Big Kid Well Checks!

We decided it would be a good idea to take both kids in to the pediatrician to buy us some time to find a new pediatrician after we move. These were just well checks, but both kids did need to get their flu shots (and Finn additionally got one of the hepatitis rounds).

I'm always grateful when going into the pediatrician at how healthy our kids are and how much I've been able to take that for granted. We haven't had to deal with any asthma or breathing treatment stuff that seems so common in our little friends. Just a well check costs $30 per child in co-pays, and I can't imagine how much more expensive it would be if they needed ongoing care- I'm extra grateful we've never been desperate to figure out how to financially get our kids the care they need! It's so humbling.

This was the first well check where Kenna really felt like a big kid- she got to sit and get her blood pressure taken, her height and weight, and did a whole eye exam of recognizing shapes that the nurse said she did really well on! I"m so glad I quickly snapped this photo with my phone of her looking so big and proud of herself!

She even got to wear the special paper robe that she said was like a "toilet paper dress."

We had talked to Kenna about the flu shot beforehand- about how it would pinch and hurt for just a minute, but then feel better, that the doctor would be very nice, and that we would hold her hand and get her some special stickers for being brave. She informed us that she would be getting the shot "all by herself" and that she would hold the doctor's hand if she needed to. It turned out she was super brave! The doctor had her give Daddy a big hug, and while her arm was up high, she gave her the shot in her shoulder. I think Kenna didn't even realize it was already over and done! She did such a great job, we were so impressed and proud.

Kenna and Finn both ran around the office and the exam room the whole time we were waiting, and Finn did not appreciate it when we made him sit still while sister got checked. In fact, this is before he even got his shots:

He didn't appreciate the shots either, and cried just as hard when I had to hold him still so the doctor could look in his little ears. He hates to be forced to sit still! We came home after lunch and crashed out hard for a long afternoon nap.

So, so thankful for my healthy babies, and soon we'll be three!

Baby B, 3rd edition!

So, we have a monstrous amount of things going on the past few weeks, and I feel like if I don't get caught up on them now, suddenly I'll be thinking "I should make a Christmas post on the blog... just kidding, it's New Years... oh, the baby's due any day now, I probably should update."

That's right... BABY.

Remember how I was all proud of myself for posting a picture every day for the month of August? Well, one of them, right around August 13th, was of the classic pregnancy test variety. And, it goes without saying, that test was positive! We had to wait until after the Labor day (haha, ironic) holiday to get our ultrasound done, so we posted this fun picture online to show everybody the news:

So here is Baby Brogli, 3rd edition, due March 13! Just a few days shy of when his or her big brother will turn two. And yes, that's a tad terrifying considering how wild and active big brother is already.

We are already just past 16 weeks, and I feel like I can take everything anyone's ever told me about how fast things speed up with each child and multiply it by a hundred. We're already in the second trimester. We're already finding out the gender in just two weeks. I'm already feeling huge-er and feeling stretchy pains and trying to watch my weight and thinking I should be walking more because my body knows what's coming. As my sister in law said when she was pregnant with their third, I keep thinking it's "too soon" to be feeling whatever... and then I realize I'm already past 16 weeks. That is close to halfway! Insane.

Kenna is thrilled that a baby is on the way, and every time she calls it a "she" I remind her that we don't get to pick what kind of baby it is and it might be a boy, and won't that be lots of fun too? She has reconciled by telling me that the baby in my belly might be a boy but the one in hers is definitely a girl. I've even been told that she announced to her Sunday school teacher (a friend of mine who is also expecting!) that our baby is a girl. While she's stopped asking daily if our baby is "ready yet," she did lean in close to my belly and tell the baby sorry when she jumped a little too hard on me today. So sweet.

This wee one was such a fun, unexpected surprise, that even the belly pictures have gone the way of denial- I keep thinking I can't possibly be showing yet, I'm not that far, etc. Then I see other friends who are due a few weeks behind me posting theirs and I have to admit, yes. I have a baby belly already!

