I Like My Kid.

I know everyone loves their child... or at least I sure hope so! With another baby coming soon, I've really been trying to cherish my one on one time with Hunter, and am really realizing that I really LIKE my kid as well as love him. I'm really going to miss it. Especially since staying at home over the last several months, he has become my little buddy.

I really enjoy my time with Hunter. We do everything together and he is just so fun to be around. I've seen a lot of posts lately about how terrible two's are and if they aren't, then three is going to be hell. Hunter has his terrible two moments, but they come and go quickly. I'm just bracing myself for these stages of awfulness that people speak of.

I love running my errands with this little man. Our trips out often include a trip to Starbucks, Chipotle, or Jamba Juice. These are some of my favorite times with him, like they are our little mother-son dates. It's our time to chat and have fun together...and indulge in some yummy treats. ;)



He might have a hard time when the new baby comes, or he might not. But one thing I know is that while I am so excited to welcome another little baby boy into our family, I am going to mourn the loss of this time with Hunter. I am scared. I am scared of how I am going to give Hunter the time and love that I have been able to give him, but I am equally scared to give it up for myself. I really like my time with Hunter. We laugh, cuddle, play, and learn together. He is fun, compassionate, funny, smart, and such a great buddy.
So moms of two or more already, please give me some encouragement!! Does it just magically happen that your heart and time double and you have just the right amount of time for both? Or is it an adjustment?

Downsizing

Last weekend we had our very first garage sale. We were a bit skeptical if it was even worth the time and effort that we put into preparing for it. But...guess what... it was a pretty big success!! We made $500 and didn't even sell the two main pieces of furniture we had! Several people have asked what the big sellers were... and I can't even tell you. It was just a random mix of bedding/jewelry/clothing/old electronics.

After the sale, we boxed everything up and took it to Goodwill. I can't even tell you have good it felt to get rid of so much stuff that was just cluttering the house. Everything we got rid of was just "stuff" that we no longer used and really didn't have a place for in the house we are moving into next weekend.

I forgot to take pictures of the sale, but I did take pictures of the stuff that ended up going to Goodwill. It's crazy how much stuff we have accumulated over the last several years. I am really going to keep this in mind and try not to buy so many things that I won't want or need a couple years down the road.



Is it kind of weird that I'm looking forward to moving into a little bit smaller place? I like that it makes us focus on the things we need and makes us simplify our lives a bit. Our current place is four bedrooms and the one in Lacey is three bedrooms, but we are also throwing in another kid, so it feels like we are losing two rooms. It'll be worth it move back to our "home" :)

23 Weeks

Weight Gain: Up 16 pounds. I wish I wasn't having such a hard time dealing with this weight gain, but I kind of am. I was debating on whether or not to stop answering this question. But... I try to keep this blog honest. So here it is. I gained 40-45lbs with Hunter, so I might be repeating that :(

Stretch Marks: Same old ones, but starting to show a little more than they did. 

Movement: Constantly feeling this babe kick and move! I love it. 

Cravings: Nothing in particular besides fruit. Been going through Costco sized strawberries, watermelon,  and grapes every week. 

Sleep: Back to tossing and turning from 4am-6am everyday. Hunter has started waking up at 7:30 every morning, which is about an hour later than usual. Ugh. 

Best Moment this Week: Not a great week for me. I have been so overwhelmed and stressed out by the upcoming move. I broke down and cried for a good half hour yesterday, it's taken it's toll on me. I'm going on two weeks of preparing for a garage sale and packing every single day while taking care of Hunter. It's proved to be a bit exhausting. Jesse is leaving tonight through Monday to Eastern Washington to go Turkey hunting... so that's adding to the stress with only a week left before moving. 

I guess the best moment of the week was my doctor appointment on Monday, everything is text book and is looking good!

Gender: A boy

Labor signs: Nope 

Maternity Clothes: Yup, most of the time. Going to have to breakdown and buy some maternity jeans this weekend. I was hoping to be able to get by with capris this summer, but this rain is not allowing that. A Pea in the Pod, here I come!

What I miss: Not a whole lot :)

What I'm looking forward to: This move to be over with and to be settled at "home". I'm envisioning a lawn chair on the back deck with a virgin margarita...oh yeah, and SUN! 

This is me at 22 weeks with Hunter in St. Thomas. 

99 Things

So I've seen this floating around blogging land and thought it might be a fun little thing to do. 




