Spring has Sprung!

FINALLY -- some beautiful weather here in Maineville!  We've taken every opportunity to bring our family fun to the great outdoors this week, whether by hiking around Landen Lake or spending the evening at our neighborhood park.  Here are some photos of our little boy enjoying the new season:

And after an evening spent rolling around in gravel, what's better than a BUBBLE BATH?

 

This week, we had some new neighbors move in next door, and they have two little girls (one of whom is only six months older than Gavin).  Our neighborhood is literally bursting with friends to keep Gavin entertained and active!  Our house might feel small -- (smaller by the second) -- but we really couldn't ask for a better neighborhood to raise our babies in!

HAPPY SPRING!

THIRD TRIMESTER...whoa!

Today I am 26 weeks pregnant.  According to my What to Expect app, Little Miss Baby is now the size of a cucumber, 15" long and 2.2 pounds.  I've never seen a cucumber that big, and it sure seems like a downgrade from last week's eggplant estimate...but what do I know?  26w6d marks the start of the third trimester, so I'm going to go ahead and congratulate myself and Baylor for making it this far together in what has felt like the blink of an eye.

Last week's belly picture --

I had an appointment with my OB last week and was reminded that after April's visit, I will start seeing the doctor every two weeks for appointments.  It's weird, because at this point in my pregnancy with Gavin, I had seen every OB in my practice at least once and felt like the two-week (and one-week) visits would never arrive.  With Baylor, I've only seen 3 of the 6 doctors and am already staring the two-week visits in the face.  It was a serious awakening that we are not that far from meeting our little girl.

In light of that, we decided we should probably start preparing.  Like, really preparing.  We had the bedding, some room decor, and clothes (of course) -- but we hadn't yet ordered B's crib, glider, dual-screen monitor, etc.  And then there were the little things -- bibs, pacifiers, bottles, diapers -- that you ordinarily get for shower gifts with a first baby and therefore forget you need with subsequent babies.  So we took care of all of that this week!  Stephen and I found a crib/changer we love and also ordered a beautiful custom glider for all those nights we'll be spending in B's nursery willing her back to sleep.  I got off work early on Friday, so my mom and I had fun shopping for the rest of the essentials -- sleep sacks, hooded towels, pink Dr. Brown's bottles, burp clothes...everything imaginable.  Stephen and I honestly felt 100% better when we sorted through all of Baylor's new things, realizing that there isn't much left to purchase.  We have to get some sort of lighting fixture/fan for her room, and custom room-darkening shades (since her room has that weird semi-circle window)...but other than that, it's time to start cleaning out the old, organizing the new, and getting it all set up!

We have a 3D/4D ultrasound in a few weeks to see how Little Miss has grown, and after that we'll be at the ten week countdown.  We'd better enjoy our sleep now, because while Gavin oftentimes lets us sleep in until 9:30 on the weekends, something tells me those days are numbered...

Gavin's First Disney Adventure

I've spent the better part of this past week thinking of how to sum up our Disney vacation in a blog entry -- how to do it justice, how to capture the magic of Gavin's joy, how to explain the sheer exhaustion (and perfection) of taking a toddler to the Happiest Place on Earth.

I've edited hundreds of photos.  I've created a Shutterfly book (shared on this blog, below).  I've thought constantly about how fortunate we were to have gotten to spend a full week focusing on nothing but our son and his love for all things Mickey.

I could take a few approaches here -- I could summarize what we did day-to-day.  I could post endless pictures of our precious child giggling on rides and while watching street parades (let's be real, I'll probably do that anyway).  I could write a how-to for navigating the parks with a toddler.

