Labor Day

We had a pretty relaxing Labor Day just doing stuff around the house.  Then at night we went to Joe's parents for dinner and a hayride.

On the golf cart before the hayride...

 Playing on the mower...

 All bundled up and ready to go!

 Stopping on the ride to pet the donkeys:)...

 Saying "good-bye" to the donkeys...

 Gibs' typical serious face...

 And not so serious...

 Peek-a-boo!

Pre Labor Day Celebration

 We celebrated Labor Day today with my family.  We had a delicious dinner followed by time with the fam as well as Layla getting splashing mud all over herself with a net:).  The only pics I took were of the kids:). 

Funny that I didn't even notice until looking at this picture that Gibs is drinking out of Layla's sippy instead of his own:). Also, we did feed Gibs, he had just finished his first plate full and Joe was getting him seconds:)... (Natalie and Gibs on the left and Layla, Gavin and Caleb on the right)

 

First Baseball Game

Thought I should document that the kids went to their first baseball game. Neither Joe or I are sports fans, so this will probably be it for awhile:). We had Joe's work party at a Whitecaps game last night and they both liked it, although I'm not sure they watched more than a couple minutes of the game:). Here are the only pics I have that I quick took on my phone...

Unfortunately Joe did not win that tv in the background:(...

Gibs with Dad...

25 Weeks

I'm so happy to have made it without any issues to 25 weeks! I was 25 weeks this past Wednesday. Last Friday I had a doctor's appointment and all is well! At 25 weeks with Gibson I was starting to thin and had a "fingertip" cervix (sounds so nice, I know:D), but this time I am totally fine! Hopefully that continues for many weeks to come! I can tell the more I do the more I do get some contractions, so I have been trying to rest for part of each day when I can and hopefully that's helping. Joe gave me my progesterone shot for the first time last week in the office, now he's good to go giving it to me tomorrow at home--hopefully anyway:). I have been seeing lots of cute baby clothes at garage sales lately which makes me wish a little bit that we knew what it was, but I'm still glad we didn't find out and am excited to find out when he/she is here--maybe it'll make labor a little more exciting and tolerable:). Strange as it is, I'm almost more nervous for labor this time around. I didn't have drugs with Layla, but it went pretty fast and started at home, so I was distracted with the car ride to GR, waiting in the ER, checking in in triage, etc, but with Gibs I think I thought that since Layla's went quick, his would too, but it felt to me like it lasted forever. I think this time I'll try it without drugs again, but if it seems to go slow like Gibs', I'll get an epidural. Having something stuck in my spine sounds awful to me, but not having as much pain for hours in a row sounds good:). So we will see.

Baby seems to be making stronger movements lately. I feel him/her quite a few times a day which is always a nice reminder that he/she is doing well. I don't think this baby moves quite as much as Layla or Gibson did, but maybe I just have forgotten what they moved like at 25 weeks. My doctor was in such a hurry for my last appointment because he had a patient in labor and she was pushing, so he knew it'd be somewhat soon, so I didn't even remember to ask what the heartbeat was. I feel like I've hardly talked to my doctor this pregnancy. My first appointment wasn't until about 12 weeks, I think, and then I went at 16, then at 20 and we talked about progesterone the whole time, and then this appointment he was in such a hurry that we didn't really talk. I'll see him again in 2 weeks and then I'll be almost 28 weeks! He had mentioned at my first appointment that we'd do some sort of rest around 28 weeks, depending on how things were going, but hasn't said anything since then. With Gibs I went on partial bedrest at 25 weeks and strict bedrest at 28 (after being in the hospital a couple of days to calm the contractions) and with Layla I went on strict bedrest at 28 weeks also (after being in the hospital a few days to calm the contractions). So we will see! I know bedrest would be a lot harder this time with 2 little ones, so it'd be great to not have to have strict bedrest, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep this little one healthy and inside as long as possible! My sister is also doing the progesterone shots, so I'm really curious to see how much of a difference they make!

We are really having a hard time deciding on a boy name--good thing we have awhile yet! The problem isn't that we can't agree--it's not that Joe has 10 names he likes and I have 10 names I like--the issue is that neither of us really like any names (well, I mean, there are lots of nice names, just not ones we want to name our son). We have a short list, so I guess if we can't think of another name before then, we'll just have to choose one off the list--unless it's a girl of course, then I'm quite sure we have the name picked out. I asked on Facebook too, but any name suggestions are always appreciated! We want something a little different but not anything too crazy or hard to remember. And we'd prefer it end in something other than and "a" or "n" since Gibson and Layla end in different letters, but if we really like a name, I'd be open to it ending in an "n" (or an "a", but I don't think too many boy names end in "a").
Here's me at 25 weeks...

And I think this was 24 weeks (before a wedding we went to)...

BBQ Fun

Saturday night we went to the Drenthe BBQ for the first time. After dinner we walked around to see the animals with Auntie Em and Gavin (Uncle Mike was helping cook the chickens). The kids were a little apprehensive of the animals at first, but then warmed right up and loved them. Layla was pretty timid of farm animals of any kind last summer and wouldn't touch them, but I think Gibs' fearless attitude with that sort of stuff has helped!

I think this was the fluffiest bunny I've ever seen!

Little firefighters:)...

There was also a hayless hayride (wagon ride) that she saw when we pulled in, but we never got a chance to ride on it since by the time we got done with the fire truck stuff it was done. She was really sad, so I told her that hopefully when we visit friends camping in a few weeks she can go then.

Layla took this pic of Gibs and me the other day...

And then wanted one of her and mom too:).

Sunday Fishing and Snoopy Snow Cones

Last summer I found this Snoopy Snow Cone maker at a garage sale and got it since it was the same one I had when I was little. I kind of forgot about using it until today. The kids both loved their snow cones!

Showing off their blue tongues (well, Gibs' is only slightly blue:D)...

Gibs got his shirt all dirty at dinner (even with a bib on somehow) so that is why he's shirtless:)...

After church this morning we went to Joe's parents' house for lunch and Layla got to try out her fishing pole she got yesterday! She chose a Barbie one. There was a Tinkerbell one and a Disney Princess one so we were surprised when she chose Barbie, but she loves it and the Barbie one even came with a plastic fish to practice with (which she had some pretty good casts in the house yesterday!) and a cute little tackle box:).

Gibs and me watching in the shade...

Gibs was feeding bread to the fish but got a little scared every time the fish would jump at the bread and after a bit had enough of feeding them:)...

She loved it!

A fishy (she likes catching them but doesn't want to touch them)!

When Layla was done fishing Joe had some fun of his own fishing with the Barbie pole:)...

Beach Night Out

Gigi watched the kids Friday while I had an appointment and then took the kids to the beach with my dad, Kristina, Kassia and Tate. The kids had a blast and it gave us a chance to enjoy dinner alone at Red Lobster and then come home to a quiet house.

Trying on their new backpacks from Gigi:)...

Gigi with Gibs an Layla...

Rubbing sand in his face:)...