Holiday cards are ordered

One of my favorite parts of the holidays are receiving people's cards in the mail.  I love seeing pictures of kids, good times, and love.  It's such a blessing to have special people in my life to send me theirs and I love receiving them.

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I am a little late this year, but I finally ordered ours.  Thank goodness TinyPrints has a decent deal on expedited shipping.  They have so many cute cards to choose from... this is my second year in a row ordering from them and I always love what I get.  Here are a few of my favorites :)

{love the simple look... but think I want more pics ;)}

{these were our holiday cards from last year - I loved them!}

Can't wait to get mine soon and get them addressed and out!

Happy Holidays

Dear Andie... You're 18 Months Old!

My bubbly, fearless, tough & beautiful baby girl...

You are 18 months old.  I am always blown away by time when I think of you - because in some ways I feel like I have had you in my life my whole life, and in other ways, I can't believe how much different my life is now with you in it.  I have heard the quote "having a child is like having your heart walk outside of your body", and it is absolutely true.  You, my beautiful little baby, are my heart.  When I look at your compact little body, my whole heart just fills with warmth and love... it's such an overwhelming feeling of joy.  Your smile (which is getting more teeth by the day), your laughs, screams, and now your ability to communicate with us using words is constantly amazing me.  You are feisty, determined, confident, and very social.

Everyday is a little different than the next with you... and this is a constant reminder to me that my time with my little girl is precious.  You're growing and changing at an impossible pace.  Sometimes I look back at pictures from just the last few months, and I can't believe how much you've changed.  Right now, you are working on getting most of your bottom teeth.  It looks like they've decided to all come at once, including some molars in the back.  You're a little irritable, which is understandable, but once we get a little tylenol on board and find something to help distract you, you are doing pretty well managing it.

Your love of your baby dolls is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen.  You rock them, feed them 'babas', change their diaper, and push them around in the stroller.  It is so sweet how much you love them and spend time kissing them and carrying them around.  You also love your collection of Sandra Boynton books and if anyone sits on the floor in our living room, they can expect you to bring them one of your books to read to you.  Most of the time you only make it through a few pages of the book, but you love to look at the pictures and point out what you recognize.  You'll say "Ball" if you see a ball, or make the noises of whatever animal is pictured.  You know what a duck, cow, kitty, horse, owl, sheep, doggie, and pig all say.

You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and recently will bring me the remote control and point to the tv and say "Minnie" or "Pete" because you want me to turn it on.  Recently on a trip to Costco, you saw a giant Minnie Mouse doll across the aisle, and immediately ran up saying "I see Minnie!!"  After about 20 hugs and kisses as you were saying "Minnie", you had your daddy completely convinced that you had to have this 5 foot tall Minnie, so she came home with us.

Your favorite possession is your blankey from Gramz.  She had them made for you, and because you love them so much, she's gotten 3 of them.  They are your comfort and you love to snuggle, chew, and edge them.  You know these blankeys from any of your other ones and it's always tough for me to wash them because you don't like to be away from them for too long!  But I have to wash them often because they get stinky after a day or two because of how much you chew on them.

Being outside is one of your favorite things.  You'll stand by the door and say "outside" when you need some fresh air, and taking walks around the block in your car or radio flyer are always fun.  You also just love to walk on your own, and you have absolutely no fear of being far away from me and your daddy.  I tell people this, but they don't actually believe me until they go somewhere with us and see how you'll just run off from us to see or explore whatever your heart desires.  We spend a lot of time chasing you around, but I try to think of it as a good thing.  You have a lot of confidence, independence, and you're not afraid of much.  You also LOVE to climb on anything and everything.  We enrolled you in your first "tumble time" class this earlier this month because you needed something to help encourage and channel the climbing.  You seem to really enjoy it, and daddy and I think it's the cutest thing.  Ever.  You also love to be around other kids.  You seem to really enjoy being around your cousins and going to the gym and playing.  Anytime we see other kids, you are immediately attracted to them and want to play.

