The 2nd time is so different...

I am already neglecting our next child. I haven't been taking belly pictures like I did with Knox or even really remembering that I am pregnant- except for it being hard to button my pants now (I still can though- whew!).  Good thing the baby is starting to kick, that is helping me remember they are in there! I am at 19 weeks now and find out a week from Monday if Knox will have a baby brother or baby sister.  I would be lying if I said I didn't have a preference (girl).  However, I honestly will be thrilled either way.  I already love this little guy so much it won't make a bit of difference if they are a boy or a girl.  They will be my sweet little baby and that is more than enough!

Here is a pic of the growing belly:

So far, I have been blessed with an awesome pregnancy. I felt yucky for about a month and had a few weeks of an upper respiratory infection that I couldn't shake due to my immune system being down with the pregnancy.  But all in all I am feeling so good that I seriously don't even remember that I am pregnant half the time.  I am definitely in the second trimester honeymoon phase right now!

-Stacie

Bulter Park

Since Knox was little we have been meeting up every week with two of my friends and their kiddos for a play group.  These three kiddos have become like the 'Three Musketeers' now that they are officially toddlers and it is so cute to watch them play and explore their world together.  Today we went downtown to Bulter Park to let them play in fountains and run around the park.  Here are some pics from their adventure:

They climbed the hill and didn't even look back to see if we were coming...ha! 

Knox & Blythe LOVE to hold hands- so cute!

This kid loves water 

Avery in the fountains 

Knox's buddy Blythe

Holding hands again :) 

My sweet little man

It is so nice that it is not 100 degrees out yet and we can still play outside! We're trying to make the most of it while we still can.

-Stacie

Halloween 2012

If you know me very well at all, you know that I LOVE Halloween.  Not the ugly witches, Freddy Krueger, chainsaws Halloween.  But the 'Charlie Brown & the Great Pumpkin', candy corn, little kids in cute costumes Halloween.  Any holiday that revolves around candy is going to be number one in my book.   So, what is better than Halloween?  Having a child with a birthday in October.  Why you ask? Because then every year we have the excuse to have Halloween themed birthday parties with trips to the pumpkin patch and hayrides and tons and tons of candy and little kids in costumes.

I mean tell me this kid isn't cute in his costume?! 

Really, I am not sure why no one else gets as excited about this as I do?  Anyway.  When we found out Knox's due date was November 2nd I spent a lot of time praying that he would come early and I would get my October baby.  Alas, he came late.  But now I have a second chance. Drumroll please...that is right, I am pregnant again and this time the due date is October 27th!  I may get my October baby yet!

Halloween 2012 may be the best Halloween yet!

-Stacie

Knox's 1st Easter Egg Hunt

Knox went to his first Easter egg hunt this past weekend.  Our neighborhood hosts and annual egg hunt every year and we decided to take Knox and see how he did. I didn't have high hopes for him actually "getting it" but I was pleasantly surprised.  I will admit that he mostly just tried to put the eggs in his mouth, but he did go in search of them and put them in his basket so I consider that a success! 

The start of the hunt

There were about 175 people at the egg hunt and they had it roped off by different age groups.  I was very impressed by the level of organization, this was a serious egg hunt!

Egg in the mouth

Eating our egg contents

Holding hands with his buddy Blythe

This is after we discovered what is inside the eggs...

Walking around with Daddy looking for eggs

Hopefully the egg hunt will become an annual tradition!

-Stacie

Visitors!

This past week, Kyle's family came to visit- his mom, sister and her two children Marek & McKenna. It was so fun to have them all here again (they hadn't all been here since right after Knox was born) and for all the little cousins to get to be together again.  They hadn't seen each other since Christmas, so it was really fun to get to have a few days to all hang out.

With three little ones, we spent a lot of time at the house just playing with toys and making sure everyone was fed and had their allotted naps for the day.  But we did manage to get out and do some fun Austiny things while they were here too! We walked around Town Lake, ate dinner at Ski Shores, visited the Children's Museum and enjoyed some 'Kids Eat Free' time at Central Market.  It really was a wonderful visit and we were sad to see them go.  Knox can say "Marek" and he calls McKenna "baby".  When I showed him pictures from the weekend he would point them out and he looked for them when he woke up on Wednesday morning and they were gone.  So cute for us to see him growing up and loving his family!

Here are a few pictures I got from our time together:

Sweet McKenna

Marek had fun at the playground with Knox! 

Playing with water in the driveway

Knox is obsessed with "wa-wa"

Virginia in February

 Since my mom is a teacher, Knox & I traveled to Virginia for a week while she had President's Day off.  Sometimes traveling with a toddler can be anything but relaxing (this may be a dramatic understatement) but this trip was a pleasant surprise.  Knox adjusted really well to being in Virginia (after waking up at 3:45 am to go to the airport, puking and having an explosive airplane diaper- we managed to arrive before nap time!) and napped and slept great.  My mom only had to work one day while we were there, so we had lots of time together to enjoy each other's company.

Knox & his Mana

One of the days there my mom & I drove up to Harrisonburg (about 2 hours away from Richmond) to visit my younger brother at his college- JMU.  It was a really fun trip and Knox played around campus and we got the grand tour of where Justin spends his days.  

Grandma & Grandpa love this little guy!

Visiting Knox's Great Grandma Charlotte at her house

We also got to spend sometime with my older brother Jonathan & his wife Valerie.  I got to sleep most mornings till 8 or 8:30 and had someone cook dinner for me every night.  This was my idea of a true vacation and I enjoyed every minute of it!! 

Knox & Uncle Jonathan

Uncle Kibbo (aka Justin) & Mana

Maggie & Moses- they are so much bigger than Knox!

Knox & I are home for about 6 weeks and then we are traveling back to Virginia for my mom's spring break.  This is the last year that he will be a free ticket so we are making to most of it while we can! 

-Stacie 

February

February always feels like such a slow month to me and this year is no exception.  There just hasn't been much going on.  Knox has emerged from a long-lasting cold and three new teeth and has proved be much happier when he is healthy and not teething. Thank goodness because I was starting to think I was going to loose my mind with all the whining in our house.  Just a phase, just a phase.  That is what I tell myself to get through the day sometimes. And usually it is true.  Knox has started saying a lot more words so that has been really fun.  He now says "peease" when he wants something and "nite-nite" when it's time for bed.  Be still my heart.

This week my Dad is coming to visit for a few days and then Knox & I are flying back with him to spend a week in Virginia. I am so looking forward to getting to spend time in Virginia and see all of my family and my good friend Katie as well. It should be a nice break from the monotony of toddler care :)

It was unusually cold this weekend, but I still forced Kyle & I to partake in a photo shoot.  Here are the best from my two little models.