What a season!

Can't tell if it went by lightening fast or super snail slow. Whichever it was, it got me good and ready for 2016 and all the good that I know this upcoming year will bring.

So without further delay...I leave you with: A Christmas poem, some Holiday pics, the annual -too much wine & camera remote don't  do mix -Christmas montage......

Our awesome Christmas Elf

One of my baby and myself

Sick days

& hot 80 degree sun rays

Busy days with lots of friends

& lazy times on the weekends

Pretty paper & tiny bow

Long visit from Grandma Jo

Santa came

A baby girl to name

Chasing toys

Noisy boys

Christmas Trash

& Christmas Clash

and the link for all the pictures & more if you should fancy a look 
December & Christmas 2015

Things the babies say: Reagan

R: Moma how did your baby get in your belly

Me: hmmm ...Can you give me a couple minutes to figure out how I want to answer that question

R: (after a minute) Moma I know how to answer that question - it was there when it was there

Me: You are exactly right.  How did you get so smart

R: Cause I use to live in your belly

It's a .....

GIRL!!!!

YAY! We had our ultrasound :)  It was over a 30min ultrasound - measuring once & twice every single little part of baby.  And after having gone through extensive ultrasounds with both Logan and Reagan - Kevin & I are just short of experts on the ultrasound.  Meaning....we knew well before the technician handed us the envelope that told us boy or a girl - that it was a girl.  I mean look at that sweet little face....

And that was my reasoning for opening the envelope.  If we both knew....why wait when we could go to Target right then and buy some cute baby girl outfits.

Kevin knew he wasn't going to win that battle.  

So a little girl is on her way!  Due date is still right on schedule for April 25th.  She measured out perfect as a peach weighing in at 1lb 2oz.

I am beyond excited.

Tooth Fairy!

We have our first tooth loss!!! YAY!  It was totally not the tooth we thought he might loose first.  He has a top middle tooth that got knocked a month or so ago & we check on it from time to time which is what I was doing when I noticed that the top tooth was still there but the bottom one was gone :o  He was eating an apple in Kroger when it happened.  He made no mention of it coming out or being wiggly or anything (not that we expected that).  We saw the empty spot in the check out line & there was no tooth to be found.  My guess is that he swallowed it.  But it could be laying somewhere on the floor of Kroger.

I almost cried (I feel like I'm almost crying over everything these days)  It's a big milestone to me and it kinda happened just the way I wanted it to.  I want nothing to do with teeth being lost...it kinda grosses me out.  Although I am bummed I don't have his first tooth to keep forever - but that also seems a little weird and gross.  So perhaps everything happened as it should.

Daddy and him wrote a note to the tooth fairy explaining what happened.  The note went under his pillow....

& in the morning a brand new toy car was under his pillow :)

22 Weeks!

Here comes the belly!  It's growing by the day - I've hit the point of immediately getting out of any kind of jeans and putting on my "jammies" at the earliest possible time.  Had my first appointment since 8 weeks preggo the other day. And to my dismay there was no ultrasound :/  However, everything else looked good.  Heartbeat was 150ish.  I haven't gained 300 pounds. My body cooperated and was able to fill 7 viles of blood. We got referred out to a specialist for our ultrasound and that takes place not today, not tomorrow but on Tuesday!!  And it will include a 3D ultrasound - the perks of having a previous child that had an abnormality in utero.  Looking forward to that & it may come as a surprise to some but we turns out we aren't strong enough to wait until April to find out boy or girl. lol.  Who were we kidding.  Our compromise is to have the nurses put the gender in an envelope and Kevin & I will open it up 3 days later on Christmas.  

Ahhhhh I'm so excited!

Stay tuned!

Persistence & Patience....

Well it hasn't quite been a full year that we've been trying to potty train Logan but it's almost been a solid 6months.  And we have made no progress.

We knew it would take a long time & it wouldn't be easy but what we never realized was how taxing it would be on us.  How putting so much effort into something with no return can bring you to tears.  

The words actually came out of my mouth this weekend "maybe Logan will never be potty trained"  

 But that's not our style.  

