Our Little Helper

Even before the baby arrives, Paxton is excited to be a big brother and seeks (or invents) ways to help. Recently, he's helped search for a changing table at IKEA, pick out a big brother gift to take to the hospital, dig through boxes for itty-bitty clothes, and test out the baby's new sidecar co-sleeper. He even test fit the co-sleeper he used as an infant to see whether he'd fit and be sure it was comfy enough for Baby Angel. The verdict? Too small for Pax, plenty comfy for the newest Willoughby:



But, my favorite moment of Paxton's help so far was last week at our midwives appointment. Pax loves to hear the baby's heartbeat when we visit (on a weekly basis now), so it was extra exciting this time when he got to do it himself. He pushed the chair right up to Merrilee's, climbed up, squeezed out the cold blue gel (with a little midwife help), turned on the doppler microphone, and placed it in just the right spot to pickup the baby's heartbeat. He was very proud and mommy and daddy melted just a little. Thanks for being such a great helper, Paxton. It warms our hearts to know that your love and helping hands are ready to meet Baby Angel whenever he or she arrives.

Family Pictures

In honor of another big milestone in our family, we had some family pictures taken to remember this incredibly special time in our lives. It's not much longer that we will be a family of three and we wanted to capture some images that we can show our little one someday. Our friend, Catie, from Vuefinder Photography took some absolutely incredible pictures for us. I had an idea in my mind of what I hoped these images would reflect and she went above and beyond what I had imagined. I look at these images and I see the love in our family as it is now and the excitement that all three of us share about meeting Baby Angel. If you want to take a peek, I put an image gallery up on our Mobile Me site. Catie, thank you for making these memories come to life!

Some little gems

First of all, I wanted to post an image with Baby Angel's not-first trip to Disneyland. As we're nearing the end here, my belly seems to be growing at a ridiculously rapid rate and I thought it was worth documenting. Little one...someday you can look at these and I hope they make you smile :)

On a completely different note, some of the things that Paxton has said about Baby Angel are absolutely priceless and I have been trying to write them all down so I will never ever forget. Here are some of the little gems so far...I'm sure there will be plenty more!

"Baby Angel come out!" and "Open the door!" - Um, yes please!

"Boy" and "Baby Brother" - This one still hasn't changed...he's completely convinced!

"Baby Angel come out the bebo" - We're working on correcting this one. We just bought the National Geographic "In the Womb" DVD for him to watch. Although if he thinks the baby is coming out my belly button, it's definitely not the end of the world :)

"Baby come out the door and eat breakfast" - If Pax is serving, it will likely be pancakes or waffles. I'm sure it won't be long before Baby Angel is coming into our bedroom in the morning announcing "sugar time" just like his/her big brother.

"Baby's talking now" - This is what Pax said with his ear to my belly. I have no clue what the baby said, but maybe someday he'll tell me.

"Mommy's baby coming on Saturday" - He didn't specify which Saturday so I'm hoping that he's referring to one of the next two Saturdays. If he's right, Brad says we'll take him to Vegas.

"Baby Angel getting taller. Be a big boy like Paxton." - This was Pax's comment to my ever-growing belly. Obviously, the belly's getting bigger so Baby Angel must be getting bigger too.

Edited on 5/26 to add...

"Paxton touch Mommy's big bella" - Not a clue where this came from, but so cute.

"I love Baby Angel" - Three times this morning, Pax leaned over to hug my belly and tell his new sibling how much he loves him/her :)

"Baby Angel eat pizza in Mommy's tummy" - Pax's comment after a big pizza dinner at Blind Lady.

We're taking guesses!!!!

Keeping Baby Angel's gender a surprise has truly been a treat! We are enjoying the mystery and know that the big birthday will be that much more exciting. What has been unexpected (and definitely entertaining) has been the constant stream of guesses that we've had from our friends, family, and complete strangers. Everyone has a guess and a theory about why they're right. Everything from the way I'm carrying to the fact that I'm eating more sweets to a ring on a string. It seems like it's been about half and half guessing a boy versus a girl, but we thought it was time for a proper poll. Go ahead and record your guess and leave a comment with your theory...I'm sure we haven't heard them all yet and it will be a blast to share these with the little one someday.

