You're not gonna believe this...

Baby Finn is not actually Baby Finn.

We went in for our gender recheck this morning (remember how we went the day before mother's day and the lady was 95% sure it was a boy but she wanted us to come back in two weeks so she could be 100% sure, but all along Beau and I were 100% sure because we saw the ultrasound and there was definitely something sticking out there.) and the little boy part we thought we saw before was GONE. 

Baby Finn is a girl! Which means she is no longer Baby Finn but Elizabeth Ann. Baby Liza. Or Little Lizzy as my dad has already nicknamed her.

I was so excited to be having another boy, but I can't even describe the happiness I felt when I realized the baby we were looking at was my little girl. I burst into tears of joy.

Little Liza will be so well loved and protected by her big brother and police officer daddy and of course, by me . I am, above all, excited to form a close relationship with her like I have with my mom.

Now excuse me as I return to daydreaming about the frilly dresses and dance classes that are in my not so distant future.

May is for Moms {an interview with my son}

I'm linking up again for the third and final week of the May is for Moms link up. This week's interview is supposed to be with your child(ren), but since Owen is so young and Finn hasn't made his debut yet, I decided to have Beau answer the questions in their place. 

This is how Beau thinks Owen would answer these questions if he could.

1. What is your favorite thing that you and I do together?

Go to the park. He loves going to the park with you.

2. What is something important I've taught you that you will always remember? (i.e. be nice to everyone, always make your bed, etc.)

To have a kind heart and to treat everyone equally.

3. What is your most special memory about me?

I don't know what he remembers. It's probably when you go get him from the crib first thing in the morning. He's always so happy to see you.

4. What is something nice I always say to you?

I love you.

5. How are you and I the same? How are we different?

You both have love for everyone and are always happy. Your a girl and he's a boy.

Life lately and my sad excuse for a Bumpdate

May has been a busy month... and by busy I mean barely have time to breath let alone do a load of laundry month. We have at least one party of some sort to go to every single weekend in May. There's also Mother's Day and our anniversary and my birthday! 

On top of all the busyness, I'm pregnant and therefore have negative amounts of energy, Owen has his first ear infection and is on antibiotics and has at least one diarrhea blowout a day, and Beau's shoulder is not doing well- he just got the results from his MRI and it looks like he'll be having arthroscopic capsulorrhapy surgery sometime soon, like before he graduates on June 20th.

Needless to say, blogging has been at the bottom of my list of priorities and unfortunately I've been pretty terrible about taking pictures lately. This is all I've got for ya...

I didn't actually mean to take a picture of him screaming crying, but as soon as I starting snapping photos he burst into tears. This is how you know my baby is sick! He's normally such a ham in front of the camera.

Left is 14wks and right is 15wks.

I've thankfully had a lot less morning sickness lately and the headaches haven't been quite as bad either. I still get stomach cramps every once in a while but I've also started to feel him moving around in there! Oh yeah.. for Mother's Day Beau let me get an early gender ultrasound and the lady was 98% sure it's a boy. We go back in a week so she can be 100% sure, but Beau and I already are. Owen is going to have a baby brother!

Our boy name is Finnian Francis. We are so excited to continue our journey of raising little boys. I think God is blessing us with boys because the world needs more men like Beau. 

We can't wait to meet you, Baby Finn!

I'm Feeling Lucky

Today was kind of amazing.

First of all, I woke up, turned over, and opened my eyes to see Beau. He's working the evening shift today so he wasn't up hours before me like usual. 

Then the most wonderful thing happened- I felt the baby! I've been feeling really nervous lately. This pregnancy has been rough so far, very different from my pregnancy with Owen, and I was beginning to fear that it meant something was wrong. Feeling my precious child for the first time was exactly what I needed to put my fears to rest. It was as if the baby was saying, "Its ok, Mom! Don't worry. I'm here! I'm healthy! I'm growing like I should!"

Then, as if my morning needed any improving, when Owen and I were having our good morning hug, he turned his head and gave me a kiss. Right on the lips! Oh. My. Gosh. My heart melted into a puddle on the floor right there. I can not even begin to describe the joy that made my heart sing. From then and there I knew it was destined to be a good day. 

We spent the next few hours outside, enjoying the beautiful weather. Beau even grilled us lunch. {He is THE bomb:)}

I must warn you, there is a mass amount of pictures below this text. I couldn't resist.

I'm am so lucky to have my boys!

May is for Moms {An Interview With Myself}

This month I'm linking up with Amy for a 3 part interview in honor of Mother's Day. Being a mommy is the best ever so I couldn't resist.

An Interview With Myself

1. Before you ever even had children, how did you feel about being a mother?

Being a mother has been my dream for as long as I can remember. Growing up, when people would ask "what do you want to be when you grow up" the answer was always "a mom", without hesitation. Anybody who knew me before I had children knows that that is all I have ever wanted. 

