half way point!

(I somehow missed doing an update for 19 weeks, oopsie!)

Size of Baby: Banana (6.5 inches, 10.6oz)

Gender: Sweet baby girl! We are pretty sure we've decided on a name but are mostly keeping it secret until she's born. Sorry curious people! haha

Weight Gain: Eight pounds. Gulp. For some reason it's been much harder for me this time around to watch the number on the scale go up. Last time I really could have cared less. This time? I'll be honest, it's a little painful. I'm not sure why I'm so caught up about it, probably because I've been working so hard to stay active and fit since Riggs was 6 months old (read more about that, here). 

Maternity Clothes: Not sure I'll go out and buy any maternity pants, except maybe a pair or two of over-belly maternity leggings. I did find two perfect gap maternity maxi dresses at the consignment store - brand new btw - for only $15 each (marked $45 on sale on the Gap price tag) and I know I'll be wearing those quite a bit. They're still a tiny bit big in the stomach for now, since they have that rushing along the side of the belly area and my belly just isn't big enough to be filling it out yet. I check Target's maternity section every time I'm there for cute shirts and dresses. I picked this adorable cardi up last time I was there and have been wearing it a bit.  

Nursery: Check out my idea board on Pinterest here. Starting to make a (seemingly really long) list of things we need to get done in order for them to share the room. Honestly, baby girl will be in our room for at least the first two months (Riggs was in our room for 8 months but I want to try not to co-sleep with this baby so maybe she'd be ready to move sooner?) so we have quite a bit of time to worry about their room. Big things include painting the walls (white) and the trim (white) and adding a wider, high quality trim along the floor. We will need to decide on a final big boy bed idea for Riggs and buy/build it, and I want to either paint the crib white or get it painted. I'd also like to replace the large bookshelves that are in there with something more kid friendly and find a way to add more storage in the closet. Everything else is just minor details, like bedding and artwork. I would like to add a reading corner somehow with a comfy cushion of some sort, but we'll see what there's room for. 

I have gotten more done in our room to make space for baby girl. I cleared out drawers in my dresser for her clothes and finally have some tiny pink things to fold and store there. I also cleared out some room in our closet to hang her little dresses :) 

Movement: I have just started noticing bigger, kick-like movements this past week and I'm loving it! They're usually low or on the sides since my anterior placenta sort of cushions the front middle ones so I don't feel them as much. 

Sleep: Sleeping GREAT. It helps that Riggs has pretty much been sleeping through the night for the past month now. Yay!

Best Moment This Week: Getting to see family and feeling stronger baby kicks. Oh! And seeing the adorable matching hats my sister knit for Riggs and baby girl:

Looking Forward To: My belly finally rounding out enough that it's 100% obvious that I'm pregnant and not just thick. I feel like it's still pretty questionable, and like I said maternity shirts/dresses still are pretty baggy in the belly. I know it will all happen really quick but this in-between stage is so awkward!

weekend with family

Thursday my sister-in-law and niece flew in from Homer to spend some time before their new baby is born (a girl too!) and get some shopping done in Anchorage. They were joined by my brother-in-law Friday evening and stayed until Sunday. We had so much fun spending time together and watching Riggs and Morgan play together.

I so wish we could spend more time with them, but I know it's also more special and fun for the cousins to visit each other since it involves long trips and staying at each others houses. My niece Morgan is so sweet and was such a cuddle bug - I loved her hugs and snuggles so much! She loved talking about her baby sister and her baby cousin and how big my belly is going to get, like her mamas (who is 36 weeks pregnant). So cute!

having his cousin over wore him out

I found him lying on the floor in the middle of his room with his boom truck ;)

We went on adventures and had fun watching the kids be kids together. They had so much fun watching out the window Saturday as their dads worked on projects outside together. Morgan was so funny, she kept saying "That's a dad, and that's a dad, and I'm a kid and you're a kid, and that's a mom and that's mom! Two families!" and pointing to everyone as she said it. She kept us all entertained with her constant chatter :)

Watching kiteboarding videos with Uncle Ben

It was so much fun to spend a long weekend with them, and just crazy to think that it's the last time we'll all probably hang out as families of three. Next time I see that sweet family will probably be to celebrate the birth of their sweet baby. Then later it will be our turn! Where does the time go?!

getting ready for Valentines Day

It's funny, I've never really been a huge Valentines Day person. Steve and I have never done anything crazy, to be honest I don't even think we've gone out to a romantic dinner once in the nine years we've been together, except for the first year. We are so lame!

But this year I've gotten into the V-day spirit and have been making little decorations here and there, which I'll share later. Today I wanted to share some of my favorite Valentines Day things from around the web.

one | this amazing felt flower garland from my friend Lena over at Root and Blossom. I am seriously in love with this and will be making it as soon as I can get to the fabric store (tomorrow?!). I think it's an adorable non-heart way to decorate for Valentines Day (even thought I love hearts). But also, I think it will be an adorable little decoration for our baby girls space after V-day is over.

two | this hilarious card from etsy shop Emily McDowell Illustrations. It's a sad but true fact that a few nights a week Steve and I are exhausted and climb into bed early to zone out on our phones 'together'. I know he'd get a kick out of this card :)

three | this sweet paper heart garland. It would be easy to make if only I had a heart punch...maybe I'll be looking for that tomorrow too?

four | this heart cake. I saw this on pinterest a while ago and thought it would be fun to try making a heart cake. Valentines day is the perfect excuse!

