Final, Baby on the Way, Update

My bags are packed! 

The date is set. I head to the hospital the afternoon of October 2nd and Crew should be here on October 3rd; if he chooses to wait that long. I know he will wait if he is anything like his brother who was induced 2 days past his due date. This will make Crew 6 days early, which I am so excited about. Hopefully he will not be a 10lb baby as I have feared. 

I am also excited about his birth-date. I'm weird about numbers, I just want his birthday to be somewhat easy to remember, 10-3-13. Perfect. I am so super excited! 

We spent our last weekend as a family hanging around the house and making our final preparations. I have given Copelan a thousand hugs and told him I love him a billion times. He will love his brother from first sight I just know it. Until he realizes he is here to stay and cries a lot I think things will go just dandy. 

Mark took this pic and I asked how it came out, 

he replied that Copelan looked alert, lol. Truth.

Always stealing my water

And he always wants to touch the darn cactus.

 Lookin' like a man baby, tear.

I went to get a mani/pedi this weekend too. It couldn't have been better. You never know how it's going to go. Are you going to get a lady who talks the whole time in a language you don't understand?.. Is she going to cut my cuticle too deep or is my massage chair not going to work? Well, my lady was quite, my cuticles are great and my massage chair did it's job. 

Belly and chubby toes below. Those are my normal chub toes, not swollen ha.

Bring on the babykins! 

Baby Sprinkle

Last weekend while in Austin with my family, they threw me a Sprinkle for Crew. It was not a shower, those are bigger and more extravagant. This was small, few friends, few family, not so many decorations. We needed and wanted diapers, the more the better, and that is primarily what we got. It was a wonderful time seeing everyone and Mark and Copelan were even able to attend. 

My mom and me

 Mark of course

 Snacking on the bar

 Copelan and Farrah, Amy's baby girl. He LOVED her and just wanted to hug her

 Copelan wanted to hold Farrah's hand

Me and my high school bff's (minus one) and our babies and babies to be

So blessed.

Life: Photography: Pregnant Stuff

To say I've been busy is an understatement. Maybe I'll try to write less and post more photos so I can get everything up to date quicker. Let's get real, I'm wordy, I need to write. 

Last week we all went to Austin, meaning Mark, Copelan me and Crew belly. Usually it's just me and Cope because Mark works. I had to get my hair done before baby comes and luckily I had time to squeeze in an appointment with Rebecka at Bella Vita Salon in Buda, thus resulting in the stellar pic below. Yes, I'm aware that once something is on the internet it cannot be erased, yet I posted it anyway. How's that for self confidence?!

After getting all prettified I had things to take care of. I started with photos for Southern Crown Boutique (www.southerncrownboutique.com) of their new, super cute fall inventory. 

The Katie models shown below.

                  
I got to be in a little photo shoot of my own later that weekend. My sweet and talented sister Katie (the one in the orange) took pic of our little fam. We simply went in my parent's backyard against the stone wall, nothing too crazy. I was currently 37/38 weeks in the photos. I wish we could have gotten some of the "kid kissing mommy's belly pics", but the kids in those pics have to be on Benadryl or something. Copelan will not sit still, ever, so there weren't any Pinterest worthy pictures like that taken. 

Oh whoops, had to sneak this in there. I was testing out the lighting on Mark. Hehe

How did I get so lucky!?!

Me and the handsome Mr. Hafner

Proppin' up a wall

This is a mildy awkward pose. Oh, hey wall, wink*

Copelan is such a cheeser sometimes; he is also mildly kicking me in the Crew.

A few black and whites of my current only child.

I'm not done with my weekend update so I'll post another tomorrow.

Photography: Senior Shoot with Kings

A few weeks ago I met up with my cousin, Kingsley, in the Austin area to take a few shots for her college senior pictures. She is graduating from Texas State this winter and I know the whole family is excited for her and her new adventures! 

