Looks Yummy!

I have to come clean here. I'm a bit of a sweet tea and diet Coke addict. It's a little troubling really. But since I was pregnant with Danny, I cut myself off of my 2 favorite drinks. I mean, really, that can't be good for my babies. And you know, I've been a breastfeeding momma. So it's been since the Fall of 2009, since we were daily friends. Although, daily....I have to fight the cravings!!

So for the last few years, I've stuck to water. Water with lemon. Water with lime. Water with orange. Water with cucumber. Mike has attempted to get me to drink Sun Tea. But I just can't do it! I mean, really....it just makes me depressed. I'm used to that "sweet nectar of the Southern Gods!"

I really wish that I had the patience to make aguas. They are super yummy. And not sweet. But a little time consuming. So I just indulge, when we go out to eat. :) Around here, they are at all the local restaurants. I might need to make an excuse, to go out tonight.

You see, I'm always fearful, that if I eat or drink too much sugar....it will affect my babies. Since Mikey was a baby, I've been making frozen treats for us. Less sugar. More fresh fruit. Delicious! But the drink situation, I've never really thought "outside the box." I just dilute my kids' juice. But nothing else. Until now.

Blame it all on Pinterest! Because that's where I found this picture. But there was no link. No description. Nothing. But it looked so yummy! And it got me thinking. :)

We make fresh lemonade. Pretty often in the Spring and Summer. But this is a fresh spin on things! Raspberry or strawberry iced cubes. With the lemonade. Oh, doesn't that sound like heaven to you? To me it does! Heck, I might just make a ton of these fruit ice cubes. To add to my water. Yummy!

♥Rach♥

The Sweetest Thing!!

I'm due in one week! Can you believe it? I feel like this pregnancy has just flown by! Probably because for once, I wasn't pregnant during the "Dog Days of Summer." I mean, I was. But it was morning sickness. Not the "how many weeks do I have left" pregnancy. I'm sure, if you've ever been pregnant, you know what I mean. When you're just ready to have your baby.

But I'm not feeling that right now. I'm happy. And comfortable. Honestly, I don't feel like our baby girl, is coming anytime soon. I'm not feeling that same "feeling." I don't know how to describe it. But after having 2, it just doesn't feel like we're too near yet...

Our family is taking this time, to just relax. Enjoy being a family of 4, for a few more days. I'm loving being a "Boy Mom." In fact, we added a few fish, to our family. And we're just enjoying life. This time of year, is just so nice out. The boys and I, have been going on daily walks, through our neighborhood. It's the first thing we do, after breakfast. And I think our neighbors are enjoying it too. Many, have started to wait for us. At 7:30AM, you'd be surprised how many people are out, and enjoying the weather. :)

But I've also been looking for some inspiration. For our baby girl's newborn pictures. And I've found lots of things, that are going to be fun to try out! I've also been looking for some cute clothes. Cute little things, that would look darling. On our little girl. Let's just say, Pinterest and I, are becoming BFFs!

Isn't this the most darling picture? Oh, I can't wait! I'm telling you, I just can't wait until we get to meet our little girl. I can't wait to dress her up. And recreate fun pictures like this one. I just feel like our little girl is the final piece, to our family puzzle. The one person, that is going to make our family whole and complete. I can't wait to meet our sweet little one!

♥Rach♥

Exciting!

In just about a month, we get to meet our daughter. I'm super excited! What's one of the things, that I'm most excited about having a baby girl? All the cute clothes! Pinks, purples, peaches. And the ruffles and bows. Oh, and the dresses!! This is going to be such a different experience.

I found this picture on Pinterest. And it just got me thinking about my precious little girl. How fun this is going to be!! I love my boys, with all my heart. But I'm so excited to meet my precious little girl. I have a feeling, being a "girl Momma" is going to be very different, from being a "boy Momma."

♥Rach♥

What a Sweet Peach!!

I'm starting to think that God, reads my blog. That he's been listening to little 'ol me. Praying that our last baby, will be a girl. Today, I'm 20 weeks, 1 day pregnant. And we had our gender ultrasound. I wanted to be 100% sure. Being our last baby and all.

