Happy Father's Day!

During O's last week of school she created some masterpieces for her Daddy.  She said they are for, "Father's Week".  She is definitely a Daddy's girl and loves him very much.

The day before Father's Day I spent most of the day creating my own masterpiece for Cha.  I saw this creative hand made card on Zulily and thought it was such a great idea.  O helped by coloring the tie.

This looks pretty simply, but there is a lot more into it than you would think.  Lastly I gave him a red Porsche back roller that was another great find at the Antique Market shop.  It actually feels really good and O loves to roll the car on our backs, which is a win win!

Cha spent his day going on a bike ride, followed by lunch at Five Guy's and then shopping at the outdoor Tanger Outlets in Atlantic City.  It was a beautiful day to be out side, but I am definitely feeling my limitations of being out in the hot sun, while 33 weeks along.  I pretty much now know what hot flashes are going to feel like and it is no bueno.

32 Weeks and Final Ultrasound

Here is baby Liam's close ups at 32 weeks old!  This will be my last ultrasound before he is born.  He is a healthy little boy that weighs 4 lbs. 11 oz.  O weighed around 6 lbs. when she was born and I have a feeling Liam is going to be over 7 lbs. 

I just love seeing his face with those big fat cheeks and pouty mouth.  We brought O along so she could see her brother for the first time and experience the ultrasound process.  The first half of the ultrasound  the technician took close up pics and measurements of all the organs, bones, and amniotic fluid.  Everything looks good and the tech commented on how active he is.  I have to say he is much more active than O ever was in-utero, sometimes uncomfortably so.  He is also still in correctly facing head down, unlike his sister who did the middle splits on my pelvic bone the entire pregnancy.

O kept asking,"when will I see the baby"!  We tried to explain to her that you are looking at him, but just specific parts of him.  I think she thought it would be an actual pic of an entire baby, waving and smiling at her.  I have to admit it was harder to make things out this time around compared to the last ultrasound.  Everything was on a larger scale, smashed together in a smaller space.  Most of the shots looked like Rorschach paintings. 

The tech at one point put the ultrasound on 4D for a bit and I was hoping she would print the pics in 4D.  We never got to see O in 4D due to the cost, but it was kind of neat seeing it.  We also never got an ultrasound so late into my last pregnancy, one benefit if any of being high risk.

But finally at the end she took some close ups of his face.  Liam's arms were covering his face and hands close together in fists, making it impossible to see his entire face.  The tech keep shaking my belly and taping it with the ultrasound wand to make him move, but he was not feeling very photogenic.  Poor little guy was probably thinking,"would you please leave me alone".
When O got a good look she shrieked with excitement and yelled out "he looks just like me," which melted my heart.  But she is right, from what I can make out.  He has the same pouty lips and button nose.

This is one of my fav pics of his two hands making fists in front of his face.  He looks so intense!

Another pic of fists in front of his face, but you can see the bones in his left hand and part of his face and eye

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Happy Mother's Day and 28 Week Belly Pics

 Happy Mother's Day to all the mommy's and mommy's to be out there!  I woke this morning to my daughter surprising me with a hand made sign that her and Daddy made.  For some time now O has been telling me she has a surprise for Mother's Day and I am shocked she kept it secret so long, hiding it under her bed.  First thing when she woke she grabbed the sign and came running into my bedroom screaming "Happy Mother's Day" and then spent a lot of time explaining her art and what it meant.  She said she tried her hardest to paint flowers, but "they are really hard to make".  I received many kisses, hugs, and I love yous, followed by pancakes for breakfast by Cha.  It is not often I get a meal made for me, to eat first and fully warm. :)
For lunch we might travel up to Marlton to eat at Zoe's and Pinkberry, with a much needed stop to Buy Buy baby to purchase baby supplies for the up coming baby boy.

 Each day this past week O came home from school with a hand made Mother's Day gift.  I always love seeing all the crafts she makes at school, but it was especially sweet when she gave me a craft made just for me.  I think my favorite is this wheel burrow with flower.

 A card with her hand traced out holding some pretty flowers.

 The last craft is a flower hat, which is meant to be hung on the front door.  She told me, "it must be hanging on the outside of the door to let everyone know it is my Mother's Day and she loves me", too cute!

