Gender Reveal + First Trimester Recap

Good morning! Here's a fun post about our little one, we found out the gender a few weeks ago, but have been keeping it to ourselves. I had an appointment yesterday and confirmed the gender again, we found out early so I wanted to be sure! This first trimester has seriously flown right by. This has to be the quickest of any of my pregnancies, I guess two little ones will keep you busy like that! I can’t believe we were able to find out the gender so early on- we had to wait so long to find out with Eleanor and Emma had her legs crossed or the umbilical cord between her legs every time and it took forever!

I found out right at 12 weeks this time around, during my NT scan. The nurse was really nice and I asked her if she thought it would be possible to tell. She said that it would be really hard, the baby would have to be in just the right position, and that wasn’t what the appointment was technically for. Then we just chitchatted about old wives tales, life, work, etc. Then she asked me if I wanted to see the baby’s gender and turned the screen…

Our Little Announcement- Baby 3 is on its way!

We are so excited to finally share the secret we've been keeping since the new year started- our family is growing and we're adding another little one! We are over the moon that we're expecting, it was a welcome surprise!

Our Newest Bundle of Joy

Introducing Emma Brooke, or as we call her "EB" for short. 

She is beautiful and perfect and so so tiny. 

She was delivered Thursday, August 6 and our lives couldn't be more full. 

Eleanor is obsessed with her and so protective and asks to hold her all the time and gives her a million kisses. 

We are over the moon with happiness!

What's On My Baby 2 Wish List

The nesting period is upon us, I've been making lists and checking them off and racking my brain about what we need and don't need for #2's arrival. Luckily, we have a ton of great stuff from Eleanor that we can use for our next little one (and any little ones after that!). A few weeks ago we went through the garage to kind of gather stuff up and all of it is still in pristine condition, even all of her newborn and 0-3 clothes. I didn't check the older sizing of clothes yet, but Ellie didn't really start playing hard and staining stuff until recently now that she's older and on the run. I've been trying to put together a list of items we would need for the second baby and have asked some of my mama friends what they needed and here's the list I have so far.

Take Home Outfit- Every baby needs a take home outfit that you put away for years and years to give them when they have their own children. I have all of Ellie's items, including her hospital bracelets, in a vaccuumed ziplock for her and will do the same for this little girl. I absolutely love this outfit, I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I found it half off last week and scooped it up in a hot second.

Blankets- I obviously had to buy the matching blanket set for the outfit too. It was a given.

Stuffed Animal- One of the first things I bought for Ellie was a soft, adorable bunny and I wanted to get Little 2 one as well. We used the stuffed animal for maternity pictures, and for monthly updates to show how fast Ellie had grown in comparison. She loves her bunny and we keep it in her room and I know it will be something we have forever. Matt has a couple of stuffed animals his mother kept and I think it's so precious to have something that was so important to you as a child. I just bought this one last week and I can't wait for it to come in!

Book- I love and collect so many books for the girls. When I had Ellie I brought a BabyLit Alice in Wonderland book as a guest book for our visitors to sign and it's one of my favorite mementos. I plan to do it again and always tell expectant mothers to bring something for guests to sign and write notes. I'm gonna stick with the BabyLit books and love this Secret Garden for our little girl.

Headbands and Bows- Baby girls needs a ton of headbands and bows, duh. You can never have too many! We have a ton of sets from Ellie, but I can't resist this adorable Grow With Me Set from Willow Crowns. Ellie and I already have the bottom lace one and now we can all be triplets when we wear them together!

Muslin Blankets- These are the best blankets ever, just muslin blankets in general, we used several brands with Ellie. They're perfect all year and now Ellie uses hers all the time for herself or her dolls. I love the colors and prints in this set, still feminine, but not pink. We have so much pink stuff, and I love it, but I want to incorporate some more color for both my girls. I've seen this set at BRU, but they don't have it online. Even though I had Ellie just two years ago, so many new prints and sets have come out!

Diaper Genie- In theory, I would love to have Ellie potty trained before the baby comes, but I'm not sure if we will. Plus, her diaper pail is broken and we would need a new one anyways. We have one by Munchkin and want to pick this one up instead, it seems to be a better one than ours after using it at a friend's home.

