"Precious Presley"

That is what one of the nurses at the hospital called her, and we couldn't agree more!!

Presley Elaine Philipbar
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 at 8:02am
6lbs 6oz
18 3/4 inches

Me and my big girl...about to become a big sister!!

Me and my TWO girls



 Eliza was so excited about her "Beebee"

 Staring at daddy

 Presley and Tickie-tie

 Presley and Auntie M and Auntie A

 Meeting Grandpa

 Grandma and Presley

Eliza spends more time in this swing than Presley

Well our sweet little addition is almost 3 weeks old!! I've had this post started since she was a week, but ya know how that goes...and in all reality, with two babies now blogging just sort of falls to the very bottom of the priority list for me. What a whirlwind 3 weeks it has been! Thursday the 3rd, David and I arrived at the hospital at 5:30 AM for my scheduled repeat c-section to begin at 7:30, and then my family and Davids parents, along with Eliza arrived at 6:30. By 7:35 I was in the operating room being prepped and getting my spinal. The operating room is really the wierdest room I have ever been in. It really looks like what you see in the movies: big stark white room with tons of intimidating equipment, and on top of that FREEZING. I was not scared or really that nervous at all with Eliza, but for some reason I was a little nervous this time around. But everything went super smoothly and at 8:02am Presley Elaine was finally here!! What an absolutely breathtaking moment when you hear your brand new baby girl, that you have felt moving inside of you for months, cry for the first time! And then to see her sweet face and to get to kiss her...it is a memory that brings tears to my eyes everytime...and I am not just being dramatic, there is nothing quite as special!! It is so over whelming, emotional, spiritual even. After I was stitched up, I was taken to recovery where they brought her in to me and I was able to hold her for the first time. I was able to breastfeed, which she took to really well, and gave me a glimmer of hope that THIS time it would work. David and I spent about an hour just talking and getting to know our little girl. When they moved me to the post partum room they took Presley to wash her and stuff and didn't bring her in to meet the rest of the anxious family members until almost another hour and a half later, so unfortunately Davids parents took Eliza home because she had already been in the hospital for WAAAY longer than any 20 month old should ever be (although she did so well) and she was in desperate need of a nap :( But my family was able to stay and meet her:) Eliza came back with David's mom on Friday morning and my sweet friend Elisse was there to capture the moment on video thankfully since we had acccidently sent our camera home with Davids parents somehow. But I will have to post the video, it was an unforgettable moment, Eliza meeting her new little sister. I started bawling as soon as she walked into the room. It didn't help that she was excitedly shouting "mamma, BEE-BEE"! As soon as she saw us!! It was just the reaction I was hoping for!! We are so blessed to have two sweet, healthy, amazing little girls!!

We were able to come home saturday, which I was really nervous about. With Eliza, I had all the time in the world that was devoted 100% to her, and my recovery, but this time I have a toddler as well. I am just so grateful for David and his mom who have been so incredible!! Especially the first few days when I was pretty much useless for anything except feeding Presley and loving on my girls, they just did everything!! And my wonderful mother in law continues to be such a blessing in helping with Eliza while I am busy with Presley, I am just so grateful! I know that has helped make this transition so much better and easier for Eliza. One thing's for sure....without a doubt these two girls are like night and day!! for starters, they look completely different!! Also I had to wake Eliza up to eat every 3 hours, and with Presley I still did for a few days, but basically since this past week she is on her own crazy schedule now which is pretty much...not a schedule. She will eat 3 oz and then, not even kidding eat 1-2 more an hour later. It is really hard for me because I really like having a dependable schedule, and i got really spoiled with Eliza because she was like clockwork. But I got over it, and am just getting a wake-up call about the reality of motherhood again. Every baby is just so different!! But we will eventually work out a schedule that works for us as she gets a little bigger.

