Baby #3 is...

 We had our big ultrasound today! Baby is healthy as can be which obviously makes us so happy.

 And we found out what gender the baby is.

 The girls are quizzical, as you can see.

Baby #3 is a...

Girl!

We are thrilled! As a lot of you know, hubby and I have pictured ourselves with all girls since we found out our first, Josie, was a girl. So far our instincts are spot on. 

Seeing that little lady moving and grooving all over the place with her little hands up by her face and her feet jabbing me hard enough for us to see it and me to feel it... just the coolest thing.

A 20 week baby update will be up soon. Can't wait to meet our baby girl!

Now the name hunt really begins...

Five years later and our first B&B

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, hubby and I got to celebrate five years of marriage this summer! As always, our anniversary snuck up on us and I was left scrambling to figure out how we should celebrate. As much as I'd love for him to surprise me with some big adventure, the reality is that late summer is his busiest season and he can't afford to take the time to do that. I'm the party planner around here by default I guess.

I got this idea in my head that we simply must go to a bed and breakfast for the night of our anniversary. We never ever go anywhere for just a night for fun. If we get a hotel, it's usually because of a wedding or event that we are in town for, not just because. The problem is that there really aren't any bed and breakfasts close enough to make it worth it (note: not too much driving). 

I stumbled across a tiny b&b right outside of my hometown, only about 35 minutes away. It's a very old house that has been kept up by one family for generations and the current owners enjoy running the b&b on the side for a little extra income since they are retired. I was a little worried that it would be awkward since it was in the country, nobody else would be there, and we had never been to a b&b before. Amazingly, it wasn't awkward at all! It was charming and sweet, and the couple that live there were easy to talk to. Who am I kidding though? Hubby and I are history nerds that love talking with old people about their lives. It was right up our alley.

I took a few pictures to capture a glimpse of how charming and sweet their home was, but unfortunately they didn't turn out very good. I hope you can see through my phone camera's inadequacies. :)

The master suite:

There were three closet spaces in this room. One was a walk in with a huge step down (so strange) which then led to a closet the entire length of the room. There was a sweet old window that looked out across the whole prairie in the closet. It was just bizarre.

Another of the closets was decked out with a toddler bed and old toys. Pretty cute!

The bathroom off of the main suite was sweet and country-esque. I loved that big old bathtub.

There was a sitting room right off of the bedroom with a grand fireplace and built in benches. Actually, there were built ins all over this house, and they still look awesome even after all of these years.

The main entrance with an open staircase. The railing was so short, definitely not to code. :)

Off of the main living room was a music nook. I kind of fell in love, even though the piano is not playable at the moment.

The main living space: 

Another favorite place, the library! Built in shelves, another fireplace, and a sweet old library desk.

A peak of the wood work and one part of the huge dining room:

It was such a great place to go to get away from our home and the city. I'm glad we found this little b&b and I'd recommend it to anyone. 

Also, yay for being married a whole five years!

Milestones

We had two big milestones recently.

Josie joined a dance class! She's been all about ballet and ballerinas for over a year now, thanks to my sister who grew up dancing, and me turning on "ballet" music at her request (a Pandora station that plays classical music used in ballets). For whatever reason, it stuck, so I looked into putting her in dance class.

She's pretty young, in fact I'm fairly certain she's the youngest in her class. It's a 3-4 year old class but she's only 3y2m old. Her age shows a little bit. The first day of class, her teacher told me that she was running all over the place and that she had to sit out for a while. Josie was very saddened by this and kept asking me, "Why did I have to sit criss cross apple sauce?" We talked about it all week (seriously, like almost every day) and I was confident that she understood her error and would do better the next week.

She did do much better! I asked the teacher if she listened to her, and she said that she listened great but did scream loudly a few times which wasn't really appropriate. I'll take it, though. That seems pretty minor. 

I really had to fight some mommy issues after the first class. Was she too young? Is she going to be the child that drives everyone crazy because she won't listen and is just wild? How do I address this behavior? Is there even anything I can do?

So then I prayed about it, and my worries pretty much disappeared. She's a smart little girl that is still figuring out this world. Organized classes and groups of people are pretty new to her and of course she's going to need time to adjust and figure it out. 

Mostly, I want her to learn how to interact with others in a polite way, to make friends, learn compassion, and build relationships. If she learns to dance, that's a great bonus. :)

(Skip ahead for the next update... the following are a bunch of pictures from her first day of dance.)

She was not feeling it at first...

But, slowly she started getting excited.

Pretty soon, her goofy self was shining through.

Our next big milestone was a sleepover party. For our fifth wedding anniversary, my sister, Auntie Lara, took the girls overnight so we could get away to celebrate. 

They've stayed overnight before (when we went to Denver earlier this summer, or a wedding out of town last year) but never was it treated like a true sleepover party.

