A New Haircut, and Gardening Time!

 This morning I got my hair cut! :) I donated 8 inches to Beautiful Lengths, which is similar to Locks of Love...they make wigs for those in need. After the hair was cut off, it was like my head was FREE! :) The above picture was taken by Austin right after I walked in the door from getting my hair cut.

 This is the picture I took while Claire was napping this afternoon. I discovered short hair is so easy to wash! I think my one-month supply of hair product will now last me about 6 months instead. Great! :)

 This last week I also planted my garden, since it will hopefully be warm enough not to kill all my little seedlings. This is the first year I started "transplants" (the plants you see on the windowsill)...usually I just buy started plants for my tomato and pepper plants. This water bottle idea was something I saw on Pinterest, and since I'm all about doing things as inexpensively as possible--of course I had to try it! :) So far everything seems to be going well (the plants seem to be surviving and growing well, in other words). I will put these little transplants into the garden with the rest of the plants in another month or so, once it really is starting to warm up.

Happy Spring everyone! Even Baby Girl is feeling happy today...because she is now in the home stretch as I enter my last trimester today! :) I hope everyone else is having a wonderful weekend! :)

Claire's Cuteness (Videos)

Claire has been sick yesterday and today, but she has been doing such sweet little girl things that I just had to take a couple of videos. Lately Claire has been especially interested in diapering her little animals and dollies (especially her teddy bears). Before I took these videos, she was pretending to even put desitin on her teddy bear...since that is what I have been putting on her quite a bit yesterday and today. :) I just love seeing her growing every day and playing at being a Mommy. Claire is such a sweet girl, and I feel blessed that Heavenly Father has trusted me to be her mommy. I think the new baby will sure be lucky to have Claire for an older sister...and Claire is sure lucky to have a little sister to love on. :)

Blanket for Baby Girl (and scroll down for another post)

 I have been working the last month or so on a baby blanket for our new little girl. Austin's mom recently taught me how to crochet (and I am LOVING it!), so of course I had to crochet something for the baby. :) Here is what I have done so far.

Here is a close-up of the different colors in the rows. Purple, white, and pink. :) I haven't gotten done as much as I wanted, and there was an "Incident" involving Claire's more destructively talented side that has impeded some of my progress, but hopefully if I keep working away at it (barring any more "Incidents", haha) I will be able to get it done soon. :) Don't forget to scroll down for some pictures of Claire and my 25 week update! :)

25 Weeks & Claire's Curlers

 The other night I curled Claire's hair...she was SO excited! :) She is too young to leave them in over night, so I just dried her hair with the blow dryer. Claire handed me each curler, and did pretty good (for her) at sitting still for her hair-do.

 Unfortunately she wasn't as good at standing still for a picture of the "after" look...luckily the picture snapped before her grumpy look flashed across her face. :) This way she just looks like she is being silly. :) As you can see, not much difference from the hair drying, but she loved doing it, and I had fun doing a "girly" activity with her. :)

 Also, I am 25 weeks along now! Hurrah! This little one is moving a lot...she mostly just enjoys floating up into my ribs. She is a lot different from Claire before Claire was born...I can't wait to meet this little one and see what she is like! :)

I haven't had as many cravings lately, but I am eating more (but I don't think ravenously so, like I did with Claire, when I was hungry...all...the...time!). I have been pretty tired this time around, but fortunately not that dizzy. I have had to resort lately to sleeping with a body pillow at night to get semi-comfortable so I can rest, but I'm just glad to sleep...I remember I couldn't sleep very well at all when I was pregnant with Claire, especially towards the end. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I get too big to really get a good night's rest.

 

I think this little girl is starting to pack on the pounds too, because she feels like she is getting HEAVY, and I know this is only the beginning--and compared to the end, this is nothing! :) I start my third trimester in a couple of weeks, and I can hardly believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by...but that is OK with me! :) I think I have gained about 5 or 6 pounds now, and fortunately all towards the baby. ;) Everything is starting to feel really real now...I guess I better get cracking on figuring out a name! It will be fun trying to figure out what name to give this little one, and it's probably something that I love the most about having a baby. Claire always calls the baby "sister" or "baby in Mommy's tummy" and likes to share her toys and her food with the baby these days. I just hope that she enjoys being a big sister as much when her little sister ACTUALLY gets here (and she has to share her Mommy and Daddy all the time)! :) I guess we'll just have to wait and see. :)