Anniversary Weekend

We headed back to the mountains this weekend to celebrate our anniversary properly (sans kiddo and other family). Only problem being a trip with just the two of us didn't allow for much more than another  'self-portrait' when we finally remembered on Sunday.

Saturday we spent just shopping (after an amazing breakfast at Tupelo Honey).  We talked about the Biltmore or hiking but decided we have been joking about a 'shopping spree' for awhile (Eric was in desperate need of new clothes) and I wasn't in much shape to go hiking all weekend. I also wasn't in much shape to spend my $ on new clothes so I shopped for baby girl's nursery (so fun!!  can't wait to get it all done and show you) and YARN!!  We found the cutest town and greatest yarn shop I've been to in years in Black Mnt, NC.
I hate to admit that we rented a cabin for the weekend and in our rush didn't check the 'amenities'.  - BAD IDEA!!  Its the Saturday of the Clemson (#3) v. FSU (#5) game and we don't have a TV in our cabin.  Luckily we worked out staying at my uncles cabin not too far away - unluckily it wasn't a good game and really ugly for us Clemson fans.
We comforted ourselves with AMAZING apple cider donuts the next morning and all was right with the world again :)

It was freezing!!  41 degrees so we decided just to head home and get back to our little man!  We had a great time celebrating our anniversary and mommy enjoyed her first weekend away in two years.

Apples - Year 5!!

Well, the first time we went to the mountains to celebrate our anniversary and picked apples I didn't realize how much of a tradition it would become.  We have gone from a self portrait of the two of us, to a family two (with a dog), to a family of three, and now a family of three with one on the way! Its so fun to watch our family grow and change and enjoy a tradition like this year after year.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3 (expecting little e)

Year 4 - first year w. a baby and no new hand knits - ha!

Year 5 - still no new hand knits :) - and expecting #2

We expanded the tradition after year one to include my cousin and his family.  They live as far from the NC orchard as we do - in the other direction so its a great reason and place to meet.  This year they have a puppy (and two growing kids) and we enjoyed our time with them.

Little e really enjoyed picking apples

My boys

You can get better ones when daddy helps!

The kiddos!!  Love it!

My cousin and his fam

Even though we don't technically go over our anniversary weekend anymore - we still like the idea that its an 'anniversary' tradition and how appropriate to see our family growth captured at the same time every year celebrating our marriage!

22 Weeks

Hiccups...Hiccups....Hiccups.  I don't remember feeling them but maybe once or twice with e but this morning I WOKE UP to you hiccuping!  How funny.  It was almost alarm clock time so I told your dad - 'She has the hiccups'  - and he was thoroughly confused.  'The baby?' he asked after about an entire minute - lol.  Then of course even though you had my whole belly shaking and woke me up you stopped immediately after he rolled over to feel.  STUBBORN lady!
Moving on to the weekly part of this post.  I actually wrote my 20 week update around 21 weeks and haven't been taking weekly photos until now (part of why I want to blog so I hold myself accountable to keeping good track like I did for your brother).  So this is actually my 22 week photo from Wednesday.

 
Today is Friday and we are leaving for the mountains to celebrate our 5th anniversary!!  Little e is staying with his Grammie (my first nights away in 2 years!) and I'm very excited (also a little anxious).  Also this will be my last weekly picture with 'long flowing' locks of hair.  I am sooo tired of it!  Its constantly under a strap of a bag, in e's mouth, in my face or pulled back from all that giving me a headache.  Ever since little e it lays completely flat against my head and I'm just ready for a change.  A little blonder, a lot shorter - hopefully my face doesn't get too much of my baby weight that a short haircut looks ridiculous!!

Fall Fun

Since I'm going to try to keep up with my pregnancy week by week I figured maybe I should also let you see our first baby growing up and all the fun stuff we are doing.  The Fall is always the busiest time of year for us and we have the most fun.  The weather has been perfect - like 55 at night 75 (no humidity) during the day.  Perfect to get out and enjoy with friends.  We are taking full advantage and I thought I'd share some fun photos of our recent adventures.