Sound Machine- Ellie still uses hers, mostly for a nightlight now, but if we have people over we put the white noise on to help block out sounds and keep a constant noise for her to sleep better. I like that this one has a timer so it's not on all night, which is a nice feature and it also has images it can project onto the ceiling which could be cool.

Double Stroller- This has been one thing that I haven't looked too much into because I'm dreading it. Two of my mama friends said to get a jogger because it's more lightweight and easier to push/use and I believe them! I used one for a walk we did in April and it was like pushing air on a dirt path. Matt and I are going to look for one soon. I linked to this one because it fits the carseat we have so I wouldn't have to wake the baby transitioning her from car to stroller and such.

Tote Bag- We have a monogrammed bag we use all.the.time for Ellie and I want to get another one for this little babe. I love that this tote comes in different sizes and strap lengths and I'm really digging the lavender shade. I also love anything that can be monogrammed of course. My favorite part is that it zips! Woohoo!

Those are my top ten items for baby 2, I'm sure I'm missing something so please help! Let me know what you guys used/needed with your second babies and what strollers you like best.What has been the biggest life saver when your additional children arrived? Thanks for any tips, tricks, and ideas!

Baby #2 + Bump Pics!!

Ellie is pretty stoked to be a big sister

We are so excited to be having a second baby girl! We finally announced on social media this past Saturday,  thank you so much for all of the love!! We are over the moon happy to be having another girl and appreciate everyone's kind words and excitement. Our hearts are so full!!

So there's been lots of secret keeping and questions and I hope to answer all of them in this post, if I've left something out, ask below!

Our first look at our sweet baby girl!

What's your due date? My due date is August 12, and if we have another c-section the baby will be scheduled to arrive around August 3-4.

Will you have a c-section again? With this pregnancy, if everything stays great and the baby is healthy and not breech, then it is my choice what kind of birth we will have. We have not made a definite choice yet, but we are leaning towards a c-section. I had a wonderful experience and a great recovery, plus we know what to expect.

12 Weeks Along

How far along are you? This Wednesday I'll be 21 weeks, over halfway!

When did we find out? We found out December 8, 2014. It was kind of already obvious to us since I was a week late, but we like to test just for confirmation.

14 Weeks Along

How did we tell our families? It was so hard not to tell everyone right away, but we told our parents and siblings on Christmas. One of Ellie's gifts was the Super Sister Tee she wore in the announcement and two big sister books. It was such a fun surprise and seeing everyone's reactions and how soon it clicked for some! Lots of tears, hugs, and smiles were shared and it really made Christmas special.

15 Weeks Along

Why did we wait so long to share? We slowly told our friends and extended family, but not everyone. Some family/friends we were hoping to surprise later found out when we saw them because we couldn't keep a big round basketball belly a secret in person! We decided early on that we would officially announce when we knew the gender. However, at every appointment either the cord was between the legs, her legs were crossed, or her legs were so close together the doctor couldn't see anything to be sure. Otherwise, we would have spilled the beans a few weeks ago!

Are we sure it's a girl/Did we want a boy? Well, a baby of any gender coming at any time is considered a blessing around here! It really didn't matter to me what gender the baby would be, I'd love to have more children so maybe the next time I might root for a boy, but this time I honestly would be happy either way. It's also a running joke that Matt will be the only boy again (he grew up with 3 sisters!) so part of us almost expected to have another girl. I only had a sister growing up and I love the bond that we share, she is my best friend and I'm happy that Ellie will have that chance for the same bond (that's not to say a sister/brother bond isn't just as special- I just don't know that first hand).

16 Weeks Along

Did you have a feeling one way or the other for gender? Not really. I flip flopped back and forth between what I thought it was, but didn't have a strong feeling one way or another. The old wives tales all said boy (except the heartbeat), even the Chinese Gender Chart and Ring Test, which I swear is 99% accurate. At my 12 week appointment for the NT scan, the nurse said she'd bet her paycheck it was a girl based on the behavior and heart rate, but couldn't give me a definite answer because the cord was between the legs. 

