Arbor Day Farm / Kimmel Orchard

We crossed another thing off my fall list by visiting Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. Last Year I was too pregnant and uncomfortable to even want to walk but I remember being really excited to take our baby girl the next year. We chose a beautiful day to go! The fact that Penny can walk is a blessing and a curse. It's SO fun to let her explore and be independent, but she loves it so much that any time we put her in the stroller or need to pick her up she has a MAJOR melt down. We found ways to get past it and still have a good time :) 

We also stopped at Kimmel Orchard to do a little apple picking. The orchard was beautiful and they were selling lots of yummy treats, but we were all so tired from walking around at Arbor Farm that we just picked our apples and didn't hang around. Penny loved playing with the apples on the ground, but keeping her away from the rotten ones was difficult. She and Truman went to pick her very own little apple and they sat in the grass and ate while we picked :)

 Making memories with my little family is just as wonderful and I dreamed it would be. Can't wait to bring baby sister here next year!

Pumpkin Patch

Watching Penny experience new things is my absolute favorite. 

I've always loved the beginning of fall, but with a child I get to enjoy it differently. Suddenly buying pumpkins and attending cheesy-touristy pumpkin patches is so fun because it means I get to watch Penny have fun. The faces she makes when she's seeing something new are priceless. I have a long list of fall goodies I want to introduce her to and I'm thankful I could check one off this weekend. 

We heard great things about Vala's Pumpkin Patch and it was a blast! I wasn't expecting it to be as huge as it was. We were definitely tired of all of the walking by the end of the day. Most of the activities were meant for older kids, but we found a few that Penny could enjoy.

Truman is such a great daddy. He was tired and sore from his Tough Mudder race this weekend, but he took Penny on this bouncy thing and she had so. much. fun. She was completely unaware of all the other kids bouncing as she made her way across the bubble so Truman spent most of his time protecting her. She's got a fearless attitude when it comes to adventure. She also threw quite the fit when we moved along to the next thing :)

It was a fun afternoon and she passed out the second we got in the car :)

I love enjoying this beautiful season with my family!

Penny Emerson : 11 Months

Getting this little one to sit still is nearly impossible.

We have been giggling a lot this month. She loves making us laugh and I love seeing those two front teeth. I feel more affection from her lately. She gives lots of slobbery kisses and grabs our face. My FAVORITE night ever was a few nights ago when she was a little congested. She woke up crying in the middle of the night and when I went to pick her up, she nestled her head into my neck and fell asleep while I rubbed her back. I contemplated whether sleeping upright in the rocking chair was do-able because I just couldn't set her down, but eventually had to. She has been holding tightly to my arm when I hold her, as well. I just get the sense that she really wants to be close to her mama and I'm okay with that.

She is the most social baby. Going anywhere with her is so much fun. I'll be concentrating on my grocery list and I'll hear her giggle only to look up and see her smiling at a stranger down the aisle. She'll give a big grin for anyone who looks her way. She also refuses to face forward in the cart--always has to see what's going on. 

She took her first steps the other day! I wasn't expecting it because she seems so content with crawling right now (she's a ridiculously fast crawler) but she was standing by herself, took three steps towards her books, and fell on her bottom. I screamed with excitement and she looked up at me like I was a crazy woman (I am). We keep trying to practice with her but she only wants to walk on her terms. She can only do 2-3 steps at a time right now but she sure does love the applause she gets afterward :)

She is SO much smarter than I realize. Anytime the TV is on or we are at a game, she will start clapping when she hears the audience/crowd clapping. Sometimes I won't even notice the audience cheering and she'll start clapping along. She's also speaking pretty well. I don't really think she knows what she's saying but she says "daddy" "hi" "uh oh" "yum" and "okay". And when I ask her what the cow says she puts her lips together and makes an "mmmm" sound. I geek out and get really excited every time :)

I went to pick her up from nursery this Sunday and as I stood in line I peered through the door and watched her playing with the other kids. She looked so grown up and it made me teary-eyed and so proud. (And then it hit me that if we decide to put her in a classroom I will be a hot mess when I can't watch her every move!) We stood at the back of the auditorium singing worship songs, her hand stretched high in the air, and I felt so incredibly happy to be her mama.

Baby Faeh // halfway

I knew with our second baby I wouldn't have as much time to sit around and document every little change as the pregnancy progresses. I no longer pour over countless pregnancy websites and books trying to obtain every ounce of information I can. I do my best to be well-rested and well-fed and Penny takes care of the exercise :) It's a different experience the second time around. I have less time to think about the pregnancy which has actually made it go by WAY faster. I can hardly believe I'm already halfway there! We find out the gender in a week and I am SO excited. Knowing a little more about who your baby is makes it more personal and easier (for me) to bond. Plus I'm ready to start the naming battle with Truman (he hates everything I love!) In the meantime, I wanted to dedicate a little post to the first half of my pregnancy. 

12 Weeks

13 Weeks

15 Weeks

16 Weeks

19 Weeks

Though this pregnancy has seemed harder (with less time to relax and much more fatigue) I am loving being pregnant. With my new diet restrictions, I had a very hard time enjoying food (which wasn't the case last time around) but I feel pretty comfortable now. What surprised me most this time around was how sore I was from the beginning. Things didn't get uncomfortable until the 3rd trimester last time and I can barely walk around the block without having my legs and hips killing me.

My cravings have been pretty similar to last time's with a few exceptions. This time I am eating lots of apples with maple almond butter, jalapeno baked potato chips, cinnamon gum (?? haven't had this stuff since I was a kid and all the sudden started craving it!), chocolate, snow cones,  and I crave anything and everything with pasta or bread in it. I've been able to find a few gluten free pasta dishes but for the most part I just can't indulge in that craving...major bummer.

I started feeling really faint movement at 16 weeks. At 18 weeks, I felt the first legitimate kick and bulge. With Penny, my placenta was in the front so I couldn't feel movement until about 20 weeks so I was thrilled to be enjoying it much earlier this time. It was so distinct, in fact, that Truman could feel it as well. I have been having a lot more braxton hicks contractions this time and they started at about 14 weeks. Unfortunately the cure for those is drinking water and I hate. drinking. water.

Being pregnant again has been a real blessing. My body is constantly reminding me that I need to slow down. I can't do it all and that's okay. I'm learning that taking care of myself and my family comes WAY before a clean house, fun homemaking things, and errands. It's hard to imagine what life will be like with two children. I remember with Penny it never felt real until right at the end. And of course people tell me over and over that it will only get harder--I'm so aware of that. And to be honest I fear it a little. The post partum depression, having a baby in the winter (when I'm already cold and depressed), the recovery process, the financial aspect, SLEEP. But if I have learned one thing in my first year of motherhood it's that the moments of complete exhaustion (the kind you didn't know was possible to reach), repetitive days, messy hair, and takeout for the third night in a row are SO worth the absolute joy of children. I know I can survive life with two babies because I have survived life with one. It will be messy, I'll struggle daily with leaning on the Lord instead of trying to "measure up" but I'm just so excited for it.
Here's to hoping the second half is as fast as the first! (And that baby Faeh doesn't have his/her legs crossed at our ultrasound next week...)

J.