KALVIN!!

Dear Kalvin,

Wow. That is so great to finally write a name!

I could just write it all day!

Kalvin, Kalvin, Kalvin, Kalvin, Kalvin, Kalvin, Kalvin, Kalvin….

Kyle, Kayla, Kacie, Kalvin!

It just fits so perfectly!

We have basically had that name picked out for you since before we were married (like 5 years now). You're going to have to learn to love Calvin and Hobbes because that is who you are named after!

People have said to us 'you'll have to get him a little Hobbes stuffed animal' but what they don't realize is that I think your dad has a little bit of Hobbes in him and that he will be your sidekick if you just let him! He may have started out as a rambunctious 'Calvin' but he has grown into a loyal and trustworthy 'Hobbes'

He is soooo excited to have a little buddy. The first thing he said to me "Well, I did it!"

I think about how excited I was to be having a girl with Kacie and so it's fun to see your dad light up when we talk about him having a son.

Don't worry though, I am REALLY excited too! But there are, ummm… things that I don't know much about taking care of on a boy… so it's just going to be a new adventure for me! Luckily you have the smartest daddy and he is going to help me out! So I think you'll survive.

Your dad and I were super anxious to find out what you were. If you remember from this and this post, we just really needed to know! I can't figure out how some people wait until the baby is born!

One of the main reasons that I thought you would be a boy was because of how much you move. Seriously, when I am still, you just go crazy!

So here we are waiting to find out what Kacie is:

And almost two years later, here we are waiting to find out what you are!

So in the ultrasound she kind of started off looking at your heart. Then moved up your head and down your spine. You were blocking your face with your arm, crossing it over every time she tried to check on your face! So far everything was good.

Then she was trying to see if you were a boy or a girl and before she officially told us, she started saying 'he' instead of 'the baby' but we didn't know if that was on purpose or accident. She was poking my belly trying to get you to spread your legs for us so we were kind of suspicious that you were a boy! She was able to get a good shot and I think your dad about leaped out of his chair and did a dance!

He was elated and thought to himself "VICTORY!"

This is what he felt like inside:

He was kicking any feelings of being over run by estrogen!

We love watching you kids on the ultrasound. Its a miracle to see you guys move around and already having little personalities. And even though I spend months throwing up, peeing, and gaining weight before the ultra sound, it is always a really good confirmation that you are really in there. And I can feel you moving so I imagine for your dad to see you are real, is amazing for him!

Your head was tucked down somewhere… those ultrasounds can get kind of confusing… but your head looked a little smooshed and your hands are punching my bladder constantly and your legs kick my right side all the time. Occasionally it seems like you are just seeing how far you can stretch your body out because I get a little bump on my side where some part of you is pushing out.

We were seriously so excited. I just kept yelling to every one "ITS A BOY!" And they'd be like "What?" cause I was yelling so loud they didn't understand me!

There you are, it's basically like you can see you right there inside of me!

Kacie was clearly excited as well.

It was adorable because she knew we were excited about something so she was smiling and happy but you could also tell she had no idea why we were so excited!

So here you are at 21 weeks old. Let me tell you, it feels like forever! But seriously 21 weeks is like no time at all!

Dad has already been able to feel you move for about a month now. The other night you were moving a bunch for about 30 minutes. Dad didn't even have to feel, we could see your kicks!

They say pregnancy is a beautiful thing but I have been soooooo exhausted. I don't feel like myself. I rarely get out of bed before 9:30, if not later. I literally have set a goal that I will be awake before 10:00 because it had gotten to the point where your sister was playing in her crib until almost 11:00 because I was so sick that I just couldn't get myself up.

I need this shirt

I forget things all the time. People call or text and I don't remember to answer them for several days. I start sentences and then half way through forget what I was talking about.

I want sugar all the time. And then once I 'settle' the sugar cravings, I just want to keep snacking. But it's usually at night that I get the urge to snack a lot.

Back in May your dad and I did The Whole30 and we got super healthy and learned a lot of things about food and how to fuel our bodies. I was making breakfast and dinners weren't too unhealthy and we felt soooo good! Now I feel accomplished if Kacie has at least one good meal a day and if I remember to put pants on.

Pregnancy is the worst.

But being pregnant, the fact that I can create life, is amazing. You really are a miracle and your dad and I are so grateful that we have you and Kacie in our lives.

I'm so anxious to meet you Kalvin!

And please stop punching my bladder.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Thanksgiving

Dear Kacie,

Last year for Christmas, you got your very first 'bug book.' You've always enjoyed it but lately, you have figured out how to do the activity on each page by yourself and you LOVE that book now! I grew up with these books so it is really fun to share it with you.

You like to watch me put on lotion, and sometimes you even help me! You got a hold of the bottle one day and were trying to put it on and rubbing your legs like you were.

One of your Christmas presents arrived in a box of Styrofoam! It was like it's very own toy!

Along with putting on lotion, you try to put on your socks, shoes and pants sometimes!

Its really fun to see you learning new things and acting so grown up!

