Things pregnant ladies should know

Last time I was pregnant, I found these wonderful tips online. I thought I would share them with my first time mom friends, just in case they need a little help. Being pregnant can be so overwhelming and confusing at times. It's good to do this...no that's bad...eh it's ok in moderation...no it's not...don't even think about it...my best friend's mom's cousin did it and she was fine. These should clear up any confusion over questions you may have.

I accidentally did this in hip hop class the other day. I just need to be more careful!

I don't see anything wrong with this...

Good thing I found this one before this Memorial day weekend! I was not aware!

PS...I am already 27 weeks 5 days pregnant! I feel like I keep updating this blog but I really am not doing great at keeping up! It's going by way too fast! I can't even think about the fact that my due date is only 12 weeks away or I may have a panic attack but I am managing to stay calm so far. This pregnancy is a breeze! Ask me again in a couple weeks how I feel about that statement though...

Week 23 - The roommate

                  Not sure why I keep having these pictures taken right after dinner. I may have been    slightly pushing out the belly with my lunge move there.


It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now! My body has been taken over. Bodysharing, what a strange concept. Of course anyone who's alive knows that a pregnant lady shares her body with another person but you totally forget or have no idea what it's like when you're not pregnant. It all started coming back to me this week as my bladder became a punching bag! Oh is my bladder in your way? I'm sorry, I will just run to the bathroom every 12 minutes to empty it and make more room for you! Just imagine, you have a roommate. The kind who steals your stuff, crowds your space, eats your food, and is mildly physically aggressive at times. Then imagine that roommate is inside of you. Ah! Scary thought! It came very apparent to me today when I laid down for a nap and at that exact moment, baby boy deciding it was punching bladder Zumba time or whatever was going on in there. I actually had to lay there and giggle for a little bit because it reminded me that of course this wonderful thing is growing inside but also, we have different schedules and this won't be the last time I will be prevented from taking a nap because of him! I'm ok with it though. What's even scarier/kind of funny is, this baby is probably only maaybe a pound and a half. That means he has ohh about 6 or more lbs to put on, which means I better be making more room! I actually cannot believe how huge I am right now for 23 weeks. I'm not worried about it or anything but it is quite different from last time! A lot of people I know are pregnant and it's hard not to compare myself to them. I know not to do that! Women who are having their first babies are always smaller and cuter I guess. I am still teaching dance which hasn't been as difficult as I thought. I just avoid doing any floor moves because I know it will take a lot of effort to get back up. I'm sure it's pretty comical to watch me try to teach my hip hop dances or demonstrate ballet choreography. I haven't been laughed at yet though (outloud at least) so it must be ok. I have only gained about 10 lbs believe it or not. It must all be in my uterus, which is fine! Also TMI alert: if you've never been pregnant you probably don't know this because pregnant ladies don't talk about it. It is just about impossible to go #2. That's right I said it. So I think that adds to some of the weight going on there. Ps, flaxseed helps. Go get some! Anways so the baby's the size of a mango which is a little over 1 lb and 11 inches long from head to butt.
Oh and we bought Leah's new bedroom furniture this week! We pick it up next week and she is going to love it! I just ordered the bedding. I can't wait to set up her new big girl room!

Halfway?!

My pretty girl hanging out with Mommy on St. Patty's day

19 weeks, 5 days. I don't feel like I look this big but holy momma! I guess this was right after we ate dinner at Smokey D's and I was wearing horizontal stripes....haha!

This picture is at 16 weeks, 1 day. 4 weeks ago already! AH!

Holy crap, time is flying by! It has been 6 weeks since I update my blog. "Woopth, thorry!" as Leah would say with her sweet little lisp. Today I am 20 weeks, halfway there! This pregnancy seems like it is going so much faster than my first, it's unbelievable. The most exciting thing to happen in the past 6 weeks was that we found out that we are having a BOY!! I sort of had the feeling it was a boy but I never really said it because I didn't want to be wrong. I would find myself referring to the baby as "he" and then wondering why I thought or said that. Turns out I knew but didn't know it! Ryan is pretty excited too. Now comes the work that we have been putting off this whole time. Finding a name (no progress yet), picking out nursery decor (nothing yet), getting new furniture for Leah, possibly registering for new baby boy stuff, etc. We have decided to keep Leah in her room since it is bigger and she will need the room for a bigger bed. Plus, we didn't want to turn her world too far upside-down! She's comfortable in her room and we will keep it that way for her. She still doesn't get that she is going to have a baby brother. I keep saying "You are going to have a baby brother!" She replies, "A baby brother-sister!". She'll get it soon enough I suppose.

