TWO AND A HALF YEARS????

I realized today that it's been more than 2 years since I sat down to write on this blog. It's something that I've enjoyed so much in the past...documenting our life in a tangible way, but I just haven't made it a priority. The biggest change of the last two years has been the addition of Catherine to our family. She makes every day more fun, adventurous and slightly more frustrating.

Recently, I switched jobs (again...in the past 5 years, I've had three different jobs). In this role, I have found a work-life balance that I've never had before. I leave work at 4 p.m. almost every day. I don't have to bring work home with me (unless I'm working from home, which happens about once a week). I'm getting to do something that I love and am passionate about on a much larger scale. I am grateful for the change. With my newly discovered downtime, I hope to post on this blog more often.

There's no way to catch up fully on the past two years (that's what Facebook is for, right?). However, I will say that like the rest of my life, it has been filled with incredible highs and lows, lots of normal days, and change. Always change.

Maybe over the next few days, I'll find a way to document some of the highlights from the past couple of years. Until then, here we are. This crazy family of four.

Baby #2

Baby #2 is due July 5th. We are looking at a scheduled c-section on July 3rd. We found out that we were expecting in October. We were very lucky this time and conceived very easily...in fact, it happened a bit sooner than I expected - the first month that we tried! I guess when it's meant to be, it's meant to be! This pregnancy has been very similar to our first, but a little different, too. Keeping up with a VERY active three year old while pregnant has not been the easiest task. I started off with the total and complete exhaustion. The fall was a difficult time, feeling like I could barely get out of bed and dragging myself through the day. Things have improved considerably, but now, at 34 weeks, the exhaustion is returning some. Pregnancy sleep is somewhat of an oxymoron in my book. I told a co-worker the other day that I really can't complain....all of my "complaints" are symptoms of a healthy pregnancy, and I'm well aware that others aren't as fortunate. 

We decided to wait until the baby's birth to find out the gender. It was a tougher decision this time, but I know it will be worth the wait. Sophie is desperately hoping for a baby brother, who she knows we will name Joseph. We've struggled with a name for a girl. Sophie is hoping for Mary, but that's not likely to happen. 

The biggest difference with this pregnancy is the lack of preparation. I did buy a box of newborn diapers and a friend is letting us use her bassinet and swing...which are both still in our family room (Sophie's enjoying playing with them). We've moved Sophie to her big girl room, but the room still needs to be painted and her old room needs to be converted back into the nursery. We need a dresser for Sophie's new room so we can move all of her clothes there. Some days, the "to-do's" are just too overwhelming, so I just don't do much of anything. At this point, I'm a bit more limited physically, so there's not a whole lot that I can do on my own. It will all come together. And after having one newborn, I know that this one will be just fine with a safe place to sleep and food to eat. Since he or she will be born in summer, clothes will also be optional. 

We get another peek at our little one on June 9th. Here's the last picture, from February. Little one has grown a lot since then!

I still worry, like I think a lot of other moms do, about having enough to give to both children. I don't want Sophie to feel like she is left out when the baby comes, so I'm trying to think of ways to be sure that she feels included. I know that loving the both of them won't be the hard part - it's really making sure that there's enough of me to go around. Danny works hard to provide for his family, however that leaves me to manage the house solo more days than not. I love when he's home, but duty calls. I'm most concerned about the times when he is working and it's just me and the kids at home. I know it will be fine. It will definitely be an adjustment. 

All that to say - we could not be more excited to be expanding our family. This little one is already so loved and wanted. Only 5 weeks and 5 days until we get to meet the babe!

Sophie - age 3

I'm not sure why Blogger is giving me so many issues....feels like the powers are working against me to update the blog! Over the past year, Sophie has grown and changed so much. She started day care in August. The first few months were really, really hard. She was tired, grumpy and didn't understand why we would leave her there all day. I couldn't pass her in the halls at work without a complete meltdown! Thankfully, those days are behind us and Sophie is thriving at school. She LOVES to learn and has made lots of friends. It makes me so happy to see her being active and social - while I'm working. It's comforting to have her in the same building as me. I can even eat lunch with her without a meltdown! She's really done well and is supposed to be joining a pre-school class in August. She's the youngest in her class, but her teacher says that she's the smartest...just what I like to hear. 

Her personality really shines as well. She continues to make us laugh every day. She loves playing with her Daddy and I love watching their relationship. I will say that she is three, through and through. She is asserting her independence, but still needs Mommy. Just about every day, she looks at me and says "Mommy, you're my best friend." She is so excited to become a big sister, desperately hoping for a baby brother. She loves to be active and play outside. She is potty trained except for at bedtime (thanks especially to her school for that one). She is tall for her age and is already wearing a 4T. 

She has started to dress herself all the time....leading to outfits like these. 

 

 

And with Danny's work schedule, we enjoy lots of quality time together. 

 

It's so hard to believe that she is already three years old and growing more everyday. Every morning, she wakes up and asks if she's grown enough to be a "fire girl." She wants to be a fire fighter when she grows up, but also wants Mommy and Daddy to ride in the fire truck with her - she'll be driving, of course.