But you don't always act grown up!

Like this one time when you kept sitting on your breakfast… Luckily it was just eggs so you didn't get too dirty and I didn't have to change your outfit!

Thanksgiving was really exciting. Last year was kind of boring so this year, we were happy to have dad's family come and celebrate with us! We went to Costco to buy a pumpkin pie and you were just attached to your Uncle Devin the whole time he was here!

We took some family pictures and you just wanted to play on the table cause it made a cool sound when you stepped on it!

And you kept feeling it saying 'soooft'

Uncle Devin was tapping the end of it and you thought it was hilarious!

I don't know why exactly, but I guess it's because you never used to do this, but lately you've been laying on the ground to watch TV. This particular time you were throwing a fit and then all the sudden calmed down, found your belly button and watched TV in peace for a few minutes.

Thanksgiving morning everyone left but you me and grandma to go shooting. Your dad came home like "I want a gun."

(daddy)

(uncle devin)

  

(aunt mallory & uncle trev)

(aunt kassidi) 

(grandpa) 

Uncle Colin came over before work to hang out too. He made a delicious cheese ball which you LOVED and sat happily on the table eating for a while!

Isn't it so pretty!? Uncle Co-wee did such a good job!

We made lots of other food but I didn't feel like we needed a picture cause just imagine a turkey and mashed potatoes and that's basically what it looked like.

As a side note, I look a lot like your Aunt Aub in this picture!

But I did make 2 scrumptious apple pies and a chocolate pie!

And we had plenty of whipped cream to go with it all!

Grandma Tracey brought you a new shirt that says "Mommy and Daddy's favorite present"

And you ate your first bowl of cereal while wearing it!

Of course you just scooped a fruit loop on the spoon and then picked it up and ate it, but you did manage to get it to your mouth sometimes!

Then right before we took them to the airport we went out to lunch. Daddy and I were so tired because you woke up at 1:00 in the morning, stayed up until 3:00 and then slept in our bed because you wouldn't go back to sleep in your crib! A few days later we found a molar growing in so you must have just been hurting a little.

Daddy was so annoyed because he just wanted you to go to sleep but you were being so cute and happy, even though it was the middle of the night. He was so nice to let me sleep while the two of you hung out and watched TV. He loves us so much Kacie!

And to end the week, we went to Ikea and The Outlet Mall. I hadn't even thought about the fact that it was black Friday but we don't make it out that far very often so we had to stop by those two stores. Luckily they weren't busy and we were able to get you a new shiny pair of shoes! You can't really tell but you were carrying the bag for us cause you know, they were too heavy for your dad to hold!

And lastly, this little gem downloaded to my Facebook. I'm not 100% sure who it is… (Kassidi?) but it's funny when people take pictures not knowing they will download to my profile!

We love you a lot!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Tiny French Braid!

Dear Kacie,

We eat a lot of eggs and sausage for breakfast. You love it! and you eat it very well!

I was trying to get a picture of you but you kept turning your head away from the camera so this is the best I got. You were being silly that day!

Your hair is sooo long now! If you wear it down, it gets in your face, but your ponytails sometimes go crazy!

When I come in to get you in the mornings you're sometimes sitting with your feet through the railings just smiling, waiting for me!

When you were born, your grandma and grandpa Jarvis bought you some blocks to take pictures

Now you're old enough to actually play with them!

I built most of this tower, but you definitely helped and now your blocks are one of your favorite toys!

Sometimes we just have to cuddle and not move from the same place all day.

Remember when I told you about wearing capes?

Well one day, you let me wear a cape too and we flew around your room!

We often take random pictures and send them to your father during the day, He loves getting 'pick me up' pictures to help his day go better!

You run into the corner and 'hide' from us! It's your safe place! 

We got our first letter from Uncle Jerm! It was hilarious and awesome and funny and great to hear that he is doing so well! 

One night you woke up at about 10 and wouldn't go back to sleep. So we brought you out to watch The Amazing Spider Man with us. You sat right on daddy's lap, cuddled up to him, ate your popcorn and enjoyed every second of hanging out with the adults!

You do that a lot though. I mean acting like an adult!

One night you laid all your books on dad. He was confused. You were entertained, so he let you do it.

You don't ever last very long but you've started enjoying your recliner a bit more!

And just as we have got you started doing your own laundry at a young age, you help with the dishes too! You love it because I guess it makes you feel grown up a little bit.

Your hair is still awkward lengths all over. Suuuper long on top. Getting longer in the back. So one day we gave you a fish up do!

I made the prettiest and most delicious banana bread one day!

And I even got your hair into a french braid!!! Do you understand how amazing that is? because some kids don't even have any hair yet! Plus, you sat still enough for long enough!

Your favorite thing now a days is sitting (or standing) in chairs like us big folk. You love to be like your dad and I and you copy what we do all the time!

This particular picture we were at lunch with our boss and you were so happy to be in a chair that you were giggling and smiling and spinning so much that you didn't even eat your hot dog!

We love watching you grow and learn new things!

Love,

mom and dad