I love watching Eliza with Presley!! She is so in love with her little sister!! David and I were talking about how we wonder if she kind of senses that this is someone special to her, not just any baby, but someone that she was with not that long ago before she came to earth...someone that she knew and loved. I think she must, because from the first moment she saw Presley, she has had such a different response. Such an excitement and love for her that she doesn't get around other babies, although she has always been fascinated by them. I do have to watch her pretty closely, because like for instance this morning when I was feeding Presely, one minute Eliza is softly touching her head saying "Shhh,shhh,shh" and the next she is whacking her in the face, or chunking the baby monitor at her....tough love I guess :} But then Everytime she see's her and squeals "BEE-BEE", or gets upset and worried when she hears her cry (and even more upset if I don't fix it right away!) it just proves that she really does love her:)

I could go on for days about the joys, and new stresses, and the funny stories that come with having a new baby, and having TWO under TWO, but I won't. Basically I am just feeling so blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a mommy to these sweet little girls!! And I am equally as grateful for the wonderful families we have who love us and who have been so helpful!!! I love this phase in my life, and am anxious to see how the next phase unfolds in the next couple of months!!

More pics and updates to come...hopefully :}

It's real!!!

Good 'ol "nesting" has made its debut!!

For some it begins months before the due date

but for me...about 3 weeks before.

Don't get me wrong, I do little things here and there

all throughout the pregnancy,

but for some reason...

the major "nesting" phenomenon doesn't hit me until the last minute!

I think that something about having a scheduled c-section

has something to do with it.

Normally, when you don't know exactly when the baby

will come, you want to be prepared way in

advance because the baby

could come at any minute!

And for some reason,

having a set date has made me feel like I still have time,

like that is the for sure day she will come

when really she could come at any time too!!

Eliza didn't wait til her "date"!! She came

5 days earlier.

A scheduled c-section means nothing,

they have plans of their own:)

So finally this past week, that thought dawned on me

and I began to panic mildly.

I made my to-do list and

have been checking it off one by one.

I will give myself credit, since I went through the

HUGE bags of baby clothes we had and

got them all sorted by size...pulling out

the newborn/zero-3mo. sizes a couple

weeks ago.

So now all of the clothes, blankets,

and carseat are clean and 

The clothes and blankets are

organized and ready to go, and

Bottles and pacifiers are cleaned/sterilized.

Plus my sweet friends Kendra and Ashleigh

put together a really nice baby shower

for me this weekend, so I got some

more good stuff

(including the angelcare monitor I wanted!!).

My parents also got us a double stroller,

which is a BIG thing off the list!!

The great thing about the second baby

especially when it's the same gender,

is that we already have pretty

much everything we need!!

The few things we needed we

got at my shower, or

from family.

Such a blessing!!

I feel so relieved that I am pretty much prepared!!

Atleast as far as the physical needs goes.

Emotionally, I am a little bit of a mess.

I am so so excited,

I can't even express it in words!!

But I am also a lot litle nervous

about becoming the mommy to

TWO

babies!! I know I will have enough

love, that is not even a question.

I just worry that my high-strungness over

silly things will get the

best of me.

I don't want to miss out on the precious, sweet

moments because I am worried about

things, schedules, etc. that

are not all that important, really.

I also worry about my lil Eliza.

There is so much change going on

in the next couple of months

and I just pray that I will

be able to keep a

clear head so that I can make

sure and give her all of the love and help she needs during all of

these transitions.

ALSO...

we have a name!!!

****

Presley Elaine

I absolutely love it!! And I love being able to talk about/to

her by her name!!!

So we are ready!!

Aside from having our bags packed.

November 3rd cannot come soon enough,

but at the same time is steam-rolling

towards us at a ridiculous pace!!

36 weeks!!

This belly is getting huge!!

And sadly, this is my outfit of choice, unless I leave the house....

Eliza is in heaven having so much space to play outside at Memaw and Tickie-ties!! She loves the kitties

(who are the sweetest, most tolerant kitties I have ever seen!),

Maggie the dog,

and the Horsies!!

All ready for church last Sunday:)

She finally got to wear her

cute boots, since it was RAINING!!

And she knew she was looking so adorable and sassy!!

