A Little More Linnsane

Things are going to get a little crazy around here in about 6 months.

 

We are excited (and a little terrified) to share the news that our family is growing and Connor is going to be a big brother. My due date is April 27, 2014, which means Connor will be about a month shy of 2 years old when the new baby arrives. I am currently about 14 weeks along. This is definitely more difficult this time around with an almost 17 month old to chase after. I've been lucky in the fact that for both pregnancies I've not experienced the puking end of the morning sickness, but for several weeks I was nauseous all day, every day. I'd think that I was hungry enough to eat a full Thanksgiving dinner, but then nothing appealed to me to eat. I also got a nasty cold that lasted two weeks, had a pinched nerve in my neck that was super fun, and by about 3pm every day my arms and legs felt like spaghetti and all I wanted to do was close my office door, pretend I had a "phone conference" and take a nap. Connor very well could have been the smelly kid in daycare on several occasions because I was too tired to give him a bath the night before! Thankfully I am finally starting to feel human again (still tired ALL the time, but I'm pretty sure I've had African Sleeping Sickness for the past 10 years).

Despite all these lovely symptoms, it still didn't seem quite real until I had my first ultrasound about 2 weeks ago. I won't post pictures of the contents of my uterus, but it did confirm the following: (1) there is only one baby in there (THANK GOD!) and (2) it does not have four legs and a tail. Everything looks good so far. Like the last time, we won't find out what we're having. There was just something so exciting about waiting. I'm not easily surprised, and I think that is one of the true surprises in life. I am praying that this labor will be easier and shorter than the last time. I also plan to get an epidural a few days before my due date just to make sure it actually works when the time comes. Ryan can push me around in a wheelchair if necessary.

So, this marks 2 out of 3 football seasons, holidays, and wedding anniversaries that I won't be able to drink, but that's okay because it also means 2 out of 3 summers that I'll be off of work. We know that things will be crazy and expensive and exhausting with a newborn and a 2 year old (the thought of diapers alone is scary!), but I'm so glad that Connor and his new sibling will be so close in age. I hope they will be the best of friends. I truly don't care what we have, but if I had to guess right now, I'm thinking it will be another boy.

I wasn't kidding when I said I am tired ALL THE TIME. It is 8:53 (on a Saturday night!!!) and I am ready for bed. Guess I should enjoy it while I can!

Fall Fun

I am so happy it is fall. This is my favorite time of year - football season, pumpkin coffee, apples, homemade chili and soups, changing leaves, and sweaters. It may sound weird, but I'm not sure I'd trade Central Pennsylvania in the fall for anywhere in the world.

We've been busy the past few weekends. On the last weekend in September we took Connor to the pumpkin patch. It was probably a little bit early to go there, as they didn't actually have the hayrides to the real pumpkin patch where you could pick your own, and it was approximately 85 degrees that day, but Connor still had a blast.

 

 

 

 

The following weekend we went to the Pennsylvania Apple and Cheese Festival in Canton, which is about 45 minutes north of Williamsport. It is a nice drive and the leaves were pretty close to their peak up north. It was also very warm that weekend. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures. We were too busy picking up some local apples, cheese, apple cider, and apple dumplings to take any.

 

Last weekend we went to pick out Connor's Halloween costume. Probably not the smartest idea to go to Party City at 11am on a Saturday two weeks before Halloween, but oh well. I think for the next few years I would like to try to make his costumes. All the options there seem so cheap. Of course, we did pick one, and it is cute, but it is nothing to write home about. I just didn't feel too bad about not putting too much effort into it this year because he is still too little to fully understand the costume concept so we took the easy way out. Next year when he will actually be useful to me on Halloween and be able to get good candy while trick or treating, I will try to be better at planning and more creative with his costume. While we waited in what seemed like an endless line of unhappy kids and even unhappier parents, Connor entertained himself with his trick-or-treat bucket.

 

Last Sunday we decided to take the dogs up to Blockhouse and let them run around a bit and get some exercise, since they have been feeling a little neglected since Connor came along. It was a beautiful day and they certainly enjoyed the chance to run free. We are so lucky to belong to this beautiful club. After our hike we sat by the fire before having Sunday dinner up there with Collin & Emily, Heister & Ruth.

This weekend Ryan went to Lake Oneida, New York, to go fishing with Adrianne's husband, John.
They left on Thursday morning so it has just been Connor & I for a few days. Today, we went over to Adrianne's house for lunch and to visit with the girls. I decided to try to be creative and make some pumpkin rice krispie treats. I think they turned out so cute! I used Tootsie Rolls for the stems and green icing for the leaves.

 

I told you I love fall. Just call me Becky Home-Ec-y.