And we start all over again...

Now that we've had a few doctor appointments under our belt, I guess it's time to let the secret out. We are expecting Baby #2 April 21, 2014.

alien baby picture from our NT scan at 12w3d

 

Not shocking, as we planned this one just like the bub. I had to forget all the horrible things that come along with pregnancy and convince myself that this time would be different. Thankfully, that seems to be holding true...for now. I think I'm still constantly waiting for the shit to hit the fan as they like to say. So far, no real severe cases of nausea, just a bit here and there. Plus, it seems like as long as I keep my belly full of terrible, not so great for you food, I feel much better. This baby will be an eater just like its brother and momma. Go figure. Also not surprising.

Naturally, there's the standard "we just want a healthy, happy baby", which couldn't ring more true for us, considering the bub was almost not so healthy when he was evicted 6 weeks early. But let's face it, there's always the gender battle. In our house, it's on. I am desperate for a little girl, someone I can mold to be just like her momma and maybe wear the occasional bow and tutu...while kicking a soccer ball or romping in the sand of the volleyball court...obviously. The hubs wants another mini-man, which I think I might actually be coming to terms with, but I'll still hold out hope. It would be nice for the bub to have a brother to play with, but I think it would be great for us to have a little girl running around, too. A nice mix, right? Granted, I hear girls are all sorts of drama, and I can definitely attest to that. Lots of throwing shoes, total temper tantrums and sassy pants were thrown around when I was a teen (I might still do that, but don't ask the hubs for verification...he'll throw me under the bus for sure).

Fingers crossed that this lack of symptoms is just the world's way of giving me a break this time and not any indication of something not being right in there. Like I said, I could start puking on someone's shoes any day now, so I just keep enjoying it while it lasts and hope for the best. I also hope for no early arrival or severe swelling of my entire freakin body, too. It'd be nice to not have to find a way to lose 75 pounds!!!! after this baby is born. It's hard enough to lose 10. Am I right? Yes...you read that correctly...75 pounds with the bub. Granted, mostly water weight, but still. Let's not.

Now the real fun begins...the name game and complete de-cluttering of the house that I swear is just closing in on us with every birthday and Christmas present making it look just a little bit more like Toys R Us vomited all over the place.

That's a big deck

Oh my hubby. He gets in his brain to start these insane projects, and it's like the world stops until they're done. Some things, I am perfectly okay with hiring out and saving my sanity for. He could not do the same. I will give him credit, though. This masterpiece went up in about 3 weeks.

With only the help of his dad most days, and a few friends on a weekend here and there, he persevered like nobody's business. Yesterday he finally put the siding back on the house and trimmed everything out. I think we're just waiting for one or 2 more posts to dry so we can put the light cap on. My one demand was that the deck light up at night, so we opted for these solar lights
from Home Depot. They don't really make it so you could read a book out there, but they at least make it so you don't fall overboard or on to your face if you aren't paying attention. I'm smitten. It's like a Christmas tree on the back of my house every night. I do find that there's one rogue light that shines right in my face while I sleep, though. Thank goodness for heavy duty curtains in our room.

I have to say it was a bit scary for a while with no railings, and my gem of a dog decided he'd kamikaze right off the edge one day. Thankfully no one was injured, just a little rattled, and by someone, I mean me. Look at this face.

I know. Right? Let's not go deck jumping anymore, okay?

Thankfully, the project is done. Well, for now. There's talk of adding rocks underneath and making a little patio space. *edit - the rocks have been delivered and are being shoveled in. The work never ends.

Now...now it's on to the next project...finding a shed so we can clear out our garage to add an actual car in there. Shocking concept. Oh, and maybe for me to start attacking our bathroom so it's not all wallpapered and molding. Who wallpapers a bathroom? Don't they know that steam generally peels that stuff right off the wall?

A letter to my son

I started writing this well before the bub was about to turn 2. I kept choking up and having trouble finding the words to say. I just can't believe how much changes in the blink of an eye.

