Keira wants to share her BiG secret!

ep, this lil' cutie pie is going to be a big sister this August!!!!! I know Keira is going to be such a good big sister. The last few months I've watched her be intrigued with babies and I think she's going to be a great little helper. We're so very grateful for our second angel on the way.

I'm due sometime in the first week of August, so it could possibly end up on my birthday! Aug. 3rd! Regardless of what day baby comes, it'll be such a blessing and the sweetest gift indeed. It's going to be a long hot summer... (but hopefully it will be like last Spring and the nice weather will stay well through June.) And knowing how badly I swelled up last time, I'm expecting my feet to look like humongous sausages and have my 'cankles' again.

So far in this first trimester, I didn't get a lot of fatigue in the first half, but now it's catching up. I've had on and off nausea (not throwing up thankfully!) just feeling queasy and I had little tummy aches for awhile. Unlike my last pregnancy, I don't detest beef completely, but I do have to be in the mood and still don't like to look at raw meat, but I've been able to bear cooking it most of the time.

It was no wonder that I was pregnant, because just the week before I was downing jars of pickles like crazy, haha! But didn't think anything of it, because I like pickles, and hadn't eaten them in awhile, so I thought I was just enjoying them. So anyhow, whenever I got really nauseated I'd drink Ginger herbal tea (I like the Yogi brand, in the health food section.) And when ginger wasn't enough, lemon juice and yogurt helped, and ~strangely~ I found that sucking on a couple Sour Patch Kids helped lessen my nausea! ha ha!

I'm glad I haven't been as picky with foods like my last pregnancy, but I still have to decide what appeals to me. I crave spicy foods a lot. And again like last time, I looove buffalo wing sauce, I asked for an extra side of it at Chili's so I could dip my veggies in it at home! (I enjoy doing that even when not pregnant!). Lately I must have navel oranges and buttermilk stocked in my fridge at all times. Thankfully I'm at the end of my first trimester so, my nausea is going away. I've been driving my husband crazy with my random worries. But I'm more relaxed now that I just had my recent check up.

So my favorite websites to read info and track my progress the most are: www.TheBump.com, www.Fitpregnancy.com, www.Pregnology.com, www.pregnancy-information-guide.com and www.babycenter.com.

Anyhow~ I'll bore ya with more baby buddha belly mumbo jumbo again soon. ~Yawn~

My lil' Chef

e had a splendid Christmas. Taylor's parent stayed with us for a week. And it was fun to see Keira really enjoy spending time with them. Grandma (Janna) took her on couple walks with her, while I did some errands. And we went to the Children's Museum and Keira loved it. She loved the pretend grocery and cooking areas. But Janna and I were thoroughly pooped after two hours of chasing her around from area to area for two hours. And Keira was finally tired once we left.

She loved the kitchen at the museum.

Keira loved this cute circular reading nook. I'd love to have one in the house for her.

We gave Keira a play kitchen for Christmas and lots of fun play food etc. to go with it. And Grandma even got her a cute mixer that really works! I recorded Keira coming out of her room to capture her reaction. And...~sigh~ I'm such a mom... I started to choke up and tried not to whimper out loud, I don't know why I got emotional and teary-eyed from just watching her play with the kitchen. Having a child truly makes Christmas so much fun again. I don't even care what I get. I just wanna see that cute lil' face light up. Anyhow our lil' chef is loving her kitchen and always wants me to cook with her.

I got my first new sewing machine that I wanted! (well, nicer than the one I wanted! xo ) I am sooo excited to learn and make all the things I've always wanted to make! (hopefully!) I posted on FB: "I'm sooo excited to use my new sewing machine!!! I'll always kick myself for not wanting to learn when I was younger. And now I don't have my amazing seamstress mother living close anymore to help me get the hang of it easier. :P oh, well, let's see how far my guts and faith will get me! ;)"

On a side note, Keira is CRAZY about chocolate. She had a fair amount for the holidays. But I saved the rest for future rewards and for when we start potty training. Almost everyday on her own she'll ask randomly, "Some chocolate?" and start looking for some. And a few times I've asked her what she wants for breakfast or lunch and she replies of course, "Chocolate?!" ~ha ha! I have to make sure she can't see anything that looks like chocolate or else she freaks out. Eeks!

We had simple night on New Years and stayed home. And on January 7th, Taylor and I had our 6th wedding anniversary. We still need to actually celebrate it. But we'll probably just do something fun for Valentine's Day and celebrate it then. Even though my hubby isn't on Facebook (and never will be) I still posted something for him and told him what I put. But made sure is wasn't cheesy just for him.

"Today marks 6 years being married to my sweet husband Taylor! ~Thanks for your patience, putting up with me and toughing me up all these years. ♥ Happy Anniversary! ♥"

Taylor is an amazing husband and father. I admire him so much for how hard he works to support our family and I am grateful for all that I've learned from him. I'm profoundly & madly in love with him. And that love has grown deeper from all that we went through in those first tough years when he had to be away often working for long periods of time. Though it was hard, I know that he was doing all that he could so that he could take care us and make me happy. And all I want is to make him happy when he comes home everyday and always make him feel appreciated.