99 Things (those I've done in bold)


1. Started your own blog 


2. Slept under the stars


3. Played in a band


4. Visited Hawaii


5. Watched a meteor shower


6. Given more than you can afford to charity


7. Been to Disneyland 


8. Climbed a mountain


9. Held a praying mantis


10. Sang a solo (absolutely not, probably my biggest fear, ever!)


11. Bungee jumped


12. Visited Paris


13. Watched a lightening storm


14. Taught yourself an art from scratch


15. Adopted a child


16. Had food poisoning


17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty


18. Grown your own vegetables (in the process now)


19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France


20. Slept on an overnight train


21. Had a pillow fight


22. Hitch hiked


23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill


24. Built a snow fort


25. Held a lamb


26. Gone skinny dipping


27. Run a Marathon


28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice


29. Seen a total eclipse


30. Watched a sunrise or sunset


31. Hit a home run

 32. Been on a cruise


33. Seen Niagara Falls in person


34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors


35. Seen an Amish community


36. Taught yourself a new language


37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied


38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person


39. Gone rock climbing 


40. Seen Michelangelo’s David


41. Sung karaoke


42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt


43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 
 
44. Visited Africa 


45. Walked on a beach by moonlight


46. Been transported in an ambulance 

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing 

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person


50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris


51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 


52. Kissed in the rain


53. Played in the mud


54. Gone to a drive-in theater


55. Been in a movie 


56. Visited the Great Wall of China


57. Started a business


58. Taken a martial arts class


59. Visited Russia


60. Served at a soup kitchen


61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies


62. Gone whale watching


63. Got flowers for no reason


64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma


65. Gone sky diving


66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp


67. Bounced a check


68. Flown in a helicopter


69. Saved a favorite childhood toy


70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial


71. Eaten Caviar


72. Pieced a quilt


73. Stood in Times Square


74. Toured the Everglades


75. Been fired from a job


76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London


77. Broken a bone


78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle


79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book


81. Visited the Vatican


82. Bought a brand new car


83. Walked in Jerusalem


84. Had your picture in the newspaper


85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve


86. Visited the White House 


87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating


88. Had chickenpox


89. Saved someone’s life


90. Sat on a jury


91. Met someone famous


92. Joined a book club


93. Got a tattoo


94. Had a baby


95. Seen the Alamo in person


96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake


97. Been involved in a law suit


98. Owned a cell phone 


99. Been stung by a bee


40/99.... guess I've got some more living to do! ;)

What about you?

22 Weeks and a Name Reveal!

Weight Gain: Up 14 pounds. Yup, I exploded. 5 pounds in two weeks. I've actually been eating pretty well, so I'm just going to go with it. I was starting to get quite quite a complex with my weight gain because all I could think of was that I didn't gain any weight with Hunter until after week 18. Well, then I pulled out my pregnancy journal and realized I gain 13 pounds between week 18-23. Wowza! Feeling a bit better. 

Stretch Marks: Same old ones. 

Movement: Constantly feeling this babe kick and move! 

Cravings: Cereal with fresh strawberries or blueberries in it. 

Sleep: Awesome! I'm in a new routine. I'm been staying up until 11pm and waking up to make Jesse's lunch right before he leaves at about 7:30am. No middle of the night wake ups to go to the bathroom or check the time. It's pretty amazing!

Best Moment this Week: Seeing my lope sided belly. I could very much tell that this little guy was sticking out his booty. Oh yeah, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I am loving that my boobs are growing, even if it's temporary, I'll take what I can get! :)

Gender: A boy

Labor signs: Nope 

Maternity Clothes: Yup, most of the time. 

What I miss: Not a whole lot :)

What I'm looking forward to: Watching this baby grow

Oh yeah, and we agreed on this little guy's first name! Baby #2 is Hudson!
We are still very undecided on the middle name, but are playing around with three that we pretty much like equally. I know most people don't like to share names until the baby is born or until at least they are 100% certain of the name, but heck, I'll share are top three middle names:
Drake (a male mallard duck...due to Jesse's duck hunting obsession)Harold (my paternal grandfather's first name)Turner (my maiden name)
So there ya go, chances are that we are going to have a Hudson Drake, Hudson Harold, or Hudson Turner. Feel free to give me your opinion! 

A Great Day!

Monday had to be one of my favorite days recently. It was a mixture of productivity and fun family time! Hunter slept in until 9am, so I got to catch up on some TV shows before he woke up. We packed a few boxes and marked some items for the garage sale we are having this weekend. We then headed out to the bank and Costco. We drove by Chipotle and Hunter said "Cheese quesadilla and chocolate milk!", so we stopped there for lunch. Yum!




When we got home, I spent a couple hours prepping all the fruits, veggies, and meat I had gotten at Costco. It's always such a pain to do, but I'm always so glad I did it. This way the fruit gets eaten and my work for meals is pretty easy during the week!




Jesse came home from work early and we decided to take a family hike at Tiger Mountain. The weather was perfect and I surprisingly had plenty of energy for the four mile hike.







It was perfect!

Afterwards, we drove out to North Bend and went out to dinner. Afterwards, we hit up Scott's Dairy Freeze for chocolate shakes and a ice cream cone for Hunter. He was in such a good mood and so happy with his ice cream.




After that, we went to my parents and hung out there for a little while. Hunter hit baseballs off the tee and played in their yard.

What a perfect day with great weather and even better company. :) 

We're Sick...and the Best Chocolate Cupcakes Ever!

Saturday morning, I woke up congested, achy, and with a pounding headache. Today... pretty much the same. And to top it off, Hunter woke up with dried snot covering his face. Lovely, we both have this crud. It's times like this that it seems a little unbearable for Jesse to be gone. Momma needs a break to take care of herself and get better! I've had a couple sweet friends offer to take Hunter, but it just doesn't make sense for them be be exposed to these icky germs. So we are just going to confine ourselves to the house and hope we are better by the time Jesse gets on in a couple days.

So, what do these sick days look like in our house? Lots and lots of movies. I think we've watched Monsters, Inc. and Alvin and the Chipmunks each three times since Saturday morning and Shrek twice. I got a little antsy yesterday and started playing around with scraps of fabric I had laying around, we painted a birdhouse for grandma's birthday and Hunter ate some Harry Potter jelly beans.




And now to the Devil's Food Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe!Both from Martha Stewart
Devil's Food Cupcakes
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder3/4 cup hot water3 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1 1/4 teaspoon salt3 sticks unsalted butter2 1/4 cups sugar4 eggs, room temperature1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
2. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to com pine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4-5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated , scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each. 
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. 



Cream Cheese Frosting(this one is seriously the best one ever!)
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature4 cups powdered sugar3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and then vanilla, and mix until smooth and combine. If you want to add color, use about 1/4 teaspoon of food coloring gel (found at craft stores). 
I then pipe the frosting on the cupcakes using an closed star tip.
And then, ta-da!! :)