I feel like this pregnancy is so much different than my pregnancy with Leah. There are a few obvious differences of course, like the fact that I'm not working in an office this time. I'm moving around a lot more. I can't tell if this is making a difference in weight gain or not. I have gained about 10 lbs so far! Woopth. I can't remember where I was at in weight at this point with Leah. I weighed more with her when I started out but I was smaller...how does that work? Anyways, I feel a lot calmer about being pregnant this time. Probably because I know what to expect and I know how having a baby is going to change my life. I was really freaked out about that last time. Before I had a child, I spent a lot of my time going out with friends, drinking, having fun and being free. I haven't really had that luxury in a while so bring on another baby! One thing that is the same as with my previous pregnancy is that I want Dairy Queen blizzards all the time. I would be fine and happy if I had one every day. I haven't had one in a few weeks though....someone owes me one! :-)

On to the 2nd trimester!

Time is flying by! I am 14 weeks today and feeling pretty good, thank goodness! I feel like I just hit 12 weeks, now I'm already 14 weeks and in the 2nd trimester? Ah this is all going so fast for me! haha! I am thankful for that though. Only another 6 weeks until we find out if it's a boy or girl, what do you think? Of course we don't care either way. Ryan seems to think he is doomed to have 5 daughters and no son but I think he's just being funny. I honestly have no idea. Last time, Ryan and I both just knew that we were having a girl, so it was no surprise when the ultrasound tech told us it was a girl! This time, I have no gut feeling or anything. Leah isn't helping either. I ask "Is this baby a boy or a girl?" her response, "a boy and girl!!". NO, no it is NOT one of each! There is only one. I thought older siblings were supposed to have some sort of sibling intuition? Oh well, time will tell, I'm so excited to find out!

So, the baby websites all say the baby is the size of a lemon this week, I thought it was the size of a lemon 3 weeks ago but what do I know! The baby has doubled in weight since last week (I feel like I have as well) and can now pee, grimace, clench fists and suck thumbs! Amazing! It is also beginning to produce bile this week which is an important bodily function of course.

Baby Parks #2 - 12 weeks

Wha? A plum? Why does it look like I swallowed a head of iceberg lettuce?

12 weeks! Almost out of the 1st trimester already! This pregnancy is definitely moving faster than the last. Recently, I've found myself so busy that I actually have forgotten I'm pregnant! Last time, I had time to stew about it 24/7, this time I have a 2 year old and daycare kids to chase after! I have been feeling a lot better the past few days. Nausea is gone (knock on wood) and I'm not as tired. I have been feeling a little dizzy and getting headaches so I guess it's a fair trade. I went to the doctor last week and got to hear the heart beat again, 170 this time! Unfortunately Ryan couldn't go with me as he had to, ahem, GOT to watch the kids for me while I went! I swear I can already feel this baby move, is that even possible? It is so strange! There are little flutters in there! Or is is gas? Could be both, but flutters is more magical.

We have told Leah that there is a baby in my belly but she doesn't quite get it yet I don't think! I have to remind her not to jump on me and kick me (a joy of being a mother, getting beaten to a pulp by a 2 year old) because of the baby. She just kind of looks around like "baby? where?". For the past 4 days, Leah has flat out refused to nap. I just want to kick and scream like a baby too, am I allowed to do that? Please for the love of God, please let me nap! I'm carrying a child, this is hard work, don't you get it?!?! Of course she doesn't get it, and how can I stay mad at that sweet face while she is running to me for kisses. But thank good for Dora the Explorer, ayuda me!

Parks baby #2!

