22 weeks: Baby is as long as a spaghetti squash. Your baby has stretched to the size of a spaghetti squash and weighs almost a pound. (Length: nearly 11 inches.)

 

Yep, 22 weeks...51/2 months...I'd be lying if I said I was amazed at how fast it was going. I am however amazed at how fast I am GROWING! When I catch glimpses of my baby belly I feel more 7 months along. I know your second child is supposed to pop a bit faster but wowee, we are enlarging fast in this household! I also feel like I am feeling stronger movements a bit quicker...at 21 weeks we also SAW the first real baby movements, as in my belly was jumping too and fro. This was a neat thing, as Alex got to see it happen as well. 

I am, however, feeling great. I don't feel all that pregnant yet, at least most of the time. I am trying to keep up the exercise if work allows. It depends on the day if I get the running in, somtimes it is a walk/run...though just the other day I surprised my self by running 3 easy miles. I love food and have a huge appetite. No nausea here! No swelling, heartburn, or any other hard to deal with symptoms yet...

My cravings, Greek Yogurt...yummmm!(though pricey...sheesh!) and CHOCOLATE! I am trying to keep that last one contolled by not eating ANY sweets at work and just having my treat for dessert. The holidays fed me endless sweets I think and now I'm trying to reel my sweet tooth back in!

Overall I'm enjoying the pregnancy and what will be most likely the easiest time of my life raising two boys! Forrest is nearly 22 months, as cute and lovable as can be, and I can hardly wait to see what two will be like! 

It looks as though the satellite dish is scarily beaming info into our baby boy....hmmmm....

Sledding fun...

 2 days after Christmas we took a little afternoon trip up to the snow, only a 30 minute drive from our place. Sometimes we get snow, but not ever enough to sled in... This was Forrest's first time sledding and did he ever love it! The snow man picture that is now my blog header came from this same trip. My parents were with us and my dad took part and got the hang of the toboggan. Poor Alex was our chauffeur and had to steer clear of the snowy slope due to major back issues....but a fun time was had by all including the little Forrest- meister. He wanted more, and more, and MORE despite his mama's tired body after huffing him and the sled up the hill a dozen times. We will be back, I can say that!

book worm...

Okay, so maybe not a true book worm, but a book on tape worm perhaps! Books on tapes are my new found hobby and make my work commute so much more enjoyable. So far I have been through the above titles and can't believe how much it has changed my drive. My drive has always been far more enjoyable than a city commute, but even the beautiful scenery and NPR has its limits.
Listening to books on tape is like following a movie, but better, (as isn't the book always better than the movie!) And it's making my commute actually feel productive and fulfilling, and NOT a waste of time which it can often feel like.
I am 1/2 way through the third Steig Larson book which is a great series....and Three Cups of Tea was an awesome eye opening adventure filled account of a true story. I highly reccomend all of the above titles...
(and it helps drown out the endless Sesame Street that is playing in the back seat for Forrest...not that I don't enjoy them, but anything can get a little old!)

It's a........

boy!!!!

Forrest is going to be a big brother to a little boy! Our big ultrasound was this morning and we were so excited to find out whether our little bean would be a smolt, or smoltess....
My mom got to accompany me to the event along with Alex, and signs point to a baby boy for this Fultmeyer clan!
Either way we would have been overjoyed, and the important thing is of course everything looks healthy and perfect on the anatomy scan...
2 little ranch boys....
:-)

A sneak peak in pictures of a magical day...

Grandpa helps out with his first remote control car

happy boy!

A biker is born!

Mom even gets into the RC car...!

first fishing rod of many...

our cutie rocking elf

VERY happy family...

Forrest was truly overwhelmed with his first Christmas where he actually knew SOMEWHAT of what was going on. His little face when he saw his Santa gifts was priceless. He just stood and stared at all of it for awhile, stared at us...and his first gut instinct I guess said...TRAIN SET!!!! But fun times with the rocking horse, bike, and the rest of his gifts lasted all day. What a magical day with both sets of grandparents, great food, and all of us enjoying the time in our little cozy house.
The Christmas spirit was thick over here...:-)

The peaceful wee hours of Christmas...

 Merry Christmas from our home to yours! We wish you the best of health, peace, and happiness. My parents, (aka Santa's elves...) are visiting and it's been a busy Christmas Eve.

 Bikes have been worked on, (Santa needed a little assistance of FORREST's first BIKE!!! WOOHOOO!)

Can you tell this mama is excited...?

 Train sets have been magically appearing...along with rocking horses who like to stop by!

All for this super happy and amazing little boy!

They say as you get older, Christmas looses its magic. 

