Happy 3.5 years!

Happy 3.5 years Sweet Hannah! My goodness, time surely does fly. 

Hannah's happenings: 

Favorite Things Interview: 

*Favorite movie: Peter Pan

*Music: Ana and Elsa 

*Games: "candy landy"; 

*Show: Olivia

*Books: Sophia the tea party

*Best friends: Emerson, Lily, Kevin, and Jack

*Favorite color: Purple

*Favorite food: cookie

*Toy: Ana, Elsa, Ariel, and Minnie 

*Stuffed animal: rapunzel 

*Thing to do with mommy: play and read books 

*Thing to do with Daddy: watch a show on the iPad 

*Thing to do outside: play catch the ball

*Animal: crocodile, it snaps! Like at Captain Hook...

Stats:

*Size 3-4T clothes

*Size 9-9.5 shoe

*Height: 38.5 inches (51st percentile)

*Weight: 35lbs even (79th percentile)

Milestones:

*can write the letters H, A, N, and O and can write HANNAH (with the letters in order);

*can follow simple patterning; 

*continues to work on phonics; 

*understands most opposites;

*added a heart to the shapes she can draw;

*will draw and color real objects. Suns, clouds, rainbows, balloons, flowers, and people (with all appropriate features) are among her favorites.

*Very into playing pretend anything! Hannah has such a creative mind and can turn any object into a toy. For example, her jump rope and/or a spool of ribbon turns into her "Rapunzel" hair. A current favorite is playing "Disney World" and pretending to go on all her favorite rides.

*mastered riding her tricycle! We struggle getting her to wear a helmet and she won't ride very long because of it; 

*began pronouncing her L's correctly (vs. as a W)! This is new within the past month. 

Daily routine:

*still naps in the afternoons anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours (hooray!);

*bedtime is between 7-7:30pm and she sleeps until about 7am;

* LOVES books and generally enjoys several before bed and other times throughout the day; 

*Hannah has always been a good eater, but sometimes rebels when new foods show up. Since our move, we've been able to eat a lot more dinners together as a family. That's huge! What a difference it's made in her attitude in trying new foods. She ate her first fish taco a few months ago! And even enjoyed a bowl of chili. She now loves her Daddy's spaghetti and is warming up to most casseroles. 

Current struggles:

*still struggles with clinging to momma in new situations, but getting better (especially if an older little girl shows her some love and interest); 

*went through a stage where she cried at school drop-off November-January, but it's better now; 

*has a hard time listening in exciting situations (eg-swimming class, friend visits, family visits, etc);

General:

*Hannah started attending the neighborhood playground on Thursday afternoons. We are lucky to have around 50 children ages 5 and under in the 'hood for Miss H to meet. We really lucked out! Around 15 or so show up for the weekly play dates. 

*Unfortunately, ballet was cancelled in January. H was the only child left, and the decision was made to discontinue the class. We took this opportunity to try several, short term activities with her. She took soccer and a pottery class in February with one of her friends. She is currently in swim lessons and will continue through May. She has really enjoyed each new thing! 

*H had her first true sleepover with cousin Madeline. Both slept on air mattresses beside one another during a recent visit. I hear H did really well through the night! Madeline was a trooper for letting her stay!

*Verbalized she was scared for the first time during a sene watching one of the Cinderella Sequels.

22 weeks

I haven't updated on the baby in a few weeks. I have an elaborate "belly book" that recorded details from every week I was pregnant with H along with belly pictures from each week. Poor BV2, I have yet to write down many details and I'm over half way to the due date. 

The second trimester is going well. I'm over all nausea now, all food aversions, and generally over the constant exhaustion. Although, there are still days it hits hard and I have to rest. I started exercising again back at the start of my second trimester and am in a great routine with that. 

I can feel BV2 moving all the time now. I have been able to feel the little kicks from the outside, but when Wes tries the baby stays still. Bless! This baby rolls and flips a lot more than I remember H doing. That is still the weirdest feeling to me. 

The latest heart rate for BV2 (21 weeks) was between 148-152.  