To my sweet boy,

I never knew how much my heart could ache for someone until I had you. The way you smile and laugh makes me believe that there really is a light at the end of every tunnel. The amount of love you show the world is contagious. I know you're going to grow up to do great things some day, and I'm so excited to see what those things will be. However, I find myself wishing time would stand still so I could just enjoy every minute. People don't lie when they tell you that time flies. Some days I can't even remember what happened that day, because I blink and you're already being tucked into bed.

The journey for you to be in my arms was a tough one, but I'd do it all again, knowing what lies ahead. I'll never forget the first time they wheeled me up to the NICU to see you for the first time. Your daddy's smile melted my heart almost as much as your beautiful baby blues. He was so proud to be a dad, so much that he was willing to wake up every 2 hours to bring you my pumped milk from our hospital room and spend a few quiet moments with just the two of you.

You make our lives so much greater than I thought they could be. Here I was in disbelief that a child could change things so much, but you really do. I hope some day you realize that all the things I've told you have been for your own good. It took me a very long time to realize that about my own parents, but all in good time my love.

Be courageous, be smart, be silly, and be strong. You never know what life is going to throw your way, but when all else fails, put on a helmet and dive in head first. Trust your gut and stand up for what you believe in.

You are my everything, and I love you more than words will ever be able to say.

Summer!!

It's the first day of summer, which means it's the first day of the best time of year. I don't know about you, but I love summer the best of all the seasons. I like to sit outside, let the breeze blow through my hair, while I sip an ice cold margarita.

If I could find a way to vacation all summer (no I will not be a teacher. That many kids near me scares me), that would be great! For now, I'll soak up my nights and weekends until they can't stand it anymore.

To start off the season right, I'm headed out to my BFF's house tonight for some s'more making, fire burning, junk food eating fun. I'll be bringing along the hubs and the bub, and it's all I can do to not run out of work right this second and hit the road. (That's right...I blog at work...sometimes)

Even though I make the most of where I live, I'd give my right arm to live next to the beach and really enjoy it. I miss Rhode Island and being able to hit the sand within 15 minutes. Thankfully, I'm not too far and can still make a nice day trip of it. Now if only I could get my body back to pre-pregnancy, non-scary mode, I'd be all set. It's only been 2 years. You'd think I'd be there already. Not that I'm not pleased with myself right now, but man I could use some good toning. There's always beach volleyball, right??

How do you like to enjoy your summers? Beach bum? Hammock swinging by a fire? Curled up inside in front of an AC blasting in your face?

And now for your viewing pleasure, some beautiful ocean and beach pics from yours truly. These are actually from last year, before the hurricane took out our beach. Thankfully it's mostly put back together now. Major kudos to the men and women who helped clean up Rhode Island so I can have a beach to enjoy. Stupid weather.

 Tee hee. Look at his little hairs.

Ahhh. The ocean.

Go home weather, you're drunk

Now that I've lived in New England for over a decade, you would think I'd be used to the weather by now. I just can't seem to wrap my head around how it goes from 50* to 90* over night. It makes it incredibly difficult to decide what to wear and especially to explain to a toddler who doesn't understand why he doesn't get to wear a fleece jacket in 90* weather. I try to let him make his own decisions, like riding a train with no pants,

phone pic, sorry for the blur

but let's face it, it's summer! Where is the sunshine mother nature? Don't tease me with 90* and then screw me with 50s for the long weekend coming up. This is how it should be.

Fingers crossed for no rain this weekend, cause this momma wants to party outside all weekend. The bub needs to earn his keep and we have new plants to put in the ground. Anyone need a mower? He does great work. Did I mention he even comes with free bubbles?

can't beat the cuteness

We bought a new bike trailer for the bub, and we have yet to take it out for a test drive. After a bit of research and weighing options on cost, we opted for this one. I was debating whether to go with the double or single, but we'd love to have another baby soon, and even if we don't, the bub can ride in the middle just like if it were a single. I've heard from a few people that they really loved this model, so I'll keep you posted after we get it out this weekend. HEAR ME MOTHER NATURE?! MOMMA WANTS TO RIDE!