8 Months!!

Well we are on the home stretch!! I am 8 months along today!! So technichally I have 8 weeks left, but because I am having a scheduled c-section it will be 7 weeks!! Yikes!! Today at my check-up we officially set the date: November 3rd. I love that we have a date!! 7 weeks is nothing!! There is so much going on right now that I know it will fly right by...and the thing I am most nervous about....the NAME!!!

That's right,

Our baby girl is

still.

nameless!!

We don't even really have any serious contenders, so yeah, I am stressing that a bit!! But Other than that, just so excited!! I can't wait to meet our little girl!!

But like I said, we will have a busy couple of months until she gets here...and then it doesn't slow down after that either!!

David was accepted into BYU-Provo for the winter semester starting in January. I am so proud of him!! So even though we had absoulutely no idea how we were going to make it work, we just knew we couldn't pass this opportunity up! So with a lot of prayer, and faith...off we go!! It is so amazing to us how the Lord has blessed us through this process!! We absolutely know this is what we need to be doing right now. Even as heart-breaking as it will be to leave our family's behind...with a 6 week old baby none-the-less. But I cannot dwell on that, because I truly am so excited for this new adventure and chapter in our lives, and I know if I start thinking too much about that, I will start bawling and I wont stop ever!! The great news is, I have family really close to Provo that are wonderful and I am so excited to get to know them better!!

We were able to get out of our lease a little early, since our lease is not technically up until mid-December. That would have actually been perfect timing, but we decided to see if there was a way to get out of it any sooner so that we can save that money for the move up to Utah. And our Apt. manager was so awesome and was able to work something out for us!! So we are moving out the end of this month and my incredible Aunt Deanna and Uncle Tim are going to let us stay with them for the 2 1/2 months until the BIG move! It is going to be a little crazy, and again, I am not dwelling on that, because I know that it will all work out just the way it should!

My Uncle Greg and Aunt Jeana who live in Spanish Fork, Utah, only about 15 mins from Provo are going to let us stay with them for a bit until we are able to find something, so that is another HUGE blessing!! We are so grateful for all of the support we recieve from our families!! We know we could not do all that we have done/are tyring to do, without their help and support, and love!!

The last biggie left to peg down is a job for David, but we feel like once it gets closer to us actually moving there, it will be easier for an employer to even consider him, because most people that are hiring are looking for someone ASAP!! But there is one guy that he has already been in contact with who said to contact him closer to Dec., so hopefully that will come through!!

We are just so over-whelmed right now with how much our Heavenly Father has blessed us!

"You're gunna miss this"

I feel like I have several posts like this, and I'm sure there will be many more...but lately it seems like it is far too easy to forget the sweet little moments in life with this new stage that is "18 months old". Cue ridiculous fits, over-the-top drama and the attitude of "I rule the roost". We knew it would come, and honestly there are way, way more fun things about this age than there are not-so-fun things....like all of the new words she can say, and the fact that she is understanding so so much more!! But There is nothing that can truly prepare one for the tantrums and fits. We thought we would have it totally under control and know what to do, if (ha) and when it happened, but alas....we are just not that good. But I dont want to dwell on that, because like I said, this is also such an amazing and fun age!! And despite the major sass and 'tude we are dealing with, Eliza is still just the sweetest little girl!

For instance: The other day while cooking dinner, she was sitting in her high chair eating a popsicle and I heard her sweet little voice say "Hi"...so I turned towards her and said "Hi baby girl, I love you!", like I do a bazillion times an hour day....and she leaned forward with her little sticky lips puckered waiting for a kiss!! I had to drop everything and just scoop her up and attack her with kisses!! Melted my heart completely!!! And the past couple of days when I have gone to lay her down for her nap/bedtime she has snuggled into my shoulder with her arms around my neck, and she will pat my back while I turn on her music and get the fan going. Moments like those just make you totally forget the horrible nightmare of a shopping trip we had endured just an hour earlier, or the fact that she threw all of her lunch on the kitchen floor. I love that sweet little, crazy-haired, raspy-voiced baby girl asleep in the next room more than anything!!! I love the song by Trace Adkins "Youre gunna miss this", it makes me cry everytime because it is soooo true!!!