Little e's first Clemson football game!!

At the Zoo - Riding the Tiger

Jump Pillow w. Daddy at Pumpkin Patch

Family Photo at the pumpkin patch

Fair in Ohio w. Grammie

Fair in Ohio - Like Father Like Son

The Second Time Around - 20 Weeks

Well its been a really really LOOOOOONG time but I realized this space were where all my pregnancy posts from last time were assembled.  Today I went looking to see if I'm really showing so much differently (like I feel) than last time. I was able to see my whole pregnancy week by week (starting at 20 weeks like this time) and hear how I was feeling, what we were working on etc and I really enjoyed it.  So... I'm gonna try to keep up with it again.
Since there are zero to maybe one of you reading this - its probably just for me - but I'm okay with that too.  Cuz maybe -just maybe - I'll do this a third time and have it to look at again.  Without further ado... My 20 week photo w. Baby #2 (she needs a nickname)

This time around I've gained 10 lbs so far (same as last time - tho I started a lb heavier).  We know SHE is a GIRL!!  And mama is super excited about the knitting and sewing and general PINKNESS allowed!  I have been in maternity pants since week 12 - and dresses to avoid them since before that even. I can still wear longer 'normal' shirts for now (maternity ones are still pretty big and long). Though I do feel like I'm carrying higher and feeling 'tighter' than I did last time so early - but I didn't see a huge difference looking at e's 20 week photo.
My lower back hurts quite a bit (but I think thats from bad form picking up little e), and heartburn has started much earlier on.  She started kicking a few weeks back - but this week she has turned into a little ninja! (I love it!!)  I had mulled apple cider earlier this week and that induced her first backflips.  Her daddy has still yet to feel her move b/c she is VERY stubborn.  She stops whenever you put a hand onto the belly (wonder where that stubbornness comes from - we are in REAL trouble!!)

Fast Friends

Have you ever made a friend in about five minutes that becomes such a good close friend that you can pick up where you left off after a long time - like seven years?  After you've both had two new jobs, both gotten married, one had kids and still just one day meet up again and are just as close as you were?

Lucky for me Lisa is one of those friends.  We bonded over a drug test for our first job (when instead of peeing in a cup like any normal drug test they cut our hair - like a huge chunk down at the roots). Finding each other's bald spot and assuring one another you really couldn't see it was what started a beautiful friendship.  Randomly after 7 years fate brought us both to Ohio on a weekend in September less than 2 hours away and we met up again.  Little E loved her as much as I do immediately (kid is a good judge of character like his grand pops I guess).  

And after our fun weekend visit in Ohio we decided if we had the chance we would meet up again (not in another 7 years).  Well shortly after Lisa had a chance to come to Greenville (a few hours away) w her husband and they came and stayed for the weekend.  It was great to get to meet Carlos and for Eric to spend time with them too.  Little e LOVED Carlos.  I mean adored him.  Wanted to sit in his lap and have him hold him all the time.  It was so precious.

We really had a great time with them all weekend and maybe we'll get to Texas sometime or if they move to Ohio we'll get a chance to see them when we come home for visits.  Really great friends are super precious and I'm very thankful for the special fun weekends we got to spend with Lisa and Carlos recently.

Lunch Date

I think a lot of people have ideas in their head of what a stay at home mom does (or doesn't do).  I won't go into a long list of that (right now). However, the other day I was having lunch (which consisted of a flat soda and some stale rice cakes  - and a pretty fantastic chicken salad sandwich) but it wasn't the lunch of kings I used to eat out everyday when I worked (and I had disposable income).

It got me thinking just a little bit about how looking past the lunch menu to the little face behind it with the fall sunlight beaming in the kitchen through the gorgeous yellow trees in the backyard that I have the best job in the world and I wouldn't trade my lunch date for anything.