Happy Birthday...

Trenton Michael

Born: Tuesday, October 27, 2015

At: 11:00am

Weight: 7lbs 15oz

Length: 22.5 inches

Status: Our adorable little man is finally here, eight days after his due date! Mama was in pre-labor for five LONG days before his arrival. He is a precious boy with adorable little dimples and loved immensely by his parents and two adoring sisters. He spent three days in the NICU after birth due to breathing issues, but is doing well now and came home today, October 30th, 2015. We are all so in love, our family is complete.

Goblin Gardens Pumpkin Patch Trip - Bastiao Farms, Sacramento

First trip to Goblin Gardens Pumpkin Patch, Sacramento

Alina driving the John Deere tractor, this would have made
her Great Grandpa Crothers so proud during his farming days

Plenty of great selections in the pumpkin patch

Fun day at Bastiao Farms, they especially loved the seesaw

Little goblins at Goblin Gardens

Alina by the Haunted Barn, the paintings here are great!

Inside the haunted town of Goblin Gardens

We took our first trip to a new pumpkin patch for mommy's birthday this year. We visited Goblin Gardens Pumpkin Patch at Bastiao Farms in Sacramento. This pumpkin patch is the perfect place to go if you only want to spend an hour or two on activities and get some great photo opportunities along the way. With mama being hugely pregnant (38 weeks) and pretty uncomfortable walking long distances, I enjoyed our trip here as the pumpkin patch is relatively small, but there were still plenty of activities to entertain the kids. The admission here is pricier than other pumpkin patches we've visited, but the kids had the best time here despite the sweltering 90+ degree Sacramento Valley weather...is it fall yet, seriously!? 

Goblin Gardens Pumpkin Patch has a cool mini town area for the kids and they loved playing and exploring inside. Also, most of the buildings here are adorned with great paintings, which make for fantastic photos. They also have small hay and corn mazes, hay rides and a train ride through the corn field with costumed ghouls who jump out and surprise everyone on board. The hay pyramid here was one of the tallest we've seen yet. Dad, of course, helped the girls scale it...success! All in all, it was a fun/overly hot day. We went home with a few large pumpkins which will eventually be turned to jack-o-lanterns before Halloween. Mama had a fun birthday this year, though a part of me wished all my walking that day would have jump-started labor. I am over being pregnant and ready to meet our little man.

The fun kids town at Goblin Gardens Pumpkin Patch

Alina exiting the saloon 

Everyone ready for a very fun hay ride

Alina and Daddy, all smiles before the hay ride

They scaled their tallest hay maze yet

Smiles and waves from the top

Goodbye Goblin Gardens pumpkin patch!

Happy October Birthday Mama!

Beautiful birthday flowers from dad & the girls

Happy Birthday Mama!

The best birthday view; cake and our sweet girls

Mama enjoyed a very fun birthday this year doing all her favorite October activities surrounded by the best people she knows; the fam! Being 38 weeks pregnant with baby boy somewhat limited the amount of walking I was able to do, but we still managed to fulfill my birthday request of visiting a pumpkin patch and decorating for Halloween. October is my favorite time of year, although the weather is still very warm here in the Sacramento Valley and we were sweating at the pumpkin patch. Despite the heat, we all had a fantastic time and took lots of photos (stay tuned for another post to come). Dad and the girls spoiled mama with beautiful flowers, a special birthday cake and helped deck out the house for Halloween. After the house was Halloween ready, the girls enjoyed creating a haunted gingerbread house and lighting candles to get into the spooky October spirit. We sat and told stories by candlelight and discussed how excited we all are for baby brother to arrive. We sure hope he gets here before Halloween, so we can dress him up and he can enjoy his very first holiday!

Early Halloween fun creating a haunted gingerbread house

Basking in candlelight after decorating for Halloween

LOVE these October flowers

Maternity Photo Session - Baby Boy's First Photos

Maternity photoshoot - Baby boy is due in October!

These two are going to make the best big sisters

Baby brother's big debut is just over a month away, and we are all so excited for his arrival in mid October. I was happy to get a chance to do my first maternity photoshoot, as I never did any when I was pregnant with the girls. I was so tiny with the girls, and even though we took some photos I really wish that I did a maternity session like this. I'm grateful to have a wonderful and talented best friend, Christy, who took these beautiful photos. We will cherish these memories for years to come and I especially love seeing the genuine smiles and excitement on the girls faces. They are on pins and needles waiting for the arrival of their sweet little brother and my belly has received plenty of love and kisses over these past several months. He moves like crazy now and loves when his big sisters talk to him and give hugs (well actually, that's a maybe...he usually kicks when they smother my stomach). We are so eager to meet this little man and see his sweet personality unfold. The countdown to October 19th is on!

Obligatory belly shot, he's a squirmy fella

The little man's first photo

Alina showering baby brother with love

Alina's 4th Birthday - Sleeping Beauty Party!

Alina's 4th birthday - Sleeping Beauty party fun!

