our sweet girl is here!

We're so in love with our sweet Savannah Hartley! It's been a crazy three weeks, but things are going well. I found out she was breech at my 38 week appointment, and despite all my attempts to get her to flip, she was still breech Saturday night Oct 29 when my water broke. We headed to the hospital and they informed is she would have to be delivered via csection. She was born at 3:30 am Sunday Oct 30 :) The recovery has been very different than it was after Kaden's birth, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Thankful for that! Kaden is doing so great with her. He adores her and kisses her and asks to hold her all the time. It's precious! Posting from my phone so that's all for now :)

my little man.

full of excitement, wonder, curiosity and cuteness. so thankful I get a front row seat to see what God does in this little life. so incredibly glad to be his mama! 

seven..

..seven more weeks till we're a family of four! here are a few pictures of things we've been up to the last couple months..

 33 weeks with babygirl! 

 Tides game..just the three of us. Kaden was mesmerized by the whole experience and has been obsessed with the game of baseball ever since :) He'll sit and watch it for a really long time! amazes me. 

my boys at the Pier Cafe enjoying a beautiful summer evening. 

we've been in the process of potty training for the last couple months! he's definitely getting there...not 100% yet...still working on getting him to tell me when he needs to go :) Proud of the progress he's made though considering we started before he turned 18 months.  

sunset walk on the beach. so blessed.

 We went to CO last week for about 5 days to visit some great friends! It was an awesome time and we loved the city of Denver and surrounding area. 

amazing mountains! 

thankful for our friendship with Brock and Carolyn! loved seeing what God is doing in and through them in this new season of their lives. Thanks for putting up with us for the week guys =) 

::twenty week ultrasound::

We had so much fun getting a peek at baby girl today!! I see baby dolls, pigtails, ruffles and PINK in our future :) Couldn't be more excited!! Here's our precious girly.

 

I'm so thankful to get the opportunity to be this girly's mama. What a blessing. So looking forward to seeing how she'll steal her daddy's heart and look up to her big brother :) I can't wait to hold and smooch you sweet girl!!! You are so loved by all of us already. Kaden loves to kiss "baby" in mommy's tummy. I know he'll love you and look after you as the two of you grow. We are praying you'll keep growing strong and healthy and look forward to the fall when we can hold and cuddle you...I'm one excited mama :)

18 weeks. the belly.

Here's the first baby bump picture...at 18 weeks. It's funny how with Kaden's pregnancy I started taking "baby bump" pics at 2 months...and I haven't even really thought about it til now. Second time around is definitely different. But still very exciting and special. It is going by fast. Later this month we get to see this little one and find out if we're having another son or a daughter! Really really excited about that.  

little this, little that.

So life is full lately, and loads of fun. What a great start to the spring/summer we've had already! I've been staying busy with my little man...lots of the outdoors, sunshine, dirt, sand, new experiences, and I think he's loving every minute of it :) 

yes, he definitely is :) 

we've visited the zoo a number of times already...with friends, aunties, marmee and papa, and with daddy of course!  

strawberry picking was a big hit!  

this boy can down some strawberries!  

 Kaden's first beach day of 2011!

He loved it, though you can't tell that from this photo :) 

Botanical Gardens has also been a favorite getaway spot so far. The WOW kids area has lots to offer and we always just love strolling around or finding a wide open field to run and play in :)  

Mother's Day 2011. love my little family. 

dear sisters!! so thankful for them. 

At the end of April, Steve and I also had an amazing 7 days away on a cruise to the Caribbean! What an awesome vacation and time away with my love! We stopped at Cococay, Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Plus we had three days at sea to enjoy all that our ship had to offer. Since being home, I find myself daydreaming about that crystal clear, bright blue water and those perfect white beaches. Or all the fine dining (none of which was prepared by me! ahhh). Paradise.

But we're also glad to be back home with Kaden :) We missed him like crazy. I didn't think it would be as hard as it was to be away from him for a week! He had the time of his life getting spoiled with Marmee and Papa and Auntie Rach ;) He probably didn't miss us at all, but man we missed him. 

This pregnancy is going amazingly well and flying by! I'm 15 weeks and haven't felt sick really at all! I've had energy to keep up with my now 15 month old (!) which is a huge blessing and answer to my prayers! Next month sometime we will find out if this one's a boy or girl!! Can hardly wait! 

first comes love...

then comes marriage.....then Kaden Isaiah..........then comes.............baby #2!


Are we really going to be a family of four come November?!?! Kaden is going to be a big brother. That still hasn't really sunk in yet. But we are really excited and can't wait to meet this little one in the fall!! I'm 8 weeks along and the estimated due date is November 5, 2011. Everyone says the second pregnancy flies by, which I believe considering how time has seemed to accelerate since having a baby. I keep scratching my head over where the last few months have gone, and how I already have an almost 14 month old! I'm still feeling great and am so so thankful for that. I'm so excited about this summer and being able to do fun things with my little man....making memories at the park, beach, zoo....he'll be able to enjoy the outdoors and I am praying for the energy to make lots of fun memories with him before the baby comes. It's so amazing to have a new little life inside me, and I praise the Lord for the gift of another baby!

Overnight.

We left Kaden with my parents overnight Saturday and Sunday for my birthday getaway. It was our first time leaving him overnight, and I missed him quite a lot, but it was so fun and refreshing to spend 24 hours with Steve alone! I think Steve has missed that...it just being the two of us...not that he would trade having Kaden for anything...but he already looks forward to when our kids are grown and moved out haha! It's nice being best friends with your husband and enjoying every second you spend together! Don't get me wrong, he LOVES being a daddy and is excited to have our family grow and raise our kids, but you know...it's great having that freedom of no kids once in a while.

We had an amazing time together..we stayed at the Sheraton at the Oceanfront in a room with an ocean view. While it was too cold to open the door or be outside on Saturday, just having that view is relaxing and so peaceful. We both feel so calmed and refreshed by the beach...no sure what it is about it, but it's our favorite place to be. We had dinner at Stienhilber's which was fabulous! It was our first time there and we weren't disappointed! Amazing dinner and great ambience. We went back to the hotel and took a dip in the indoor pool and hot tub, then watched a movie and ate way too many peanut m&m's :)

Sunday we woke up around 8 and enjoyed an omelet at the hotel restaurant, packed up and left for Williamsburg where we spent most of the day shopping at the outlets and eating the world's best bbq at Pierce's. Such a great day! Then we headed back to my parents where we had family night and celebrated some more! It was so good to get back to our little man and squeeze him and get some wet, drooly kisses :)

All in all it was a spectacular 25th birthday weekend and I feel so blessed by my Savior. I sense His sweet love abundantly in my life and can't put into words how wonderful a feeling it is to experience his undeserved grace and blessings so richly. What a great Father he is! How rewarding it is to serve and love him and to know him intimately. Counting my blessing today...