Bacon Papa for the Win....

Here's a list of Bacon Papa's wins this week - I have to share these because I have a tendency to just share the hilarious/annoying things that my dear husband does, but he really is SO AMAZING. I am so blessed to have him be mine. I can hardly believe that this January we will celebrate 3 years of marriage (4 years together total since we only dated for 6 weeks and had an 11 month engagement :)).

Ranked (In order from greatest to still-awesome)

1. What he said last night: "Babe, you are just so pretty. I mean you just have a glow about you today. I think you are going to have the baby soon!!!" (Update - no baby just yet.)

2. His response shortly after that, to the question I unfortunately asked  him ("How much do you think I weigh right now?"): 20 lbs. less than my actual weight. (He guess this number with a genuine look on his face...which leads me to believe he was serious....which makes me love him even more for not seeing the very large pregnant woman that I am.)

3. What he brought me at work today: A brownie blitz cupcake!!! Basically a chocolate cupcake with fudge-y frosting and brownie bites and chocolate drizzle on top, and who knows what else. Oh, I know what else...lots of calories. Either way, DELICIOUS.

This is a great picture of Bacon Papa from a year ago or so.
Notice that he made me breakfast. It includes bacon!
You may also notice, if you have discerning eyes, that his plate is an egg white/veggie scramble thing (super healthy). Mine is a stuffed omelet, smothered in cheddar cheese and topped with avocado. YUMMY.

The Second Time Around

It has been so interesting to be pregnant this second time. I still can't believe how quickly the weeks have flown by...now we are just 2 weeks from baby #2's due date! For some reason all along I've felt like I wouldn't even make it to the due date (it just seems like this little one will come early!) but I guess we'll see what actually happens. 

When it comes to physical changes this second time around, oddly enough I don't feel as HUGE at this point in the pregnancy as I did with Jack. (This is odd considering the fact that I've gained 50+ lbs! Even as I type that, which I do because I might as well claim it since it's already happened, I can hardly believe it!). With Jack I gained much less but I just felt like this massive version of myself. I remember thinking that the bump just extended so far from my body that it might explode. This time it is still a big fat bump (and we are expecting a big fat baby!) but it feels more normal, because now I know that a fully developed human is hanging out in there, so of course I should have a good sized baby bump. This is not to say that I am enjoying being a very pregnant woman...I'm not...but at least I feel more at home in my body as this second baby makes a home there.

As far as emotions this pregnancy, I am equally excited to meet this little babe. And that's a good thing, because I would be so sad if I was less excited just because we've been here before! This little baby is so precious to us. I actually had two showers thrown for me this pregnancy, and both were really special. I was so glad that we took the time to celebrate our second child in just the same way we did with our first. My Aunt Nitzi threw me the first shower, a lovely lunch with close family and friends, and as I opened each gift I still had the same awe and excitement that I had when we were expecting Jack. Then at work today my coworkers threw me a wonderful baby shower as well! Everyone's love and generosity meant so much to me. Originally I thought that since this was our second child a shower wouldn't be necessary, but aside from being so appreciative because of the lovely things that everyone gifted the baby, I was really appreciative because of the way that it made me feel! Even though I've given birth before, as I near my due date, I find myself very anxious about labor and delivery and the first few postpartum weeks because as I mentioned...I've been here before. I know what to expect. And that is a beautiful, precious baby, after hours of pain and discomfort, and then weeks of sleep deprivation and sacrifice. Every minute is worth it but that doesn't make it easy or enjoyable. My point is that little did I know how much I needed to celebrate (again) the exciting parts about having a newborn: the cute (and oh so small!) little outfits, the warm and cuddly blankets, the sweet smelling baby bath & lotion. Holding these things in my arms reminds me of what I get at the end of nearly 10 months of pregnancy...another child in those same arms! And for me at least that helps quiet the anxiety and fear and for that I am incredibly grateful.

