22 Week Bump Comparison

I have often heard that first time mommies may not "show" as quickly as women who have been pregnant before. Up until recently, I do think I was a little bigger this time around. Today, though, I was looking back at old photos, and I noticed that I'm just about the same size as I was last time. It seems like I'm leveling out, so to speak, at the 22 week mark. In fact, I may be a little smaller now than I was at 22 weeks with Colin. What do you think?

Can I also just say that the photo quality is so much better with my iPhone 4S than it was with the 3GS? Wow!

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August Group Giveaway @ The View From 510!

This month, I'm participating in a group giveaway over at The View from 510. If you haven't checked out Erin's adorable blog, hop on over, say hello, and enter to win some sweet goodies!

Oh, and one more thing.            
                                                       Go Gamecocks!

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Baby Boy Has a Name!

When we conceived our first son, we had been trying for a few months and had plenty of time to think about names. The day of the "big ultrasound," as soon as we knew he was a boy, we knew that his name would be Colin.

Since this pregnancy took us completely by surprise, we didn't think about names right away. When we finally started to get serious about baby names, we chose a girl name first because my gut told me that this one was going to be a little girl. Well, my gut was wrong, and we didn't get to use Claire Elizabeth this time around. Maybe someday. :)

Once we learned that this baby is a little boy and not a girl after all, we flip-flopped between a few boy names that we liked, and scanned dozens of baby name lists just in case anything else jumped out at us. We knew that we generally preferred names that were simple, straightforward, and not super popular or trendy. In the end, it came down to one. It just fits. Colin's little brother's name will be...

I guess we can check one more thing off the list. Phew! Next up: putting together Reid's nursery! It feels so good to be able to use his name. :)

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State of the Uterus - 21 Weeks

Up until the halfway point, it seemed like this pregnancy was crawling by. I think I just really wanted to know what we were having, and was going crazy in anticipation of the big ultrasound. Now that it has come and gone, I think things are starting to speed up. Our new little boy's room has a fresh coat of sky blue paint and is ready to be decorated! I totally admire my "Team Green" friends who aren't going to find out their baby's sex until his/her birthday, but we just don't have that kind patience, I guess. Ha. I think it's really nice to be able to plan.

And speaking of planning, we think we know what his name is going to be. We're about 80% sure, and we're trying it on for size for a bit to see if it feels right. I do plan to share once we're positive it's the name. So keep an eye out for a name post, probably in the near future!

How far along? 21 weeks.

Due Date: January 6, 2012

Total weight gain/loss: Last time I checked, I was still up about 8 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Loving my new Old Navy maternity pants!

Sleep: I'm still a bit restless at night, but sleeping pretty well for the most part.

Best moment this week: Having the nursery painted, thanks to my sweet hubby and brother-in-law who knocked it out in one day!

Nursery sneak preview!

Movement: Feeling lots of movement, mostly in the evenings, and sometimes during the day at work. From last week's ultrasound, we know that baby is currently breech, so most of the kicks I feel are down pretty low, where his tiny feet are.

Food cravings: I just saw an ad for candy corn M&Ms and I'm intrigued.

Food aversions: Still not really into red meat.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: Just some little aches and pains as my uterus stretches.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Nothing this week, really. I am starting to relax and enjoy this pregnancy. I especially love watching the bump get bigger each week as this little boy grows!

What I am looking forward to: The arrival of the decals and furniture we've ordered for the nursery, so we can get it all decorated! Told you we were crazy about planning.

Milestones: Baby boy can now perceive the difference between light and dark from inside the womb, and he should be able to grip things, like the umbilical cord, which was right up by his face when we last saw him. :)

Please excuse my look. I was up early tending to a teething boy and a sick hubby!

 

And just for fun... here is 19 month old big brother Colin strutting around the backyard yesterday. We are thankful for some beautiful, sunny, late August afternoons!

Check out my 21 week pregnancy update with Colin!

