BFF

(waiting for the bus, passing time eating raisins)
(Beckett and Abe were sous chefs for head chef Porter)

(making up after one of many toy stealing episodes)

Last month Abe and I went to visit my best friend Sage and family. We had a great time hanging out and Abe loved playing with Beckett and Porter. A few times I thought I had died and gone to heaven because the boys just played in the back yard while we made dinner and talked. This may not seem so amazing to everyone else, but for someone who lives in an apartment complex (and only gets to see her best friend once a year) this was a real treat.

One day we took the boys on the bus to go to the pet store and out to lunch. Both Abe and Becks are obsessed with busses right now so it was really enjoyable for them.

Sage is also an amazing photographer and took some shots of Abe and the belly.

Photo Shoot

We finally had some family pictures taken. These are a few of my favorites. The ones of just Abe are the cutest I think. But at 27.5 wks along in this pregnancy (at the time of the pics) I'll cut myself some slack for not looking my best.

The nutty professor

Here is Abe on Easter sporting the bowtie I made him, post nap obviously.

Egg Hunting

Hunt #1

Abe really enjoyed decorating cookies after our first hunt (if you can't tell)

Hunt #2



I didn't realize that easter egg hunts would be so fun with Abe this year. Thanks to other moms for planning and hosting the hunts, Abe has made quite a easter candy haul. Today, Abe found 9 eggs before one dropped, opened up and he realized there was candy inside. He couldn't go look for any more until all those jellybeans were inside his belly.

Surprise!

At 26 weeks I finally had my official ultrasound for measurements and gender. Prior to this I had 2 other unofficial ultrasounds where I was told it looked like I was having a girl. I was pretty sure it was a girl. I bought things for a girl; Chad and I had a really good list of girl names we agreed upon. I had been doing a lot of convincing to Chad about how great it would be to have a girl. I was a little timid about telling everyone it was a girl, but I didn't really have doubts.

Then yesterday they told me it was a boy. And when they showed me the boy parts - it was undeniable.

It's hard to remember a time I've been more shocked.

Now that the surprise has set in, we are excited for another sweet, funny, and cute boy, and a wrestling buddy for Abe. We just need to come up with some names.

(just a reminder of what a little baby boy nelson looks like)

Camping in Death Valley and the Eastern Sierra

This is a pit stop to stretch our legs at Fossil Falls on the drive up.

We got to Eureka Dunes in the evening and set up camp (Abe was really helpful in this department)



Chad retrieving tent after it blew away - dang that desert wind.

Hiking the dunes in the morning...



A stop for bananas and playing in the sand.

Then as the day started heating up we made a run for it.

Took a little hike up in Big Pine Canyon to escape the heat of Death Valley. (note the granola bar in each hand...and there was another one that was being rotated in)

Camp #2 was a back up plan when our next destination proved to be too much for the Volvo to handle.

After a windy and rainy night we enjoyed some Cream of Wheat (as displayed on Abe's chin) and then packed up and hit the road with a few stops to throw about 9000 rocks in water.

The verdict on camping with kids between 1 1/2 and 2 years old: day=fun, night=not fun.

It's super hard to see through this thing!