First Comes Love...

Hi Baby! We're sailing into our third trimester and I've been feeling pretty good. I've been seeing lots of little babies and it's making me so excited to meet you soon! When Abigail was born, I remember thinking how sad it was that future kids wouldn't get the same one-on-one time that I had with her, and while that time is special, I think it's even more special that you will be welcomed into a pre-existing family with a big sister who I know will adore you. You will have a companion to play with, an older sibling to look up to, and a sister who loves you unconditionally ( along with your parents! ) and this makes me so happy. September will be here before I know it! I love you, little one. 25 weeks 26 weeks 27 weeks 28 weeks ( 25-28 weeks pregnant with Abigail)

Last year we went to the lake for  Father's Day , so this was Kevin's first year celebrating at home. We kicked off our weekend festivities boating on Saturday with Mamie and Papa! Abigail had a shirt for every occasion  :) Kevin was concerned that Abigail may not like the boat this year, but she seemed to love it!  (at one point hanging off the bow and looking into the water.  Maybe a bit too comfortable...) We had dinner on the patio at  Wilde Rover where Abigail devoured a hummus plate (and snuck in sips of ranch dressing when we weren't looking!) , then stopped for sunset near Meydenbauer Bay on the way home. Father's Day cigars on the bow We pulled into the slip around 9:45 and had Abigail in bed at the decent hour of 11pm  ;) (not to mention her "midnight snack" of beans, rice, and enchilada at 10:30pm!) Sunday morning began with breakfast in bed on the couch while watching the US Open.  Kevin request...

Today marks 28 weeks, which means we're officially in the third trimester, and while I know there's still a whole summer of O'Douls Amber in my future, it is exciting to think that we're down to the last 12 weeks. (soon I'll be the Mom of two little ones!) So, as a tribute to the second trimester, here are some fun ( maybe not the right word?.. ) highlights from the past 12 weeks: Baby seems to be very aware of my sleep / wake cycles, so I'm careful not to move around too much or talk before I'm sure I want to get up.  Too much movement or talking will wake my little kicker.   The same is true for hearing Abigail over the monitor.  A peep from Sister and Baby's wide awake, ready to start the day. At my last appointment we could hear hiccups through the Doppler, and last week (at exactly 27 weeks), I started feeling those rhythmic motions for myself.  So far baby doesn't hiccup as frequently as Abigail did (I remember that used to drive ...

I hope everyone enjoys the day celebrating the special men in their life. Kevin,  Thank you for being such an amazing Father and role model to our precious daughter.  Abigail and Baby are so lucky to call you "Dad", and I am so blessed to call you mine! I love you.

The Lauckner's are loving this sunshine! Last Thursday we went to Zoe Yogurt at Greenlake for dessert (a habit we more than slightly indulge).  We hadn't planned a swim, but we gave Abigail her own yogurt and she'd made a bit of a mess... Not too thrilled that yogurt time was over So it was time for a down-to-diapers dip! She loved sitting at waters edge, dangling her little feet in the water, and eventually getting the nerve to take a few steps in.  Of course we had no change of clothes or extra diapers. Walking back to the car was a pretty big Mommy fail: pregnant lady carrying an I-don't-want-to-leave-so-I'm-going-to-yell toddler, wearing nothing but a soggy (and mind you, dirty!) diaper and sneakers with no socks  (needless to say, I got my fair share of looks). But Saturday's water activities went smoothly; we spent the day downtown, stopped at the Aquarium, then spent the evening on Alki. (a bus ride in, followed by the...

It seems to be all I think about these days. On a typical day, Kevin and I will go through about 4 conversations and then,  "what do you think about Hillary for a girl?" Being the sweet guy that he is, Kevin answers every time (bless his heart) which only perpetuates further query on my part. With Abigail it was so easy.  I have loved the name since elementary school, and Kevin loved it too, so it was quickly settled.  But this time around it hasn't been so easy.  Maybe it's because we don't know the gender, or maybe it's because I'm an over thinker ( probably the latter... ) When our friends had their son, they waited until he was born to name him.  I love that. So, while we were in Arizona, we made a name list. The idea was to update it each day with one girl and one boy name, but we found there were some favorites, and aside from those, we weren't interested in venturing out much. Here's our current list: how ironic are the ...

We received an email on Wednesday night that followed as such: Reflections of Abigail  :-) *** She reminds me so much of my Mom in the way she leans over to brush her hair, and her hairstyle and looks often remind me of my Grandma Nickinovich (oh how I love that) You're so adorable, Bitsy Girl. Your Great Grandma would have loved you so much!

Happy 22 months, Bits! What a beautiful day it is in Seattle; perfect for celebrating you. We spent this morning at the aquarium (I know, it seems a bit sinful given the good weather), but you loved splashing your hands in the touch tank and hanging out at the new ( outdoor! ) harbor seal exhibit. Dad and I came back from Arizona to a very chatty Abigail on Sunday morning (what fun!).  It's still Abanese, of course, but you'll try out almost any word if we ask.  The best one right now: Aaaa-ale  (that means Abigail)! You're birthday will be here before we know it, and since you can't seem to get enough of your buddies Bert, Ernie, and Grover, I think a Sesame Street party is in order. (....party planning time is upon us!) Here are your "new news" this month (so many fun things!): -You love waving and blowing kisses.  When leaving, you're very good about bidding people  "GAA!"  (bye Puget Sound, bye doggie walking past us, bye ...

We're back and getting up to speed after our trip to Scottsdale last week.  It was a whirlwind of a week leading up to our trip (getting ready for and throwing the Clayton's going away party, then turning around 5 hours later for AZ), but it made me appreciate the days that followed so much more.  It's funny how relaxing a vacation can be on the heels of busy, busy, busy! We had a great time basking in the desert heat (however, I could have done without the leg burns on Friday, followed by a high of 107 on Saturday! 107 is brutal.) When I was pregnant with Abigail, we considered a going on a "babymoon" but the concept seemed a bit silly  (what is a vacation without sunset happy hours and drinks by the pool?!) and while this still holds truth, getting away one-on-one for a week was just what we needed.  I forgot how much fun we have on vacations together (without an oh-so-cute, but high maintenance baby in tow).  Our last solo trip (exceeding a few days...