It was reported back to me that they had popcorn, ice cream, watched movies, played with barbies, and made pigs in a blanket (little weenies in crescent rolls). It doesn't get more fun than that! I, of course, was not there to get pictures, but my sister posted a few on Facebook of the girls playing at the park nearby (as it started to rain, typical...) and of them enjoying themselves at her home.

The girls were pretty excited and once they knew we were coming back right away the next day, it was easier for them to relax and truly have fun. I am so proud of them! They behaved and listened to auntie pretty good, slept well, ate well, played well, and overall did a great job. 

They are growing up... bah!!

Jo's face...

Who knows what is wrong here...

Audrey is peacefully reading, Jo is taking a moment to collect herself.

baby #3 - 18 weeks

How far along: 18 weeks

How big is baby: size of  a bell pepper, about 7 oz and 5 1/2 inches long

Weight gain/loss: I haven't checked lately... up 3 lbs so far as of my last appointment

Maternity clothes:  Yes for pants, shirts are hit or miss

Stretch marks: No new ones

Sleep: Bleh. I fall asleep fine but I have been so tired lately. It's not every day but it seems like every couple of days I just have a day where I have no energy no matter how much I rest or sleep. Thankfully there are also plenty of days where I have the energy which leads to motivation to move and do stuff. I just really dislike those days where I'm exhausted for almost the whole day.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Nothing major, just ice water and salty foods. Also, randomly, salt water taffy. I've been eating a ton of corn on cob, peaches, and apples too (love this season!)

Exercise: Nothing intentional besides walks with the girls and daily activities

Gender: We find out in two weeks!

Movement: So much more now! It's definitely obvious and more often. I'd say it's every day at least two or three times a day and sometimes it last for ten minutes or so before baby calms down again. It's awesome.

The belly: I don't feel much bigger than I was two weeks ago. That initial growth spurt that makes the pregnant-again mama feel huge seems to have slowed down and I don't feel overly large anymore (although I definitely look pregnant - no more belly bloat look)

What I'm loving: Not being sick all the time (still too close to the first trimester to have forgotten how miserable that was) and the awesome Fall-like weather we've been having lately. It's nice to get a bigger variety of clothing options now that we can wear sleeved shirts!

What I miss: More energy, being able to actually exercise without feeling dizzy or tired, higher coffee consumption

Symptoms: Just the sleep and tiredness

The nursery: We'll get busy with this after the gender reveal (hopefully)

What's different/the same this time: I don't remember being this tired at this point with Audrey. My hair is still strange. While the pregnancy feels mostly the same, it's definitely been more dramatic than the last two. I told hubby that I think it's a girl and that she will be our most dramatic yet. I'm not sure what I think about that...

Best moment of the week: Josie had another dance class this week and she did a lot better with listening and understanding the structure of a class setting. Audrey was a perfect little lady waiting so patiently and sticking right by mama. These ladies just make me so happy.

Last appointment details: Nothing new...

Next appointment: Two weeks from now, September 17th!

You can compare with Josie at 18 weeks here. Audrey's monthly photos don't start until 20 weeks.

Girls' stats this summer

Both girls had wellness appointments this summer and I don't want to forget this information. So, consider this post a "for the records" post more than anything else. :)

Audrey as of 6/20/2014
 No allergies that we know of
Head circumference: 47 1/2 (90%)
Height: 32 inches (just under 50%)
Weight: 25 lbs (65%)

Josie as of 8/29/2014
No allergies that we know of
Height: 38 inches (50%)
Weight:33 lbs (just above 50%)

PreK schedule and a perfect August accomplishment

It hit me recently that Josie is old enough to be in preschool if we chose to enroll her. She still has a full two years before she's a kindergartner, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't start preparing more formally for those lovely school years.

That means this mama needs to get her act together. 

We have "preschool curriculums" to follow if we choose to be that formal, but overall I just want to get the kids on a loose schedule that we can all turn to and follow for a little more structure. It's nothing fancy, but it breaks up the day into group activities, one on one time, quiet time, free time, and meal times. I made a main schedule for myself that breaks the day up into 15 minute increments (not each increment has a task, because hello micromanaging that would be crazy) and I made another one for the girls to follow as they get old enough to learn how to tell time.

I'm hoping that Josie will be able to look at this and look at the clock to see what is coming next. I know she won't be able to read the activities, but she can find which clock matches and we can work together to figure out the next task. 

Here's the preview of the adult version (I got the template here):

I also have an alternative schedule that flip flops our morning and late afternoon activities for days where we run errands or have play dates. I'm hoping to avoid the whole throw it out the window after two days thing that seems to happen around here so frequently.

So that's what I accomplished today. I am also accomplishing a raspberry cheesecake (in the oven) with raspberries picked and cleaned just minutes before being added on top. It doesn't get fresher than that!

Do you follow a schedule with your kids at home? What does it look like? How closely do you actually follow it?

