Kindergarten orientation

Well, the time if finally here....our little Ella will be starting Kindergarten this next week (Sept. 1).  It's all I could do at her orientation to hold back tears.  Although, I know she is ready, I am not.  She and I had such a great year last year while Jessica was in school, running errands & eating breakfast together at Panera or Dunkin Donuts.  I will miss my little shopping buddy so much while she's at Kindergarten. In our district, she will be only 1/2 day until 11:40, so I'll still have a few hours with just her before Jessica gets home from school, but needless to say, I'll miss having a little one with me in the mornings.  Don't get me wrong it will be nice to have some quite time to myself while she's away and soon (sooner than I sometimes realize I'll have a baby with me), but I will always cherish the last year that we spent together--just us.  I am so grateful for a wonderful teacher for her, who really loves teaching Kindergarten & as an added bonus she has at least 6 little friends in her class who attend Kindercare also....so she will definitely have friends to ride the little bus with on the days I work.  Ella loved Kindergarten orientation where she got to meet her friends, see her room, & take a bus ride.  Ella is a sweet, joyful child who brings happiness to those around her & I pray her 1st year in school will give her a joy of learning.  So proud of our Ella & can't wait to see what this next year holds for her!

The big highlight, the bus ride :)

A hole in her smile :)

Jessica lost her first front tooth this past week, we think she looks adorable & just in time for school.  Seems like yesterday I was up at 2 am with a teething toddler while she was getting these teeth & now she's losing them.  Can't believe how grown up our girl is looking these days :)

18 weeks along

Well, this week my doctor says I'm 18 weeks along with our 3rd child, I think I'm more like 19.  Since I haven't blogged about this pregnancy thus far, I thought I'd write a little something.  I will not lie & say this pregnancy has been easier, in some ways yes, in others, no.  My morning sickness this time around was pretty awful, I mean throwing up multiple times per day & horrible aversion to smells.  My poor family pretty much only ate bread & pasta during my 1st trimester, that's all I could stomach.  I also have been extremely tired this time around to the point of wanting to sleep at least 10-12 hrs. per night....not so easy to do when you work & have 2 wild children about to start back to school.  But alas, some of the more positive things have been that I felt the baby move pretty early on around 15-16 weeks & now that I'm into 2nd trimester I do feel much better.  No longer nauseous, but very hungry & the lethargy continues, but not quite as bad.  The girls are just thrilled about "binky" which is what they call the baby, most people look at me kind of like I have 3 arms when I tell them I'm pregnant this many years after I had the other two, but I always tell them we got a little surprise.  Although, not exactly planned & not exactly the best timing, I'm sure this little one will bring much joy to our home & happiness to our life.  We are grateful for our latest little blessing & can't wait to find out what we're having on Sept. 7th.  Which is really only about a week away.....can't believe how fast this pregnancy seems to be going.  A pic of me & "binky" at 18ish weeks, everyone comments on how much bigger I look this time around, 3rd baby & all I'm probably showing a little earlier & truthfully, I really do eat a lot of carbs :)