We have tried everything.  Both of us are working on it.  School is working on it.  There are better days than others.  But never two days back to back that are good enough for us to even think we might be making progress.

He does have successes on the potty....but 98% of the time that involves a fit to get on the potty, hitting walls, dragging his body to help him get on the potty, 15mins of being a cheerleader while he shouts or cries or tells you he's all done on repeat.  And if we withstand all of that in small space - he may pee. 

or he might not.  and if he doesn't.  we repeat 20mins later because we know he has to go.  

and in 20mins he doesn't go again.  so repeat.

& then we pick him up off the floor to forego the fit on the way to the bathroom and he is soaked.

we don't get mad (because "they" tell us not to) we ask instead "Logan are you wet?" No is the answer we get.  "No, I'm dried"  We sit him on the potty & we repeat.

And even when we trade off on turns taking him...it's too much.  It's too difficult.  And let us remember, I won't always have my husband home everyday to help.  And let us also remember that in 5 months we will have a new baby.

We are re-looking into a doctor that can maybe help us understand more, reconsidering trying medicine to help him focus.  We have a meeting at school tomorrow....

Going through another tough season of Logan - as we have more often than not in his short life.  But man the kid is cute & handsome and lights up every room he walks into so long as it's not a bathroom ;)

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Oh it's the good time of year & we are in full swing at the Hawk house :)

Tree is up

House is beautiful inside & out

It's a Texas chilly of 40 in the morning & 70 in the afternoon

The 5th stocking holder we bought 2 years ago "just in case" was finally unpacked and is holding a bitty stocking

The kids didn't cry with Santa and instead gave us this most perfect picture & all of that almost made ME cry

16 sleeps until Christmas!!

20 weeks!

We are halfway there! 5months down.  Still going smoothly - I started feeling baby moving around about a week ago.  I need to be really still to feel - so typically I feel baby most when I go to bed.  Finally got doctors situated but the first available appointment wasn't until December 15th.  I'll be 22 weeks then so the docs will for sure be able to tell if this baby is a boy or a girl.  And guess what?!! I feel myself caving :o  I want to find out.  It all started when a friend of mine gave me 3 big bags of baby girl clothes "just in case" its a girl.  And now I need to know if we get to use all these adorable clothes.

Kevin says I don't need to convince him to find out but he would absolutely still be on board for not finding out.  

Don't know how much weight I've gained - scales and I don't get along so why bother.   I'm attempting to eat decent although I can't tell you the last time I ate a vegetable :/  I'm trying to do some form of exercise as often as I feel up to it.  

Due to the genorosity of friends I now have more maternity clothes than I do normal clothes!  Over the weekend I put all my non-maternity clothes in the attic & have more than filled my closet with maternity.  In that mix: only one single item that I bought....and I didn't even buy it now that I think of it...I picked it out and Isa bought...lol.  Thank you friends!

Feeling good & for sure gonna be lookin good in my new wardrobe :)
Bring on the 2nd half!

Thanksgiving & the days after

My big camera is semi not working great - so I haven't been using it as much which

• bums me out big time
• means the blog suffers a tid bit
• these pictures are all from my phone, which is sub-par in comparison

I almost feel like I just want a whole new big camera instead of taking my current one in to be fixed. A new camera and a cute camera strap with a fancy camera bag......

Perhaps when we have a job again :/  Yes, that implies we are still umemployed :/

But onto cheerier things: Thanksgiving!!!  My mom prepared a feast for 10.5 ppl complete with a 19lb turkey and allllll the fixins :o  It was delish & I'm forever impressed by anyone who can prepare an entire Thanksgiving feast by themselves and have everything done and hot and on the table at the same time.  Nice work Moma!!

A few of my favorites to remember the day by

ohh Miss Reagan Grace. She refused to smile for the pictures & go figure Logan was extra smiley

 Quelf: Family board game fun.  Trust me this is probably one of the only pictures you want to see of the many that were taken ;) good times....