Here are a few cute pics from the last week...."the sweet things":

                                     

 Not sure what happened to her diaper, poor thing

but it gave me a good laugh to turn around and see a little plumbers crack

 Her new fav. dance move is hands in the air while twirling...

and she brought me my shirt from the laundry

and insisted on wearing it...

 She also loves to walk around wearing my shoes....

Popsicle time on the back porch...this was just moments

before she got stung by a bee...my poor baby...

right on her chubby lil thumb :(

A moment when...

I really, REALLY shouldn't have laughed....But I couldn't help it!!!

 Yes....this is Beaudreauxs Butt paste that she has slathered herself in...

And she is really proud!!!

Well, while I was trying to figure out how to fix my blog doing really important stuff...Eliza found the diaper rash cream I left for her convenience in the diaper bag...on the couch

and smeared it allllll over her belly

as you can see in the pics above.

My first response was a panicked "OH Nooooo!"

But then I looked at my sweet little girl

COVERED in Butt paste

and I cracked.UP!!!

Probably not the right thing to do in this situation,

but I couldn't help it!!

By some miracle, there was no paste on the couch, or her  jean shorts that were on top of the diaper bag

only on her....

and mostly on her belly!

So even if it was NOT a good thing...she did pretty good

if you know what I mean.

But after one loooonng bath

{with some soap that is definitely not baby soap}

She is grease free

and our tub has a nice greasy butt paste ring all the way around the bottom!!

haha

Probably a huge mommy fail all around.

But I love being a mommy to this little girl so much!!!

And she is taking a nap right now by-the-way...
I learned my lesson!!!

My blog needs help...

Im trying to get a little fancier with my blog template and stuff, but until I figure out how to add my title to the blog header, it will look like this....unless I can't figure it out, and then it will go back to normal. I have googled it, but I need some help...in english, not tech talk. For anyone who knows about this type of thing, I could use some help...please...

Weekend with Memaw and Tickie tie

Well I am almost 29 weeks along (on thurs), but Here is a pic of what 28 weeks looks like. My shirt basically blends into the closet doors I just noticed haha so maybe not a great pic. But I feel great, and I am just getting more and more excited to have a newborn again!!! In just about 10 weeks we will get to meet our new baby girl, and we cant wait!!! We are also still deciding on a name, but feel like maybe we are getting closer...maybe :}

This past weekend was so much fun! Friday evening after David and I both got "off" work (weird to be included in that) we drove up to his parents house to spend the night. David helped his dad move in the weights and other equipment he had just purchased, and then we ate and played and had a relaxing evening. Eliza went to bed late at about 10:30, and then we didnt get to bed until almost 2, but I figured with the busy day we'd had Eliza would definitely sleep in...NOT! She woke up wide awake at 6:00AM...ugh. But thats ok because that meant that we were up and ready to leave by 9:30. David and I anyways. Eliza had a "Memaw and Tickie tie day". We were able to go out by ourselves allll day, which hasn't happened probably since Eliza was born! Of course I missed her about 5 mins down the road, but I knew she was having way more fun with memaw and tickie tie, and it was so nice to have time alone together. We were able to go the the movies, which I haven't done in Months. I felt like a kid in the theater for the first time....seriously. I know it sounds a little extreme but I was really excited. haha. We saw the Help, which was such an awesome movie. I was in tears halfway through. Poor David was one of only about 4 men in the whole theater....and he was definitely the youngest by about 20 years for the most part. What a good husband. He did like it, but it was definitely more my kind of movie. We went to the mall, and we went out to eat. And it was so weird to not have a little toddler to keep occupied. I mean dinner was so nice and peaceful, it was ridiculous!! Davids parents both sent us picture messages throughout the day to keep us updated on what our lil angel was up to. I wish I had those on my computer because they are priceless!! But she definitely had the best day, and she DEFINITELY was super spoiled!!! Her day involved lots of outside time with the puppy and kitties, swimming with Memaw, ice cream, shopping, dancing, and pretty much whatever she wanted them to do haha. We met them that evening to pick her up, and she didn't want to leave them...it broke my heart a little, but I am so glad to know that she loves her memaw and tickie tie so much and that they take such good care of her! She had on a cute new outfit, and memaw had curled her hair!!! The whole way home I kept looking back at her and just smiling the biggest smile because that curly hair was probably the cutest thing ever!!!

