Father's Day weekend we got to spend the entire weekend with my family at The Four Season's hotel in Dallas. It was really nice weather and perfect for swimming! This time was the first time Levi really knew what was going on and where he was. He loved the pool! We pretty much were in or around the water the entire weekend :) He are some highlights!
Here are some video highlights of Levi swimming!
Levi and Nile seriously just can't get enough of each other. I think that I could get Levi to do anything I wanted, as long as Nile was doing it too :). They definitely are two peas in a pod!
Earlier in June we got to fly up to Crystal Lake to visit Brandon's side of the family (minus Chel since she was traveling Europe. Poor Chel :)). We had a very fun filled, and completely packed trip. I did not get pics of everything that we did, but here are some from what I did get to capture.
We rode the train to visit Grandpa at work and eat lunch. This was BEFORE he actually saw the train or heard it coming, we were still waiting.
For those of you who don't know, Levi has always been very sensitive to loud noises. So the train coming and honking was quite frightening for him. Despite of his loves for trains. It ended up fine once we were actually on the train, but once he sees it coming, he get very upset. Even now, when he hears a train horn, he gets a little nervous. Hopefully that won't stay around too long. :) Here is a video of once we were on the train.
This is when we actually got to Grandpa's work.
Levi, Wes, and Grandpa!
Walking around the tracks waiting to go home.
The whole fam at lunch! :)
Levi and Wes getting a bedtime story read to them by Grandpa.
He loves his cousin Wes! I can't wait to see him love on his little brother! :)
We also went swimming at the lake and down to St. Charles where we used to live to reminise. Those were some of the things that no pictures were taken, at least by me. We had a great time and Levi loved being there. He got to play and play and play and he just can't get enough of his Grandpa. :) We all really enjoy our family!
I just can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. I mean, I kind of can, but I'm just sayin'. :) Things are a lot busier while you are trying to keep a two-year-old occupied. I have been spending most of my time playing with Levi, running errands, and eating. Ha! Nothing really too exciting to report with the pregnancy, which is a good thing. I would rather not have "eventful" things happen until the "big event". We are taking a Hypnobirthing class coming up in July and we are looking forward to it. Hoping to gain some knowledge on how to relax during labor. :) I did get an ultrasound last week and here are some shots from that! I think that they are pretty hard to tell what they are, but the tech labeled them for you. :) So this is baby at 30 weeks.
STATS:
How far along: 31 Weeks, 2 days
How big is baby: Last week at the ultra sound he weigh 3 lbs, 9 oz. That was one week ahead of average which the dr. said didn't mean he was going to come early, just big! Ha! Sleep: Waking up frequently to turn over and get comfortable
Best moment of the week: Seeing the baby again on the sonogram.
Food cravings : Still just sweets!
Food aversions: non really
Symptoms: none!
Movement: This dude is right on top so I literally feel EVERY LITTLE MOVEMENT. It's nice to know he is doing good, but sometimes it is just plain uncomfortable :)
Gender: BOY!
What I’m looking forward to: Decorating his room!
What I miss: Nothing.
Next appt: June 28th
Here is a picture of me and baby at 31 weeks (and Levi makes the picture a lot cuter!):
Well, I always knew that I wasn't very awesome at keeping the blog updated, but I am really feeling it this week. There are so many fun things about Levi and the fam that I just feel overwhelmed to be able to share them all. I will just try to tackle it a little bit at a time.
Levi is in such a fun stage! He has become VERY verbal and communicating very well. He really is very articulate and wants to tell you everything that he thinks about. He will keep saying the sentence over and over until you repeat it to him correctly. I mean who doesn't like to know that they are understood? :) My favorite phrase that he says all the time is "All daboard!" when playing with trains. Brandon's favorite is "Daddy, where ahh yoooouu??" when playing a game with him. They are both very cute! :)
He is also a very good eater lately and been eating pretty much anything. Veggies, meat, rice, "noodies" or noodles. He is really growing and getting so big. So big that in fact this pregnant mama is having a hard time carrying him around a bunch. :)
Levi is still VERY affectionate and loving. We just really can't get enough of his hugs and kisses and "I love you's". This two-year-old is just my favorite two-year-old around! I love you Levi!
