A Christmas to remember!

Sophia in her Santa outfit Katie got
her on Christmas Eve

We had the most wonderful Christmas with our families this year! It started off with a nice small get together for Christmas Eve at Jeff's parents with some aunts, uncles and cousins we hadn't seen in a very long time! It was so nice to visit with them and catch up, not to mention laugh until our sides hurt! Jeff's mom made a delicious dinner and we opened gifts and just relaxed. It was a lot of fun! Once we got home we put Sophia to bed, and it was now time for us to be Santa. Since Sophia loves to pull all of my pots and pans out of the cupboards and pretend like she is cooking, we thought it would be a good idea to get Sophia her own little play kitchen set for Christmas. So Jeff put it all together and we set it up in front of the Christmas tree along with filling her stocking and putting some other presents out by the tree. I have to admit, as tired as I was, I almost couldn't sleep Christmas Eve night, because I was so excited to see Sophia's face when she woke up in the morning.

Sophia's little reindeer feet on her Christmas PJ's

Christmas morning Jeff and I woke up around 7:30, and went out by the tree to wait for Sophia to wake up. Fortunately Jeff's family lives fairly close so his parents and sister, Katie, and her husband, Kevin, came over early before Sophia woke up to watch her open her gifts from Santa. Around 8:15 am Jeff went upstairs to see if she was awake. She hadn't made a peep, and was just up there hanging out in bed. As we sat at the bottom of the stairs waiting excitedly for her to come down, Jeff and Sophia appeared at the top of the stairs. Sophia looked at us all and smiled and was in such a great mood! Hand in hand Jeff and Sophia slowly came down the stairs and at first Sophia didn't realize her big kitchen set, she was just so excited to see everyone there waiting for her so early in the morning. Then once we showed her the kitchen set Santa had brought her, that's all she wanted to play with! She was pretending to make us coffee and food and then she would bring it to each of us. The cutest part was that she would watch us eat or drink it and then take it back and ask us "more"?

Sophia laughing when Jeff showed her the burner
made a boiling sound

After that we began opening all of our presents to each other, while we tried to get Sophia to part from her kitchen to open one present every now and then. Once we were finished around 10:00 am, my family and siblings came over and we all enjoyed a yummy breakfast (courtesy of Nelson and Kevin). I kept trying to get in there and help cook, but they kept kicking me out telling me to relax, lol. The breakfast was soooo good, complete with french toast, eggs, hash browns, and bacon! We all enjoyed our breakfast together and visited. It was so relaxing and such a wonderful blessing to have both sides of our families all together at our house on Christmas morning!

After a while, Jeff's parents, Katie and Kevin left because they had to go home to get ready for Christmas dinner at there house. We then opened presents with my family and hung out for a while. Sophia got so many wonderful gifts that I'm sure will keep her busy for a VERY long time! Among them were books, coloring books, Alphabet puzzles, a motorized Barbie quad and an art easel. She absolutely loves to draw and was always coloring on my little sister's easel every time she went over to their house so my mom really wanted to get her an easel of her own. It's really cool because it comes with a side that has a chalk board and then a side with a dry erase board and 75 magnetic letters to help her learn the alphabet. Jeff and I also got her a baby doll with a highchair, car seat and baby bassinet. We want her to learn how to help take care of her little sister once she is born and how to be gentle and kind to her. Sophia was quite burned out by the end of opening all of her presents, so we put her down for a nap with her new sponge Bob blanket and pillow (she is obsessed with Sponge Bob!). Jeff and I were just as pooped as she was, so we laid down for a little cat nap as well, before we had to get up and get ready to go over to my grandparents for Christmas dinner. It was so nice to have some down time to rest and relax with Jeff before we had to rush off again!

This Christmas had to be one of my very favorites by far, not because of any of the presents, but because I got to see my daughter's eyes light up with excitement and because we enjoyed a wonderful morning with both of our families all together. And though it was a FULL house and a bit squishy, it just made Christmas complete to have all the people we loved all together under one roof celebrating the birth of Christ!

Our Christmas Card...

This year I thought it would be cool and different to send out a email slide show Christmas card with pics of our changing family throughout this last year. As most of you know we found out in June that we will be expecting another child due Feb 8th by c-section. On top of this wonderful news we have been blessed so much this year with wonderful friends and family and amazing opportunities that the Lord has put in front of us. We are so excited for what the New Year holds in store for our family as we welcome another little girl into this world and (Lord willing), sell our house and move to a more family friendly area for our kids. We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

P.S. Before pushing play don't forget to pause the music at the bottom so you can hear the music /with the/ slide show:)

Prayer Request...