The very happy birthday girl

Sleeping Beauty party food and dessert table

Bounce house/water slide fun with little friends

Alina and Annie, best little pals

The little beauty

Food fit for a princess

She loved her Sleeping Beauty birthday cake

Making a wish

Party guests and sweet treats

Bright flowers and Sleeping Beauty figurines

Big smiles from the birthday girl

Littlest party guest, baby Cousin Brett

Opening her presents

Sweet birthday girl after a very fun day!

The Four Month Baby Bump

The 20 week baby boy bump

Stats:  I've made it to 20 weeks, uncomfortably, but hooray. I took the Maternit21 test at 10 weeks and we learned that we're having a baby boy back in early April (around 13 weeks). It's somewhat crazy to be able to find out this early now AND with 99% accuracy. We did a baby gender reveal, which we hadn't done in the past with the girls, and the surprise reveal was quite a special moment to celebrate along with family. Baby boy is due to arrive October 19, 2015. He will be six years younger than Elise and four years younger than Alina. The age differences mean I will have a couple of great little helpers when he arrives.

How I feel this time around: Nauseous. I will admit that morning sickness with our little guy has been less than the extremes I had with the girls, but I've still suffered through it and there have been plenty of mornings where I've just felt plain awful. Even though I am 20 weeks, I am still throwing up here and there. I'm hoping to be over most of it soon because I don't have the luxury of much free time  while working and taking care of two kids. Also, I am carrying pretty high with him, so most my clothes are already fitting uncomfortably. Time to go shopping.

Food cravings: Steak. It's the only actual craving I've had this entire time and I started having it around 8-9 weeks, so well before we learned it was a boy. I suspected it may have been a boy based off this odd craving, because with the girls all I craved was lemons and fruit. I typically eat red meat maybe once a month at most, but the craving of steak cooked in butter and garlic has been pretty strong. I even like the smell of it cooking.

Weight gain: Let's not even go there...HAH! Ok, so I feel about twice the size with baby boy as I did with the girls. I am just blaming this on the fact that I haven't been able to work out and that he's my third baby. My belly definitely popped out much early than it did with the girls. My appetite has been more extreme and I've had less morning sickness than I did with the girls. I probably need to cut myself some slack here, he's a growing boy and I will continue to fuel "his"/my appetite.

Special moments - I haven't felt a ton of movement just yet, but if I lie back on the sofa we can now see my belly button dip out and back in depending on how much he is moving inside. It's cool to watch, just knowing that he's becoming very active in there. We are still celebrating the fact that will get the opportunity to experience having a little boy. I have enjoyed every moment raising our two girls and all kids are different personalities regardless of gender, but on the same note it will be fun to partake in the active rough and tumble aspect that I hear so much about. I also have had so many moms tell me of the pure love and sweetness that they share with their boys and I am looking forward to claiming this little guy as my mama's boy!

Mama-Mobile Alert!

Mama's got a brand new ride

Well, it's official, we've swapped the good ole hot rod for a new Toyota Highlander SUV with third row seating. The girls love the new SUV as they have more arm and leg space and are no longer within smacking distance of each other. They also enjoy the super sized sun/moon roof for cloud and star gazing on long car rides. Now we will have room for baby brother to fit in our ride! I am going to miss the old Charger though, it's been a great car for us over the past nine years. I think the girls are going to miss it too, since they have already voiced concern that the new SUV is not fast enough (go figure).

Goodbye SRT8 Charger; nothing but great memories

Happy Mother's Day X 3!

It's a BOY!!!

We have some exciting news to share, we are expecting a new baby due to arrive in October. We had a fun little reveal party with our family recently and are very excited to announce that: It's a BOY! The girls are thrilled to welcome their new little brother later this year, and I can't express how much joy we feel to be blessed with this sweet little baby; our son. 

Celebrating Mother's Day as a mom, not only to our two beautiful and sweet girls, but also to this new special little life has me feeling very honored and grateful. The journey to get here has not been the easiest, but I am thankful every single day that we made it. I also have to admit that I was so surprised to see blue on top of that cake. Being a mom to two girls has made me practically color blind to anything but pink (haha). Dad is also very happy to have a new boy on the way to help balance out all the female energy in the house. The girls, I know, will make great big sisters and mini-moms in training. They are already wanting to help decorate his room, pick out baby clothes and debate over who gets to hold him first. I look forward to seeing how the household dynamic shifts when he arrives. I know the girls will be very interested in taking care of him and always be there to protect him. We are very eager to meet you little man, and experience all the joys that you will bring to our family!

Beautiful flowers

Happy Birthday...

Alina Madeline

Born: August 12, 2011

At: 10:46am

Weight: 8lbs 4oz

Length: 20 in

Status: A perfect little brunette doll with the cutest chubby cheeks and rosy lips!

Mommy, daddy and big sister are so in love with our sweet bundle of joy :)

38 Weeks and Counting



Mommy and baby sister at 38 weeks!

