27 weeks!

The countdown to the end has started!( At least for me anyway.) I reached my first goal which was 26 weeks when viability is greatly increased should they come early. My ultimate goal is over 36 weeks! In which case we only have 9 more weeks to go....only, ha! Needless to say I am feeling HUGE. When I look back at my belly pictures with Charlotte I look about 36 weeks with her. I am very curious to see how my body is going to change in the coming weeks and how I am going to handle it. So far, I am feeling good for the most part! I have been taking it easy and reducing my outings and activities with Charlotte. Although she is loving all the extra time at home making crafts and playing with her toys. Charlotte has been a great helper, picking stuff off the floor for me when I can't bend down to reach it :) She has been talking more and more about her baby brothers. She is currently excited to teach them how to brush their teeth and read them stories. When you ask her where her baby brothers are, she points to her belly and counts "one, two." 

Charlotte has been growing like crazy lately. She has been saying some really cute phrases. "Oh no, I'm making a mess!" and "Oh my goodness." and my favorite, "It's tickle time."  She loves playing in her kitchen and having picnics in the living room. She  takes care of her baby dolls and loves to build towers with her duplos.  She is still a little fish and loves to swim. She finished her swim lessons and I think they were worth every penny! She took the infant survival class, where they teach babies and toddlers to float on their back and swim to the edge of the pool. She loves to swim with her head under water, but still doesn't feel very comfortable floating on her back, although she can. Here are some recent pictures...

20/22 weeks!

22 weeks and counting! I have been feeling great, with the occasional ache and pain here and there, and the more occasional headache...Boo! The boys are getting more and more active, and Charlotte and Matt have been able to feel the babies kick! We have the cribs up and have settled on a theme for the nursery...airplanes! Which is only fitting since Matt loves flying his model airplanes and helicopters. I'm sure the passion will be passed down. 

Over the long weekend we went to the Children's museum and celebrated the 4th of July at La Centerra (outdoor mall down the street). This was the first time we kept Charlotte awake to watch the fireworks, BIG mistake...she hated the loud booms and closed her eyes the whole time. And we had a grumpy girl for the next 2 days due to lack of sleep. Maybe next year! She loved the fire truck and live band however so the night wasn't a complete loss. Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Boys? Girls? Boy and a Girl?

We have been very busy the last couple of weekends! Charlotte and I flew to Indiana for Sam's wedding shower, then we drove to the lake to celebrate Grandpa's birthday! It was fun, and Charlotte is a great little travel buddy. She loved helping Nana water the flowers and fishing in the lake with Daddy. We are so blessed with wonderful family, and we were so glad we were able to spend some time with them before we get very busy with the twins! 

Houston Zoo

Snow cones, planting flowers, and helping mommy with the asparagus for dinner. 

Indiana fun!

Sam's wedding shower, playing with Nana and Papaw!

Lake fun! Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Squirt guns with Aunt Gigi and Uncle Scott :) Fishing and fun with Grandma!

More Lake Fun!

Our baby BOYS at 20 weeks :)

Charlotte is going to be a big sister!!

     It is with great excitement (and some nerves) that we announce we are expecting TWINS! Coming this fall! Charlotte is very excited and can tell you there are two babies. She is going to be such a good big sister and is practicing with her baby dolls. Here are some pictures, enjoy!

The early ultrasounds. Upper left was the first ultrasound when we found out we were having twins at 5 weeks!
What a shock!

Charlotte the Big Sis. And the twins at 10 and 11 weeks. 

Already popping out!  My stomach will be comically large towards the end! 

Charlotte's 2 year pictures and pregnancy reveal pictures courtesy of Aubrey Torrey Photography. 

Feeling blessed!

Until next time....

                             

Easter Sunday

      Happy Easter! Charlotte had a great Easter this year. She had an Easter party at preschool where they decorated egg cartons and then had an Easter egg hunt. She loved looking for the eggs, but had more fun opening and closing the eggs once we got home. On Easter Sunday, Charlotte found all the eggs the Easter bunny had left her and opened her Easter basket that was full of bubbles. :) Then prior to church we pumped her full of sugar with her first taste of jelly beans and peeps. After church we headed to the playground and pond to look for turtles. And Charlotte spent the rest of the day telling everyone "Jesus is Alive" and showing her cross she made at Sunday school. We hope everyone had an amazing Easter!

2 year old Charlie

Wow, okay so it has been way too long. This post is going to be overloaded with pictures...sorry! Charlotte is now 2 years old! She has changed so much in the past 6 months! She is now about 23 pounds, yay! I'm going to go into mom brag mode. :) She is such a smart and funny little girl! She can say her ABC's, and can identify almost all the letters! She can count to 18, for some reason 19 and 20 are too much right now. She has such a large vocabulary and puts sentences together. My favorite phrases of hers currently are: "5 more minutes mom" "wait a minute, that's for babies" "I want to wake up" (which she says at the beginning of bedtime and nap time). She continues to thrive and love preschool. She hugs the director as she enters the school and then tells me "this way mom" and runs to her classroom. She is always excited to tell me about her day when I pick her up. At bedtime she loves to pick out her PJ's then act out what animal is on her PJ's. My favorite is her penguin waddle, and her frog hop and "ribbit". She is just so much fun! 

Charlotte being Charlotte :)

Christmas at home.

Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Stevenson's

Playing with Grandma and Grandpa

Playing with Christmas presents.

Thanksgiving in Fort Wayne with Nana and Papaw.

Happy New Year!

Charlotte's 2nd Birthday. Rodeo Day at Preschool. 

Playing around.

Houston Rodeo.

Playing with Dad, Bath time mohawk

Ski Trip to Breckenridge. First trip without Charlie! 

Soccer in the Park. Children's museum. 

Toddler Charlie

      Oh, the trouble with being a toddler. Your mom dresses you like a character you have never heard of and forces you to sit on some hay only to shove a camera in your face. Sorry Charlie! But you make such a cute Pebbles Flintstone! I must say, I love this age, meltdowns and all. She has become a parrot repeating EVERYTHING I say...and don't teach toddlers the word "bench" unless you want to get weird looks in the mall as your kid screams a word very close to bench, but with more of a "T" sound in there...oh man! Charlotte is still my small little peanut, unintentional curse words and all. I love her personality. It takes her a while to warm up to people but once she does she's full of eskimo kisses and high fives.  She loves to dance, and sing! She sings the bubblegum song constantly and makes her stuffed animals do patty cake all day long. Nov. 5th she will be 20 months old and the countdown to her 2nd birthday begins...Okay Charlie, you can stop growing up now :)  Here are our latest adventures!

The last pool days of Summer...

Charlotte's first wedding...She was a dancing machine! 

Play time!

Tagging along with mommy and daddy while shopping, and her first Carousel ride!

The many faces of Charlie

First day of Preschool, First official School picture (with ladybug) and a happy Pebbles at the Zoo!

A trip to Indiana and wedding dress shopping with Aunt Sam!!

Fort Wayne Zoo! 

Story time, play time, and first Ponytail! 

Well my little duckling...You are just awesome...that is all! :)