2010 wrap up

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? l went to San Diego? Does that count? I have never spent 6 hours in a car with a 2 yr old! We had a great time!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I never really make resolutions because I never keep them! This year I just hope to really learn to let go as I become a mom of 2 and embrace chaos in all situations as much as I can!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Lots of friends and acquaintances had babies this year....I can think of 8 new babies right now.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No. Whew!

5. What countries did you visit? None this year. Just local and Cali for us!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2011? Energy! ha! I know that will be a long shot with a newborn next year though. I would like to spend more time with friends next year and have a MNO again with a cocktail!

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? June 11, found out I was pg!! Sept 28, found out we were having a girl!! Sept 29, Claire's 3rd Bday!!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting pregnant!! HA! This isn't an achievement I accomplished alone but it sure did take a lot of work! =P

9. What was your biggest failure? I don't know??

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major. Overall, it was a pretty good year!

11. What was the best thing you bought? We got a new TV entertainment center. I also got a new beautiful purse/diaper bag.

12. Where did most of your money go? Claire, claire and more claire stuff!

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Finding out I was pg was really the highlight of this year!

14. What song will always remind you of 2010? Little Bear theme song overall but right now it's ending on a serious Thomas the Train theme song note!

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? Much much happier...I have been fulfilled with my friendships and have been blessed with having another baby! I am fatter but that's for obvious reasons!

16. What do you wish you’d done more of? Deep breaths.....count to 10!

17. What do you wish you’d done less of? Stressing about the small stuff.

18. How did you spend Christmas? We had a low key but wonderful Christmas. Claire was way more into Santa this year and that made it extra fun for us! We did our usual Cmas Eve church service here in our neighborhood park and back to our house for dinner. 3rd annual chicken pot pies with cheesecake for dessert! I am loving have a tradition for our family that I host. Christmas day we went to Tom and Carla's house for a nice dinner and more goodies for Claire!

19. Did you fall in love in 2010? Of course, with my girls! Seeing my girl on the ultrasound was a huge love moment!

20. What was your favorite TV program? General Hospital and Oprah. Same as always!!!! Oprah's farewell season is killing me....I can't believe it's over soon! WAAAAAH!

21. What was the best book you read? Twilight....although technically I read them at the end of 2009 into early 2010. I loved them!!! They were the longest books I have ever read too. I said I'd never read those stupid vampire books and I got "sucked" in completely! And watched the movies! LOVED THEM!

22. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 33 and had dinner out with the hubs and Claire. Then my girlfriends and I went out for drinks and that was fun especially since it ended up being my last real MNO for the rest of the year!

23. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Maternity! This pg though I am trying to dress more like myself and not like Motherhood Maternity swallowed me up!

24. What kept you sane? Other mom friends.

25. What political issue stirred you the most? I hate talking politics and since it isn't a presidential election year I don't care!

26. Who did you miss? Everyone is TEXAS!!

27. Who was the best new person you met? KELLY!! We met through Claire's preschool. Our kids were in the same class last year but we didn't really connect until February. So happy she is in my life!!!

28. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. Never say never. Pray and let go (easier said than done) and things will fall into place as they should!

Happy Holidays

The pictures pretty much speak for themselves. There was a train and a kite just like Santa promised! We sprinkled reindeer food (oats and glitter) so the reindeer could find our front door. We put out our Santa key and cookies.....the rest is history! Our last Christmas as 3 was a great one!!

31 weeks pregnant and already feeling like I am going to pop! Last Sunday I had some random bleeding accompanied with back and front cramping. After 3 hours in the OB triage things seemed to check out ok so off I went. Nothing much has happened since then except constant Braxton Hicks and mild back cramps. Just hanging in there and taking it as easy as possible! Otherwise I feel good! Now if only the "pee" fairy would leave me alone at night! SHEESH! How does pee keep producing itself when you haven't had a drink in hours during the night. HOW?!?!

Gingerbread Houses

We did a little gingerbread house decorating yesterday with a couple of friends. It was so nice and low key. Right up my alley this season. I love this time of year but my energy has zapped me from wanting to even send Christmas cards. All that addressing and stamping....I am exhausted just thinking about it...LOL! Instead I am treating myself to new baby bedding for our sweet girl's nursery and getting Claire's big girl room ready. I am picking out paint samples and beginning the nesting process. The baby's room won't technically be put together until several months after she's born but it will be painted and ready to go when we do move her in there. For the first few months we'll keep it as our guest room/sleep bunker to get through those early days (then it's bye bye guest room)! I am so ready to get Claire's room all set up and move her into the bigger bedroom! It won't be long now!