This past week was a big one for us! Friday, the 11th, was Levi's 2nd birthday. The 12th was our 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY :), and we had Levi's party on that day. And then Sunday the 13th was Mother's Day! WOW! If that is not a lot of celebrating people then I don't know what is. But this post is to give some cute pics and video of my cute two year-old. :)
Levi rocking in the AMAZING, antique rocking chair my parents brought from the family farm :)
Brandon and I were talking just the other day how amazed we are at who Levi has become. He is such a social and lovable little boy. He loves trucks, cars, planes, anything that resembles a vehicle of some kind. He is VERY verbal and communicates pretty well in my opinion. It does take him repeating himself a few times sometimes before I can tell what he is saying, but sometimes not. The clearest phrase is probably "No. I don't want to." Not said in an annoying or complaining tone, just matter-of-factly. :) He has finally learned to say "I love you" which just melts my heart. He even says it sometimes without you saying it first. Last night when Brandon was taking him to bed he even said "Lu you Connor" all on his own accord! :) He does love dogs as well.
"I'm TWO!!"
Levi's actual birthday started with a special Baked Pancake with strawberries, and eggs. Then we had fun going to get party favors for his party and riding in the car/basket at the grocery store. Not too exciting but it was still special. We had his party on Saturday morning and we are thankful for all of the family and friends who came! It was nothing super amazing, just playing and eating. I made Curious George cupcakes because George is his absolute favorite! Thanks again for your presence and gifts! Levi was truly blessed on Saturday! The video is some highlights of the party!
Daddy is excited to get him some practice camping for when Mommy says he is old enough to actual go! :)
I am found out that I turn over to my new week of pregnancy on Fridays instead of Saturdays, thanks to my recent ultrasound. So I am 20 weeks tomorrow, half way!! Woohoo! But this big news is that I was actually able to get an earlier appointment with the high risk Dr. I got to go yesterday and we found out that our baby boy's heart is perfectly fine! :) PRAISE THE LORD!!! I can't explain how relieved and happy I felt after leaving the office. I am so thankful for the amazing family and friends that the Lord has blessed us with. Thank you for all of you who prayed for me and the baby. I felt so loved and supported through the whole week. The Dr. also went ahead and looked at every single area of possible abnormalities and he found NONE! Needless to say, we were just so happy to hear the news.
Until being told that there was a possibility of some sort of problem with your baby, you don't know how you will react or respond. I hope and pray that I handled it in the way that the Lord wanted me to :) Even today as I think about the whole experience, I cry because I am so thankful for God's faithfulness to me and the ways that he provided peace, hope, and love through something that felt so uncertain. It reminds me yet again that our children are not our own, even the ones that are not born yet (or even conceived). The Lord has each one of them in his hands and heart all along. In reality, there are only a few things that we can actually control (if that even). Obviously we have a lot more opportunity to "control" situations when our children are young, but as they grow older, those slowly begin to dwindle. I hope and pray that I will get better at trying not to "control" everything and trusting the Lord, but I am sure that I will never be done learning how to do that. :) I am thankful that the Lord has a plan and already knows each step my children will make, hopefully I won't hinder them too much :). Anyways, I am so glad to have good news to report!
I do have a belly pic, I think it is from 19 weeks.
STATS:
How far along: 19 weeks, 6 days How big is baby: About the length of a banana;6 1/2 inches long (head to rump) 10 inches head to heel; and 10 1/2 ounces. Total Weight gain: about 10 pounds Maternity Clothes: Fully in my maternity jeans and skirts and dresses
Sleep: Finally starting to sleep all the way through the night.
Best moment of the week: Finding out everything is OK! Food cravings : Not really any to note at this time.
Food aversions: non really but I don't really like Green beans anymore, but that has been around since Levi was in-utero.
Symptoms: none!
Movement: Definitely a mover and a shaker! :)
Gender: BOY! What I’m looking forward to: Being able to enjoy being pregnant for a bit and decorating his room! What I miss: Nothing. Next appt: May 1st. What is baby doing this week? He's swallowing more this week, which is good practice for his digestive system.
