20 Weeks Along…

How far along? 20 weeks on March 31

Joseph Ellis is the size of…a BANANA!

Maternity Clothes: Loving my maternity pants, flowy tops, shorts, and flip-flops. Hoping that the spring weather is here to stay for a while.

Stretch Marks: Same as last week…nothing new.

Sleep: We had a few rough nights this week. RF's molars are coming in and it disrupted his sleep cycle for three consecutive nights. He was waking up every 45 minutes or so and would just cry out for mama. Thankfully though, it seems that the last molar (last molar of this round of molars…) has finally popped through. We have had four nights of really good sleep (7pm - 6am), so hopefully we are back to normal.

Best Moment Last Week: Spending the weekend out and about with RF. We had a blast - a dinosaur exhibit on Saturday and the park for a play-date on Sunday. He is so much fun right now and I know adding a second boy into the mix is going to cause the fun to multiply! :-)

Movement: All over the place. He loves to let me know that he is in there and doing just fine with all of his little movements. 

Food cravings: No super intense cravings this past week just constantly hungry. This little boy has me wanting to eat all the time. I'm trying not to gain as much weight as I did with RF, but JE's appetite is a force to be reckoned with right now. 

Gender: It's a BOY! 

Labor Signs: Still feeling some slight BH contractions. I have an appointment this week and will double check with my dr., but it's nothing consistent or debilitating in pain so seems like it's just part of the pregnancy-process.

Belly Button – in or out? Still in. 

Wedding Rings – on or off? On 

What I Miss: Coffee. Those three nights of rough sleep with RF made me miss it even more. 

What I Am Looking Forward To: Dr. appt. this week and hearing that sweet heartbeat again.  

Milestones: We're halfway there! 20 weeks down, 20 to go!

JEH @ 20 weeks...

Outside

That's the place this little boy wants to be ALL. THE. TIME. He doesn't care if it's raining, although he's not a huge fan of thunder. He doesn't care if mosquitoes are out, although mama coats him in California Baby Bug Repellent. He doesn't care if it's getting dark or time to eat or time to take a bath - he just wants to be outside. So, mama sets up her folding chair with camera in hand and let's him run free in the backyard. And he's happy. Really, really happy.

Mr. Joe and Mrs. Margie were in town last weekend and RF spent Friday and Saturday playing outside with both of them. He only came inside to take a nap and eat lunch, although I took his dinner outside to him and he sat in my lap to eat it because he was not ready to come in just yet.

I love that he loves the outside. I love that he is intrigued and amazed by nature. I love that he can identify the grass, the wind, birds, the flag, his sand box, his rake, his shovel, and the list goes on and on.

A recap of the last few weeks…notice how many photos are taken…yep, you guessed it - OUTSIDE! :-)

Helping daddy water the plants...

I had just asked him if he was ready to come inside to eat dinner…he was not interested. 

Running, running, running with the breeze blowing in his hair. 

We met Papa Tad at Murphy High School on Saturday afternoon to fly the drone again. 

Me and Joseph Ellis with Mr. Joe (Joseph) and Papa Tad (Ellis) 

Running to Nana…

Helping Nana and Babu set up his sandbox...

Oh, boy, Babu - more sand! 

Mowing (or as he calls it 'vacuuming') the yard...

Daddy was getting ready to start a fire, so RF decided to help. 

Let me show you how you do it, Babu. 

Three generations of Hawk men playing in the sand box...

Just reading a book on the way home from school…

An ant caught RF's eye Sunday afternoon on the back porch so he knelt down and followed it for a while...

Babu built me a sand box, mama. WOW! 

Nana and Babu took RF out and about to lunch and Lowe's on Friday while mama and daddy were working…they came home with a big, big flag for RF. He LOVES it. 

Diggin' for wiggle worms - earthworms. RF thought they were the funniest thing. 

Helping Nana get the pot ready to plant the green beans...

Rough-housing with daddy on Saturday evening…can't wait to add another boy into this mix! 

19 weeks

How far along? 19 weeks on March 24

Joseph Ellis is the size of…a MANGO!

Maternity Clothes: Non-maternity pants are now starting to get tighter. Definitely going to be in skirts/dresses this spring/summer

Stretch Marks: Same as last week…nothing new.

Sleep: Same as last week. RF has been sleeping really well (7pm - 6am most nights, wakes up a bit earlier than 6am sometimes), which means mama and daddy have been sleeping well, too.