We met in the morning before it was too scalding hot and started at the Buda railroad tracks. By the end I had plenty of great shots of this photogenic little lady that I knew we would both be happy with. I truly am getting spoiled by photographing such beautiful people. Guess it's not my fault my friends and fam are gorgeous :) 

 

Baby Update: Cope Dr. Appt.: Weekend Rambling

My doctor's visit wasn't quite all I hoped for today. Crew is great. He is weighing above average (typical) and is over 6lbs already. I was able to see him on the sono and he looked so handsome but not like I remember Copelan looking. The picture she printed out for me was less than flattering of him since he is squished against my pelvis. I was planning on sharing the pic but I think his future self would rather me not. Most of you would have a hard time deciphering up from down on the picture anyway, right? :) No progress was made in the delivery department; the doctor said he will be a big baby, probably mid 8lbs, but not as big as Copelan. Let's hope she is on target this time. I think I can convince her next week to set an induction date for me, but one was not set today as I had hoped.

As I left, I stopped in my favorite bathroom to take a selfie. I have said before via my Instagram, my doctor's office bathroom has amazing lighting.

I'm going to stop with the pregnant seflies soon, I promise. 

Just noticed one of my eyes is bigger than the other, I'll work on that.

Copelan also had a doctor's appointment today for his 18 month wellness check. 
Happy 18 months to my handsome handful! He was so good at the doctor's office it almost brought me to tears. He listened and obeyed everything I said and only cried for about 30 seconds after his shots then gave me the biggest hug because he needed my comfort. I love those moments. He was in the 95% in height and perfect on weight and head size, and the doctor said he is right on track with his development and speech. Our little man is growing up perfectly and I couldn't be more proud. 

I am especially proud of moments like this when his little personality comes out.

Love bug before the doctor, say cheee

Going backward to this weekend, we went to get Copelan's haircut for the second time. The first time was great. He didn't cry until the end when the hairdresser brought out the buzzer to trim around his ears. This go round we were not so fortunate. The hairdresser asked me what was used to cut his hair before, buzzers?.. I though she said scissors and agreed. Make note there was a screaming kid next to us already so it was hard to hear. So, the whole thing was done by a buzzer accompanied by tears. Ugh, my poor child was traumatized and it was my fault.

Mark messed up his hair before I snapped the pic, it wasn't really that mop like.

After Mark and I traumatized our child I was able to go shopping, solo. Mark kindly took Copelan home for some lunch and a nap so I could venture out for one of the last times before I deliver. It is so nice not having Copelan there, or even Mark for that fact. I had to do some dress shopping for my upcoming Baby Sprinkle (a smaller diaper shower because it's my second kiddo). No offence to my handsome sidekicks, but I just cannot seem to concentrate as well with them in tow. I would have a cart creaking behind me with a toddler wanting goldfish and a husband sending me subliminal messages that it was time to go already.

My Old Navy obsession lead me there first. They sent me a 50% off one item coupon! I couldn't resist. Too bad the visit was a let down. I needed some sports bras, didn't have my size and they didn't have any dresses out because they switched to their fall inventory. I found some stretchy fall jeans (guestimated my size) and headed out. I was at Grapevine Mills which is an indoor outlet type mall. I went toward the Marshalls sign (very misleading) and about, um, yes- 20 mins later, 5 turns and the verge of swollen feet, I arrived. It should have said, Marshalls ahead in .5 miles. 

Dressing rooms and pregnant women. 

Non-maternity clothes and a small stall. 

Zippers. 

No AC.

Just wanted you to let that soak in and create a nice visual of what I went through this day. I eventually had to sit down and pull out a granola bar before I could continue. What a a mess. I am really regretting not snapping a pic of me trying to squeeze into some of these dresses but seeing as that my bend-over function is out of order and I didn't have a free hand to access my phone, I couldn't capture the moment.

I made it out with a dress and some booties, which I am obsessed with. I will probably wear these all fall and winter every. single. day. 