Do you decorate for Valentines Day? Feel free to share any Valentines related blog posts in the the comment section so I can visit!

spring in January

It's been above freezing for nearly two and a half weeks at our house. We had a ton of beautiful snow. Now it looks like early spring in Alaska...aka dead grass, dirty snow in the shady spots, and piles of gravel on all the sides of the roads. I've been enjoying the warmer temperature, especially now that all the snow-turned-to-ice has melted. But I think the chickens have been enjoying it the most.

They have been out in the yard from the first bit of light until it's completely dark each night, scratching around and even taking the first joyous dust bath of 'spring'. I feel a little bad for them because it's going to get cold again at some point, and probably snow (a lot). Poor girls are suffering under the same delusion that I am, that spring is just around the corner. Luckily it is nearly the end of January, February is the shortest month of the year, and then it will be March.

March in Alaska can mean warmer temps and 'break-up' (what we call early spring, when all the snow is melting and ice is 'breaking-up') or it can snow three feet in the last week just when we think it's spring and plunge us all into despair. Either way, it always seems to melt quick and be in the fifties by mid-April, and that's not too far away. But still, the poor chickens! I don't want to know what they'll think when they wake up to a foot of snow. 

Also, if you're really into my little flock you might notice that my two Buff Orpingtons are missing from these pictures (wiping away tears). Their lives ended about a month ago and it was very traumatic for pretty much just me. Riggs didn't really notice and Steve was happy to stop feeding the two piggiest chickens who were the weakest layers (one never even laid a single egg since we got her). I know it's for the best but I decided then and there that I am soooo not cut out to be a farmer. I cried nearly all day and the next whenever I looked out at the chickens. 

weekending

Another weekend is over and it was a good one. Saturday didn't start out the best, I had a very emotional morning melt-down about my house and decided to deep clean everything (I must be pregnant ha). But it quickly got better and I got a lot done so I consider it to be a successful weekend day.

I also loved that Riggs sat through the first chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh before his nap and seemed to really like listening to me read the story to him. He amazes me every day with how grown-up he's getting.

Sunday we went to church in the morning after an early 6 am wake up. I noticed after I picked Riggs up from the nursery that he seemed to sound a little congested and his nose was running. Once we got home, fed him and napped him, it became even more apparent that he has a little cold. I felt so bad for sending him to infect all the other kids. Sorry other kids in the nursery and their moms! I really didn't mean to!!

After we all napped (I read in bed), Riggs snacked in his high chair and kept me company while I sewed. It worked very well because he was completely contained except that he kept distracting me with his cuteness. Those smirks of his just kill me!

I was trying to finish some quilt squares for a blanket I'm making for our baby girl. I actually picked out the fabric last year and was going to make a lap quilt for our couch but never really got more than the cutting done. So I went through all the fabrics I had included and picked out my favorites for a baby girl quilt. It will look pretty much like this when it's done, with hot-pink binding and all:

Now that all the squares are done I just need to go find a neutral and yet non-white fabric for the sashing and some perfect pink for the binding. Visiting the fabric store can be dangerous, so wish me luck that I'll find what I need and not go crazy buying all the gorgeous girl fabrics they're sure to have. I'm so excited to start getting things ready for our sweet baby now that we know 'it's' a she! :)

18 weeks!

Size of Baby: Sweet Potato (5.6 inches, 6.7oz)

Gender: GIRL! We are still in shock and so excited about adding a sweet baby girl to our family. It's going to be so interesting to watch Riggs and his baby sister interact - both Steve and I both come from same-sex sibling groups (Steve has one brother and I have two sisters). 

Weight Gain: Still up five pounds but I have a feeling I'm going to be gaining fast from now on. My appetite has increased drastically this week and my belly has literally ballooned. I swear it grows noticeably every single day.

Maternity Clothes: I am still using many of my normal clothes, but I'm starting to add some maternity pieces and I'm definitely on the look out for a few maternity friendly wardrobe pieces. Maxi skirts, dresses long sleeve tees and some more leggings are at the top of my list right now, oh and some flowy (is that a word?) cardis. 

Nursery: Check out my idea board on Pinterest here. Things are really coming together in my head for how to incorporate a few girly touches into the room Riggs and his little sister will be sharing after she is a few months old. I can't wait to share more of my ideas as things start coming together!

Movement: Lots of little flutters, a few jabs in the last couple of days. But I found out I have an anterior placenta (it's in the front) at the ultrasound appointment so that means I'll probably feel baby girl less than I felt Riggs.

