Boo.

We are adding a member to the family and are so excited to finally post about it! Baby Boo will be making his or her debut around Halloween this year.

We told Kennedy a few weeks ago, right before we told our families. Since then, she has told her teachers at school and gymnastics, and a few strangers along the way. She's pretty proud and excited to be a Big Sister. 

Kennedy is a little mommy with her babies and I think she will be a nurturing Big Sister. She knows there is a baby in mommy's tummy and likes to talk to Baby Boo (and will get frustrated when she can't see the baby in my belly button). Sometimes if she gives me a tight squeeze she worries she might squish the baby, but i keep telling her the baby loves her hugs. 

Since meeting baby Jackson and baby Owen, she has pretty much been obsessed with babies. She tells me and Greg that she wants to "grow down" and be a baby again. Often times you will see her pretending to learn how to walk/crawl, take a bottle and play with her piggies...like babies do. She also likes to tell me when baby Boo cries, she will offer a paci and put him/her in a crate. There's some confusion over crate/cradle. I promise, Olive is the only one who sleeps in a crate. 

If you ask Kennedy if Boo is a girl or a boy, she will tell you that Boo is a BAAY-bee. Plain and simple. We didn't find out the gender when I was pregnant with Kennedy, and our plan is to wait until the delivery room this time around, too!

This first trimester has been a little rougher go than it was with Kennedy. Thanks to some ginger candies and morning sickness tea, I've been doing ok. Surely chasing after her all day has a little something to do with it. But I am starting to feel a little better and get some of my energy back.

A proud Big Sister and Baby Boo at 12 weeks. 

Best Friend

Before I left for boot camp last night, I went in to give Kennedy a hug and a kiss. When she hugged me, she put her little hand on my cheek, and in the sweetest voice ever said, "you're my best friend."

Best. Moment. Ever. 

Surgery Day

Thursday was a big day for Kennedy (as well as Mommy and Daddy). Kennedy had eye muscle surgery to correct something called intermittent exotropia. We noticed her eyes deviating outward about nine months ago and have been seeing a couple specialists since then. It started happening when she was really tired, but then we started noticing it happening in sunlight or when she was looking off into the distance. Long term, it could become a permanent deviation which would negatively effect her vision.

Lots of people have asked me why we chose surgery and not another treatment method. Bottom line, that was our best option. There weren't any other treatment options that will correct the eye muscle. Glasses or patching can help correct her vision, but won't do anything for the muscle itself. So, in order to correct the eye muscle and at the recommendation of her doctors, we decided it was the best option for her.

I started preparing her about 4 or 5 days before the procedure. I wanted her to be prepared and know what was going on so she wound't be scared of going to the hospital. By the time surgery day arrived, she woke up really excited for her eye surgery. This wasn't totally my intention, and I felt a little guilty at her excitement to put on hospital jammies and drink the juice that would, in her words, "fall me fast asleep." 

It was, as you can imagine, really difficult when the moment came for the doctors to wheel her away from me and Greg. Luckily she was sedated enough to not know what was going on, but her mommy and daddy were not sedated. And it was hard. Really hard. The procedure was very fast (thankfully) and we were with her in recovery before we knew it. Once she had come out of anesthesia, had a (rainbow) popsicle and some juice, we were ready to go home.

We figured she would want to take it easy so we planned a movie/rest day. By noon, Kennedy was ready-to-go and you would not have known she had surgery that morning. I'm thrilled to see how quickly she bounced back. There is a little adjustment period following the surgery as muscles realign, (a little crossing and double vision) so we are keeping a close eye on her. We go in this afternoon for a post-op and I am anxious to see what her doctor says.

Hospital jammies, recovery room and relaxing at home. 

 Meet Big Special Bear (Kennedy named it). She has been present for a million movies, puzzles and coloring activities over the past few days.

Easter in the Land of Enchantment

The Hunters took a mini vacay to Albuquerque for Easter weekend. As per usual, weeks leading up to the trip, Kennedy was losing her mind over going on an airplane. Despite American not serving pretzels like Southweast does, the rest of the flight was super easy. We've reached the Super Easy Travel Stage and I am loving it. I even got to read a book. Both flights. Unheard of.

Kennedy got to do all sorts of Easter things like coloring eggs, hunting eggs and eating way too much candy.  Its become apparent to me that my family celebrates nearly every holiday with Christmas-like enthusiasm, and Easter was no exception. We had a big family gathering on Sunday at my aunt's house with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and Kennedy had the best.day.ever.

She got to meet my cousin's new baby, Baby Owen, and was just in awe. She just kept touching his head (we reviewed that she could not touch the baby's face beforehand) and gave him a million kisses on his head. Presh. I loved seeing how sweet she was around such a teeny-tiny little guy.

We had nearly perfect weather on Sunday and Kennedy spent the entire day outside. We brought the bubble hurricane with us and I was surprised at how many of my adult cousins had fun playing with it. (sidenote: if you have a 2+ year old, do yourself a favor and get one. Best $10 we've spent.)

We had a wonderful Easter with our NM family and can't wait for our next visit.

Coloring Eggs. She was just as messy as last year. But check out Mommy's princess eggs. 

Easter Basket Excitement.

Photo Time with Gramps, Lainey, Mommy and Uncle Pickles. 

Is there anything more fun than a bubble machine?

Easter Sunday. AKA Candy Sunday. 

Meeting Baby Owen. 

Silly faces with the cousins and doing flips with Daddy. 

The Hunters. Easter Edition.