Happy New Year!

Chloe enjoying a ride in her swing

Chloe going down her slide Chloe and Zach launching smoke bombsChloe sitting like a "big" girl at Subway

Levi's Room

Levi's Room

Our new year has started off great! We have had a lot of great family time and spent a lot of time getting ready for Levi's arrival (which is only about 11 weeks from now!). We have been able to spend a lot of time outside playing on Chloe's playset and swing, going for bike rides and walks. Chloe has really enjoyed the time outside and will now go to our back door and say "outside" because she wants to go out and play.

I feel like for the past few months we keep saying that Chloe is "almost walking" and she is still almost walking. She loves to walk through the house and when we go out, but she doesn't want to let go of our fingers. She's taken about 2 or 3 steps tops and then kneels down and looks up at us like "how dare we let go of her". She's becoming quite the little drama queen sometimes. Surely she must get that from Zach :)

We've finally weaned Chloe off of her formula and onto regular milk and regular food very slowly as she didn't take to milk right off the bat. We started mixing her milk and formula together until finally we are on milk only and no more formula! She has also started really picking up on eating regular food. She likes ham, chicken, turkey, hot dogs, mac n cheese, green beans and all kinds of fruit. The only things she isn't too fond of are hamburgers and french fries. Which really isn't a bad thing. She's also started talking a lot more. She says words like "outside, ball, shoe, socks, birdie and uh-oh". She is also starting to say please, grass and rocks. When Zach takes Chloe out on a bike ride she points at everything and asks what it is and so he is teaching her all the outdoor things.

Zach has been working very hard on Levi's room. We started out with a completely clean slate. The walls and the ceiling were all white and we had cleaned out the room and the closets. It took us (mainly Zach) 3 weekends to get all painted, but it is finally done. I am always amazed at how great of an artist Zach is. He free handed the car and dog on the wall based on a few pictures and then painted it all. He also has such an eye for what will work. I am very much a symmetrical kind of person so I had to have him plot out where the squares would be on the wall for me to paint as if it was up to me they would all be in the same size and in a straight line. Zach laughs at me because of this all the time. Everything needs to be symmetrical or centered or I just can't grasp it. So I tell him if he doesn't want it to be centered and symmetrical then Zach has to do it while I'm not watching as once it is done how he wants it it always looks great, but I can't picture it in my mind. He's normally always right.

So we have about 11 weeks left. I had my glucose testing a week ago and I was pretty proud of myself. Which Chloe the glucose test was just one hour and one sample of blood from each arm. This time I had to fast for 12 hours and then get my blood drawn 3 times for a total of 5 tubes of blood over 2 hours. Last time Zach came with me, but this time I didn't want to make Chloe sit for 2 hours and do nothing so Zach stayed home with her and I sat by myself. I was really dreading it, but then it turned out pretty good. I was able to sit and get my blood drawn by myself and without passing out! I didn't even have to lay down while she drew my blood. While I was waiting in between times they had to draw my blood I just sat and read my book. It was very relaxing.

The pregnancy has been going good. I've definitely been more tired this time, but that is probably because I've been taking care of a one year old and working. I've also been craving McDonald's cheeseburgers and anything sweet. The pregnancy has gone by so fast. I think because the holidays went by so fast it was like 2 months just went by in a blink of an eye. Because it has been going by so fast I have really realized how far behind we are from when we were pregnant with Chloe. By this time with Chloe her room had been long done and ready for her arrival, but with Levi we just have the room painted and we are still trying to get everything ready. I know you are thinking 11 weeks to go, but it will fly by!