*I was not paid or perked for mentioning this product. I just wanted to share my decision and thoughts.

And for some additional cuteness:

that face makes me a pile of mush

New Ink

I finally did it. I've been thinking about it and planning it since that horrible day almost 2 years ago. I got my very first tattoo, in memory of my Kirra.

Why yes she is covered in mud. Thank you for noticing how awesome it is to have long haired dogs on a rainy day.

She was one of the twins that the hubs and I got when we first moved in together. On July 16, 2011, she passed away, in my arms on the way to the vet's office. I was devastated. I've never felt so much grief in my life, and there have been people close to me that I've lost. There's something about losing your first furbaby that just aches in your heart and never goes away. There's just a piece missing, not to mention we still have her brother, who just seems lonely all the time, even though he still has other fur siblings. I feel for him. My heart aches for him.

But enough with the depressing stuff. I've been there and done that for almost 2 years now. I want to remember her in all her wonderful glory of goofiness. Here's the new ink:

This is honestly right after it was done, and apparently I'm a bleeder, because it was a mess not long after this. I love it.

The paw print was done by the vet after she died, unbeknownst to me. I was so grateful that they sent it to me. Is it weird I never got ink prints of my child's feet but I have one of my dog's? We'll just leave that question alone for now.

Kirra was actually named after the surfing company. When we were picking names, the hubs had a sweatshirt laying around, and when I read the logo on the back, it stuck. The flowers represent the Hawaiian, surfy, beachy feel. And yes, our tattoo artist was very thrown with making things "beachy". I think he captured it quite well, even though he doesn't realize it.

Big shoutout to Lucky's Tattoo and Piercing in Northampton. Justin did an amazing job if anyone is looking for somewhere to go.

"Me" Time

Mother's day is fast approaching, and I love that I get a whole other day out of the year to celebrate just me. I wish the hubs would get on board with all of this "me" time.

Yesterday was my birthday, so I actually get two special days this month. No one at work knows when my birthday is, so it was an average day in the office, with text messages and the usual Facebook wishes. I love how social media can make people feel so loved. Now I don't even have to blab to my friends for a month in advance that my birthday is fast approaching. bonus!

The hubs has been looking into family photography for me, since I keep looking at it and really want to capture some moments of our family before we decide to have another baby. We didn't get to do the newborn photo shoot, since little man was in the NICU for so long and we really had other priorities at the time. I've always been bummed about it. This should be a lot of fun if we can find a decent photographer at a good price.

The hubs also got me an awesome hammock for outside. We have two huge trees in our backyard that are really far apart, so he was all smarty pants and got the tree straps separate so I wouldn't have to worry about finding a way to hang this thing. It's supposed to rain here for the next 2 weeks or some insane amount of days, but I assure you I have no problem laying in a hammock in the rain in the spring time. I did remind the hubs that the last time I was in a hammock, I ended up in the emergency room. Not my finest moment. In my defense, had the tree root not been there to break my fall, I would've been fine. Stupid tree.

Hope all you moms out there have a wonderful mother's day and get in some "me" time.

What's on your wish list?

The furbaby journey

As I mentioned, we had at our peak, 4 dogs, 2 cats and 2 fish tanks. I want to point out that I also grew up with these 2 lovely ladies, who have since passed.

Thankfully, they lived full and happy lives. I wish I had better pictures, but they were around long before I had any sort of fancy camera. Kacey, the yellow lab, was 15 when she died, from something going on with her throat. It continued to close and they did the surgery once, but it wouldn't stay fixed. Zena, the chocolate lab, is actually one of Kacey's puppies. She died at 13 from cancer in the stomach that continued to spread. They lived happy lives, and my stepdad was a happier man because of them. They were my childhood pets, and we had been through a lot together. I'm sure you'll hear more about them down the road, but for now, I want to tell you all about our crazy zoo now that I'm all grown up and can get into these messes on my own.