Listening to our babies' heartbeats, long before we meet them, is the most AMAZING thing in the world! I still can't believe, that Mike and I, made these gorgeous little souls. With our love. Wow! It is amazing.

With every pregnancy, I've totally embraced every second. Every small kick, movement, and even morning sickness. But there's something about this pregnancy. Maybe because I know, this baby is our last. But I've embraced every second. I'm trying to record it all. So that years from now, I'll have these little memories. Of "growing" my sweet babies.

And with our amazing appointment, came our great news! In March, we'll be welcoming a sweet little girl!! Can you believe it? Even our boys are excited. "A sisa? We gonna have a gurl? When her come home?" They are excited! We are excited!!

Before we had kids, Mike and I agreed on 2 very important things. 1. He'd name our sons. I'd name our daughters. 2. Whoever named our baby, had to pick our baby's Godparents. Oh boy! It's all on me now!! :)

Actually, I've had 2 girl names picked out. Since I was a little girl. Now I just need to decide between Georgia and Savannah. Before you think I've completely lost it, I'm originally from Georgia. And I knew, I always wanted my daughter to have a connection to my home state. Especially since now, we live in the southwest.

And Godparents...I've known for years, who'd I pick. Now, we just need to get them in 1 place, at the same time. :) I'm really excited about this too!

Oh, and since we're having a sweet girl, I want to do something a little different. Especially when it comes to her nursery. I'm thinking, I want to use the theme "Georgia Peach." I've been looking everywhere, for the perfect crib bedding. But haven't had much luck. But I am positive, that I'm going to use peach, with a little bit of pink, for our daughter's nursery.This picture, is my inspiration!

There's so much to do, in the next few months. But I'm so excited! This is going to be such a fun chapter in our lives. And our daughter, is going to completely change our home. Right now, I'm totally outnumbered! There's my hubby, our 2 sons, and our little dog. All boys!

Mike and I, are planning a little shopping trip. Probably Wednesday. I now realize, we don't really have anything for our daughter. With Danny, we had lots and lots of "hand-me-downs" from Mikey. But honestly, I think Mike is super excited! On the way back from our doctor, who is an hour away from where we live, we stopped at Target. Each of our sons got a new little car. Our daughter, her first Barbie doll! How cute! Yes, we are so excited to be adding a little girl, to our little family!

♥Rach♥

Love 21 Maternity

Ya, I'm still pregnant. My husband is still 100s of miles away fighting a fire. But my in-laws are here with me and Mikey. :) They surprised us for the holiday. I'm so glad they did!

In other news...

Did you know that Forever 21 now has their own line of maternity wear? It's called Love 21 Maternity. I found out about it on twitter.

They don't have much. Just 7 tops and 6 bottoms. But it's cute stuff. All between $4.80-19.80. Not bad at all! And I really like this outfit...




If I wasn't so far along in my pregnancy, like weeks from delivery, I might take the hour drive to do some shopping. But it's good to know. You know for next time around! OK, maybe my MIL and I have planned a small trip to the city tomorrow. :)

♥Rach♥

Crying Like a Big Baby

I've been really down today. I just can't shake it. And I don't know why I'm feeling this way. I'm thinking, It's because Mike is away fighting the wildfire in CO. And I'm due later this month. I miss Mike so much. It feels like he's been gone for months.

Poor Danny. I hope his daddy doesn't miss his birth. He went north a few weeks ago. I was so stressed out. But he had to fight this fire. Now, he's in CO. Maybe Mike might get to come home just for a few days. Or Danny can wait a few more. Or maybe, I'm just dreaming.

My parents are in LA. That's where I'm originally from. And my in-laws live 4 hours north of here. But I have great friends. I just miss my husband. My in-laws are supposed to be planning to come down here and stay with us for a while. My FIL has agreed to watch Mikey when I go into labor. And my MIL is going to be with me at the hospital. My parents are going to come after Danny gets here. Because last time, they didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with Mikey. We're trying something new here.

But I'm still sad. The gloomy and stormy weather we've been having in the afternoon/evenings/nights isn't helping either. But there's not much you can do about that. I've been crying at commercials, pictures, songs. I'm a little emotional these days. But right now, I'm going to go snuggle up with my napping boy. I feel like I need a nap too!