School Party

School's out for Winter Break! To commemorate the day, the kids had a party complete with a musical. As usual, I use the term "musical" very loosely! Claire did great though. She sang and totally performed the whole gig. Last year she cried before it even started and we sat in the hallway. She's a big girl this year and it showed!! The kids just crack me up. During practice you could hear them in their classroom singing SO loud and when the parents show up they act like they barely know the words!

Now the big question is what will we do the next 2 weeks? She only goes 2 days a week so it's not a big chunk left open in our week but boy does it throw us off. I guess that's the point though. To just enjoy having wide open days to enjoy together! I am really trying to embrace that because this will be one of our last few weeks with just me and my girl alone.

I'd thought I'd share a little something we bought recently for anyone who has an early riser. Claire was waking up between 4-5:30am and never seemed sure if it was time to get up since it's so dark outside until after 7am. Her body clock was just getting wacky. We bought the Teach me Time clock. For kids who can't tell time...like Claire...it has a setting where you can have the clock glow green when it's time to wake up. She has loved it so far and every morning she comes into our room and says..."the light is green, it's wake up time!!!" The next thing we have to work on though is making her understand she can get up to pee if she needs to (not that she was doing this yet). I don't want her to wet the bed like she did yesterday b/c she stayed in her room until the light turned green. So that part is a work in progress but something we were needing to tackle anyways so she can stop wearing pull ups to bed someday!

Hi baby

28 weeks, 6 days

We had what should be our last ultrasound for the pregnancy. The 3rd trimester measuring to see how she's growing. It's been so exciting to have more ultrasounds this pregnancy! I have loved having a doc who has all the equipment in their office. My last OB outsourced everything...labs, ultrasounds. I feel like I get more sneak peaks this way!

Baby girl is doing good in there and indeed still a girl! She is measuring at 3lbs, 7oz. Woah Baby! If I go to my due date it's quite possible she'll be bigger than Claire (8lbs) was at birth. I went over my due date by 4 days the first time so it's a good possibility I could deliver around my due date this time too. We shall see! She looked so smooshed in there and a little pist that we were pushing on her. Must have been her nap time! We were just so glad to hear how well she is doing and that she is head down ready to begin her final journey into the world!!!

SANTA!!

Claire's first visit to Santa without tears!!!!!!!!!!! So exciting. She practiced telling us wanted she wanted from Santa all weekend. Her actual visit went a little something like this...

Santa: Hi Honey, would you like a baby doll or princess doll for Christmas?

Claire: No. I would like a kite and a train!!

Santa: No princess dolls?

Claire: NOPE!

As soon as she gets off his lap she asks me..."Where's my kite and train??" Oh yah, forgot to tell her it doesn't work like that! LOL!

Now I have to ask myself....did I really take Claire to see Santa in November?! HA! It will be a long month now..... At least there was no line or fussy drama!

Tree time

The tree is up and it's looking beautiful! I love this time of year! Eric was home all last week and we didn't get a lot done around the house as planned but we did decorate!

I am starting to really feel "pregnant". In the belly department that is. Knowing how my body works and how big I get at the end, I know this is just the beginning. The belly looks all cute right now but for my body it's a lot and just wait........it gets BIG! I love being pregnant in these cooler months especially having a toddler but wearing more clothes makes me feel even bigger. The one (and only!) good thing about summer pregnancies....dresses. Big dresses! I would love to live in leggings but it's hard to find a top that will cover my ass. That is a total pet peeve of mine....leggings are NOT pants. They are not meant to show your butt or top of your thighs. They go UNDER things. Just saying! Otherwise, everything is going good and I really have no reason to complain. We could live where it's really cold and I could really look like a bundled up snowman.

Happy Thanksgiving

We didn't take many pictures but here's what we did get! A group shot of the family and friends we have spent our turkey day with the past 4 years. One cheesy Biscuit and a preggo mommy!

Eric has been off all this week and we have been just kicking it around the house. Cleaning things, fixing things, cooking lots, and being lazy. Now it's time to decorate the tree and bring on the Christmas spirit! I am a one holiday at a time girl. No tree before Thanksgiving for us!! The day after Thanksgiving we start the decorating! I can't believe next year we will have a 4th stocking and a 9 month old! So hard to imagine her outside of my body!

