Welcome, Remy Mae.

On Monday, August 12 at 4:04am our littlest daughter was born.  With a squeal she was placed on my chest and took her first breaths while I held her in my arms.  It was just as I had dreamed it would happen.  Weighing 7lb. 6oz. and stretching out at 19 1/12 inches, her tiny body was pink, healthy and strong.

After a couple days of prodromal labor and 22 hours of "real" labor, her arrival, as I announced was "sweet relief" and so much more, that I don't even have words for.  She was born with a full head of dark hair, just as I did had when I was born.

We named her Remy Mae.  Remy- French (like Chloe) and Mae, with the relation to spring and all things growing.  And now, we have two little french flowers.  TWO as in-we. have. kids.  Every time I say, "the girls", it blows my mind.

Three months (gulp) have now passed.  I better get back to blogging so we can document such sweet time.  We've been savoring it and surviving it, day-by-day, often hour-by-hour. Postpartum recovery, around the clock nursing and a very active toddler.  Oh boy, sometimes I (we) really feel in over our heads.  But really, no one prepares you for the amount of love you feel for your babies.  It's extraordinary.  I can't keep myself from snuggling her, closing my eyes tight and wishing I could make time stand still.

So with a long overdue post, welcome to the beautiful world my dear Remy.  You've already have captured our hearts.

(For those who were following my birthing journey, yes, I was able to VBAC.  With the help of supportive doctors, the encouragement of my sweet doula and the dearest husband who coached me through labor.  I was so encouraged and best of all, I got to hold her within seconds of being born.  The best reward ever.)

She's here. (and nearly a month old)

Well, I'll spare you the whiney details of late pregnancy aches, pains, sleepless nights and the anticipation of labor...lucky for you, we can skip all that, because our sweet baby girl is here!
Now, let me find the proper photos and words to appropriately welcome our tiniest love.  I will tell you this much, love is in the air.  

Baking away.

It's been a busy 7 weeks since we moved to California.  We've been catching up with family and friends, on our in between time unpacking and nesting our hearts out.  With a new (first) home and Kevin's handsome office to settle into we've been busy.  And I've been really putting Kevin to work with all the things I can't lift, hang or move.  He is such a sport and things are coming together pretty fast.  Which is great since I'm at week 38 of pregnancy.  And naturally I want everything in place "yesterday" in case baby sister decides to make her appearance early.  Let's hope it's a little sooner than her big sister who arrived at 41weeks and 5days.  Especially since I already feel like a mad woman, between hormones and uncomfortable.  But I remind myself daily that this baby girl is the VERY best reason to feel uncomfortable, moody and just plain antsy.

This pregnancy has flown by and I feel like I'm pinching myself daily that we will have a baby in the house again in a matter of days/weeks.  And I'll be the mama of two girls.  I keep hearing myself say,"the girls" and it is so surreal.  It's gonna be a whole lot of excitement around the Locklin house very soon.  I can't wait to see how the weeks unfold and watch our family grow into four.  

I have a feeling it's gonna be all kinds of magic seeing my girls together for the first time.

P.S. I have a plan to give this here blog lots more love in the future.  Stay tuned and thanks for reading.

Last week.  37 weeks along.  Yep, full term, baby.

   

Sprinkle.

It was a truly beautiful, heart-filling kind of morning.  Chatting, laughing, delicious food, ogling over the sweetness of baby items and some really great friends.  My sweet friend Lisa, hosted a special party for me and baby girl on the way.  Everything was so beautiful, special and yummy.  Let me just say, homemade quiche.  (How she pulled it off while tending to a toddler, newborn and photography business is beyond me.) And the cake was over-the-top darling, Lana.

I felt so blessed to have this special morning with my Arizona friends and Kevin's Aunt Sheryl before our little lady is born.  I'm already missing these ladies and this room of laughter.  Dear Friends, Thank you for sprinkling me with your love.  Honestly, I felt so honored to be celebrated in such a loving way.

Our littlest lady will be so lucky to be born already surrounded by so much love.  August is just around the corner.

Bun still baking...

...and I've been so absent on documenting, at least on my blog here.  I'll give you a recap, because I want to remember these special days.  Days while our baby bloom (a.k.a. baby sister) is growing, kicking, stretching my belly and heart in new ways.

I had a waist...it's hard to remember.  15 weeks pregnant.  

Hello, baby girl!

This book was no help...but I think we are getting closer.

Shaken Iced Passion Tea, unsweetened yet so fruity.

Like with my first pregnancy, I can't get enough watermelon.