Colds seem to be getting passed around worse than ever this year and holding on longer than they used to. Unfortunately after my beautiful baby shower, I came down with what I had thought was a common cold that would last a few days and then hopefully go away. I have now been sick for a week and a half and it is beginning to take it's toll on me and my body. I have not been able to sleep the last few nights due to chronic coughing and sinus headaches and was beginning to get pretty worn out! During pregnancy there is little one can do to relieve any sort of cold symptoms, so I have just been taking Tylenol for the headaches, hot showers for the congestion, and throat lozenges for my dry soar throat. But it has seemed to do little in the way of helping my body fight this cold. I have also been sleeping upstairs in our spare bedroom so that I wouldn't cough all night all over Jeff and give it to him or keep him up since he has to get up early for work every day. And though it is quite a challenge, I have also been trying to hold Sophia the least amount as possible and when she wants to give me kisses, I turn my head so she kisses my cheek and not my lips because I really don't want her to get it! Wednesday morning Sophia began sneezing and I was hoping it was just a tickle in her nose and not any sign of a cold to come. Well yesterday her nose was a little faucet and she began sneezing more and had a slight temperature. I also should have known she wasn't quite herself, because she gets extra clingy and needy when she's not feeling well. I am really hoping it's a just a little cold and not the same bug I am continuing to fight!

Last year Sophia was sick during Christmas and it was not the relaxing, wonderful first Christmas for her that we had hoped. So I am asking if you could please pray for our family's health. We would really appreciate prayer for Jeff, that he can stay cold-free and continue to enjoy the holidays. Also for Sophia, that she can kick this cold fast and be better before Christmas so she can really enjoy her second Christmas! And lastly for me and the baby, that I will be able to get over this cold before it turns into anything worse (like pneumonia), and that the baby continues to stay healthy and grow strong. My family and I know that God has us in His care and we truly appreciate your prayers for us! Thank you, God bless, and I hope you and your families are enjoying this wonderful time of year!

This picture has nothing to do with my post, I just thought it was too cute so I had to share it with you:) It's of Sophia kissing my friend, Lauren's son, Jude. It's just one of those sweet little innocent moments that melt your heart.

Two weeks and counting...

A few months back Sophia started showing an interest in potty training. So we thought,hey why not? She is a little early to be starting the potty training process, but Jeff and I thought why not start her now and just let her do it at her own pace, and maybe she will be diaper free before the second baby comes. Well, as of two Mondays ago, Sophia has not pooped in her diaper for two weeks now! She has told us every time that she needs to go "boop-boop" (poo-poo) before hand and then we put her on her potty seat and she goes in the toilet. She gets so excited and is so proud of herself that she'll clap for herself and then want to give me a high-five and a hug. We are so proud of her, after all, changing a poopy diaper is a lot worse than changing a peepy diaper. She's still working on going tinkle in the toilet, but she still doesn't have it completely down yet. She goes off and on in the toilet, but still will tell me right after she went in her diaper too. I really hope this continues, because then we are half way there to tackling the potty training before baby girl #2 arrives. Only having to change (and buy) one set of diapers would be such a blessing!!!

Now Available!

I have just posted gift certificates for my jewelry on Etsy in the amounts of $15.00 and $20.00! To check out these gift certificates and a complete selection of my jewelry go to GLASSCOCOON.esty.com.

Great Holiday Gifts!

I have just added some new designs just in time for the holidays! Below are a few styles, and be sure to check out my Esty shop at glasscocoon.etsy.com for a complete selection of my jewelry! I am also offering a holiday special on shipping. Buy one piece of jewelry and the shipping on the second item is free, so you only end up paying $2.00 shipping for two items!!! This special is going on now through Dec. 24th! Every item is always beautifully gift wrapped, and because of the holidays I am offering elegant holiday wrapping too!!!

Stress-free Holidays...

This year I vowed to get a jump start on all of the holiday "to-do's", so that when December finally rolled around, I would be able to relax and enjoy Christmastime rather than running around like crazy trying to get all of the shopping done. After all the meaning of Christmas is not about materialistic things as much as the media would like us to believe, but rather about spending time with the ones we love celebrating the birth of Christ, and also displaying Christ's character through our actions to take care of those less fortunate. I thought one way to make this time of year more enjoyable would be to simplify, so I suggested that we draw names on my family's side so that we were only buying and picking out a gift for one family member. After all, we have pretty much everything we need and the idea of just getting a present for someone "just to get one" didn't seem sincere to me. Now with only one person to buy for, we can really spend some time and thought on picking out what that person really needs! Jeff and I also started Christmas shopping a lot earlier, so that we would be done way before Christmas. As of right now, we only have two more people to shop for! And as I wrote in an earlier post, we decorated the house all Christmassy before we left for Washington on Thanksgiving, so we could enjoy the decorations right when we got back home. And I was so proud of Jeff for getting the Christmas lights up on the house before we left for Thanksgiving too, so now we can enjoy them every night. You can't tell from the picture I posted, but the lights are red and white like a candy cane. Jeff added more lights again this year and blew a couple fuses in the process, lol. But he and his co-worker, Joe, finally figured out a system. Sophia absolutely loves the Christmas lights and every time we turn them on she goes outside to look at them and says, "daddy", because she's telling us that daddy put them up. The only task left to do is put up our Christmas tree. We always have a real live tree, so we try to wait until the first week of December before getting one, to ensure that the tree lives until Christmas. When we were pulling out our decorations last week, we found a small pre-lit tree that we couldn't find a place for this year, so we decided to put it up in Sophia's room. Now every time we go up to her room she asks me to plug in the tree so she can see it all lit up. We decorated it all "girly" with purple snowflake garland, purple sparkly balls, and purple icicles. And now she gets to enjoy her very own little Christmas tree.

