Hunter at 15 Months

I say this every month... but how is my baby 15 months old?


Hunter at 15 months runs around everywhere! Including going up and down stairs safely (he knows that to go down he needs to get on his but and craw down backwards). He has not seemed to learn any new words over the last month and sadly he stopped saying mama! BOOOOO.

In the last month he has really started to LOVE dancing. if a commercial comes on with music he will stop whatever he is doing and will dance to it. He even has some good moves!

He was introduced to both Goldfish and ELMO this month... now his two favorite things...

He also oddly LOVES to get into this little Chic costume every morning to eat his Cherrios before heading over to NaNa's House...

He thinks that it is super funny when his big sister wears the costume


Hunter still currently has 4 top teeth and 2 bottom teeth but we think that a few more bottom teeth will be making an appearance any day now... he had a little fever this week, his appetite has decreased, and he has been a bit grumpy which is a good indication that something is going on in that little mouth of his.

Now here are some photos of Hunter from this week:

He fell in Love with this tomato container and laughs like crazy as he chases Sophie around! Guess I didn't need to spend all of that money on Christmas gifts. 

 

Sophie just goes with it... She is so good with Hunter

We also love all the bubble wrap that has been coming in the packages!

He loves that Mommy has been going into work later and that he gets to have cuddle time in the morning! 

25 Weeks with Baby #3

How far along? 25 weeks

 

Total weight gain/measurements: 24 Lbs...

Maternity clothes: yup... 

Stretch marks? Nope... fingers still crossed on this one

Sleep: Doing okay... by the end of the day all energy is drained so I feel like I fall right to sleep. Also, not waking up in the middle of the night as much probably because I'm just too sleepy. Also, my work situation has changed so when I do wake up I'm able to fall right back to sleep because I'm no longer dreaming about a long to-do list

Best moment this week: SNOW... Emma had two days off from school last week, our annual Christmas Party (Seeing some great friends is always a plus), Brunch with Santa! 

Miss anything? Not really.

Movement: Frequent... but not as powerful as Hunter was at this point. 

Food cravings: Just fruit snacks... I've been stress eating the last few weeks. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: Some SMALL Braxton Hicks contractions. It's a little early for these but I think it is probably due to stress and not drinking enough water. 

Symptoms: Back Pain. 

Belly button in or out? In!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Happy or moody most of the time: Still a little moody... Mainly by the end of the night. As I shared Monday... I'm in a bit of a slump.

Looking forward to: Going to Tysons Galleria on Thursday this week as that is where the REAL Santa is according to Emma... So heads up, if you want to run into the real Santa you have to come up to Northern Virginia...  

My amazing friend Holly is taking me out on Wednesday night!

 and Look I finally bought a few things for the baby! Now the guy will have something of his own.... Rock Star themed and all.

Here I was at 25 weeks with Hunter Man

Hint Hint Santa

Just in case Santa is wondering what to stick in my stocking this year...

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Unmotivated... Pregnancy slump

Sorry for the lack of posts in really the last month... It’s not for lack of trying! I'm just unmotivated! Yes... I'm willing to admit that I, Julie Marie Park, am completely unmotivated at the moment. Things have been going on in our crazy busy lives but I haven't blogged or even taken photos of things... I'm just totally slacking!

Pregnancy Slump???
Part of me feels like it is a third pregnancy slump... When it comes to Baby Boy #2 I've just hit a wall mentally and emotionally. I haven't truly put a lot of thoughts into a name, I came up with the theme for his room but since that time I haven't lifted a finger to actually implement the plan, and I haven't even bought the little man any clothes of his own.

It also pains me to admit that I'm not that excited and I feel like that makes me a horrible person. Last pregnancy I was in pain but it all seemed so worth it and I was so excited because Matt and I had tried for 9 months to get preggers and I was just so excited about every little kick and just carrying his baby made even the pain okay.... this time I'm just over it. At the end of the day I feel defeated. The pain seems worse (even though I'm sure it is the same... I'm just negative about it this time around) and I am just not getting any joy from being pregnant. I fear that a new baby will disrupt our delicate balance in our home life and I worry how Hunter will react to having a new little one around.

