23 Weeks

So here I find myself 23 1/2 weeks pregnant. That’s right if you only know me through this blog that I’ve faithfully posted several times a week, or not, this is news to you.  When Isaac was around 9 months old we discovered we would be upping the excitement in our already busy lives!  After getting over the initial shock that we would have two kids 17 months apart, three kids 4 and under, we became excited that our family would soon be complete as a family of five! 

I'm over half way over with this pregnancy it has of course flown by.  Being busy keeping up with a happy three year old and an adventuresome toddler hasn’t allowed much time to sit and daydream about this pregnancy.  I’m glad to report that for the most part this pregnancy has gone very smoothly.  Morning sickness lasted entirely way to long, till around 18 weeks along, yuck. The other symptom I’ve struggled with is extreme fatigue.  Keeping up with both kids, having two pregnancies close together, and not sleeping well at night might have something to do with it. I, just like the kids, are in good need of a daily nap. 

At 23 weeks I am enjoying the sweet movements of Baby L. The gender remains a surprise, we are waiting to find out at the birth.  I’m enjoying having this extra bit of excitement with this pregnancy.  Abby is convinced she is getting a little sister and has been telling everyone her sister is in mommy’s belly.  We have had many talks about how it could be a boy, so her story is now, “I know a boy could come out, but my baby sister is in my mom’s belly.” What do you think? Come March we will find out!

Right after Thanksgiving my belly has popped out, wonder if this has any connection with the feast we enjoyed at the house? I am mostly wearing maternity clothing now.  I think a large part of my wardrobe will be leggings and boots.  The wonderful thing about boots is I don’t need to worry about my pants being long enough, a constant problem I encounter on a normal day, an impossible task when dealing with maternity clothing!

Here is a belly picture at 23 weeks and a few favorites from this fall to catch you up with what we have been doing.

We enjoyed several baseball games this summer. We love have a AAA team in Springdale!

A happy boy enjoying the beach on our trip we took to Florida in September.  He kept us on our toes as he attempted and sometimes succeeded at eating handfuls of sand.

One of our several Sunrise walks.  Grant was such a trooper and joined me on one of my favorite things to do when at the beach several mornings.

An attempt at a family beach picture. Sadly, this was one of the best.

Playing in the water with clothes on, what fun!

We got to enjoy a very special day at the Magic Kingdom!

This was the hit of the trip, a character breakfast.  Mickey, Minnie, and their friends stopped by our table as we ate breakfast. Abby was SO EXCITED!

This silly boy is into anything and everything and already has such a fun personality.  He definitely knows how to ham it up!

And here is a belly shot of me at 23 weeks. Why is it that these pictures always look so awkward? 

Buddy Boy

This is the nickname Abby and I have picked up for Isaac.  I didn’t realize how much I called Isaac this until Abby starting using the name too.  She sweetly said to me, “Mom, I like that we call Isaac, Buddy Boy, because he is my buddy and he is a boy!”

One of Isaac's many great faces.

Abby is in love with her brother and is a fantastic big sister. Most times when he is fussy she is the first one to him to get a toy or soothe him. In fact when he wakes up from naps she will run to his room saying, “Abby to the rescue.” 

Isaac just passed the 8 month mark. Boy is he growing fast, but what a happy boy he is growing up to be.  He definitely is a little flirt, making eye contact and smiling with anyone he can attract.  His sister is just about his favorite thing, she can get him giggling at the drop of a dime.  About two weeks ago he realized he can get around to where he wants to go by army crawling.  He can’t quite get his belly of the floor yet, its only a matter of time. Alley dog is kept busy moving, she is a popular target. 

Isaac has four teeth. His bottom front teeth came in around the end of May and his K-9 teeth just popped through, so for the time being he is our little vampire baby. This won’t last long as the front teeth are about to break through.  Poor boy has a runny nose that won’t quit.  He is ready for a break from the teething, so are mom and dad! 

This summer we have been spending a lot of time at the pool.  Abby is making good progress with swimming. She enjoys putting her head underwater now and is getting very close to floating on her back by herself! Isaac is definitely my water baby and absolutely loves the water and splashing around. 

Her are a few of my favorite recent pictures:

She is just getting so big!

She loves to hold her brother after nap time each day

Isaac's flirting smile

Just can't help but say awww.

My two favorite boys

What a smile