Baby Bump - Month 6

How far along?  (almost) 28 weeks, better late than never though, right?!?

Gender:  It's a BOY

Feeling: I feel like my honeymoon days of pregnancy will soon be coming to an end.  The heartburn has started up again (I've had it with all 3 pregnancies and it's pretty rough this time around), occasional headaches and the return of the "I'm starving and beyond exhausted all day long feeling" - all of which make it very interesting trying to keep up with 2 very active toddlers.  Oh May, you can't come soon enough!  

All about Food:  I can't get enough strawberries and blueberries, salads, and coffee - I think I could live on just those couple of things these days!  I've also been known to sneak some of Addie and Bella's mac and cheese on occasion.  Also, my sweet tooth is back in full force - I would do just about anything for some smores cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, my definition of heaven on a plate :)  Another favorite dessert is Hula pie we discovered in Maui - although I'm not sure how I'll get my hands on that anytime soon!

Favorite moments:
-All of a sudden (probably due to my not so little baby bump) it has clicked with Addie that we are having a baby.  She very eagerly tells people all of the time that she is having a baby brother soon and can't wait to help change his diapers, give him a bottle, and put him night night.  It is so adorable and I know she is going to be the best little helper when her baby brother arrives.
-Completely off topic, but this little boy's Daddy was awarded "Salesman of the YEAR" with Jostens!!! We couldn't be more proud!  We were sad we missed watching him go up on stage and receive his award, but we welcomed him home with a handmade sign, cookies, and lots of hugs and kisses.
- I took Addie and Bella with me to one of my appointments because Daddy had a meeting and I knew it would be a quick visit.  Addie made sure that both she and Bella had their stethoscopes ready to help the doctor listen to their brothers heartbeat - how cute is that?!?  As we were leaving the office, Addie said "Mommy you were so brave at the doctor's, Daddy is going to be so proud of you" and my heart melted.  She is the sweetest!
-Last, but not least, I think we decided on little man's name - stay tuned for the reveal!
-Eric's rewards trip, turned BABYMOON in Maui!  We had 7 full days of sun, sand, and relaxation, just what the doctor ordered before we become a family of 5!  More details to come...
-We celebrated (and celebrated and celebrated) Addie turning 3 this past month!  She is the one that made me a mommy and I can't believe she is already 3 years old!

Looking forward to:  
-Getting started on plans for little man's nursery and the girls' shared big girl room.
-Prepping for our little man's arrival, time is flying by and it's about time I get started on my to-do list
-We are taking a little mini-vacation to Great Wolf Lodge next week, just the 4 of us, and I think the girls are going to have a BLAST!

Different babies, different bellies

Little man enjoying the sights on the Road to Hana in Maui!

That's MY Sister!

Over the past couple of weeks, these 2 have grown into the absolute best of friends and at times maybe worst enemies - but for today we are going to focus on the best friend part : ) It may not be flower season yet according to Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog day, but their bond is blossoming and I am reminded on a daily basis why Eric and I chose to have two kids so close in age.  Addie reminds me "that's MY sister" quite frequently and our on the go Bella is constantly reaching for her big sister's hand for some support.  They cook and clean together, love to play with play-doh, take care of their baby dolls, chase each other around the kitchen island,  and snuggle up next to each other during our weekly movie nights.  They are inseparable and I love it!

Addie looks at Bella with the sweetest eyes and is always watching over her as a protective older sister.  Although some times Addie is the person she actually needs protection from, how ironic is that?!?  MOST of the time though she is so gentle and caring and is looking out for her little sister with the best of intentions, grabbing her hand to help her walk to the car, finding her pacifier when she's crying, sneaking them both extra snacks, or telling me she needs medicine because her teeth are hurting.   When Bella is upset, she cracks me up with her "Ohhh Bella, you'll be fine" comments, I wonder where she gets that?!?  Addie is a second little momma around our house and it's funny to hear her use phrases with Bella that Eric and I have maybe said a few (hundred) times with her.  Some more of my favorites are "It's time to go night, night Bella, when you wake up you can have a surprise!" and "Bella, we have to be nice or you are going to go sit in time out."  

Bella on the other hand, watches her big sister like a hawk!  She follows her around trying to do exactly what she is doing.  Our couch is currently their favorite toy in the house and is apparently much more fun to jump on than the actual trampoline we have in the sunroom.  The two of them run back and forth, tackling each other, and laughing the entire time.  I'm honestly not sure why we have a playroom when they would much rather jump on the couch all day long!  Bella looks to Addie for help when she is doing something new.  We let Bella help us make cookies a few weeks ago and Addie was the perfect little model showing Bella exactly how to mix (and how to taste the cookie dough!)  I think Bella will also become a second little momma once her baby brother comes because she loves to help me wash Addie's hair during bath time, which she thinks is hilarious, and follows right behind Addie with her baby doll and blanket to tuck them into bed.  