♥Rach♥

He's Not Coming Home

About a week ago, we thought Mike would be coming home. Instead, his team is headed to CO. To help with that fire. I'm really starting to freak out! I'm less than a month away from my due date. And it looks like Mike won't make it home before Danny is born.

Worst of all, my in-laws can't come until July 20th. I'm praying that my boy stays put until then. And my parents are visiting my sister in GA for the long holiday weekend. An extended week. Because my sister just had my niece! Yesterday! Little Madelyn Grace is a sweety pie! I wish I could be there too.

But my parents will be coming after Danny is born. I'm so excited! Maybe they will bring my little sister and her darling family. :) But I'm still scared and nervous. We have great friends here. But it's not the same without our families. Especially Mike. I hope it all works out. Because I want Mike to be here for Danny's birth. :)

♥Rach♥

Clothes Shopping with Mike

Recently Mike and I went shopping at Target. He wanted to get me some summer clothes. When I was pregnant with Mikey, well in the summer I wasn't this big. So lots of my summery clothes don't fit. Here I thought that Mike was saving money to get himself his new TV. Really, he was saving up to take me shopping. What a sweetheart!

Here's some of what I picked up.



These cute denim shorts. For only $18! I like the dark wash. I got 2 pair. :)



And a couple of these t-shirts. I got them in purple, aqua, white, blue, and yellow. They were $13.



And some of these tanks for $10. In pink, teal, grey, black, and a striped red one.



I got a pair of these crops. For $25. On me, they hit a little under the knee. And I really like them for when we go to the park.



I also got this cute top! For $17.



And my favorite find was this dress. For $35. Isn't it cute?

My husband is a sweetheart! I can't believe he did that for me! Now, not matter what season we get pregnant next time, I should have the clothes that I need. Unless our baby is due in the dead of winter. But we're not going to think about that now. No we're not! instead, I'm going to go wash my new clothes so I can wear them. :)

♥Rach♥

Maternity Bathing Suit

Bathing suit shopping is horrible enough. But having to do it pregnant, well it really stinks! I went to Target looking for a suit. Because Mikey already wants to be in the water. I didn't find anything for me. But we got him a few pairs of swimming trunks. They are too cute!

I usually really like Liz Lang's line at Target. But the bathing suits weren't very impressive. But I did find some I like at Old Navy. And Mike was such a trooper! He kept going to get me different sizes and colors as I was in the dressing room. :)




I decided on this cute top. It was on sale for $19.50. And I really like how supportive and covered it is. That was my problem with the ones at Target. They weren't too covered up. And with an 18 month old, I need some security in my suit!



And these bottoms. Nothing fancy. But they're nice. And only $15.

What do you think? I really like the suit. And know we can start swimming more often. We also bought a few things for Mike and Mikey. And we got our dog a new collar. It was definitely a good trip!

♥Rach♥

Target Dresses

We went to Target to go do some shopping. I really needed a few maternity pieces. You know, being dressed and pregnant, well it's not the best. I'm not going to lie, when I was pregnant with Mikey, I would run around the house in t-shirts and underwear. You know, when you get to your last trimester, clothes just become too much!

But this time around, I have a son. A 18 month old son. So I want to be a good mommy. And wear clothes. I'm really liking dresses. Because being pregnant, it feels more like you're not wearing clothes. So I bought 3 dresses...



I like this one. I'm not in love with it. But I like it. I figure I can wear it to church or anywhere a little more dressy. I do like the fit of it a lot though. It's a little more than I'd have liked to spend, $40. But I figure I can wear a lot. And save it for our next pregnancy.



Because we live in the desert, and here it's hottest from May-July, I got this dress. It's really really comfy and cute. Perfect for play dates at the park! And it was $37.



I bought this dress because we're invited to 3 weddings this summer. I think this would be a nice dress. Even in the heat of the summer. And you can style it so many ways! Different shoes, jewelry, etc. Oh and I can use it during my next pregnancy. This was a very good $40 spent!

