Almost 29 Weeks

1. How far along - 28 weeks and 4 days
2. Total weight gain - I am up nine pounds total
3. Maternity clothes? - Yep, and finding ones that are good for spring/summer weather has been challenging.
4. Sleep - Eh it's okay. Between having to pee every hour or so and a teething toddler, it could be better. 
5. Best moment this week - Finally feeling real consistent movement. Sometimes you can see my belly jump.
6. Movement-  Yep but definitely more at night ... I hope that changes when he's here.
7. Food cravings - Sweets, because I had my glucose test this week. So of course after I had the test I indulged!
8. Labor signs - None yet, but a lot of back aches and Braxton Hicks
9. Belly button in or out - Well it's out-ish
10. What I miss - Walking at the same pace as my husband. I constantly have to tell him to slow down.
11. What I'm looking forward to - Trying to name this kid! The problem is I just don't have a name I love, they are all just okay.
12. 28 week Belly Pic

Four Years

is a long time to not see someone you love. It's also a relatively short time compared to the average lifetime. Unfortunately for Kelsey her life was ended at 18. I wonder how different my life would be today if she was still here on an almost constant basis. I think my whole family dynamic would be different, but I can't change the fact that she was murdered no matter how much I want to.

I think her death has given me an even greater appreciation for life and the limited amount of time we all have. I just wish that lesson didn't have to come with such a high price. Someday I will see her again and we can talk about all the things that have happened since we last saw each other. Until then I miss her and love her every day.

Kelsey Smith

Wordless Wednesday

Not Much To Say

So I don't feel like there's too much going on right now. We're just chugging along, enjoying our life! Things are going fairly well with us and I don't have any dramatic or humorous stories ... 

I'm preparing for a tough few days though. June 2 marks the 4th anniversary of my sister's murder, but we spent the four days after that not knowing where she was or if she was alive. June 6th is the day her body was discovered. So being hugely pregnant and dealing with a toddler, I am expecting an emotional time. Although you never know when the grief will hit you, because a loss like that is something that never leaves you.

Sometimes I can just be doing something simple like dishes or laundry and I think how much I wish I could call up my sister and just talk to her. She doesn't get to experience the little things with me or see my children grow up and I think that's what sucks the most. So if I'm absent for the next week or so ya'll know why!

Wordless Wednesday

26 Weeks
Last week of second trimester!

27 Weeks
Officially in the third trimester!

Miss Independent

If Sarah could say more than a few words, I'm sure her favorite phrase would be "Let me do it." Our whole routine now revolves around making sure Sarah has something she can do for herself. Whether it be walking into the apartment from the car or making sure she has a fork and spoon so she can feed herself. It's unreal how quickly she's changing. Last night she took the toothbrush out of my hand and started brushing her teeth all on her own. (Of course Daddy did help her some.)

 As time continues to fly by, my baby is acting more and more like a big kid. I know I still have a few years before she can really be considered a big kid, but still. A lot of her "baby" traits are quickly disappearing.  

• She no longer likes to be fed, so I've been working hard on making sure she has plenty of finger foods or things that can easily be speared by a fork wielding toddler. Surprisingly, this has made meals a lot easier because she's happier when she feeds herself. The only downside is the mess. But I tell ya, a mess is much easier to deal with than a toddler that refuses to eat! I mean why else did God give us bibs and bathtubs?
• We're losing the bottle! Sarah has been fed from a bottle since the very first day of her life, so I thought this process would be pretty hard. Until recently, she has flat out refused any milk being offered in a sippy cup. But I guess Grandma worked some type of magic because I decided to just go cold turkey and yank the bottle and so far so good! (Granted it's only day one...) But I really wanted to get her used to cups before the new baby comes so we don't have bottles for two!
• She's starting to fall asleep on her own a few times a week, meaning that Ryan can put her down in the crib awake and she will get to sleep without needing rocking or holding! This is a HUGE thing! Sarah has never been a strong sleeper, and any sign of progress is great! 
• She's so stable on her feet and quick too. Gone are the days of toddling and falling every few seconds. We are full out running, dancing, and spinning in circles. My girl is a crazy mover!
• For her first birthday, Sarah got a little purse in the shape of a flower. She likes to carry that with her when we go to the store or out running errands. She even puts little toys inside and you can tell she thinks she's hot stuff with it. It's pretty fricken adorable.
• She's getting her molars!!! It's about time they popped through! We have been fighting a cranky toddler for a few weeks, so I'm hoping her mood improves some now that they're in. No more toothless, gummy smiles for us ... at least until our son gets here.
• The other day at church, Sarah wasn't feeling well so we decided to bring her in the sanctuary with us rather than put her in the nursery. She fell asleep on Ryan and he held her the entire service. I was struck by how big she looked in his arms. She can't fit snuggly in our arms anymore, her legs dangle and she just looks like such a big girl. I remember how her tiny body used to fit easily into one arm.

I'm sure I could fill up books about all the changes I see in her. But the thing is, you don't always notice things until they add up to a lot of changes. Sometimes, I just find myself looking at her and wondering when my baby was replaced by this cute toddler!

Home Sweet Home

Since becoming a stay at home mom, I have lost my appreciation of a relaxing day at home. If, for some reason Sarah is at Grandma's and I have no errands or appointments, I clean like mad. Other times when it's just Sarah and I at home, I am dying to get out of the apartment because if we stay there one more minute we'll die of boredom! You can ask my husband, I'm always wanting to go out and do something. But I am happy to say that today was not like that. 

Sarah and I have had a BUSY week. Monday we had MOPS, Tuesday was full of errands, and Wednesday was play date combined with a little shopping and then dinner out. So when I looked at my schedule and saw that not one thing was scheduled for today, I was actually happy! The fact that today has been dark and rainy, made me even more excited to stay in.

So what did we do today? Well for starters, we stayed in our pajamas for a good portion of the day. Sarah woke up and really didn't want to do much but cuddle with me on the couch. I was more than happy to comply, because her snuggles are becoming more scarce as she gets bigger. Then we had breakfast and soon Sarah was ready to go back to sleep. There's something about rainy days that makes my girl sleepy and if I'm truly honest, I sometimes look forward to rainy days for that reason.

After her morning nap (and mine) we set up a picnic on the living room floor. I laid out a blanket and broke out some cheese and crackers and the restaurant leftovers from last night. Sarah actually stayed sitting on the blanket and ate a good portion! I was impressed, considering that when we have picnics with our play group she can barely sit long enough to get a cracker! After lunch, we just played together until she wanted to go down for another nap. And now, here Mama sits blogging while Sarah sleeps. 

Sometimes, everyone needs a rainy day to remind them of the good things in life. For me, those good things are my family, my home, and the ability to stay in my pajamas all day if I want to! What are yours?