Well I thought it was about time I wrote about this second pregnancy. After all I am half way now! This 2nd time around things have been very different. First of all I was sooo much sicker this time. I got down to a weight that I’ve only dreamed about and never really thought possible. As nice as it was to weigh so little I was miserable being so sick. Shortly after the second trimester hit I started feeling better and was able to start eating again. Unfortunately I took advantage of food and gained back all of the weight plus a couple pounds. (I blame the cruise for most of it!) Plus, I haven’t been good at exercising this time around. I need to be better. I kick myself everyday for not going to the gym. I felt the baby move earlier this time around.I guess I knew what it felt like so it was easier to recognize. Ben also felt the baby much earlier than he did Hallie. He felt the baby kick at my 20 week mark.

So far I feel like this baby is already neglected. Now that I am feeling so much better I often forget I am pregnant. I am so busy with Hallie that I don’t think about the cute baby in my belly constantly like I did when I was pregnant with Hallie. This poor kid already has second child syndrome I’m sure of it. 🙂  I was going to post a picture of my belly but when I did it just looked like I was fat and not pregnant so I decided against it. I’m barely showing at this point. I feel way fat but I’m carrying the baby so low and in my back that my pouch is just starting to get big. I’m sure in the next few weeks I won’t be able to hide the belly any longer.

I officially switched over to the birthing center (where I had Hallie). My insurance makes me see a regular OB for the first trimester and then lets me switch over. It was harder decision this time around. I remember the pain so vividly from Hallie’s labor and delievery that I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it again. However, after much contemplation and prayer I decided to go back to the Birthing Center. I really did love the midwives and how special and comfortable they made me feel. I also love the fact that midwives see birth as natural and not as a medical procedure. I discovered I’m scared of hospitals. I’m scared they won’t follow my birth plan and I’m scared that one medication will lead to the next and before you know it they are telling me I need a c-section. Plus, with my insurance it’s just the luck of the draw which doctor is there when I deliver. Which I’m not a fan of! I like the fact that the birthing center is so comfortable and homey. I like that I have two women who are all about me and my labor. I like the fact that I get to move around without  IV’s and needles or monitors stuck to me. I also like that I get to go home so soon after I have the baby as well. This time I am going to try something called Hypnobirthing. It is a form of meditation that you train yourself on throughout your pregnancy and then perform while in labor. I’m actually really excited about it and most of the fear about labor has already left me. I start my classes in March so I will keep you updated with how it’s all going.

After finding out on Thursday that this baby is a boy it makes sense why this pregnancy seems so different. I’m excited to get a little Ben (although Hallie is pretty much a little Ben in appearance). It will be interesting to see how different Hallie and this new baby boy are. (Hopefully much different newborns!) It’s fun to see how excited Ben is to get a little boy. He jokes that he wants a kid that he can say “shut up” to. (Girls are too sensitive.) I told him that’s what brothers are for not kids. 🙂 He cracks me up.

Well, that was quite the journal entry for me. I guess it’s about time. I’m so grateful I feel so good now. It truly is a blessing. I’m also grateful for the new little man that is going to enter my life in 20 more weeks. 🙂 YAY for being a mom!

I’m the luckiest Mom in the whole world! I get to hang out with this silly little girl all day.

Ahh what an adventure!!!  My parents sure know how to spoil us when it comes to Christmas gifts.  We were able to go on a 7 day western caribbean cruise.

1st let me point out some things that I learned.

• I have amazing parents!! (already knew that one but had to throw it in)
• Never take your kid/kids on a cruise!
• Don’t go on a Carnival cruise (pick a different company)
• Room Service ROCKS!!!
• You don’t have to have a good body to wear a bikini. 🙂
• It’s easy to gain weight when you can eat, eat, eat with no preparation or clean up.  Don’t worry I gained 3 pounds in a week!! Hallie on the other hand decided to go on a purple grape diet and lost weight.
• Weather plays a huge roll in a cruise.

PRE-CRUISE: MIAMI

View from our hotel window. It was too windy to swim dang it!

Memories:

• Ordering pizza and hanging out with my parents.
• Feeling the baby move for the first time that night.
• Thinking my dad was silly for wanting to go out so late and get food for the next day. (We forgot the next day was Sunday. Opps! Dad’s always know best!)
• Seeing a toilet seat on the balcony across from us. I sure hope it was because they were remodeling. wink, wink

DAY 1: BOARDING THE SHIP

The view getting on to the cruise ship.

Me and Hal as the ship was leaving

We called her Hollywood Hallie with those sunglasses on.  So CUTE!!!!

Memories:

• Seeing my Aunt Tammy and Uncle Brett for the first time in a long time. (They went on the cruise as well.)
• Realizing just now many people were going to be on the boat with us.
• Noticing our fake tans really weren’t so tan after all.
• Watching people get drunk of their rocker before the ship even took sail.

DAY 2: ALL DAY AT SEA

Everynight at dinner we chose a starter, main coarse, and dessert. But wait it gets even better than that-you can have as many of each as you want!!

Me and Ben on our formal night.

My amazing parents!

Hallie refused to eat in the dining room so here we are later that night letting her eat in my parents cabin.