I really like Target in general. I shop there for a lot of our clothes and housewares. It's just good quality, nice style, and won't break the bank! But Liz Lang's line is my favorite! At least for maternity wear! I've been wearing almost everything I wore when I was pregnant with Mikey. And it has helped up so well!

♥Rach♥

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy...I Got Love in My Tummy

And I was right! We're having a baby boy! Finally our little guy decided to cooperate with us. At our last appointment, we couldn't find out if we were having a boy or girl. He just didn't want to let us know! But this time around, our little guy cooperated a bit more. :)

We have a name picked out. Daniel. No middle name yet. We're working on that. You know, since it's official that we're having another little man. :) In case you're wondering, it's Daniel is after Mike's brother. He passed away a few years ago. And we just wanted to honor him.

We have just about 15 weeks to wait for our little man now. I really need to get moving on our nursery. Oh the nursery...that's a whole other story for another blog. But we are so excited about having another son!

♥Rach♥

Nursery Furniture

If you've ever had a baby, you know it's expensive. We learned that with Mikey. Mike and I thanked our lucky stars that we had a small wedding in Vegas. Because we got pregnant right after we got married. And we had to buy tons and tons of stuff. I was still in college, and he was the only one working.

This time around, well hasn't been much easier on our bank account. Because we got Mikey furniture to grow with him. So no handing down our nursery furniture. And we just bought a house! So we're on a budget. And I've been searching...

Recently, I have found this cute set. The DaVinci Kalani Collection. We got it at Target. In the color expresso. And to be honest, we waited until one of their baby sales. And we got this entire set for $1200 and free shipping. Yes, it was less expensive online than in the store. So weird! We just finished setting it all up. :)



This is a hutch thing that goes on top of a dresser type thing that we bought. You can see that in the bottom picture. I really like all those shelves. And I plan on buying some small baskets to store some essentials in. :)



I really like this changing table. After our baby doesn't need a changing table, you can take the railing off. And then it's just a set of drawers. :)



And this is the set. I'm not sure why the other 2 pieces were not in this picture. I like the chest of drawers a lot! Very cute. And the dresser thing, love it! The taller side, it has deep shelves. I'm thinking it would be a nice place for books and stuff. That's where that hutch attaches too. Mike "super attached" the hutch to the dresser. And he attached the entire thing to the wall. Yes, that meant we had to paint the baby's room first. Which we decided on a nice green color. :)

And the crib. It's perfect! And one of the 4-in-1 cribs like Mikey's. A little more in the beginning. But in the end, you save a lot of money. Now if we just knew whether we were having a boy or girl so I could buy some yummy bedding!

♥Rach♥

Baby Fireman

We got our first baby gifts from the Fire House today. Those guys crack me up! But we're so grateful! Look how cute these are!



These bibs are way too cute! I can't wait to put them on our little one!

This onesie is definitely one of my favorites. It's just way too cute. And a little quirky!

Everyone around here is ready to meet our new little one. Now if we just knew if the baby is going to be a boy or a girl. I say boy. Mike keeps telling me we're having a girl. Just a few months to find out!

♥Rach♥

Guess What

We're expecting baby #2! I've hinted about it. I mentioned something here. And tweeted something back in November. But no one really said anything. I think they thought I was joking. Or maybe slightly crazy. Probably more of the later to be honest.

But after Mikey was born, I was told that it was going to be tough to get pregnant again. For lots of reasons I don't want to bore you with. But soon after Mike went to fight the wildfires last year, I found out we could start trying for baby #2. Ya, I know. At the time, Mikey was not even a year old. But it was good news for us. Because we want to have our kids close together. We want them to grow up together.

I didn't think I would get pregnant so quickly though. ;) By the time Mike got back from the wildfires out west, I was off of my birth control. And we honestly thought it might take a few months. No way! I was pregnant right away. We should have remembered how quickly I got pregnant with Mikey. ;)

Yup, that's our news! I'm actually 12 weeks today. Pretty cool if you ask me! Mike insists that we're having a girl. I don't know where that is coming from. But I would be happy with either a boy or a girl. As long as our baby is healthy.

♥Rach♥