Here's a picture of our house all lit up!

I have also been enjoying baking lots of holiday goodies this year (and trying not to eat them all)! Among them have been fudge brownies, chocolate chunk cookies, peanutbutter cookies, and dark chococlate peppermint bark. This is the first year I have made peppermint bark and found it to be so easy and soooo yummy that I thougth I would share the recipe with you :)

Peppermint Bark:

Ingredients:

6 ounces (150 grams) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (do not use chocolate chips!)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

6 ounces (150 grams) white chocolate, coarsely chopped (do not use white chocolate chips!)

1/3 - 1/2 cup (50 - 80 grams) crushed candy canes

Peppermint Bark: Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch (23 cm) square baking pan with aluminum foil, smoothing out any wrinkles.

Melt the semi sweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Immediately pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan and tilt the pan so the chocolate makes an even layer. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.

Then, melt the white chocolate and remaining 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Immediately pour the melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate and tilt the pan so the chocolate is in an even layer. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes evenly over the white chocolate. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.

Remove the Peppermint Bark from the pan by lifting the edges of the aluminum foil. Peel back the foil and break the bark into small irregular pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Makes about 25 pieces.


P.S. Just beware, it's addicting!

Little Christmas Package...

Since we will be out of town for Thanksgiving this year, Jeff and I decided we would decorate our house for Christmas before we left. So yesterday, while Sophia was taking a nap, we pulled out all of our Christmas decorations and began putting them up. We decorated the living room, dining room, kitchen and down stairs bathroom. It looks and feels so Christmassy now! We knew Sophia would probably love the decorations, but we didn't anticipate how much she would react to them once she woke up. We both heard her up and about in her room, so Jeff went up to get her and bring her downstairs. As she walked down the stairs her eyes lit up with excitement. She began pointing to all of the decorations including a big stuffed snowman on the stairs and was saying, "man, man." She also loves this big ceramic Santa sitting in a chair that we put right next to the fireplace. She went over and sat on his lap and kissed the top of his head. You would have thought it was Christmas morning to her. It just warmed both of our hearts to see her so entranced and excited about all of the fun decorations we have collected over our 7 1/2 years of being married, and now she gets to enjoy them! We still had a few bins of Christmas decorations to put up. One of which contained some self adhesive Christmas labels for presents. Sophia was immediately drawn to these and pulled the whole sheet out (thinking they were stickers), and wanted us to put one on her hand. Well one thing led to another and before you knew it, she was covered from head to toe in Christmas present tags. She thought she was so hilarious and when Jeff and I would laugh at her, she would cover her mouth and laugh too! She just lights up our lives and we are so in love with our little girl!!!

After Jeff put one label on her tummy, she said "mo, mo" (more)

Sophia picking out the labels she wants to wear

Cracking herself up!

All decked out sitting on Santa's lap

Mums the word...

So after much debate, Jeff and I have finally agreed on a name for our little girl. However, we still don't have a middle name picked out, well so I thought.? The other day we were talking with my family about having a name, but wanting to keep it a surprise until the baby arrives and I said we still didn't have a middle name. Well, that's when Jeff told me he had picked out a middle name that he thought was cute. So I asked him what it was and he told me it was a surprise and that he would tell me once the baby arrives. You can probably guess my reaction, lol. At first I was like, "what the heck, man!? I'm the one carrying the baby, I should have the right to know!" But after a while I thought, "actually it's kind of cool and gives me a little something special to look forward to after I have her." I just hope I like it, lol. But I trust his taste, after all he likes to decorate, shop and take bubble baths. He's a man after my own heart:) I just can't wait to hear the middle name he picked out!!!

New Bedtime Routine...