Afternoons in the grass.

Nesting err, shopping.

In Sedona on our way for a date.

Stripetastic.

Visits to the OB.

27 weeks here.

As the weeks to my "due date" narrow, I'm finding myself so amazed that soon I will have two daughters and another little one to love up.  I'm not sure why, but my pregnancy seems so surreal this time.  Perhaps, it's because my days are so full that sometimes I catch myself forgetting.  Then at the end of the day I lay in bed and ponder all the changes to come.

12 weeks to go.  Welcome, third trimester.  I've had the nesting urge for quite a while now and I'm sure a lot of it is because I can't actually nest until a few weeks when we are in our new home.  Yep, next week we will be packed up and temporarily in a hotel.  We'll be there about 8 days until Kevin is officially done with his final contribution to the project here at the end of the month.  We ought to be pretty busy these next few weeks.

The discomfort of third trimester has arrived so moving is a welcomed and exciting distraction to keep my mind off of the waiting game.  And before I know it, I can spend my sleepless nights decorating and unpacking the nursery before our little one arrives.  Oh, the nesting, I love the nesting.

A new home, new career, new baby, this ought to be a very exciting summer.

Mother's Day weekend, 2013.

It's a GIRL!

Yesterday's ultrasound revealed a healthy baby girl. Chloe is thrilled to be getting the little sister she's been requesting from day one.  It was so fun to share the reveal moment as a little family at the doctors office yesterday. Watching little limbs move back and forth on the monitor and listen to that beautiful strong heartbeat. That is the part that gets me a bit misty every time. Mr. Locklin might have been a bit misty, too. What can we say, we love these girls.  It's exciting to think that come August we will have a pair of sisters.  Yay!

Votes are in.

Between our blog and facebook polls we have a tally of Boy: 18. Girl: 7
(there is still time to get your vote in-poll in the right margin)

Chloe is certain she wants a baby sister.
Great Grandma Mana insists it's a boy.
I'm so excited and curious to know more about this little growing soul.

Can I just say maternity jeans are the best ever invention?

H is for Health. And Hooray!

Hello faithful 9 followers!

I haven't forgotten about you.  Thank you for standing by while I iron out this new season.  After 10 weeks of (all day) morning sickness followed up by a cold and allergy attack for another 12 days, I've been just barely getting by.  Now that the yucks have mostly retreated, I'm vowing to not take for grated my health.  Something I am so, beyond words, thankful to have restored.

My little family is probably even more happy to have me back.  Let's just say, I was a grump.  And then got cranky about not feeling well and then was so disappointed that I wasn't able to be the same cheerful mama and wife I'd like to be.  It was a vicious cycle that I'm happy to leave behind.  I am so thankful to my husband for the constant support, extra rest time and reminders that I will feel better.  I was starting to think I would be in a constant state of yuck.

I was so caught off guard with the morning sickness.  With Chloe I felt fantastic from day one, tired in the beginning but fantastic.  The start to this pregnancy was a humbling experience.  Which makes me wonder, could baby #2 be a boy?  We will see.

Let's say I'm finding silver linings everywhere, now that I've mended.  I forgot I was a optimistic person even.  Hooray for health!

And today I celebrated with an extra pick me up, a hair cut.  Nothing makes me feel more like a new woman than a fresh cut & color.  Not to mention, the time to just sit and have someone take care of you.  It feels like a mini vacation, really.

Also, exciting news...we find out this sweet baby's gender very soon.  I can't wait to know more about who this little, growing babe is.  I'm feeling more movement all the time.  Which is so exciting.  Any gender guesses?

Baby on the way, August 2013!

A few weeks before Christmas our prayers were answered, with confirmation that we have another little one on the way this year.  We kept our lips tightly sealed so we could reveal the news to our families on Christmas day.  When our parents unwrapped this photo of the three (four) of us.  It was a sweet moment filled with cheers and tears by all of us.  (Quietly, in my heart, I yearned for my mom to be there.)

Nausea kicked in full gear a few days after Christmas and we've been just doing our best to rest and wait out the first trimester.  I was totally caught off guard because I don't remember having a moment of sickness with Chloe.  This time it's a whole other story.  But, I'll save you my woes,  I get just too whiny when I think about it.  And let's face it, I can't think of a single reason to complain about and beautiful new soul entering our lives.

Here we are now, week 16 and I'm slowing coming out of hibernation.  Feeling stronger and more excited by the day.  As cheesy as it sounds, my heart seriously swells at the thought of holding another little love in my arms.

Photographs my Lisa Lytton Photography.