Love Letter

Dear Peyton (my most precious thing),

I’m writing you this letter on what could be our last day as “just the two of us”. For almost 3½ years, you’ve been my constant companion, my sidekick and my very best friend. Any day now, we will be adding a baby sister- another adorable girl to be a part of our family. Now it will be “the 3 of us girls”. I am so excited about your baby sister coming. Daddy and I wanted you to have a sibling so badly, and it took us a long time to be able to have her, so we are thrilled to finally have her come. We’re so happy that you get to have a sister- a built-in best friend, someone who you will be teammates with your whole entire life. Sisters have a bond that is unlike any other, and I am so excited for you to have that.

Even though I’m really excited about our family growing, it is a little bittersweet for me to think about the imminent change of what has been the absolute best time of my life- it being just you and I, all the time. We have been able to do so many things together, just the two of us. There have hardly been any moments when we haven’t been together- a handful of nights with babysitters, a few days when daddy and I have been out of town, and for the last month, 5 hours a week of you in preschool, but besides that, we have been together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, your entire life. And the big majority of that time it has been just the two of us (since daddy works most of your waking hours). It has been amazing.

I know when your little sister gets here things are going to change. A lot. We won’t have too much alone time anymore. The last few months, it hit me pretty hard that things are going to be so different. Knowing that things are going to be dramatically changing has made me cherish all our time together. I have been so grateful to be able to take a step back and really rethink my priorities. I have truly treasured these last few months, where I was able to slow down and just appreciate every single second I have with you. You are amazing, and I love you so much. I really could just sit with you for hours in your playroom and not do anything except watch you play, talk to you about whatever comes to your mind, and just be near you; and I would be totally happy with that. In fact, that’s how a lot of our days have been spent lately, and there isn’t any other way I would have rather spent my time.

Things are changing, but I really think you’re going to be happy with the result (probably lots happier once your baby sister isn’t so much of a ‘baby’ and is more of a playmate). It will be great for you to have someone close to your age who will love you unconditionally, and be your best friend, unconditionally, forever. Sisters are the people you can count on when all your friends let you down. Sisters are true best friends. I can’t wait for you to have a sister!

You’re going to be a huge help to me; I already know it, and I already appreciate it. I watch you with your baby cousins and my friends’ babies- even baby dolls- and I marvel at your caring, loving, tender nature. You are such a big girl, but I think I’ll always consider you my baby. I am absolutely head-over-heels in love with you, and every single day I thank Heavenly Father that He let me be your mommy. I am so lucky! Things are going to be different now, but ‘different’ can be really great. And I will always look back at these last 3½ years and treasure every single moment of them.

I love you so much.

Momma

Belly Shots (Warning: pregnant swimsuit shots)

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8.5 Months

9 Months (39 weeks)

Before Baby

Life has been pretty mellow around here lately. We have been laying pretty low and just enjoying each others' company these last few days before life gets crazy. I haven't changed out of Jade's basketball shorts and big T-shirts very often, so we've hardly left the house. Peyton is still loving preschool; she's making lots of new friends and loves her teachers. She started up gymnastics again, and she has the same 2 coaches as last time, so she's loving it.

Kristin had her precious Layla 10 days early (she was due the day after me!) Peyton and I went to visit her at the hospital so that Peyton would get to see what was in store for her when our baby comes. Peyton loved Layla (good sign). Kristin and I thought it would be funny if I posed in her bed with Peyton, holding Layla, and pretended she was mine. Then I sent the picture to my mom and siblings. It was a fun little trick.

[Baby] Girls' Night

Because this is my second baby, and another girl, I wasn't going to have a traditional shower, so a couple of my girlfriends threw a little girls' night in honor of me and the baby. It was fantastic. We had my favorite snacks (I had TONS of my favorite snacks), and everything was pink[!] with black and white toile and the cutest crafty decorations (oragami flowers, pom-poms, and paper cones for candy cups). It was darling. We just hung out and visited and laughed all night. I didn't get home until 11, which is "all night" for me these days. Somehow I didn't take very many pictures, but here are a couple...

Thanks for a great night, girls.

Preschool!

Somehow I blinked, and now my baby is in preschool. How did that happen? Today was Peyton's first official day of preschool! She was very excited, though she was a little disappointed because her special backpack with her name on it didn't get here in time for her first day. Last week we went to the school's open house, so she could meet the kids in her class and also her teacher, Teacher Janelle and the assistant teacher, Teacher Chrissy. She talked about them all week, and was very excited to go back today. She kept asking me, "Are we late, late, late?" We had a special breakfast of waffles, then took a bath and did her hair, and even painted her nails and toes (she chose hot pink, with a purple sparkle polish on top- very fancy). When we got to the school, she told me, "I know where my class is." She walked right to it, walked inside, and left me in the dust. Actually I had to go hang up her backpack, so luckily I got a chance to at least kiss her goodbye. The girl was unfazed. I called my mom when I drove

away- my car felt so empty! It was definitely harder on me than on her. I cannot believe she is big enough to be a preschooler. When I picked her up, she was all smiles, and her teacher said she did great. She's so independent, I knew we wouldn't have any problems with separation anxiety. Except on my part. My little girl is so grown up!