We finally told H she was going to be a big sister at 20 weeks. We told her at dinner on night. The basic conversation went down like this:

Me: H, have you noticed how mommy's tummy is getting bigger?

H: yeah, so is mine...and so is DADDY'S! (Emphatically pointing to his belly). 

{giggles from both me and W}

Me: well, there's a baby growing in mommy's tummy! You're going to be a big sister!!!!

H: can I have a biscuit?

{giggles again}

Me: would you like a baby brother or sister?

H: a SISTER!!!! 

W: {shakes head, hoping she's wrong... Lol!!!}

That was about the extent of the conversation that night. The next day, she did tell Max on FT her big news and patted my belly to show him where the baby is. She also told a lady at church that her mommy has a baby in her tummy. She's asked a few times if I'd open up my belly so the baby can come out. She also asked me one night if the baby could go in the other room. This was after I told her not to jump in my lap.... So it begins....

She still insists she's having a sister. We'll see! We did ask her what we should name the baby. She likes "Happy." Too cute! Let's hope we get a happy one!

Megan comes to NC!

We were so excited when Megan and Aunt Sue traveled to NC for the week to visit! Hannah started carrying around a picture of Megan in the days leading up to their arrival. Picture Megan and Hannah were already having lots of adventures when the real Megan arrived. Hannah informed me that they were going to play princess, go to the ball, and ride in the coach. Fun!

These girls are two peas in a pod. It is so fun to watch them play together! Megan and Susie arrived during Hannah's nap, so we all went to wake her up. Wow! H was about to burst. She was so excited, she bound out of bed and started running around her room. She couldn't contain the excitement! 

The girls had so much fun dressing up and sharing their royal wear. They even made a deal where Megan got to wear H's Rapunzel nightgown and H got to wear Megan's Belle nightgown every night to bed. The negotiations between a pair of 3 year olds is pretty cute!

Thankfully, we had great weather (mostly) and were able to spend the majority of our time playing outside. Tuesday, we took them to our favorite park! It was a very warm day and the girls loved being outside. We ended our visit with a ride on the carousal and had a picnic lunch.

Sandbox playing...

Dancing to the piped in Disney music...

Important discussions...

I'm pretty sure Susie and I could have left the two of them to themselves for hours. When we picked H up from school, they immediately grabbed hands and couldn't quit talking. Then, a game of chase and hide and seek ensued. 

My very favorite picture!!! 

Thursday was cold and windy, so a trip to the Children's museum was a must!

H loved the theater stage and dressing up, while Megan enjoyed the water table.

Making their Great Grandaddy proud!

Susie and I made the girls a batch of pancakes to celebrate their last morning together. We mentioned the special breakfast the night before and neither girl let us forget. They both woke up asking for pancakes!

We are so grateful for our special visit with Megan and Susie. These little ones love each other so much and it is pure joy to watch them interact with each other. They have a special bond and one that I hope lasts a lifetime!

Daddy weekend

My sweet husband took over all parental responsibility last weekend while I had a wonderful girls' weekend on the NC coast. H and her Daddy have a great relationship, so I knew this would be a fun time for the both of them. I left during H's nap on Friday and was a little worried she'd be upset when she woke up and I'd already left. When I received this picture, I knew no tears were being shed.

Friday evening was spent doing her favorite things. Daddy took her to the mall to eat at CFA, they spent time riding the escalators (a must for her!), and finally picked out a special treat at the Disney Store. I hear bedtime was even pushed to about 9pm...She was one happy little girl. There wasn't a lack of fun Saturday or Sunday either. They had a "play date" at the golf course with another dad and his two boys. Hannah promptly informed me that her ball "made it in the hole and Daddy's almost did." HA! She also told me they ran errands at places like Home Depot and enjoyed washing the car together. A perfect weekend doing all things Daddy and Hannah! I know it was the perfect weekend when I went to take her to school after returning home and she cried for her Daddy! I'm so thankful for a husband who understands a mom's need for a break and jumps right in to make a special weekend for his daughter. 

It's a.....