In the last 3 months, a lot has happened and you've done some traveling with us.  We went to Kauai, which you loved because you went down the water slide about 100 times.  People couldn't believe how well you did going down the slide, especially because you're so little.  You also loved being in the pool, running around on the grass chasing the geese, and connecting with other kids.  We also went to Scottsdale, and you loved playing in the water fountains, the zoo, and just running around exploring.  You also spent your first ever night away from me while daddy took me on a surprise overnight trip to Napa for our Anniversary.  You stayed with Gramz and Pops and had no problem with it.  I sure missed you, but I knew you were in good hands.

You take one nap a day for about 90 minutes, more or less.  You take 3 bottles a day still, both milk and almond milk.  You are a pretty good eater, except when your teeth are bugging you.  Right now, you like waffles, yogurt, the fruit and veggie puree packs, dino bites, quesadillas, and mac and cheese. You do pretty well eating veggies when we give them to you, and most whole fruits you will eat right away... especially bananas, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes.  You weigh about 23 pounds and are about average for height and weight.

You are wearing 18 month clothing and size 4 or 5 shoes.  You aren't a huge fan of having clips or ties in your hair, but it's getting long, so I have to figure out how to distract you to get your hair out of your face.  You also know how to count to 3!  Bath time is a favorite for you as well, and sometimes you'll play in there for 30 or 40 minutes.  We love to watch you dance... you do it all the time - to music from commercials on tv, music on our phone, in the bath, anywhere!

One of my favorite things you've been doing lately is saying "I love you".  The way you say it is just the cutest thing I have ever heard.  You say quite a few things and do pretty well at repeating names we tell you.  Your daddy loves when you say "ohh noo", and when you snuggle us.  It's hard to remember everything you say, but to name a few: hello, bye bye, nigh night, waffle, shoes, Zeusy, juice, milk, baba, pooh pooh, potty, what's that?, I see...., baby, car, mama, dada, and all done.  You also say "eeeewwww" when you see the toilet or something gross.  It amazes me how much you understand what we are saying and hear us say something to each other, then respond or react.

You're very playful and scream and laugh when daddy plays with you, chasing you around the house and kicking the ball.  You love coming to me when you're tired, sad, snuggly or hurt.  You really recognize your family - you know who your cousins are, your aunties, and especially your Gramz and Pops.  It makes my heart swell when they come to see you and you get so excited.  Pops gets so many kisses and snuggles, and Gramz always knows how to calm you down and comfort you.  You say: juju, pop, joe - and you will point to all of the family in pictures when we show them to you and ask you where each person is.

I am overwhelmed by you, my sweet girl.  Each day brings its own challenges for me as a mom.  Sometimes you test my patience as you are acting like the toddler you are.  You aren't always a well-behaved angel, you're not a huge fan of riding in the shopping carts, you are very wiggly when we change your diaper, and you have a temper just like your daddy.  But, my goodness, my love for you is endless, and even at the end of a more challenging day, I feel so incredibly blessed that I get to be your mom.  You truly bring me so much joy, and I try to keep everything in perspective.  These days with you as my vibrant, bubbly toddler are numbered and much too short.

You are a beautiful and sweet child.  You love to give hugs and kisses, and sometimes I wish I could just keep you the age you are.  Andie, you can do anything your heart desires.  As you grow up, change, and develop into the person you are meant to be, I hope you know how much we believe in you.  As long as you are kind to others and always try your best, you are successful in our eyes.  We want the absolute best for you, and watching you grow each and every day is such a privilege.

These next couple of months are going to bring some huge changes to your life as we welcome your baby brother into our family.  I feel him wiggling around in my belly as I write this, and I am filled with excitement to see you as a big sister.  You are going to be extremely loving and I have no doubt that you will set a great example for him as you grow up together.  I know you are going to love him and I am truly humbled, and so grateful to be able to experience this life with our little family.

I love you.  You are so special to me, now and forever!

Love,
Mama

With daddy in the pool in Kauai.  You are quite the fishy!

 My love.

 You love Zeusy and he is so good to you.

 Your pre-nap routine... snuggling blankey.

You look so tall in this picture, such a big girl!

 It was so much fun taking you to the pumpkin patch this year!

Our little tinkerbell for halloween.

"Minnie"

Baby Lesh #2: 28 Weeks

With my first pregnancy, I documented everything on this little blog - and I haven't done that the second time around.  There are a few reasons for that, but mainly, I haven't been as focused on writing about my pregnancy as I have been on my little spunky 17 month old girl :)  This pregnancy has been just as special... the movements, seeing my tummy grow, and hearing his heart beat - I am constantly blown away by what a miracle it is to have this sweet boy inside of me. 