Symptoms: Feeling great! Still some nipple soreness but it actually seems to be getting better (or I'm getting used to it haha) and extra peeing. The usual.

Sleep: Sleeping great for now.

Cravings: Everything...I'm so hungry! I feel like all I do is think about food. But I am starting to notice that I can't eat as much as once and need to start eating a few small meals throughout the day.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing our beautiful (and most importantly healthy!) baby girl in our ultrasound appointment on Monday. I am just overwhelmed by the miracle that is new life. 

Looking Forward To: June! Haha I know it's a long way off but for some reason I've gotten so antsy lately! I need to slow down and focus on the moment, and all the things I need to get done before summer!

Paddington Bear for Gap!

top: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

middle: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

bottom: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Last year about this time I was swooning over the Peter Rabbit collection that came out at babyGAP. This week they introduced their Paddington Bear for babyGAP collection and I'm swooning all over again. I just love everything! I will be watching like a hawk for my favorite pieces to be marked down, then you can bet I'll be grabbing them up! 

BabyGAP was probably my favorite go-to shop for clothes when Riggs was a baby. Now that he's grown out of their baby sizes, I tend to prefer the simplicity and long/lean fit of J.Crew crewcuts for Riggs, but I still love babyGAP. It was the first place I stopped to shop after we found out baby #2 is a girl. What's your go-to shop for your baby/toddler? I find that it usually depends on what fit your baby needs, since every retailer seems to be pretty different in regards to size and fit...

seventeen weeks! (last chance to guess gender!)

Size of Baby: Onion (5.1 inches, 5.9oz)

Gender: Get your guess in for whether or not it's a girl or boy, because we find out Monday morning! I am so so so excited just to know either way so we can figure out a name and stop calling our poor baby 'it'. Also because I can finalize plans for the shared nursery!

Weight Gain: Up to five pounds now. I gained two pounds in just one week! My belly has grown quite a bit too, I guess I'm just entering that rapid growth stage. I know it's completely normal and healthy to be gaining weight but watching that number creep up after working so hard to get back into shape after Riggs is a little scary!

Maternity Clothes: Nope. Although I do need to get a few more pairs of leggings that don't cut into my belly.

Nursery: Check out my idea board on Pinterest here. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do in there, just waiting to find out the gender to finalize our plans. I think I'm leaning towards (especially if it's a boy) Steve building a little bunk bed for Riggs so that when new baby is bigger they'll have more floor space to play. And in the mean time Riggs can use the extra bunk as a reading area.

Movement: Lots of little flutters. In the evenings I've been feeling so full and a little uncomfortable, like I can feel my uterus growing. I don't remember that at all with Riggs. This pregnancy has already been pretty different from Riggs but I don't know if that because I've changed my habits a lot since then too (aka I have another kid to chase around haha). 

Symptoms: Feeling great! Just some nipple soreness when Riggs latches on and some extra peeing, especially at night since I can't help but drink a lot of water at dinner. 

Sleep: Sleeping great except for waking to pee and the occasional wake up with Riggs.

Cravings: Salad, red bell peppers, thin crust pizza, miso soup, stir fried veggies, ice cream, gummy candy. I can't give into that last one because if I do I won't be able to stop eating them! No self-control with some things haha.

Best Moment This Week: Hearing baby's sweet little heartbeat at my midwife appointment and making the ultrasound appointment.

Looking Forward To: Finding out the gender on Monday morning. I'm hoping baby will cooperate and be totally healthy. I'm so excited! I keep going back between thinking it's a boy and then thinking it's definitely a girl. I have pretty much no idea, I can't wait to finally just know.

Oh, a friend shared this crazy video with me about the changes that a woman's body goes through during pregnancy and I thought I'd share a link to it here, along with a photo of 17 weeks, which is where I'm at as of today. Pregnancy is such a miracle!

video: a glimpse of summer

I was really good about making little video compilations of Riggs' day to day life at the beginning of the year (here and here) but I fell behind during the warm and busy summer months. Here's your chance to get a little glimpse of summer, and of how cute Riggs from about 16-20 months :)

I recommend clicking over to Vimeo so that you can watch the video full screen and at the highest resolution. :)

Summer with Riggs from Whitney Harness on Vimeo.

365 photos of Riggs in 2013

2013 was the second year I attempted to do a 365 project for Riggs. I succeeded in taking a picture a day his first year, but the photo quality was not the greatest. So for 2013, my goal was to use my real camera (not my iPhone) 95% of the time.

I mostly succeeded in my goal, but I missed two days and I'm pretty bummed about the quality of some of the last couple months of photos. I just got so distracted during my early pregnancy woes and it makes me sad. But I'm still extremely proud of the entire project, and I grew so much in regards to my photography skills over the year. I love having this record to look back on of just the day to day of life with Riggs, and so I'm going to continue in a similar type project for 2014.

I'm going to do a picture a week for Riggs (so a 52 project) but I will do a 365 project for new baby when it arrives.

If you're interested in checking out the blog I keep for picture projects, feel free to click on over.