 We have continued to keep the tradition alive of my husband taking belly pics of me in the babies bedroom.  I just love that these images are seen through his eyes and point of view in the very room our baby boy will soon be.  I cannot believe I am already 28 weeks!  This pregnancy is flying by at warp speed.  My pregnancy with O seemed to last forever and felt like I was pregnant for an entire year.  It boggles my mind that I only have about three months left.
Cha asked me the other night if I am over being prego and I said not yet.  However, I am starting to feel my physical limitations, such as putting on socks, tieing shoes, and bending/squatting when gardening.  Things are going to get really fun when the weather starts to get warmer.

You might be wondering what is that gear looking thing on the window seal.  The nursery theme is modern industrial with a lot of planes and car stuff.  I saw this orange decorative wood gear on sale on PBK and thought it would be perfect, especially since our colors are oranges and grays.  The nursery is coming along!  The dresser and step stool being up cycled are almost done.  All that is left is finishing touches like art work, crate toy chests, and hamper.  I am also on the hunt for a really cool air plane, maybe even a zeppelin to be hung from the ceiling.  Cannot tell you how excited I am about his nursery, it has become a sanctuary of sorts for me as well as for Cha.  Some times I will find him sitting in the rocking chair, just chilling in the room.  We are very excited for our bundle of joy!

Happy Easter and 25 Weeks!

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!  I cannot believe it is Easter already and that I am 25 weeks into my pregnancy or about 6 months with 105 days to go.  The baby is supposedly the size of a rutabaga.  I just love the fruit or vegetable they pick to represent the size and weight of the baby each week.

Overall I am feeling great, continuing to work out and so far keeping up with a very busy spring schedule.  Every other day this month has been full of birthday party's, local Easter activities, friends in town and school Easter celebrations.  One of the school Easter celebrations was an Easter parade, were the children in O's pre-k 3 class wore decorative hats and walked around the black top, while parents played paparazzi.  As you can see in the pics I didn't get the memo of decorating a hat, so the teachers gave O some bunny ears.  Thank goodness she didn't seem to mind nor notice she was without a fun Easter hat.

The parade was lead by O's teacher Miss Ramono

O is the caboose

Love the creativity of every ones Easter hats

O's pre-k 3 class or Graduating Class of 2028!  Scary thought!

O loves going to school and making a new set of friends.  Everyday when I pick her up she hands me a stack of things she learned or created that day and once we get in the car tells me about a new friend in class.  One day the aid told me that O invited her entire class over for a play date.  Ha, that's my child!  O loves people and needs to be surrounded by friends at all times, which was a motivator for us to have a second child.  Thank goodness we live in a neighborhood full of children her age she can play with.
Next Tuesday I will be signing her up for Hammonton Public schools pre-k 4 starting in the fall.  I hope she enjoys the public school as much as she has enjoyed St. Joseph.  Cannot get over how fast she is growing up, I think it will be a blink and she will be graduating high school!

23 Weeks Along and Introducing a New Addition to the Willingham Family!

On April 9th, my good friend Adriana Willingham had a little boy named Simon Elliot Willingham.  Adriana has been my prego friend in crime.  It seems like yesterday it was the end of June and we were flying to Birmingham, Al to visit family.  Most of our convo stemmed around whether or not we were going to try for baby number two, all the obstacles in the way and if our hubby's would ever get on board with the idea.  Not knowing our fate on the baby front, I just had a strong feeling she would pregnant soon after our trip.  Sure enough three months later she tells me she is 12 weeks along and we just started trying ourselves, not knowing a month later we would be expecting too!

It has been so nice to have a friend to be pregnant with.  I have always wished for a pregnant friend, someone to share gripes and complaints with through this beautiful yet challenging journey called Motherhood.

 It is so surreal that Simon is finally here!  Tears came to my eyes when I saw him for the first time, lovingly embraced in his Mamma's arms.  I cannot believe this will be me in about 4 months!  I don't feel ready, although I do not think anyone ever feels fully prepared for a child.  