Its a little smashed because of the carseat :(

But you can still see a few precious curls

around her lil face

I wish she would let ME do this....

doesn't it make you just want to attack her with Kisses!!!

A new groove

It's true, she almost never wears clothes anymore!!

Its too darn hot!!

*Just as a warning, this is a random, spill my brains post:

Well it has really been dawning on me this past week just HOW much our lives are about to change. And not just in Early November when the littlest Philipbar girl arrives, like next week! I was supposed to watch the boys again this week Wed., Thurs., and Fri., while thier mamma had meetings, and then full time starting next week when she is back to teaching; but her meetings were cancelled. I can honestly say I was a little relieved, and I know she was too. Another full week of summer is good for the soul. We have gotten into a pretty good "groove" around here, Eliza and I, and it is a little overwhelming to think about finding a new one. I think I am mostly apprehensive about what to do with 3 busy kids all day in a small apartment, with minimal outside time considering the extreme heat. Speaking of THREE kids, I cant get over the fact that in a matter of a few short months, I will go from having one baby to take care of during the day, to three, to FOUR!!! Well really 1 young child, 2 toddlers, and a newborn. However it splits up, I will have four kiddos to care for everyday during the week. As much as I know my life will change, with digging deep down to find my creative side, to a completely new schedule; I am really hoping that Eliza will handle all of the craziness ok. I know she needs some buddies, so for that reason it will be good. But the mommy and Eliza days are almost over, and I know I will miss them, and I'm sure it will be hard for her too. All of these new changes, especially our new addition to the family, are wonderful and exciting, but sheesh I have to get my act together!!! I think knowing that I will soon have absolutely NO spare time in the not-too-distant-future, has played on my subconscious a little bit. I find that I am giving myself a little more time during naptime to do things I want to do, instead of just the usual housework, etc. And I don't feel guilty about it. I am not being lazy, or neglecting my duties, and Eliza is getting as much love and attention as ever...I am just taking advantage of the little "free" time I have left. Also I think that nesting comes in the form of decorating/re-decorating for me. I have rearranged pictures and added things to our apt. like crazy this past week!! It is kind of a bummer to want to get all creative on zero budget. lol but I have re arranged to my hearts content...for now:) There is so much that is unknown right now, and it is exciting and scary all at the same time!! I am so grateful that I have a loving Heavenly Father who knows me, and who loves me enough to entrust me with all of these responsibilites. I am also so grateful for an amazing husband to be on this journey with. And of course for my Eliza Elysse, who brings me more joy than I could ever have imagined...and a sweet new baby girl who is, at this very moment kicking me in the bladder, reminding me that she is here and all is well! :)

Bump watch...26 weeks!!

I feel huge, and when I look in the mirror I see a huge ol belly, but whenever I see it in a picture, it doesn't look nearly as big! I think I have circus mirrors or something. Every time I tell people I am 6 1/2 months along, they tell me I look too little to be that far along...I dont know why that is disappointing, I guess I wish I looked as big as I feel. ha. Less than 100 days before baby girl makes her entrance!! Still completely stumped on a name. I love that at this point I can feel her moving constantly through out the day, not the little kicks and punches, but the BIIIG flips and jumps and hiccups. It feels like my whole stomach is jumping when she moves sometimes.

 I feel good, and although I am way tired by the end of the day, my energy levels are mostly high throughout the day. Eliza and I started our babysitting job this week. Just a few days this week, and next while their mom had back-to-school meetings, and then we are on full time after that. But it went great this week! We were at their house, which was awesome, but we wont be able to do that most days because of our car situation, so hopefully things will go as smoothly at our little apartment....yikes. Eliza loved having new friends to play with, even though they are so much bigger and she mostly just messed up whatever they were playing...poor thing. But this is good for her to get this experience with other kids. I am still trying to figure out how to prepare her for a new baby sister in a few months!