How is this pregnancy different? It's really not much different than when I was pregnant with Eleanor. I even looked back through my Bumpdates to compare notes. I don't have cravings for fruit and frozen yogurt this time, but want crunchy, vinegary stuff and sweets. I would have an upset stomach early on, chicken didn't gross me out, but didn't sound appetizing to me (I could still eat it), and I had a few waves of nausea, but they came and went in a moment.  No morning sickness again, woohoo! Because of those few differences, I thought maybe it was a boy, but I didn't think they were different enough to have a definite gut feeling about it.

18 Weeks Along

Do you have a name picked out? We finally settled on one this week! We still have boy names from when we were pregnant with Ellie that we plan to use should we ever have a boy, but we've been going back and forth about girl names since we found out we were expecting. I love baby names and knowing what people are naming their children and if there's any story behind the name. We had a hard time finding one we liked, we wanted something that would flow well with Eleanor and the boy names we have chosen, plus a middle name and our last name. I didn't want to have Eleanor, an older feminine name and pair it with a new trendy name. I love when sibling names have a nice ring to them, a theme, etc. We finally settled on one and once we did Matt and I both can't identify this little one as anything else. We refer to her by name when we talk about her and when I picture her and her nursery, I think of her name and how I imagine her personality will be. I probably won't announce the name on the blog/social media until she arrives though, sorry to keep you waiting!

20 Weeks Along

Does Ellie understand a baby is coming? She knows something is changing, we talk to her a lot about the new baby sister she'll have. We read her big sister books nearly every night and she understands that she's the big sister and not the baby. She's also become obsessed with babies and all baby related items- carseat, strollers, playing mommy with her dolls. I know it's part of her age/development, but I'm happy that it's corresponding with the upcoming changes. Our daycare provider recently had a baby and Ellie is obsessed with her. She does really good at daycare around her and doesn't touch the baby or give it kisses (we practiced at home before she arrived so she would be prepared at daycare), she loves to wave to the baby and say hi. It's so cute!

Can I feel the baby move? Yes! It started a little earlier than with Eleanor, but I knew what it felt like this time. She's mostly active first thing in the morning and mid-afternoon. Matt felt her move last week, just the smallest of movement for him, nothing really strong yet.

Here are some side by sides from this pregnancy (on the left) vs with Ellie:

 

Will I do weekly bumpdates again? Honest, I'm not sure. I don't want to bore everyone with pregnancy details, but I don't want to look over the second baby either. She's just as special! Let me know what you think and what you're interested in seeing- if there's an interest I'll be sure to share!

Thank you for all of the love and sharing it with me. It really has been so heartwarming to receive everyone's comments/messages/texts to our announcement!

Our Birth Story

This post has been such a long time coming. I've written and re-written several parts and have decided to start off the new year on a post that means so much to me. I'm sorry it's a million years late, I had a beautiful birth experience and decided to finally sit down and finish the post. I initially shared our big day in just pictures that you can read here.The day I became a mother and Matt and I added to our family was so special and I could have written this post a hundred different ways and I still wouldn't be able to fully express in words how our day really was. How much fear, excitement, joy, and love was filled in each moment would be impossible to share. So I did my best and I hope you enjoy it.

Our little bunny had been Frank Breech since our Week 26 appointment and by the end of my pregnancy, I gave up all hope she would flip. I just felt that she had been in that position for too long for her to turn and that by the end she was just too big to even be able to. So a c-section was planned for the end of May on the 29th, just a day before my 39 week mark.

Once I knew a c/s was certain, I did my homework. I wanted to learn as much as I could so I knew what to expect, what questions to ask beforehand, and what options I would have. Thankfully, so many of you reached out to me and I was able to get a lot of one-on-one talk from ladies to prepare for the big day.

The weekend before we had tons of celebrations going on, but I was still able to get everything taken care of that needed to be done. My husband and I deep cleaned our home so it would be nice and pretty for our return, cleaned out our fridge and stocked up on non-perishable food, did all of the laundry, and packed our hospital bags (see what I used here).