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Keep on Keepin' On

In my recent 10 Things About Me post, I talked a little bit about something that I don't often mention here on the blog, but that is always at the back of my mind:

Growing up, I always pictured myself as a stay at home mom. I've never had a solid career goal because family has always been my #1 focus. I still feel that way even though I have a full-time job. I work to support my family, not because I place a high value on this job, or even on the idea of being a working woman in general. I work because we can't afford for me not to. Given the chance, I would gladly raise my children at home.

I received a comment on that blog post that really got me thinking. Kate from A Work in Progress asked, "If being a working mom isn't your first choice, how do you keep on keeping on? I find it so hard! Looking for advice from other moms who make it work."

To answer this, let me start with a little background. Justin and I married young. We were very much in love, had our heads in the clouds, and didn't know a whole lot about our future except that we wanted to spend it together. We always knew we'd have children one day, but the rest was kind of fuzzy. He was working full time, and I was a full time college student {with no idea what I really wanted to do} so I made the big move from Michigan to South Carolina to be with him, where his job was, and to work toward my degree. Four years later, in 2009, I finally completed my BA in English. When people asked me what I wanted to do with it, I didn't have a great answer. I was working at the University of South Carolina, and once I was finished with my degree, I landed a full time position.

I'm still working there now, at the Service Desk, helping people change their passwords, log into their e-mail accounts, and connect to wi-fi. If you would have told me a few years ago that at 26, I would still be working in the technology field, I would have laughed. I like my job because it gives me the opportunity to work with people, which I enjoy. But, if we're being honest here, the highlight of each day is opening the door of our little house to find my boys waiting there for me.

I work, not because I love to work, or feel some sort of feminist pride by being a "career woman," but because we have bills to pay. A lot of them, thanks to the mountain of student loans I managed to accrue. It's kind of ironic that I'm working in a field unrelated to my degree, and struggling to pay for that degree, isn't it?

I've thought about teaching, which would give me more time off to spend with my children, and I still may pursue that avenue after this baby is born. For now though, I have to find ways to keep myself motivated. I want to do well at my job, and I put in the effort every day. I have always been taught that anything worth doing should be done well. Still, I wish every single morning that I could be at home, snuggling my pajama-clad Colin as he sips his milk instead of slapping on a new diaper and clean clothes, feeding him a super quick breakfast and rushing out the door before 7 am to drop him off at daycare and hustle downtown for work.

So how do I do it? How do I "keep on keeping on" and balance my job and my role as Mama? Well, it's hard to boil it all down, but here are a few highlights.

Faith. Trusting in God has definitely helped me stay sane through it all. Whenever I feel those pangs of guilt or frustration, I pray about it. Prayer is such a great release.

Daycare. If my kids have to spend close to 50 hours a week with someone else, I want to be able to trust them. Colin goes to a local church daycare, and they are great. His little brother will go there, too. I can call anytime to check on my little guy, we get a daily report that gives us details about his day, and they even send a menu home every month so we'll know what they'll feeding him each day. It's nice to know our little loves are in good hands when we can't be there.

Priorities. During the week, we rarely make commitments. After work, it's family time. Since Colin goes to bed around 8 most evenings, our time together is precious. 

Weekends. They're never quite long enough, are they? On Sundays, we go to church, so Saturday is usually the one day we have each week to do whatever the heck we want. Sometimes we have errands to run, but we do most of them together. We usually eat out at least once each weekend too, which I love. Sometimes a woman just needs a break from the dishes for one night!

It is certainly not easy to keep pushing forward when my day begins promptly at 6 am, I work all day long, and as soon as I walk in the door, my guys are wondering what's for dinner. Then it's "go, go, go" until we tuck Colin in, and then we turn our attention to anything around the house that's been put off. Oh, and Justin and I need to make time for each other, too, to keep our marriage strong. And have I mentioned that I'm 5 months pregnant? Yeah. It isn't easy, not at all. But I've come to the realization that life isn't easy. Not for any of us. I'm sure that if I got to live my stay-at-home-mom dream, I'd still have complaints. The grass is always greener, right?

I would love to hear some of your thoughts. If you work outside the home, how do you balance your work life and your home life? If you're a stay at home mom, what challenges do you face and how do you overcome those challenges?