Every since we transferred Sophia to her "Big" girl bed, we have been rocking her until she is completely asleep and then laying her down. We were doing this because we were afraid that if she was awake when we put her to bed she would try to climb out. Well, after a few weeks, Sophia's night time routine started to get quite lengthy and become quite the tiring process. As I have come farther along in my pregnancy and my tummy has gotten bigger, it has been increasingly harder to rock Sophia or for her to get comfortable in the rocking chair. Because of this, she would fidget and squirm around, thus kneeing and elbowing my stomach which was very painful. And because it took her longer to get comfortable, it took longer to rock her to get her to fall completely asleep, thus resulting in a 45 minute night time routine. This was beginning to wear me out and by the time I would finally get her to sleep I was ready for bed! Sophia was also waking up every few nights in the middle of the night and wouldn't go back to sleep, so I was moving her over to the spare bedroom and sleeping the rest of the night in there with her. I was beginning to miss the comfort of my own bed, and a good nights rest! Well, Jeff and I talked and decided it was time to start putting her to bed completely awake and letting her sooth herself to sleep. We made this decision based on her age and due to our second little girl that will be needing much of our attention come February. We want Sophia to feel safe sleeping in her bed all by herself and feel comfortable going to bed on her own, so that if the baby needs us at the same time, it wont be a struggle. I had a feeling this wasn't going to be a fun process and was probably going to be harder on me than on Sophia. Well, I finally decided the sooner the better. So when Monday rolled around, come nighttime, I was going to sing two songs to her, give her a kiss and lay her in her bed. After doing this, I left the door open so that I could see if she sat up in bed or tried to climb out. Of course she cried and she sounded so sad! After about 20 times of telling her to lay back down and that I loved her and she was a big girl and needed to sleep in her own bed, she finally pooped herself out and slept through the night until 8am the next morning. Tuesday night was even harder, when she cried and through out whimpering would sadly say "mooommmmy". It tore me up inside to hear her call for me and I had to keep reminding myself it would be better for both her and I, to sleep in our own beds and get a good nights rest. She is getting so smart these days and tried using many methods of stalling, such as needing to go potty, needing a tissue for her nose, and wanting me to kiss her head. It took every ounce of strength to not give in and pick her up and rock her!!! When Wednesday rolled around, I layed Sophia down, she cried for about 15 minutes and fell asleep. Thursday was much the same and Friday was even easier and it took Sophia about 5 minutes of quiet whimpering before she yawned, rolled over and fell asleep. Tonight, I couldn't believe it! I sang her two songs, layed her down and not a peep!!! She closed her eyes, snuggled her bear and blanky and went to sleep all on her own without any crying at all! I am hoping this painful process has finally come to an end, and she is comfortable falling asleep on her own in her own bed. Though I do miss rocking her, I know in the long run, this is a good change and will all be for the best.

Trick or Treat...

This Halloween marked Sophia's second year of trick-or treating! We went over to Jeff's parents house in Sunnyside to take Sophia trick-or treating in their big neighborhood. We started off the evening with some yummy Jack-o-Lantern pizzas and then bundled her up and took her out to get some treats. The first few houses we went to, Sophia was a little hesitant, and not quite sure of what to do. After about 10 houses or so, she became quite the old pro and would go up to the house, knock on the door, and when they opened it up, she would pick out a candy, put it in her bag and then say thank you and finish off with a wave good bye. Her favorite house had to be the one where the family had dressed up as the muppet characters. She just stopped, stared, and smiled and kept on waving to them. It was a nice change of scenery to see some people dress up friendly and cute instead of scary. A big bonus was the weather! In the morning it had started off drizzling, so I was a little worried, but by the evening, it was a clear, dry, and fairly warm October night. Sophia was such a big girl and ended up walking (and running from house to house), the entire time! It was fun to see her facial expression when she would try to figure out who the people were in their different costumes. We were hoping all the fresh air would tire her out, but by the time we were finished trick-or-treating and got back to Jeff's parents house, Sophia was only more excited to see all the treats she had collected! We visited for a while longer, put Sophia in her pj's and headed for home to unwind from a busy night. Sophia seemed to have so much fun and was quite the little trooper with all the hustle bustle and activity going on. I know we are a little biased, but we thought we had the cutest little candy corn witch around! It turned out to be such a wonderful Halloween!

Before Trick-or-Treating at Grandma and Grandpas

Cutest Candy Corn Witch Ever!

Our little family all dressed up!

Sophia wasn't sure what to think about this scary guy!?

Pumpkin Carving Time...

Last night we decided we should finally carve our pumpkins before Halloween passed us by. So out came the pumpkin carving tools and spoons to clean out the pumpkins. We set up the table in our kitchen complete with a plastic table cover to catch all the mess and started carving and cleaning and making our jack-o-lanterns. We thought Sophia would go crazy and make a big mess with the seeds and pumpkin gunk, but she surprised us both and took one pumpkin seed out of the pumpkin at a time. Her pumpkin was way too tiny to carve so she helped Jeff clean out his and then I drew a little face on hers. She was so content just sitting there holding onto her little pumpkin while she watched me and Jeff carve our faces on our pumpkins. I think she thought her pumpkin was a toy, rather then a decoration, lol. After we finished with our pumpkins, we cleaned up and put candles in the inside and set them out on the front porch. We took a quick "pleased with ourselves" look, before realizing how cold it was and hurried back inside to sit on the couch and watch "Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin." By the time the TV special was over, Sophia was yawning and pooped out from all the activity. It was off to bed for her, but she seemed like she had a very fun evening! Jeff and I both had alot of fun with our little girl too! It was fun to have her experience "pumpkin carving" for the first time to actually dig in and be a part of it all! We are having so much fun making memories with her more and more! I just can't wait until Christmas!!!!

