I figured I should give an update on the latest creation by Les and Keith.....our baby boy, still in utero of course!  It seems this pregnancy has flown by!  I can't believe I'm already in the third trimester.  It has been uneventful (thank goodness) and fairly easy (knock on wood).  I can't believe in three short months or less, we will welcome another baby boy into our family.  It is true what they say, every pregnancy is different!  Everything from morning sickness to the way my belly looks is different than my pregnancy with Stryder.  Below are some highlights from my pregnancy thus far:

14 Weeks!

 I'm not showing too much yet.....The first trimester was the most difficult.  I was extremely tired and nauseated and got sick much more than I ever did with Stryder.  I felt bloated right away, though didn't gain weight during this trimester at all--I acutally lost a little bit.   I resisted the urge to wear maternity clothes, since I figured I'll be wearing them for most of the summer anyway.  As far as cravings, I really just wanted bland foods...potatoes, noodles, bread etc, and Sour Patch Kids.  Other than that, no real strong cravings; other than for SLEEP!   

17 Weeks!

I am still not showing a ton yet.  Guess all those P90X Ab Ripper workouts are holding the baby in pretty tightly!  I begin to feel less tired and more energetic, HOORAY!  We also found out this week that we are having a boy and we are OVERJOYED! 

20 Weeks!

Starting to show a little more....and I'm glad no one up to this point has asked me if I am expecting.  We waited with Stryder until 20 weeks to tell people we were pregnant and did the same this time, too.  I have so much energy and feel good with my little manageable tummy!  Our fetal anatomy ultrasound went great....the placenta is right where it needed to be (a concern since it was a little low with Stryder) and the anatomical parts looked good, too.  We got another confirmation that we are having a boy :-) 

24 Weeks!

Enjoying my tummy and love wearing a mix of regular and maternity clothes.  I definitely am less tired and gaining an appetite.  Keith loves the fact that certain parts of my anatony are enlarging (I'm not talking about my belly :-) and Stryder is starting to point at my belly when we ask him where the baby is.  I don't have as many Braxton-Hicks contractions as I did with Stryder.  But I am showing alot more than I was with him at this point. 

27 Weeks!

Finally reaching the third trimester!  I am feeling a little more tired and hints of uncomfort are becoming more and more frequent.  I feel like my belly is growing too fast for its own good!  But my doctor says I'm measuring just right.  I have also been getting heartburn at night (boo!) and have to pee nearly twice as much druing the day and night (boo, boo boo!)  It is hard for me to carry Stryder around with my baby bump, thankfully he is walking now.  I continue to hope that my labor will be as easy as it was with Stryder (45 minutes and completely natural), too, but that I am not put on bedrest either (2 weeks watching Judge Judy re-runs on tv).  Ahhh, only time will tell I guess. 

10 INCHES!

I recently cut off 10 whole inches of my hair.  It has been a goal of mine to grow my hair long enough to donate to Locks for Love.  I don't know why I have always wanted to do this, but I assure you that I will do it again in another few years.  It made cutting my hair the best feeling ever.  I have had it long enough for about 2 years now and wanted to make sure I wasn't going to have cutter's remorse.....but now I can't believe I didn't do it sooner.  I really love my long hair, but my short hair is so stylish and EASY!  I no longer look like a polygamy wife :-)

Yup, definitely reaching the point of "polygamy hair...."

My friend, Katie, who is a hair stylist, cut it for me.  She is super talented and did a great job.  Most of my hair was gone in the matter of just a few seconds, though.  She just put it into a pony tail and CHOPPED it off!  The pony tail gets sent into Locks for Love and the organization gives you a nice little certificate for your service :-) 

It's short and cute now and I can do soooo much with it!  A lot of people tell me it looks healthier too.  Needless to say, it was a much needed improvement! 

Mother's Day

We all had a great Mother's Day this weekend!  Last week, my mom took me to see The Lion King on broadway.  It was amazing!  I fully recommend it to anyone!  We ate at this delish greek restaurant before the show where we both had huge gyro's.  Yum Yum!  It was very special and fun to spend the time with my mom. 

On Sunday, Keith cooked blueberry pancakes for everyone.  I also got the most beautiful orchid from him and Stryder.  I don't have a great track record with plants, but this was is so beautiful I promised I will do my best to take good care of it!  We gave my mom a framed picture collage of all the kids, husbands, and grandparents.  Later that day, we had some good friends of our over for lunch after church.  What a perfect day!  Just chatting, relaxing, and eating :-)

I am extremely grateful to be a mother.  It is not something you can describe, even when you try.  I try never to take this blessing for granted.  I am so appreciative for the mom I have.  She is understanding and sympathetic when I am being dumb and pathetic.  She has raised 4 awesome kids and is someone I look up to very much.  I am also blessed with amazing sister-in-laws that set a great example for me.  They are all so talented and have wonderful families of their own.  Even though I never knew my mother-in-law, I know that she was one awesome lady who raised 4 very caring children of her own. 

Stryder's First Birthday!

We took Stryder out on his actual birthday for his first annual "BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST, " a tradition we want to start with all our kids.  He loved the pancakes and french toast and sausage.  Keith and I went home to bake his cake.  Keith had the great idea of make a racetrack cake in the shape of an "S", and it turned out very cute!  We even put his hot wheels cars on it for added effect.  Of course, Stryder loved his little piece of cake and made a mess of himself and his high chair. 

We cleaned him up and let him open his gifts from family.  He has some very generous family members and got a little spoiled for his birthday!  But he loved every minute of it....

A few weeks later, we were threw a little party for him and some guests.  We made it an "Open House" instead of a "birthday party" to fore-go the gifts (remember I said he got spoiled!)  There was a great turnout---about 25 people in all.  We served delicious food....my mom and I had the guts to try making cake pops.  Yeah, I don't think we will ever do that again!  A lot more work goes into these little treats that one may realize.  They made great party favors, though, and were especially delicious, too.

Here it is!  The cake my mom and I slaved over for hours!  Homemade frosting, star-tipped edges, and an oreo crumb crust made it extra special.  We embellished it with Stryder's initials, too. 

The official invitation....

  It was great to have friends there to celebrate and visit with.  The theme of the night was a "Block Party," which was really great since Stryder's favorite thing lately is his stacking blocks. 

We made Stryder his own little cake for these occassion.  He wasn't sure at first what to think about it, but he quickly made a mess of it! 

Since he was so messy, he had to strip down at his own party!  Ha ha...

He had lots of fun with everyone, but by the end of the night, he was about out of energy.