Mickey is my oldest animal. She has been around for about 10 years now, give or take a year. I wish I could remember all my animal's birthdays, but to be honest, I don't know the exact days, and roughly the years, until I look at their paperwork. She moved in with us in our new house and was not a fan.

Next came the twins, as I like to call them. They're brother and sister, Alaskan Malamutes. I have to say it was all the hubs' idea to get the furriest animals he could find. I wish he opted to do all the vacuuming thanks to all the fur he decided to bring into our lives, but that just doesn't happen.

I mean how do you resist?

 

After about six months, I had heard about some puppies that needed good homes near our house. I asked someone who knew the people who had them (people suck when they just let dogs make dogs, fyi). One look and I was hooked. That's how Sadie came to be a part of our family. It took a while for the twins to warm up to our little maniac, but she does just fine now. She is probably the smallest lab/pit mutt I have ever met, topping out at about 40 pounds.

She was so tiny. Hilarious.

 

As you can imagine, Mickey was rather pissed at this point. All the dogs in the house and she pretty much stayed in the basement to keep away from the cold noses up the butt. I decided she needed a friend. Along came Bella.

She's loud and obnoxious, but we love her. She mandates that I play hide and go seek with her at least once a day, and insists on everyone knowing that she's in the room.

 

At this point, we were pretty much losing our marbles, but we couldn't resist when we found out our breeders of the twins were having another litter. "Let's just go take a look and play with the puppies."

Yeah....that didn't happen. Kaz happened.

I won't bore you with the fish. As you can imagine...big tanks of water filled with fishy things. Some day they might make an appearance, but not today.

 

So that's the whole zoo. Sending you virtual cookies for reading the whole thing. I promise all the posts won't be this long. It's shedding season, so I'm off to brush the dog again, and then cry as the fur flies in the fantastic breezes coming through our windows tonight. 



In the beginning...

I feel like I should apologize in advance, since this could get rather lengthy, but you have to understand how it all started, right? What's a good story without its "Once upon a time...". So, here's ours.

The hubs and I met in college orientation (insert the awwwww here) in August, 2002. We did the friend thing for a few years, and then when he started bothering me hanging around more, the attraction grew and we started "officially" dating in August 2004. The 12th to be exact. These dates are important, ya know, more for us ladies than the gents, but that's fine. Once we got sick of the dating thing, we decided to jump head first into buying a house together in 2006, and then getting married in 2009.

Airen Miller Photography

I believe his exact words when we got engaged were "well, we haven't killed each other yet, so I guess we should take the next step." He's very romantical...and I love it. This next part may come as a shock, but after we did the marriage thing for about a year, we decided to do the parent thing, and along came the bub July 21, 2011, a whopping 6 weeks early.

The Bub

That's a whole story for another post.

I'm guessing you're wondering where all the fur comes from. Well, when we first moved in together, before we even got furniture, we decided we wanted animals. I already had a cat from a prior man friend mistake, so she came along when we bought our house, after pending a wonderful vacation at grandma's house.

Mickey

Everyone who knows me knows that this one animal would never be enough, especially since I find I'm much more of a dog person than a cat person. I won't get lengthy with how we ended up with our zoo, and maybe I'll add in each story in future posts, but we topped out with 4 dogs, 2 cats and 2 fish tanks. I'm sure the bub will want hamsters, rats and monkeys at some point, so I can only foresee this zoo growing.

Bella and Mickey, assuming the position

Kody, Kirra, Sadie, Kaz...No I do not put them all in there. They climbed in together one day and I seized the photo op

It's a lot of work and we love it. Some days I feel like we should charge an admission fee.

Next up on the blog: bringing home our first set of twins. (4-legged, not 2...that may have made me cry)