Daddy, Mommy, and Sophia's pumpkins before carving

Jeff and Sophia posing with their pumpkins

Sophia showing off her itty-bitty pumpkin

Sophia helping daddy clean out his big pumpkin

All she would say was "ewww" when she saw the pumpkin gunk

She was very meticulous and took one seed out at a time

Finished Product

This one was taken without a flash so you could get the full "jack-o-lantern" effect

6 months and going strong!

Yesterday Jeff and I went in for my 6 month check-up and to discuss with a different doctor, whether or not I should get a c-section this time around. The doctor looked at my chart and without any hesitation said I most definitely will need a c-section and that there is too great a chance of me tearing again to risk a vaginal birth. She explained that the scar tissue from my last tear is actually weaker than regular tissue, so it is pretty likely I could tear again over my original tear, which in the long run could cause some serious physical problems. I am SO glad we got a second opinion, because I was all ready to go ahead and do it vaginally if my first doctor thought I would be okay to do so.

The doctor explained that I couldn't lift Sophia for 4 weeks or drive for 2 weeks, so I will definitely be needing help from my family! Jeff will be taking some time off to help the first week, but once he has to return back to work is when the challenge will begin. Sophia is pretty self sufficient these days. The only times I usually have to lift her is to get into her highchair for lunch, into her bed for nap time, and onto the toilet for potty training. My mom had a great idea and suggested we get her a few lightweight stools to put in her room and in the bathroom so she can learn to climb up on her own. I thought this was a great suggestion and will be going to get a couple plastic stools to start the process, so she's used to it by the time the baby comes.

I asked the doctor if they were limiting visitors due to the swine flu epidemic, and she said yes. No one under the age of 12 can come into labor and delivery, which means Sophia and my triplet siblings wont be able to see me or the baby until we get home from the hospital. Not being able to see Sophia while I'm in the hospital or introduce her to her new baby sister right after she arrives, is going to be the hardest part for me for sure! Sophia is my little buddy, my heart, and not having her there to share in this moment is going to kill me. I know it is for both my health and our new little girl, but it will definitely be a bit of a struggle for me emotionally. I know I will be so excited to see her when we bring the baby home!

Over half way there and only 3 1/2 more months to go, I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Yes, pregnancy has been pretty easy compared to most, but I am getting to that point where things are harder for me to do and I can't wait to get back into shape and be completely self sufficient once again! We will be scheduling the c-section at my 8 month check-up and it will probably be around Feb. 7th, give or take a few days. It would be kind of funny to have our daughters birthdays be 7/11.

The following pictures are just some cute pics I took of Sophia in the bath tub, that I thought I would share with you:)

Pickin out a pumpkin...

Thankfully the weather cooperated on Sunday and we were able to take Sophia to the pumpkin patch as planned. Last year she was only 8 months and could barely stand on her own. This year she had so much more fun! We were joined by my parents and siblings and Jeff's parents, and we all met at Olson's Farms in Damascus. I had never been there, but it turned out to be a really cool pumpkin patch! We took a horse drawn hay ride out to the big pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. When Sophia saw all of the different sizes and shapes of the pumpkins, she couldn't decide which one she wanted. She just kept going from pumpkin to pumpkin picking them up and wanting to hand them to me and Jeff. After finally deciding on a pumpkin, we walked back to the main area to take a group picture and pay for the pumpkins. They had a huge 500lb pumpkin that we took a picture of Sophia sitting on, and they also had a guy dressed up as a stuffed scare crow that would pretend to just be sitting there, and then jump and scare everyone! It was hilarious to see people's reactions, however, Sophia didn't really know what to think about the scare crow. She didn't seem to like him too much, lol. We had such a wonderful time and were blessed with such a beautiful day to enjoy the pumpkin patch! I can't wait until next year when we will have two little pumpkins of our own to enjoy!

Different the second time around...

Today, after dropping Sophia off at Grandma's, Jeff and I enjoyed a day off together. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Olive Garden and then headed over to Target to register for the baby. We filled out all our information and then went to the baby section to start scanning items to put on our list. As we were going down the isles, we realized we weren't needing to scan very many things because we already have them because of Sophia. It was nice because it didn't seem to take us very long to register and we only put on the items we really needed this time. Mostly our list consisted of smaller, more affordable items such as diapers, some outfits, and BPA free bottles (that we didn't have with Sophia). The only large, somewhat expensive items were our crib and dresser set, which is what we need the most out of anything! We love how Sophia's crib turned into a day bed when she started crawling out of her crib, so we decided to go with another convertible crib for our next little girl. For her room, Jeff really wanted to go with a Classic Pooh theme, so we will be decorating the room in yellow, green, and tan, and then accenting it with a Classic Pooh picture frame, stuffed animals, and pictures that we already have. And I am so excited because Barbara offered to make the crib bedding again, just like she did for Sophia! I am so excited because it allows me to customize the bedding and make it how I really want and she can keep it with her as she gets older! I am so thankful and blessed to have such a talented mother-in-law that can offer to do that for us!