I disagree...it will be one of the most magic things of all to wake up tomorrow and see this little face...:-)

Thawing out in Santa Barbara

ice cream on the pier

beach bum...:-)

sandy toes

A beautiful weekend was in store for us in Santa Barbara. We left our extremely chilly and rainy northern California home for absolute paradise. I really think it had been a couple of weeks since our white bodies had even seen the sun let alone felt its warmth.
Good rowing buddy Sarah Dreger got married and we were honored and excited to attend the festivities. The weekend was a quick one...only two full days, but we packed in lots of beach time, visiting with Tammy and her little cutie Graham, and of course the wedding fun.

Forrest showing his studly wedding look

The tired but happy parents, on 3 hours of sleep, (early early flight!)

Family shots are hard to come by!

the beautiful bride!

First Dance, crappy shot, but they were so happy!

cutting the cake!

The back of Sarah's beautiful gown, she had awesome red heels too...

Graham, Forrest, and Mr. Turtle

The buddies, eying each other on their favorite, the swings!

old rowing buddies, now mama's!

18 weeks

This little bean is a growing baby! All is well here on the prego side of things. I'm growing by leaps and bounds it seems as my little squirt or squirtess is busy growing and kicking! Yes, I can definitively say I have felt the tiny kicks...and some more major kicks, perhaps some punches from the little one. It's funny but the first time I was absolutely positive was just last night on the plane, with Forrest's head in my lap, as he was soundly sleeping, (finally....) away. Almost as if his little sibling was getting back at him when he had the chance. Forrest is a bit boisterous lately, and I almost have to guard the belly from bodily harm. A sign of things to come with these two siblings I'm sure!
I'm feeling well, my appetite is great, (i.e. chowing down a foot long sub with no difficulty at all...ugggh.), and of course the other pregnancy symptoms of constant urination, fatigue, and the popping belly button have come but are managable!
So, big events in the future, the half way point! 20 weeks is less than two weeks away. And a few days after that we get to sneak a peak at our little Fultmeyer's gender...
boy? girl? what do you think?

Sweet Moments, all for my head...Christmas, Toddlers, and the little mango!

This weekend is one of those that 1,000 beautiful pictures should have been the result. Christmas with Forrest is truly a great experience this year. And yet, we're having a camera crisis currently. Our two newest cameras, (one of which is only 4 months old....grrrr...) have their automatic focus on the fritz and won't even function enough to give me the opportunity to try a blurry shot. Technology at its best.
And, my fish loving hubby if off duking it out with the salmon again and took our oldest digital.
So, the result, lots of beautiful "memory" shots for this mama's head.
And the best follow...
***Forrest decorating sugar cookies for the first time! I can't say it was an entirely peaceful and fun experience. We went from exhilarating shrieks to tears in a matter of seconds as I tried to "control" the situation as best as I could. This morning I still found red sugar in my ear...No Joke!!!
***Forrest "helping" put up the Christmas lights around the hearth. He kept holding the lightbulbs up to his nose, you could see the twinkle in his eye!
***Our search today for a Christmas tree on our property. He was dressed in a cute sweater and despite the lack of finding the "perfect" tree we had a blast.
***Forrest dancing to Christmas carols. His little jig cracks me up! This one HAS to be a video when the camera situation gets solved.

So, still no camera. I might take matters in my own hands and shell out for a new one...
As this means no belly pics for all of you of the newest Fultmeyer baby!
I do happen to have a two week old pic....I think I was 15 weeks here. Still a crappy picture. And I now realize that taking a belly shot in black, with a black window backing you up just does NOT do you justice. But again, it's what I have!

 I am of course a tad, (okay a LOT, in my eyes anyways!) bigger with my belly currently, but this is close...
Feeling great. Really in the "Honeymoon stage" of my pregnancy I believe. I just have to make sure to drink enough water, (always a fault of mine!), eat when I'm hungry, (or I CRASH...like on our Christmas tree walk today, I was ready to eat the bark off the trees...) and get my sleep. The rest is easy at the moment...sweetness....

A little surprise the Turkey left...!!!

Can you guess what it is....??? Can you, can you???!!!

                                        

SURPRISE!!! (I bet you thought you were in for MORE salmon pics didn't you!)

Our Thanksgiving bird decided to coax us to let all our family and friends in on our little secret, as yes, we're pregnant! Fultmeyer babe #2 is due in May and we are very excited. I'm approaching 17 weeks along, feeling well, and all is happy and healthy in this body and household....

A few thoughts earlier in my pregnancy are listed under the label Fultmeyer #2 and were posted earlier this fall.

An early Christmas present to be delivered in late spring is a nice way to look at it! We are excited to add a sibling to our crazy cute little family.

Much love from our family comes with this news...;-)