Goodnight 2012.

Wow, this year has flown by. Our family has seen it's fair share of ups and downs but we've made it through and are ready for a new year. Both Will and I experienced exciting moments in our careers. Will received a promotion at work while I was able to find a job doing something I feel very passionate about. We also were successful in getting pregnant this year (which brings about a world of excitement on its own). We found out that we were PCSing to Germany and began preparing to move thousands of miles away from home).

Now we're closing out our year but spending time with Will's family before we head off for our first adventure of 2013. There are tons of things that people pledge to do when deciding New Year's Resolutions. I never do resolutions since I know that eventually I'm going to break them (especially those about eating healthy or exercising) but this year, I've decided to make one resolution.

My New Year's Resolution for 2013 is to be a better person/wife/mother/friend than I was in 2012. 2012 was hard year for me in a lot of ways but I've realized that I didn't put a 100% effort in when it came to my relationships and personal development. This year, I pledge to make a change. Now, I'm not saying that I'll turn into the perfect mother/wife but I hope (and pray) that at the end of 2013, I will know that I made an effort.

So, as we bring in the New Year, I'll leave you guys with some of my favorite pictures from 2012 (including Liam's two year pictures taken by our fabulous photographer, Melissa Bradfield). Cheers everyone!

A few snapshots of our 2012

Melissa Bradfield Photography

21 Weeks Pregnant!

 

How far along? 21 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure again but I'm scared to look, lol

Maternity clothes? Just shirts but I'm going to start looking for pants on Ebay soon

Stretch marks? Not that I've noticed

Best moment this week: Will feeling the baby move

Complaints: Ughh...random nausea, breathlessness, heartburn

Movement: Yes!

Food cravings: Nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet: Yep

Gender: Not yet

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Outie

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Christmas!

Texas: Fort Worth Zoo

I've always loved zoos but I am really picky when it comes to visiting/sightseeing. We have zoos in Kansas but they aren't very big and I just didn't see the purpose in going if I wasn't going to enjoy myself. So when Will's mom (Nana Shanna) and stepdad (Papa Chill) told us that they had tickets to the Fort Worth Zoo, we got excited.
After a week or so of planning, we decided on a Friday trip to the zoo. Well, this Friday turned out to be the first rainy day in 34 days. It actually worked out in our favor since the zoo was practically empty. We had an amazing time and I loved seeing Liam's reaction to the different animals.
Here are some pictures from our adventure!

 

20 Weeks Pregnant!

Please ignore the messy bed in the background

How far along? 20 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss: +6 lbs

Maternity clothes? Definitely need maternity shirts now just for the length but I'm still rocking my pre-preggo jeans

Stretch marks? Not that I've noticed (I do have a few from my pregnancy with Liam though)

Best moment this week: Lots of baby movement this week

Complaints: A little bit of nausea but hip/lower back pain and still a bit breathless at times

Movement: Yes!

Food cravings: Nothing really

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope and I even had a bit of cake on Liam's birthday

Have you started to show yet: Yep

Gender: Not yet

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Outie

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but I must admit that I had a few moody moments this week

Looking forward to: Meeting Liam's great grandparents, another zoo visit and hopefully some exploring!

19 Weeks Pregnant!

How far along? 19 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss: +3 lbs according to the scale at the doctor's office 

Maternity clothes? Still wearing most of my clothes although my jeans are getting a little tight and my shirts are getting a little short (thank goodness for hair ties and maternity tanks)

Stretch marks? Nope

Best moment this week: Calling the baby "they", lol. I guess all the twin comments are starting to get to me

Complaints: Return of morning sickness (so far, just a nausea), tiredness and breathlessness

Movement: Yes! I'm pretty sure this baby is trying to escape

 

Food cravings: Steak

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

 

Have you started to show yet: Yes, I'm pretty sure my bump has doubled in size

 

Gender: Nope

 

Labor Signs: Nope

 

Belly Button in or out? Outie

 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy for the most part

 

Looking forward to: The zoo, hopefully we can make it this week and Liam's second birthday

Hi Everyone!

We're still alive and in Texas. I am currently without a computer (my in-laws were nice enough to let me use theirs) since my Macbook Pro charger died on me. I hope to have a new one soon and will be updating the blog with lots of pictures from our trips to the Dallas and Ft. Worth zoos, visit with great grandparents and lots more. Hope everyone is well and staying safe!

18 Weeks Pregnant!

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +1 lbs

 

Maternity clothes? Not yet (although I have started to buy a few pieces...still looking for a coat though)

Stretch marks? Nope

Best moment this week: Felt the baby move on the outside for the first time

Complaints: Tired!

Movement: Yes!

 

Food cravings: Nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still cake/cupcakes (except for Starbucks Iced Lemon Pound Cake...mmmm)

 

Have you started to show yet: Yes

 

Gender: Not sure yet

 

Labor Signs: No!

 

Belly Button in or out? Outie

 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Happy or Moody most of the time: More happy (especially with frequent trips to Starbucks)

 

Looking forward to: Relaxing and spending time with family before leaving for Germany

Our Texas and Germany Adventure: Part I

We have arrived in Texas! After a long (long) car ride and some terrifying Dallas highway driving, we made our way to the first stop of our overseas adventure. We will be here for over a month and have lots of plans so far. I'm trying to remind Will that we don't need to cram everything in right away. We have plenty of time to get out and enjoy time with family.

So far, we've spent a lot of time with Will's mom and stepdad. Will also has a much younger sister who has become the perfect companion for Liam. Over the past couple days I have started to feel a little under the weather. It started as a bit of a stomachache then turned into a full-blown cold (and sore throat). I am feeling a lot better now so we plan to hang out with Will's dad and stepmom. I'm planning to keep my camera nearby to capture lots of pictures while we are out. Here are a couple pictures of our trip so far!