Audrey says

Audrey's gotten pretty good at judging the situation and seeing if it's in her favor. For example, if something is taken from her by a certain older sister, and mama happens to notice, she's very good at helping mama scold said older sister. In particular, you will hear on any given day, "No, Josie!" "Mine, Josie!" "JOsie Grace DEYle!" (emphasis on the beginning of each name) or "Josie Grace!" "Josie Deyle!" It's morphed into her go to name for addressing Josie. No longer is it just for when she's upset; now she says it on a regular basis. 

I think she knows her sister's name better than her own.

But then again, she also refers to herself as "Audrey Joy Joy" at least once an hour, usually in joy, which is ever so appropriate. When she gets really excited, she repeats it over and over again with raised eyebrows and a high squeal to accompany her chant. Most often, she says this if she just found out that something is going to go in her favor like meal time, play time, potty time (if she's in the right mood), drink time, drive time, etc. Really, everything excites this happy lady.

Some of the things she says are memorable more so because of the way she says them. For example, if she hears something strange, she says ever so softly, "What's that noise??" It's just not something I can't describe... it's the way she says it! It's adorable.

Featured in the video: 

• "I love you, mama!" which she says on a daily basis, sometimes in response to me and sometimes unprompted. She says it to her grandparents, daddy, and her auntie too.
• Her favorite color: "Yellow" followed closely with "green" which just happened to be the combo of the day 
• "Josie Grace Deyle" although here she says it without the passion since it's more of an echo of me prompting her
• Her name, "Audrey" although again, me prompting her means you can't see her excitement like when she normally says it. Still worth getting on video though.

(If you are reading this from a feed reader you might have to click through to see the video and first half of this post.)

Baby #3 update - 16 weeks

How far along: 16 weeks

How big is baby: The size of an avocado: about 4.6 inches, 3.5 oz

Weight gain/loss: up 3 lbs. I am not surprised since my appetite went crazy once I hit the 2nd trimester. I'd love to slow it down a little and have been more aware of the junk I'm consuming so we shall see if my efforts work or if I'm destined to gain the same amount of weight for each pregnancy. Since I started out a little higher in weight, I really want to keep it in check.

Maternity clothes: Same as before. Some here and there more because I have it and not a lot of other summer options.

Stretch marks: No new ones thankfully.

Sleep: So good lately! I love this wonderful 2nd trimester. I don't need to nap, but when I do get to, I sleep awesome and then have no trouble falling asleep at night. If I don't get a nap (I count napping as being asleep for at least 10 minutes but usually isn't longer than 20 minutes) I can still function fine and just feel a bit more tired in the late evening. I love my body pillow, hubby hates it. 

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: None right now, amazingly. I've been trying to eat a lot of protein (eggs, turkey sausage sticks, peanut butter, meat in general) to keep my energy up and not feel starving all the time and I can definitely tell it's working. I also haven't had many dizzy spells before lunch because of my high protein breakfasts. Thankful for that!

Exercise: Elephant in the room... I haven't been good about this. I don't thinking chasing the kids around can really count so I need to step it up here. I have no good excuse.

Gender: We will find out on September 17th.

Movement: Yes. Yes yes yes! Felt the baby move at 15w2d and it was a ton of movement to feel so early. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind. I was driving (which is a common place for me to feel movement in previous pregnancies) and it was constant for almost a minute. Since then, there have been little flutters but nothing as solid. i just love it but also can't wait til it's more consistent.

The belly: Feeling large for only being 16 weeks along, but my midwife said I'm definitely not measuring large and that it's just my stomach muscles giving into to the expanding uterus. The joys of a third pregnancy. I can definitely feel how much firmer my stomach is getting which helps me feel less chubby and more pregnant.

What I'm loving: I'm feeling great and have plenty of energy. Seriously love the 2nd trimester.

What I miss: Nothing much lately. Limiting caffeine is annoying (I might say this every week...sorry) but this time of year is so awesome with fresh produce coming out of our ears and I'm trying to eat as much of it as I can.

Symptoms: big belly, can nap on command

The nursery: Let's just not talk about this quite yet.

What's different/the same this time: At this point, I'm feeling the same as the last two kiddos. The movement I felt was the earliest I've ever felt so that was pretty special.

Best moment of the week: Not pregnancy related, but the girls loving on their daddy this weekend was pretty awesome. He's been working out of town and it's hard on all of us but something he has to do often in the summers. When it's busy season, we are thankful that he stays so busy so we power through, but the girls are just figuring this out so when he is here, they just go crazy with love for him. Sure, there is acting up to get attention and some shifting in parental control that is hard to adjust to so quickly, but all in all they just loooove their daddy and it is so fun to watch.

Last appointment details: Boring appointment, my most favorite kind. The girls came with and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. I realized later that they have no idea what a "heartbeat" is so the look of confusion on their faces was understandable. Next time will make more sense so I'm excited to see their reactions then. My midwife also agreed that we could stretch out my appointments a little so we don't have to pay so much this year towards our deductible that will just start over a month before the baby is born. I'm so thankful for my midwife and her flexibility and positive attitude. It makes going all the way to the hospital with two little girls worth it and enjoyable.

Next appointment: September 17th - ultrasound!