I can still hardly believe it! Even though this baby was planned, it seems so surreal. I am currently 11 weeks along and it seems to be going by so quickly already. The pregnancy so far has been pretty textbook. I feel pretty crappy most of the time with brief periods of normalcy. I wish I could remember what I felt like when I was pregnant with Leah but that seems like a million years ago! It was only like 3 years though right? Geez. I found out I was pregnant when I was about 4 weeks along and couldn't believe how great I felt! Fast forward 2 weeks: I was starving every hour and I HAD to eat or I would be heaving over the toilet, extremely tired, and crying. Lovely huh? This week, I am not as hungry, nauseous, or tired which is wonderful! The one thing I forgot about (maybe I purposely forgot about it?) is the raging HORMONES! My poor husband is trying so hard to be understanding but how much can a guy take, really? I have completely lost my filter which causes me to be rude, blunt, harsh and completely ridiculous most of the time. I am on the hormone roller coaster and I can't get off! I even know I am being out of line but it's like my stupid mouth won't listen to my smart brain. Then immediately after, the tears start coming. I'm hoping this subsides soon! Also, I am huge. Ok maybe not that huge but man, it's true when people say you start to show sooner after your first pregnancy. It's like my body just knew where to go. pppllfffttthp. That was the sound of my belly popping out as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Right now I look like I looked when I was 17 or even 18 weeks with Leah. YIKES. Not worried though, just kind of crazy!

Enough about me, how about this baby? Ryan and I have gotten to see the peanut on an ultrasound one time when I was 7 weeks, 5 days. The heart rate was 124, which the nurse said was normal for that gestational age. I have a fetal heart doppler at home and I have been trying for a couple weeks to see if I could pick up the heartrate myself. Yesterday, I was finally 100% sure I found it! The heart rate was 164 today. According to old wive's tales, that means it's a girl but I don't know! Everyone in my life seems to think this hog is a boy. We shall see.

I'm excited to start sharing the ups and downs of this pregnancy like I did last time. Here we go with the fruit....baby Parks #2 is the size of a lemon. We're makin lemonade!

I am the mother of a 2 year old

Wow. I have neglected this blog for far too long now. Probably because I felt like I kept repeating myself in every post. Leah is amazing, we are having so much fun...blah blah. This is still true of course, but I didn't want to bore you with details. Leah turned 2 years old exactly 1 month ago. I was looking back at some of my old posts when I was pregnant and when she was a newborn. I'm so glad I posted all of that! I don't remember much of it until I read it (and laugh). It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago, but I never imagined being the mother of a 2 year old! It sounds so weird when I say it still. Long gone are the days of no sleep, having a baby on my boob 24/7, worrying about EVERYTHING she did or didn't do, having no time to brush my teeth/shower/eat/clean/go anywhere. I now have time to do all of these things and I get to teach my child how to do them as well! She is becoming so independent, maybe even a little too much for my liking sometimes! I can remember wondering when I would have a little more freedom from the needs of a small baby, and now that the time is here, I want her to be little again!

Becoming a mother was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I have had people ask me what it's like to be a mother, how I do things, how I cope with staying home, how I take care of other people's children...basically, how do I stay sane? It's true, taking care of children all day, every day can be exhausting, stressful, frustrating, exhausting...oh I already said that...mind numbing? That doesn't sound right. For some reason I can't think of the right word and it's probably because I spend all day singing children's songs. My mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. This is an example of what I'm trying to say. Anyway, what I've learned so far in my life of being a mother for 2 whole years, is not to sweat the small stuff. You always hear people say that but, I mean, REALLY, don't sweat the small stuff!!! Kids will be kids. They will ruin stuff, they will scream when they don't get what they want, they will use your furniture as their jungle gym, they will get dirty (reeeally dirty), they will find everything you ever will try to hide from them, they will poke/pinch/slap/punch/kick you when they are angry, and they will always use your most expensive eyeliner to "play" with. None of these things are the end of the world. These are ways your kids learn. They learn about their environment and how to act, what is appropriate and how to get the end results they want. They are discovering how to be people. Most of the things kids do are actually pretty hilarious if you just let yourself see it. I've always been able to laugh at the absurdities of many situations. Having a child has tested this, but I'm glad the quality remains or I may have gone crazy by now. I may even want another one (or 2)! So maybe I am crazy. All I know is that I love my kid more than anything in this world and that may make me nutty sometimes but...I am the mother of a 2 year old now! PS..I will also be using this excuse to be nutty probably until she is out of her teens. So, if you are weighing the pros and cons of having children, or wondering what kind of mother you'll be, just know that once that child exists, you will never love something more. Everything else will come with time and experience, so don't sweat it! All you need is love (and lots of snacks). Corny enough for ya?

22 months!