This was not meant to be a super sensitive backlit momma-to-be pose, I'm looking down at Finn trying to photo bomb me and the only part of the room not filled with moving boxes was right in front of the door.  I'm even "sucking in" my stomach for that picture... number 3 pokes out big and fast!

So here are a few fun quick notes, before I forget them, about the quickly-gone first trimester, as we are already starting strong into the second:

-Cravings have been anything mexican/nachos/tacos (I had the best homemade guacamole of my life around 13 weeks thanks to my friend Jillian), pickles, extra mayonnaise-y sandwiches,jersey mike's subs, salty things like soy sauce, and most recently red gummi bears. My cravings seem to last a week or two and then change which I'm thankful for since they're obviously not very healthy.

-This time around is reminding me how taxing even a healthy pregnancy is on the body. I've had much more ligament pain and even heart palpitations than with the other two. I've been extra tired and occasionally queasy, but not sick, just like with the first two. Midnight seems to be my magic number- if I'm not in bed asleep by then, I'm mostly worthless and trying to catch up the next day.

-For whatever reason, this pregnancy feels much more mysterious. Maybe it's because our kids have such huge personalities, but I feel like this little stranger is living inside me. I spend every day with his or her siblings and know so much about them and am learning new things and watching them change every day, but this little one is still a mystery to me. I'm sure at the very beginning it was like this with the other two, and maybe finding out the gender will help!

I have to include something funny my Dad said when we told him: when you announce your first pregnancy people are thrilled for you... when you announce the second they're very excited your first will have a playmate... the third is more like, well if you want to take on that life choice...

I had to laugh because it's a little true. But we always knew we wanted more children and are thrilled with the surprise! We can't wait for your arrival, sweet new baby, and we especially are on pins and needles to find out what gender you are!

History Repeating

So I've wrapped up the month of August where I managed to blog one photo each day (almost!) for the whole month! In taking photos and sorting/archiving them on the computer, so many photos I took of Finn were reminding me of older ones of Kenna at his age. I had to laugh when I found this entire post of uncanny photos where almost every one I'd taken of Kenna back in March of 2010 had a current "matching" sibling one of Finn!

I already blogged about the first one here:

Finn:

Kenna:

And then literally, throughout almost the entire post I wrote about Kenna at least two years ago, I realized I'd  taken one just like it of Finn! Here are the rest:

Finn:

Kenna:

Finn:

Kenna:

Finn: 

Kenna:

And here's one more that I previously blogged about:

Kenna:

Finn:

How funny is that? I'm not sure what that says about me or my photo taking (is something in my brain stuck on repeat? Hah!) but I'm perfectly happy for history to repeat itself a little bit with how quickly these sweet little ones are growing up. I love how everything is fresh and new and exciting with each baby, but also the younger ones remind you of such happy memories of their sibling at the same age. What a precious gift for God to give mommies in the quickly fleeting baby days!

Photo A Day- August 29

Kenna asked to take her nap on the couch today, a little special treat we usually do on Sundays afternoons instead of having her stay in her bed. I took Finn upstairs to his room and came back about 5 minutes later to find her like this. She's not sleeping nakie, just wearing her big girl underwear (yay!!!) and has to have that pink "flower blankie" with her at all sleeping times, of course.

Photo A Day- August 28

I never thought it would be my little girl leaving little cups full of acorns and snail shells and dead bugs around the house, especially after we had a boy! But Kenna is loving all these things recently, including picking flowers and leaves. So our afternoon project today after she found a bunch of tiny acorns on our morning walk was to make them into a "fairy garden" for her little tinkerbell. Daddy added the huge (dead) dragonfly that Kenna was fascinated with all morning. Truth be told, I think she's most interested in just digging around in anything dirty!