{ignore the stain on my shirt ;) #toddlermomproblems}

How i'm feeling: I have been feeling really well ever since getting out of that first 15/16 weeks of sickies.  I am in my absolute favorite part of pregnancy - have been for a couple weeks... feeling and seeing his big blunt movements and not the awkward I just look overweight, but the actual "looking pregnant" part :)

How far along: 28 weeks and 3 days

Size of the baby: estimated at 14.8 inches and 2.75 pounds.  We are having to do the big radiology ultrasounds every 3-4 weeks because of the complications I had in my first pregnancy, so we know he is a BIG boy - his head is measuring about 2 weeks big, and his body about 1 week big.  Yikes!  But big and healthy is what we want!

Total Weight Gain: about 12 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes:  I found a pair of jeans I love at H&M, and some great shirts at Target - along with everything I saved from my first pregnancy.  Other than leggings, I am wearing a mixture of my regular clothes and maternity clothes.  Whatever is comfortable!

Gender: a BOY!!  I am planning on revealing his name soon.

Movement: tons and tons of it.  He is very active.  Baby movement is one of my favorite feelings in the world.  Although, I think he thinks my ribs are a soccer ball {youch!}

Sleep: it's okay.

What I miss: sleeping on my tummy and wine. 

Cravings: orange juice and milk shakes (vanilla and coffee ice cream, please!)

Symptoms: I am not having any horrible symptoms except for some mild fatigue and the occasional case of "the blues".  I think the blues are coming from having to put one of our dogs (Maximus) to sleep about 2 weeks ago.  I am missing him terribly.

+also, I failed my one hour glucose test (check for gestational diabetes) on Tuesday.  I am super bummed about it, but I have the 3 hour test scheduled for next Monday.  I have tried very hard thus far in my pregnancy to eat well and exercise, but the nurse said a lot of times gestational diabetes is mostly connected with our hormones.  Here's hoping for a passed test next week - and if not, I will take whatever comes and do the best I can with it!

Best moments this week:

+seeing the little guy again at my appointment on Tuesday.  Also, knowing his heart beat is strong (no issues so far like what we had with Andie) and he has a good amount of fluid in there.  

+ getting a special present in the mail from my mom and dad... they got these adorable vintage airplane pictures off of pottery barn kids that I have been swooning over.  We are doing a 'travel & airplane' theme for his nursery... which I have done nothing to prepare (yikes!)

+ learning that he is head DOWN... phew!  Two weeks ago we had a big ultrasound and he was breech, so we were relieved to see that he decided to go head down by our appt a couple days ago.  Chances are, he won't be doing any big flips.

Looking forward to:

+ seeing his sweet face during our 3D ultrasound we have scheduled in 2 weeks.  Wonder who he is going to look like?!

+ getting started on his nursery and Andie's big girl room.  So much to do, so little time.  This mama needs to get her butt in gear!

+ getting this 3 hour glucose test over on Monday and hearing good results.  We want conditions to be as good as possible for this little man to have a healthy last trimester in the womb!
+ just the continuation of being pregnant for hopefully the next 10-12 weeks... I really enjoy it and feel so blessed to experience it.

I can't believe Halloween is next week - and then the Holidays... he is going to be here before we know it!

Dear Andie... You're 15 months old!

My beautiful baby girl,

I refuse to call you a toddler... yet!  I can't believe it's been 3 months since we celebrated your first Birthday.  You are changing and developing right before our very eyes and it is truly a pleasure to watch.  Sometimes, I just love to stare at you.  Your compact little body and the way you waddle when you run, goodness, I would freeze time if I could.  I am scared that I will someday forget the way you look and the way you sound right now.  You have the cutest little voice and your noises make us laugh.  I try to get them on video, but it's almost impossible because you are very aware of cameras and cell phones and immediately want to play with them.