Best Moment Last Week: Getting the chance to introduce RF to his brother, Joseph Ellis Hawk. We took RF with us to the gender ultrasound on Friday. It took him a minute to focus on the screen where his brother was - he did no like the goo being put on my belly or the wand being rubbed over my belly, but once he caught a glimpse of the screen he gave us some smiles as he watched his brother move around. 

Movement: LOTS of movement. I could feel JEH's movement each time I saw him moving on the screen at the ultrasound. He is an active little boy - just like his big brother :-)

Food cravings: Back on the sweets again. Ice cream, candy bars, cookies, etc. I broke down and stopped by Panera one day last week and ordered a Cinnamon Crunch bagel with cream cheese. Bad, I know, but oh so yummy. 

Gender: It's a BOY! We will welcome Joseph Ellis Hawk into our family in August. As family is extremely important to RA and I, Joseph Ellis is named after both of his grandfathers. Joseph is his paternal grandfather's first name and Ellis is his maternal grandfather's middle name. RA and I could think of no two better men after which to name our second son. 

Labor Signs: Feeling some slight contracting (Braxton Hicks) here and there (once every other day or so) usually in the evenings after working all day and chasing around a 17-month old all afternoon/evening. Nothing intense and nothing worrisome.

Belly Button – in or out? In, but I'm thinking it may pop out this time around. I'm not even half way through this pregnancy and it is already getting pretty close to being an outie. 

Wedding Rings – on or off? On 

What I Miss: Daggum' heartburn. It is CRAZY this time around. I cannot go a day without it being an issue. 

What I Am Looking Forward To: Preparing Joseph Ellis's nursery. We are keeping RF in his room and using our second, smaller bedroom (currently RA's office) as Joseph's nursery. The walls are currently a soft yellow color and I am wanting to use navy with some pops of red. We shall see what pops into my mind over the next few months as we prepare for his arrival.  

Milestones: RA and I get to be the parents to two boys - how much fun is that? We are super excited about this new chapter. Also, we taught RF to say his brother's name this weekend. When you ask him his brother's name he will say "Sosef" (Joseph). Then you ask him his brother's middle name and he will say "Ellis". So excited for this new chapter with all three of my boys! :-)

Joseph Ellis Hawk @ 19 weeks… 

It's A...

Robert Alan, Robert Franklin and I are pleased to announce that our newest addition is…

18 weeks + 1 day...

Wishful thinking, indeed - a day late with the weekly post again.

How far along? 18 weeks on March 17 

Baby is the size of…a SWEET POTATO!

Maternity Clothes: Bella Band + long shirts = one happy mama in the maternity clothes department.

Stretch Marks: Same as last week…nothing new.

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well still. Just the usual tossing and turning to get comfortable.

Best Moment Last Week: Our nightly routine consists of RF taking a bath, getting his pajamas on and then we sit down and watch a few minutes of Sesame Street while he drinks his glass of milk. Then we go upstairs to his room and he and I have our mama-baby boy time together. We sit in his rocking chair and sing or I whisper to him while he drifts off to sleep. He has recently started holding my hand during this time and it makes my heart smile so big. I love, love, love that little boy and am so excited for him to be a big brother! 

Movement: LOTS of flutters! :-)

Food cravings: Still having a major craving for Olive Garden salad and breadsticks…will have to try and hold off on that one because I'm pretty sure I would eat a whole basket of breadsticks myself. 

Gender: Still no clue, although everyone is starting to weigh in with their thoughts.  Hoping that Baby #2 will cooperate Friday for our gender ultrasound! 

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button – in or out? In

Wedding Rings – on or off? On 

What I Miss: Not being out of breath after simple activities. A few times this week I have had to stop mid-way up our stairs because I was so out of breath. Not sure what that's about, but it is getting really annoying. 

What I Am Looking Forward To: Gender ultrasound on Friday! YAY!!! 

Milestones: Laying in bed at night and feeling all the movement of Baby #2. I can't feel it from the outside yet, but it is so sweet to know that I get to share these moments with the baby before anyone else. So happy being a mama! :-)

Baby Hawk #2 @ 18 weeks + 1 day… 

17 Weeks + 1 day…

Maybe next week I will actually take the weekly photo on Monday instead of later in the week…wishful thinking… :-)

How far along? 17 weeks on March 10 

Baby is the size of…an ONION!