When it comes to my career, I definitely am doing things differently this time around as well. Instead of going out two weeks before my due date (which I did with Jack), I'm planning on being in the office through 39 weeks and then working from home until I go into labor. Although it's been exhausting, it's also been invigorating in many ways. I love my job and I've been so busy accomplishing things and organizing coverage for my leave that the days are literally flying by. And that is no cause for complaint from me because each day that passes brings us closer to meeting this baby! The only downside is that I definitely am experiencing quite a few more unpleasant remarks since I am still working away. For example, someone stopped me at the office yesterday and said, "you just get bigger and bigger every day!!!" She had a big smile on her face and I would like to assume good intentions, but as a big fat pregnant woman, that doesn't make it much easier to hear. I also hear a lot of "what are you still doing here?! you must be due any day now! when are you going on leave???" Ultimately I am happy to still be working because I'm taking nearly four months off after the baby arrives, and that time at home with a baby in my arms is a bit more valuable to me than time at home waiting for baby to arrive!

This second time around, I feel just as blessed to be bringing life into the world. Sometimes I still can't believe that we have another baby in our family! 

The baby bump @ 37 weeks!

One other huge difference with the second pregnancy...you can watch Baby #1 sleep while you think about what Baby #2 will look like, be like, act like. I can't wait to see the two of them together!

Brothers!

I haven't blogged in awhile - which makes me a bad blogger I think. I ordinarily give up on things that I'm not good at, but I do enjoy sharing our life, because even though it is challenging at times, we are very blessed. On the topic of blessings, tonight I am SO GRATEFUL for the gift of my two youngest brothers. (I like my third, "oldest" younger brother too, but he's in Texas, busy finishing up his last semester of college, and not the subject of this post for that very reason.) 

Back to my two youngest brothers. They are so wonderful! They fill my life with so much joy, and laughter, and excitement, but more so than that, they are Jack's favorite thing in this world. I mean more than cookies, tractors, trucks, trains, his blankie, you name it....David and James are his favorite part of life. At just over a year old (before he said Dada by many accounts, but thank goodness long after he learned to say Mama) Jack learned to say, "DA-wid!" (for his Uncle David). A few short weeks later he was calling James "JAY!" (a great nickname as it was my dad's! :)). It was amazing to us that some of his first few words revolved around his uncles! Notice that both names end in ! This is because when Jack says their names, it is always with a serious amount of excitement.

He spends every Tuesday with my mom (he is so blessed to have a day with Grandma while we are away at work) and this summer he was just in heaven being around my brothers all day long. It was quite the adjustment when they went back to school in August and I'm pretty sure the best part of his Grandma day now is when the boys get picked up at school (although I think Jack enjoys the cookies that Grandma indulges him with too...). 

If he hasn't seen them for a day or two, he will now ask me about them, in the sweetest way. He looks up at me and says "Dawid? Jay?" and then a few seconds later, "Gnana?". Nana , or Gnana...think the "gn" sound from gnochhi + "nana",  is always included in the list because they are a little tripod, and he wants to know where they are/when he is going to see them, but the boys come first (this breaks Nana's heart...what grandma doesn't want to be #1? but like I said, my brothers are Jack's favorite things in this world!). Every time he asks about where they are it warms my heart, because we are so blessed to have them play such a large role in his life, and ours. We live 1 mile away and see my mom and brothers so often that Jack just understands that they are a part of his orbit, as my mom says. And that is such a blessing, especially as we all miss my Dad on a daily (or hourly) basis. Jack looks just like a little Phillips too! His hair is just the same as my brothers, and when he wears a plaid shirt and is smiling I always think about how much my dad would adore the little man is he becoming. 

As we await the arrival of baby #2 (just 3 weeks until my due date! my how this pregnancy has flown by) I feel so blessed that Jack gets to experience being a brother so soon, because I have been so blessed by my own siblings. I know Jack is going to be a really great brother too. When I picked him up at daycare today, he said, "Hi Mommeeee!!!!" and then proceeded to gently rub the baby bump. Just because. Just a little "hi there mommeee and baby" rub. It was so sweet! 

Uncle James, Jack & Johnny at the county fair this summer.

Jack's favorite place to be...in Uncle David's arms!