It seems like every time another month rolls around, I find myself saying, "I can't believe I'm already __ months along. But it's true! Next week I will be 6 months and it literally seems like yesterday that Jeff and I were wondering, "is this going to be the month we get a positive pregnancy test!?" And now we are over half way there and starting to think about how we are going to decorate her room and prepare for a second child. She continues to get more active and is getting so strong, you can almost see her moving in my stomach now! I feel myself bonding more and more with her as she moves around more and as my stomach gets bigger and bigger. I am still feeling really good physically and have quite a bit of energy. However, it is getting increasingly harder to bend over to put on my shoes or pick stuff up off of the floor.

My cravings have seemed to change, and I am once again craving sweets like I did with Sophia. And what do you know, just in time for the holidays, lol. I have been in such a baking mood lately, except for the fact that I need more people to give the goodies to once I bake them, or I will just end up eating them all! But Jeff seems to like it and eats them all, so I won't, lol.

I am so excited for the holidays and can't wait to see Sophia's eyes light up when she see's all of the Christmas decorations and lights this year! She's at the age where she is understanding more and we are so excited for her to experience the holidays this year! If the weather holds out, we are hoping to take Sophia to the pumpkin patch on Sunday (keep your fingers crossed)! I'll be sure to post the pictures after we go!

Well, got to go put my little dearest to bed. Hopefully I didn't ramble too much :)

Little Parrot...

Sophia has been so expressive recently and chatters away as she plays and will even sing along with us when we sing her to sleep. We are also teaching her animals sounds such as what a dog, cat, cow, chicken, and lion say. She is really good at saying the cow and doggy sound and concentrates so hard on how her lips are supposed to be shaped to make a "mooooh" sound. It's so cute! She also mimics every gesture we make. Like if I laugh and cover my mouth because something is funny, she will imitate me and do the same thing. She had me and my friend, Kristen cracking up the other day, because everything I would do, she would copy me. It's like having a "mini-me". She is so much fun at this age!

Growing little girl...

The other day I had to take Sophia in for a check-up and another group of shots. These doctor appointments are getting increasingly harder to go to, just because of the fact that Sophia is getting older and knows when they are going to poke her with the needle. This time I was prepared with some treats after wards in hopes that it would make the pain go away faster and bring a smile to her face through all the sad tears. The stickers and fruit snacks did seem to help and though she cried, her tears faded a lot faster and by the time we were on our way to the car, she had stickers on both hands and a mouthful of fruit snacks, and was only sniffling a little bit. I was so proud of her!

Sophia is growing like a weed and is in the 92 percentile for her height and 27 percentile for her weight. She hasn't gained any weight since her last check up, but the doctor said that as long as she seems to be eating good and frequently, than there is no cause for concern. I was pretty surprised, because to me, when I hold her, she feels so heavy and at times it's as if we can't fill her up! I have a feeling she will be built like her daddy and be a little bean pole, lol. I definitely wasn't as tall as she is at this age, so I'm thinking she's going to pass me right up!

She is continuing to develop her vocaubulary and is now adding two-syllable words, such as "bubbles" and "balloon". She has an increasing interest in letters and loves to play with a puzzle my sister-in-law got for her that spells out her entire name. She puts it together and then dumps it out, and does it all over again ( a million times, lol). She also carries on little conversations with herself while she plays and has grown more interested in dolls and stuffed animals lately. We are trying to show her how to hold her baby dolls, and kiss them and rub there backs. She is quite the little mommy. I am so excited to see her with the new baby! Sophia also helps me with chores around the house such as dusting, dishes, and laundry. She LOVES to help! I will give her a little bundle of laundry out of the dryer to go put on the couch so we can fold it, and once she sets it down she comes back to me with open arms and says "more". You can tell she is so proud of herself when she knows she's helping us.

Sophia vacuuming the couches

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful little girl! I love her more and more everyday and can't imagine my life without her! It has been so much fun getting to stay at home with her these past two months and I feel so lucky to get to be there for all those "little moments", that I feel I would have missed had I been working. God truely designed me to be a mom, and I absolutely LOVE it and wouldn't change a thing!

New Styles Have Arrived!