The day before our c/s I had my pre-op appointment where I met with my doctor, had tests run to be sure I was ok for surgery, then I ran some last minute errands, and relaxed before Matt came home. Once he got home we hung out for a while and then went out for a nice sushi dinner. I thought I would have anxiety and not be able to sleep, and we were really excited, but somehow we conked out and I slept just fine. I did wake up a few times because I was thirsty, but that was a lost cause since I couldn't drink anything before surgery.

I had set my alarm for 6 am, but woke up at 530 wide awake, excited, and had to force myself to relax in bed until my alarm went off. It was baby day!! In a matter of mere hours I'd have my little girl in my arms to love and kiss for the rest of our lives. I prayed that morning that I would be brave and unafraid, that the procedure wouldn't have any complications, and that all the nurses and doctors had a good nights rest and were ready to rock and roll. Saying I was excited is an understatement.

We took one last bump pic and met Matt's parents at the hospital. It was go time! We checked in, got the IV started (which totally pinched), and the doctors and nurses went over everything with me. There were only a few things I was nervous about, getting my spinal, being nauseous, and the pain after the good meds wore off. I almost lost my cool when the anesthesiologist went over her duties, she was super nice, but her words like "pinch" and "burning" were standing out too much for me, but I just thought to myself "if I lose it now, there's no going back" so I choked back my fear and tears. Once I was packed with fluids, deemed safe for surgery, and was ready for the spinal, I kissed my family and headed into the surgical room for the final steps.

For the spinal, Matt had to wait outside (he used that time to record a sweet message for little Eleanor) and the anesthesiologist walked me through each step as they were happening, it was a little pinch in my back, then instead of a burning sensation I just felt a luke warm feeling enter my body and then warm up my bottom, legs, and feet. I was expecting the burning to start soon so I asked if that was it and she laughed saying no one had ever asked her that before and we were all done. It was a total breeze! Getting my IV was worse! Ok, first fear tackled.

Once the spinal was administered I had to lay down pretty quickly, which my doctor and the nurses helped with, I instantly went numb and they checked me to see what I could feel- which was nothing! Every time they touched me, it tingled- almost tickled even! I remember thinking to myself that this would be easy and I didn't have to be afraid of anything.

At that time, Matt was able to join me in the room and he had me record a message for Ellie too and then stood by my side as the surgery progressed.Within minutes our little girl was delivered and the doctor held her upside down over the curtain so I could see her. She was beautiful. So many thoughts and feelings rushed to the surface, loving someone for so long without even knowing them and the amount of love you feel the minute they arrive is truly overwhelming. I just loved her. Words cannot express enough the moment of happiness in that moment and the moments after. Once I saw her, the nurses took over and got her all cleaned up. Matt went over there to see her and take pictures and was walking me through everything that was happening since I couldn't see her over the c/s curtain. Once she was ready, they held her next to my face and I got to kiss and really see her then. It was amazing.

"My cup runneth over" was in the back of my mind. You already love the baby inside you, but seeing and holding them for the first time is nothing I imagined, the love you feel is so great. I just kept telling her how much I loved her and how happy she made me. I cried a little bit, but I was mostly overjoyed so much that I didn't have time to cry. I wanted to see my child and not have a blurred vision of her through my tears.

Once I was all stitched up they transferred me to a bed and into the recovery room where I nursed Ellie for the full hour. She latched on right away and we had a great experience. It was such a huge moment and the bond we made was beautiful. Matt and I couldn't stop staring at her. We just kept talking about her and how she just belonged with us. Neither of us could remember our lives before her. It's so strange that she had only arrived an hour or so beforehand, but it was as if she had always been a part of us. After an hour, when I could move some toes on my right foot, I was moved into my hospital room.

There, we had our families come and visit and we got to show off Ellie. I couldn't move or feel my legs for several hours and felt no pain in my waist at all. In fact, I really just felt fantastic! I didn't feel like I had just given birth or had major surgery just that day. It was hard not being able to see everything up close that was going on with Ellie, like her first bath, being able to change her, or pick her up since I was stuck to the bed, but Matt was there and took lots of pictures and talked me through everything that he and she was doing.

