"Belly" pictures

 I've been planning to do some pictures KIND OF like the ones I tried to do with Lucy.  I got a dress to wear in all of them - I thought it would be fun to watch the belly change/grow that way.  There's a really cute chalkboard idea on Pinterest, but I don't have a good place in the house to do it and let's face it, there's no time in my life to make a cute little drawing on a chalkboard every week!  These pics aren't great, the light in the room I use is pathetic. 

I'm 14 weeks now so obviously I've missed 2 weeks - it's too early to be slacking!  :)

Some thoughts

Thoughts on this surprise pregnancy:

*  WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!  After 5 years, 15 IUI's, and countless dollars to get two beautiful daughters in our lives, how the heck did we end up with an "oops" pregnancy???

* As I'd told a friend earlier in the summer, there was a part of me that REALLY wanted a third child.  We'd always imagined having 3 and talking about 3 (2 girls and a boy) and part of what really ticked me off about the whole inferility thing was not having control of how big of a family we were going to have.  On the other hand, there was a part of me that REALLY did NOT want a third child.  We're older than we ever meant to be having kids and we have two healthy babies whom we love with all of our hearts.  Things were beginning to get a bit easier (as Lu gets more independent) and I was looking so forward to certain things with the two of them.  I dreamt of letting each of them choose a vacation when they're teenagers.  Not just a vacation, but a "where would you most like to go on this entire planet? Awesome, let's do it together" kind of vacation - now it's less certain.  Plus, we just didn't want to tempt fate (and I did NOT want to revisit getting up at night!)

*  Lu is just SO. DARN. LITTLE. to be anybody's big sister!

*  I think it's a boy (of course, I though Lu was a boy too).  So much is different this time.  With the girls my skin was great, and I could go a day between hair washes.  No the case this time (boo to both of those).  I only got sick once with the girls combined but was sick most of the first trimester this time around.

Interesting little tidbits:

*  We got pregnant with Stella on our last IUI attempt before starting the IVF process.

*  We got pregnant with Lucy on our last IUI attempt before moving on with the adoption process (in fact, I got our adoption information packet in the mail the week before we found out we were pregnant!)

*  We got pregnant this time the month before I was going to get an IUD.  I was just waiting to start my next P so I could call the Dr and get an appointment (just to NOT have to deal with them during the school year - sorry if that's TMI)

*  In March of 2007 Jim and I went out to dinner and this was my fortune:

 At this point we'd been trying to get pregnant for years and I just sobbed.  We got pregnant in April!

*  In August of 2012 Jim, Stella, Lu and I went to dinner.  This was my fortune:

I teased Jim that it meant that there was going to be a 3rd baby!  I even posted it on IG with the caption, "Ha ha - poor Jim!"  One week later we found out we were pregnant.    Just crazy!

Overall?  We definitely went through quite a period of shock.  I even admit that I spent a night in bed sobbing and begging to loose it.  I'm terrified that there will be something "wrong" that will alter this happy little route we've been on.  (I've even been whining about having to get a bigger vehicle).  It's all petty.  It's all irrelevant.  If ever there was a baby that was "meant to be" this has got to be it.  There isn't an "oops" for us, just a "destined".  I'm still not looking forward to so much of the baby phase, but I'm certainly thrilled to have another member of the family, or clan as Jim now calls us.  I'm thrilled for my lovely girls to have another sibling to share life with.  I'm thrilled to get to hear "Mama" for the first time and snuggle my sleeping babe.

As my Dad used to quote when we were struggling for one, "It will be well."

Shock and Awe!

We're stunned, working our way to thrilled.  Another little pair of shoes will be filled this April!

My girl started school!

Jim and I have been back to school for almost two weeks now so that's old news.  As much as I worry about starting every summer it's always fine and we get back into our routines quickly.

This year is special though because Stella got to start Pre-K on Wednesday!  We haven't had her in any kind of pre-school up until now just because we didn't think she needed it.  She had her friends at Sheri's and quite frankly I'd rather her just be able to play and enjoy being little while she can.  We didn't feel like she needed the socialization (she gets PLENTY of that).  She's also been in gymnastics so that has given her an activity during the week.

Since she spends her days in a home with a mom who she loves dearly, the one concern I had about her starting Kindergarten next year was just being in a schoolroom setting with a teacher she didn't know, raising her hand, following directions, etc.  We decided we'd have her start Pre-K this year.  She was so excited about it which just makes my heart smile (I think it's especially precious to teachers to see their kids excited about school).

