Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving the whole family was able to be together. We've all been able to see each other at different times during the year, but it's rare that all the siblings and the husbands can all be together at the same time. I don't think Thanksgiving could have been any better! The food was delicious, the weather was great, and I can't think of better company to spend Thanksgiving with than family. I love my sisters, their husbands, Chelsea's kids, my brother and parents so much and I love the time I get to spend with them. I'm thankful they could all come down to be together. I hope everyone else's Thanksgiving was as good as ours!

Noble's Going to Have a Little.....

SISTER!!!

Our little baby is a girl! We're so excited to have her come to our family! Marcin and I got to see her on the the ultrasound last week and it was really great. She's a little stubborn and wouldn't move well for the tech doing the scan so we'll have to go back in a month to get the rest of the measurements. But so far she's growing right on track and is a happy and healthy little girl! I'm still on "modified" bedrest. I actually hardly understand what that means so I try and take it as easy as possible. Other than constant contractions, she seems to be doing just fine!! We're so excited and it's just what Noble had been telling us, that he was going to have a sister. We'll see if he stays this enthusiastic when she arrives :).

My Thankful Post

I feel like jumping on the band wagon with everyone else that's been doing thankful/grateful November posts. I'm really thankful for a MILLION things right now, but I have to say most of all is Marcin. I've been on bed rest for a few weeks and I have no idea when it will end. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will soon, but we just don't know. Baby is fine and I'm just fine, it just seems my body thinks it's time for lots and lots of contractions :). So while I've been a little more out of commission these days, Marcin has stepped in done so much for us!!! He's been super dad and I know Noble is loving all the attention from him. He's done all the laundry, vacuumed, dusted, and the dishes (a lot). And all while acting like he's just happy to help (I don't think I'd be so nice...). I know it's hard to come home from work and immediately take over at home too, but I'm just so thankful he does and still likes me. And I wouldn't feel right about leaving out a big thanks for my friends and my family that have been stepping in too. I'm certainly feeling the love!!!

16 weeks and counting...

I know it's not like everyone's asking about my pregnancy because they see my growing stomach or anything like that, but I definitely feel like it's growing and I'm so thankful to be in my second trimester at this point so I can just breathe a little easier. This pregnancy does not by any means feel like it's flying by, but I don't mind it. We're just really grateful to be adding to the family!!

Happy Halloween!!

From Dog the Bounty Hunter and Beth

and some random homeless kid we picked up along the way :)

Choo-Choo!!!

Noble is two! I seriously cannot believe it. Noble had a super fun time at his choo-choo train birthday party. We invited lots of family and some close friends to come to his party. I loved planning the party and it was really fun this year to get to talk with him about it and get him really excited about it all. He saw some of the decorations long before the party so by the time his party actually arrived he couldn't wait! We did some games this year at the party. We did a "coal" toss and an obstacle course that was supposed to be train tracks, a "mountain" (slide) and a "tunnel" for them to go through like they were trains. They actually just tripped on the train track made out of rope the whole time so it was hilarious!! We had a good time though.

Some things Noble loves at 2:

trains

trucks

fire trucks

cars

mo-mo's (motorcycles)

Papa Mike's bus

Papa's shop (my dad's car repair shop)

grapes

chick fil a (I probably shouldn't tell everyone that)

chocolate milk

fruit snacks

rice and beans

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Toy Story

Finding Nemo

Cars

Tangled

He's talking more and more everyday and cracks us up. He is such a sweet boy and he loves to see his friends and family. I don't know what we did to deserve such a great kid, but we're sure glad he's ours!!!

Sydney or "kee" as Noble likes to call her :)

uncle "why-ley"

Lovin' that cupcake

"the train track" obstacle course

This is where they threw their "coal" to try and get it through the hole in the coal car.

We love you, birthday boy!!!!!

Growing Up

Noble turns 2 at the end of this week. While I've tried my best to stop him from growing up, it's happening anyway. I'll have more to add about this after his birthday party this week, but for now I had to post about him starting "school". I put him in a mother's day out/preschool program this year. He goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 5 hours. It feels like FOREVER. It's been a huge help for me to be able to get my work done though and he's loving every minute of it! They have a big train table there and every time I pick him up and ask what he did at school, all he says is "Choo-Choo train". He runs right in when I drop him off and never looks back. It's bittersweet to see him so happy to leave, but mostly I'm just glad he loves it so I can feel guilt free : ).

So, we're also doing some growing around here with baby #2 on the way!!

I just passed the 11 week mark and should be expecting this little one mid-April. We could not be any more excited about this. While I feel like I couldn't have planned the age gap between these kids any better, this certainly was anything but "according to plan". The same month we found out I was pregnant I had been to my fertility doctor to hear the results of the last blood work I needed done to qualify for an IVF study sponsored by a drug company (so a virtually free IVF cycle for us). He told us we didn't qualify and that we should go ahead and start planning for that anyway since the chances of us getting pregnant on our own were slim to none. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't heartbroken. It was tough news to get, but of course we decided we'd do whatever was necessary to have more kids. About 3 weeks after that appointment I decided to take a pregnancy test; not out of necessity, but because I'm addicted to them. Seriously. I think I keep First Response in business. I took one and immediately began cursing myself for my own stupidity and really just thought I should throw it away without looking (yeah right). But sure enough, that dang test had TWO perfect lines. And then I ran into the living room like a crazy person to show Marcin who proceeded to tell me that if I was showing him yet another negative test that you had to hold up to the light in the perfect angle to see what could possibly be maybe a positive, don't bother. He saw it too though, so I knew I wasn't imagining things. I know how incredibly blessed we are to be able to add to our family. I know that our struggle with having kids is not the worst situation there is by a long shot, but this really has been another long round of 22 months of doctor's visits, surgery, miscarriages, disappointment, and heartache. I am glad it wasn't any harder than it was and I'm so thankful for all the support the last few years. I think I might have had more than my fair share of pity parties, so I'm just thankful to have such great friends and family that love me regardless of how negative I got over this. We're so happy, thrilled, excited, nervous, ready but not-so-ready for this little one to be here with us!! And glad to 'officially' announce it. I think it might be one of the world's worst kept secrets.