Instead, I think I'll just say this:

When we told people we were taking a 15-month old to Disney, people thought we were pretty crazy.  "He won't remember it," they said.  In our opinion, that ended up being the #1 reason we were SO GLAD to have taken him at 15-months.  He won't remember that Mama didn't do her research and forgot about Daylight Savings, so we had to wake him up at what felt like 5:00 am to leave for the airport.  He won't remember that we had no real understanding of the layout of each park, so we spent a lot of time just aimlessly walking around looking for various rides.  He won't remember his fear of Tigger at the Crystal Palace character dinner (though somehow he still loves Winnie the Pooh).  He won't remember the things we know now to change for our next visit.  He also won't remember some really great things -- like his SHEER JOY upon seeing Mickey Mouse for the first time, or his excitement on the Dumbo ride.  Stephen and I will remember those things, but he won't.

Going into this trip, we knew it wouldn't be perfect.  We had two strikes against us -- a pregnant woman and a toddler.  We also knew it wouldn't be relaxing.  It was a total learning experience, and for us, it was just what we needed.  With our daughter arriving in early July, we needed a week to really focus on Gavin.  This trip was about him -- giving him our undivided attention, doing things that were fun and special for him, making sure his needs were met.  And honestly, that goal was 100% accomplished.  Our expectations were realistic -- never for a minute did we think we'd hit every attraction, or manage to stay at the parks for the nightly fireworks.  We went back to the resort for a nap every afternoon, never pushing Gavin to sleep in his stroller or "tough it out" when he was tired.  If he wanted to walk -- which he did, often -- we'd let him.  We wanted him to explore, to experience, and to ENJOY his time in Florida.  And as a result, we truly enjoyed seeing him so free and happy.

Once we got back home, it was back to the daily grind.  Stephen and I went back to work on Monday and life resumed as though this magical week never happened.  Gavin has his well-baby pediatrician visit (and shots) tomorrow morning, and I have an OB appointment later in the afternoon.  It really feels as though our week in Disney existed in its own little "bubble" -- and the memories we made on our special trip will carry us through until we are afforded the opportunity to travel again!  (Where to next?)

Our Disney Shutterfly Book -- ENJOY!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Start your own Shutterfly Photo Book today.

21 Weeks

Holy smokes, I'm over halfway through this pregnancy!  Symptom-wise, I'm definitely starting to feel it.  This baby is riding higher than Gavin did, so I'm dealing with heartburn and breathing issues when I'm sitting in certain positions...but honestly, this pregnancy has still been WORLDS easier than it was with Gavin.  The only truly difficult part is that I'm getting a little big to be lifting Gavin -- and with him getting ready to bust some bottom molars, he's wanting to be held a lot.  (Sigh, he's so sweet.  These temper tantrums he's throwing are a bit much...but he's just so darn cute.)

We had our big ultrasound -- the anatomy scan -- last week, to check that everything was healthy with the baby's organs.  This was the ultrasound with Gavin where I found out I had previa, and though it later resolved on its own, the whole ultrasound experience was marred by the fact that I had all sorts of restrictions placed on me as a result of the previa.  This time -- ALL CLEAR!  I'm healthy, Baylor is healthy, and everything is generally looking perfect.  

Isn't she beautiful?  I know it's weird to say since she's still inside...but I swear, I think she looks just like Gavin.  He was always curled up with his hands around his face, and she already looks like she's developing Gavin's marshmallow cheeks.  I'm so in love with her already.  If all goes according to plan, the anatomy scan was my last doctor-mandated ultrasound, but I think Stephen and I will do a 3D/4D scan (like we did with G) to see our little princess again when she gets chubbier.

  

Anyway, once we received repeat confirmation that this baby was a girl, we went ahead and ordered her bedding!  We've been stockpiling Amazon gift cards since our birthdays last year, so we ended up paying next to nothing for the bedding and accessories!  The bedding arrived today and we LOVE it.

Her nursery is small, so the neutral colors will be perfect.  We'll have to repaint the room for the third time in four years (haha), but I think the whole thing will be so beautiful when it comes together.  It's super exciting to see Baylor's stuff piling up in the guest room, just waiting to be organized!  I started feeling her kick last weekend (!!!), so it's all starting to feel very, very real. 