Texas is waaaayy too too stinkin hot!! We try to go on a walk early in the mornings before it gets too ridiculous and unbearable, but otherwise we keep outside time to like 10 or 15 min. increments throughout the day. One of Eliza's favorite words right now is..."Hot"...haha

17 Months

This Picture just about sums up Eliza right now:) Fiesty, and silly!!! Love, Love Love!!! I know 17 months is kind of a random month to do an update, but I did sort of a lame-O job for her 1 year update, and there are so many fun things I dont want to forget about this stage!

Fun things, as well as new challenges, but we are enjoying this little ball of energy and sass, and sweetness more and more everyday! We have survived a few full blown tantrums, re-adjusted our schedule, and then re-adjusted it some more. There is constant change, and adjusting to be done, which sometimes I'll admit...worries me...but I am a work in progress, and things always work out, and at the end of the day, if I can look back and say "I loved Eliza with every fiber of my being, and did everything I could/know to do to keep her happy , healthy and safe" then I feel successful. Even if the house is still messy, and there are dishes in the sink...and I stayed in my sweats alllll day:}


Here are some fun things about Eliza at 17 months:

• She loves animals!! That hasn't changed for months...but now, instead of every animal "barking", she barks for dogs, cats, and most four legged animals, quacks for ducks, and tweets for birds. Her favorite right now are birds!! She loves to see them in front of our apt. and anytime she hears or sees one she "tweets", You cannot even imagine how cute it is.



• She Says hot dog "Hog-og", outside "ow-shy-ee", shoes "shoosh", cracker "cra-gra"(which means cracker or fruit snacks:), "Hi", "HOt",cup "gup" for her sippy, and yogurt "go-gur"...she is talking all the time, whether we understand it or not! It is so fun to hear the new things she says all of the time. Every once in a while when we are tickling, she will try to tickle us too and say "gickle-gickle-gickle", cutest.thing.ever.



• She loves to watch mickey mouse clubhouse...that is the first thing she wants every morning.



• She is still the "bag lady"...she has also taken up a fascination with keys again...first thing when someone gets home, or comes over, she goes for their keys.



• She still loves talking on the phone



• She Loves Turkey dogs, broccoli, ramen noodles, carrots, bananas, yogurt, crackers, fruit snacks...and much much more, she is an awesome eater most of the time!!



• Since taking away the paci, she loves her blankies now. There isn't one in particular that she is attached to, but whichever one she is currently sleeping with is her buddy for about 15 mins after waking up, and when she is tired.



• She loves going to grandma and grandpas, and memaw and tickie-ties. When we say we are going to either one, she claps and squeals with joy...and then when we pull up there is more clapping and squealing, and clawing at her buckles...we love that she recognizes those special places.



• She signs "more" like a pro. Not only does it mean "more please", it basically just means I want that...haha



• She usually wakes up in the mornings and from naps happy and talking and then greets me with a big, cheesy, happy "HI!" when I go to get her....and then she snuggles into my shoulder for just a second....but it is the sweetest moment for me.



• she is also slimming down...this is not such a fun thing for me, because I miss all of those rolls and it just rubs it in that she is growing up. But I know that is good, cus she doesn't need to be a chunkster forever.



• She loves taking baths! When I say "bath-time!" she runs to the bathroom and automatically gets a wash rag from under the sink.



• She loves to give us big open-mouthed kisses!! Sometimes she will make kissy noises and give us a closed-lip kiss, but we love the sloppy ones!!! The best are like earlier today, when I was bent down in front of her to put her shoes on, and she just leaned over and gave me the sweetest kiss. My heart just melts...I live for those moments.

I will probably think of a ton more once I've posted this, but...thats a pretty good list :) I just love being a mommy to this sweet little girl. I love her fun, sweet, fiesty spirit. I love that I have this responsibility (along with David), to teach her and help her grow...but I also love that she really teaches me so much everyday!!! Being a mom is hard, and I am not such a pro as I had hoped I would be haha. But the rewards far out-weigh any hard times!!

AND...some more pictures....

A fun day at the little water park in Roanoke with

Grandma, Auntie A and Auntie M

She had such a blast!