Hey! I figured out my phone can take a picture from both cameras at the same time :o  

I forgot my camera, Andrea didn't have a tripod but have no fear!! I can take the family dinner picture AND still be in it ;)

& the days that followed...

Typically we decorate for Christmas.  But this year we decided to camp.  Forecast wasn't great but we went with the knowledge we were only an hour away & could always come home if we were miserable.

All and all it was rainy & cold and pretty miserable.  So per my request we came home a day earlier than planned.  I do think we made the most of our little one night campout & there was glimpses of good times - which is what was photographed.

Our little plot.  Lake Livingston #55

Smore queen.  Daddy has taught her right...she has perfected the golden brown 'mellow

Oy.  Minutes before this picture we were walking towards the trail & I was near tears because of Logan.  He's a tough kid to figure out.  Almost impossible.  You would never know by the looks of this picture how awful his morning was.

We braved the trails despite the rain.  Mud puddles are more fun anyway

We'll come back again Lake Livingston ... maybe when the temps are warmer and the sun is out

I took a couple pics of him today in this outfit cause the shirt is new (from Gma) & he looked oh so handsome. The happy one that I lovelove, I took with my phone & I posted on Facebook and Instagram.  This one tho, I took with my big camera & so I save for you - He looks grumpy, perplexed and almost pissed that I'm attempting to take pictures of him at 7am. But I love that I caught it :)  

So I present to you the almost more prized than a smile - dead pan, straight at the camera, 7am, grump face:

This next bunch of pictures is literally what my everyday looks like.  A ton of little people - playing & laughing - eating & exploring - napping & making little memories.

16 weeks

  12weeks  14weeks

4 months.  One more month until we are halfway done :o  Finally got Medicaid - but still haven't figured out the ropes of that yet so I have yet to schedule an appointment.  I went and checked my blood pressure at Kroger and I'm good :) My belly is growing and I feel good.  Signs enough that all is well.  Still on board for not finding out girl or boy.  Collecting some used baby gear when I find a good deal.  Have a vision of the nursery.  Names are narrowed down :o

Halloween!

Let's see - this year 

Reagan was Sheriff Callie (a cat cowgirl from a show she loves).  She picked the idea out a LONG time ago and I was a bit shocked that she stuck with it for that long.  She got in full costume a mere 3hrs ahead of departing the house.....

Logan was a fisherman it was a Mommy & Daddy influenced costume but the alternative was to make Logan into a truck which didn't really seem like a practical costume for him.

Kevin was also fisherman and you'll be shocked (or not?) to know he already owned his entire costume. 

I was the oddball out this year with all my darkness.  It was a last minute decision & in my head I thought it looked better than what the pictures show.  lol.  oh well.  I was a spider lady.



Grandma & Grandpa also joined in on the fun and they wore the same costumes as they did last year ;)

Kiddos scored lots of loot.  Took us a little over an hour to do a loop that we normally walk in 15mins.  Logan would have been content going to 5 houses and then coming back home.  Reagan hauled butt from house to house...didn't even want to stop for a mid trick-or-treating candy.   Once we re-joined Grandma & Grandpa at home the no.limits.on.the.amount.of.candy.you.eat sugar rushed through their blood and we played in the driveway & handed out candy to all the rest until well past bedtime.

Until next year....

Foto Friday

There are times I miss our life in CT - but it's probably because it housed memories like these....

14 weeks

12 weeks

Not much has changed in the last two weeks.  I've had 2 nosebleeds.  Which I feel is odd but turns out its rather common in pregnancy.  Busted out the maternity clothes. We had two names picked out but then just recently revisited the drawing board.  It must be a boy ...cause I can't get on board with any girl names.

Fall in Texas

Despite still being in shorts, tanks and flip flops there is a certain crispness in the air and the sky looks like fall. Personally I think we picked the best fall day yet for going to the pumpkin patch....the morning before the remnants of Hurricane Patricia rolled in.

It was just us, the farm animals, the pumpkins and a couple rain showers.

Ohmygoodness - who is this big kid?! He has grown SO much this past year...