Oh sweet girls, I hope you continue to always appreciate one another.  You have a built in best friend in a sister and you are very lucky to have one another!  I am one proud momma when I watch the two of you together and I couldn't be more excited to see what the future will bring :)

Addie is a pro in the kitchen and Bella is her chef in training!

"No pictures Mommy!"  Looks familiar :)

I love Addie's eyes in this picture..

and Bella's in this one...the way they look at one another is my favorite!

Bella must be artistically gifted, she's not even 2 and already able to stay in the lines while she is coloring :)

All ready to listen to their baby brother's heart beat at Mommy's doctor's appointment.

Baby Bump - Month 5

How far along? 22 weeks

Gender:  It's a BOY

Feeling: Still feeling pretty good in the "honeymoon" phase of pregnancy.  This is the first pregnancy I've worked out consistently and even though I may not run as fast or lift as much, it still makes me feel good.  I've started doing Pi-yo occasionally and the stretching is amazing.  By the end of the day though, I am still pretty exhausted and I look forward to 8pm when the girls are in bed and I can finally put my feet up.  Heartburn and body aches are my biggest complaints these days.  Luckily, neither has interfered with sleeping yet.

Addie is very excited to meet her baby brother.  The other day she was very insistent that she wanted to meet him NOW.  She couldn't understand why she has to wait a few more months, but stay put baby boy, stay put.  We aren't ready for you to make your grand entrance quite yet.

"Wait mom, WHAT does that say?!?"  Bella may not share the same enthusiasm as Addie yet and will probably have the biggest adjustment, but she is so sweet and will be the best big sister to her baby brother. 

This picture totally sums up how they each feel about having another baby in our family and it cracks me up!

All about Food:  I'm still loving fruit, soup & salads, and anything Italian!  I have a new love for pimento cheeseburgers with extra pickles....seriously amazing and should be added to everyone's menu ASAP.  I've finally been able to drink coffee again and mom life is so much better with coffee in it.

Favorite moments:

-Finding out that Baby #3 is a BOY!  We are beyond thrilled and I especially can't wait to turn him into a 100% mama's boy :)
-Seeing our handsome boy and every little part of him at our 20 week ultrasound was amazing.
-I've only bought a few outfits for our little man, but it is so much fun to shop in another section of the store.  I love all the plaid, boat shoes and nautical themed outfits, and little swim trunks...so adorable.
-I love how Addie says goodnight to her baby brother every night and kisses my belly.  It's so sweet.

Looking forward to:  

-Finalizing our baby boy's name and starting to get things ready for him!  We are planning on fixing the nursery into a vintage baseball theme, after Daddy's love for baseball of course.  Addie and Bella will share the big girl room.  Let the to-do lists begin.....
-Aloha!  Eric and I are going to Hawaii for a Jostens rewards trip turned babymoon.  I am excited for fun in the sun, virgin mojitos by the pool. and a little lot of relaxation before the little man comes.
-Next month, we will officially have a 3 year old and an 18 month old....bring on the smiles and tears all at the same time.  These babies need to SLOW DOWN.

Having SNOW much fun...

"Look Mommy, Look!"  We woke up Saturday morning with one very excited little girl because it SNOWED!  To many of my northerner friends and family, the 6 inches of snow may not be that impressive, but our beach town doesn't get to see this powdery white stuff very often so it is A.BIG.DEAL.  The kind of big deal where life literally stops.  Chesapeake, Virginia becomes a ghost town and everything closes, grocery stores, drugstores, banks, malls, etc.  People don't go to school, they don't go to work, they don't go anywhere.  One of two things happens:  they either hide out in the warmth of their house by the fire (what Eric and I would have done pre-kids) OR if they have young children or really children of any age, they bundle up and get outside.  And that is just what we did and how CUTE do those little marshmallows look! 

We invited our neighbors over to play in the snow and it was SNOW much fun!  The big kids smiled and giggled the entire time as their dads got an unexpected workout of pulling them around in their sleds.  Hey, when you don't have hills around you, you have to get creative!  We had races, snapped pictures, threw snowballs at each other, and had the cutest little peanut gallery watching the entire time from their laundry basket chairs.  The little ones didn't like the cold (or the wind) so much, but they were pretty entertained by the big kids (and so was I!)  Afterwards, we all warmed up inside with some hot chocolate by the fire while the kids continued to run off the rest of their energy. 