Memories:

• Dressing up and getting our picture professionally taken for free. Too bad only the “taking was free” to buy the picture (that turned out super cute btw) cost $22. Too much for me!
• Eating amazing food that I had never tried before.
• Having my parents watch Hallie so Ben and I could go see a show, play air hockey and go dancing. So fun!! Well, until Ben twirled me and showed the room what was under my dress. 🙂

DAY 3:  COZUMEL, MEXICO

First time off the ship.

The above pictures are all of the ancient Mayan ruins. It was awesome! Don’t miss the huge Iguana in the last picture.

The jeep we rented for the day.

Memories:

• My mom and Hallie shopped.
• My dad and Ben and I rented a jeep and went and saw the Mayan ruins. It was about a 30 min drive so we got to tour Cozumel on the way.
• Stopping at some little resturant off the side of the road and eating the best tacos we’ve ever had. I made the mistake of putting their home made salsa on my taco before trying it. I have never eating something so spicy!!!!
• Stopping at a beach and playing for a few minutes.
• Seeing whole families on little scooters going across town. Seriously we saw a family with three little kids and two parents on one little scooter. Hilarious!! Everyone drives scooters in Cozumel.

DAY 4: BELIZE

One of the nicer houses in Belize.

Ben and Hallie on our city tour. Hallie was awful the entire ride. Ahh the stress!

The view leaving Belize.

Our cute little family on the Tender boat bringing us back to the cruise ship.

Memories:

• Experiencing a 3rd world country first hand.
• Being humbled to see the massive poverty. Wow we are blessed to have all we have.
• Passing an LDS church house (didn’t get a picture). It was the nicest building in the city and it had a 12 foot barbed wire fence all around it.
• Telling our tour guide (who was hilarious) that we were Mormons and finding out that he had started reading the Book of Mormon a while ago but had gotten busy. (IF only I had a quarter for every time I heard that on my mission.) I told him to start again. He was such a good guy I hope he does.
• Seeing where the tour guide gets his hair cut.
• Seeing shacks with menus written on the outside wall. (They were restaurants)
• Seeing little kids fill up soda bottles with water that was from the gutter.

DAY 5: ISLA ROATAN  (our favorite)

The view from our breakfast table. GORGEOUS!

The port we docked at.

Ben and my dad left the girls and went scuba diving. They LOVED it!

Another gorgeous view! Roatan is a quiet beautiful place. We are hoping to go back for a future anniversary!

Memories:

• Docking at a different port because of the wind.
• Spending the day with mom, Hallie, aunt Tammy, and uncle Brett
• Seeing the LDS church house surrounded by fence. This time the Church lot even had a huge basketball court.
• Finally swimming in the ocean. Hallie LOVED it- she was laughing the whole time!
• Hallie burying everyone’s feet in the sand.
• Having a million little kids try and sell us things. (Reminded me of slumdog millionaire.)
• Getting sunburned because I didn’t put on sunscreen with the overcast weather.
• My mom and uncle paying a little boy to be me and Hallie’s bodyguard for 15 min while we shopped. He stopped cars for us as we crossed the street, shewed dogs away from us, and helped us with the stroller.
• Eating Iguana!!!! It actually wasn’t bad. It is what they eat a lot of on the Island so I had to try it.

DAY 6: GRAND CAYMAN

The town named HELL. We just had to get our picture!  hahaha

We had to take this picture to depict what Hallie was like on the cruise ship. Don’t ever take kids!

To be continued….

This is still in Grand Cayman.

Ben, Hallie, and uncle Brett

Ben and Hallie building a sand castle.

My parents laying out at the beach.

This is one of my dads firefighter buddies that also went on the cruise. He was a stranger to Hallie but when he offered her ice cream she went with him without even looking back. I guess we know what we need to work on for talking or dealing with strangers… EVEN IF THEY OFFER YOU ICE CREAM!!! After this incident all the grandparent firefighters that were also on the ship kept coming and taking Hallie to get ice cream. 🙂

Ben and Hallie on the Tender boat as we road back to the ship.

Memories:

• All of us together on the beach with warm weather at last!
• Snorkeling!! It was the highlight of the trip. We saw beautiful fish and a string ray.
• Hallie loving the water again! She’s such a little fish. My dad taught her how to kick her feet and swim.
• Getting a tan line finally!
• Going to the town of Hell and buying a post card.

DAY: 6: ALL DAY AT SEA

No pictures.

Memories:

• Hallie finally having a huge chess set to play with.
• Just hanging out
• Parents taking Hallie again so Ben and I could eat dinner in peace and relax.

DAY 7: GOING HOME

Our little family waiting to go through customs.

Hallie in the airport eating trail mix.

Ben set up Hallie’s bed and she took a little nap. I was surprised at how well she slept-normally she can’t sleep with any noise.  We were very grateful.

While waiting the five hours at the airport we met a hispanic woman who was kind enough to let Hallie love on her little grand baby. Hallie was so happy and giggly.  She thinks she’s ready to be a big sister.

Memories:

• Being sad to say goodbye to my parents. We miss them terribly!!!
• Offering to take the next flight to D.C. in the morning because Southwest over booked our flight. We ended lucking out because 2 people didn’t show up.  We got to go on our same flight plus we got almost $700 in flight vouchers. YAY we really have been blessed. This will pay for us to go to Ben’s brother’s wedding in May.
• Coming home to snow and cold!

RANDOM:

Here is our room. I loved room service!!! Every time we left our room they came in and cleaned it. They always left a little towel animal. The one in the picture is a monkey hanging from our ceiling.