Just so unexcited... and that kills me. Is it because we didn't try and try for this baby? is it because I didn't long and wish for it crying every time I took a negative pregnancy test after months of trying? With this pregnancy it all just sort of happened and in the beginning I have to admit that I wasn't even happy about being pregnant because it just wasn't the right time. But now I'm fine with it... what a horrible thing to say... I don't want to just be fine with the fact that we are going to welcome a new life into this world! I want to be bouncing off the walls excited! I want to pick out paint colors for his room, buy a guitar for his wall, and find that one perfect coming home outfit... but after 25 weeks of being pregnant I'm just not there yet. I'M STILL JUST FINE... maybe it's just hormones or fear in the unknown... but I want out of whatever this is.


This isn't something that I've talked about openly with any of my friends really or even Matt because I do feel so ashamed of my lack of excitement but I wanted to be honest on here... because isn't that what a blog is for? A place to reflect on life... even if that life is a bit messy at the moment. I just have to remember that not everything is perfect 100% of the time.

23 Weeks With Baby #3

Here I am about to leave ISAF headquarters in Kabul and head home!  you should have seen all of the looks I got for almost being in my third trimester in Afghanistan. Little Man has now been in Afghanistan twice though so this was old news to him... and it seemed like the helicopter rides put him right to sleep.... the C-130 was a different story though!

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain/measurements: 20 Lbs

Maternity clothes: In this outfit, only the pants are maternity but I just bought the super long sweater in a Medium non-maternity

Stretch marks? Nope... fingers still crossed on this one

Sleep: Crazy dreams but besides that I'm no longer waking up a million times in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom!

Best moment this week: Having Thanksgiving dinner with the troops in Aghanistan. Having an early Thanksgiving over the weekend with the Family and surprising Emma by taking her to see the new Hunger Games movie before I left for my trip.

Miss anything? Not really.

Movement: Lots - and it's getting stronger everyday which is very comforting. I love feeling the baby move.

Food cravings: Nope... But that Green bean Casserole sure was yummy... I wouldn't turn down some more of that!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: Heartburn... I need to get in the habit of eating smaller meals! and... back pain so the usual for this time of the pregnancy ;-)

Belly button in or out? In!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Happy or moody most of the time: A bit Moody... SORRY MATT and MY MOTHER! Little things are really beginning to get under my skin!

Looking forward to: Getting home and seeing my amazing family.

Favorite things at 14 Months

Here are a few of my Hunter Man's Favorite things at 14 MONTHS.. and a few items that I like.

 

Squooshi Reusable Food Pouches! I love these Food pouches that we can reuse with our own apple sauces and yogurts. They are also SUPER easy to clean! I purchased my on a Zulily flash sale... 

Hide and Squeak shoes:  These are the best shoes. Very well made, they fit well, and they are SUPER fun because as Hunter runs around the house they squeak! He laughs at all the noise that they make and if mommy or daddy ever want a break from the squeak... we can remove it easily.

Green Toys Tug Boat: Bath time is a favorite in the park household! Hunter is SUPER independent during his bath and loves to spill the water all over himself with his little tugboat. My First Green Toys are manufactured and assembled in California from 100% post-consumer milk jugs, and contains no BPA, phthalates or PVC... Green Toy products are a go to for gifts for kiddoes 4 and under and I'm sure that Hunter will have many more toys from this product line coming his way.

Lightning McQueen Racer Ride-On: Hunter LOVES the Ride-on that he got for his birthday (THANK YOU KIM AND JEFF!!) He likes to press all the buttons on the steering wheel to hear all of the fun sounds. He also likes it when Emma pushes him around our main floor on it.

KidKraft Ball Run: Hunter got this gift last Christmas but has just really started to take an interest in this fun toy. He loves pushing the ball through the hole and catching it on the bottom of the toy!

GAP JEANS: I love the GAP jeans for toddlers. They are frequently on sale and I typically get them for under $20. Which is not cheap but I figure with another boy on the way I might as well get a good quality product now and have it for the next little man to use.

Bemis Slow close with built-in potty seat: Now this is not a Hunter favorite item but a GREAT product that Matt and I BOTH love for him. This is the toilet seat that we had installed in Hunter's bathroom... we like that it is slow close but most of all we love that it has a built-in potty seat that is a perfect size for his tiny (super cute) booty! Hunter sits on the potty every morning and typically 2-3 times in the evening. Our thing is that if we have to go we put him on the potty also just to try... Sometimes he goes and sometimes he doesn't... it is a no pressure activity. He in fact likes it because we play with toys and read books while on the potty so it is fun time.

