Summer Lovin'

These were some 17month shots taken in our backyard in June. My only question - Can my heart hold this much love for two kids?

The Littlest Hartley

We call her Rumble.

We also call her baby girl and the little baby.

She's wonderful and absolutely perfect. It took us a couple weeks (and we still are) wrapping our heads around what it's going to be like to have a girl, but everyday I get more and more and more excited. Little boys are awesome and totally lovable, but I've been told little girls are too. We shall see in about 4 1/2 months. We're kinda already starting to like her.

And, just for the record, this means I am 2 for 2 and Rob is 0 for 2 on guessing the gender of our children. I'd just like it to be noted.

I'm around 20 weeks. She's about the length of a banana. We did her gender ultrasound a little early around 18 weeks. I'm in between care providers right now, so we squeeze in appointments where we can take them. At that appointment, they said she weighed 8 oz and she was lying across my belly with her head on my left and toes on my right. They also said she was perfect. It's confirmed.

I can feel her kicking regularly now, but that didn't start as early as I was expecting with a second baby. I don't feel her all the time, but a couple times a day for sure. Rob has even felt her kick which is a little earlier than Eli, I think.

Nausea is still my friend, and every time I find my head in the toilet I promise myself I won't tell her how sick I was when carrying her. Only when she is having her babies and is sick will I console her with how worth it little babies are. The nausea has greatly subsided, but especially hot days or stressful days do me in. It is for sure, for me, carrying a little girl is more difficult. I was a pro with Eli and was sure I'd missed my calling to be a surrogate. Now, I pray that I forget the sickness so that we'll try for a third one day. Ice helps, anything frozen, nothing sweet and B vitamins with iron keeps my energy level above subsistence.

We're making progress on the naming front and actually have some really promising contenders. We started off months ago with only arguments, but after the ultrasound we've made some advancements and let go of some old favorites.

I fill my head with awesome daydreams about our little family. How when they're adults, Elijah will be a sweeter guy and closer to us because his little sister draws him into family. And how perhaps Eli will have a great ability to express himself because his little sister made him play with her growing up. And how he'll be super confident because his little sister thinks that besides her daddy, Eli is the coolest thing ever ever. Little sister will grow up speaking her mind at school knowing that her big brother will have her back. She'll grow up knowing how to talk to boys unlike her clumsy mom who thought they spoke another language. And Rob is excited that Eli can fight off 8th grade boys for him so that he doesn't go to jail. We'll have boys vs girls family game night and Hartley Olympics. I'll have someone to go to baby and wedding showers with me and someone who will stay close by my side and watch me like Eli watches Rob. I will teach her unlike I will teach Elijah. She'll learn from me , flaws and all, how to be a wife, and a mom, and a woman.

Yes, God knows best. She is quite the blessed addition to our growing family. Though, can we skip the onslaught of pink? Lavender is rather nice, don't you think? And just as feminine. Also, she will be wearing Eli's 0-3 month layette because it is mostly gender neutral and contains some rather old snuggly favorites. Mmm, I can't wait.

It's A

If you remember, or find it here if you don't, we discovered Eli's gender over a romantic dinner for two at Loxley's in Lancaster, PA. We took the sealed envelope and had the chef bring either ice cream with blueberries or strawberries dependent upon boy or girl.



This time we had the announcement made at the downtown event Shakespeare on the Square with the whole family and all of Knoxville. It's a weekly summer performance downtown; and the play preformed July 14th was Comedy of Errors.


The director announced what we could expect from our newest family member right before the actors took the stage. The audience insisted we stand up and were all very excited by our news.

Eli very anxious to receive the news


Oh, mom, the wait is killing me. I can't take it. Announce it already!


A Baby Sister!!! Really!?! A GIRL!

Yep, that's right. It's a Girl! We're adding a little pink to the family tree.

Some Summer Eli Endeavors

We've had a busy summer folks. Elijah and Rob have been into everything and me and little baby are just trying to keep up.

Here's some of the highlights

Picking up Ladies at the Fountain

Sleeping in

Entertaining with the Electric Slide at weddings everywhere

Devouring Watermelon

Getting stuck in the Lazy Susan - A once daily activity

And, the ever-growing list of Daddy-Son stunts

Visitin'

We've been able to do a lot of visiting family this summer! Eli seems to be able to sense whenever we arrive that he's with family. He trots off and makes himself right at home. The fact that most the world has Nick Jr., also helps.

Back in May, I took Elijah by myself to visit Rob's family and then mine. We started off with a 6 hr drive to Alamo, GA. I had to run Eli by the pediatrician's office first though for a respiratory infection (remember our 'season of sickness'?) He was wheezing so, the Dr. gave him a breathing treatment in the office. The normal side effect is hyperactivity - Eli's response, he slept the entire way except for a lunch break and a bout of carsickness 20 minutes from arrival that took us both and his carseat down to our skivvies.

We were both spoiled incredibly which came during the perfect time in pregnancy for me. Morning sickness had worn me down to a thread and it was a miracle to have other people take care of my baby and feed me good food that I didn't have to cook! When I returned, Rob said that 7 days was too long for us to be gone. Guess he'll have to argue that one with the Grands.


In July, Elijah and I drove across I-40 to Western NC to visit relatives. It took about 4 hours, but it was so much fun to introduce Elijah to relatives there. Eli also got to meet 3 of his second cousins. We spent a few days helping in their garden and canning some veggies.