I wasn't there to drop her off Wednesday, but I really just wasn't worried about her.  Sure enough, I got a picture about a half an hour after she'd started and she had a huge grin.  I left early to be there to pick her up and her face lit up when she saw me which was the best.  She talked all night about her day and seems to have really loved it!  I'm so glad that things have gone the way they have and she has the confidence to be excited about school and meeting new friends.  I'm SO VERY happy that we had a great experience as opposed to the tearful stories you hear some people tell.

I know that she's going to thrive at school but I'm also pretty sure that with starting school there will also be a bit more drama.  That's something we've been relatively spared thus far and I don't look forward to it.  Overall though, I know this is the beginning of a lot of growth for my girl and I can't wait to watch her throughout all of her school years!

Here's her first of 14 "first day of school" pictures: (check out the feet - think she's a bit excited?)  :)

A new home.

One of my favorite friends has been a bit of a nomad. Though she's never actually moved further away than Oregon, because of her career I always thought it was just a matter of time. I hated the thought, especially since one of my other favorites has already gone. Well, she and her husband just bought a house! I'm thrilled for them and selfishly ecstatic that it means they're "stuck" here! :)

Today I got to spend the day with her helping to unpack a little. I put together a little housewarming basket but being the emotional, sentimental sap that I am, this is my favorite. I've loved this quote for some time and this was the perfect time for it. (H - I MAY have printed a copy for my house too!)

I made it in Publisher and just used basic shapes to create the house (a rectangle for the house, trapezoidal roof, and a rectangle and oval for the chimney). I saved it as a jpeg so it can be printed anywhere at any size. If you read my other blog you already know how much I like to do this.

If anyone (cough cough wink wink) needs "artwork" for a wee room I'm sure we could whip up some seriously un-baby like pics! ;)

MIA

I know I said it in the last post, but it's true...  I just can't bring myself to spend time sitting in front of the computer editing photos and writing posts!  I have tons to share too!

Jim was out of town for 6 LOOOONG nights (the longest by far we've been apart in our 14 years together) and I got to experience being a single Mama.  While I dreaded it for a while before he left, and it went much more smoothly than I feared, I'm still very grateful it's not my everyday life!  While he was away we completed several fun projects I'll share eventually.

We've been running around having a lot of fun too.  We've made one trip to Yakima so far to visit my grandparents, we've had lots of fun little day trips, explored new trails, and we just got back from our first camping trip with kids yesterday.  It was so fun, due in large part to the fact that we went with one of our favorite families.

Hopefully I'll get pictures of all of that posted soon.  For today I want to post pictures of our less than successful beach "photo shoot" from last week.  The photographer that we love and has taken all of our pictures has been posting pictures from evening shoots at the beach for a couple of weeks now and she's had me drooling over them.  I decided I wanted to try and gave Jim plenty of warning and reminders.  He's not a fan of my photo shoots. ;)  We headed out and were planning to try a new beach...  it was full.  When we finally decided where to go from there and arrived the parking lot was full.  The man on duty told us we could park in the "upper lot" and walk down to the beach. (1/8 mile doesn't sound bad at all does it?)

We gathered up all of our stuff (blankets, diaper bag, camera, and a light reflector I'd just bought) along with both girls and set out on the path.  It wasn't too bad and when we got down there there was hardly anybody there so we got a little spot all to ourselves.  By this time it was getting late and Little One was TIRED!  She wanted nothing to do with sitting prettily for my camera and was not happy when we took her pacifier.  Jim was embarrassed to hold up the light reflector, he felt bad for Lu and wanted to leave, Stella ran out of patience and we finally called it quits.

I was bummed that we hadn't gotten better pictures, but all was quickly forgotten as we started  back up the path to the UPPER parking lot carrying all of our stuff.  We pretty much got our butts kicked by that trail!  Luckily a trip to Menchies cooled us off!

Dancing

Dancing

Menchies had decent light too

None of them took my breathe away or brought me to tears like Rachel's pictures do, but there were a couple that turned out ok (though since I'm their Mama of course I love all of them - like the sequence of 5 I caught Lu yawning!)

We're here...

I never blog very much during the summer. (I don't clean enough either). We still haven't gotten a new computer so my pics are stuck and frankly, now that this amazing summer weather has arrived we're having far too much fun to clean or be on the computer!

We've been taking family walks, trips to the beach, meals outside... There are many more activities planned so I do need to get to documenting though!