Littlest Lion Cub

Just wanted to post a little something about the littlest lion cub and let everyone know that he or she and I are doing just great! In just 4.5 more weeks we'll know whether Jack will have a baby sister or a baby brother, and we can't wait for that news!

Here are the baby's first pics...

8 weeks, 2 days - the first time we got to see the little bean and hear its heartbeat! What a wonderful day that was!



11 weeks 3 days - this was the day we had our NT scan, which, with Jack, didn't go so well, but with this one, everything turned out great!



Look at that sweet little profile!



15 weeks 1 day - This was our 3rd appointment and there was no ultrasound scheduled. But this little one wants to be just like their older brother and refused to let his or her heartbeat be heard with the doppler. So our doctor let us take a peek and a listen via ultrasound. Jack did the same thing at this gestational age. He or she also had the exact same heartrate that Jack did consistently when he was growing in my belly...142 beats per minute.



The pregnancy is flying by and I really can't complain. I've been much more nauseous with this one than I was with Jack, but it's still not been intolerable, especially considering that at the end of it all, you get this amazing reward for all of your hard work. I am really tired, even now at 15.5 weeks, but I never found that 2nd trimester energy everyone spoke of with Jack either. Growing a baby is just tiring I think, especially when you have another one to run after at the same time!

I'm trying to really enjoy this pregnancy as I know it might just be our last. We'll see. I'm also really trying to enjoy this time with "just Jack." I am so excited to meet this little one but still can't imagine how your heart can grow to have enough love for two! Mine is so completely overflowing with love for Jack...can I really be so lucky to double that?

Springtime

Yesterday, after the longest winter ever, we were rewarded with a sunny 80 degree day! It was wonderful in so many ways and I just can't wait for all the fun Spring and Summer are going to bring...



There were hills to climb...





and caterpillars to watch...



and bubbles to blow...



and even some to catch...



and sticks to poke with...



and rocks to inspect...



and ledges to perch on...



and chalk to draw with.



A perfect day for this perfect little boy...



Hope you all got to enjoy your day too!

The Pool!

We enrolled in the Y swim class again this Spring and are having a ball, once again. The first week, Jack was a little apprehensive, but got in the pool after just a few minutes. The second week, he was ready to go and had a lot of fun but needed us both right there with him. This week, I hopped out of the pool pretty early to take a few pictures and Jack never seemed to care - he was having way too much fun!



We have the same teacher that we did last year, Miss Joan, and she is wonderful with the kids and parents! We always start with some songs and games to get everyone warmed up and acclimated to the water. Sometimes we even get to sing "The Wheels on the Bus," Jack's FAVORITE song.



See the little guy waving on the left side of the picture? His name is Jonah. On the first day, Kenny and I both thought his parents looked so familiar. After much debate, we figured out they sat next to us in our childbirth classes we took at St. Mary's! It's such a small world. Turns out Jonah was born on March 1, just 2 days before Jack.





After a few games and songs, it's time to get to work on our skills. This class doesn't teach them how to swim, but does introduce them to the skills they need to do so and a little bit of safety.





Jack's not sold on the back float just yet...



But he's all about swimming to get his toy!



Miss Joan teaches them how to get out of the pool safely and how to wait for instructions to get back in rather than just jumping before someone is ready to catch them.







There's always time for a few more games at the end and then it's time to go. The class flies by and we always leave, counting down until we get to come back next week!

Picasso

The Carpenter Family gave Jack a bunch of great bath toys for his birthday. Drums and a xylophone and some flutes and...some crayons you can write on the bathtub walls with that wipe right off!



Jack's been in love with the crayons since he got them and has used them every night this week. One night, he kept saying "bebow," which is rainbow in Jack-speak, and Kenny and I kept kind of nodding yes, not really knowing why he was saying it. Then, we peered over the edge of the tub and saw this...



Clearly, a rainbow! It's the first time he's drawn something other than a scribble or a circle! He has also taken to drawing the letter 'Y' and snakes, which look a lot like bebows but usually have a few humps or curves.

