BABY BOOK

This has been my favorite project so far.  I made a little fabric book for baby girl. I spent all week working on it. I've never considered myself artsy or creative but after this project I think I have some hidden talents I didn't know about. I got sooo into doing this. I smile thinking it will soon be tossed around the house and covered in who knows what but for the moment I don't let anyone touch it and look at it everyday. I might be a little too proud of it. I picked images of Isabella's favorite things because my hope is that this will be their little book that big sis reads to baby girl. So far she loves it and oohs and ahhs at every picture. I love my girl when I was done she goes "oohhh very good mama very good!" and claps for me. 

LITTLE BLUE DRESS

Clothes is definitely my weakness in sewing. The other day I made myself a dress and was reminded why I NEVER sew clothes. I spent two hours and ended up looking like a squeezed sausage in a pink horribleness. So I was nervous to try and make my first little girl dress but although it is not my best, I think it turned out really cute. I am excited to try and make more now that I have learned what mistakes not to make. This was my guinea pig dress you could say. The thing is the model is so cute rags would look adorable right? :)

You can tell the first picture is before church and the other one after because of how wrinkled the dress is in the second one haha. someone was crazy at church today, she was jumping up and down behind my chair like an energizer bunny at one point. she does seem a lot happier in the second one though:)

CAR SEAT COVERS

I have been in this project obsession lately. I think it's a good obsession because it helps me feel so good and productive and I enjoy sewing so much. I've pushed myself to do stuff I never thought I could and it has been so great for me! Stephen calls me his crazy sewing elf (this is all I do in my free time lately) hahha but I know he loves that I have found something to do that I love. The best part is making stuff for my little girls.  My sister Raquel is also having a baby girl in October so I have been making stuff for her too. I am so excited to meet little Sophia! I imagine these two cousins are going to be best friends. I made these car seat covers, which was super easy. My favorite part was picking the fabrics.

This one is for my baby girl:

This one is for Sophia, Raquel's baby girll:

25 WEEKS

So the other day I told Stephen this story of a pregnant lady who tried to run over her husband because he did not vote for Mitt Romney. It's not a true story it was from a tv show but I related. I excused her by saying "I know she is crazy but Stephen you have NO idea, hormones make you phsyco when you are pregnant!" He looks at me and says "oh I definitely have an idea." Well he is right. I can be quite the moody lady sometimes. I woke up this morning and Stephen was TOO happy. He was washing the dishes and singing How great thou Art while also watching Isabella. All I said was "can you please stop singing your voice is horrible." And he just looks at me and says "you sure you don't want to go back to sleep for another hour?" Well these two are saints for putting up with me.
Besides my moodiness things are going great. The other day a lady at church told me "wow I thought you were only 3 months pregnant you look like you have a full baby in there!" so I guess I am also pretty big at this point haha. I am getting more and more anxious to meet this little girl. My main thing is I want to know what she looks like. Are we going to have a little army of mini Stephens or kids that are crazy different? I can't wait to see!!! I am guessing full set of dark hair and mini Stephen. Well 15 more weeks and I guess we will know!

BABY'S BASSINET

Since we are having another girl we pretty much have everything we need except a bassinet. I used one with Isabella and loved it so I really wanted one for this baby. I was at the thrift store a couple weeks ago and found this gem:

I love the white wood it's made of but the old bedding and covering had to go. I bought some fabric and sowed all day until I finished. I am so proud of how it turned out:

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I also made this snuggle blanket for baby girl. It was so easy and fun. I hadn't knit for a long time and it reminded me of my days with my grandma. 

I really want the coming of this little girl to be unique and special. Just because she is our second kid I don't want her to have just hands me downs of Isabella. I've been making little things that will be just hers like the bunny blanket. Doing this project was so fun and meaningful for my new girl. Hope it provides many sleep through-the-night peaceful nights! 

SECOND TRIMESTER

Like all good things in life, the second trimester flew by. I woke up this week thinking holy cow I am having a baby in three months. That is crazy! Good crazy. Scary crazy. Am I really about to have my second kid?! 

But in all seriousness this second trimester has been the bomb. Baby girl is just kicking up a storm now and  the hamsters in my head are running full speed all day. I am doing like 10 projects and running around with a two year old all day.

 I was such a lazy bum the first trimester, considering how sick I was that was ok, but once I felt better I was ready to get up and go! I've made it a priority to eat healthy and work out 3 to 6 times a week. I tried to do this with Isabella's pregnancy too and I remembered what a difference it made. It's like night and day. I am so much happier and confident. I feel beautiful and strong and am truly enjoying being pregnant. It's not like I don't have my pregnancy cravings here and there (last night I ate half a bag of kisses by myself...) but in general I try to eat meals that are full of good stuff. 

I keep thinking about this little girl and what she is going to be like. She is so special to me because she reminds me of me (the second kid and a girl that follows a first girl). Already I feel her uniqueness inside me and I know she has such a sweet special spirit. 

MATERNITY FAMILY PICTURES

We are so excited to meet our little baby girl in December! Marcela was in town and took the most awesome maternity family pictures of us. Considering what an awkward model I am they turned out awesome. It helps that the other members of the family are so good looking;)This pictures truly reflect the love our family feels for our new baby and what an amazing older sister she has waiting for her. 

