38 weeks

Almost time... I'm still nervous but I'm done being uncomfortable and ready to complete our family. I'm so excited to see Mason. This time around since Danny was home we did not get a 3D ultrasound, so we are anxious to see what and who he looks like. Aiden is a clone of his dad I would not be surprised if Mason was as well. 

Aiden was born at 38 weeks and my water broke on its own so I've been extra anxious this week hoping for the same. Except its totally oppisite, seems I have to work a little harder to help Mason along.  Hope that I have good news at our Dr appointment.

This past week may have been rough because of pain and lack of of sleep but my mom is here and she is a huge help. I love having her here. Its nice to have someone other then a 2 year old to talk to during the day. I am very grateful to have her and Aiden adores her.

Here are some pictures of the week.
Did some painting, played in his new mini sandbox, jumped and decorated the trampoline, blew bubbles,we even decorated for spring/ Easter. 

Crafts with Aiden

 

Trying to keep busy with Aiden and hate being glued to the TV and when it's ugly outside it's easy for us to snuggle on the couch and watch SpongeBob all day long.

It has been my goal to at least do something new and craft once a day since Aiden could play in his room and be one of the Avengers all day as long as I am in there playing right along. The crafts is nice and NEW. The dollar store was my friend this week and look forward to the Fun activities this week.

Monday:

We started this week with water color paint. The cute paint was from the dollar store, and just got a regular coloring book and some paper.

 

 

 

 

I joined in the painting fun.

 

 

Here is what we did the past week .

 

 

Magic Milk Colors

Found this on Pinterst of course from this awesome blog

Kids in the Kitchen

She has such great ideas for things to do with boys.

What you need:

Shallow Dish

Milk

Food coloring

Toothpick

Dish Soap

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noodle Art

Can't go wrong with noodle art, and it's so easy. I drew the heart with glue and the A and Aiden places the noodles, then I let put the glue on a separate paper himself and put the noodles however he liked.

 

 

Shapes and sticker fun. I got this idea from this photo on Pinterest.

 

 

 

Found on Diapers to Dipliomas

I actually want to make this for Aiden since it's something we could do over and over again, but since I did not have the supplies just yet I improvised.

I used a large piece of paper that came with a package, cute out the shapes and drew the shapes on the paper. Aiden loves glue so he glued the shapes to the right pictures and then once he was done I gave him tons of stickers from the never ending pile of scrapbook stickers I have. He truly enjoyed and took him some time.

 

 

 

 

I LOVE YOU ART

Scrapbooking paper

Cut out heart and arrow and taped to paper

Bingo dobber

Red Paint

 

Yogurt Pops

 

 

Found this fun and healthy snack on pinterst. Very easy to make, check it out at Kitchen Fun with my 3 Boys Blog. Aiden loved them and think I'll be making more fun shapes for him in the future.  Thinking maybe with a little green food coloring  and the shape of a four leaf clover for next month?

 

 

 

Any cute Valentines crafts you want to share?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

34 Weeks..... Am I ready??

Time is going by extra fast now and even though I feel ready for this pregnancy to be over it's because I want to be able to control my body again, but being ready to actually physically take care of two boys is something I don't think I'm ready for.

When I was pregnant with Aiden I was ready for his arrival as best I could be, pretty sure I was over prepared. This time not so much.

I still need to get baby soap, diapers, wipes, burp cloths, bags for the diaper genie, a diaper bag, nursing cover, moby wrap and feel like I'm forgetting tons but can't think of what. I'm sure all with be just fine but the anxious nesting need this, do this feeling is overwhelming.

Even though my belly is smaller this pregnancy, my body aches was more. Kudos to moms who have more than 2 kids while pregnant, some days I have no idea how I survived, a 2 year old keeps you on your toes that’s for sure.

I have been on pinterest and finding super cute baby boy things, and thought i'd share.

 

 

How cute is that onsie??

 

 



I'm a SAHM again.

           It's bittersweet, I loved the job I had but also missed being home with Aiden. Although there were many other factors to leaving work, Aiden was my number 1 reason, and that Baby Mason will be making his appearance in just 8 short weeks

 

 

 

         Let the nesting begin, Have a running out of time feeling, but I know it’s just the pregnancy. Tons of baby clothes to wash, finding a toddler bed for Aiden and putting his crib in Masons room. I sold and gave away so much of Aidens things I’m kicking myself in the butt now for sure. Really want to find a jumperoo, and going to need and diaper changing pad again. The main thing I hope to find is an amazing diaper bag, I still carry tons of snacks and toys for Aiden and he’s 80% potty trained so pull ups are always with me and baby wipes, so I want to find a cute but durable bag but also one that does not look like I’m dragging a suitcase around. I think it’s my nerves that make me feel I need certain things since the idea of two boys is exciting but also a bit scary.

           This pregnancy is 100% different then the 1^st, but I assuming it just feels harder because I have a 2 year old I’m chasing around where as with Aiden I slept most of the time. The fear of labor is just as bad as it was with Aiden, now I’m not scared of the unknown; I’m scared of the known and all the scary things that could happen.  Is it too early to want this pregnancy to be over already?

 1st picture is 32 weeks with Aiden and the 2nd is with Mason, feel smaller with Mason.

Now that I’m home all day again, finding things to fill our day will be interesting. We will be down to one car soon so thinking of things to do in the house is a must, at least until we can go outside more.  Pinterest here I come.

