26 Weeks

This pregnancy is flying by!  Here were are with only 14 weeks left to go.  

Thankfully I'm continuing to feel well, though it is getting much more difficult to sleep.  (Seems like this baby usually wants to dance every night when I want to fall asleep!) 

I recently had a friend ask if we are "doing the same thing" with this birth as we did with Audra's birth. (She's an older lady who never had any children of her own, so I know she thinks I'm a little nuts to plan a natural, drug-free birth!)  So for her, and anybody else who is wondering, the answer is definitely yes!  Despite the 15 hours of active labor with a baby in a posterior position (read: major back pain) I am excited that I have the opportunity to birth another baby.  It really is an amazing experience!

First Snow

Not only did we experience our first snowfall of the year this past weekend, but Audra also had the opportunity to play in the snow for the first time in her life.  (We only got a slight dusting of snow in the winters of 2012 and 2013, and this is the first time since the winter 2010-2011that the ground has been completely covered.)  Audra was completely thrilled with the experience, despite the fact that she'd had a cold all week and was generally miserable from cutting her 2-year-molars.

Sophie, of course, was delighted by the opportunity to play in the snow, too!

Since I'm still an Upstate NYer at heart, I was excited to see this much snow in early December.  Hopefully it's a sign that Audra and I will have many more opportunities to play in the snow this winter!

Christmas Tree

We went to get our Christmas tree this past weekend.  The weather was quite cold, but at least it wasn't raining.  

It was a delight to continue our family tradition of going to Stimpson's Tree Farm in Monroeville, NJ to search for the perfect tree, especially since Audra is at such a fun age these days.  She is very focused on the details in life, so she made sure to point out the holes in the ground that we came across, and asked to step in them about 5 times.

Audra seemed to think it was a bit strange that we were cutting down a tree to put it in our living room, but she enjoyed the new sights and the hayride with Daddy.

Back at the house we got prepared for Christmas by listening to Christmas music and setting up the decorations.  Audra had fun "helping" (and has continued to "help" by taking the decorations off the tree since then!).  And the next day we gathered near the tree for some pictures.

 I love the holiday traditions of our little family!

Tired Dog

After seeing how tired Sophie was when our guests left, Audra brought a blanket and two pillows from the couch.  She then proceeded to snuggle on the floor with "Doodle".

Sophie seemed to enjoy the special treatment!

Thanksgiving with the Loucks Family

We had a wonderful holiday with my sister and her family, who drove down from upstate NY.  Audra was so excited to spend time with her cousins, aunt and uncle!

The day after Thanksgiving we celebrated Christmas (after much prompting from the kids!).  Audra was thrilled with the magnet drawing board that she received and her cousins had fun showing her how it worked.

Sophie received lots of extra attention as well!

Thank you, Loucks's, for visiting!  We love you!