2. Since becoming a mother, what is something that has happened that you never thought would?

The amount of times I've cried thinking about the future. I'm a naturally very emotional person so I was prepared to shed some tears at each big milestone, but I never imagined that seeing a teenage boy eating lunch with his mom would make me tear up. It's hard for me to imagine my little baby growing to be an 18 year old boy towering over me. 

3. Is being a mother less difficult, more difficult or exactly how difficult you imagined?

It is definitely more difficult than I imagined. I knew it wouldn't be all sunshine and roses, but I had no idea how emotionally and physically exhausting it could be. That's not to say that it's not wonderful, because it is the most wonderful, rewarding thing I have ever done.

4. What is your fondest memory of being a mother (so far)?

There are so many! Probably giving birth and the moments right after. Literally nothing compares to the feeling you get when you first meet your child face to face. 

5. If your children only learn one life lesson from you, what do you hope it is?
To know, love, and serve God in everything that they do. If they aren't sure what to do, make sure they're doing those things and they will be fine.

Check back next week for an interview with my Mom!

preparing for a little one: registering

making a baby registry can be overwhelming. there is so much stuff out there and it takes a lot of time and effort to figure out which products are going to be just right for your baby, especially before your baby is even born.

having been around the pregnancy block already, i guess i have a little expertise on what items you simply must have on your registry. 

1) Aden + Anais swaddling blankets- these are A-MAZING! seriously the number one item all pregnant momma's need to stock up on. they are a little pricey but they're worth it. the light breathable material makes for easy swaddling without the worry of over heating you baby (which is a common new momma mistake)

2) an automatic bouncy chair- it bounces your baby so you don't have to. need i say more? this was a life saver during Owen's first couple months. as much as you might think that you'll never want to put your baby down now, 7lbs gets heavy quick. 

3) gauze cloth diapers- but not for what you'd think. these make the best burp cloths. don't bother wasting your time trying other burp cloths. trust me on this one.

4) Baby K'tan baby carrier- some doctors call the first 3 months of a baby's life the 4th trimester, because they are still so fragile and need constant care. since Owen was born a month early this period lasted more like 4 months. for that period he basically lived in the Baby K'tan. it provided a way for him to feel secure and close to me while giving me my hands free to do other things.

5) breast pump- if you're planning to breast feed at all a pump is a must have. it was a life saver in the first few weeks of Owen's life. he had difficulty latching on so i had to pump and feed him with a syringe. depending on if your planning on going back to work or breast feeding exclusively you can decided whether a manual or electric pump is best for your situation. i was fine with a manual since its rare for me to not be home with Owen when he needs to nurse.

6) diapers- any size, style, brand, you name it. you can never have too many diapers. this is something you'll learn all too quickly when your little one arrives. i would recommend thinking beyond the newborn size because it will shock you how fast your tiny baby grows out of them.

while i have compiled a list of 6 items you absolutely must register for i also go by the rule that more is more when it comes to making a registry. register for anything and everything that you would like to have for your baby (nothing you wouldn't be happy to receive) in all different price ranges. make sure there are little items on the registry for your starving college student brother and big ticket items for your 4 best friends who want to all chip for a big gift.

pick one store and make a full registry there but open registries at all the stores that offer a baby registry- you get a fun freebie gift at each one!

more than anything have fun while your registering. make it a date with your hubby and let him hold the fun price gun (it'll make him feel like he's helping make the decisions)

Owen has an announcement!

that's right... i'm pregnant again!

i'm 8 weeks today and couldn't be more thrilled to be welcoming our second little love bug due November 8th, 2013. we found out the day before i missed my period. i had been taking tests 3 days before that were all negative but i just knew! 

Owen and baby will be 15 months apart. 

we're excited for the joy this new addition is bringing to our lives!

30 second thursdays- shallow

i'm linking up again this week for 30 second thursdays!

it's so much fun, so if you haven't done it yet click over to one of the hosts and join the party!

beautiful hosts

Kaitlyn // Wifessionals Samantha // Hooah And Hiccups Hallie // Life Oceanside

question

what things are you shallow about? (name brands, certain jobs, anything... yep, embarrass yourself!)

there he is in his Oakley sunglasses!

standing up

the fact the my little baby is going to be 7 months old on monday is kinda blowing my mind....

where the heck is the time going?

i know i should probably be used to the months feeling like weeks, but each one sneaks up on me way too quickly.

