winter weather break!

70 degree january days call for a trip to the park after the gym one morning!!

we took along our friends megs & emmitt and brady practiced his baby-holding. 

daddy was even able to join us for an hour!

twinsies.

showing up for dinner in matching outfits (only one baby bump)...priceless!

18ish weeks.

a little scare - 18 weeks.

we had a little scare today with the peanut.  i got up from the couch this afternoon and went to the bathroom, and was surprised by a fair amount of bright red blood.  i didn't have any cramping or any indication that it was happening, and of course it really freaked me out. and naturally, mike is out of town for a week, so that didn't help my nerves any.  i called my OB office & they fit me in right away for an ultrasound and exam.  so grateful to report that all is good with the babe and there's no real explanation for why i had that much blood.  she could tell my cervix was bleeding, but it was closed and long and on the ultrasound, i wasn't having any cervical changes.  thank God!!  i did get to see little miss moving around and waving and that was really sweet to see.  decreased my anxiety a hundred fold!

waving hi, her little hand below:

baby in profile:

i think she's already really cute...

17 weeks.

brady & i just got back from a perfect long weekend in san diego. it was so amazing to get away from the cold colorado winter & get some sun on our faces.  we played nonstop at the beach a couple days we were there, and enjoyed the park across from the knecht's house.  we ate outside a lot, took good naps, and breathed deep in the salty warm air.

while i was there i turned 17 weeks with baby girl! i'm definitely looking pregnant these days and have gained 8 pounds so far. i feel great, lots of energy back & besides avoiding coffee still - back to normal eating.  so grateful for a great weekend away and for feeling so good growing this little one inside me.

dear baby.

dear little baby sister, 

your brother will soon be a big boy helping me take care of you. i know he will be such a good helper, as he is with all things around our home. but for now, he's still my baby. and most days it's hard for me to imagine him not sleeping in his crib, with his binkies & his sleepsack, and all his animals (and the occasional garbage truck).  it's hard for me to imagine YOU sleeping in this same white crib, wrapped in a swaddle, with your own little pink binkies.  but at the same time, i know in no time at all, we will wonder how we ever didn't have you in our family.  i'm so excited for you to join us & to grow my heart and our little family in immeasurable ways, just as bubba has done before you.  we can't wait for you to be part of our adventure.

love, mama

facebook official.

we made it FB official this morning with this photo!

the caption read, "we have some very exciting news to announce! coming june 2015...a baby sister for our family!"

16 week belly.

i promise, at some point i'm going to start taking "official" belly pics like i did with brady. but until then, here's 16 weeks saturday morning on the way to the gym. definitely showing now!

cravings.

a funny quirk about this pregnancy: before, i preferred my water room temp, in a nalgene. really didn't like drinking from a small opening like the top of this tervis tumbler. however, with this pregnancy i have WAY preferred ice cold water (filling the cup with ice first and then adding water) and ONLY in a tervis tumber. of course, unless i'm out to eat. how weird is that?? but it's seriously been a have-to in my life. 

other things i'm craving...

crunchy tacos, not my usual soft preference

1/2 bagel (only white or onion...not my usual whole wheat) with cream cheese, toasted

salt, salt, salt

honeycrisp apples

coke

orange juice by the gallons

oatmeal. homemade, not from the packet. with butter & brown sugar.

things i can't stand...

COFFEE (the smell, sight, thought or sound of it brewing...terribly nauseating)

the smell of brady's favorite snack, jammy sammy

the taste of my gummy prenatal vitamins

how weird is pregnancy?? my friend jen said the other day, "it's like it actually CHANGES the way things taste to you!!!" it's so weird.  i don't remember having such specific cravings with brady, definitely not something like "only crunchy tacos will do."  coffee definitely was a turn-off with him though.  my love for it started slowly returning about 22 weeks when we were on our babymoon. right now it feels like i will never like coffee again; how could i - it's disgusting! haha but i know soon enough i'll be back to having my several cups a day!

p.s. a note about the photo above - despite the tervis tumbler. brady & i have enjoyed many a morning slowly waking up and fighting my nausea on the couch with "purple" which he has been happy to enjoy way more than usual. i don't feel guilty for one second about his increased use, this is survival mode people!

p.p.s. i am so grateful my nausea is going away!!! it lasted a lot longer this pregnancy & seemed more intense than with brady.  i do not take for granted my recent feeling-better.

all the PINK!!!

mike & i went to target tonight to buy baby girl her first outfits!!! these are three things mike picked out for her...loving all the PINK!

bradyisms.

brady: "i pack a mama belly. hi baby seeker!"

(i pat mama's belly. hi baby sister!)

it's a...

GIRL!!!!!!

a little sister!

we got the call this afternoon from our doctor's office announcing with 99.4% accuracy (seriously they said that, haha) that baby is a girl.  i knew it!  we are so happy!  i immediately set brady up holding the little sister onesie i got (i also had a little brother one just in case) and took some pics with both my cell phone & real camera - which i will also post. but these are the ones i sent out to my friends & family to announce our good news!

and the genetic testing came back beautifully healthy. we are so, so grateful & praising God for the good news all around.

"getting" it.

when i ask what's in mama's tummy, brady says "a baby!" it's been awesome to have had a couple of my girlfriends (megs & chrissy) have new babies in the last few months, because it's given brady and me the opportunity to talk about new brothers or sisters and what we do when they cry, etc.  he's even started taking some of his stuffed animals, fake crying, and then rocking and patting and shh-ing them.  it's so sweet to see him start to get it just a little!  i know he's in for big changes come summer time but i think in his own little way he's understanding a bit of it.

daily coke.

mama is living on her daily coke:)  makes up just a LITTLE for not being able to have an afternoon coffee during naptime!!

new year's eve 2014.

mike had to work new year's eve, so brady and i rang in the new year together (yeah right, we were both asleep by 9pm haha).  we toasted with coke & root beer, and shared a pizza. the perfect quiet evening for a pregnant mama & two year old!!