Side note: I refashioned Isabella's dress from a 11 yr old size shirt I bought at Goodwill for 3 bucks. I love how it turned out! 

BELLA THE TWO-NAGER

This little one turned 2 in July! I remember growing up joking on my birthday how I felt taller or wiser. But man has this been true for Isabella. It's like after July 14th boom she was a full on kid. This little girl is just bursting with energy, happiness, and personality. She is discovering who she is and what she likes and DOESN'T like. She knows she can have opinions now and boy does she love that. Like I always say, No one is putting this baby in the corner! We jokingly call her the two-nager because it feels like we have a teenager in the house sometimes haha. Every single day she baffles me. When I think she can't do anything cuter, smarter, sneakier, or funnier she goes and does something like that and totally redeems herself! This is what living with Isabella is like:

-at story time, right before she goes to bed, she conveniently remembers all these things she forgot outside her bedroom. She will put her little hands on her face and say "oh no namee namee(food)!" or "oh no wow wow!" or "oh no agua!" and looks at us like don't worry I'll go get it. She runs out the bedroom finds the "missing" object, and then runs back into the room yelling "I'm back!" with her arms spread out.
-Attitude! let me tell you. she doesn't just say no or yes. It's like Nahhaa! or sheay! while she either points her finger at you or puts her hands on her hips. We have to hold back tears of laughter as we try to tell her to answer nicely but  secretly love it. She reminds me of someone I know;)
-love love love. She is the SWEETEST little girl. I cannot describe how loving this little one is. She runs to us saying hug hug and just crashes into us with her arms spread out. Besos are free and plentiful around here. it's just too much.
-she is a professional singer. you will find her singing as she plays all the time. Her current favorite songs are "let it go" "i love mami,nana and papa" and that popcorn popping song. i mean she full on sings, in hooligan or just the last vowels, but she sings.
-this is how her favorite people go:
  1. wowows
  2.nana
  3. papa
  4. mama
since nana is gone and the wowows lets be honest are not real, papa gets first. The other day as he was getting ready for work she grabs a shovel for her and one for him and runs to him "papa! me you me you!" as she points to her sandbox in our backyard. Stephen tells her "sorry I have to go to work" sad face. thinks for a second and goes "oh well. Mama??!! come here!" When papa isn't available, mama will have to do.

Life with a 2 year old is a never ending circus. Everyday is filled with the funniest, loveliest, most exasperating, exhausting, wonderful moments. We get to do stuff now and Isa gets it! At the end of the day my lower back feels like it's going to break (I am also 6 months prego so not all Bells...) and my eyes barely stay open but my heart feels 2 times larger.




 

MARCE COMES TO TOWN

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Marce came up with the best FHE. We built a book of Mormon candy land game. The adults really really got into making the promise land, wilderness, and Jerusalem. Isabella loved playing the game especially moving the little guys around and putting them on the boat. 

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those two played shoo shoo train so much. someone loved taking all her friends with her.

I have been counting the days for this trip. The hardest adjustment I have had in moving in West Plains is being away from my sisters. We are like peas in a pod and I miss those peas so much! They are probably more like beans in a pod since we are Latinas hahaha. Well the day Cyndee left Marce got here and we partied 24/7. This trip was extra special and hard because Marcela and her awesome husband Davidson are moving to London, England so pretty much it was a goodbye trip. I don't know when we will see each other again but it won't be anytime soon unless someone wins the lottery. Well Marcela and Isabella hit it off like they had not been apart for 8 months. Marcela has been like a second mom to Isabella since the day she was born. Those two have such a special connection. It was also awesome for me to have so many breaks while those two played. 

We found out the zoo in St. Louis is free so we hit it up every time we went up to the airport, so twice. Marce got to go both times. I could write a whole post about how amazing this place is. Suffice to say we loved it. Short story about Isabella cause I can't help myself. She is obsessed with Curious George (we have decided she pretty much IS Curious George) so when we got there we told her we were going to go see papa de Gu (what she calls him). She found a gorilla that looked nothing like george and decided that was papa de gu. The gorilla got angry at one point and slammed the glass.The last month has been all about papa de gu and how he is loco and pow pows. The second time we went we told her we were going to go see papa de gu. The WHOLE drive (4hrs) she talked about papa de gu and how she was going to go see him. 

^^

Isa found this old camera grandpa Wells gave us and has taken on a new hobby: photography. She seriously takes pictures by herself. counts to three and says cheese. I need to post some of the pics she has taken. Most parents say their kids are geniuses but mine really is. 

As we dropped Marce off at the airport Isabella cried and asked for her "To". I teared up too and made myself not cry so Isa wouldn't get worse. I am in denial this sister of mine is across the world now. But I am so excited for her and all the adventures she is going to live! 

NANA COMES TO TOWN

Cyndee came back with us from Myrtle Beach and spent a week with us here. We had a blast and Isabella just soaked up her Nana. This little girl loves her grandma. She still wakes up in the mornings talking about nana and how she want to go "back agua nana!" (myrtle beach) I really did luck out in the mother in law department:)

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this not so little "baby" turned 2 when Nana was here!

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we had the funnest wiffle ball water balloon game that Isabella loved. She mostly loved throwing the balloons at us but Stephen and I loved hitting them with the bat. 

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movie night in the fort with brownie sundaes

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it wouldn't have been an Isabella party if we hadn't ended it with a dance party.