Plan Toys Dancing Alligator: Hunter loves to pull this little wooden alligator all around the house! He especially likes the clanking noise that it makes!

21 Weeks

HORRIBLE PHOTO OF ME!

How far along? 21 weeks

Total weight gain: 18 lbs

Maternity clothes? All the time. Except the cardigan in the above photo is non maternity.

Stretch marks? No Stretch marks but my veins are OUT OF CONTROL!!! Blue/purple veins are a pregnancy symptom, I think it's because of the increase in blood volume when you are pregnant. I've never had it like this before so when I saw them earlier in the week I was taken by surprise. Again they are extreme... and probably more noticeable because I'm so pale!

Sleep: Sleeping with two extra pillows in between me and my cute hubby... he is not a fan! 

Best moment this week: Hearing the little man's heartbeat! Getting all of my Christmas decorations down & up! HUGE accomplishment!

Miss anything? Pain free evenings... the back pain has started back up! 

Movement: Yes! Still waiting for them to be a bit stronger so that Emma can feel them

Food cravings: Not really

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: BOY!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Heartburn, visible veins, & Back Pain!  

Belly button in or out? In!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving with some troops! DEC 4th when life can slow down a little :-) Finishing up my Christmas shopping, planning our Annual Christmas Party, Taking the kids to see Santa (interested to see how Hunter does with him) & Figuring out a name, & Nursery Planning. 

NAMES: Here are a few names that we are thinking about(in no order)... Well these are my names. Matt would name the baby Diesel, Fox, or Fisher if he could pick the name... REALLY MATT "here are our two boys Hunter and Fisher" NO!!! 

Bennett

Preston

Derek

Jax

Henry

Owen

Brandon

Middle name will be Robert after my Dad. 

HERE I was at 21 Weeks with Hunter

Hunter Man is 14 Months Old!

I cannot believe that my big boy is 14 months old!

He is just getting so big and growing up so fast! Just in the last week he was, for the first time, able to stand up on his own without holding on to anything else for assistance! He is of course running all around and he has found his voice! He says mama, dada, dog, papa, yeah, and done.... so at least it sounds like these words and surprisingly he says them at appropriate times.

Hunter man is also totally fixated on how things work. He likes playing with his legos, stacking up blocks, and taking things apart.

He never likes to stay in one location for very long so it is difficult to take a photo up against the growth chart!

So... we enlisted some help from our big sister!

Weekend in Review

So how did I do with my busy weekend To-Do list that I shared on Friday??? I would say FAIL in the productivity department but a HUGE SUCCESS in the Family time department... Which was much needed!



SUCCESSES

• Emma's friend did spend the night and we had yummy pizza and made smores! The girls also watched a move based on a book that they just finished in school.
• Went to brunch at the Liberty Tavern in Clarendon... FAIL. I was really scoping the place out for a Brunch Baby Shower and the food was just HORRIBLE. I feel like it was once of those instances when they just have way too much to offer and they do none of it well... 
• So as a result of a bad brunch on Saturday I HAD TO take Emma to brunch on Sunday to scope out another location and it was AMAZING! Yummy Chef Geoffs! 
• I got out the Christmas tree and it is up with lights! Nothing else is up but I have a goal to go through one bin each night before bed and that should (fingers crossed) make the process a bit less stressful. 
• Went to work on Sunday and took Emma! She had a BLAST playing with little Mac (Dr. Carter's puppy)
• Went to visit Matt's Grandmother and Aunt in Fairfax Station on Sunday. It was nice to catch up with the family and to see Grandma Jean (she lives in Michigan so we do not get to see her as frequently as we would like)
• Took Hunter Mans 14 Month photos and will share tomorrow.
• Did a CRAZY amount of laundry

FAILS

• Didn't manage to sand or paint to old coffee table... this is really a project that I need to take outdoors so that I do not fill my house with dust during teh sanding process... so the wet weekend made it a bit hard to do. 
• Didn't hang the artwork in the playroom...  One of my IKEA frames broke... so now I have to drive to IKEA to get a replacement! GRRRR
• sunburst mirror - Another outdoor project with the good glue & staining
• Didn't unpack from NYC last weekend... yeah the bag is STILL in my car
• Didn't do a Paint inventory
• Didn't get my car inspected... But I will do this today after my doctors appointment!

 
I'm looking forward to the rest of the week though! Here is what I plan to share on the blog:

Weekend To Do...

