It's a Girl! (at least we think so)

Today we got the much-anticipated 18 week ultrasound during which we determined our baby is a girl. Yay! The tech was pretty sure (60% he said). This little baby was jumping and moving during the whole ultrasound. They had a hard time getting any good pictures. Every time they got her in a good position she would jump or bounce away before they could push the snapshot button on the computer. It was actually really funny. We went to an ultrasound school, which was awesome because the ultrasound lasted for an entire hour. At first I was kind of bugged that it was going to take so long, but as it progressed I found myself loving the experience of lying down and watching my little baby dance for such a long time. Ben didn't love it as much since he was in charge of keeping Tommy happy and entertained for the entire time:) They spent a lot of time showing and measuring each little part of the baby and explaining what everything means. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Our baby is healthy and active, which is just what we want:) Below is the best picture we were able to get of the baby. They tried to get a good profile shot the whole time, but she was just moving too much. We walked away with 13 pictures of her various body parts and this is the best profile we got:) I love this picture because it really tells the story of how the ultrasound went. She's upside down (it's a really clear shot of her foot, leg and torso!) and her head got cut out of the picture on the bottom right. Love it. We are so excited to meet this little girl.
On another note, I am loving our decision this time to have a midwife deliver our baby. We have an amazing midwife who comes to our home for all of the prenatal visits. She does all of the things a doctor would do except that I feel like she actually knows me and my family. I don't ever feel like I am infringing on her time or keeping her from something else that is more important. When she is here she is totally here for me. She has visited with us for about an hour at each appointment, answering my questions and sometimes just chatting. It has been a wonderful experience so far.

Father's Day

We just enjoyed a trip to Utah, but it's going to take me awhile to blog about it. I came home with 59 video clips from our 10 short days in Utah. That's right, 59. I know sometimes my blog posts get long, but maybe that will give you an idea of how much I actually abridge to write a blog post:) That will be coming soon, so for now I thought I would post a few pictures for Father's Day. I usually run about one month behind anyway.

Ben is such a great dad. I am so grateful to have married a man that is so good to my babies. Ben is Tommy's idol. He always says that he wants things just like Daddy has them. For example, the other day Tommy chose to wear his Percy underpants, (from Thomas and Friends) and he excitedly exclaimed, "I have Percy underpants, just like Daddy!" when I put them on him. Now, just so we're clear, Ben does not actually where Percy underpants, but I think it's cute that Tommy thinks he does. When we eat meals Tommy always wants a bite of whatever Ben is eating, but he rarely asks me for a bite of what I have. He knows that Ben only eats delicious things, I guess. On Father's Day Tommy wanted to dress just like Ben. He was so proud all day and said things like, "I match Daddy," and "Daddy, Tommy so handsome."
One of Tommy's favorite things to do during the day is go upstairs to "work" with Daddy. Ben set up an old laptop on the floor so that Tommy could have his own computer to work on. If Daddy has a mouse, Tommy has to have one, too. If Daddy has earphones, Tommy has to have some, too. Here are a couple of pictures of the two of them working together. I couldn't get both of them in one shot. I love that Tommy has a piece of toast for a snack, just like Daddy did at the time. So cute.
I am so grateful that my son has such a great role model. Ben is such a great dad and he loves Tommy so much. They wrestle and play every evening, which I appreciate. Ben has also taught Tommy to be very loving and gentle and to give really great hugs. It must be genetic:) Below is a video of a very typical evening of Tommy and Ben playing and laughing together. Actually, this was much more calm than they usually are, but I thought it was cute anyway.

Tommy's Second Birthday

We celebrated Tommy turning two in June! I can't believe how fast he has grown up already! We had a little birthday party with some of his friends from the ward in the evening and had a great time eating ice cream and cupcakes together. The kids ran around outside and had a bunch of fun. Thank you to everyone who made Tommy's birthday special by sending gifts, calling, or coming over. He felt so special all day and talked about it for days after.
This is a picture of the kids playing at Tommy's party. Afton and Tommy are in the dry pool, Soren and Kaige are at the top of the slide, and Stan and Jack are in the background popping balloons. Even one month later Tommy still talks about how, "Jack pop balloons." I guess it made quite an impression on him:)
Here is Tommy with his buddies, McKay and Sam. The slide was a birthday present from us, which we often turn into a water slide. The kids love it!
And here is Tommy helping me make frosting for his cupcakes. He was my taste tester, and loved every minute of it.

Here is the video of Tommy blowing out his two candles. He did a pretty great job! I love how he got all shy when everyone began singing to him. Thanks again to everyone who helped Tommy feel special on his big day. We sure think he's the best little boy in the whole world:)

Exciting News!

Most of you know already, but we wanted to officially announce that we are expecting another baby! I am 16 weeks along already and due on January 4. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the baby comes just a few days early to beat the new year:) We had an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and were able to watch our new baby jump and bounce and move the entire time. The technician had a hard time getting any measurements because the baby kept moving so much. Tommy is so excited to be a big brother. He is hoping for a "little girl baby," and so are we, although we'll be happy whether it's a boy or a girl. Tommy is also pretty convinced that he has a baby in his tummy. I have been feeling pretty good, especially in the last few weeks. I feel like I am getting much bigger much faster with this one, but I guess that's probably normal after the first pregnancy:) Here is a cute profile shot of the baby. She is kind of kneeling with her head bowed a bit.
Just a cute story about Tommy: a couple of weeks ago he did something like put on his own shoe and I made a really big deal about what a big boy he is. I said something like, "Where did my baby go? My baby grew up so fast into a big a boy." Tommy got this really concerned look on his face, pointed at my tummy, and asked, "Where baby go?" I had to explain to him that the baby is still in my tummy and that the baby I was talking about was him. He was at least relieved that the baby was still in my tummy. He is going to be a great big brother. He loves babies and he is so sensitive and nurturing. We are all very excited!