Big News!

On Sunday Jack shared with the rest of the world that he's going to be a big brother! We are all very excited and looking forward to meeting the littlest lion cub in September! So far the pregnancy is going well. I've been a little bit sicker and a lot more tired than I was with Jack, but I think that is mostly due to having a toddler to run after this time around. I can't complain though, things are going great! Jack of course doesn't really understand. He was much more excited about the lion on his shirt than the big brother. Kenny and I are so very excited about adding to our family and so look forward to all the fun this one will bring!



It was a glorious day outside and we all love being at Maymont so much! We got to see one of the bears, which is what Jack's sitting in front of above. Then he spotted the bear sculpture and might have been more excited by it than the real bear!



We saw the fox and he got to ride on Aunt Audrey's hip for a very long time. Sunshine, animals and Audrey, what more could Jack ever want??



Then his Daddy showed him the jumping rocks and I wasn't sure we'd ever get to go home. He had such a ball jumping and throwing sticks in the water.



It was a wonderful day and renewed my faith that winter might not last forever!

Birthday celebrations

Jack had a big week, full of birthday fun! On Monday, a package arrived from our dear former neighbors, the Dunhams. We miss them so much and felt so loved seeing a little something from them in the mail. Jack wasted no time ripping into it and found a tub of coloring fun that kept him occupied for quite some time!





On Tuesday he got another package in the mail that wasn't for his birthday, but contained BOOKS which surely made him happy! When he enjoyed those, Kenny and I were making monkey cupcakes for his friends at school the next day. They weren't that hard, but it was definitely a team effort and I think Kenny's attention to detail really was helpful...





Wednesday was the BIG day! We spent the first part of the morning all snuggled up in our bed just talking about what a big day it was. He got to open one present that morning and I think after that, he knew it was to be an exciting day!





Then it was off to school! Tuckaway has a neat tradition where on your birthday, you donate one of your favorite books to the class. Jack took "How Loud is a Lion" which has been one of our favorites since he was born. He was greeted at the door at school with big HAPPY BIRTHDAYS and as I hear it, got a little bashful! He got to share monkey cupcakes with all of his friends that afternoon and when he got home, all he could talk about was monkeys, monkeys, monkeys!

After school, he got to have another monkey cupcake...he only really likes icing apparently.



Grandma stopped by with a BIG balloon for the birthday boy and then it was time for more presents!







Thursday night Grams and Gramps picked Jack up from school while Daddy had class and Momma got to go meet up with some of her old coworkers that she has really been missing. And Friday night, Granny came to town so we went back to Grams and Gramps' for pizza!

Saturday morning we started swim class again! We took this class last year and all really enjoyed it. Jack started off really timid but by the end of the course, was loving it. This year started off much the same way but instead of it taking him weeks to warm up, it just took about half a class. Progress! We're excited to have the same teacher, Miss Joan, who is really wonderful with the kids.

After naptime, it was PARTY TIME! Jack was SO excited about everything. It was so cute and made all the preparations so worthwhile. I know things won't always be so new and exciting to him, but it was really wonderful to watch this year. After his friends and family arrived, we played outside for a little bit. It was a little chilly but not too bad for a few minutes. Sidewalk chalk and bubbles were a big hit!














Then it was time for presents! Jack was SO excited about each and every present...well...ok, maybe not the clothes, but most every present! Especially "puzzoos" and books!





And no party would be complete without cake! Isn't it SO cute? And it tasted just as good as it looked. No, I didn't make it, one of Dianne's friends did, and she really did a fantastic job!





Fun with balls and party hats and blow outs and bounces on Gramps' knee ensued! I just sat back and tried to take it all in. As a parent, there's nothing more wonderful than seeing your child, surrounded by people he loves and that love him, having an absolute ball!







Thanks to everyone who helped make his birthday special...we love you all!

PS I have a few little videos that I hope to post in the coming days. Right now the sound isn't working on this computer, so I can't edit them and they are a bit long to upload. So check back...