HEALTHY BABY! 

Well, we're going through with it. We're not finding out the gender. I completed my last ultrasound (18 weeks) before baby's arrival (unless, they feel they need additional monitoring). I told the tech we didn't want to know the gender and she successfully got through the ultrasound without revealing. In addition, this practice does not write the gender into the chart when parents request a surprise. I talked with the Dr. after the ultrasound and he said he didn't even know. So, there, we're locked in. We are officially going to be surprised!!!

BV2 looks great!! 10 fingers, 10 toes and all systems are a go! We have a healthy baby and for that we are grateful. I got to see a lot of the anatomy, the brain, bladder, all 4 chambers of the heart (which I always think is fascinating), both little feet, future belly button, kidneys, tummy, etc. The heart rate was 140- don't read into this. My babies tend to have lower heart rates. The baby weighed in at a whopping 10 ounces. As with H, the tech switched over to 4D for a bit. I was excited to see this view! It's so early, it's hard to predict who the baby will look like. Plus, I always think they look a little alien like at this stage any way. 

Whew! We are excited!

And then there were...

FOUR!!!!  We are thrilled to announce that we are expecting baby #2! Hannah is going to be a big sister!! Clearly, Daisy is thrilled. She says...oh no, not again!! 

Here are some answers to the most common questions I've been asked.

When are you due? August 2nd, 2014. 

How far along are you? 18 weeks

How far a part will Hannah and number 2 be? Almost 4 years, just about 2 months shy depending on when he or she will arrive. They will be 3 school years a part.

How are you feeling? This pregnancy has already been very different than my pregnancy with Hannah. I was very nauseous until 13 weeks. It was an all day thing. Around week 13, it let up a bit and onset was generally in the afternoon and lasting though the evening. I also had the same sluggish, sleepy feeling as I did with Hannah (fun while chasing a preschooler). That also let up a bit around week 13, though I'm still very sleepy some days. Heartburn has just become an issue (16 weeks) and I have to be careful of what I eat. 

Cravings and aversions? I had a strong aversion to coffee up until week 13. It made my heart very sad. I'm the type of person who looks forward to my morning cup of coffee the night before. I'd make a cup just to test the waters every week and it would just sit. Sad day! I couldn't handle the smell of raw onions and had to have Wes chop up any that a recipe required. I craved anything and everything savory and salty, particularly bread, pasta, crackers and potato chips. Recently, I've been craving veggies and haven't really been loving meat. 

Will you find out the gender? No! Both of us think it would be a lot of fun to be in the delivery room and hear the news. That means we have to  pick two names....a daunting task, especially if it's another girl! The anticipation will likely get to me, but I must learn patience. It would be pretty cool to wait! Hannah mentioned that her best friend was her sister recently.....hmmmm.... I wonder if she knows something we don't know?

How's Hannah handling the news? We haven't told her yet. I didn't start showing until recently so it's been easy to hide. Wes and I are, however, starting to prepare her for the news. We're talking about babies, siblings, etc. Our most recent discussion included the purpose of a belly button. Lol! She asked at dinner one night, so we jumped on the opportunity to tell her. She thought it was funny that Daddy grew in Mimi's tummy and I in Grandmommy's.

Have you felt the baby move? I felt "rolling" about week 15 and what I thought were a few faint kicks before that, although it could have even digestion :) I felt a definite kick, kick both inside and out at about week 16 (Feb 19). I was laying down and had my hand resting on the left side of my stomach. Apparently, that didn't suite the little one. It kicked about 4 times!! 

So, here we go! Another precious miralce!! We are thrilled to finally share the news with all of you! 

A good reminder...

I came across this blog today. A friend of mine shared it with me. It's a great reminder of this season of life. She so eloquently writes what many of my mom friends and I feel. We love our tinies, but the constant need can be exhausting. This blog gives a wonderful perspective. I highly recommend the read, especially to all you tired mommas out there :) and to those veteran mommas, I know you well remember! We're in this together.

http://yourbestnestindy.com/2014/02/27/mommy-somebody-needs-you/