Is Paxton getting a brother or a sister?

And just for fun, these were from Mother's Day. I can't wait to see what next year's picture will look like!

Our little pineapple

So according to Baby Center, we currently have a 4 pound pineapple in my belly. It's hard to believe that not too many months ago, we were talking about lentils and lima beans. Now it's also hard to believe that we will very soon be reaching watermelon and pumpkin territory. Yikes! So far, everything is progressing perfectly and our little pineapple is measuring perfectly and in exactly the right position. Not sure if it's the swimming, the acupuncture, the massage, or the fact that I'm not sitting in front of a computer 40 hours a week this time, but we were thrilled to hear that Baby Angel is right where he or she needs to be. We are looking forward to a completely natural birth this time around and according to our midwives, we shouldn't have any problems. Yay!

My Top Ten

This pregnancy has definitely been harder than the first one which I think is often the case. Other mamas I've talked to definitely agree that carrying one little one in your belly is tiring enough, but doing that while you're chasing another one around is exhausting. I feel like I've spent a lot of time complaining lately so this post is dedicated to the top ten things I'm enjoying about being pregnant this time around :)

Here goes...

1. Sharing the experience with Paxton. This is my number one for sure! It has been so much fun talking to Paxton about his new sibling and having him cuddle and kiss to my belly.
2. My walks. Last time, I was able to continue running until a few weeks before my due date, but it's been much harder with this pregnancy. I'd really been letting that bother me, but I'm starting to embrace it and realize that slowing down isn't a bad thing. I have had some of the most relaxing and peaceful walks lately. Pax, Baby Angel, and I have been enjoying springtime and it's wonderful!
3. No back aches this time. Hopefully, I didn't just jinx it
4. Not knowing if Baby Angel is a boy or a girl. It has been lots of fun keeping this a surprise and imagining what it will be like both ways. Definitely fun to do things a little differently this time.
5. Being pregnant in the spring. All the new life everywhere...baby ducks, tulips starting to blossom, green grass, wildflowers...yes, all that silliness actually makes this pregnant thing seem festive and fun :)
6. Knowing that this little one will have an amazing big brother waiting to meet him.
7. Not having to make so many decisions. Last time it seemed like we had to decide so many things like where we'd have the baby, what pediatrician we'd use, vaccines, where the baby would sleep, etc... Things are so much simpler since we invested so much energy last time.
8. Having an active baby in my belly. This little one is a kicker for sure. While sometimes it's pretty darn uncomfortable, the *constant* reminders of the new life growing inside my belly are hard to beat.
9. Swimming! I didn't get a chance to try this out last time, but it's true that swimming when you're pregnant is wonderful.
10. Knowing that when this pregnancy is over, I will be holding a sweet, new life in my arms :)

What's in a name...letters, obviously!

Over the last few months, Brad and I have been giving a lot of thought to what we want to name the newest Willoughby. In my opinion, this is one of the most important decisions you have to make as a parent. Sure there are decisions on breastfeeding, sleeping, discipline, and all that, but a name is something that will have an impact on a person every day for the rest of their life. While we still haven't decided on the top two names yet, our list has some good contenders and we are working on it. In the mean time, I have been adamant that we won't refer to this little one as Baby Willoughby 2 or the second baby or Baby #2. That just bugs me on a whole bunch of levels. So we decided that we needed a nickname for the baby and it should be something that could work for a boy or a girl. Totally lacking in creativity, we enlisted Paxton's help and he did not disappoint :)

When we asked him what we should call the baby, his first response was "letters." We have absolutely no idea where he got that, but it makes sense, I guess. A name is made up of letters, right? A few days later, he answered us with "Jo" and we thought "perfect!" Works for a boy or girl, it's cute and endearing....done! So we called the baby "Baby Jo" for a couple weeks before he changed his mind again and decided that actually it should be "Baby Angel" and this one has stuck. He now hugs my tummy and talks about Baby Angel. Occasionally, he calls the baby "camels" or "waffles," but then returns back to Baby Angel. We love it and think that it's the perfect nickname for the little angel who will be joining our family.