Trying to imagine

When I think about the baby growing inside my bump, this is all I can picture. When we were pregnant with Lane, Papa and I could not imagine what our son would like like. Now, this is all we know.

Will Bro Bro have that big forehead, round cheeks and little bitty button nose. Or, will he surprise us with looks we've never seen before?



Papa and I felt our newest babe on Saturday (July 24, 2010 - so I remember for his baby book) night. Yes, felt. Not I felt him move. We actually felt him.

The three of us were hanging in our bedroom after Lane's shower before he went to bed - as we always do. Papa and Lane were wrestling - as they always do. Lane was using me as a prop to jump from one side of the bed to the other - as he always does.

I placed my hand down very low - probably the bottom of my very bulging uterus and felt something hard on the right side. When I moved my hand just a half inch to the left, my body felt soft - as usual. I knew what I was feeling. I can remember - much later in my pregnancy with Lane- that feeling of the baby pushing his head or buns up against me. It was that feeling.

Papa placed his hand in the spot and felt him too. Then slowly, the babe moved. I could not feel him move. Papa could not either. He just described it as one minute my belly was hard as a rock and a few seconds later that feeling disappeared.



Look at those tiny hands. Lane was less than six weeks old in these photos. I'm getting excited about having another teeny baby in our home.

Having a ball

For me, the only bad thing about vacation is the end. I really did not want to leave Sunset. I tried my hardest to talk papa in to one more night.

Know what made leaving easier? A little note from Emily telling me her and Addison were coming up for a visit the weekend we got home.

Then I was excited to get back to Woodstock.


Addison, Emily and Sydney came to Stephanie's to see her one more time before she becomes a mama of two. My mom joined us. (With a chocolate cake.)

We all had a ball.


Addison loves to hold items with her feet. She can even drink her bottle while holding her baby doll in her adorable pink painted toes.



Drew might be in the Exersaucer in this photo. But, he's only checking it out for his little brother. Isn't he going to make a great big brother?

See, puppy dog in the feet.

Drew told Addison she was heavy. He'll learn.

Here he told Lane that the reason it rains is because the Earth is dirty. Good enough.

Addison and her oldest cousin Sydney.

Our babes.

Sunset: This year & last

Lane Thomas

His feet in the sand

With his mama

His buns

With his papa

His fingertips in the water

Playing in the sand

His toes

With his papa

I don't think I have to tell any of you how much this boy loves his papa.

Or how much his papa loves him.

Morning beach

Lane woke early Wednesday morning, so the three of us made our way down to the beach. The cool air felt refreshing. With just a few other early morning beach admirers, we enjoyed having the shore to (mostly) ourselves.

You could almost taste the sea salt in the air.

Proof

Last year while at Sunset, Lane did not feel the Pack N Play. Was not having it. Poor guy had to sleep in the bathroom. I would not say he did much sleeping.

This year, we were a little concerned with how he would do.

Since Lane wasn't a fan of the Pack N Play, we packed up ours when he was just a few months old.

When we got to Sunset, we asked the resort for one and figured we would just see how it went. We got a one bedroom condo with two double beds with hopes Lane could just sleep in one of the beds with one of us.

As usual, the babe threw a curveball at us.

He totally dug the Pack N Play. Slept all night and took his nap in there each day.

I know my dad probably won't believe this so we took pictures.

(Lane did not feel the Pack N Play last year when we went to Brimfield either.)

Look, happy as could be. Would go right in there each night - as long as he had his papis and his owl.



Too many pictures. Time to get him OUT.

(Told you he sported The Pirate for the whole trip!)

Lane at the Beach

We arrived in Sunset late Monday evening and went straight to Calabash for a shrimp dinner. After dinner, we hoped to make our way to the beach. The weather had other plans. Alright. We just made ourselves cozy in our condo and sent Papa to the market to pick up some essentials for breakfast Tuesday morning.

After breakfast, we went right to the beach. For a few days leading up to our trip, we'd been teaching Lane to say beach - you must put a lot of emphasis on the B and say the entire word a little bit louder than the rest of the sentence.

Like this:

Lane, we are going to the B EACH!

Since we arrived a little late that morning, all the close parking spots were taken. Papa dropped us off at the boardwalk while he went to the park the car.

I wanted all of us to be together when Lane saw the beach for the first time so I made Lane wait. He would look down the boardwalk toward the water every few seconds - when he wasn't reminding each person walking by that they were at the B EACH!

He ran right to the water.


Got in and starting splashing.

Saw the waves.

And went in a little deeper.

The bump

15 weeks pregnant
I love Lane's face in this picture

Today, I am 16 weeks pregnant. Four full months. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by us.

Sometimes, I'll go all day long and not even think about being pregnant. I'm way too busy.

The only time I'm reminded is when I see the bump. I was warned it would show up a lot sooner the second time around but I was not prepared.

It is definitely there.

Papa snapped some pictures of me last week while on the beach.

Of course, Lane joined me.

While we were pregnant with Lane, Papa would take my picture every few weeks - starting at 16 weeks. Then, around 29 weeks - when things really started moving - he would take my picture each week.

I'll try to remember to do that this time around.

Like I said, Lane keeps us way too busy to event think about being pregnant.

At 16 weeks pregnant, I feel much better than I did at 12 weeks pregnant. The first trimester kept me down a bit. I'm back to full energy and no naps are needed. (I'm sure this will change toward the end.)

Because I did not feel well for the first 13 weeks, and had no desire to consume food, I actually lost weight. So, no weight gain yet. Just what Papa says looks like a beer gut. Stef says it looks like I ate a cheeseburger.

It is a bump. Believe me.

I'm waiting to feel those first flutters. I felt them around this time with Lane, however, wasn't positive of what I was feeling until 20 weeks.

This time around, I know what to expect. I can't wait to feel my babe move. I loved that part of pregnancy with Lane.

I'm looking forward to it with new baby, which we have named Bro Bro.

And for everyone who has asked if Lane is excited about becoming a big brother - he has no idea. We are not even trying to explain this one to him.

We did teach him to give bro bro (my belly) a kiss. He will come up to me, say bro bro, pull up my shirt and plant a kiss right on my belly. It will make your heart melt.

He's also kissed my knee and said bro bro.

And, your final question answered, obviously we think we are having a boy. We'd be thrilled with a girl. Over the moon. We'd feel the same way with a boy. Two boys. 25 months apart. How perfect. Or a boy and a girl. How perfect.

We will know for sure in just a few short weeks.

Our first family photo. The four of us.