We went in and out several times that first day to play in the snow.  When we weren't outside Addie opened the sliding glass door almost hourly to touch the snow, not to mention she asked about every 5 minutes when she could go sled riding again!  As she went to bed that night she reminded us that "this was the best day ever!" and was so excited to play in the snow again when she woke up.  With that being said, I think our first Virginian snow day of the year was a complete success!

It's a BOY

We planned our big reveal during our trip to Pittsburgh for the holidays.  Luckily, I was able to schedule my anatomy scan a few days early.  Our appointment was on the day we were leaving for Pittsburgh, which meant we only had to hold on to the envelop with our answer in it for just over 24 hours.  The anticipation was KILLING me as we drove 8 long hours with the envelop stashed away in the glove compartment.  But we never peaked, I promise.

We decided on a confetti reveal and I purchased a balloon with both the pink and blue confetti on the side.  One of my sister's good friends was nice enough to come by the house, pick up the balloon with both colors of confetti, and "the envelop" and go prep our surprise for us.  As an added bonus, this same friend also got a super nice, brand new Nikon camera from Santa and offered to snap a few pics for us.  Shoutout to Kasey, you're the best!

It was FINALLY go time.  The balloon was filled, Kasey had the BEST poker face on as she was the only one that knew our big secret, the lighting was tested for pictures, and family was gathered outside for our big moment.......

IT'S A BOYYYYY!!!!!  We could not be more excited (and clearly shocked) that Baby #3 is a boy!  We absolutely love our little girls, but can't wait to venture in to the world of boys.  Bring on the dirt, baseball caps, trucks and trains, we are ready for you!  It's a little extra special since this sweet boy will also be able to carry on the Harvell name in the future.    

And here's one more of our handsome little boy, we can't wait to meet you in a few short months!

Best of 2016

January

We rang in the new year with some good friends and their little ones, saw Daniel Tiger Live, and had out first big snow of the year!

February

February was the month of birthdays!  Our sweet Addie girl turned TWO and we celebrated with the cutest Pancakes & Pajamas themed birthday party.  Our Bella bean turned 6 months old and her personality really started shining through.  I also surprised Eric with an early birthday get together at Top Golf!

March

My parents and Kristen came to visit for Easter weekend and then we took a last minute, but super fun trip to Myrtle Beach for spring break.  

April

Warmer weather meant we used every chance we could to get outside.  We spent our days at the park, zoo, and even snuck in a few early pool and beach days!  Bring on summer!

May 

May was another month full of celebrations.  We took a family trip to the Outer Banks to celebrate Mother's Day and my 30th birthday, followed by a trip to Ohio for Kristen's graduation.  We celebrated our 4 year anniversary with a family photo shoot on the beach in which Eric surprised me with another proposal and a ring that finally fit again!  We ended the month by Eric throwing me the best surprise birthday party and took another trip to the Outer Banks for Memorial Day weekend with our neighbors.

June

Bella rocked her first ponytail and Addie rocked her 1st time as a flower girl (well maybe she screamed a little, but she looked adorable in her dress!)

July

Our first trip to Disney World was the highlight of July.  Addie was mesmerized by all of her favorite princesses and the famous Mickey and Minnie themselves and Bella was excited to be able to join us on all of the rides.  I predict this is the 1st of many, many trips to Disney.

August

Our Bella bean turned ONE and we celebrated with the cutest watermelon themed picnic at the park.  We took our annual family trip to the Outer Banks with my parents, Brian & Carla, and Kristen.

September

Our last trip of the summer to the Outer Banks was over Labor day weekend, right in the middle of the hurricane.  Addie started her first dance class at the Y with her best bud "other Addy."  We ended the month with a huge surprise, Baby #3 was on the way!  We were expecting and due in May of 2017.

October

We shared our big news with our family during our trip to DC.  We spent most of the month doing all things halloween and going to as many pumpkin patches and fall festivals possible.  Trick or treating with the most adorable Nemo and Dory was another highlight of the month.  

November

We held our annual Friendsgiving and then ended up having a quiet Thanksgiving at home for the first time in years because the stomach bug hit our house.  We shared the news about Baby #3 with the world!

December

All things Christmas took over our house and our calendar.  We filled our days with Santa, visits to Christmas Town, gingerbread house making, and Christmas cookie baking.  We had the best Christmas at home with our girls and lots of new toys and goodies from Santa, then traveled to Pittsburgh to do it all over again.  We got the best gift of all at the end of the month when we found out baby #3 is a BOY!