All about the birth of Baby Belle
We're Growing
Hospital Bag and Sibling Bag Checklist
As of this Friday, I will be 34 weeks pregnant with baby Hailey. This means it's time to start packing go bags for the hospital. This time we have an extra person to pack for. T will be spending time at grandma's while mom and dad are at the hospital. This will be his first overnight away from home, so we want to make sure he is as comfortable as possible. I have thus created a hospital bag and sibling bag checklist. The first is a list of items for Mom, Dad, and Baby, and the second is a list for the older sibling(s).
Telethon Wrap Up and Gender Reveal
So, this weekend has been major for our family. We had T's onstage debut in Telethon for Santa and we found out the gender of baby #2!! Because I like to do things in chronological order, we start with Telethon for Santa. If you really can't wait to find out, you can always scroll down and then come back!!
So this week was T's theater debut and I must say I am thoroughly impressed. He spent practically every day last week at the theater helping is dad and Uncle Chris put together the set for the show, often missing naps. Then he would spend all evening at rehearsal. He never caused a problem or had a fit and he was a delight to his fellow actors.
Opening night of the show was Friday and I was every so slightly nervous of how he would react to an audience. It was like he didn't even know they were there, except when he got a laugh, which he utterly enjoyed. He actually got 2 big laughs in his first show! The first was when he sneezed in the middle of my line. The second is when he kicked his feet when one of the other elves has to hold him awkwardly to make it seem like he's never held a baby. In all he had to be carried by 2 other people during the show and he never made a fuss or reached out to mommy. This 2 year old definitely has what it takes to be in theater! Back stage he was quiet when he had to be and he actually enjoyed watching the show from side stage when he had the chance. He even had a cold which didn't affect his good behavior one bit!
Besides the show this whole weekend has been crazy! Friday night I had work, then taught a hip hop class, and then had the show. Saturday, T had dance class then the matinee show, then an ugly Christmas sweater party. Sunday was the gender reveal shoot, another matinee performance, and finally dinner at Aunt Katie's for her birthday and a visit with Santa. Some things had to give, but it was a long weekend none the less.
Here are some pictures from the show!
Back stage with mom and dad.
Telethon for Santa 3
On stage, acting!
Here's the full cast!
Soooo now it's time for the GENDER REVEAL!!!
Sunday morning we went to the park and my sister in law, Katie, had filled a big box with balloons. The idea was to have T open the box and we would learn the gender based on the color of the balloons. We then did a variety of shots with the balloons. It was so much fun and I love the shots that Katie got. It definitely captured our emotions and excitement. It's a GIRL!!!
Here are some of the shots:
You can check out Katie's work at http://www.katiejoyphotographyny.com. She is great to work with and very patient with kids. Far more patient than you might be, lol!!
I hope you enjoyed our weekend recap! Stay tuned Thursday for our Christmas craft project!
Cheers,
Emily
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Why Not Add One More
This is quickie post to explain me being MIA for like a week. I have been feeling tired and run down and pretty much not like my normal energetic self. This is completely atypical for me. I eat well, I workout, and so generally, I am one of those super annoying always active people.
These last few weeks, not so much...
So, we did some tests and went to the doctor, and we can now officially say "We are expecting #2 in May 2016!!"
In a way this is nice because it forces me to take a break and take some things off my plate. For example, I will probably not be performing for a while or competing in pageants. I will still be teaching dance however, which is awesome since I need some dancing in my life!! I will also still have my nonprofit to run and my job and grad school. So still plenty to do!!
We will also be moving prior to the baby coming (fingers crossed). We definitely need more space if we hope to fit another person in our house.
T is super excited to be a big brother although he has no idea what that means. I think he just likes to say the phrase. Either way we plan to try to include him in things as much as possible. For example for the gender reveal I want to have him open a box and then either blue or pink balloons will come out. I know he won't know what it means, but I thought it would be a fun way to include him. We also got him a big brother book and shirt.
Any other ideas on including your kids in prepping for a new baby are definitely welcome!! Definitely put your 2 cents in the comments!!
Thanks for all your love and support!! More tips will be coming later this week, don't you fret!!
Cheers,
Emily
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