A full heart

People so often talk about how "difficult motherhood is." Sure, there are challenging days. And there are definitely moments where you find yourself contradicting your words, your parenting beliefs, or your rules just to make a specific moment in time easier. It's a lot of work to teach a tiny little human to grow up with manners, respect, and Grace, while still mixing in the normal everyday silliness that they so naturally have inside of them. And not to mention the attitudes and tantrums that they are capable of. It is definitely a full-time job of its own.

But as a lay in bed tonight thinking of my little Abigail, all I can think of is how much better my life is because of her. I definitely go to bed feeling more exhausted than I ever have before, but that's because I had a day full of moments, memories, laughs, and sure, some struggles...all of which with a little girl that fills my heart with joy and love. Getting out of the house to do anything simple, whether it be to play at the beach for an hour or even going to the grocery store, all take a lot more work than before having her. But it seems so small in comparison to the happiness she brings me with her witty remarks as I'm pushing her in the shopping cart, or when I see that huge smile on her face as she runs along the sand. It doesn't take much to please her. A few crackers to snack on, some rocks to play with, and a mommy who sits and engages with her is more than enough to keep her fully entertained and excited. How could I ever complain about that?! That's all I need to fill my afternoon with happiness. In ways, life is much simpler now that I have her. I appreciate the little moments so much more than I would have prior to becoming a mommy. 

My heart is filled with so much love that at times it feels like it could burst. And to think we're adding to that with another beautiful little girl just makes me smile. Parenting can sure take a lot out of ya, but it puts way more back into my heart and I wouldn't change a moment of it. 

From One to Two

I'm laying here, in bed, feeling Isabelle move around in my stomach. I just got Abigail to bed a little bit ago after about an hour of much-needed snuggling on the couch. She isn't always that way, but for some reason tonight she just wanted mommy to hold her tight and close...and I loved it. 

As I lay here feeling Isabelle move, I can't think of how different my life will be once she's in the real world with us all. We will have two children. That's crazy to think about. But what's harder for me is accepting the fact that Abigail will no longer be my only baby. She's not going to have 100% of my undivided attention every day when daddy is gone at work. She will have to share me, and I will also have to share her. It's so exciting thinking that we are providing her with a lifelong best friend. Having a sister is one of the biggest Blessings that life can bring you. But for some reason I lay here feeling guilty knowing that I only have 9 short weeks with her...just her. 

Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to meet Isabelle and for our family and love to grow. I know that the moment I meet this baby girl, I will love her just as I love Abigail. But I truly believe there is a special kind of bond and love between Abigail and I that no one will ever be able to take. She is the little girl that made me a mommy. She is the reason I am now a softer yet stronger, more loving person than I ever knew possible for myself. She may not be my "only baby" for much longer, but she will always be my "first." Becoming a mother has taught me that the amount of love I have in my heart is unmeasurable. And I know it will continue to surprise me as our family grows. I'm so eternally grateful to have Dan by my side through it all.

For the next nine weeks, I plan to continually treasure each moment I have with my little family of three (plus Charlie). We have a beautiful life and I'm so thankful I'm able to create such wonderful memories with Abby before she becomes a big sister. She amazes me each and every day with her intelligence, wittiness, silliness, and loving heart. She's such a beautiful little soul and brings me so much happiness. 

Although I'm in a lot more pain than I care to go into, I'm in no hurry for these 9 weeks to fly by. Each day that passes, though it may be uncomfortable, is a new opportunity for me to love on and soak up time with my first born :). 

I may not have this all figured out just yet....but I know  one thing for sure: becoming a mommy is what I was meant to do. God had this plan for me and I plan on making him proud. 

Some time with daddy :)

Dan had last weekend off, so we got to spend some fun time with him! We went to the zoo and also went to Belmont Park, where he & Abby rode on some little rides. She loved the rides at the park! 

Another Friday is now upon us, and unfortunately Dan works all weekend. Not sure what Abigail and I have planned, but I'm sure we will think of something :). 

In the meantime, I have an OB checkup this morning. I'm really excited for it actually. There's nothing better than a doctor confirming that you and baby are doing well! We're 30 1/2 weeks in....getting so close, and I'm getting so big!

Here's a few photos from our week:

2 weeks in!

