Baby Walti Update! Week 16!

I have been really bad about taking belly shots this go-around…Poor BW3 is already slacking in the attention department!

Last Thursday was Week 16 of this pregnancy and I have SO MUCH MORE ENERGY!  Yay!  2nd trimester rocks!

Babycenter.com is telling me that the baby is now the size of an avocado – about 4 1/2 inches long.  I am definitely feeling more and more movement – primarily after my morning coffee (keeping it to one cup this time, and sometimes 1/2 caff – who AM I?) and when I finally lay down at night.  Katie took a picture before I left for my work holiday party on Friday…my favorite part of this photo is Emmy – she is such a cheese lately!  She is such a tiny little peanut…

The work party was pretty funny – I just told work 2 weeks ago and pretty much just told my boss, hoping that everyone else would just “notice” and everyone sure noticed at the party!  The bump is definitely prevalent and full-panel maternity pants/jeans are my go-to.  Scott pulled the rest of my maternity clothes out of storage this weekend…ahhh…the tents are back! 

Overall, I feel really good (I seriously love being pregnant) and am just so glad to have some nightly energy back!  It was brutal there for the past few months…Now I truly forget that I am pregs a lot of the time and I realized today that I need to make sure I am getting enough hydration, healthy foods, and rest…I forget to eat and that is obviously not good!

BW3 Quick Facts:

Pregnancy Week:  16

Pounds Gained:  4 (I lost 5 lbs the first trimester – no appetite)

Food Cravings:  hash browns, bologna sandwiches (I know, but so true), apples & peanut butter, steamed spinach, and pasta

Side Effects:  a little tiredness, “mom” brain, appetite picking up, my hair is out of control and in need of a major trim!

Sleep?:  falling asleep great, but waking up to pee a lot (did NOT do this with the other two – Emma just have moved my bladder!), and then cannot fall back asleep easily.  I am a stomach sleeper and am past that point, so finding a comfy spot is harder and harder…

Funny Jack Questions:  “Did God make the baby?”, “Is the baby under your skin,” “Can it be a boy and a girl?”  (Ummm…let’s hope not!)

We have our ultrasound on the 19th (NO, we are NOT finding out the sex again!), so I will update again after that appointment!

Hello, December!

Yay!  My favorite time of the year!

Christmas and the holiday season is SO much more fun as a parent…watching the magic be imparted upon Jack and Emma is so fun.  I love watching them be mesmerized by the lights, the holiday books, and the constant talks of “wish lists”

A friend had a fun idea to compile a list of Holiday “Must-Do’s” – so here is mine!

• make cookies  with the kids to deliver to neighbors
• night walks with the wagon to see Christmas lights with hot cocoa in sippy cups (to which the kids both yell – “Christmas Lights!”
• watch as many Christmas specials with Jack as possible (a special treat during December – more TV)
• leave the Christmas tree lights on as much as possible
• read a plethora of holiday books (our collection is growing!)
• play with our Little People nativity scene
• get a good family xmas picture
• Lots of special treats and adventures planned with Katie
• decorate a little tree in the kid’s room
• make special Christmas crafts for the grandparents
• take Jack to a Christmas play – “Junie B Jones”
• Lincoln Park Zoo Lights (Scott and I went to this for the 1st time on the night of our engagement – 8 years ago!)
• Christmas Eve family church service
• Have a big family lunch on Xmas Eve and then popcorn or appetizers for dinner
• Play Santa with Scott on Christmas Eve with festive drinks (okay, club soda and juice for me and BW3) and an adult dinner
• Watch the Polar Express a hundred times (Scott and Jack’s fave)

Jack has made his list and it is a good one – as read to me.  I must not have been good enough, as I didn’t make his list.    Jack is also very generous with his snacks of apples and toast.  Little does he know that Mrs. Santa really likes macaroni and cheese and carbs right now.    He decided to also tear out corresponding photos so that Santa would know “exactly” what he would like:

(a LeapPad {good luck finding one Pappaw!}, Gardening stuff, a Firehouse, Rescue people {VERY into Rescue}, a scooter, and Busytown)

Santa came to preschool yesterday, so both of the kids got to see him.  Emma wouldn’t have a thing to do with him, but Jack did sit on his lap and tell him Thank You for his gift (but got gun-shy with any other conversation). 