I feel like this will be my first full weekend home in a WHILE! It is already shaping up tobe a busy one but I'm going to attempt to cram a few more items in...

• Emma has a friend sleeping over tonight... which means that I have an excuse to order PIZZA for dinner! SCORE
• Taking the girls to Brunch tomorrow morning (along with my mom) at Liberty Tavern in Clarendon!!! YUMMY IN MY TUMMY! Cannot wait to have some French Toast, Bacon & a virgin Fruit Bellini... 
• I want to sand and paint an old coffee table with chalkboard paint...Kind of like the below.

•  Get out our Christmas Tree! I know that it is not even Thanksgiving yet but between my last work trip and all of the farewell events for my boss... I am not going to have a lot of time to set things up before our annual Christmas party.
• I have to go into work for a little while on Sunday.. Emma will join me. She always loves to help out at work.
• Sunday we will also go to visit Matt's grandma who is in town from Michigan! He will likely head over early in the afternoon with Hunter and Emma and I will join him after work.
• Hang some art work in the playroom & Take some photos to share next week 
• Finish a sunburst mirror that I am embarrassed to say I'm been working on for a few months now... will go in the screened in porch 
• Take Hunter's 14 Month Photos 
• LAUNDRY
• Unpack from NYC last weekend... yes my suitcase is still in my van as I have not even bothered to bring it into my house. 
• I also want to do a Paint inventory as I think that we have some touch-up painting to do in the near future.
• Get my car inspected... Totally pulled over for not having a current inspection this morning.

SOOO MUCH TO DO! I'll be back on Monday with an update and hopefully a few photos.

Fall Dining Table

I wanted to share my fall table... I'm not calling it a thanksgiving table this year as I will not be home for Thanksgiving... I will be on my FINAL work trip... TEARS!

I actually couldn't FIND any of the items that I used last year (with the exception of my dollar Tree green wine glasses) I think that I must have packed them separate from my Halloween items and I only took out those bins this year fro decorating... So I just started from scratch!

The dishes are a mixture of our green everyday dishes that are from IKEA and the orange dishes were a fall find from the... DOLLAR TREE!

In the middle of the table I have a small cake stand that I got for $8.99 from Homegoods a few years ago, ceramic pumpkins from the Dollar tree, and silk fall leaves from the Dollar tree!

I also have a great new table cloth that I purchased a few months ago while in India for a work trip! You know I love anything with an elephant!!!

So there she is... my fall dining room.

Here is my Thanksgiving table from last year!

20 Weeks

 (Emma took the photo this week)

How far along? 20 weeks! HALF WAY THERE!

 

Total weight gain: 15 lbs

Maternity clothes? YES! I think that I'm going to need to invest in a maternity winter jacket. 

Stretch marks? Nope

Best moment this week: Going away for a few nights with just my hubby. Seeing the baby again at our 20 week ultrasound and learning that all is healthy. 

 

Miss anything? Not really!

Movement: Yes!! Even at my ultrasound yesterday both the tech and doctor commented on how much of a little mover we have for his size.

Food cravings: Just food in general. I LOVE FOOD and I love going out to dinners and eating different types of yummy foods.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Starting to get a bit of acid reflux.

Gender: BOY! Confirmed again yesterday at the ultrasound.

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Heartburn & a pinched nerve

Belly button in or out? In!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy :) 

Looking forward to: A weekend at home. I have a TON of home projects that I need to take on and I plan to take full advantage of the weekend! 

Slacking!

I have been majorly slacking when it comes to blog posts!

SORRY... but life has been happening. A few weeks ago my AMAZING boss announced his departure from the Department of Defense and ever since that moment we have been full steam ahead with final travel and trying to wrap up any loose ends before 4 December. And let me tell you... that date seems to be coming WAY too fast!

Soooo... What I'm trying to say is that for about another month posts will continue to be extremely spotty! I would like to keep on top of a few posts though so here are a few that you can expect:

• Weekly Belly Updates
• Hunter at 14 Months... how is it possible?
• Fall Dining Room Table
• Playroom Update
• Hall bath update
• Hunter's favorite things at 14 months
• FIRST TIME making Lasagna for my 30 year old!!!

In the mean time let me show you where I got to go this weekend!!!

The London Hotel in New York City! I went for work but Matt came up on the train to spend a few nights with me! It was so nice to walk around the city and eat all sorts of YUMMY food! It was also really nice to have a few nights alone without the kiddos and have an adult meal together!