Bella's Maternity Pictures

We took some maternity pictures when we were on vacation and although Addie wasn't the most cooperative, I couldn't be more happy with how they turned out.  We are counting down the days to Bella's arrival and we can't wait to meet her and snuggle her up :)  See you soon Bella, we love you!

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Summer Bucket List - An update

I decided to write a bucket list of fun things I wanted to do this summer, both with Addie and as a family, before Bella's arrival.  I know Bella's arrival will be an adjustment for Addie, so I wanted to have some fun as our last summer as a family of 3 and give her some special attention before August 18th.  Here is how we are doing so far:

• Spend as much time as possible with our toes in the sand - in progress - Addie's even developed a little baby tan so I would say even if Bella makes an early arrival we did pretty good with this one!

• Check out the splash pads and kid's area at Norfolk Botanical Gardens - We went with our friends Sarah and Hudson and Addie LOVED it!  I'm hoping to make it back there at least one more time this summer!

• Eat as much ice cream as possible - in progress -  our favorites being Fat Boy's in the Outer Banks and of course Sweet Frogs!

• Go for family (and friend) walks at Mt. Trashmore and Oak Grove Lake - We love this one.  We've been to Mt. Trashmore several times, Daddy even joined us a few times.  Addie loves the park there, it's perfect for little ones.  We had a playdate with our friends Kristie and Addy at Oak Grove Lake and the girls had a blast, especially on the slides together.

• Explore the local farmer's market - We might try this one this weekend.
• Take Addie to the Children's Museum on a rainy day - We want Daddy to be able to come with us, so we are planning a trip very soon!
• Lots of laughs, singing, and fun at our weekly classes at the Little Gym - in progress - Wow, what a difference a year makes.  We went to the Little Gym last summer when Addie was just a baby and she loved it, but now that she can walk and move around it's even better!  This is definitely one of my favorite things about our week!

• Check out the playscape area in the Slover Library - They have an awesome kids area at the library and it made for the perfect rainy day outing.  We will definitely be back, especially when the weather gets cold and we are stuck inside more.

• Have a picnic dinner and watch the sunset on the beach - This may or may not happen, depending on the heat and humidity.  We will try though!
• Make edible finger paint and let Addie get crafty - Anyone have any good recipes for this?  I need to check out Pinterest!
• Watch Addie run through a sprinkler - We actually don't even have a sprinkler, so not sure if we will get this one done!
• Go on a few date nights with Eric before Bella's arrival - Eric and I have been on a few date nights recently.  We went to dinner and to see the Entourage movie, which was hilarious.  When we were in the Outer Banks we went to Manteo, where we got married, and enjoyed a nice, relaxing dinner at 1587.  Hopefully we will get at least 1 more date night in before Bella's arrival
• Enjoy a country concert - Florida Georgia Line here we come!  We ended up 4th row with our friends and it was a blast!  It was so loud that I thought for sure Bella would decide to try to join the party, but luckily she didn't.  

• Take a trip to the zoo - We are going to try, again depending on the heat and humidity.

We have completed 8 of our 14 things on our list so far, which isn't bad if you ask me.  As long as Bella cooperates I think we will be able to knock the last few things off of our list before the end of summer!  

Baby Bump - Month 8

How far along?  35 weeks - It's crazy to think that we are in the home stretch!  We are so close (my c-section is scheduled for exactly 4 weeks from today!), yet so far away.  This is the part of pregnancy that seems to creep along... sleepless nights, hot and humid days, and a growing belly and discomfort plays a huge part in that!  My to-do lists are crazy long, but I am trying to make sure I squeeze in some fun activities with Addie as well as some "me" time in these last few weeks as well.  Eric has been really good about reminding me to do some things for myself, I even went with a friend to get a pedicure last week and it was heavenly!  I caught up with my teacher friends last night at dinner too, which was a lot of fun!  As far as getting through all of my to-do lists -  sometimes I'm the energizer bunny when Addie is napping and sometimes I curl up on the couch and get caught up on Orange is the New Black on Netflix.

Gender:  It's a girl - Bella Sherry Harvell!

Feeling:   I have to admit I am kinda over this summer pregnancy thing.  I'm extremely uncomfortable and tired these days.  It's been very hot and very humid here and I am not a fan.  It's manageable when I can be at the beach with a breeze or in the pool, but other than that we stay indoors - especially when the heat index is over 100 degrees!

Maternity Clothes: Yes, I live in my maternity clothes and I have even hijacked quite a few of Eric's t-shirts too.  It's so nice not to have to get dressed for work every day, so I am usually all about comfort.

Sleep: Unfortunately, this has been the biggest change.  In the couple of weeks, sleeping has become much more difficult.  My carpel tunnel and heartburn is in full force and between that and just tossing and turning to get comfortable, plus the frequent peeing, sleeping is pretty much nonexistent.  If my sleep patterns keep this up for the next month - I'll be trained and ready for little miss Bella's arrival in August.

Favorite Moments:

-Being at home with Addie - I love that we are getting all of this one on one time before miss Bella arrives.  She's at such a fun age right now and we've been able to go out and do a lot of fun things together.

-Vacations - We have been to the Outer Banks twice!  We went for a long weekend over the 4th, just the 3 of us, and then we had our annual week long stay with my family days later.  Both were amazing!

-I've been nesting like crazy.  Almost every room and every closet and cabinet in our house is cleaned and organized.  I love getting ready for Bella because that means she will be here really soon!

The guest room - BEFORE

The guest room - AFTER

Missing anything?  Sleep, being able to walk on the beach or get around in general without being out of breath and swollen, being able to eat whatever I want - anything spicy is out of the question these days due to heartburn and I have to watch my sodium especially at night because of swelling.

Movement:  Constantly!  Now that she is bigger, my whole stomach moves.  It's pretty crazy and probably my favorite thing about being pregnant.

Cravings:  This past month I've had some really random (and delicious) cravings - crab legs, Rita's italian ice, and anything sweet.  Iced coffee is still my guilty pleasure!  I've started making my cup of coffee at night and then putting in the refrigerator to chill over night...it's amazing by the time I drink it in the morning.

Looking forward to:

-Meeting our sweet baby girl - only 4 more weeks - and seeing how Addie handles being a big sister!

Red, White, and Beach

Nothing says 4th of July better than some red, white, and beach and that's exactly what we did this year!  We packed up the car and headed to the Outer Banks with our little firecracker for some family fun.  It's crazy to think that it's our last vacation as a family of 3.  By the time we take another vacation, Bella will be here to join us :)

Here is a glimpse of our vacation in pictures:

How cute are Addie's red and blue toes?

Our annual OBX beach photo

Addie is a busy little girl at the beach.  She loves to dig in the sand, cover Eric and I with sand, and jump in the waves.  She seriously never stops, but it's so much fun!

How cute is Addie in her new swimsuit?  

Addie had quite the set-up thanks to Daddy!

She also loves to drink water... pool water, ocean water, mommy's water...you name it, Addie's taste tested it!

Taking a stroll on the beach looking for the perfect sand to dig in.

Enjoying some time by the pool while Addie naps.  

Addie looking adorable in her red, white, and blue from Aunt Leah!  She's too cute, I can't even handle it!

Family selfie before we head out to dinner.

Daddy's girl

Our silly girl is too busy to pose for pictures.

Enjoying some ice cream on our last night on vacation.

We were sad to go, but excited that we will be back in only a few short days with Grandma, Pap, Uncle Brian, Carla, Aunt Krissy, and cousin Bryan for our annual family vacation.  So we didn't say goodbye, it was see you soon instead!