Wordless Wednesday

Easter people, raise your voices

Our Easter weekend started out with an egg hunt at Lucy's daycare center.  We didn't do Easter baskets last year and hadn't really talked about the concept of eggs last year, much less dyed or stuffed them, but baby girl acted like a pro when it was time to start hunting and gathering!  She's a fast learner, that one -- as soon as she figured out that there was candy in the eggs, she spent the next few days begging asking for "some". 

The biggest hit by far was an egg filled with a mini-wand and bubbles. Our most favorite phrase these days is, "I blow bubbles!" The child wakes up in the morning wanting to go outside to blow bubbles and is still talking about them before she goes to bed at night. :)

Boogie and Pop Pop came in town for the weekend to help us turn what is now the guest room/study ready into a pink bedroom for the girls to share.  Handy Andy once again worked his magic by undertaking the following tasks: scraping the popcorn ceiling and then patching and painting it, ripping out old carpet and installing a new floor, painting walls, and installing crown molding.  It's becoming a room fit for a princess (or two!).  Meanwhile, us girls enjoyed a much-needed pedicure and some shopping time!

On Sunday morning we did Easter baskets and headed to church.  This was about the only picture we could get of Lucy looking at the camera in her Sunday best (I came down with a wicked stomach bug that would last for 5 days, thus my ghostly appearance here).  Our church has an amazing choir, and they always pull out all the stops on holidays.  A truly magnificent rendition of the "Hallelujah" chorus and sharing communion with other believers in celebration of the new life we've been granted can cure almost any illness.

In between snuggle time with Lucy, Boogie cleaned and did laundry and helped us get organized.  We got down Lucy's old clothes from the attic and starting sorting them for baby Hannah.  There was much disbelief over the fact that Lucy was ever small enough to wear any of it and it helped us anticipate our new arrival! 

We are so incredibly grateful for all the love and support we continue to receive as we prepare our house to become a home for a family of four.  Even though we're already out of space, I'm starting to think that we'll finally get our house completely remodeled if we just keep on having babies!  :)

Pictures of Lucy's big girl bed and the new pink palace to come...

That was then, this is now

I start week 29 of my pregnancy today, and we are officially in the third trimester!  I absolutely cannot believe that we only have about 10-11 more weeks to go before we meet our little one.  :)  I won't say that this pregnancy has flown by, but time has definitely gone by a lot faster this time with a toddler to take care of while working full-time. 

A few other ways this pregnancy is noticeably different than pregnancy #1:

• Then, I played tennis until I could no longer reach around my belly to complete a full backhand swing.  Now... my racquet is collecting dust bunnies in the closet.
• Then, I shopped for hours to find the perfect cute maternity tankini.  Now... I'm all about the all-black one piece I picked off the rack at Target.  It's comfortable, covers everything, and I love it.
• Then, I kept a minimum of three pregnancy-related books on my nightstand and religiously read them all. And made Andrew read a "daddy" book.  Now... I get weekly updates on baby's growth delivered via my e-mail inbox. 
• Then, I attended almost every single prenatal class that my hospital offered.  Now... I attend the weekly viewing of the final season of "Lost" in my living room.
• Then, I took a nap after work almost every day in my first and third trimesters and on both days of the weekend.  Now... I can count the number of naps I've had in the last seven months on my two hands.
• Then, I stocked up on every single baby thing that "they" said I needed and that I thought I couldn't live without was just too precious to pass up!  Now... I've bought some new pacifiers and diapers, and just a few things we actually needed last time and didn't have -- sleepers that zip instead of snap, socks that actually stay on, and newborn onesies (that 0-3 months size does not fit newborns).
• Then, I placed iPod speakers on my belly for baby to listen to classical music and made Andrew talk to my belly.  Now... baby #2 gets to enjoy the sound of big sister learning to "sing" and to eavesdrop on our bedtime stories. 
• Then, I wondered about how much a baby would really change our lives.  Now... I know that we are getting ready to plunge into complete and total chaos -- less money, more laundry, no sleep -- and I couldn't be happier.  :)  I could NEVER in my wildest dreams have imagined the amount of pure love and laughter that Lucy would bring into our lives, and I can already feel my heart expanding in preparation for the arrival of a new little person.

It's still a complete mystery about how Lucy will react to the baby, what she will look like and how her unique personality will fit into our family dynamic.  But, we already love her and cannot wait to know her soon. 

In the meantime, check out this video about how baby will grow between now and week 37: http://www.babycenter.com/2_inside-pregnancy-weeks-28-to-37_3658874.bc.  (Note ~ might not be suitable for kids).  Amazing!