Family (Work) Trip to Hawaii!!

We got SO lucky recently: Travis heard he had to fly to Hawaii  for 3 days for work purposes, and Jack & I were able to tag along!  We decided to stay two extra nights at our favorite hotel on the westside of the island (JW Marriott) to really get in a full vacation with little Jack!  We decided to also upgrade to first class- which was probably one of the best decisions we made; bigger seats, pregnant WITH a toddler and non-stop service at our fingertips?  Highly recommended for anyone in the same boat : )

We stayed in Waikiki for two nights while Daddy Dearest worked, and Jack had a blast pushing the stroller around all the shops and the Royal Hawaiian (he didn't stop to shop however) and going swimming with Mommy in the pool!  We also had lunch together poolside one day and ordered room service for dinner & a movie in our room!  The weather was a perfect 88 degrees the entire time we were there!

Finally after Travis was done working we got to the JW Marriott, where Jackson loved checking out all the sharks and running down the long hallways in the hotel, and of course, going in the pool and jumping off the steps into our arms!  Overall this mini-impromptu-pregnant-with-a-toddler-vacay went WAY better than I could have imagined, he was a vacation ANGEL for me, and had the best time, which of course makes the time that much more enjoyable for us ; )!

July: 6 Months Pregnant in the Summatime

It's been easier being pregnant in the summer I've decided; no leggings or socks to pull off, boots to take on & off, I'm really liking the wardrobe choices as well! To say this pregnancy is going fast is an understatement- it's going REALLY fast!  We knew with all the summer months we'd be so busy but looking at the calendar we realize we are getting so close to meeting Baby Elle!  At the doctor appt last week I measured 28 inches at 28 weeks so she's growing well, and we have an ultrasound at 32 weeks to see her progress which is really exciting b/c babies are already so big at the point : )  Jack is still pointing to my stomach when I ask him where the baby is, and yesterday he completely melted my heart when he "gave the baby a hug" around my stomach!  

Month/Week: 6 Months 

Total Weight Gain: 127 pounds soooo 14 lbs?

Feeling: that I'm wayyyyy bigger than I appear....but still good!  A little bit of indigestion has started at night, I always say that's when she is growing her curly hair like Jacks!  

Missing: Ahi Tuna anything- while we were in Hawaii I had just a little taste, I figured it couldn't be "fresher" anywhere else on the planet, right?

Cravings: The sugar cravings have also begun, trying to curb that with popsicles and small handfuls of gummy bears instead of entire bags of caramel popcorn....

Anything making you queasy: The nasty Glucose flat-Sprite-like syrup you have to drink right before your glucose test for pregnancy diabetes, SO gross.....and yes I passed with flying colors- more gummy bears please

I'm Loving: that now Travis can feel her kicks, especially at night, she is a night owl!

Happy or Moody: Happy

Gender: Sweet baby GIRL!

Symptoms: Wanting to not move an inch after we put Jack to sleep- SO exhausted.  Thankfully besides the indigestion I'm doing really well otherwise

Sleep: Elle threw a party well past 11pm the other night- I had to wake up Travis to talk to her so she'd calm down- and it worked!

Wedding Rings On Still?:  With this heat wave we've been having, they are suffocating my fingers so I'm down to one ring on each hand

Looking forward to: really soaking up any one-on-one time I have with Jackson knowing my house will be filled with two babies soon!  We are also very excited to be home from Hawaii and getting ready for our next mini-family vacay to Lost Lake this month!

Major cravings....

Also: Popsicles

Gummy Bears

Guacamole

& 

WATERMELON! 

July: 17 Months Old!

It's hard to imagine we can almost say we have a "1 and a half year old"....!  Jackson is having a great summer so far, all the outdoor activities and places to go in Oregon are endless during these months, which keeps him entertained and busy (and gives us plenty of reasons to get out of the house!)  Jackson can say almost ALL his ABC's (so proud) and point out all his main body parts, and laughs so much at the dog when they play or hang out together now.  He's been showing a really big interest in babies lately too, and the more I hold other newborns the more he seems to be getting used to the idea, and yes- he still "wants a baby" if we ask him : )

Age: 17 Months

Weight/Size: 24 lbs

Favorite Words: (in Jack's close-to-English language) Blue! Yellow! Purple! Cheese! Teeth! Knee!

Favorite Activities:  Looking at pictures on the computer, playing in the backyard with his dump truck, jumping on "Bobby" his stuffed giraffe chair, Swiffer-ing, and watching all the trucks work on the new houses outside from our bonus room

Signature Moves: Besides his bouncing at the knees dance, he's picked up a new dance move of holding his hands in fists and waving his arms from side to side

Likes: any music he can dance to, all types of trucks, any toys he can push around the house, bubble baths, boat & seadoo rides, and visits from Grandma(s)

Dislikes: Dirt on the floor (eww-ee!)

Mommy Likes & Dislikes:  His laughs and how easy it is to make him smile when you get down on the floor and interact with him : ) Dislikes: Meltdowns in Target the minute we get in there (ok YES, you can push the cart just stop screaming!)

Sleeps: 8:30pm bedtime (Thanks to OR summers), 7am wake, naps 1-3 now!!

Changes in Mood/Behavior: Overall he is a sweet & enjoyable kid that pretty much goes along with the flow as long as he's given some opportunity to enjoy himself along the way- yesterday however when I didn't "play with his dump truck" the exact way he wanted me to, he closed his eyes...screamed..stomped his feet..and ran to & from the kitchen doing this- where did he learn THAT from?  Lol

Eating: Sippy cup of milk 3x/day, cereal or yogurt with his spoon, pickles, blueberries from the backyard and dipping chips or pretzels into salsa/hummus/anything!

Clothes: Just getting the last little bit of use out of his 12-18mo clothes, can't wait for him to bump up a size to wear all his cute clothes I've been saving!

Looking forward to:  Our last minute (Daddy work trip) to Oahu!!  We'll be on our own for two days which is totally fine with me based on how much Jack has been enjoying our mini vacations!  A little scared for the long flight but that's what first class is for, right? ; )


....this past month in pictures....