Photo A Day- August 27

Finn really hates to sit still in his car seat, but if he's super tired it is always a great way to get him to fall asleep. It's pretty funny to watch his wiggles and squalks quiet down, and then his eyes get real heavy, and then he just kind of can't resist it anymore. Such a cutie pie!

Photo A Day- August 26

On Sundays, we usually get the special treat of having lunch with Granddaddy and Nana after church. Today we went to get soup... the super delicious crab chowder at Nantucket Grill! We always forget that Kenna loves soup, and don't order her her own, and then she ends up eating someone else's entire bowl. Thankfully Nana was willing to share! We're thankful for how frequently we get to see Granddaddy and Nana in this stage of our lives.

Photo A Day- August 25

Today we spent the afternoon at one of our favorite little traditions- walking around the Lazy Days festival in Cary, NC. We have gone every year since Kenna was born, except for the one year it was canceled due to the threat of a hurricane! Right after we ate our traditional cupcakes (from the bakery where our wedding cake was from) Daddy and Kenna saw some kids that had really cool face paint! Kenna picked this "butterfly princess" that was pink and green on the picture, but when the face paint lady offered to change it to match her shirt, Kenna was all for that. She even added some orange "lipstick." Look how much fun $10 bucks can buy!

Photo A Day- August 24

Today I gave Kenna her first little haircut! She had cut herself some bangs a few weeks ago (more about that soon) and the back was starting to get long and scraggly and weighed down to where it didn't curl anymore. So I cut two little layers in the back to make it curl up- she was so proud of herself! Love this little cutie pie.

Photo A Day- August 23

Our two precious kiddos in the bath- I took a picture because I am determined to keep up with my photo each day this month, but also because clean children are the only thing I accomplished today.

Photo A Day- August 22

Today I told Kenna I had a special treat for her. While she was eating dinner, I went down to the basement and brought up this one little Barbie that was mine when I was little and the handful of my favorite clothes. I saved this Barbie for my own little girl one day... she was always my favorite because she was a "gymnast" Barbie, and so her arms and legs bend in ways normal Barbies' don't. Kenna is thrilled with her new favorite doll, and told me that she is "not a baby doll. she is a big girl doll." Kenna loves to change her clothes over and over, and picks out her favorite dress each night for the doll to sleep in. (We have been told her name is not "Barbie" but "Doll").

Photo A Day- August 21

We've had a lot of rainy afternoons here recently, so lots of times we lay low around the house especially when the kids take long naps and wake up almost at dinnertime! This afternoon we decided to go with it- pop some popcorn to munch on and watch a favorite movie (Kenna loves Beauty and the Beast right now). It's super sweet to see them both snacking out of the same popcorn bowl, one of the times they share really well! Finn loves popcorn and movie afternoons too. He's gotten three if not four molars in the past few days, so I think he's a fan of anything crunchy- not to mention if sister is eating it, it must be good!

Photo A Day- August 20

Daddy surprised us with a special treat that Mommy and Kenna love, and Finn just didn't know yet that he loves them too- mini powdered doughnuts! This silly boy ate something like five of them- the sugar high probably explains the goofy grin. He's such a cute stinker I can hardly stand it!

Photo A Day- August 18

We ran some errands on Saturday, and while Mommy and Finn were at Target picking up a lamp shade, Kenna and Daddy took Pontouf to Petsmart to get her nails trimmed. They looked at the fish, the frogs, the birds, the hamster, and… the puppies! I thought for sure Kenna would ask to take this little guy home, but Matt said she gave him back and asked if "our puppy" was ready. Pontouf may drive us nuts sometimes, but she is our puppy!

Photo A Day- August 17

Every day after lunch, Daddy heads to work. We're so thankful that about a year ago, he was able to switch from third shift (overnight) to second shift (roughly mid-afternoon to midnight). It has made the biggest difference from barely seeing him at all on third shift, to having him here with us all morning until lunch time! It's always sad when Daddy has to leave, but especially because it usually also signals nap time. Waving Daddy bye-bye to work (with the dog's help, of course):