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Thoughts on Having TWO Little Boys

I've had so many little moments this week when something caught my attention and I thought, "Hey, I should blog about that." But then, the moment I thought about something else, it was gone. This has been the craziest week at work, since I work at a university and the new freshman class just arrived on campus. I've barely had any time to come up for air!

Obviously though, I've got one big thing on my mind, and that is the sweet little boy who is currently wiggling around and tapping me right below the belly button. Ever since learning that this baby is a little mister and not a little miss, I am still wrapping my brain around the idea. I have to say, it was pretty special that my hubby was the one to say, "It's a boy!" in the ultrasound room. He saw the {very obvious} boy parts just before I did, and pointed them out before the technician said anything. She laughed, and said "Yep, it's a boy!" It was a sweet moment, and I'm glad it happened the way it did.

Since that moment, I have had little fleeting thoughts of "man, I really wish I could have bought pink, frilly things this time," and "I was kind of looking forward to painting the new baby's room lavender instead of sky blue," and "I guess I need to start looking for boy stuff on Pinterest. Everything on my 'Nursery Ideas' board is so girly." But then I think about how healthy and perfect our new son is already, and I feel guilty about thinking those thoughts.

Some have asked about a name. We do have a few in mind, and one in particular keeps bubbling to the surface. We're both not 100% sure yet, but I have a feeling I know what his name will be. I won't keep it a secret once we decide, though. Don't worry, I'll share!

One very nice aspect about having another boy almost exactly two years after the first is that we already have clothes, blankets, and baby gear - all appropriate for a winter baby boy! We're pretty set in that department. Now all we need is a crapload of diapers {pun intended}.

When I think about having two sons, I feel a strange mixture of anxiety and joy. I don't know exactly what to expect with two so close in age, but then again I'd probably feel that way regardless of the sex of this baby. There is definitely joy, though, too. I foresee Colin and his little brother being best friends, and doing everything together. Hopefully they will be buddies and not necessarily partners in crime, but boys will be boys! The great thing about little boys is that there's something special about that mother/son relationship. It warms my heart to know I will be the leading lady in these boys' lives for years to come. I take very seriously the responsibility I have been given to teach them how to treat women, and I plan to do the very best job that I can.

If you're a boy mom, what do you love about it?

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State of the Uterus - 20 Weeks! It's a.......

How far along? 20 weeks! Holy cow!

Due Date: January 6, 2012

Total weight gain/loss: Up about 8 lbs.


Maternity clothes? Yep. Just had to order a couple pairs of pants to get me through the next months. The ones from my first pregnancy are too big since I lost weight before I got knocked up this time!


Sleep: I've been restless this week, probably in anticipation of the big ultrasound!

Best moment this week: Seeing our sweet peanut this morning, and being able to get started on the nursery!


Movement: Feeling daily movement now, and loving it.


Food cravings: I still haven't gotten that pie yet, but I did get some coconut cream ice from Rita's Italian Ice that was pretty amazing!


Food aversions: None, really, although I'm still not really wanting red meat.


Gender: Okay, I've been holding out on you long enough. Our little baby wasn't shy at all today. Hubby saw "a little something" before the ultrasound technician said anything, and he blurted out, "It's a boy!" And he was right. We are having another little man!

Labor Signs: Starting to feel the occasional Braxton Hicks contraction, but nothing painful. Just growing pains, I suppose.


Belly Button in or out? In. It never really popped out last time, so I don't expect it will this time, either.

What I miss: Sleeping soundly and without crazy dreams.


What I am looking forward to: Getting our little boy's nursery ready to go!

Milestones: Baby is now swallowing amniotic fluid in preparation for drinking down some yummy milk when he arrives! We saw him take a gulp on the ultrasound screen today. So cool!

Check out my 20 week update from pregnancy #1!

