Father's Day

 This was Chris' official Father's Day! Lincoln and I had such a fun time making his gift. I put a poster board on the floor with some paint and had him go at it! He had a blast making it, I just had to keep him from licking it! Ha ha. Once he was all done, I let it dry and cut a piece of it the fit the frame. I cut out a quote to paste onto it, and with his signature hand print, it was complete! On the side I added pictures of him in the process of making it.



Notice all the paint around him mouth... ha ha

I also thought it would be a good idea to take pictures of Lincoln with things that represent his great dad. Here's Lincoln wearing one of Chris' military uniforms. Isn't he a cutie!?

Chris is a great example of a church member and patriarch of our home. (That's what the tie and dress shoes represent). He is also a very well educated man, hence the books in the background.

And Chris loves the outdoors, especially being in the water. He is a great surfer and I can't wait 'til Lincoln is old enough for Chris to teach him how to surf too! Here's Lincoln in his rash guard on daddy's surf board.

After church, father and son enjoyed a relaxing time in the pool (while mommy took pictures of course!). They are so cute when they're together. Lincoln loves spending time with his daddy and always get so excited every time he sees Chris.

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful man be the father to my children. Chris is so great and patient with Lincoln. It's so obvious how much love he has for his son.

the Latest on Lincoln {9 months}

Lincoln's 9 month Well Baby visit:
weight - 21 lbs. (67%)
height - 29.5 in. (85%)

Lincoln had his 9 month well baby visit yesterday and we were so excited that he didn't need to get any vaccines... but then we found out he needed to get his blood drawn! (just routine to check for led, iron, etc.) I was so nervous taking him to the lab and hoping they would be able to find the vain and only have to stick him once. The tech tied his left arm with the band and looked for a vain on the left arm, then the right arm, then back to the left. I could tell she was nervous and that made me more nervous! We distracted him with a little toy as she prepped Lincoln's arm. He was leaning in to lick her bright blue glove when she stick him with the needle. All he did was pause as it went it and just continued playing with his little toy! He didn't even cry at all, it didn't even phase him! Chris would be proud. Ha ha ha. He did however scream once we took his toy way!

My little baby is getting so big. It makes me sad that he's not going to be a baby forever.

>> he stands up on everything! He'll even stand on his own for a few seconds.
>> he also walks along everything
>> he's getting a little better at eating solids... He usually just eats a few bites of whatever then gets over it pretty quickly.
>> the 2 top teeth just cut through and it seems like there's going to be gap between them so he's going to have a goofy smile petty soon.
>>still licks and puts EVERYTHING in his mouth, it's ridiculous how many times a day I'm taking things out of his mouth!
>> he LOVES going in the pool
>> when he's really excited he makes the funniest face. He'll tense up his arms and fists and shouts!
>> and he has discovered biting with his new teeth...
>> he wears most size 12-18 month clothes already!

     It brakes my heart sometimes to know that he's not going to be my only baby for much longer. I feel like I did rob away some of that precious time with him. I'm trying to squeeze in as much one-on-one time with him before [baby girl] comes. We read books together, sing songs, and cuddle. I feel so guilty too because there is so much I can't do with him because I'm just in so much pain from being pregnant right now plus my belly is so big it's hard to even hold him.
     I really do believe that Lincoln was sent to us first for a reason. We have such a special bond. I know he'll step up and take care of me and his younger siblings when Chris is deployed. He's got such a strong personality. He is very determined and driven, just like his daddy. He's also a tough little guy finding all sorts of adventures, already getting scraps and bruises and he's only 9 months old! He loves it when we say prayers. He gets quiet and has this big smile on his face, (I peek every time) and then when we say "amen" he lets out a happy "ahhh." I love my little linc-a-dink so much!

He won't be a baby for long, but he will be MY baby forever.

Picture time!

7 month pics:



enjoying his banana... peel and all



he was trying so hard to jump into the fountain



he was digging deep into his toy box



...but toys aren't enough! He has to be exploring



my messy eater

8 month pictures:



At church with his friends. They're so good at sharing their toys. ha ha



two buddies hanging out



he gets scared every time we vacuum so we always have to carry him around. (He is so tired in this picture!)



he's helping me with the dishes!

Beginning of  9 months:

straight to the mouth



he's been sleeping in his crib! YAY! hands behind his head and ankles crossed always. ha ha



enjoying his first mango

She's Got at Least 9 More Weeks

...technically she's got 12 weeks left in the oven, but in 9 more weeks she's considered full term.

Hospital update:
One miserable night spent in the hospital, hooked up to 3 different monitors, laying on a hard bed, must stay in the same position, and the meds to slow down the contractions are giving me a killer headache. Doc comes in at 8:30 am to do another ultrasound of my cervix. Not much has changed which is good news. I just have to "take it easy" now (which isn't easy since we're in the middle of moving.) but i really have to listen or else they'll have to give [baby girl] steroids to help develop her lungs. We can do it... She'll  be one healthy full term baby!

[baby girl], Be Patient!

Well, i was having intense stomach pain all day and it had been getting progressively worse throughout the day. I finally decided to go in to labor and delivery at 10:30 pm. (I'm actually in the hospital writing this through my phone right now.) The pain is constant and its becoming unbearable. The doc takes a swab test to see if it comes  back positive for preterm  labor. While we wait for the results, they give me an I.V to hydrate me, nausea medication (i still threw up), and pain killers. The results are back and at 1 am, I get the news that it came back positive. Doc isn't too worried but he's keeping me over night to keep an eye on things. So here i am laying in a hard hospital bed blogging rather than getting sleep. [Baby girl] sounds healthy, I'm just praying that she doesn't come too early and that everything will be okay with her.