The 3rd trimester is beginning and there is only 3 months left. Part of me hopes they fly by so I can stop being pregnant but the other half of me is so scared of the changes, lack of sleep, and starting over with everything again. Claire is becoming so much more autonomous and it's nice. Life is about to get way trickier and I can't imagine myself doing it all but I will. We will all adjust. It's just going to be weird to get off the "gravy train" because one kid is pretty manageable in the big picture of things. On the other hand, I can't wait to see her and watch our family grow. I can't wait to see Claire be a big sister and Eric with his girls! It's going to be amazing.

25 weeks

Finally............another belly shot!!!! 25 weeks today! Feeling good!

Aaaarh Matey

Halloween has begun over here. The pirate costume is out and ready to go. Today was the school party and we have a couple more shindigs this weekend. Heaven help us with all this candy. I am already eating the tootsie rolls!!! I am going to turn in to one!

Happy Halloween Weekend!!!!

School pics 2010

Oh my goodness! Can she look any older here!? And I am thinking that someone either fluffed up her hair or she ran her fingers through the side with the clip because it's a bit poofy! lol! What a cutie pie!

Pumpkin Patching

I took Claire to a pumpkin patch today. We had to get our annual pumpkin patch pics. I can't believe how big she's getting!! Not much else to report so far this week. Thursday begins the Halloween parties and costumes. Should be interesting this year and more fun for Claire! Each year brings a new joy with holidays! I love love love this time of year. I think everyone in AZ does though because the overwhelming heat is gone and it's gorgeous here.

Don't be fooled by the moo cow train picture. Claire still doesn't like to ride on rides or anything that moves so once they told her it was about to take off she was outta there!!

Fall Break Madness

Last week was Fall Break. It's basically just like spring break...one week off...kids out of school everywhere...mayhem follows! We managed the crowds though and had a pretty nice week. We went to the park (for hours!), musuem, petting zoo, and did a little baking. We didn't do one thing productive like get groceries or run errands. Well, we did have a 3yr old well check up but we actually like going to the doc because we aren't usually there for sick visits (knock on wood). It's hard to believe we'll be doing all those first year well visits again soon.

In between the good times we have had meltodowns, tantrums, tears, sensitivity through the roof (must be a girl thing), and the occasional nightmare wake up. I don't know if turning 3 ups the diva quotient for all little girls but it surely has for this one! I waiver between two extremes...the patience of a saint to the craziest mom in the grocery store. When I am patient I am thinking of everything I have read in the book, Raising Your Spirited Child, because Claire is strong willed and sensitive just like her mom. She doesn't fit the spirited child mold 100% but all in all this book as helped me see our challenges differently. On the flip side, I am the mom I hate. The one that drags their child out of the store by the arm and yelling without a care who is watching...until later that night when I am utterly embarrassed at the thought of my behavior. I keep thinking about all that is up ahead and how I will be acting in a few months when I am not sleeping and cranky and have another person to care for. Will I be crazy mom everyday? Then I remember....thanks to my closest of mama friends and my mom....that this too shall pass and we will survive just like before!

3rd Birthday!!!

My sweet girl turned 3 last Wednesday!! I can't believe she is already 3! She had quite the week too. We had the ultrasound last Tuesday, birthday Wed, Aunt Carolyn flew in Thursday, Tinkerbell party on Friday, and family party on Saturday. WHEW!! I was wiped out too. We over did it but it was worth it. Her Uncle Bill even flew in late Friday from Washington to help us celebrate. It was a great surprise!

I made Claire 2 cakes and I don't think I'll ever make another one (except the little cake b/c that's easy and I have done one every year so far). Icing a cake is a bitch! I have to blog these cupcakes too. My sis in law, Carla, made them. Don't they look awesome?!

All her parties were a success. Tinkerbell fairy wing glitter may forever be in our home! It's everywhere no matter how much I clean...it's still there! ha!

It's a GIRL!!

We are having another girl!! We couldn't be happier! We kind of wanted 2 little girlies running around here and we feel so lucky that she looks healthy and happy in there! =) She does have a name but I am going to wait until we have her middle name to post it!

First Belly Shots

17weeks

There ya have it! The first belly shot. I kind of wish I had started taking pics sooner even though there wasn't much to look at. It's just fun to see the progress. Claire is at her Uncle Tom & Tia's house having her first sleepover with them. This should be exciting for them all. We went out for sushi appetizer and now we are home preparing our 2nd dinner of steaks, shrimp, and corn on the cob. Can you say FAT?! We can't believe how quiet it is to be home alone. We definitely miss her but we are enjoying this solitude.

