Nuggie please

I don't think this needs much explanation. Clearly were awesome parents.

Things I'm looking forward to...

Can you remember when Gabe with this tiny? I feel like i blinked and he was 12 pounds!

I'm down to the (hopefully) final 2 weeks till Evie arrives. Needless to say, Michael & I can hardly wait to meet her! We're tired of imagining what she'll look like and just want to hold her already! Some things I'm looking forward to this time...

**I'm looking forward to a VBAC. I've heard the recovery is much better for baby & mother. No drugs making us both sleepy and nauseous! Amen! No scar, no long stay at the hospital. Immediate bonding with baby. We ask for your prayers on this because i am nervous about labor and pain. Pray for a successful and healthy delivery, especially with no uterine rupture. That's the big danger of a VBAC.
**I'm looking forward to seeing her face. I've had this blank faceless baby dressed in purple in my mind for so long...i can't wait to see what she actually looks like! Will she look like Gabe with a cherubic face? Or be more olive-skinned with brown eyes like me?
** Cheek-kissing! I just couldn't get enough of Gabe's fat little cheekers...still cant. Somehow amidst all his growth spruts and lankyness...he managed to keep his chubby cheeks! Can't wait to see if baby sister follows suit!
**I've been staring at these adorable outfits: pink and purple and green and white. I cannot wait to see her in all the frilly, dainty, grily items we've been blessed with! From knitted hats, headbands, lacy socks and ruffle-butt onsies! It's all so fun and different from Gabe's infant wardrobe!
** I'm looking forward to attemping breastfeeding again. I know how disappointed i was when Gabe & I didn't click,, but i hope my mental state will be much better at trying it this time.
** Speaking of mental state- I'm SO excited to enjoy the post-baby bliss with Michael. And with NO deployment looming over our heads. This should contribute to much better post-partum recovery and calmness on my part. To know i don't have to be a single mom right off the bat is just wonderful. Hard to explain if your husband has never deployed...but it's just good. He definitely deserves some quality baby time :) Plus it helps he's a natural  with babies!
**Using the baby bjorn again. I loved when Gabe was all tiny and nestled against me. It was so fun. I was sad when Gabe outgrew it. Maybe she'll be more ave-sized? Who knows...doesn't matter as long as she's healthy and thriving :) I'm going to have to fight over baby bjorn rights with Nulkie though; that was one of his favs with Gabe too.
**Seeing Gabe with her. We keep telling him about Baby Sister but I'm sure he has no idea what's really coming. He's so sweet to little babies in church, I can't wait to see his reaction to her. I'm sure he'll be very affectionate :)

I've been getting pretty anxious wanting her to come. Pray that i can have patience and peace about her arrival. We just want her here so bad...and frankly I'm getting a bit tired of being pregnant. I feel unpleasantly plump! So pray for our family as we wait out these final days till she decides it's time!

Baby girl shower!

 Here are a few pics from my ladybug themed shower. Kristi & Bri hosted and did a fabulous job!

 Lots of fun pink and purple goodies!

 Sydnae...the other preggo! We had a joint shower. She's due about the same time as me!

 Figure out what's in the diaper :)

 We were given such cute stuff! I can't wait to dress up Evie in all of it!

 Part of the group. We forgot to take a group shot at the beginning when everyone was there...but you get the idea. Great group of girls.

 Both of us at approx 38 weeks! Were both feeling the heat and wanting to be done!! Do i look freakishly tall next to petite Sydnae (she's 5'2")? Yes, yes i do!

Our hostesses' with the mostest. The blonde is Kristi & the brunette is Bri. Both ladies have two little boys so i think they enjoyed throwing a shower for two future princesses! These girls are TOO sweet. I will miss them terribly when we move. Thanks so much! Evie & I are truly blessed by all the love and thoughtfulness you showered on us!

Our morning

 Bedtime stories with daddy and tiger. I told him to smile but he wouldn't smile at the camera. Oh well you get the idea.

 

We decided to head down to the river this morning and let the dogs swim/ run around since they haven't been walked in awhile. It's 100 degrees and 80% humidity so preggo is just not interested in walking the doggies. I feel bad i'm neglecting them...but at least we rewarded them this morning!

