The weeks have been flying by! I am already almost 25 weeks pregnant! Wow!

Today is gorgeous out but a few weeks ago we were still experiencing chilly days. I got hooked on baking bread using this book called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. It is incredibly easy and the bread is SO GOOD! I think it definitely helped me to get over the hump of winter. I highly recommend this cookbook if you are thinking about trying to bake your own bread. Just be prepared...it makes A LOT!

The dough rising

The yummy bread

Ian's way of making it through winter...playgrounds and making silly faces

Last Monday my friend Amy had an emergency c-section and her little baby daughter Madison took her last breath just seven hours later. This past week has been very emotional to say the least.

Yesterday Amy and her husband Josh held a service in celebration of Madison and her short time on this earth. It was incredibly sad, but it was also very hopeful. Amy and Josh will see their daughter in heaven one day, and she will be well and not sick and suffering.

Madison was only on this earth for a short time, but she touched the lives of so many people. It was mentioned at the service that over 1,000 people in 22 different countries were praying for Amy, Josh, and Madison. That is incredible to think about.

When something like this happens we all stop for a moment and are able to put things in proper perspective. Ian's whining doesn't bother me as much, and I am so much more grateful for friends and family.

I am amazed by Amy and Josh's strength this past week. One of their friends mentioned that when going through something as traumatic as this people tend to turn inward. Not Amy and Josh. They have been so open and generous this past week, and it is a true testament to the loving people that they are.

Obsession

I haven't really seen anything like it. Ian is completely obsessed with the computer and cell phones. He rarely plays with his own toys and would rather sit around playing with a cell phone all day. It is now becoming a favorite past time of Ian's to sit at the computer and look at our iphoto library. He talks to the pictures and just loves it! We spend a lot of time as a family in front of the computer these days.

It's a GIRL!!!!

Wow, I have been really bad about blogging lately! So Sorry!

We have big news! Two weeks ago I was having some complications and during an emergency ultrasound we found out that we are having a girl!!! We had confirmation again today that indeed Ian will have a baby sister. I am super excited, but I am still wrapping my mind around this news and keep trying to picture having a daughter. I was an awful bratty child. I once closed the caravan door on my sister's head...on purpose. I am terrified of retribution so I am sending nice, calm thoughts to the baby daily.

It is great that my parents still love me though, and agreed to come down last week to watch Ian for a night so Tim and I could spend a night in a local hotel, get massages, eat out, etc. We had a wonderful time relaxing and ate way too much food. We definitely took advantage of eating out! It was much needed after a hectic work week and Ian being sick with an ear infection. Despite Ian's less than enthusiastic picture below, he had a great time with my parents, went on a ton of walks to the park, and hit up local establishments like Taylors Gourmet.

We also got to hang out with Aidan last week. (we had more playdates this week but of course I forgot to take pictures!) Aidan is a talker and we can already see improvement in Ian's vocabulary just from hanging out with Aidan for a few hours. They were adorable together and by the end of the night were feeding each other yogurt and dancing to Lady Antebellum.

Faschnaut Day!!!

This week is holiday overload- Valentines Day, Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras...AND FASCHNAUT DAY!

Tomorrow is Faschnaut Day, or the "sweet" day before lent. Growing up we always made doughnuts the day before the beginning of lent, or Ash Wednesday. Since I will be working tomorrow we decided to celebrate Faschnaut Day last week during the second blizzard of 2010. We had some friends over and baked doughnuts. Instead of frying them as usual, my mom had a great recipe for baking the doughnuts in mini muffin tins. We served them with espresso and kahlua. They don't look much like doughnuts, but they sure did taste yummy!

Sorry I haven't posted much about this pregnancy. I was so incredibly sick at the beginning that I was not even really enjoying being pregnant. November and December were a complete blur. I have started to feel much better and can actually stomach foods in the non-carb category. I am starting to really crave fruits and vegetables, probably because my body was void of them for so long.

We are starting to talk to Ian about the new baby and he now likes to pull up my shirt and point at my belly. I think he is a little freaked out by the fact that my stomach is slowly getting larger.

I have also started going to prenatal yoga again which I just absolutely love. My two yoga friends are pregnant again as well...it is so fun doing this all over again with them.

