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.

   

"Chloe, me!"

And in what seems like minutes our baby has become a little girl.  It is so much fun to be her mama.  Just a little video before her nap the other day.

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.

She's crafty.

In the fullness of life lately I've had little time to craft and be creative.  It's something that I really need to do to thrive.  Creating is what I love.  So, I've been clearing more time to make a mess, craft, paint, and cook more often.  Over the last month we've done lots of craft projects, I've worked on baby books, made nursery garlands and took a cooking class with Kevin's sweet Aunt Sheryl.  I find taking the time to create refuels me and gives me more zest for the beautiful life I have.  My little bloom really enjoys it too.

Kindred Visits.

Me, Andrea and Becky.

Mara and Chloe.

Baby girls meet for the first time.

Lucky for me these two cousins have family here in Arizona, so when they came out for an impromptu visit, we got to get together for a visit and giggle over pedicures and date night with our husbands.  I was so happy to have them here.  Becky, my doula when Chloe was born and hopefully with my next she'll be able to be there for her birth too.  We'll have to work out the details because we have a more miles between us now.  She just had her third baby, a sweet, darling girl, Nora Marie.  I couldn't be more happy to have these girls and their families in my life.  It's just one of those magic relationships, they are true kindred spirits.  I can't wait to be back in California so we can spend more time together again.

Morgan turns 30!

My dear cousin Morgan came to Phoenix with a slew of girlfriends to celebrate her 30th birthday.   It was the perfect opportunity for them to escape the still cold weather in Idaho and soak up some sun here in the desert.  I was thrilled this was there destination so I could join in the fun and celebrate this dear friend who happens to also be family.  We are lucky that way.  I snuck away for a night to celebrate with the girls, spend time by the pool and join in all the shopping, dining fun.  It was sucha  great refresher and then Morgan joined us for a few days at our home.  Chloe was so excited and we even got to go to Disney on Ice together.  Such a treat to have her here.  Chloe is still asking when Cousin Morgan will come back to visit.  We hope soon!

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.