Saturday Soccer

Soccer class has begun. I honestly feel calling it "soccer" class is a slight exaggeration...it's more like a fundamentals class with the use of a soccer ball! They don't play games at this age so it really is about learning the basics. You have to start somewhere right?! It was only 80 degrees outside at 9am but we were sweating (I was sitting and I was sweating!) so that made Claire pretty tired out but overall she did great and hung in there til the end! They ran laps (see the second pic. if you click on it up close you can see her determined little face), jumped over hoola hoops, and other coordination tasks. We can't wait to see how the class progresses as the weeks go on (and the temps cool down!).

The rest of the weekend was spent with family. My sis in law, Carol, was in town for a few days so we shopped, ate lunch, and had a family dinner. Now if I could get rid of this annoying sinus crap in my head I'd feel a lot more social and energetic! If that's my only pg complaint though I'll take it because everything else is going good. Belly shots to come soon. I think I finally have something to photograph. =)

Cali trip

We took a little family getaway trip to Cali for Labor Day weekend. We started our trip in Oceanside, CA at a beautiful resort owned by Wyndham (Eric works for Wyndham). We spent 2 days there checking out the beach and the Carlsbad area. Our last day we went to San Diego and ventured around the Seaport Village area in downtown and checked out the Children's Museum. Claire LOVED the museum. We shut the place down!! It was a nice trip to Cali. Cooler temps...not much sun which was a bit gloomy but overall the low temps were nice. It doesn't seem to stop people from hitting the beach in their bikinis! This AZ/TX girl is a wimp and wore a sweatshirt most of the day! Claire did great in the car (6-7 hours each way) and loved the beach. This may be our last trip as a family of 3 before baby is born so it was nice to just be together even if there were crazy moments and very little relaxing with an almost 3 yr old! The next time we travel I will need to be able to have a cocktail!! haha!

Big Girl Status

We have achieved "big girl" status officially over here! The bed is out! She napped for 3 hours in it today. We haven't yet decided about a headboard or if we will do a daybed/trundle (which is probably our choice) but for now this will do just fine to get the transition rolling! Sometime between now and February she will be moving rooms too. The baby will get the little room and she will get the guest room. One transition at a time though right?! Once we find out the sex of the baby it will help us move onto the next phase of decorating.

We are hoping tonight goes well too. We are putting up a safety rail tonight too. This whole transition makes me nervous....will she nap everyday? will she terrorize her room? I am sure all these fears will be met but worked through but I can't help but be a bit scared of her new found freedom. At the same time I am super excited for her. We kissed through the rails of her crib last night and I knew it would be the last time. Bittersweet.....but we'll be doing it all again soon! Just not with my baby Claire anymore.

Our little fig

Our little "fig" was moving and kicking this morning. 11wks and 5days along! I only had 2 ultrasounds with Claire. One at 6wks and at 20wks so this was a first for me. It was so cool to see an 11wk old baby moving around. I couldn't believe he/she was moving it's legs and arms. Crazy! So happy to see that baby is looking good and measuring great with a good heartbeat! Go baby Go!!

Other than lack of sleep due to a very noisy 2 yr old who is teething and waking a LOT and me needing to pee all night, we are good over here. The lack of sleep is making for some cranky tired tantrums before nap and bedtime but like everything else this too shall pass. We signed Claire up for soccer and it starts in September. She is SOOO excited. She has her tennis shoes and soccer ball ready to go. I will post pics soon! She is practically sleeping in her new shoes she loves them so much.

A little trip

Can I just again that I am not in a blogging mood with this pregnancy. I just don't even want to sit and type or think about anything to write! Or take pictures which is horrible because my baby needs documentation! The good news is that I am feeling pretty good. The pregnancy is going as smoothly as my first! Maybe it's a girl again???

We had a nice little weekend last weekend. We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned on Saturday. So on Sunday I thought we needed to be spontaneous (which we aren't really known for!ha!) and go explore some of Arizona. We took a little day trip up to Payson, AZ. It was raining like crazy on the drive up (monsoon season) but once the rain stopped it was a high of 70! You can't beat that in the summer heat of August. It was nice to escape the heat if only for a little bit. We also stopped at Saguaro Lake for a quick look at the water and boats. Neither of which Claire had seen before. Since we didn't go for the outdoor activity due to the rain there wasn't much to do in Payson but I am still glad we made the drive.

the wooden bears in payson. she loved these bears!

saguaro lake

In other news, school is back in session and Claire couldn't be happier (and so am I!!!). It's so nice to get a routine back. I have also been hitting the gym (pick your jaws up off the ground, it's true!). I hope to keep this up and go 2-3 times a week. Just walking on the treadmill has made me feel so much better. I was getting super sluggish and blah feeling. I needed a boost! Claire loves the daycare so it's been win win!