26 weeks!

It's the last week of my second trimester! YAY! I'm so excited to be heading into my third trimester next week. Just 3 short months until I can hold my sweet girl.

This week has been a good week. Ryan and Jax have both felt some good kicks, which is fun for both of them. Jax likes to put his hand on my belly and say "Come on, Lexi, kick me". It's pretty darn cute! I've also been able to lay on my side and watch my belly move around. I tried to get it on camera, but it didn't happen. I will try again this week. Maybe I'll get something good!

I've also been focusing more on research about natural child birth. I have 2 books I've started reading that I'm hoping will prepare me. (Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Gentle Birth Choices). After my horrible experience with Jax, I would like to have a natural birth with as little intervention as possible. I plan to labor at home as long as I can, then head to the hospital to deliver. I actually want to do it completely at home, but because it will be a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), I feel safer in the hospital. 

If ya'll wouldn't mind, could you pray for these specific things for us over the next few months?

-My new doctor will be willing to work with me about a VBAC

-Lexi will be head down and drop (Jax never did)

-Labor will start on its own

-Things will progress quickly and normally

-I will have the strength and stamina to go without drugs

-She will come out naturally, vaginally, and completely healthy!

Thanks, guys!

On to pictures.... Here I am at 26 weeks.

Here is the comparison with Jax

It's funny because I feel like I look smaller this week. It must just be my shirt. 

Notice how I've also learned how to edit pictures since having Jax. Ha!

Jax wanted to take my picture too. He did a good job! Even though it's just a little close...

And here is my sweet boy... he's so excited to be a big brother!

A Wedding!

We spent this past weekend with my mom's side of the family, celebrating my Uncle Greg's wedding. It was SUCH a beautiful and happy wedding. The paths that God set out for Greg and Carol to find each other and get married are just a true testament to how much God loves us, even when things seem impossibly hard. 

This is the only picture that I took of the wedding. I know it's a terrible picture from the side, but it's the only one I have. The bride and groom with their children, children's spouses, and grandchildren. Such a happy new family!

Jax was super excited to see Willow. These two are hilarious when they are together. They could entertain us all for hours. 

I love my two handsome guys!

These days, Jax won't take a real picture unless he also takes a "silly face" picture. This is the only silly face he knows. Ha!

I was very intent on getting a good family picture. We haven't had one in a while and I knew this would be the perfect time since we were all dressed up for the wedding. Again, Jax refused to take a real picture. He loved that everyone was watching him, so he was putting on a show instead of actually smiling. Crazy kid.

We finally got a real (cheesy) grin out of him. I love my sweet, growing family!!

Congratulations to my Uncle Greg and new Aunt Carol. 

We couldn't be happier for the two of you!

Baby Samuel

My newest nephew decided to make his appearance the day after we moved. We were so bummed with how the timing worked out because we didn't get to meet him right away.
When we drove down to Fresno this weekend, our first stop was my sister-in-law's house so that we could meet sweet baby Samuel Joseph.
Jax loved holding him. He's going to be SUCH a good big brother!

I wanted to snuggle him forever. There is nothing better than a cuddly newborn!

25 Weeks!

I'm hoping on the computer really quickly to type up this post, then we are heading down to Fresno for the weekend! My uncle is getting married tomorrow and I'm SO excited to see all of my family. It's been a long time since we've all been together.

I hit 25 weeks yesterday!! I still cannot believe that we are getting so much closer to holding our sweet Lexi girl. I started working on things for her nursery. So far I've finished a blanket for her and am working on a bow holder. I'm ordering her bedding fabric this weekend and I'm so excited to start that. I'll do a post with some of the details once I get a little further along with everything.

I'm still feeling good and things have been pretty uneventful around here. We finally have our medical insurance set up, so I should be able to call next week and make an OB appointment. It's about time! 2 months is waaay too long to go without a prenatal appointment. I'm still feeling her move off and on. There are long stretches of time where I feel nothing, then there are stretches where she is moving all over the place. I love being able to actually see my belly moving!

Here is my picture this week

No belly picture of Jax, but we did get this adorable one... I could just eat him up!

And to not leave out our first "baby", 

I thought Mojo was so cute all snuggled up in some clean laundry

Happy Friday, folks!

St. Patty's fun!

When Jax woke up on Saturday, he came downstairs to discover a leprechaun trail across our kitchen table! I had lined up green tic tacs with rolos in between. We explained that the leprechaun tries to hide his gold and as he's running away, some of it drops out. I also hid rolos in random places that he would find throughout the day. I, of course, forgot to take pictures of all of this. But I did remember to take pictures of the other fun things we did throughout the day.

For breakfast, Daddy made us green waffles, green eggs and green milk. It was delicious!

After breakfast, we played a Lucky Charms sorting game. Jax did so good and had so much fun lining up the different shapes.

He was very proud of himself!

After we all got ready for the day, we headed out and ran some errands around town, grabbed lunch at a local pizza/pasta place, then came back home for nap time.  

When Jax woke up, we did this fun craft. I tore up paper of all the colors of the rainbow, then outlined a rainbow on a piece of paper and Jax glued the colors on. It was super easy and turned out super cute. Jax loved it!

After the craft, we made some leprechaun floats (lime sherbet and 7up) to drink while we made some green cookies.

