Haircut

Kennedy got her very first haircut today! Kind of hard to believe at almost 2 1/2 years old but it has just been growing and I just haven't ever gotten it cut. I took her to a cute kids cut place and though she did not cry, she was very serious throughout the whole experience. With the exception of this first picture, she literally did not crack a smile the entire time!

the "before" shot

the "after" shot- a few inches shorter and they even did the CUTEST "headband braid" across the front!

enjoying her hard-earned sucker :)

Baby Shower

Heidi threw me an awesome baby shower last weekend with a few close girlfriends. I had been a bit hesitant about having a shower because it is my second baby and I am having another girl but she insisted and I am so glad she did! It was so much fun to get together and celebrate our new baby girl! Thanks Heids- as always, you are such a great friend! We didn't take many photos but here are a few...

Amy and Mckenna

Margaret, my mom and Mckenna

Little Monkey at Little Gym

We have been taking Kennedy to little gym since last fall and with only two weeks left before she is finished, I thought I would post a few photos of her showing of her tricks. Little gym has been so great for her and she has learned a lot. It has been a fun Saturday morning activity for Sean and I to do with her!

Last week, they had a climbing wall up which was a huge hit! Kennedy LOVES to climb on everything so she was in heaven!

When she first started little gym, her little hands could not even hold onto the bar. Now, she can dangle and pull herself up!

Her usual "position" during bubble-time... ever since the class when they told the kids to pop the bubbles on with their bellies, she has taken this position . :)

And, arguably the best part of Little Gym class- stamps at the end!

Next up... swimming lessons! Sean is going to start taking her to Saturday morning swim lessons beginning the end of June. I think it will be a nice one-on-one activity for them especially once the new baby arrives! 

Changes

Wow. We have had a busy month. Our little family is undergoing all kinds of life changes right now- fortunately, they are all good ones!

We spent Mother's Day weekend moving into our beautiful new home and we are thrilled to finally be here! After spending the past 6 months in our little apartment, it feels nice to have all of our things in one place and to finally get organized. We couldn't be happier with our new home ... in fact, we spend a good portion of our time just looking around in disbelief and excitement!

Kennedy made two moves- the first into our house, of course. The second was out of her crib and into her new BIG GIRL BED! Many people thought she was too young to be in a bed but my gut feeling was that she would handle it well and quite frankly, we needed the crib for the new baby! Fortunately, I was right. There really was no transition- she went to sleep like a champ the first night and has slept great in her bed ever since. I am so proud of her! 

Other exciting changes include Sean's acceptance of a new job! He was been working for the family development business for the past six years and has decided to take a position with a different developer. It begins as a part-time position and will morph into a full-time position by year's end, at the latest. Until then, he will manage both jobs.  I am so proud of him- he continues to amaze me with his intelligence and strong work ethic. I am excited for him to start something new and challenging!

While Sean forges ahead with a new job opportunity, I too am facing changes on the job-front. Continuing to work part-time while paying for childcare for two kids does not make sense financially so I was faced with the decision of going back to work full-time or staying home for awhile. While I love teaching, I am not willing to do it for free which is what I would be doing after paying part-time daycare with my part-time paycheck. So, it is with very mixed emotions that I have submitted a one-year leave of absence for next school year- we will re-evaluate finances and my mental status in a year! This hasn't been an easy decision for me and it has kept me up more than one night. While I love my daughter (soon to be daughters) more than anything, it has been nice to have a balance between being a mom and utilizing my skills as a teacher, as well. While I have infinite respect for stay at home mamas, it was never something I really thought I would do. My mom worked full-time my entire life and I don't feel I suffered because of it. But, I have decided that sometimes we end up on paths that we didn't anticipate or plan for so I am going to embrace this new phase and focus on the positives of staying home with my girls!

And, of course, the other big change we are facing is the impending arrival of our new little daughter... she is due in exactly four weeks and we are preparing for her arrival. Her room is set up, clothes are washed, bassinet is ready to go and diapers are bought. While tendonitis in my feet, heartburn and back aches make it a little difficult to not focus on how excited I am to get my body back to myself, I do need to make an effort to truly enjoy these last weeks as a family of three and enjoy the one-on-one time with my first baby girl.

I am shocking even myself by posting this photo of myself at 36 weeks pregnant... it might possibly be one of the worst photos ever taken of me but maybe my girls will get a kick out of seeing it someday! Some women only gain weight in their bellies- I, on the other hand, clearly get a bit puffy everywhere! :) Oh well, soon enough I will be holding a sweet, precious baby girl and it will be all worth it.

The past month has been so busy and I have not been taking pictures as regularly as I usually do so today I made a point to take some photos. What a beautiful day it was- it officially felt like the beginning of summer! Kennedy and Roderick played in our backyard for over four hours this afternoon- they were filthy dirty by the time they came in. Nothing better than dirty, happy toddlers playing outside. Plus, I really love the smell of sunscreen and the sounds of lawn mowers. Sean worked in the yard all afternoon as well- he laid new topsoil and we chose some new plants for the backyard.

Even our cat, Max, is loving the new house and summer!

 Baby Mckenna- already 3 months old!

 A nice preview of what things will look like for us when our new baby arrives! I hope Kennedy has that same grin on her face when she realizes her little sister will be here to stay. :)