Once everyone left, I stayed up the entire night just holding her. She is everything I could have imagined and truly made me the happiest I have ever been. All of my dreams came true when she arrived. I'm married to a wonderful man and now we have our own family. I have never felt so fulfilled and blessed in all my life. I cherish those moments I had her all alone to myself.

Baby Must Haves: 12 Months

Wow. So I’m super behind, but wanted to finish up my first full year of baby must-haves. This past year has been incredible and so much fun. Every month was better than the last and continues to still get better. Having a child has enriched my life beyond measure and has been an incredible journey. I want to get all mushy here and write how much becoming a mother means to me, but I’ll save that for another time. It’s really hard to articulate the love I have for her and the joy she brings me.

Here are some fun updates with Ellie, we had her 1 year baby wellness appointment and she is still above average in both height and weight. That’s not a shocker since most “pants” are short on her and I have to size up on the majority of her clothing. She has started to babble with more meaning to what she’s trying to communicate. She has said “up”, "papa", and “mine” a few times and says different variations of “ba” and “bla” for blocks or her sippy cup. She points at everything, brings you stuff, and follows simple commands. She also started walking just a few weeks before her first birthday! Which is tons of fun. It’s amazing how fast she’s developing and growing. It’s seriously ridiculously crazy how our bodies and minds work.

We are still breastfeeding, but are going to start the weaning process. I’m going to possibly do a post about our journey because it really has been a roller coaster. I’m so happy and surprised that we have even made it this far. I would like to nurse for longer, but I’ve barely hung on as it is! I think it will be pretty tough on her, she has started to point to our boppy (which I almost always use to nurse) and pull it to me as well as pulling on my shirt when she’s ready to nurse. I want to wean as naturally as possible, I don’t want this to be a negative experience for us. If you have any tips at all, please share!

Here are some of our most used/played with items this past month:

Small Chair or Seat: We gave this to Ellie on her first birthday and she’s obsessed with her chair. At my cousins' homes they have similar chairs or mini love seats that pull out into a bed and Ellie absolutely loves playing and sitting on them. I remember being a child and loving anything that was small and my size. Now there are so many toys available for children, I’m excited to give Ellie some of the stuff I know I would have enjoyed myself.

Push Toys: I’ve posted about push toys back in my 9 Month Must Haves and wanted to add some new ones. Now that Ellie is walking on her own, she loves toys that are easy to move with her. She loves push toys more now that she’s able to play more with them while walking instead of using it to help her walk. She loves the shopping cart to put her toys in as she moves around the house and take them out. For her birthday she also received fun vacuum and popping push toys as well that she enjoys. It’s so cute to see her interact more with the toys and play with others.

Glow Worm: This doll is Ellie's must have. She sleeps with it every night and has to have it. It sings various lullabies and its face lights up. After 10 minutes it stops playing and the light dims to off. It's great on the nights we put Ellie to sleep tired, but she's not quite ready to fall asleep yet. There's been a few times where she wakes during the night crying because she doesn't have her doll and she reaches out for it and goes back down. I love checking on her at night and seeing her cuddle her dolls, it's so sweet. She'll play and cuddle this doll and now even pushes all of her other dolls tummy to see if they do any tricks.

Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Say Please Tea Set: Ellie got this gift as an early birthday present. When we went to Utah earlier this year, my cousin's child had the same toy and Ellie had a great time playing with it. Since getting the toy for herself, I have to seriously pry it out of her hands for bedtime. It's so cute and I love the songs and sounds it makes.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Greatest Hits): Ellie loves music and really enjoys the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse songs. This CD has lots of songs and it's fun to listen to on long drives. She kicks her feet and gets excited when she hears songs she recognizes. I think my next CD purchase for her will be this Now That's What I Call Disney, Vol. 1.

What are some of your baby's favorite toys and items?

Baby Must Haves: 11 Months

So this post is so ridiculously late being published because I needed to get the links and pictures, etc. The post itself was written in real time so I'll just leave it as is and please remember that it was actually written two months ago.