As many of you know I sell jewelry on Etsy. Well, I wanted to share with you the new pieces that I have just listed. There is quite the variety of styles and tastes, and I'm sure you will find something that you love! Be sure to check out my Esty site, as my selection changes often. I have more items I am working on at this very moment, and am hoping to have them up by the end of the week. And don't be afraid to ask me questions! If you see an item that you wanted but it has already sold, convo me on my Etsy site, or email me at linzbphoto@yahoo.com and I might have the supplies to re-create another one just for you!

And remember, most of my items are under $15.00, so you can splurge and not break the bank! Please also keep my site in mind as the holidays roll around! I am still in the process of posting my gift certificates, but hope to have them available within the next week, so keep that in mind as well! Thank you for your continued support for my business and "Compassion First" and I look forward to working with you!

http://glasscocoon.etsy.com

50's Inspired Charm Necklace $13.00

Her first pairs of shoes...

I can't believe I am already 5 months along (over half way there)! Our little baby girl has been growing more and more active every day and is kicking me like crazy. I just can't get over how amazing the feeling is! I went in for my 5 month check up and everything looks great! I got to listen to her heart beat again and it was so fast and strong! At our next appointment we will be talking to our new doctor, my gynecologist, (who is actually a doctor/ not a nurse practitioner like the one we had with Sophia) about the option of a c-section. Due to the many complications I had during my delivery with Sophia, they want to discuss the pro's and con's of doing a c-section rather than having me deliver vaginally again. Honestly, I have been trying to mentally prepare myself either way, and know I will be in good hands this time.
Because at our ultrasound appointment, the technician could not conclusively say the gender of our baby, so I have put off buying any gender specific baby clothes. However, my mom couldn't help herself when she was shopping the other day and got our little girl her very first pairs of shoes/ booties. But now I've been struck with the shopping bug and can't wait to buy her all sorts of new little hats, outfits, and shoes!!!

Aren't they adorable!?

A Day of Fun and Relaxation...

Our Sunday began with Mickey Mouse chocolate chip pancakes (my favorite)! My mom used to make them for me when I was a little girl, and now I enjoy making them for Sophia. She loves them just as much as I do, and the evidence of her enjoyment could be found all over her cheeks and chin, lol.

Loving her pancakes!

After a late breakfast, we relaxed together as a family and played with Sophia. Before it was Sophia's nap time, I asked her if she wanted to try to go potty on the toilet. She ran into the bathroom and grabbed her potty chair. After a few minutes she went potty and was so proud that she was yelling "dad" from the bathroom, because she wanted Jeff (who was in the living room)to come see what she had done. She gets to pick a sticker as her reward when she goes potty in the toilet. She's so hilarious because when I tell her to flush, she waves at the water as it flushes, lol. She is doing really well at potty training and we are so proud of her for wanting to try and for being patient with the whole process.

Proud Smile

After going potty, we put her down for a nap (she slept for 2 1/2 hours), while Jeff and I enjoyed some time together. Once Sophia woke up, we decided to take a trip to Starbucks for Pumpkin Spice Coffees and then stopped by the craft store, where I picked up a few jewelry supplies. Because the weather was so gorgeous, we spontaneously decided to try a new park by our house and let Sophia run off some energy. The new park was really nice and well kept! Sophia had a lot of fun on the slide, the swings and we also went for a walk around the park on the cement pathway. Unfortunately, my camera battery went dead at the park after only a few pictures, so I don't have any to post from the park. But did get some of Jeff and Sophia together once we got home and I got a new battery.

Sophia and Daddy home from the park

This melts my heart!

Once we were home, Katie and Kevin came over to give Jeff his birthday present and we were happy that they ended up staying for dinner. We had delicious Thai food from a little place close to our house. We watched football while Sophia played. Sophia LOVES Uncle Kevin and while they were doing a puzzle together, I couldn't help but get a picture.

Kevin helping Sophia with her puzzle (So sweet!)

Soon it was bed time for Sophia and Katie and Kevin had to go home, but we had such a wonderful, relaxing day enjoying the gorgeous Fall weather and spending the day together as a family. I love Sundays!

It's a...

I have been so excited for this day to come! We went in to the doctor for our ultrasound appointment, along with our parents and my siblings. After almost an hour of measuring, checking for the brain, heart, and kidneys, the ultrasound technician finally asked if we wanted to know the gender. Let's just say that the "little one" was quite active and kept on moving when he was trying to see if it was a boy or girl. After many attempts and a few photos, he said that he couldn't say for sure, but he thought that we were probably having a girl. I guess this is quite common, where the baby does not cooperate, so they can't tell for sure. To be honest, I was a bit bummed that he couldn't tell the gender for certain, but we are going with "It's a Girl", and couldn't be more happy! We don't have a name picked out yet, but I am sure we will have one very soon. We also found out that I am a week further along than they thought, so at this point I am actually 19 weeks, not 18.