Leah loves her little cousin, Alexis or "Yekus"

Smile! haha

Daddy teaching Leah how to drive...whatever that is

I haven't posted in a long time, sorry! My kid is only 2 months away from turning 2, I can hardly believe it! She is talking so much now, I can't even make a list anymore. She says so many sweet things but my favorite first phrase of all time was "I love you mommy" right before she went to bed. I started bawling of course. We had just come back from being gone 5 days in a row for our good friend's wedding in Colorado (which was SO much fun by the way!), Leah got to stay with Ryan's parents (Mimi and Poppie) for a couple days, then my parents (G-ah, and Papa) for the rest of the time. I missed her so much even though we were having fun. It's funny, when you're a mom focusing all your energy on your child 24/7, all you wish for is a break. Then when you finally do get away, all you wish for is your baby back! It was nice to get away but I was so happy to be reunited with Leah, and when she told me she loved me, that was just the icing on the cake! Leah also loves babies so much, each time she meets one or the daycare babies come here, she gets in front of them and says "Hi sweetie!" and gives them hugs and kisses. What a sweet girl!

We had Mother's day dinner at my parent's house. My awesome husband got me a new camera too, woo hoo! My old one got doused in juice and animal crackers...classic. Here are some pics from Mother's day. Check out that high def! Good job husband!

20 months old!

Today, Leah is 20 months old. That means she will be 2 in a mere four months! AH!!

Leah Elizabeth at 20 months..

- She now knows me as "Mommy" yay!

- She has a lot of teeth but still not all of them

- Her favorite foods are mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, and any kind of fruit

- She is mostly in 18 month clothes but still fits in a lot of 12 month clothes!

- She still thinks Elmo is the coolest puppet on the planet

- She loves to read books

- I think her favorite toy is her babydoll "Dede"

- Apparently she has a peanut allergy now UGH, I had to switch to sunflower seed butter (3x as expensive but she likes it)

- She is talking ALL the time!

- She likes to sleep in til 9 am, plus take a 2-3 hour nap! That's my kid alright

Playground fun!

Today was such a beautiful day! When Leah woke up from her nap I just knew we had to go find a park. I have found that I just become riddled with guilt when Leah isn't able to get outside to play, or at least to the mall play place. At first I thought those mall playplaces were wonderful...until Leah got pink eye the day after playing at one, and flu-like symptoms after playing at another. Damn you winter! Luckily there is an elementary school just blocks from our house, and they even have a "little person" play set, it's the perfect size for my little monster...er, lady. Leah was so excited when we got there, she didn't know where to go first!

This kid amazes me...Hyper Diaper 2

I haven't posted in a while so I thought I would update you on what's been happening around the Parks household. In short...not much. Except for the fact that my daughter amazes me every single day with the things she knows! Here I go on a shameless bragging spree. Leah knows almost every single letter of the alphabet (except J for some reason) and also knows some numbers! This shocked me again since I had no idea she knew these things. She just points to numbers and says them, crazy! She knows she is ONE year old, and holds up her little finger. Sometimes she tries to lie about her age and say she is 2...naughty. She can identify some colors too! Pink, of course, orange and green! I know to some people, this may seem like it's so obvious. DUH a child is supposed to learn these things, it's normal! I know this but to actually see it happening is a miracle. Here are some words and phrases she likes to say.

"Shoe" (over and over again as she tries to fit all of her shoes on her feet)

"nana" (banana)

"eat" (obviously)

"ka-ker" (cracker)

"cookie" (there is no mistaking this one)

"oger" (orange)

"ogie" (not to be confused with "oger", "ogie" means yogurt)

"nack" (snack)

"all done!"

"get down!" (usually to the dog)

"happy" (aww)

"tho-thee" (Sofie, the cat)

"boos" (boots)

"peeees" (please)

"go GOCK!" (we don't get it either, but it means go downstairs, or upstairs)

She is also repeating everything we say. Like today I told her not to touch the garbage can because it's "icky". Of course she runs around the house screaming "ICKY! ICKY!" aaah wonderful.

Another fun thing about my beautiful daughter...she likes to climb. She will climb anything and everything she can possibly get her chubby little paws around. I have been told that her father was the exact same way....lovely! They called him "Hyper Diaper". Looks like we have "Hyper Diaper 2" on our hands.

Oven baked corn tortilla chips

Last night was Mexican food night! I made chicken fajitas with peppers, onions and tomatoes. The chicken was marinated in some hotsauce, soy sauce, cumin, garlic, and chili powder. Probably not authentic Mexican cuisine but I used what I had. I also made these great tortilla chips! I used to make these all the time in college. They don't last very long because they are soooo good, and SO easy! I totally would have made fried tortilla chips but we are watching our figures. Here's the recipe!