She loved the little pirate ship slide~

She is saying "hi" to me before she slides down :)

Group shot before we left....Eliza was saying how
much fun she had :)

My Best Friend Ashlie came up to visit from Utah

so we got to spend a fun day with her

This was her first time ever meeting Eliza!!

Eliza giving the Stare down....

But they were bff's too before too long

Morning ritual...Watching mickey mouse:)

I have no good excuse for not blogging, and have started this post several times...but anyways here is what we have been up to.

The beginning of July brought a new and exciting chapter in our lives...debt!! We purchased our first car...well the first car that has been financed and not payed for out right. So as scary as the thought of being in debt for the next 4 years is, we are so happy to have a nice, reliable car...with working A/C!! Bring on the Road trips!! It is a 2008 Ford Escape and it is in beautiful condition!! Love it!! Unfortunately we still have only one (working) car, as we traded in our little old bmw to get the payments in the right range, but hopefully we will remedy that in the not-too-distant-future :}

We also got Eliza her first "big-girl" car seat. She loved it instantly, and acted like the Queen of the back seat....even more than usual :) It took her some getting used to as far as being able to fall asleep, but as you can see from the picture above, it didnt take too long to adjust :)

I will be Six months along on Thursday!! I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy is going!! I feel great!!! I definitely have to retire some jeans, which is sad, but I cannot take the uncomfortable pressure anymore!! I have another Ultrasound on Thursday, and my mom and Davids mom are going to come with... it will be so fun!!! Baby girl is still without a name...why it's so hard to come up with a name, I have no idea....but we are working on it.

I am also going to be babysitting two litle boys beginning mid August. My mom has watched them since the older one was born. He is now 4 and his little bro is 3. I will have my hands full for sure! But it will be a blessing for us to have the extra income, and for me to continue to stay home with Eliza and baby girl. Baby girl is coming at a great time, as far as "maternity leave" goes. She is due the beg. of November, so part of my leave will be during Thanksgiving and both of the parents are teachers, so they will get time off, then Christmas is not too far after that. I love this family so I feel so blessed to be able to do this!! Our lease is up in December, which will be the perfect time to move to a bigger apt. and one that is closer to the family I am baby sitting for, and School for David. It is going to be a pretty busy end-of-the-year, but Exciting as well!!

Here are some pics from the End of June and the 4th of July:

Getting ready to watch fireworks

Clapping for the fireworks....

She snuck a cupcake at my parents 4th of July bbq

:)

Sweet, silly little girl!! <3

playing peek-a-boo with her purse

Love this sweet little face!!!

Its a girl!!!

The "all-knowing cake, that sat in our fridge for two days taunting us!!!

Thats right, there was PINK filling in that cake!!! Eliza gets a sister!!!

this is before-hand, everyone was choosing which color balloon

they wanted to hold for the picture...

there were only like 4 pink ones...

We had alot of celebrating going on....
It was Father's Day, and My birthday,
and we celebrated Davids birthday...
And the gender reveal!!!
I loved this picture because Eliza's face is all lit up -
she thought all of the singing was for her...sweet baby!!!

I am so happy that Eliza has some great aunties who love
to play with her and keep her happy and occupied!!



Little ham

She loves to do this....A-dorable!!

What a blessed weekend!! Not only did we get to find out the gender of our new baby, but we got to do it on Fathers day, and my birthday!!! Talk about the best present!! I was born on Fathers day, and about every 6 years or so it lands on fathers day again. I always loved that! I am blessed with some incredible men in my life to celebrate! I have the worlds best daddy, who has taught me so much, and continues to work hard and be there for our family. I have an absolutely incredible husband, who is the best daddy to our little girl (soon to be girls!). I couldnt have asked for any better, As corny as it sounds, it makes me want to cry thinking about this amazing man! I dont know what I did to deserve him!! I am so grateful for my wonderful Father-in-law who taught David so so much, and is such a beacon of strength and love to us all. Not to mention the amazing Uncles and Grandpas and brother-in-laws, and cousins who are daddy's!! Like I said before...we are so blessed with wonderful families!!