That backpack lasted approximately 4 seconds.

Her buddy Peyton J is in the same class, along with her friend Abbey from ballet class.

Peyton J and Peyton Coy. My Peyton had to change her shirt because it was COVERED in paint. These girls are so cute!

A Very Big Day

We had a very eventful day today! Peyton and I met our friends Jaime and Brooklyn at an amusement park called Oak's Park for "preschool day", where they are open only to preschoolers and their parents, and they just open the little kid rides. We had such a great time! Peyton wanted to do everything. She reminded me so much of myself; trying to map out what we were going to do next. It was cute. We rode the train, the tilt-a-whirl (that was a fun one even for me), the carousel, the big potato sack slide, the hot air balloon ferris wheel, and the rocking ship, and the girls were able to ride a couple rides by themselves- the motorcycles, the airplanes and the frog hopper. By the time we got home for nap, Peyton was very tired and very happy.

After dinner, Peyton helped Jade and I with a very special project... Putting together her "big girl room"! We have slowly been transitioning her room from a toddler room to a preschooler room. It's bittersweet for me because it means she's really growing up, but also that there will soon be a new baby. Surprisingly, she's not that into the new vibe of her room. I thought for sure she would be all over it, since she wants to be a big kid so badly, but she didn't love it like I thought she would. I think she has a little bit of my OCD, and is resistant to change. She just likes things in a certain way. She's particular. Sorry about passing that one on to you, Peyton. After story and prayers, we had a talk with her about the rules of her "big-girl bed" (no getting out- she has to call me), and discussed the consequences for choosing to not follow the rules (losing a sparkle bell out of her special bell jar she fills and gets to choose a prize). I reminded her that the deal is, she is only allowed to keep her binky if she doesn't give me any problems going to sleep; and that basically sealed the deal. I left the room and she went right to bed. I even stayed next door to her room for a half hour, waiting to hear her climb out or move around, but she didn't move a muscle. I know we might not always have such good luck with the "big-girl bed", but tonight we couldn't have asked for anything better. I hope the bell jar/binky systems (bribes) keep holding strong.

She is such a big girl!

A Very Happy 5th Anniversary

I can hardly believe it, but Jade and I had our 5 year anniversary on Wednesday! Jade was in Seattle working (he did ask to make sure it wouldn't devastate me if we postponed it), so we celebrated it this weekend. It was worth the wait! Jade arranged for grandma to stay the night with Peyton [thanks, mom!!], and he booked us a hotel room in downtown Portland. We stayed at a place I had never heard of, called The Nines. It was the cutest hotel I've ever been in. It was swanky and boutique-y. Darling. Everything was black, silver and turquoise. The fixtures were all crystal, and the wallpaper was damask. They are booked solid almost every day of the year, and I could definitely tell why. Jade splurged and booked us a room on their club-level, so we had access to their club lounge, which was basically just a lounge with an open bar with servers, and breakfast, a lunchtime snack, hors d'oeuvres before dinner, and desserts from 8pm-on. We definitely took advantage of all the food (and I took advantage of the bottled root beer and cream soda- weird pregnancy cravings). Jade had the club concierge deliver a bottle of sparkling cider and some chocolate-covered strawberries while we were on the rooftop terrace, checking out the gorgeous view of downtown Portland and the river. We ate dinner at "our" restaurant, Macaroni Grill, which is where we had our first date. It was delicious, and fun to reminisce. Jade said he couldn't find a present he thought I would like [which is crazy because I think I'm really easy to shop for], so after dinner and also after breakfast the next morning, he took me shopping at Pioneer Place, which is the nice mall downtown for some guilt-free shopping! I loved it, and Jade didn't complain about being bored off his rocker one single time. It truly was a GREAT anniversary, and I'm so grateful to Jade for making it so special for me (he really could not care less if we stayed at The Nines, or Best Western). I feel so lucky to be married to such a great man, and I can hardly believe it's been 5 years! I say that every year I think, but really... time flies. It's been a fantastic year, and our toast was to each year getting better and better!

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Our only picture. Oops.

I usually don't post pictures without people in them, but I wanted to see if I could capture the cuteness of our hotel. The pictures don't nearly do it justice.