Piper at age 2

let's get real.

TWO is so hard.

and it's so fun.

but a little bit harder than it is fun, most days.

If you've ever met Piper, you knew within the first few minutes (maybe even seconds) that she is a little spitfire. She is sassy and strong willed. She is so determined and when she sets her mind to something she doesn't let anything stop her.

Communication is getting better between us because she can talk more and she really understands it all..but that doesn't mean she always listens. She does what she wants most of the time, just until recently. She doesn't listen and then i usually give her a few seconds to think about it and then she says "Ok mommy" with a big smile. She gets so proud of herself when she follows directions so she is becoming better at this. She always says "good job piper!" when she does something good.

she always has been (and hopefully always will be) a great sleeper. she goes down easily and wakes up happy (usually). 

we are still working on her appetite. she's pretty picky, but is slowly showing interest in trying new things. i usually just make her a plate of what we are having for dinner and she knows that she has to eat it. maybe not all of it, but a good amount.

she is into all things princesses and anything pretty.

but she still loves her cars and trains.

she loves doggies and loves to pretend to play "mommy" to her little stuffed animals.

she'll walk around with a baby or small animal saying "you're so cute baby. want to eat some soup baby? here's your ba-ba" she loves it.

she is really funny and cracks us up everyday. she loves to make people laugh. she loves to dance and help me out with anything I'm doing. She always asks me "what you doing mama?" and wants to see and be in on the action.

she still doesn't love any attention on her (besides her parents) and she gets reaaaally embarrassed when she gets hurt in front of people. she doesn't cry because she's hurt, she screams and cries because she's embarrassed.

she loves to say hi to people everywhere we go, but the other day we were at target and this sweet lady walked past us and said hi to piper and she looked at her and said "go away!" yikes.

luckily the lady just laughed with me.

but I'm telling you. this girl is so hot and cold. i never know what I'm going to get.

she could be laughing her head off one minute and then freaking out the next.

oh and she's bosses me around all day long.

"stop singing mommy."

"sit down mommy."

"no no mommy."

"go over there mommy."

you get the point. 

two year olds, man. 

New Year, New Goals - & an UPDATE

One of my goals this year is to be better at documenting and recording our little life.

I have never been a good journal keeper and when i was like 14 i made my scrapbook in about 2 days and never touched it after that.

so obviously i struggle.

but i really want to be better at keeping a record on this blog.

i feel like i can do that.

at least once a week, with pictures too.

so that i can remember little details and events that took place that i'd otherwise forget if i didn't write them down. so here it goes...

First of all - I'M PREGNANT!

17 weeks now.

due date: June 20th

So I had originally wanted to have this one be exactly 2.5 years younger than piper. i never really thought it'd take time because my body already did it and i knew it could do it again. and i knew i was so ready...but it took a little longer than we thought. we started trying in april and i got pregnant in september. really it wasn't that long, but when i was wanting it so bad it seemed like foreverrrr. and there was a little miscarriage in between. I was sooo sad when i miscarried, but to be honest it strengthened my testimony in a weird way. I wasn't even that far along, but i was just so bummed that i really had to turn to the Lord for comfort and peace. and i was confused..but I had to learn that He has a plan for us and His plan isn't always what we had in mind. Luckily, i got pregnant the next month. anyways, it was a trial, but we got through it and we feel so blessed to have this little miracle growing inside my body. Aren't women's bodies so amazing? 

we grow human beings! 

it blows my mind every time i think about it.

so this might be TMI, but i always tell it like it is and this is my personal space so here it is:

i had been going to a fertility acupuncturist that so many friends of mine swear by.

he had me on some herbs morning and night, i had to wear socks at all times (even when it was 100 degrees), i could only eat and drink warm food (had to microwave my water all the time) and was on a special diet of little dairy, lots of raw fruits and veggies and low sugar.

well it only took 3 weeks!

im a believer.

it was mid October.

i knew i was pregnant before i took the test.

my boobs grew overnight and they started to hurt.

and i just had that motherly instinct.

i waited to take the test because i didn't want to get discouraged but i woke up one morning and grabbed a test and took it. jason was in the shower and when he walked out i just held up the pregnancy test with a big fat positive. we both freaked out and got so excited but we were both on guard a little bit just because this had happened a month and a half earlier and we didn't want to get our hopes up. but this one felt different. i knew this one stuck and i knew it was happening.

i was so excited that i pretty much told some of my friends that i see on a daily basis as soon as i peed on the stick because i was so dang excited. and i wanted them to know why i was always so tired and lazy...and they knew we had been trying so the question came up frequently and i cannot lie! 

we told both our families at six weeks and then waited until we were in the clear at 13 weeks to announce publicly.

so far this pregnancy has been so similar, yet so different than my first. 

first of all I'm showing a lot earlier.

my sinuses haven't stopped since the moment this whole thing started

(which is SO annoying - i wake up multiple times a night to blow my nose..ive taken everything the doctor has said i could take and nothing works..it's really only bad when I'm sleeping and early in the morning)

i take about 2-3 showers a day. my body craves a hot relaxing shower. even if i just stand there for 10 minutes.

i couldn't cook for the first 14 weeks of my pregnancy.

my own kitchen grossed me out so we ate out a lot.

im so glad to have my cooking appetite back.

i've thrown up once, which i never did with piper.

I have been so much more tired than i was with piper - but that might be because I'm chasing around a 2 year old every day? either way, I'm tired. and i nap almost everyday which is glorious.

i have little patience.

even though i still get tired, my energy came back full force and i am loving it.

i am feeling more like myself again.

my two food cravings: tacos and pineapple.

i had no cravings with P.

i got an at home doppler ultrasound on amazon for like $40 and it's my favorite thing.

whenever I'm feeling a little bit worried i just take a listen and i can hear that little heartbeat working so hard in there. and recently i've been able to hear movement! which is so exciting.

last friday i started to feel little nudges. they aren't consistent but i get a couple every day and it's getting me so excited for all those kicks and punches to come.

piper already loves baby and loves to hug and kiss my belly.

she always lifts up my shirt and says, "good morning baby."

i'm excited to see her be a big sister.

we find out the gender in 2 weeks (at our 20 week ultrasound appt.) and we cannot wait!!

i have an inkling of what this baby might be, but ill have to wait to see if I'm right.

JUNE can't come soon enough!! I'm so ready.