You are saying several words now and it's fun to teach you new ones.  You say: mama, dada, baba, what's that?, nuts (when you fall or drop something), and hi.  If we ask you "what does a dog say?" you respond with "woof woof".  You are very aware of what we are saying.  If we say bath, downstairs, outside, ride in the car, time to eat, nigh nigh time, or let the dogs out you know exactly where to go to do what we are saying.  If we ask you where your ball or baby is, you will go on a hunt to find them.  It is truly amazing what you understand!  You also point at things when you say "what's that" and it is so cute to see your tiny little arm pointing around.  When you laugh really hard, you throw your head back and it is so darn cute!

You are quite feisty, and along with understanding what we are saying, you also like to test us when we say "no".  I suppose this is only the beginning, but we are doing our best to stay consistent and make sure we do our best to teach you what no means.  You are so darn cute, it's not easy, but I know if we don't start now, we may lose you.

Your favorite toys: your baby (you've got two of them), ball, Doc McStuffins toys, your red car that sings, your cozy coupe, and your clubhouse and slide that we put up downstairs.  Your favorite book is Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton.  You will bring that to daddy and I to read to you and you always light up when we do.  You even know the part to give us a kiss.  You love your blankets and chew on them for comfort when you are tired or upset.  You love to wave at people and sometimes you'll wave at complete strangers.  You've gotten a little better at riding in the car and riding in shopping carts.

You are wearing 12 month sized clothes from Carters, and 12-18 month sized clothes from Old Navy and Gap.  At your last check up a couple weeks ago, you were 21 pounds, in the 50th percentile, up from the 20th percentile at your first Birthday.  You wear size 3 pampers diapers and size 3-4 shoe.  We've had a lot of fun shopping for shoes for you and your favorite pair right now are your pink converse.  You've got 5 teeth, 3 up on top, and two on the bottom - and another on the top is popping through the gums now.  Teething was a little tough for you in the last couple months, but you're doing better now.  You sleep through the night and have been for several months - usually going down between 7:30 and 8, and sleeping 12 hours.  You take one nap a day for an hour or two.

You absolutely love the water and the pool.  Everyone is surprised when they see you in the pool because you're not afraid.  You will fall in and go under and it doesn't phase you.  You also love your water table we set up on the back porch and bath time is always a hit with you.  You love to play under the running water and fill up little buckets.

After you turned a year old, I started to wean you from breastfeeding because I am pregnant with your baby brother.  I was so proud to make it to a year, and it was a little tough for you, but you took the change very well.  Now, you have about 3 5oz bottles of organic whole milk a day, along with a bottle of almond milk if you seem to want it.  You eat pretty well, but not everyday.  You have good days and days where you aren't as hungry.  Your favorite food is definitely fruit... especially blueberries!  You will eat strawberries, blueberries, grapes, peaches... any fruit!  You also still like yogurt, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mac and cheese, black beans, quesidellas, and you aren't too picky with trying new things.

You are quite the climber and adventurer.  You're very tough.  You fall quite often and it's rare that you cry.  We have moved all of our chairs away from the table because you figured out how to climb on them and then get on top of the table.  You also can climb up playgrounds, strollers, into the bathtub, up stairs (you love stairs), and anywhere you set your mind to.  You're an adventurer because you don't stay where we are - you go wherever you feel like going.  You will wander away from us to explore, something I have noticed is a little rare for a baby your age.  You enjoy going to the play care at the gym, so I try to take you 4-5 times a week.  The ladies there tell me you love to play with the big kids outside, and I am not surprised.  You have an older soul for your young age.  You do pretty well traveling, and in June, we took a trip to Carmel for a week with mama's family and we went to Seattle and Portland for 10 days.

You are so beautiful.  You have the most amazing round blue eyes and platinum blonde hair.  You are very sweet and love giving kisses.  Pops taught you how to give kisses on the cheek, and you never refuse giving pops a kiss. You love spending time with us and our family and friends and really thrive around other kids.  I am very excited to see you as a big sister, and I am enjoying my time with just us until he gets here.  I can't believe how much you have grown up and changed in such a short time.  You amaze me, sweet girl, and I hope you never underestimate how much I love and adore you.

Love you forever,
mama

At the Portland airport.  You're quite the little traveler!

Sweet Andie... you are LOVED.