Corn tortillas

Olive oil or veg oil

salt

Stack desired number of tortillas and cut into triangles (I use a pizza cutter)

Lay on greased cookie sheet. Do not overlap, make sure the pieces are spaced

Spray with oil. I use my Olive Oil mister thing

Sprinkle with salt. You can also do fun spices like chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin etc.

Bake at 400 degrees 8-12 minutes. Check often after 8 minutes as they can turn from golden to burnt really fast!

Enjoy!

Homemade play dough!

Wow...so many activities going on here! Haha! Not really, we are just bored. Today I made some play dough for Leah since I discovered that our store-bought play dough was dried out (we really keep up on things here). It was super easy!

1 c. Flour

1/4 c. Salt

1/4 - 1/2 c. Water

Mix together flour and salt, then add water to desired consistency.

Note: I tried adding liquid food coloring (green of course, remember it's all I have) and it didn't work out so well. It was kind of speckly. I've heard you can add powdered drink mix to color the dough but I thought that would make it way too tempting to eat. So that's it! Easy and fun.

Mmm..bread

Recently, we ran out of sliced bread at the Parks household. A tragedy I know. Since it is so nasty outside and I am terrified of driving in winter weather conditions, I thought it would be fun to make my own bread instead of making a trip to the store when it's the only thing we need. It's preservative free, tastes good, and it's not that hard to make, so why not? I personally don't eat that much bread unless I'm really craving a piece of toast or something but, I do make lunches for the husband and he gets a sandwich everyday. I thought I would share with you the recipe for this Honey Wheat Bread...no bread machine required! I consider it a fun activity for myself and it keeps me occupied during the day when we don't want to go anywhere. Yes, I do realize that is sad and lame but I know some of you must understand! I also recently joined Weight Watcher's so I am becoming obsessed with finding recipes that are WW friendly. Expect to see a lot more of those! I don't know how many points per serving this bread is but I'm really not to worried about it right now. I have lost 4.2 lbs so far though! More on that later

HONEY WHEAT BREAD

1. In large bowl, dissolve 1 T. yeast in 2 c. warm water

2. Add 1/3 c. honey and stir

3. Stir in 2 c. wheat flour, 1 teaspoon sal, and 1/3 c. vegetable oil

4. Work in 4-5 c. all purpose flour gradually

5. Knead 10-15 min

6. Place in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let proof (rise) in warm area for 45 min.

7. Punch down dough and separate in half. Place in 2 greased 9x5 inch loaf pans and allow to rise again

8. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes

This bread is so soft and good. Mine turned out a little too soft for sandwiches the first time I made it but I will try again and maybe add more flour this time to toughen it up. Enjoy!

I love activities!

As my little stinker is growing, her curiousity is blossoming as well. I am trying to find ways to encourage her creativity (and keep her busy) while having fun. Today I decided to make some finger paint and let her have at it! This did not last long as it was SO MESSY! ugh! And by the way, food coloring is hard to get out of clothing, upholstery, carpet, etc. She did have a lot of fun though. The recipe is just equal parts flour and cold water with a little bit of food coloring added. I only had green so Leah painted a tree/grass/leprechaun/lettuce? I am struggling to find activities suitable for an 18 month old, so if you have any ideas, please do let me know! She likes to color with crayons, have tea parties, read books, cook fake food, play hide and seek, play with her baby, climb things (and fall off things), recite the letters of the alphabet, and eat...just to name a few. I am running out of things to keep this child entertained during these winter months. She did get to go sledding a few weeks ago in our back yard and LOVED it! I'm not such a big fan though so she has to wait for her dad to take her again!

18 months old!

I can hardly believe it! I know I am going to be saying that for the rest of my life no matter how old my baby gets, but really! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I guess I kind of forgot about the blog, or I just didn't have anything exciting to write! Well my little peanut is talking like crazy lately, she is so hilarious! She is actually starting to repeat things we say so now I actually have to be careful. We took her to her 18 month wellness exam today and the doctor was really impressed with how much she is talking. She thinks she was talking in sentences but I have no idea what she is saying! Sometimes Leah will come up to me, put her little hand on my shoulder, look me in the eyes and say something that sounds really important...then wait for a response. Uhh, I have no idea what you are saying child, but it sure is cute! She got a babydoll with all of the accessories for Christmas. She will wake up in the morning, see her babydoll and scream "Dede!!" (baby). It's like she just missed her so much!