We leave for WALT DISNEY WORLD in just over a week, so this will probably be the last post before we get back -- but say a little prayer that all goes well for us!  Something tells me that traveling with a 15-month old will be substantially different that traveling with a 10-month old.  On our flights to and from Mexico, Gavin slept in our arms the whole time.  I don't believe that will be the case this time around.  Our squirmy monkey is becoming more independent, and has also dropped his morning nap...so we'll see.  He keeps us on our toes at home, so I have no doubt he will similarly test his boundaries in Orlando.  And we have TWO strikes against us -- a toddler and a pregnant mama!  We're planning on being flexible, taking it easy, and realizing that no matter how much of Disney World we actually get to see, it's not going to go anywhere.  Anything we miss, we can go back and see in a few years.  I wouldn't mind just lounging around the hotel pool, to be honest!  So we'll be game for anything and are hoping to just enjoy a week away from the stresses of everyday life.  

I'm looking forward to updating this blog with TONS OF PICTURES of Gavin's first magical trip to Mickey's World in a few weeks!  Until then...!  

My Favorite Little Model

I'll be honest - I think I did a great job taking photos of Gavin throughout his first year.  I got a nice DSLR camera and editing software...took monthly portraits...attempted to capture every milestone and holiday on film.  I created beautiful Shutterfly books for 0-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-9 months, 10-12 months, and Gavin's first birthday.  I seriously treasure those books and love looking back at special moments from my darling baby's life.

And then he turned one, and for some reason, I've had a harder time remembering to take photos.  Maybe it's because it's winter and we're not going out as much (trips to the zoo, football games, etc).  Maybe it's because, beyond the first year, changes aren't happening at the same rapid pace.  Maybe it's because life just feels busier with a second baby on the way (and let's face it, it's not going to slow down anytime soon).

That being said, I am still working on a Shutterfly book to capture Gavin's second year, and occasionally I'll remember to get my camera out and document cute moments like using utensils at mealtime or being silly in the bath.  When Baylor comes, I'll have to make even more of an effort to make sure I capture her important moments too, and that I don't just lump them together with Gavin's.  (I plan on creating a book to capture my pregnancy and the first few weeks following her birth, a 0-6 month book, and a first birthday book...beyond that, starting in January 2014, I'll start doing one family yearbook rather than individual books for each child.)  

Here are some recent photos of Gavin, since I realize it's been awhile since I've posted any!  I may be biased, but he gets cuter by the day.

It doesn't matter how many loveys we buy for this baby -- he only wants Old Ratty!

It's a...GIRL!

Two weeks ago, Stephen and I found out that our next little nugget will be of the ruffles-and-bows variety!  We are very excited, particularly since my brother and sister-in-law will also be welcoming a little girl.  We chose to find out the gender early -- we found out at 16 weeks with Gavin, 17 weeks with this baby -- so I always remain a BIT nervous and always hang onto receipts until my OB/GYN confirms the health and gender at my anatomy scan (in a few weeks).  The ultrasound tech was 100% confident it was a girl, and the picture below definitely verifies the lack of "boy parts" -- but still, you hear stories all the time about people finding out they're having one gender only to pop out the other.  I suppose, then, that it's a good thing we actually had chosen the same name for a girl OR a boy!  Our little princess will be named Baylor Kate Dowd -- Baylor Isaac was our choice for a boy -- and we think it's just perfect.  We wanted something unique but not weird.  Something easy to spell and pronounce.  Something that could morph into whatever type of person our little girl becomes -- ultra-feminine, tomboyish, etc.  She'll most likely go by Baylee as a nickname, but Stephen and I just loved the name Baylor from the moment we thought of it and knew well before we got pregnant with this baby that Baylor would be the name.

So there you have it!  I can't believe I'm already 19 weeks along -- I have an appointment this afternoon to hear the heartbeat again, and then we'll schedule our anatomy scan.  It is FLYING the second time around!