So we have a grape at this point.  This was a picture of my 9 week ultrasound.  It’s hard to see but the baby is head down.  You can even see the little feet and arms (which are just long enough to meet over his heart).  The story:

I always want to know if people were trying to get pregnant so to answer that, yes we were but just barely.  We had decided to start trying probably the day I got pregnant.  It sounds so naive now but since it took us about 4 months to get pregnant with Kendyl I just assumed it would take a little bit for this one to work.  Nope!  I took the test Jan. 25th.  The only reason I thought I might be pregnant was some zits that were a little early compared to when I usually get them at that lovely time of the month.  But I just wanted to know and happened to have a test already at the house so I thought what the heck.  I was only about 3 1/2 weeks then so the little plus sign didn’t appear right away.  I just figured oh well but I better let it sit for the 2 minutes like the directions say.  I went and did something with Kendyl and then came back.  Well there it was.  My reaction, not my classiest moment but to G rate it- “O Crap.”  I was shocked, in a good and surprised way but just really shocked.  I called Barry to see if K and I could meet him for lunch because I couldn’t wait all day until he got home to tell him and I wasn’t going to tell him over the phone.  He couldn’t do lunch so we went later to grab a coffee together.  When we got off the elevator I said somthing about your family of 4.  He looked down at my belly and said, “Are you serious”? 

So my due date is Oct. 6 and we aren’t going to find out the gender.  Barry wants to and I don’t but since we found out with Kendyl we aren’t with this one, ya know, gotta keep things fair.   Kendyl will be exactly 2 1/2 when this one is born. 

I’ve been feeling pretty great just like last time but some days I do just feel exhausted.  Like I just ran a marathon exhausted.  That is chalked up to chasing an almost 2 year old around and on days I work chasing another 2 1/2 year old around. 

Here is the video.  You can hear the tech saying some tidbits about the heart rate, although we didn’t get to hear it.  They don’t listen to the heart beat until 12 weeks, so next appointment.

In case you couldn’t hear what she was saying the heart rate was 176 which is perfect.  We could see it then but not sure if you can tell but we could see the heart beating and little feet moving.  She also said based on everything so far I have a less than 5% chance of miscarriage.  I thought that was cool.  She also said you have a 0% chance of miscarriage the day they put the baby in your arms…

So I guess those are all the details at this point.

These are the big kids.  The girls are both about 21 months old (Kinsey is 3 weeks older than Kendyl).  Judah is almost 3.  He turns 3 at the end of January.  Thank you Lola (grandma) for the super cute Christmas pj’s.  Don’t know if you can tell but their names are on their shirts.  Possibly my favorite gift.  They looked so adorable.  Like little elves.

These 2 little tykes are the newest additions.  Damen is on the left and is about 2 months old and Elijah on the right about 6 weeks old.  Darren and Janelle (parents of Elijah) are champs.  Elijah had just gotten out of the hospital about a week before they flew across the continent.  He had a crazy cold turned lung infection thing.  Not great when you’re a month new to the world.  They win the award for commitment.

Jared and Rachel just moved there about 6 months ago and had a great house that we all squeezed into.  Squeezed isn’t really accurate- each family had their own room so it was great.  We got out a few times-went to see Jared’s work, then to lunch, went to the park a couple times, went on a hike, and to a Christmas eve service.

Christmas morning was chaos to put it lightly.  Anytime you have grandparents with grandkids and 5 at that there will be a ton of presents.  It was hilarious as us parents would make our kids open more presents.  They would have been fine with one.  That’s all Kendyl wanted to do was play with the first thing she got.

So one of them got the caramel corn bowl off the counter.  None of us were really paying attention until we look over and see the 3 of them going at it.  Kendyl’s face cracks me up.  She’s this sassy at under 2, I can’t wait until she’s 15.  ughh!  This was her smile face for a couple weeks.  She has since learned to do it correctly. 

caught

Christmas Dinner!! Beef tenderloin with a peppercorn sauce. It was as amazing as it sounds.