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Our Week - a Photo Collage

1. My little monkey likes to climb on the dining room chairs 2. Poor baby burned his fingers by touching a hot plate at a restaurant 3. Beautiful lashes 4. Grumpy toddler before a bath 5. Colin's artwork on the carpet 5. Watching Toy Story on the laptop while Daddy plays PS3

One cool thing that happened this week was that my father-in-law blessed us by landscaping our lawn on Monday while we were at work. He mowed, got rid of weeds, and even cut down some small pine trees. The yard feels huge! The only downside is that the tree stumps left behind are covered in sap. Do you know how hard it is to get tree sap off of baby skin? I probably should have used some type of oil, but I got most of it in the bath with some soap and a washcloth. Even with that little hiccup though, I am so thankful to have our yard looking so pretty! Many thanks to my awesome father-in-law for that random act of kindness.

On the baby front, we will know if our peanut is a "he" or a "she" on Monday morning, as long as our little miss or mister cooperates! Look for my 20 week update on Monday! Work is crazy busy right now, with the new freshmen coming to campus in a few days, but I will do my best to get the update out quickly. I hope you are all having a wonderful week!
 

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State of the Uterus - 19 Weeks

How far along? 19 weeks! That's ONE away from 20! Wow.

Due Date: January 6, 2012

Total weight gain/loss: Up about 8 lbs.


Maternity clothes? Using a combo of maternity clothes and my regular ones with the Bella Band underneath.


Sleep: Sleeping well, but having extremely vivid dreams now. A couple nights ago, there was a zombie invasion and I lost Colin in the crowd. Don't worry though, I did find him. :)


Best moment this week: Our 7th wedding anniversary, of course! I've also enjoyed feeling more movement, and as a result, feeling more connected to this baby. I know that might sound silly, but it has taken me longer this time to accept the fact that this is really happening!


Movement: Definitely feeling kicks! I have had a few painful ones that felt like baby was beating up my cervix. Yow!


Food cravings: Still preferring sweet to savory. Munching on Bottle Caps candy at the moment, actually.


Food aversions: I don't want much red meat lately. I've had a ton of chicken and turkey over the past week and I'm still not tired of it.


Gender: We should know in 8 DAYS! Holy cow!


Labor Signs: Way too early.


Belly Button in or out? In.


What I miss: My daily cup of coffee. This week I've started switching over to tea, but I have still had coffee on the weekend.


What I am looking forward to: The big ultrasound! Eek!


Milestones: Baby is about the size of a large tomato, and his/her arms and legs are proportionate to the rest of his/her body. He/she is also sprouting hair, eyebrows and eyelashes!

Check out the 19 week update from my first pregnancy!

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You know you're a boy mom when...

... a little someone decides to give "dump truck" a whole new meaning!

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10 random thoughts

Because I'm struggling to think of the next amazing topic to blog about.

1. I will be 19 weeks pregnant on Sunday, which is one week away from 20. Mind blown.

2. Last night I dreamed that we had an ultrasound and found out this baby is a boy. I still have a feeling it's a girl despite the dream, though.

3. This morning, Colin said "nana" for banana for the first time. It was incredibly cute.

4. Last night I tried a variation of this Pinterest recipe and it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I used a family sized can of chicken soup instead of a small can, and it tasted pretty "chicken soupy."

5. And on that note, the only "aversion" I've had so far this pregnancy is to doing dishes. I hate the smell of dirty dishes right now. We made a pot roast last week and I waited until Justin could help me to get rid of the leftovers because the pot smelled SO BAD. I seriously had to fight back a gag.

6. I made brownies last night and ate half the pan. I also have a stash of peanut M&Ms at my desk at work. No regrets.

7. Last night, Colin ignored his pasta and only ate the peas on his plate. He calls them "balls" and they seem to be one of his favorite foods at the moment. I'm such a proud momma.

8. The last 2 days, I have had black tea in the morning instead of coffee. It's quite comforting, and apparently still has enough caffeine because I haven't had any headaches.

9. We have been watching Rio and Finding Nemo on an almost continuous loop at home over the past week or so. Little man is obsessed with them and will say "BIRDS!" or "NEMO!" to demand whichever one he is in the mood for. We've tried other shows and movies, and those are the only two he'll sit through right now.

10. One more cute Colin tidbit: he loves our iPhones and knows how to find the apps he wants now. See how enamored he looks?