Maternity Clothes: LOVING dresses and skirts right now. So, so, so comfortable - especially with the weather warming up. Disregard my super white legs - this pregnant lady just wants to be comfortable.

Stretch Marks: Same as last week…nothing new.

Sleep: Doing better in this department as far as RF goes. Thought the time change would freak him out, but Sunday and Monday night he slept from 7pm - 6:30AM - not to shabby. As far as I go, definitely getting to the 'can't get comfortable' stage. I told RA this morning that I tossed and turned all night because I just couldn't get into a comfortable position for some reason. Argh…

Best Moment Last Week: Playing outside ALL DAY with RF on Sunday. It was amazingly beautiful and the only times he came in were to eat and to take a nap. I love that he loves the outside - until it's 105 degrees and he still wants to be outside all day...

Movement: Much more consistent flutters this week. Baby is all over the place it seems. 

Food cravings: Olive Garden salad and breadsticks, Chik-Fil-A (yes, still), Icees, and any type of chocolate candy - just what baby needs, right? I have really been trying to ignore my cravings because I feel like they aren't the most nutritious of food choices, but it is getting really hard to do. 

Gender: Still no clue. 

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button – in or out? In

Wedding Rings – on or off? On 

What I Miss: Not waddling when I walk. I'm pretty sure I am waddling. Thought it was bad a few weeks ago, but I'm thinking now that it's getting pretty obvious. 

What I Am Looking Forward To: Scheduled our gender ultrasound for next Friday, March 21. Cross your fingers that Baby Hawk #2 cooperates. 

Milestones: Heard that sweet heartbeat at our 16 week appointment last Friday and finally feeling like myself again. The nausea seems to be done (please, please, please be gone…) and I feel like I have some energy again. :-)

Baby Hawk #2 @ 17 weeks + 1 day...

16 weeks + 2 days...

How far along? 16 weeks on March 3 

Baby is the size of…an AVOCADO!

Maternity Clothes: Same as last week. I felt like I got huge pretty quick this go-round, but now I don't feel like I've gotten too much larger each week. Things seem to have slowed down a bit, so most of my clothes are still fitting pretty well. I did notice yesterday that I was still able to wear a pair of non-maternity jeans without my bella band, which makes me think even more that this pregnancy is carrying higher than RF did. 

Stretch Marks: Same as last week…nothing new.

Sleep: Still hit and miss, mainly because of all of the Mardi Gras craziness. We live about 2 blocks off of the main parade route, so our street is used as both a parking lot and as a major thorough-fare before and after parades. Since RF is in bed by the time most of the parades begin, all of the noise of folks leaving the parades has been waking him up. But thankfully, Mardi Gras is over so hopefully we will be back into a normal routine in the next few days.

Best Moment Last Week: Spending some one-on-one time with RF. Sunday we went to 5 Rivers and then yesterday, mainly to avoid the Fat Tuesday chaos of downtown, we drove out to the Estauriam at Dauphin Island. Needless to say, my inquisitive, active, observation-oriented little boy had a blast at both locations. 

Movement: Flutters, but I did notice that I was able to feel some of the flutters when I was standing up this weekend. Up to this point it was usually only when I was laying down, really still. Baby Hawk #2 seems to be enjoying himself/herself in there quite a bit. 

Food cravings: No major cravings, I just feel hungry overall all the time. I definitely have a more voracious appetite with this little one. 

Gender: Still no clue. 

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button – in or out? In

Wedding Rings – on or off? On 

What I Miss: Back pain was more manageable there for a week or two, but it is back with a vengeance. Hoping that my appointment on Friday will allow me to get some more information on what I can do to help the back pain wane a bit. I've been using my heating pad (on low heat) for a few weeks and while that helps the pain subside for a little while, it comes right back a few hours after getting off of the heating pad.

What I Am Looking Forward To: 16-week appointment on Friday and hopefully we will be able to schedule our gender ultrasound for later this month. 

Milestones: Congratulations are starting to come in from strangers. I was out and about on Monday and had two people in two separate locations tell me congratulations and ask when I was due. I suppose that means that it is now pretty obvious that I have a pregnancy belly and not just an 'I haven't gotten rid of my holiday weight' belly.

Baby Hawk #2 @ 16 weeks + 2 days...