Another amazing and proud mommy moment happened a few weeks ago. I was making dinner in the kitchen while Leah was playing with the letter magnets on the fridge. I hear her say "Itsa S!" I look down and sure enough she is holding the "S" magnet. Hmmm. So I get down there with her and start pulling down letters to show her. To my complete and utter amazement, she could name almost all of the letters of the alphabet! Even letters I would consider hard like, "W", "R", "L". Wow! I have never taught her this so I know she must be learning from her favorite show, Sesame Street. I felt bad about letting her sit there and watch TV, but now that I know she is actually learning from it, well, I don't feel so bad anymore. She will only be watching the educational shows though! Now I am going to sound like one of those braggy parents that thinks their kid is a genius but COME ON!! She is a genius! That's my girl :-)

Our little ladybug

Tonight is beggar's night and Leah is going as a lady bug! This costume with it's giant hood is hilarious! We went to a Halloween party last night, my husband was MacGruber and I was a hastily throw together cowgirl (what creativity huh) and we had lots of fun! Things are going great in the Parks' household lately...and may I also add CRAZY! My load of in-home day care kids has grown a lot! I currently am watching 3 babies (under the age of 6 months) and a 2 year old. Add my little munchkin into the mix and you have a full blown circus. There are definitely some times when I want to scream along with the kids but then I slap myself and get over it. It's so much fun and it's really starting to grow on me! Well, gotta run (or fly) we're off for dinner and trick or treating with G-ma and G-pa then more trick or treating with Leah's aunts, uncles and cousins, fun! Have a safe and spooooooky Halloween!

My new Etsy shop!

Well I finally did it! I have been telling myself for months to get this Etsy shop up and running but I just could never find the time. Well today, we dedicated the day to doing it and boy, am I excited! Leah and I spent the morning outside taking pictures. Isn't she a beautiful model? Then part of the afternoon posting some listings. I still have a lot more to clips to post but I am waiting to see how these do first. I just know that someone else has to appreciate these as much as I do! http://www.sofieleeaccessories.etsy.com/ There it is!

Full house = fun house!

There is always something new happening in the Parks household! In the past few months, I have been feeling a little restless and feeling the need to "do more" Although I didn't know what the "do more" was. Before I became a mom, working 2 jobs and going to school kept my mind busy. Now that I am a stay at home mom, I felt like I needed to do something to up the excitement in my life, (not that Leah isn't exciting enough). Ryan and I pray every night, I began praying for God to guide me and to help me find something that I was meant to do (besides motherhood of course!). He answered when within the next few weeks, I received calls, emails and inquiries from about 10 different families in need of care for their child(ren)! I never in my life thought that this is where my life would take me but now I know it has to be right! How wonderful for me to be able to stay home with my baby and make a little extra money at the same time? I love watching children grow. Although I may complain about how exhausting it is, I know it is an amazing opportunity. Right now, I have a little 3 month old boy at our house 3 days a week. I plan on taking on more kids within the next few months. Crazy right?! Here is a picture of Leah and the new baby, she just loves him. I have to restrain her or she will just kiss him all day!

Happy Birthday Leah!

I can't believe it has been one year since my precious baby was born! I can still remember every second of giving birth to her and our hospital stay...and every day, week, and month following that. Leah was born at 1:17 pm so in about 2 hours we will say it's official! I remember thinking that 1 year seemed like so long and I couldn't imagine what she would be like. Well, it went so fast, now I want it to slow down! Leah is already talking and walking. It is absolutely amazing how much a little human being can grow in just one year. I've never experienced a birthday of one of my children before, it is definitely different. I feel happy, sad, proud, hopeful and crazy all at the same time! Now I can say I know how a parent feels...kind of like I want to cry! boo hooo. This whole past week has been emotion as every day I think "last year at this time I was...". Since I was a week overdue, I remember I was starting to get depressed and SO anxious to meet my baby. I was looking back at my blog posts from that time and I was soooo over being pregnant. I was about to give up! I guess that wasn't really a possibility but it's crazy that this time brings back those memories. Then, of course there are the memories of the first time I laid eyes on her. I can safely say that was THE most amazing moment of my life. Craaaazy. Anyways, today I think we are going to head to the wading pool so Leah can take a dip, swimming is one of her favorite things! Here is a picture of the birthday girl I took today. One of her new things is putting everything on her head, taking it off, and then bringing it to me so I can put it back on her head. Silly kid! I also made her a birthday cake, of course she loved it, haha!