This is the last month my little baby is still a baby, she’ll be moving onto toddlerhood and the time is passing so quickly. A week or so ago, we dressed her in “big girl” jammies (a short sleeve, no feet two piece set) and I wanted to cry my eyes out at how big she looked. That night when she woke up, I nursed her back to sleep and rocked her much longer than I should have cherishing that quiet moment between us.

I’ve mentioned before in previous posts that Ellie is high maintenance in terms of having our attention and being held a lot. Sometimes it’s frustrating that she needs/wants to be held all the time when I need to get things done and wearing her doesn’t work for whatever I’m doing. Someone often comments that I must get sick of it or hate it and I always reply, “It can be frustrating, but I only get to hold for such a small amount of time so I enjoy it”. I try and savor the little things with her, I’m only going to get to hold her for a few years and then she’ll be too big for me to pick her up or rock her. There will be a time where she won’t need me here for her in the same way. Since becoming a mother, I’ve really tried to focus on my time with Eleanor. I don’t want to look back with regrets and wish that I took advantage of our time together better. One quote I heard and has always stuck with me is “The days are long, but the years are short” and I think about it often and how true the words really are. I hope I can continue to savor our moments together and not get distracted by life or tantrums to let these days pass me by.

With these last weeks before her first birthday, I’ve been super emotional. It catches me at small moments like the night in her big girl jammies. This year has been such a fantastic journey. I love how much Ellie changes and grows on a daily basis. The look of sheer joy on her face when she enjoys something, how proud she is of herself when she learns something new, and the belly laugh from our nighttime tickles warms me up inside. She has so much personality and I can’t wait to hear her talk and be able to express herself more.

Two Piece Jammies- Besides the heart ache changing from footed jammies to the set, these jammies are perfect for summer time. Also, it’s hard to find footed jammies in 18 months so I don’t have much of a choice at this point either. These whale ones crack me up from- I smirk every time I think about the cute play on words.

Snack Cups: A little girl at daycare uses these snack cups and our DC provider told me how much Ellie loves them and always shares (snatches it away) with her. I didn’t realize Ellie was old enough or have the motor skills to use a snack cup yet, but babies surprise you. I went out and bought her some before Easter and she has gone to town with them. She holds onto that sucker like her life depended on it.

Sun Hat: We are spending more and more time outdoors and with Ellie’s fair skin and nearly bald head (she has hair, but it’s so light it’s hard to see all of it) we have been wearing lots of hats to help protect her from the sun. I bought this hat earlier this year, but for the life of me cannot find it for her anywhere since we’ve moved. I remember packing it away, but have yet to come across it. We have the exact same hat in a 2T version that doesn’t have the chin strap on it and thankfully she keeps the hat on! Woohoo! I’m happy she enjoys wearing it and plan on buying a few more- especially some swim hats like last summer.

Toddler Swing
Another gift from the Easter Bunny, we've had a ton of fun with this swing. She just giggles and giggles as we push her. The only con is that the straps are not an ideal length for the height of our deck so we plan on having them extended. I guess it just depends on your patio area. This is the gift that will keep on giving, all the kids at our housewarming party wanted a turn on the swing.

Our First Family Pictures

An exact year to when we took our maternity pictures (check them out here and here), we met up with the Lovers of Love duo to do our first family pictures. I was so happy to work with Dana and Nate again. They are the cutest couple and I absolutely love working with them and their work is phenomenal. We went back and forth on where to take pictures and finally decided to do them at the same place we had our maternity session- the California Citrus State Historic Park.

We took the pictures back in April, but I've had to wait to post them until after Mother's day because of a special picture we took for Matt's mother. She made Ellie a beautiful baby blanket when she was born and I wanted to take some pictures of Ellie with it as a surprise. Now that the cat's out of the bag I can finally post the pictures!We have a ton of pictures, but here are my favorites.

My outfit: Midi Dress (on sale!) / Shoes: Old (similar here and here) / Earring: Very Jane
Matt's outfit: Shirt; RVCA (short sleeve version) / Jeans: Express / Shoes: Vans
Ellie's outfit: Carters Cardigan & Short Set / Shoes: Carters (sold out, similar here) / Headband: Harts & Flowers