 The amazing duo of Henry and Miss O.  They were so crazy together, I was hoping the IPad would entertain them, but I think they just needed to be at a park and run around.  Hospitals are not a great place for kids.

I love her hand around his arm, however that is more of a get your hands off the IPad rather than a loving embrace. :)

One last pic of the sweet little boy.  I think Henry looks like his Father, but I think Simon looks a lot like Adriana.  You have your mini me's!  I cannot wait to watch him grow over the next year.  Congrats Willingham's he is gorgeous!

22 Week Belly Comparison Shots and Nursery

22 weeks with Olivia! 2009

22 weeks with our Baby Boy!  2014

It is simply amazing the difference between my belly with Miss O and my current belly with our baby boy at the same point in my pregnancies.  I have been protesting for some time now that this pregnancy my belly is bigger and progressing faster and you can definitely see this in the direct comparison.  My current belly is about what I was 28 weeks with O.  What is more amazing is that my body can do this!  Not only create a human being, but expand and change so fast.  It is simply a miracle!

Olivia pregnancy, man I wish I was that skinny right now!

Baby boy pregnancy!

The back ground in Olivia's pregnancy photo is our back yard at our house in Sequim WA.  The current pregnancy background is the baby boy's room in our house in Hammonton, NJ.  Cha has been working very hard to repaint the baby's room.  The previous wall color was a poo brown that Cha and I couldn't stand.  Plus I really want the nursery to have gray walls, the color is called "shakin not stirred," which I think is a funny paint name and so appropriate for a baby's room. :)-

Cha did a great job painting, even repainting the baseboards, trim, and ceiling.  He spent a lot of time on this room, more so than the other two bedrooms when we first moved in.  I think he is excited for this baby boy and proving out the gate he is going to be a great Daddy to this little boy.  I hope our landlords appreciate all that we have done to their house, ha!

Here is what we have so far.  The dresser/changing table, and step stool is in the process of being up cycled.  The stool is going to be painted a burnt orange color and then distressed, while the dresser is going to be painted two shades of gray.  I have also purchased a changing pad cover, and two pillows, one of which has a vintage airplane print on the front and orange chevron on the back.  I will purchase a bumper and blanket made out of this same vintage airplane print.  I have a lot more items I would like for the nursery, all of which are on my Pinterest board under "Baby Boys Nursery" in case you are interested in the direction I am going.  I absolutely love decorating and kids rooms are so fun!

Miss O just had to get in on the action with taking belly pics. She is so excited about the baby, kissing my belly all the time. Ever since we cleaned out the baby's room and painted it, she has been playing in there.  Whoo hoo, a new place in the house she hasn't destroyed!

I think this pic is my favorite!

20 Week Ultrasound, half way there!

Here is our baby boy at 20 weeks old!  Today was my 45 minute ultrasound where they measure all the organs, bones, and check my cervix to see if I am at risk of preterm labor.  Everything looks great, developing normally, and with no abnormalities.  He weighs 14 oz, which is little less than 1lb.  The High Risk OB said he is right on track and is very happy with what he sees.  He is also a mover just like his sister was when she was in utero.  My first ultrasound with O, the technician said she was literally dancing in my uterus.  Even though our boy was active, he seemed much more cooperative with this technician, allowing her to get all the needed measurements.  He is also in correctly facing head down.  Miss O was literally doing the middle splits on my pelvic bone the entire pregnancy, making it hard to determine her gender and causing me to have a C-section.  The tech had no problem confirming his gender, he is not shy at all.  Most of the ultrasound he had his feet crossed at the ankle and liked to move his hands around a lot, making many hand gestures.  It was truly amazing to watch, I was transfixed and in awe of our beautiful baby boy.

My cervix looks normal, so I am not at risk of preterm labor. Overall, we are blessed with a healthy baby and so far a complication-free pregnancy.  I have one more visit with my High Risk OB at 32 weeks and if everything continues to look good that should be my last visit.
Here are some more pics of our boy with all of his fabulous hand gestures, I couldn't be more in love!

Feet crossed at the ankles and one hand.

His hand is either making a hang loose sign or rock on sign.

Pointing, something Daddy does a lot and inherited from his Daddy.

Bottom of his feet and above the underside of his hands.