Happiest Place on Earth

Yesterday was Lincoln's first trip to Disneyland! He was having so much fun, he just wouldn't stop screaming from excitement. Fortunately for us, a friend that works there was able to get us into both parks for free, rather than pay the $100 each person! (Thanks Connie!) We definitely needed a little vacation away from our busy lives. I really enjoyed spending time with my two favorite boys.

Here are some fun pictures we took:



Mommy and Lincoln getting splashed by the big fountain



Having a blast watching the fountain water burst



on top of the world!

 

High five random hand!

 


"The Circle of Life"



My happy little pirate baby

  


Lincoln didn't seem to like the first ride very much. He made such a serious face and tensed up.



but he did enjoy the caterpillar ride, he was so curious to see everything.



My cutie babbling away!



okay, he wasn't very into the Ants ride either

Your trip to Disneyland isn't complete until you've got a pair of Mickey Mouse ears!



Lincoln's rocking the '2011' party ears



I've got my 'Minnie' ears



Even [baby girl] got to wear 'princess' ears



As for Chris... well he just promised to grow his hair like this!

She's Almost Here!

OFFICIALLY IN THE 3RD TRIMESTER!

I can not believe I am already in the third trimester! It really has gone by so fast for me. (but I guess that's expected when I already have a baby to keep me busy!) I can't complain much about the first two trimesters. I just had a few bad headaches in the beginning and a couple vomiting experiences, but I definitely noticed once I entered my third trimester. All of a sudden I was extremely tired, and dizzy, and always out of breath. Now that Lincoln is crawling around and getting into EVERYTHING it makes things much harder. It's crazy to think soon I'm going to have two babies around!

Besides some anxiety, I'm mostly really excited to have another. I remember after giving birth to Lincoln I said I never wanted to go through that again and I swore I would never forget how painful it was... Well I guess I did forget. It might sound odd, but I'm actually looking forward to giving birth again. I just remember it being a beautiful experience meeting my baby for the first time, and I know what to expect so I feel more prepared, like I'll get the job done faster! ha ha! I'm also excited to have a newborn again, which I wasn't expecting to look forward to considering I just had a newborn a few months ago! Interesting how things work out that way. I really think that's Heavenly Father's way of preparing me. I'm excited for Lincoln to have a little playmate - I can already imagine them together. And of course, I'm really excited about having a GIRL! 

I'm trying to enjoy ever single second I have with my little Lincoln. They're only babies for such a short amount of time. It's amazing how fast they grow up.

Let's compare belly shots...

almost 7 months with [baby girl]

 6.5 months pregnant with Lincoln

Well one things the same... I still like my floral tops!

THE NAME GAME...

I am having such a hard time finding a name for her!! I always had names picked out for my kids when I was younger (like I'm sure most girls do), but now that it's for real I can't come up with anything. In middle school we read and watched a book called The Outsiders and I loved it so much.

 Especially Soda Pop, one of the characters I had a crush on. So... I was going to name my son Soda Pop and my daughter Lolly Pop! And then I thought it would be awesome to have triplet girls and name them Lolly, Lilly, and Laily! HA HA HA! I guess it's a good thing I'm not having triplets!

Another name I liked for a while was Victoria... I always wanted my girls to have a very feminine and strong name... but I'm not feeling it so much any more. Now with having Lincoln, we could easily stick with a presidential theme for the rest of our kids. I just don't want to be limited and I don't want any cheesy themes, plus Lincoln was such a great president that I'd hate to name another child after a so-so one. I'm not really a fan of miss spelled names or something completely made up either. I can't believe I'm having such a hard time finding a name!

ANY IDEAS???

We do however, have ONE name in mind and I doubt it's anything you would guess... but I don't think I'm ready to share it yet, I'm just not ready to hear people's opinion on it. Once I'm in love with it then I'll share it with all of you!

My 1st Mother's Day

This year was my first official Mother's Day! Chris was so sweet and  brought me breakfast in bed with a lovely card [tears] and a gift for a day at the spa - my favorite! It was such a great day. After church we went over to my grandma's house to see my aunts and uncles and cousins. I always enjoy getting together with them - I couldn't ask for a better family! After dinner with them we went over to visit with Chris' family where we always have a fun time! We're so blessed to have both families so close to us.

This day made me really want to be the best mom I could possibly be. Some times I get so over whelmed with all the responsibilities of being a mom that I forget to enjoy all the blessings that come with it. I know I have a lot of growing to do spiritually and emotionally and as a wife and mother. I need to make time for myself (just 20 minutes a day) to ponder and work towards being a better person. My next step is to set some goals for myself to work towards.

It really is an amazing gift being a mom. I have such a wonderful mother to look up to, I hope to one day be like her. She is the kindest, sweetest, most caring person I know! She's always thinking of others and how she can help them. I've never heard her gossip or talk badly about anyone. She is always so happy and positive, even when times are hard for her, and she's always so fun and energetic! I don't know how she does it!  If I could just be half the person she is, I'd be the a great person too! I swear she has to have a free ticket to heaven! I love my mommy so much!

"Cage"

Every morning I put Lincoln in his "cage" with some toys while I shower and get ready... or sleep in a little more. He screams every time I put him in, but then he finds something to entertain him for a moment. This is the second time I caught him "reading" his book. It's the cutest thing. He lays on his stomach with his ankles crossed and stares at his book so intensely.

Then once he notices I'm around and watching....

"Mommy! Get me out of here!"

...he whines for me to take him out.

 Since I was just laughing...

"Ahhhhh!"

...he started being silly and yelling at me.

So I finally put him in our bed to take his morning nap.

 ...and now he's a happy little guy ready to get into more trouble!