Waiting to go to church.

McKinsey showing Murphy who’s in charge.  He is such a good dog.  He’ll take attention in any form…

I love this.  Judah on the hike.

Dad’s and kids playing in the backyard.

Baby burritos!

The grandparents in all their glory

Lola reading bedtime stories in Judah’s bed. 

That’s about it in a nutshell.  I think we have some videos so when I can (ha! we all know what that means) I’ll put those on here.

Overall it was sooo great to have Mike and Missy here.  I met them at my job in Raleigh.   Missy and I had fun at work and I think most of the time Mike just tolerated us  

The not so great (for them mostly) was that on the last full day they were here Barry and I were both violentyl ill.  It was a 24 hour thing and we were beyond thankful that they were there actually because they took care of Kendyl because neither of us could lift our heads up. The next day we were fine, just tired, just in time to take them to the airport.  Their little girl, Alexis, is about 4 months younger than Kendyl.  It was fun to see them together. 

We love when people come visit us, especially ones that aren’t  “obligated”  by blood

We debated and debated on if we were going to throw Kendyl a birthday party.  Barry’s parents said they would come out for it if we threw one so that made the decision real easy.  They came a few days before the party which was SO great.  Mom and I did the shopping without Kendyl while Dad and Barry stayed with Kendyl and entertained her while we cooked and prepped too.  There is a dramatic story involving the cake decorating.  I am slightly embarrassed at how the cake looked but it tasted good and was homemade.  So here is the drama:  The party was Saturday (April 10th) at 11 am.  The day before I made the cake and was going to decorate it.  Well things earlier in the day took longer and so it was kind of late when I started to decorate it (by late I mean like 10 pm-ish).  So the icing was kind of runny and I didn’t want to keep adding powdered sugar or it would taste ridiculously sweet.  So I iced the whole thing with the white icing and then thought I would stick the leftover icing in the freezer for a bit and then pull it out and put the dye in for the other colors.  I’m pretty sure it would have worked but when I put the bowl in the freezer the door had to be pushed shut, like the bowl was too big.  But it closed and I got up on the ladder to get the food coloring off the top shelf in the cabinet.  Well   BAM!  (keep in mind it’s like 11 or midnight at this time).  The bowl (glass) fell out of the freezer and onto the floor.  Bowl- broken.  Icing- full of glass shards.  Floor- covered in icing and glass.  Soooo, first things first we had to clean up the mess.  Icing is pretty sticky fyi.  I guess because it fell from pretty high up it was shattered, like tiniest shards ever in the history of broken things.  It took FOREVER to clean up.  Mom was helping and I’m pretty sure we swept, vacuumed and hand-mopped that floor like 10 times and then just decided that’s as good as its gonna get.  By then it was LATE and the details are foggy but I think we decided to send the men out first thing to buy some icing.  They got back and I had no time, I think less than an hour to decorate it and well…hence this is what it turned out to be:  

I think it would look great at a nursing home birthday

It was super fun and the adults out-numbered the kids 11 to 4.  But it was super fun and worth all the work.

Only ‘Aunt’ Gail would bring a birthday present for Kendyl to her own wedding!   

I loved this.  Just casually chatting with her marriage license in hand

Since my parents were there the day after Kendyl turned one they brought some (that’s sarcastic) presents.

My almost sister-in-law, Kelly(and my bro technically I guess) sent this super cute outfit.  The dress was the same print as the hat and even had socks, shoes, ruffle underpants, and a headband.  One of my summer faves for kendyl to wear.

Happy Easter!!

here are her stats:

weight: 18 lbs. 14 oz. (15%)  *can we note that some mobility has leaned her WAY down from the 45th percentile*

height: 29 1/4 inches (50%)

head: 18 1/4 inches (80%)  *big brain she’s got there

As a birthday present and tradition from my dad’s grandparents, my parents got us a professional photo shoot.  Legally I can’t post her pictures on here but these were taken later that day by yours truly and the non-professional camera.