More to come as soon as I can get over this silly case of Blogger's Block!

 

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Wordless Wednesday: Bath Baby

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Ad Space Giveaway!

Because of my love for Passionfruit Ads and how easy they've made blog sponsorship, I have decided to give away (1) 200x200 ad, to be displayed prominently in the sidebar of Love, Lattes & Lullabies for 30 days. If you don't win and want to purchase an ad, you can find my sponsorship rates here! There is a swap option as well. All I ask in return is that you display my button on your blog or give me a promo code to upload one for free through Passionfruit on your site. If you have any questions about sponsorship, e-mail me at sbuxsweetie at blogspot dot com.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I have not been compensated or coerced in any way. These views are my own.

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A Timeline, in Pictures

August 2005

November 2008

August 2009

June 2010

October 2011

June 2012

We've come a long way in seven years, baby. You've taught me to be patient and to take life less seriously. You are the loving father of my children and the one who balances me out. You are the logic to my emotion. I love you more and more each day. Thank you for loving me so fully and for accepting me, despite my quirks and flaws. You still make me feel special and loved, even after all these years. Happy anniversary, sweetheart. Here's to many more!

 

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State of the Uterus - 18 Weeks

How far along? 18 weeks!! 2 weeks away from the halfway point. However, my doctor wants to schedule a c-section for late December, so I have likely already passed *my* halfway point for this pregnancy. Wow!

Due Date: January 6, 2012

Total weight gain/loss: The scale says I'm up 7 pounds so far, but my weight has been fluctuating a lot lately.

Maternity clothes? Broke out the maternity pants this morning!

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well, but if I wake up in the middle of the night to pee, it takes a while to fall back asleep.

Best moment this week: Yesterday was definitely the highlight of the week. My day began with a massage (only the second one I've had in my life, and it was amazing), and then hubs and I went out for an anniversary lunch at a local place called Harper's. After that, we picked Colin up from his Uncle Tim and Aunt Shannon's house and took him home for a long nap, and then we went to Mema and Papa's house to swim in their pool. Finally, we ended the night by going back to Tim and Shannon's to hang out with them and another couple. Oh, and I got to snuggle a 5 month old baby boy. Pretty much a perfect day!

Movement: Feeling kicks and flutters every day, but there isn't much of a rhyme or reason to them. I seem to feel them best in the evenings when I'm quiet and relaxed.

Food cravings: Will someone please bring me a coconut cream pie?

Food aversions: I used to love some freshly grilled burgers, but lately they don't hit the spot for me. Strangely, fast food burgers are still appealing, though.

Gender: We should know in 15 DAYS!

Labor Signs: Way too early.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: The ability to drink coffee without getting a little jittery. I may have to eliminate my one cup a day at some point. It's quite sad.

What I am looking forward to: Having my uterus rise up high enough so that this bump gets even bigger and rounder. I'll regret saying this later, but I miss having a big pregnant belly and can't wait to see this bump grow.

Milestones: Baby should be covered in a nice coating of vernix now, which will protect his/her sweet baby skin from the amniotic fluid that surrounds it.

Check out my 18 week update from pregnancy #1!

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TGIF!

Just a few things I'm thankful for right now:

1. We just (finally) got a second convertible car seat, so starting today, Justin will be picking Colin up from daycare so that we will all get home around the same time. I'll still continue to do drop-offs, which is fine because I love kissing my sweet boy goodbye every day before work!

8/6/05 ~ the day I took his last name.

2. My amazing, sweet, thoughtful husband has informed me that tomorrow morning, I will be getting a prenatal massage! This is his anniversary gift to me. Which brings me to...

3. Monday, we will celebrate 7 years of wedded bliss. Has it really been 7 years? Gosh, we were just babies.

4. Today, Stanley Steemer is coming for a very long overdue cleaning of our carpets! I am unnaturally excited about this.

5. T minus 2 hours and 10 minutes until my weekend begins!

I'm sure I could add a lot more to this list. Feeling pretty blessed today. ♥

What are you up to this weekend?

 

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Wordless Wednesday: Daddy's Boy

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