We are starting to get really excited for the first week of March when we find out what we are having. I am due July 21st (Ian's due date as well!!!) so this will be our 20 week/half way visit. We are just praying that everything is fine with the baby and no abnormalities pop up.

And!!! Because I am so completely obsessed with Ian these days, I am posting pictures that his Aunt Cate took on her recent visit to DC. I am hoping she really does get her photography license because she is so darn talented.

All of this snow is really getting insane. I am not quite sure if I can even paint a picture with words as to the blizzard we are experiencing right now. The wind is getting really loud and the snow just keeps falling. This city is not moving for a really long time.

Over the weekend we had a huge snow storm and Ian got to play outside. We built a ramp with our neighbors so the boys could slide down the snow. We also took some walks with our new backpack.

Today however is a different story. We will not be playing outside at all! We have decided to celebrate Faschnaut day early this year and will be making donuts later this afternoon. If any one else has any other snowy day indoor activities please let me know because we are going stir crazy!

I have also posted some pictures of some playdates we have had this month. We got together with all the yoga babies again for brunch. The boys are really growing up quickly and we are super excited for all the new babies on the way :)

Ian and I also met up with Amy and Jackson at the Natural History Museum and a walk on the Mall. Ian loved the museum, especially the ocean section.

We hope everyone is staying safe and warm this week!

These last couple of weeks have been super busy at work. I have been going into the office three to four days a week which means that I have been cherishing my time at home with Ian more and more. Ian is really growing up in so many ways these days. He has started to sit on his own potty (although he has yet to actually do anything on it), he undresses himself, and as all young civilized Washingtonian men should, drinks tea! His new favorite drink is peppermint tea. I really hope it isn't bad for toddlers to drink tea because he loves it.

It has been snowing a lot this winter, well a lot for DC standards. This past week the snow left a beautiful footprint on the city. It just perched itself above everything, and was even able to make metal awnings look somewhat pretty.

I just returned from the corner grocery. I am totaling having a girl. I just bought three pints of ice cream. This is more ice cream than I have ever bought or consumed in my ENTIRE life... total. I hate ice cream. It makes me gag. I only eat ice cream under two circumstances...I am eating my Dad's homemade ice cream (yes, he actually churns the cream himself, it is incredible!) or I am eating Turkey Hill out of my grandparents pastel plastic bowls while sitting around their kitchen table. That is it.

I know this comes as a shock to many of you...first that you are hearing for the first time that I am pregnant AGAIN, and second that pregnancy actually drove me to eat something in the dairy family. Yes, I do realize that if you let ice cream sit for awhile it takes on the consistency of milk which makes me want to gag again, but oh...the taste and the way that it just cures me of all sickness and nausea is truly amazing!

Stair Renovation Part One

Ian was in heaven as the carpenters broke through the floor and installed stairs down to our basement. He watched them all day. I am kinda sad that they are gone, but we love our added space and storage it provides. Here are some pictures of the construction. We paint and move furniture downstairs this weekend.

The floor is gone!

A new beam and stairs are installed.

Ian could not be more happy

View from below

The drywall comes down and we are left with amazing exposed brick

The stairs are finished and stained, the brick is cleaned, and the spindles are installed

Another view

Ian enjoying his new space

We are in the midst of yet another house renovation so blogging and free time have been hard to come by. We are adding stairs down to our basement to add more play room for Ian and storage for us! I will post pictures of the renovation soon but thought I would show you some recent pictures of Ian. He is a blast to hang out with these days and is developing quite a sense of humor.

I just returned from the corner grocery. I am totaling having a girl. I just bought three pints of ice cream. This is more ice cream than I have ever bought or consumed in my ENTIRE life... total. I hate ice cream. It makes me gag. I only eat ice cream under two circumstances...I am eating my Dad's homemade ice cream (yes, he actually churns the cream himself, it is incredible!) or I am eating Turkey Hill out of my grandparents pastel plastic bowls while sitting around their kitchen table. That is it.

I know this comes as a shock to many of you...first that you are hearing for the first time that I am pregnant AGAIN, and second that pregnancy actually drove me to eat something in the dairy family. Yes, I do realize that if you let ice cream sit for awhile it takes on the consistency of milk which makes me want to gag again, but oh...the taste and the way that it just cures me of all sickness and nausea is truly amazing!