7 months just sounds so old. when i think about a 7 month old i don't picture a tiny baby, yet my sweet boy still feels like my tiny baby. but everyday he grows up right before my eyes. i swear i can already hear him saying "i can do it my self! i'm not a baby!"

his latest thing is standing...

he can't pull up yet and he still hasn't quite figured out that if he lets go he's going to fall, but that boy.. he just ain't happy if he ain't standing these days.

i'm slowly beginning to accept the fact that this is just the beginning (and the smallest act) of him claiming his independence.

watching him become his own person is bittersweet...

h54f {link up}

HAPPY FRIDAY!

i couldn't be happier that the weekend is here! Beau's been working late all week busting his butt at the academy, so a long weekend is just what we need!

i'm linking up with Lauren again to bring you the top five highlights of my week.

1. we found out Owen's heart murmur is innocent, which means i can breath again

2. this little friendship has been blossoming lately- Tiger is so sweet and patient with O

3. we had fun getting dressed up and going out for an early valentine's date

4. O got his first ashes on ash wednesday, and loved being up way past his bedtime

5. our son is a musical genius! his new favorite activity is playing music on his mini piano

i hope everyone has a great weekend!

Beau has been working late all week, so i plan on taking full advantage of the extra time with him.

a pantry staples quick fix {recipe}

being the mother of a 6 month old, sometimes (ok at least twice a week) 6 o'clock rolls around before i even think about dinner. by that point the last thing i want to do is change outfits (my clothes are always covered in spit up by this point), load the baby in the car, and drive to the nearest wally world! so i head over to the pantry, open it up, and stare.

now normally i stare for about 5-10 min before deciding that the hubby better grill tonight and  feeling like a failure of a wife. 

but last week something amazing happened! 

as i stared into that pantry, instead of my brain turning off the wheels started turning.

believe it or not folks, i came up with a completely original recipe for dinner that night and it actually tasted good!

so i decided that i had to share my genius with the rest of you (it just wouldn't be right to keep this all to myself)

ingredients

3 cans of tuna {drained}

1 can of corn {drained}

1 can of cannellini beans {drained}

1 1/2 c mayo

1 cap-full of apple cider vinegar

1 bag of fresh spinach

parsley

place all 3 cans of tuna in a large bowl. add the mayo and vinegar, mix until completely combined.

add the corn and beans and gently mix into the tuna salad.

you can serve on a bed of baby spinach or on crackers (pictured)

sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!

i'm proud of my job

the stay at home mom {sahm} vs. working mom debate is one that you come across constantly as soon as you get pregnant. every parenting website, blog, or forum is full of gung ho working moms calling sahms lazy and sahms trying to make working moms feel guilty for not staying home with their kids. i find my self wondering... who cares? men {for the most part} don't sit around arguing about which of their jobs is more taxing or more rewarding. they respect each other's individual career choices. 

even women. 

a woman who works as a nurse would never tell a woman who works as a teacher that her job isn't good enough, she should quit being lazy and find a better way to help her husband out. why is that? why is it that because my career looks different then yours, isn't paid in the same currency than yours, it doesn't count?

society tries to tell you that you need something outside the home to be fulfilled, but what if i'm perfectly content with my full time job as homemaker and mother of my child? i don't desire an outlet to escape from my rolls as mother and wife. i love those rolls. those rolls give me purpose. i am proud of the career choice i made and i am sick and tired of people trying to convince me that i "deserve more" or "need something outside of the house". being a stay at home mom is all i have ever wanted to be and there is nothing wrong with that. just like there is nothing wrong with a mother who wants to work outside the home.

and to those who say we're just lucky we make enough money to live on one income. we are very thankful to have all the many blessings we have, but our decision to live on one income was exactly that- a decision. Beau doesn't make a lot of money {he's a police recruit for God's sake} but we made the decision that having me at home with our children was worth more to us than having a big house, or a fancy new car we have to make payments on, or going out to eat at nice restaurants  or giving our children all the coolest toys,  or even cable or internet. we set our priorities and having a parent at home with the children was number one for us. that doesn't make our priorities any better than yours or any worse. they are just different. 

so there you go- that's my little spiel!

i hope i didn't offend or anger anyone because that absolutely was not the purpose of this post!

weekend update

friday

friday was our typical pizza and movie with my family. we watched touchback and it was definitely a tearjerker!

saturday

saturday was a lazy day. we spent most of the day hanging around the house and then went for a walk in the park in the afternoon. Owen is getting better and better at feeding himself finger foods but it makes for quite the mess!

sunday

sunday morning we went to Mass and one of our decons gave a beautiful homily on loving your neighbor and what it means to be Catholic.

as i'm sure you all know sunday was super bowl sunday! just to give you an idea of how little i know (or care) about football- i thought the 49ers were the 69ers... yeah, i'm probably never gonna live that one down.

i do, however, love to make themed food so i was very excited to create a festive 7 layer dip for the party we went to.

Owen loved watching the game (of course) and we spent the evening with some family friends. i was so excited to get to spend a little time with one of my very best friends!

Owen is quite the ladies man ;)