Green chocolate chip cookies with pieces of Andes mints. Yum!

Ryan and I were practicing for a maternity picture that involves writing on my tummy. Jax felt super left out so Daddy gave him some artwork too!

Jax has had a fever off and on for the last 3 days, and Ryan's tummy hurt this afternoon so they had some relaxing couch time while I prepared dinner.

Pesto pasta with peas... and more green milk. Super yum!

This was the first year that Jax started to understand the fun stories and traditions, and we had a great day! Each year will just get better and better!

23 and 24 weeks

I turned 23 weeks last Thursday, which was moving day for us! I knew that I wouldn't get around to a 23 week post so I just figured I would combine them this week. I was smart enough to remember to take a picture though. Go me! My memory about what my 23rd week was like? Gone. I really don't remember what happened last week. Oh well.

Here is the picture I took before my memory left me...

PS- this is my FAVORITE maternity shirt. It's from Target and it's sooo soft and comfy, and I would wear it every day if I could!

I turned 24 weeks a few days ago, but finally got around to taking a picture today (Saturday). Ryan's new job had him gone all day for the past few days so I haven't had anyone to take it for me. I tried to get Jax to help, but you can guess how well that went. Ha!

This past week has been super full and busy, but not much of it is related to Lexi. I've been so focused on unpacking and organizing and scouring Pinterest for good ideas that I've hardly had time to think about being pregnant. And then when I do think about it, I just get annoyed that this sweet girl I'm carrying seems to be the laziest baby ever. She rarely moves. I haven't even tried to do kick counts because she would fail them every time. 10 movements in 2 hours? I'm happy if I feel 10 movements all day! However, I will say that there have been a few times in the past week that she has gotten a little energy spurt and I've felt her kicking and wiggling around for a solid 3 or 4 minutes. That makes this mama so happy!

Here is my picture from this morning... sporting my green for St. Patrick's Day!

(Ugh, the lighting is horrible. I'm just too lazy to edit it... especially since I don't have a good editing program. Sorry!)

And here is the comparison with Jax...

I think that I am carrying Lexi higher. So I guess that old wives tale is true?!

We've been doing lots of fun stuff for St. Patrick's Day today, 

so I'll post pictures from that soon!

Randoms... And the big move!

Sorry that I have been MIA so much. We've been busy moving into our new house! As of today (Thursday) we have been in our house for one week. We are pretty much fully unpacked. Now I get to start decorating. I'm so excited to have blank walls to start fresh. And I'm SO thankful for Pinterest because I do not have a decorating bone in my body! I have sewing projects planned for both Jax's room and Lexi's nursery. I can't wait to get started.

I will get some pictures of the house soon. I also need to post my 24 week pregnancy post. I can't believe we're at the 6 month mark!

For now, here are a few iPhone pictures...

Daddy made a robot from a big box. Jax had fun painting it.



Both Jax and Elijah enjoyed playing with the robot!



Last week we went to a restaurant where they gave Jax these sticky things that could bend into whatever shape you wanted. Daddy had more fun with them than Jax did!



After not having his hair cut for 6ish weeks, I finally got the clippers out and cut it yesterday. He was very proud if his handsome hair!



Happy Friday! And happy St Patricks Day tomorrow. We will be having lots of green food and keeping our eye out for any gold that the leprechaun might drop!

Randoms

The other day Jax decided that we all needed bowls on our heads as hats. He also decided that the animals needed them as well. Poor Nala was such a trooper and let him stack all the bowls on her. He was very proud.

I ordered this sweet gown and headband from Bows or Knot. Isn't it sooo adorable?! I'm so happy with how it turned out.

We ran to Target last week and it just happened to be Dr Suess story time. We even ran into our cousins! Jax was so excited to see Willow and Aria. He was also excited that we bought some new books and he got a goodie bag to take home.

The theme of the story time was The Lorax, and the goodie bag came with this fun mustache. Jax was having fun wearing it when we got home.

Ever wondered how to contain your kid so you can get some stuff done around the house? Buy a car seat, stick it in front of the tv, and tell your kid it's a race car seat for watching movies. Done and done.

Happy Sunday!

22 Weeks

22 weeks (and 1 day) down, 18 to go... hopefully less!

The highlight of this week was getting the 3d ultrasound done. It made me so happy to see my sweet girl growing inside of me. It's completely mind boggling to see her on the screen and know that she is inside of me. It's just such a miracle. 

I still love feeling her kick more and more. I've even felt a few movements across my tummy, not just kicks. It's such a strange feeling, and I wouldn't trade it for the world! Lexi is now about 11 inches long and almost a pound! I know she still has lots of growing to do, but she sure is starting to get big. I've also been able to feel the outline of body parts. There are times when my stomach feels so hard in one place, and I feel around my belly and can feel a round outline of something. I'm assuming it's her head or her butt. It's pretty cool to feel her like that.

I know my picture this week is a little hard to see. My shirt sort of blends in with the background. But my tummy is there, I promise! And it's round. Very round. Ha! Also, my belly button has already popped out... So early!

I'm really looking forward to feeling more movement from her, and especially for Jax to be able to feel and see her move. He is so excited to be a big brother!

Happy Friday!