A Wedding for Apple (and Auntie)! 7.13.13

Dear Apple,

You are already following in your big brother's footsteps by attending your first wedding while still in the womb!  Your Auntie C got married on July 13, 2013 and we were lucky enough to be apart of her special day.

The day started off with some spa treatment - hair and makeup for the entire bridal party.

It was really early and clearly we all needed some help getting pretty for the BIG day and all the pictures that would come.  After getting made up it was time to go back to the house and hang out while we waited until it was time to get dressed.  All the bridesmaids got dressed first so we would be ready to help Auntie!

This is me (mommy) at 25 weeks pregnant with you!  And below is Auntie waving goodbye to our house for the last time as a single woman.  When she returned the next day she was married!

Someone's going to the chapel and she's gonna get married!!!  While Auntie is beautiful every day - she looked simply stunning the actual day of her wedding - truly a beautiful bride!

This is Mommy and Katie.  Mommy used to babysit for Katie and Auntie on the weekends.  Katie got married in May.  It was fun to see them all dressed up and "grown up" and also sad because it made Mommy feel a little bit old :)

Mommy and Auntie - sisters through the good, the bad, and the ugly and friends for life!  I am very lucky to have a sister such as Auntie - she and Mommy are not super close in age (we are 6.5 years apart) but as we have grown up the gap in age has seemed smaller and smaller.  Auntie is truly a friend now and not just my baby sister.  She's an amazing auntie and I can't wait for you to meet her!

The newly married couple!  Apple, meet Uncle Jarrod!  He's got lots of brothers so I am sure he will help Mommy figure out what's brotherly "love/play" and what you and your brother should get in trouble for.  He takes great care of Auntie (and she of him).  Mommy especially likes some of the sacrifices he has made to keep himself and Auntie local for the sake of family!  Mommy isn't rushing them but can't wait for the day that we can take a BIG family vacation with them and your cousins!

These were the gold shoes that Mommy wore for the wedding (Mommy's feet have coral nail polish on the toes).  They hurt so badly that as soon as pictures were over I threw them and Grandpa Adam's car and said I never wanted to see them again!

And lastly, a picture of you with Mommy and Daddy.  You were a great wedding guest.  We danced the night away and had so much fun with our family.  Thank you for allowing me to enjoy Auntie's wedding as much as I did!

25 weeks

We wish Auntie and Uncle Jarrod a lifetime of happiness and thank them again for inviting us to be a special part of their day!

xoxo
Mommy

Apple Update

Wow!

Apple you are growing and growing and I have to admit that I haven't been as diligent at writing up your progress as I was with your big brother (curse of being the second child I guess - but you are not loved any less)!! 

Currently we are at 26 weeks and we had a check-in with the midwives this week after a long 6 week break from them.  Why the break you ask?  Because we were very busy the month of July.  You and I had a few trials and then we had to attend a Bachelorette Party, Nolan's first birthday and finally, Auntie Cathlin's Wedding!

Your first and (likely only) Bachelorette Party 6.15.13 - 20 weeks 

Aunties!

You weren't a big focus at Auntie's single night celebration but by the time her wedding came around a month later you wanted the world to know you were here!  You are a BIG time mover and shaker and together we shook up the dance floor and had a wonderful time celebrating the newly married couple!

Wedding Day Bump - 24/25 weeks

Auntie's going to the chapel and she's gonna get married!

Mommy, Auntie, and Sweet Apple

Auntie and the new Uncle!

our first picture with Apple!

You are growing quite well.  All tests are coming back with great results and while I am on the lower end of the weight spectrum right now I am certain that you will catch up to your brother in those last few weeks.  Your heartbeat is quite strong and your Auntie Sarah got to hear it this week as she is up visiting and went to your appointment with me.

Your brother is in love with you and often wants to touch you and talk to you through my belly button.  He likes to blow raspberries on my stomach and I can only imagine what you are thinking when you hear that noise.  He talks about you a lot and thinks there is a baby in everyone's tummy which is really cute. 

Giving you kisses - 23 weeks

Loving you - 25 weeks

Right now we have moved out of our home in E.W. and are staying at grandpa's house while we wait to see if we can move into our new home in K.  I hope that we are able to move soon so that we can slowly get things ready for your arrival - we have one more appointment in August and then after that we move to every 2 weeks because your arrival will be in less than 100 days now!!  YIKES!!!!!

Besides moving around a lot (which Conor didn't do) you are so different from him in almost every way.  You constantly put pressure on my skin with your body and your moving (sometimes I swear your foot or knee is going to pop right out) but I have far less heartburn than I did with your brother.  You are sitting much lower than he ever did and I find it harder to get up from sitting down because of how you like to settle right into my pelvic area when I have been sitting too long.  You are active the most in the evening hours (which worries me that you are going to be as difficult a sleeper as Conor) and so I have had trouble sleeping at night because all your moving around causes heartburn at about 2am every morning.

Keep growing strong in there little man because we can't wait to meet you (and pick a name for you)!

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  Conor wants to name you Elmo or Ernie or Grover - how do you feel about those names?

Your First Wedding & Week 24

Dear Avacado,

This was a very busy week for us.  Thursday night we went to a bachleorette party (when you are older you will not be allowed at these "Girls Only" events).  It was for my good friend Amanda and we went and had habachi at Kon!  I don't have any pictures of you at this event but Saturday we attended their wedding!  I did manage to get a picture of you (with me and your Dad).  Techinically - it's our first family photo!

Do you see yourself?  Your right there - still in my tummy.  You seemed to really enjoy the wedding - when the music picked up you did a little more kicking.  We chicken danced and then did a little more dancing but we also were very careful not to overdo it because your Aunt Cathlin did not want you to be shaken or stirred up too much!

But, talking about the wedding is getting a little ahead of ourselves because we had a doctor's appointment this week.  We went to the hospial to visit with the midwives and see how things are going.  You are growing at a really nice rate and are measuring a few days ahead of schedule but nothing that anyone is worried about right now.  Your heartbeat is also very strong and your head was on my right hand side and your legs were too the left.  Per their chart I have gained a total of 18 pounds and that is right on track.  We were also told to try to get some more walking into our schedule but there is no concern about weight and/or blood pressure.  We have another appointment in 3 weeks to do our glucose testing for diabetes so we will see how things go then.  We also signed up for birthing classes and a breast feeding class.

Last night when we got back from the wedding you and I had a really hard time sleeping.  It was a little warm in the room and you kept moving around so we ended up sleeping on the couch.  But, it's ok because it was nice to sleep all by ourselves!  Let's just not make it a habit.

Today we walked Hunter and gave him a full groom - and now we are all resting comfortable once more on the couch.

Looking forward to what next week brings :)

xoxo
Erin