Stats - 38 weeks down...14 days to go! Baby girl's due date is August 13, 2011. I keep feeling that she will arrive late - just like her big sister, but of course, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it won't be much longer than a few days post due date. Elise was 10 days late, and I remember doing everything imaginable to try and get her labor going, because I did not want to be induced. Thankfully, labor started a few days before my scheduled induction. Baby girl, we are so excited to finally meet you, so please don't keep us waiting too long!! 

 

Weight gain - I have gained a healthy 26 pounds so far. With nearly two weeks left, I will be slightly under the 30 pound mark and I'm pretty happy with that. I know that 25-35 pounds is considered the normal weight gain for the average pregnancy, so no complaints here. 

How I'm feeling - Uncomfortable...yet excited as ever to meet our new little doll. At 32 weeks, baby girl turned head down, so I've been feeling her kicks and jabs up higher towards my upper stomach and ribs. I've also had quite a bit more Braxton-Hicks contractions. I rarely had them with Elise. That little stinker didn't turn head down until 39 weeks. However, I was happy that she did finally turn (the day before my scheduled c-section - talk about timing).  Baby girl kicks and moves around like crazy! I'm constantly staring at my belly and watching in awe as she always pushes out her legs and feet. It is also fun to poke at her legs and feet, because she will always kick and push back in response. Elise layed her head on my stomach the other day, which of course, was met by squirming and kicking from baby girl. Elise exclaimed, "Hey! Newbie is kicking me.", it was so funny. She has slowed down a bit in the last few weeks, as she's running out of room, but she still manages to stay active as ever. 

Sleeping is very difficult. I now sleep wedged between two pillows, one for my stomach and one for my back. I've always been a back sleeper, and as any pregnant women can attest, sleeping on your side is not comfortable when a huge 7+ pound baby flops to that same side and decides to squirm all night. Baby girl is very active at night and often keeps me up; most likely all in preparation for the many sleepless nights ahead.

Food cravings - I've been eating a lot more sweets this time around. I do feel a bit guilty because typically I don't like candy or sweets much at all. Dark chocolate cranberries and frozen yogurt have been my favorite treats. However, I've indulged on cheesecake, cookies and candy bars more often than I would like to admit! I'm sure baby girl enjoys the sweets too; or at least that's how I'm going to justify it.

Special moments - I would have to say, that the best feeling is when Elise asks to see her baby sister and then showers her with hugs and kisses. She is very aware that "newbie" will be here soon. We keep telling her that baby sister's birthday is coming up, and she gets super excited and likes to sing her "Happy Birthday". I know that once baby sister arrives, it will be a bit of an adjustment for Elise, but I think she will really enjoy bonding with her for the very first time. Elise understands that her new baby sister is a part of our family, and I can already see the deep love she has for her.

Baby girl's name - We still do not have a final name picked out, but we do have a list of about ten names that made the cut. We've decided to choose her name on her birthday. I've told daddy that he gets to name her, which I know he is very excited about!

We love you so much tiny baby girl. Let the countdown to your birthday begin! :)

Elise's Second Birthday - Tinkerbell Party

Tinkerbell birthday party

Her lovely handmade birthday banner

Tons of Tinkerbell decor

Birthday cards

Tabletop decor, flowers and treats 

Dessert Table

Enjoying her party

Her beautiful Tinkerbell birthday cake - she LOVED it!

Adorable birthday girl

Make a wish

 She blew out her candles like a pro

Proud birthday girl

Yummy cake

Elise had such a great time celebrating her second birthday party with all her family and friends! I'm sure it comes as no surprise that little miss Elise specifically requested a "Tinkerbell party". I've said it before and will say it again, Elise is obsessed with everything Tinkerbell. It all started with a little Tinkerbell doll we got her back when she was 15-months-old. She carried that doll with her everywhere and nobody was allowed to take it out of her hands. Since then, she's branched out into an entire array of Tinkerbell themed clothing, toys and accessories.

Mommy was happy to oblige her requests, and had lots of fun planning and decorating with grandma. We handmade her birthday banner and enjoyed coordinating colors and party ideas. The moment Elise walked in and saw all her decorations, she was in awe. She made her rounds to find all the Tinkerbell decorations, each time exclaiming, "look Tinkerbell is at my party!". She was just beyond pleased, which made us so happy.

We bought her a brand new playground for her birthday, and she had lots of fun playing on it with all the other kids. She was all smiles when everyone sang her happy birthday, and she blew out her birthday candles like a little pro. Her cake turned out absolutely fantastic! Thank you to Cake and Candy Specialties for doing such an amazing job. We loved the adorable Tinkerbell decorations and it tasted delicious. Also, a big thanks to all our family and friends for making her day so special and for sharing so many of your great photos!

She loved her Tinkerbell figurines

Watch Tinkerbell fly

So cute and playful!

Yep, everyone wanted to pose with Tink

Elise's new playground

Having fun with the kiddos

 Daddy, Mommy and baby sis

Presents

All smiles while opening her gifts

  

She loved all her gifts!

Big smiles from the birthday girl; she approved!

Tinkerbell aftermath :)

As usual, we took tons of photos. For the full album, click the link below.

Elise's 2nd Birthday Party