Santa gave him a stop-watch (which I brought) – very practical, but for the ever-practical kid who loves shovels and brooms, it was perfect.  And, he is now OBSESSED with it and timing everything.  Scott is on a trip (and when he is gone Jack and I have sleepovers), and as we woke up this morning I heard Jack say – “Mom, Look!  We slept 10 hours!”  The little bugger had clicked on the stopwatch before we fell asleep and remembered to turn it immediately off.  Hilarious and SO JACK.

**and Jack is hopeful to get a haircut on that Bieber fro this weekend…

We are looking forward to a fun December full of tradition, special projects, and LOVE.

Christmas 2010 – They have grown up SO MUCH!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jack and I had a project this month that we haven't quite finished, but we gave it a noble try...We have been working on a Thankful Banner on the mantle. Most nights we talk about what we are thankful for and he picks something to write on a leaf.



He has written things like - food, my mommy, grandma and pops house, my bike, and my sister.

We have so much to be thankful for this year - our health, our little family, our warm home, and now this little new peanut.

Off to Anderson to celebrate with my family and then off to Libertyville to Scott's family this weekend.

Wishing everyone a great day - I can't wait to eat my weight in mashed potatoes!!

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little flutters…

…are just as magical and special the 3rd time around!

Most of our “blog followers” probably already know, but it seems very official to finally write on “the blog” that Baby Walti #3 is due May 17, 2012!

(my very sweet grandmother’s birthday, so I am really hoping for that date!)

We heard that sweet sound of a fast little heartbeat and all seems to be moving right along – currently 14 weeks along (15 weeks on Thursday), and feeling pretty good!

Overall, I feel good, just getting past that EXHAUSTED stage of the first trimester – this one hit me really hard and I am happy to report that I actually was up until 11pm last night!  This is quite the switch from 8:30 during the past 3 months…

We told the kids last week and Jack was so cute.  We were a bit worried about how he would react (he has been going through a bit of a clingy stage), but when we told him that he would be the “Biggest Brother” he broke out into a huge smile and kept talking about it and asking questions.  Then the next morning, the first thing he said was “Can we still have a new baby?”  He has said that he wants it to be a boy, and will sometimes come over and pat my belly and ask questions.  Emma has no clue what is happening – I’m very curious to see how this Momma’s girl reacts come May…

I have started to feel the little sweet flutters in the past week or so, so that has been really fun.  My appetite is also up, so bring on the THANKSGIVING meals, mashed potatoes, and apple pie! 

Exciting news for a Tuesday!  Lots of changes in store for our family in 2012 – all great, and all fun, (okay, and some stressful), but BRING ON the mini-van, the suburbs, and the happy chaos!

So…3 kids in 4 years – are we nuts? 

what happened to my baby boy?

somehow, in the span of the past 2.5 years, my chubby, round-blue-eyed, little boy grew up. 

I’m not sure how I really feel about it.

Jack – School Picture at 17 months

Jack – School Picture at 3.5 years

Yes, he is the same sweet, smart, rosy-cheeked, precocious little boy, but his eyes are much less round, have turned green, and he has definitely lost all of that baby pudge (I seriously think I saw some ab muscles last night).  I am so proud of the “big boy” that he has become and can’t wait to see how much more change he has ahead of him.

But, like I tesase him all the time – HE IS ONLY ALLOWED TO GROW TO BE 7 YEARS OLD!  I love this 4-ish age and we are having so much fun.

And this class picture of his Preschool class is hilarious – I cannot wait to re-visit this with him when he is 17. Jack actually did a great job looking at the camera but I get a kick out of the random looks and looks away of his classmates – SO FUNNY! 

(and sitting beside him is Sadie – his “girlfriend”)