Thursday was my ultrasound. I was so excited, and could NOT wait til my 5:45 appointment. We brought Eliza, and it was so neat to have our whole little family there. Even though Eliza had no idea what was going on. It is always such a relief to see all four healthy chambers of the heart, and to see all the fingers, toes, a beautiful spine, etc. I love it!! That is when it is so real that there is a little life growing inside of me!! That and the movement I am feeling more,and more. They are starting to be more pronounced kicks, punches, and flips! I also came with an extremely full bladder, which I thought was necessary. Well apparantly it's not. When I had my Ultrasound with Eliza at 18 weeks the hospital (where I had the u.s. done) told me to come with a full bladder, so even though my dr.s office didnt mention it this time, I thought for sure I needed to and i didnt want to mess it up. HA. So it wasnt too big a deal, just totally uncomfortable for no reason, and because my bladder was so full, it caused my uterus to contract leaving very little room for baby girl to move around and give us good pics. 

But I love that we can officially say "she", and "baby girl"! I dont know what it is, but for some reason just knowing that its a girl makes me feel like I know her that much better! Like she's not such a mystery anymore. She is our DAUGHTER! Just thinking about having another daughter brings tears to my eyes. I remember all of the fun my sister Lauren and I had growing up because we were so close in age, and I am so excited for Eliza to have a lil sis. Even though I was shocked because I thought it was a boy, I am completely overjoyed!!! Now to come up with a name!!!

18 Weeks

This pregnancy is flying by!! And also, I know that my belly wasn't this big at 18 weeks with Eliza...things sure do change the second time around!! 18 Weeks today! Which means, in exactly one week we will be having our ultrasound!! I am so excited!! I keep having dreams that I peak, and see the gender (since we are having a gender reveal party) and it is always a boy...so we will see!! I would be thrilled to have another sweet baby girl too, but I just keep thinking boy lately. Hmmm, we'll see how on target I am. Not alot to update here in the pregnancy dept., so I apologize that these pics and updates will probably be pretty uneventful...but I documented Eliza's pregnancy so horribly, and really regret not having those memories/pics to look back on and to compare to. So this is mostly for my benefit=) Feeling more/bigger movements, which is the best!! I am also really loving my belly band this go-round. I only used it a handful of times with Eliza, but managed to stay in regular jeans all the way through. But this time, by the end of the day, my regular jeans are really REALLY uncomfortable on the scar from my c-section. And also, lets face it, I def. have it going on in the love handle department, and so the belly band is great for allowing me to comfortably wear my regular jeans, while avoiding any un-wanted love-handleage... ;-)

ANDDD...you know you have preggo-mommy brain when you go to put away the dish towels...in the refrigerator!!! HA, atleast that's what I am blaming it on!!

As for an Eliza update: She is still cuter than should be legal! She now folds her arms AND bows her head when we say "time for prayers"...mmmm melt my heart!!! She is a little chatter box, although still not really saying much we can understand. She is becoming little miss independence, and is extremely fiesty and DRAMATIC!!! Oh boy!! Before she started walking, I heard a lot of "when she starts walking, Watch out...that is when the trouble starts", and similar comments...but, I honestly love that she can walk!! The world has completly opened up to her! She can occupy herself in a way she never could before, and I'm not sure if it's just that her mind has reached a new level of development, and how much has to do with her new found mode of transportation, but she seems to be in her own little, almost imaginary world sometimes! It is so fun to watch her toddle around and kind of chatter to herself, and play with her little dishes, and purses and animals. Motherhood is the BEST!!!

Pics of the week:

So happy to be using her big girl cup with a straw!!


She brought out her frying pan while I was cooking dinner :)

This lil guy was on our back porch the other morning

and Eliza spent a good 10 mins following it and trying to catch it!

that is a record for the amount of time something has kept her occupied!!

"Hey lizard, come here"

My beautiful "baby sis" graduated from HIGH SCHOOL last Saturday!!

I cannot believe it!! She is so sweet and talented,

I cant wait to see where life takes her next!!!

Way-to-go Steph!!!
We love you sooo much!! <3