 

 

 

 

Family Retreat at Great Wolf Lodge.

The Army life has its pros and cons, but when it comes to things they give you to help your family, they care. Danny and I went to a marriage retreat in Washington a couple years ago and I loved it. I learned tons about my husband and ways to help our marriage. Even though we just went for the free trip to an amazing lodge in the mountains, we took away a lot. This past weekend, we went on a family strong bonds retreat to Grapevine, Texas. We stayed two nights and 3 days at Great Wolf lodge. Room and food all paid for, and in return we attended classes to help strengthen our family.

Aiden Waiting for Daddy to get home to leave for the weeked.

Day 1:

Check in was at 4:00. We checked into our room, and headed to the conference room where the classes took place. They provided free childcare in the rooms right across the hall. Sat in class for 2 hours and then we were done for the night. While in class we had to make a name tag for our family and my hubby went with MILLERTIME and we decorated it. We won 2nd place ($40 to Logan's steakhouse) for our creativity. We headed to the Moose Caboose Buffet restaurant that's in the lodge for dinner, where they gave Aiden wolf ears, how cute right? After Dinner we headed to the indoor water park which looks awesome!! We were in the small kid pool for about 10 minutes when my husband decided to take Aiden down the little slide, He ended up falling and cutting up his knees. Needless to say he was unable to continue swiming for the rest of the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2: Up early, enjoyed the breakfast buffet, took Aiden to the childcare and off to class we went. We learned some great tips about family building. Classes ended around 2:00 and my husband was having back pain all day and by the time we got to our room, he could barely walk. A quick trip to the ER and some fun meds later we were back at the lodge, enjoying dinner, the tree lighting ceremony and the water park again. We even hit the arcade and Aiden won some fun toys and candy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3: Once again up early and enjoyed some breakfast, then off to class. Classes ended at 12:00 to give us time to explore the lodge more and the town before we headed home. Went to an amazing mall and my hubby went to a magic shop. It was a fun yet exhausting weekend.

If you have kids who can enjoy a water park this lodge is AMAZING!!!

 

I Love my boys!

Mason Daniel Miller

This year has flown by and this pregnancy is flying right along with it. A few weeks ago we found out that our little Miller is a boy, and a few days ago we agreed on a name. Mason Daniel Miller. I still can't believe that I will be the mama of two boys. Being the only girl may have it perks, maybe they will want to spoil their mommy.

 

Aiden really enjoyed having the balloons around, the small things make him so happy. When I was pregnant with Aiden I filled out the belly book, so ordered a 2nd book and doing the same for Mason. For both pregnancies being boys hey are very different, which is why so many friends and family leaned towards girl. I can cry at the drop of a hat, and I am loving sweet candy like laffy taffy and starburts, instead of chocolates. Different is good, I just hope the delivery is the same, Aiden took 4 hours and I would love for Mason to be just as fast if not faster.

 

 

Today I am 24 weeks, only 16 weeks to go.

 

 

I'm happy that the 2nd trimester has been pretty good, when I found out I was pregnant I was nervous because I was having what seemed like tons of stomach issues. The doctor said that the symptoms would likely get worse and they could not help until I have baby. The good news is that the stomach issues have are gone, I'm one happy mama. I hope third trimester is nice to me.

 

If you have more them one kiddo, where you pregnancies very different?

 

It's been forever since I posted, I give kudos to the blogger's that have kids and a job who keep up with blogging. I wish I had good time management skills. I'm hoping that once baby Mason is here and will be home with both boys that I get better with time and start blogging often again.

 

 

 

Dear Daddy

Dear, Daddy

Its that day again, the one where in your words would have been "my time". Today marks 6 years since we last saw you, since an IED (Improvised explosive devise) took your life. You are on my mind every single day of the year, but on this day, I hate thinking about it. I like all the other days because I just think your  in the field or just still in Iraq, which I know after six years can't be healthily but it works for me. I wish we could just skip the 26th of October every year, since I think of you all the time and all good memories but this day does not bring ANY good ones. I hate today! Wish you were home, would love to know how things would have been, but I know God had a plan in his decision it's just hard on this day to understand what and why.
       I hope you look down on us and get a good laugh, you have 5 crazy grand kids that are very entertaining, and # 6 is on the way. I laugh thinking about how Me, Laura and Melissa all have 2 kids, guess Nina will take after you and mommy and have 4, just joking Nina. I hope you are proud of the McGinnis bunch, we have had more hard days then goods in the past 6, but the good out shine the bad. Mommy got a new Doctor and it looks like this one actually cares and wont hold your death over her head and truly look and see what is causing the pain she has, Laura works her butt off, and is amazing mother as well and Melissa, who also in my book has the worst luck of all of us but seems to manage and despite all the bumps she had to jump finished school and is now a nurse of some sort. Nina just retook a stupid test they have to pass in Texas, and is either going to school or working real soon, also her dog had 7 puppies that for a few days she had to care for, must have been fun having 7 kids to tend to. Danny has decided to not stay in the Army, so we have a brand new adventure to look forward to soon, being an army brat all my life the thought is a bit scary but I'm sure we will fit right in as civilians. We all really miss you!!! Since I'm pregnant my hormones this time around are insane and I cry all the time, so making my letter to you short so I don't break the lap top, :) .

Love you always,

your daughter Julia