We've been in San Diego for a couple full weeks now. We are taking full advantage of the sunshine by being outside as much as possible. We've taken many trips down to the park, the bay (we prefer the bay over the beach - much easier/safer with Abigail and also more dog friendly), a couple different trips to the zoo, and even a trip to the safari park! Abigail is loving all the time spent outdoors. I think one of her favorite things is "chasing Charlie" down the sand. 

Here's just a few photos from the trip this far:

As for me...I'm feeling pretty good.

Other than awful insomnia and crotch pain, my pregnancy is going really well! Baby Isabelle is constantly moving around, and her movements are getting so strong! We are in the 29th week of my pregnancy - almost the home stretch! It's crazy to think I still have ten weeks of growing to do! 

Dan is still working swing shift, keeping him busy from about 2pm - 1am. Meaning Abigail and I are getting lots of alone time. Our friends, Kendra and McKenna have definitely helped keep us company though, and I'm so thankful for that!

 By the time Abby has dinner and we get ready for bed, I'm pretty wiped out. Turns out being pregnant while spending the days out in the sun, chasing around a dog and a 2-year-old, can really wear a person out! I've been embracing Abigails 7:30pm bedtime ;). 

Because it hasn't been allowing me to post on here for a while, I'm feeling a little behind.

My sister had to undergo surgery this week to remove fibroids and polyps in her reproductive organs. No fun! They also discovered that she does in fact have endometriosis...which is a total bummer! Thankfully, it's not too advanced yet. She's been having pain for a while now, so I'm glad she finally has an answer as to why. She is doing well and is recovering at my parents house for a little extra help and support.

My mom has been over to our house many times to check on things, and is even doing a little cleaning and redecorating for us. Yes - I told her it was okay ;). My mom and I have very similar taste in most things, so I trust her! When she mentioned that she had a few ideas for sprucing up the house as a surprise for us, I didn't hesitate! She's pretty awesome and I'm so thankful for her!

Well, that pretty much wraps up all of the updates that I can think of. I will keep attempting to update a bit more often in hopes that it will let me upload new posts! I hope everyone is having a great day! 

So far, so good.

We've been in San Diego for a few days now.

Abigail has done amazing with the sleeping routine. I'm surprised at how well she's adapted considering it's a brand new place, bed, etc. The only bummer about bed time is that because Dan is working swings, I'm pretty bored from about 7:30pm on. I've been getting tired pretty early which has helped, but I'm not able to sleep well. I've always dealt with insomnia, but it's even worse with this pregnancy!

Speaking of.... I'm 27 1/2 weeks now! Last week in my second trimester! Pretty crazy. 

All in all, we are loving the trip so far! Abigail LOVES playing in the sand. She constantly says she's "building sandcastles." We also have friends here, which is awesome! My friend Kendra is here with her husband, who is also working swings. They have a one-year-old daughter named McKenna. Abby gets excited when I tell her we get to hang out with "baby Kenna." It's cute to see them interact and having them to hang out with has been so nice! 

Here's a few photos from the past couple of days. 

WE MADE IT!

About 1,250 miles later, we've arrived to our house in sunny San Diego! 

Thank goodness this little beauty is AMAZING in the car! She was so happy the whole way - hard to believe, huh? She's so full of joy and it made both Dan & and myself so proud, thankful, and happy. 

For the first 12 days here we are staying in a smaller one-bedroom place. That has definitely made "settling in" a bit on the tougher side. Three people in one small closet & end table makes for quite the [lack of] organization. But we can see the ocean out of one window, and the bay out of another...so you won't hear me complain! We move into a larger two-bedroom place for the remaining month, just down the street! We've officially done our grocery shopping and gotten our essentials, so now we really get to relax and enjoy the trip (aside from Dan working). Thankfully he enjoys the work and the people here! 

We started our first morning by taking a walk down the bay side of the peninsula. It's a beautiful day here today! 

Abigail insists on having her hat and sunglasses when we leave the house - which is A-OK by me! I love how much she loves the outdoors and this beautiful sunny weather. Sounds like we're supposed to get several days of rain coming soon, so I'm very thankful our first full day here was beautiful. 

So for now, it's going to take a little adjusting to get Abby used to the sleeping arrangements...but everything is going good thus far! I already miss my family but I know I'll see them soon :). Very thankful to my parents who are keeping an eye on the house as well as keeping Abigail's fishy friend, Dewey, alive while we're gone. Abby already requested to see him, so Mimi had to send a couple photos. She's getting too smart! 

I'll check in again soon! Happy Tuesday everyone!