(Why is there a mirror on my bedroom floor? I don't want to talk about it.)

A rather lengthy one today but...

Pregnancy: The Final Days

It's getting down to my final days being pregnant with my little womb guest, Crew. 
I enjoy being pregnant, probably because I don't face the typical pregnant symptoms like morning sickness and cravings (I know, hate me if you want). I did have one horrifying leg cramp in the middle of the night in which I was so dramatic it could have been made into a movie, Mark thought I was dying. 

I will be a little sad when my pregnancy is over, I remember feeling that way with Copelan too. After having a baby no one waits on you anymore, no one tells you how cute you look, and you can't eat at all times of the day without regretting it. It will soon be about lack of sleep, trying to conceal my puffy eyes and muffin top, and mainly figuring out how to juggle two kids under one and a half years old. But, it's okay because when these things get conquered, which they will with time, I will feel like Super Woman.

I would like to give a shout out to my active toddler for helping me maintain my weight during this pregnancy. Turns out, when you don't have time to sit down you don't put on many L-Bs, go figure. 

Crew's room has been a struggle for me. Where to start, do I get a rug and pull my color scheme from that, get a curtain first, or the bedding. Wow, I stressed over it for a while. Thankfully, I have family (mainly my Nana) who sews. I am too picky, not to mention a huge penny-pincher, so as I did with Copelan's bedding, I found fabric and my lovely Nana made it into bedding. 

Well, the room looks nothing like this pic anymore because the bed is on the other wall accompanied by wall decor, and the bedding colors aren't quite as vibrant as the pic leads you to believe, but you get the point. I found a curtain from Target I liked and had Nana make the bedskirt and pillow. We decided not to paint the walls for now, (second child's already getting the shaft), but we are thinking the boys will share a room eventually and didn't want to commit to anything (or we are lazy?). I'll take better pics once the room is finalized later. 

Below are a few things from Hobby Lobby that will go in his room.

I did a small art project where I modpodged the C and glued it to a frame. Which by the way, I hate modpodge, hate. That stuff stays under your fingernails for days, no thank you. For future reference, fabric would be an easier route, the paper I used was too thick and a mess.

 Before:

 After:

Simple as that. 

I have washed all of Crew's new clothes and Copelan hand-me-downs in the special baby detergent; we used the Purex brand by the way, it was $10 less expensive and smells like a handsome man. Dreft smells like baby powder in which I'm not a fan. I cleaned out his closet which use to house my shoes and dresses. The pic would have been a little more shock worthy if I had a before picture to show. It was a day long project followed by a heating pad on my back. It would have gone much quicker but my little helper wasn't so helpful. The big tub is full of bigger clothes the ones hanging are only my favorite newborn-3 months.

I have anxiously been awaiting this coming Monday (9/16) in which I have an ultrasound (or sonogram, does anyone know the difference?)! The doctor will measure the little man to see if we need to set an early induction date. 

For those of you who don't remember, sweet Copelan was a whopping 9.9lbs induced 2 days after his due date. 

Look at Copelan's widdle bull dog face. 

(No, I'm not making fun of my child, just call em like I see em)

I only had 2 sono's with him because I didn't have any complications while pregnant, one at 7 weeks and one at 18 weeks. She assumed by my tummy size that Copelan would be a normal 7.5lb-er. I will never forget our delivery room reaction when the nurse said 9 pounds, followed by 9 ounces. We all laughed in shock. Copelan was a very healthy little guy but I think he cooked a little too long. I would like Crew to be in the 7-8lb range if possible so I can enjoy those itty bitty baby days. It is also nice to know that I wouldn't have to unexpectedly rush to the hospital if I go into natural labor. We would be able to line up family to come stay with Copelan and the dogs ahead of time. 

I'm all about the easy way out, literally!

I'll keep you posted with the news from my sono/ultrasound and I should have a pic to post of the little guy.