When our families came in, Sophia looked at me with concern when she saw me lying on the hospital bed. We pointed out to her, her new little sister moving around on the screen. Of course she wasn't quite sure what she was looking at, but it was neat to have her there! It will be so fun having two little girls running around. I am so excited to see what she looks like in comparison to Sophia and also to see what her personality is like. The last few days she has been getting more and more active and likes to move and kick the most at night, or right when I'm lying down to go to bed. I absolutely love the feeling and smile every time I feel her. It is the coolest feeling in the world!

Jeff and I feel so blessed to have one healthy, beautiful little girl and another on the way! We are so excited for her to arrive and know two kids will be a handful, but we can't wait to experience the journey all over again!

Her Little Profile
(all of the other ultrasound pics were pretty fuzzy)

Boy or Girl?

This Wednesday we go to the doctor to find out if we are having a boy or girl and we are so excited! From the very beginning I have thought I was having a boy, however, almost everyone else thinks I am having a girl. Either way we are happy, except if we are having a girl, we will need to agree on a girl name eventually. If it is a boy, his name will be Boston Jefferey Boss. We have loved this name since I was pregnant with Sophia! Just like last time, my parents will be coming to the ultrasound, along with my siblings and a special guest this time, big sister Sophia. We are so excited to have her there with us to see her little brother or sister on the computer screen moving around inside my tummy. It is very important to me and Jeff that Sophia be a part of everything as much as she can and to feel included, not like she is being replaced by the new baby. We are so proud of what a big girl she is becoming and know she will be a very proud and helpful big sister. She is continuing to do great with potting training and has even let me know a few times that she needed to go to the bathroom ahead of time and then turned out going on the toilet. She is also doing great with her transition from a crib to a day bead, and slept from 8:30 last night to 8:30 this morning. It is so comforting knowing she is safe and not going to hurt herself trying to climb out of her crib. In addition, it's also easier for me to lay her down, because I don't have to worry about squishing my growing tummy on the side of her crib railing.

We are so anxious to find out if we are having a boy or girl and can't wait to share it with you!

Loon Lake...

Over the holiday weekend, we went camping at Loon Lake (our favorite camping spot), with my family and Jeff's family. It was Sophia's first time being there and we couldn't wait to see how she liked it! One of the main reasons it's our favorite place to camp, is that they have a sand beach, and you can pull your boat or wave runner right up onto the sand and jump in and go out on the water for a ride. They also have a play ground for the kids and walking/biking trails,a roped off swimming area, a huge waterfall, craw-dadding and fishing. To sum it all up they pretty much have something for everybody there, which is why our families had so much fun! It had been about 3 1/2 years since we had been there, and we couldn't wait to go back! We had an absolute blast, and the weather was gorgeous! It was in the 80's the entire week.
We spent most of the time hanging out on the beach soaking up the sun and swimming in the lake. Jeff took our waverunner out a few times on the lake, and also took my brothers and sister for a ride on it. Unfortunately I couldn't ride it this year because of being preganant, but there's always next year! However, I was able to ride in my in-laws boat and took Sophia on her first boat ride! I have to admitt, I was a bit nervous. Even though she had a life jacket on, I held on to her for dear life and finally relaxed as we pulled into shore. Sophia of course, was completely relaxed and ended up falling alseep in my arms, lol. We also got to watch my brothers get up on a knee board (with Jeff's help), and go knee borading around the lake. That was really fun to watch and Sophia loved watching them and clapping for them when they got up.
Another nice thing about Loon Lake, is that the water is fairly warm. We spent alot of the time in the water cooling off because it was so hot there. Sophia was a regular fish and did so good around the water. She never went went deeper than her knees, until the last day, when she started to get brave. Other than that, she stayed on the beach where the waves hit the shore and played with her bucket and shovel. Lets just say she had sand in every possible nook and cranny and was quite the sand monster, lol.
Before we ha dgone camping, I was a little nervous about taking Sophia at her age because of sleeping arrangments, the open campsites where she could roam free, and the water. But she proved me wrong! Sophia and I slept in my parents camping trailer, and she did wonderful and would sleep until 8 or 9 every morning. She also listened really good about staying around the campsite and not running out into the street. And she was the best around the water. I was nervous she would run right in and I would have to monitor her the entire time, worrying she was going to go head under. But she was fairly cautious and played while we sat on the beach and relaxed.
It was so fun having both our families there together and spending a week with them. It was the first time my parents had been there and they thought it was so beautiful and relaxing! We are hoping to go back again next year, only this time we will have a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old. Should be interesting, lol. Camping has been an important family past time for both me and Jeff's families and it is something we want our kids to experience and to pass on to them.

Sweet Little Sophia

Tried to steal everyone's flip-flops the entire time :)

Having fun playing in the water

My sis Cassidy and Sophia splashing eachother

Jeff swinging Sophia around in the water

Taking a dip with my girl

Sophia and Jeff on their way back up to the campsite

Sophia kissing her little brother or sister

Family Picture:Me & baby#2, Sophia, & Jeff