Q & A

Yep, that's right! Baby Baldwin #2 is coming to join our family! So here are a few more details:

How far along are you?
14 weeks! The above picture was taken at 13 weeks, though. (Have I ever mentioned that I show really early??)

When are you due?
April 22. Livia and this new baby will be almost exactly 3 years apart, since she has an April birthday as well.

Have you been sick?
YES. I've been much more sick this pregnancy than with Livia. That's why I've been a bit M.I.A. lately. I'm starting to feel a little better, but it's definitely not over yet. :(

Are you going to find out what you're having?
Yep! I promised Chase last time around (when I insisted on waiting to find out), that for the second baby we would go ahead and see what we're having. We should know by early December!

Does Livia know?
Yeah, we told her right away, mainly because I needed her to understand why I was so sick and tired all the time. She spilled the beans to a couple of people, but mostly kept it a secret. She's excited for the baby, but I know very well that it'll be a major adjustment for her!

Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?
Chase wants a boy, Livia wants a little sister, and I would honestly be happy either way. It'd be nice to have one of each gender, but I think it'd be fun for Livvy to have a sister close to her in age. So we'll just have to wait and see!

We are all very excited!!

Four little pumpkins, all in a row

I decided that this year it would be appropriate to get a pumpkin for every member of the family. Ü

Halloween update

We went shopping today to get materials for Livia's pink monster costume. She kept telling me she wanted a mask, but when she actually SAW the masks, she flipped out and decided she'd much rather be a ballerina. Fine by me!

Little Livvy

(She loves to wear her Daddy's goggles and medals and parade around the house!)



Snippets of conversations with Livvy:





Me whispering in church: Livia, it's time to pray.


Livia, hissing back at me: Shh! It's a secret!





Livia: Mommy, sing me the Three Billy Goats Gruff song


Me: I don't know a Three Billy Goats Gruff song


Livia (wide-eyed and encouraging): But you can try!





One day at dinner:


Livia (resting her head on one hand): So Daddy, how was work?


Chase: It was good. How was your day?


Livia: Good


Chase: What did you do?


Livia: Oh you know, played with Emerson, went to the park, slides, swings, sand...you know.





(She's become the Queen of small talk, and frequently asks me how my day or week is going, what my favorite animal or food is, or any other question she can think of to fill in gaps of a conversation. It never fails to make me smile!)








Livia is growing up so fast! She, however, does not want to be big. Everytime I say something about her being a "big girl" she gets upset and says she's NOT big, she's little. She's a baby. I'm thinking this may make potty training a little bit more challenging (which, by the way, I'm hoping to attempt again soon. Wish me luck!)





Liv still loves to read, both with me and on her own, and color. She is incredibly excited for Halloween, is insistant on being a "scary, old, pink MONSTER!" and has been carrying around her trick-or-treating pumpkin ever since I got it out of storage. I need to quickly figure out how to make a pink monster costume that she will actually wear!

Every day is a bit of an adventure with her. She knows her own mind, and can be very forceful when sharing her opinions. We are now required, every time we're in the car, to listen to her "favorite songs," a cd of children's music I bought for her last Christmas. Luckily the songs are good, but after listening to it most of the way to and from Apple Valley last week, I would be happy never to listen to that cd again! And yet, every time we get in the car and she asks for it, I go ahead and turn it on. Because you know what? That particular battle is just not worth it.

Alrighty, I'm pretty much caught up on my blog now. Hopefully I'll have lots of fun things to write about over the holidays!

Cruisin'

Last week we drove down to Apple Valley to see this handsome little guy get baptized.Everyone was there (besides Jon, who's on his mission), and it was such a wonderful occasion! Livia was VERY interested in the baptism and confirmation, and has talked to me about it multiple times since then.

The next day Chase and I said goodbye to Miss Livvy and boarded this little beauty.

Oh, the relaxation! It was so nice to be completely responsibility-free for a week, and knowing that Livia was in such good hands (and having the time of her life at Grandma's house), made it that much better.

We spent a day in Cabo San Lucas (just look at the coloring on that water!)And a day in Mazatlan, where we toured the city, rode waverunners out in the ocean, and hung out at a hotel resort. Then we spent a day in Puerto Vallerta. This was by far my favorite stop.

Partially because it was gorgeous (I love hills/mountains. Especially hills covered in rainforest, dotted with cute little villages, and stretching straight out into the ocean)

(I'm also a sucker for cobblestone streets)

And partially because Chase and I splurged and went on an "Outdoor Adventure."

We took a boat to a more remote area of Puerto Vallerta

Rode a truck up the mountain over what MAY be called roads, but I have my doubts. We very much needed those straps hanging from the ceiling, or we'd have been thrown out and left in the dust.We rode mules the rest of the way up the mountain, and then made our way back down the mountain through a course of ziplines, rappels, and river crossings.

Here's a shot of us rappelling down a waterfall.
Seriously? It was such a blast! I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I think Chase had a great time too.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Puerto Vallerta, admiring sand sculptures and the beautiful scenery.

Since Chase's birthday was the week before, they sang to him one night at dinner and we ended up with FOUR desserts. Yowza!

The whole experience was great! The family we sat with at dinner was from the Philippines, and they were so nice and fun to talk to. We enjoyed the shows at night, spent lots of time reading...and eating (There was lots of eating going on, even though I have to confess that I found the food good, but not great), and overall it was very nice to spend unhurried time together, just the two of us.

Livia had a marvelous time while we were gone, and was VERY upset to leave Apple Valley. It took us an hour to coax her into getting in the car to head back home! (Funny side note: Livia thinks that Apple Valley refers, not to a city, but to Grandma and Grandpa's actual house. Same with our city referring to our particular apartment. Makes me feel like I live in a country estate in England!)

And now we are home. The giant pile of laundry is finally done, the suitcases are unpacked and put away, and Chase is working never-ending hours. In other words, life is back to normal!

You've had a birthday shout Hooray!

Chase turned 27 a few weeks ago. I'm afraid we didn't do much celebrating, but we did make sure to have cake and ice cream when Chase got off work.

Cake (or rather, frosting) is Livvy's favorite treat in the whole world! She talked about it all day long, and couldn't wait for her Daddy to get home! I love how excited she gets about birthdays.

Have I convinced you yet?

Do you live near me and know me and STILL didn't go to the library book sale last weekend?? You see the books pictured above? I got them for all of $12. Yeah, that's right. Approximately 30 books for the price of one. ONE. I'm not kidding. The Little Engine that Could? Usually $9 at the store. Excellent condition. Cost me about 10 cents.

The next one's on November 20. Mark your calendars!