 Ah, the Big Piney. Aka the Big Hiney.

 Gabe fell in about 30 secs after wading into the water. Then he ate half my bagel and downed a yogurt.

 going out to the "big rock"

That's a happy winsty face!

 

37 weeks! Booyah..get this baby out!! Nulkie calls me the "Preganator". Then he'll go to me "whoa you look huge today!" He's so supportive :)

 forced dunking

 The Bella Squish

 Happy doggies

 looking for shells

Double thumbs up dude!

Daddy & Gabe workout

A nice lil' saturday

 A pregnant woman's dream: death by chocolate. Yes that's a layer of choc cake, choc pudding and homemade choc whipped cream. Needless to say it was GONE to the point of scrapings left at the church function i brought it to. Bummer dude. Shoulda made two!

 Chocolate heaven glow. I would've just ate this for dinner.

 On our way home we found a firetruck! And the nice fireman let Gabe check it out and climb all over. Gabe didn't want to sit in the seats though. He kept saying "no".

 Investigating. Firetrucks are Gabe's FAVORITE thing right now. I think he has like 5 toy ones. And he plays with all of them. So this was like Christmas to go up close to one and touch it :)

Hope you all are having fabulous weekends! We are so far!

35/36 weeks!

 Yikes! Is there a bun in the oven? Or mayhap a loaf of bread?

 My view these days. It took a lot of effort and baby-smooshing to paint those toes. I think I'll go get a professional pedi next time!

35 weeks! Or 36 depending who you talk to. According to our early ultrasounds our due date should be August 4th (which i am mentally and emotionally attached to). BUT the dr. and nurse came up with August 10th based off made up dates and decided to go with that since it's not a 2-week difference from what the ultrasound said. Lame. Makes no sense to me. Anyhow either way you slice it, I'm pretty much looking at a month left. And recently my best bud in Texas had her second baby at 37 weeks which I think is a SPLENDID idea! Hear that Evie? In about 2 weeks you are welcome to make your arrival!! I promise to fatten you up outside the womb! Milk tastes way better. And you'll have more room to move since you're maxing out my belly!

Independence day festivites

  

We had a nice 4th. Gabe got some play time in the pool. We met up with some friends at the Whittet Wiener Wagon (a couple in our church owns it) so Michael scored some free chili dogs. He also got to buy fireworks and have his own little mini show. 

 We opted to avoid the crowds down where the on-post festival was happening (much to michael's unhappiness) and watch the fireworks from on top of the hill across from our neighborhood. It actually was an awesome view of the fireworks and no traffic! That's win-win for a Pilon. After sweltering in the hot sun at the wiener wagon and dealing with a cranky Gabe i was in no mood to deal with parking, crowds and lines. Yes i am my father's daughter. I also am 35 weeks preggo and am already permanently over heated! Any-who we brought our blankets and cooler over across the street and sprawled out. Lots of other ppl parked in the same lot we did. The fireworks started at 9 with this little mini-show that was about 5 mins long. We were about to pack up my 930 thinking that was it when they started again. This time they lasted till about 10 so it was a pretty good show.

 daddy doing muscle-ups on his new b-day present.

 Gabe had to try after he saw daddy doing it. He actually could hold himself on the rings for a lil bit by himself!

 Gabe did pretty good with the fireworks show. We thought he might be scared by the big booms (there were some other babies screaming) but he wasn't phased at all. In fact Gabe's commentary during the entire show (he wouldn't shut up) was hilarious! He was laying on the blanket with Daddy and kept saying "no pee pee in fireworks, no pee pee in moon, no pee pee in tree...etc" You get the idea. Anything he saw outside he declared a no pee-pee zone. Michael had to keep responding "that's right Gabe, we only pee in the potty".  His new found independence in going to the bathroom leads to lots of these convos where he tells us where he shouldn't go pee-pee. I thought Gabe would be enthralled by the fireworks, but he was good with the lil mini-show at 9. He was wayyy more excited to run around the grass singing "ring around the posy" and pick dandelions. It was hard to keep him focused on the bigger, longer show.

 Michael calls this our "Go America" family photo.

Lookin' pretty preggo. Okay i have to go feed the beasts! Hope you all had a nice 4th!