Thankful Thursday and thoughts on Baby #2

We are so darn excited for baby #2, and even though I am already almost 17 weeks pregnant, it still doesn't feel real.  (Even though we have seen him lots of times on ultrasounds!)  A lot of people have asked how close Andie and baby boy will be... they'll be about 20 months apart, so very close!  I realize our life is going to get quite chaotic with TWO children under two, in diapers, and closely needing our attention.  But regardless of this expected chaos, I will be very grateful for this huge blessing - to be a mom to TWO children, and family of 4.

With Andie, we tried for nearly 18 months before getting pregnant.  She was a big surprise when we finally did, and we were so thrilled.  TL and I talked a lot about when we wanted to start 'trying' for number two, and started keeping track of everything shortly after Andie turned 6 months old.  We figured, why not!?  Life is an adventure, and if it were to take us a little time and we needed to get fertility help, at least we wouldn't look back and wish we started sooner.  Well, that was not the case, obviously, because within about 5 months of paying attention, I got that positive pregnancy test.  I came out of the bathroom after secretly taking the test and just looked at TL, I didn't have to say a word and he started screaming with joy... then immediately telling Andie she was going to be a big sister.  It's such a special memory.

A few days after finding out about this baby, I also had a few feelings I wasn't expecting.  I was still happy, but I found myself feeling a little guilty.  I would stare at this beautiful baby girl of mine and think - oh my gosh, is baby number 2 going to interfere with my relationship with her?  Is it possible for me to even come close to loving another child this much?  And then when we found out it was a BOY, my mind raced with a few more fears - how will I do with a boy?  Is it going to be something entirely foreign and new for me?

I realize all of these thoughts are probably normal, and I would never want to come across as ungrateful, we are SO grateful for this huge blessing.  I think no matter the age difference between kids, that fear of the unknown can be present.  After talking to my mom and some others, I have heard it is very common for mom's to feel nervous about loving another child.

At my 12 week check up, the doctor did an ultrasound and I saw this fully formed little baby floating around, moving, and waving little hands in my belly.  And there is was... that spark I was needing to remind me I CAN love another tiny human being like I love the little one who is here already.  After about 14 weeks, the morning sickness and vomiting subsided... and as I have started feeling more like myself, I am getting more and more used to the idea of having a little guy running around here.

I'm certain our lives are about to change BIG time when this baby debuts in our lives this January.  It will be crazy, messy, loud, and I am sure a little sleepless. . . but I still don't know how I got so lucky to have this opportunity, and I will never take it for granted.  Thank goodness I married a great man who loves being a daddy and is so thrilled for this next baby and to grow our family.  He is so supportive and takes his role as dada very seriously (well, sort of, he is a huge kid at heart).  I could cry thinking about what a good dad he is!

I am so thankful for all of the support, love, congratulations, and excitement we have been given in these last few days as our family and friends have learned about this baby.  We truly feel overwhelmed with gratitude.  Thank you!

Our trip to Seattle, Washington

We were up at 4:45am to catch our 7:50am flight to Vancouver, Canada and woke Andie up to get her loaded in the car.  TL dropped me off at the airport check in area while he and Andie drove to long term parking to leave the car and catch the shuttle back.  I stood in a long line at the airline counter and waited.  They arrived and we made it to the front, when we were asked for our passports.  TL handed over our passports and Andie's birth certificate (she's 13 months old).  The lady said, well, she needs a passport, too!  This was news to us.  I had researched it and it said that as long as children are under two, they can travel to Canada with just a birth certificate.  Well, that is true, however, when you are using an airplane as your form of transportation, even a tiny infant needs a passport.  Car, bus, train, or walking - a birth certificate works just fine.  Whoops.  So we were denied getting on our flight.

So, we made our way back on to the shuttle and back to our car while I called our hotel in Vancouver and was luckily able to cancel with out any penalties (thank goodness!).  I also called an started trying to figure out what to do with our airfare.  We made it home and TL and I talked and figured why not go to Seattle (the next stop on our adventure) early and just extend our time there.  I called the airline, spoke with a supervisor and explained our dilemma, and was able to change our flight (with out having to pay the $139 per person change fee, yikes) to Seattle that evening.

