Spring is in the Air!

Finally, spring is around the corner and it's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago we were playing in the snow!

After a few weeks of feeling like we were living in Groundhog Day (the same day over and over - still in a pandemic, settled into our new house / state (we've been here over 10 months), grey and cold EVERY day, same daily preschool/nap/work routine), finally the sun came out and it started warming up. The daffodils in our yard are blooming, birds are chirping and we're feeling out of our funks and SO MUCH better.

But looking back, our last few months have seemed anything but monotonous. Funny how things look so different in retrospect?

The most exciting? We shared our baby announcement! (Thanks to my neighbor-friend Khand Tenney Photography for taking this family shot, in just a few takes, after church one day!)

I'm 20 weeks along now (half way!!) and we couldn't be more excited for Baby Girl to join us this summer! I just had the big 20 week ultrasound and the doctor said her stats are "meticulously perfect."  Her due date is July 24!

Since we've had 3 sunny playground playdates with friends in the last week, it's surprising to think back just a few weeks to the "ice storm" that had us snowed in - or iced in - for 5 out of 7 days. Church was cancelled, preschool closed, Matt had late starts at work, and I didn't drive for 3 straight days. All because of an almost invisible - but dangerous - layer of ice covering everything. Roads were almost underivable. Our cars were encased in ice. But we found ways to stay entertained inside, and I'm proud of myself for handling it surprisingly well - instead of going crazy. :) 

Scenes from being stuck inside...

"I'm an only-underwear-wearing monster! Raaaaar!!"
Matt: "She looks like Mowgli"

I think she was a ballerina princess knight here? She took it very seriously :) 

We also had a few real snow storms, which everyone loved. :) 

Luke had to wear a too-small snow suit that gave him a perma-weggie, and Lydia doubled up on knit pants and used my snow hats and gloves haha. We weren't prepared / expecting snow but it was a fun surprise!

Lydia's Valentine's Day class party was the day before the ice storm started - she would've been heartbroken to miss it after buying Valentines for all of her classmates and planning her pink party outfit. Actual Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday, so we did a gift exchange in the morning, at-home church because of the ice storm, and had some friends over for dinner.  I love Valentine's Day. 

At the end of February we drove up to Maryland to Zac and Whitney's new house!! They just bought a townhouse and Mike and Heidi flew out to help them get settled. Matt had spent a Saturday up there a couple weeks before helping them move. It was a fun day with family! 

The kids were honestly on their best behavior - just happy to be with their aunt, uncle, grandparents, and cousins. Luke slept the whole way there and back (a 2.5 hr drive!) while Lydia listened to The Magic Treehouse books on the way up, and slept most of the way back home. 

The biggest surprise of the visit was that Lydia LOST A TOOTH! I thought we still had a couple years before this happened?! (She is 4.5). It had been loose a day or two and she was so cool about it. There was no blood and she didn't cry - it just popped out while we were sitting around talking (she was eating something), and she said "Mom look" - and showed me the gap in her smile and the tooth in her hand! 

She had her first visit from the tooth fairy that night and was excited to spend her $1 at the Dollar Spot at Target haha. So sweet. She's getting SO big! 

Lydia still loves preschool and I'm always surprised how much she learns. One week they were learning about deserts and she had new desert facts to tell us every day. "Did you know camels have loooong eyelashes to keep sand out of their eyes?" "Do you know what a sand storm is? I do!" etc. etc. etc. Her writing and drawing are also getting better all the time.

"Lydia what did you draw?"
"It's me and a puppy and we're getting in love."

And now we're in Easter mode! I'm trying to make a big deal out of it this year by pulling out our holiday book basket and filling it with Easter books, I got Lydia a pair of Easter pajamas, and we've been watching some Easter videos. I mean, we celebrate Christmas for at least a month and a half - and Easter is actually a more important holiday if you think about it! Also we're so ready for spring.

THE SLOTH PAJAMAS

This is what big sisters are for :) 

Matt and I had our first date night since getting to Va! Meanwhile the kids stayed with our wonderful babysitter - and I found this selfie with her on Lyd's little camera. :) Julia is the best.

During in-between moments, Matt and I are dreaming of buying my new car in a few weeks/months (we have our eye on a white VW Atlas - especially if it has light interiors and a sunroof!) and a house. We still have to wait until Matt's out of the Army before we can buy (so, more than a year away) but it's fun to dream. After our usual Zillow searching one night, Matt made this amazing picture of our dream house and cars (in Microsoft Paint haha) - complete with Barkley in the front yard! I love it so much.