Well, I knew that I probably wouldn't be good at keeping up EVERY week, but I feel like updating again so soon isn't bad??? :) Things are still going pretty good here! Definitely completely over the sicky's. We were actually able to have a sonogram this week and found out that we are having a..... BOY!!! We are very excited that Levi is going to have a brother. I get to watch my nephews be so close and play so well together so I am excited to have that with my kiddos! :) We do have to get something rechecked in a few weeks that they weren't able to tell on the sonogram. They weren't able to get a good enough view of all the chambers of the heart. The Dr. said that it could be nothing, but it could be something, so I'm not sure how to react to the information. If you could just pray that everything is developing perfectly with this sweet baby boy's heart and for me to be able to remain at peace until we know a definitive answer. It is a little nerve racking to say the least! But our God is a BIG god and he loves to do miracles (not that it is needed here, I'm just saying! :)) Anyways, we are excited to be able to announce to you our news!
I recently got a chance to overhear Levi singing along with one of his toys while he was in his room playing. I was so shocked because I didn't even know that he paid any attention when his toys were singing to him. Anyways, once I heard him I was so excited. I wanted to see if he would sing it for me (because I wasn't there in the room so I didn't know that he would do it if I was there). He had never sung anything for me before. Well, he did sing it for me and it was really fun! (and cute :))
Hello! I know that I am terrible about writing on here. I just don't know what I do all day! Haha! Just kidding. I know what I do. :) Chase Levi around and play with him. Run errands. Think about what I feel like eating for dinner because it never seems to be what I had planned for the night (thanks baby :)). Then I have to cook dinner. And OH much more things that I can't list here; rather I don't want to! But I thought that I would give an update on pregnancy #2 and how it is going so far! I did it far more with Levi so why shouldn't this baby get it too! :)
Today I am 16 weeks! Yay! I have a new found appreciation for making it to another week this time around. I am finally feeling good, most all of the time. I was definitely sicker longer and worse with this baby. I didn't really expect that, but that is what happened. I was able to stay on top of it a little better than I was the first time, but luckily the bad parts came in the evening when Brandon was home. But all in all I would say that I still wasn't even THAT sick, compared to some. I didn't even throw up, except for when I got the flu. :( So for that I am thankful!
I feel like I have started to feel some kicks or flutters, but I'm not sure. I can't remember when I started feeling Levi. But I do know that when I am lying down in the mornings before getting out of bed, when my bladder is full and all my food is finally digested, I can at least feel where the actual baby is. There is a little bump low down that is hard. That's my baby! different from the not-hard bump of my organs that protrudes out the rest of the day! :) I started showing sooo much earlier this time. I was nervous at first that I was having twins. Everyone with two or more babies kept saying, no you just show sooner each time around because your uterus is already stretched out. They were right! I don't have a pic of 16 weeks yet but here is one of me at 15, I think!
So far so good! We are finding out the gender this time and I am so excited! I will let you all know when I know! Have a great Saturday! Thanks to my friend Ashley Hankins for this next idea. I stole it from her blog! :)
STATS:
How far along: 16 weeks, 0 days How big is baby: About the size of an avocado; 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. Total Weight gain: not exactly sure since I don't own a scale, but probably about five pounds Maternity Clothes: I pretty much have to wear maternity jeans and leggings all the time. Sometimes I try to rubber-band my old jeans but those get uncomfortable really fast! :)
Sleep: Finally starting to sleep all the way through the night.
Best moment of the week: Realizing that I no longer feel sick! and feeling the little baby bump! Food cravings : Well I was talking to my friend Claire about this yesterday. I feel like I started having cravings once Levi was born and they have never stopped. HA! I usually always want something sweet though, a little more than normal I guess. But I ALWAYS love having sweets. And then sometimes I want french fries. I just think when I'm hungry I want to eat something unhealthy! :)
Food aversions: non really but I don't really like Green beans anymore, but that has been around since Levi was in-utero.
Symptoms: none!
Movement: I think so. It's hard to tell if it's baby or just gas or digestion. After feeling Levi kick and kick, it's hard to remember what the beginning feelings of baby moving feels like.
Gender: Finding out soon! :) What I’m looking forward to: Finding out what the gender is What I miss: Nothing. Next appt: In a few weeks! (blame it on the pregnancy brain! :))
What is baby doing this week? His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.