We finally made it to Seattle at about 7pm.  After the adventure of getting to our hotel via their light rail system, we were so relieved to see our bed and take showers.  TL and I laughed when we saw a pretty major leak in our bathtub - moldy and wet sheetrock.  Andie had already gone to sleep, but he called down just to let them know.  The service was amazing - they sent someone up immediately and they were so nice and felt terrible.  It wasn't a huge deal to us, we were just happy to have a comfy place to sleep.  The next day, they moved rooms and the hotel manager said she was going to make it up to us.  We weren't a single bit upset about it, and we were just happy they could move us rooms.  Well, did they ever - the next day we were moved to The Governor's Suite on the top floor of the hotel for no charge for the rest of our stay.  We had gorgeous views of Seattle, Lake Union, even the Space Needle.  It made coming up to the room for nap time VERY easy.  I could look out the window for hours!!  What a huge room, and the views were spectacular!  SO, thank you Westin Seattle for being so sweet.  Completely made up for our blender of getting there.

We really enjoyed Seattle.  I got to meet up with my long time blog friend, Carol, from Everyday Delights.  We've "known" each other for several years and it was so fun to see her in person and get to catch up.  She was so sweet and was full of good recommendations for us.  My parents ended up joining us after a couple days and they were even upgraded to be in a room close to us.

While we were there, we went to Pike's Place Market, The 1st Starbucks, The Museum of Flight, Boeing Tour (TL & my dad went, they weren't super impressed), The Space Needle, The Lake Union District, and spent time exploring and walking all over downtown.  We also did The Duck Tour of Seattle, which was fun.  Worth it if you'd like information about the city and a ride on Lake Union.

If you make it to Seattle, I definitely recommend the Museum of Flight, especially if you or anyone in your group like airplanes.  We thought it was really cool.  My dad and TL wouldn't recommend the Boeing Tour (this one is in Everett, outside the city and hard to get to).  They said it was disappointing because you couldn't really see anything from the observation deck.  The Space Needle and the Area underneath it is really nice, we spent a lot of time walking around.  They have a children's museum, and a few other museums, plus a great cafeteria full of different unique restaurants.  Our favorite area was the Lake Union area.  They have restaurants along the waterfront that you can sit at and watch the Seaplanes take off and land.

One of the views from our Suite - we were in heaven!

 My mom and TL riding on the monorail from the Needle to Downtown

Andie loved looking out from the Duck!

Watched a World Cup game before heading out to explore!

On top of the Space Needle

 I wasn't ready for the picture, but this is a 747 up close at The Museum of Flight.  Andie is showing how big the engine is!

Exhausted at the Museum of Flight sleeping on pops.

 These Doughnuts are delicious - worth a visit if you're in Seattle!

With sweet Carol, so glad we were able to meet!

We had amazing weather in Seattle.  We didn't get any rain, just a small drop on the day we were leaving.  It's a beautiful city with so much to explore.  The one thing we didn't get to do is ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island, which we will have to go back to do!

Andie's 1st Birthday Party

I realize I am TWO months late in posting about Andie's first birthday party, but it was such a special day, I have to make sure I share.  When planning it, I wanted something fun, simple, and surrounded by the people who love Andie.  Many of our family and close friends came and we were so happy to have them here.  Andie wasn't exactly a fan of the singing and all the attention being on her, but it's her birthday... she can cry if she wants to, right!?

For her party, we decorated our garage and set up tables.  It was really pretty weather outside, and it worked perfectly because Pinkberry, Andie's favorite frozen yogurt, catered the dessert.  We did sliders, chicken, sandwiches, and a variety of appetizers for food.  I didn't cook a single thing myself - but it was simple and worked well.

I had a time capsule set up for Andie.  Our friends and family wrote a card to her, and I will give them to her to open on her 21st Birthday.  I also had everyone sign a canvas that I had put her footprints on so she could remember who was at her first birthday.

I ordered her personalized "Andie" onsie from Leah at Simply Made with Love, and her birthday bib and hat from Dainty Couture on Etsy.  All of the decorations were found online at a discount party store, and the balloons were from Party City.  The flowers were from Costco, and the banners my friend Lynsey helped me make.  I really enjoyed planning and decorating.  We ordered her first birthday invites from Tiny Prints (they have the cutest selection of invites)!

Thank you so much to my neighbor, Carol, who took all of these pictures.  I was so bad and didn't take a single one! I am also waiting for more to come from a friend of ours who took several of Andie with different family members.

It was such a fun day.  We love our little one year old!  She is so blessed to have so many special family and friends in her life.