Baby Number 2 is on the way!

We are 16 weeks pregnant with our second little baby!

Well, Brody was not a little baby but I'm hoping this baby doesn't take after Brody in the large head department! I keep thinking about the moment we get to meet this baby and it gives me butterflies. We are so excited!

We are excited, nervous, anxious, praying, thankful, so thankful, and sleeping lots. This pregnancy has been fairly similar to my pregnancy with Brody with the nausea, food aversions & cravings, exhaustion, etc. Don't bring a hamburger around me but please drop off some fresh fruit and veggies :) I seem to be a bit more tired this time around but I'm attributing that to spending my days playing with Brody.

This baby is due mid October and I'm thrilled about the time of year! Baby #2 will be one month shy of 2 years younger than Brody. I keep telling myself that this age gap will be so fun...at some point:) We find out if this little one is a boy or girl in less than two weeks! My hunch is telling me boy. Really only because this pregnancy is very similar to Brody's and I'm dying to use our next boy name! ;) We will truly be THRILLED either way!

Brody doesn't quite understand that there is a baby in mommy's tummy. He does, however, think it is absolutely hilarious to say that there is a baby in his tummy! We will be working lots on gentleness and independent play time, as I am kind of nervous of the mischief my 2 year old will get into while I am taking care of a newborn! Any tips? :)

I wasn't sure when to share this great news as this time around it has been put on my heart to be even more sensitive to those who struggle to get pregnant, stay pregnant, have healthy babies, etc. I have had tearful conversations with friends who are dreaming of having their own--yet still waiting for the time to come. I thought those conversations were tough on me...It's definitely not toughest on me. Anyways, all that to say that I wish for you to know my heart and that we are so thankful for this new, healthy life growing in me. Even on the tough mornings and exhausted evenings, we are thankful and oh-so-grateful.

I thought now was a great time to share this news because I just felt the first little kicks! This is the same time that I felt them with Brody so I've been aware to pay attention. I felt a few little popcorn kicks then looked at my belly and saw a few more. I have a feeling this little one will be active just like big brother!! :)

(Ultrasound at 10 weeks where we saw this little gummy bear and fell in love hearing the heartbeat!)

Thank you all for your sweet words and excitement for our family! We would appreciate your prayers for this baby who we already know is being so perfectly made. 

Broderick:: The Little Things

I am lying in bed listening to thunder and rain outside my window. Nap times lately basically consist of me walking from Brody's room straight into my room and into bed. My body needs this rest and I'm happy to give in :)

Brody's naps are a great time of reflection for me and as I lay here, I am thinking of all of the cute little things that Brody has picked up on the past few weeks. Because I do not want to forget this age of cuteness and because I want to celebrate the little things, I thought I'd share them here! So here are some of the every day little things that Brody is doing at 17 months that we love! 

The Little Things

--He now asks for our hands when he wants us to go somewhere with him or needs our help. We just think this is so adorable!

--When he put him to sleep for either naps or nighttime, he says "bye mama" or "bye dada!" with some serious excitement. This makes us laugh because he is acting kind of excited to go to bed. I am so grateful for the times that Travis held his ground about bedtime routines--Brody has his times but overall is really good about laying in his crib until he falls asleep.

--Every morning when travis walks out of our bedroom in his work clothes, Brody automatically runs to the front door yelling "bye bye dada!!". He knows just by the suit that it is time for Trav to go to work. This is sometimes followed by tears but daddy's kisses help :)

--He tends to walk off into an empty room of the house then returns with a full diaper. This is hilarious to me that he needs his alone time to do his business ha! If only he understood that us adults want that too! ;)

--He gives me kisses on the cheek. Which make me actually kind of sad because he is such a sweet little gentleman :) Well, he really actually has to be reminded a lot during the day about gentleness. He gets pretty excited and the arms start swinging!

--Brody is obsessed with being outside. He looks out our front windows and yells "RO-RO!". This is our neighbor friend and Brody is constantly asking to go play across the street. It sounds like "RO-RO. Outside. RO-RO!Mee. Mee .(please)" His friend's name is Rowan and they play really well together.

--He has become quite the wrestler with his daddy. He is so ticklish and loves to roll around on the ground and growl. He is still ridiculously obsessed with sports balls and it is typically the first thing he says when he wakes up from naps. "BALL!" 

--This is one of my favorite things that Brody has started to do. He will randomly walk by me and ever-so-nonchalantly say "hi mama" and just keep on walking. Oh this melts my heart!!! 

This age is a lot of fun and a lot of tiring! He is a really fast runner and it is tough to keep up with. We are working on patience(all of us) and learning to sit with our hands in our laps when we are waiting for something. He is good at sitting down with his hands in his lap but it lasts for about 5 seconds then he is up whining again. I guess it is all about consistency and repetition at this age! 

I'm already so glad I wrote those things out because it is so easy to forget the sweet little things with each stage. Thanks for reading!

Broderick:: A Reminder in Capturing the Memories.

I wrote a whole blog post about an update on our lives and then I realized that I just really wanted to share how I've struggled to take a single photo of Brody over the past few months. My camera hasn't left it's home in the office except for work-related projects. 

I told myself that I have to take more photos of my boy--And NOT on my phone. Having an iPhone has a lot of perks but it has definitely put a damper in my motivation to take photos with my DSLR.

So today, despite it being hot and bright out, I took my camera out. Just take it out. Put your camera on the counter and I promise you will use it more! 

Brody has cuts on his lip and chin from being quite overzealous while throwing a baseball. His feet came out from right underneath him and his face caught his fall. All this to say, even though your kids might not be picture perfect--are they ever?!--take out your camera. I am so guilty of justifying with "The sun is super harsh" or "He isn't matching" or "He is literally covered in dirt". 

That's life and if we only took pictures of our children when they were cut-free, dirt-free and mix-match-free...well...we would miss out on capturing the memories. 

So here is what our little boy looks like these days--Rosy cheeks, scrapes on his face and playing with water out of an old Dutch Bros cup. 

And in case you are wondering--Brody has a HUGE head and Travis found this hat on Amazon for $8. It is youth size and is perfect for Spring....when he actually leaves it on his head!

Looking back through these photos of moments from our every day put a smile on my face. I can honestly say I don't think you will ever regret taking photos of your family. 

I hope this encourages you! I know I needed the reminder:)

Chico, CA Birth Photography:: Emma Jean

You guys...I don't know how to start this post. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and I am definitely on that after-meeting-a-fresh-baby high. This job is too good:)

I have been blessed to be a part of many births and I have to say, I don't think I have ever witnessed a mom work so hard to meet her baby. Jenny, you are strong. From the moment I walked in the door to the moment we hugged goodbye, you never doubted your capability. I am so impressed. 

Here is Emma Jean's story of how she entered the world. Good work, Mom and Dad. And a BIG congratulations to your whole family!!

 

 

 Jenny's husband, mom and sister were great coaches. 

Moments after finding out they are parents to a baby GIRL! 

CJ, I loved hearing you encourage Jenny throughout labor. Your "you're doing great sweetheart" and "you can do it" brought tears to my eyes.

   

 A full head of dark hair...

 Family came in to meet their new granddaughter--the "ooo"s and "ahhh"s were so great!

 Emma weighed in at 8lbs and 11oz! 

Happy Birthday, Emma. 

We'll end with one of my favorite moments of the day--it doesn't get much better than this. 

 

Thank you for inviting me into your lives. You made me feel welcomed. You are beautiful family of three and congratulations!!