
Movement:  I feel baby 2 moving mostly early in the morning and at night when I'm going to sleep.  I freak if I realize that I haven't felt movement all day.
Belly button:  Still an innie
Gender:  We'll know soon...!
What I'm looking forward to:  Gender reveal cake!  And actually getting started with our preparations!
What I miss:  Not worrying about the future.  I'm trying to make Scarlett more independent for when baby 2 gets here, but I really just want her to stay my baby!


(I forgot to take a 20 week bump picture; documenting this pregnancy has been a super-fail so far!!!  So I scoured my old pictures from my pregnancy with Scarlett and found a picture that I think accurately portrays the size of my 20 week bump.  Turns out, I was 28 weeks pregnant in this photo...shoot!  Oh!  And while I was searching through all of those old photos, I also found some pictures from right after I gave birth.  I may share those pretties someday...!)