Countdown is on!

We are officially two weeks from our little #2 due date!  Can't believe how fast it has gone.  Are we ready?!?  Well we have diapers and we took out Allie's NB clothes...  Are we ready for sleepless nights , nursing, etc....no....  Are we ready for the new baby smell, to see what she looks like, to introduce Allie to her little sister, and open our hearts to another little girl, YES!

Nick and I finally settled on a name two nights ago!  What a relief to have a name picked out before our new one arrives!  It was a constant back and forth, back and forth between two/three/six names, but yes we finally have one!  I only have to keep a secret for 2 weeks, which is probably good :)

Our #2 is moving all over the place and it is so cool to feel her do twirls in my stomach and have Nick and Allie feel when she moves.  Allie has no idea what she is feeling, but she does now point to my tummy and say baby.  She loves how there are both Allie diapers and Baby diapers and Allie clothes and Baby clothes in her room.  She cares for her little babies so well, I HOPE we will have an easy transition for her not being the only child, but for the next two weeks we are excited to spend some quality time just the 3 of us before #2 comes into our lives and make us a family of 4!

Countdown...14 days til June 21st!

Disney - 3rd time!

So we are so spoiling Allie on her Disney trips! 

Nick is going to a conference in Tampa this fall and when Southwest open their flight schedule for November today...it was $100 cheaper to fly into Orlando over Tampa (distance btwn the two cities are 1.5 hours)...  $83/flight into Orlando vs $210/flight into Tampa...  So we decide to hit Orlando for the weekend before Nick's conference and take our two little girls to Disney!  Allie's 3rd and Baby W's 1st!  Hilton points are hooking us up with a rooms for free.  And we are hoping to get some Disney connections from Leigh's old co-workers.  LOVE when trips fall into our budget!!

I am SO excited for Allie to meet Mickey and Tinker Bell, her 2 favorite Disney characters :)

Disney November 2013!  The Wards are coming back!!

WOMEN!

"The moment I emerged from my mother's womb, however, my possibilities dwarfed those of my siblings, for I was a boy! And my brainy, personable, and good-looking siblings were not. My parents would love us equally, and our teachers would give us similar grades. But at every turn my sisters would be told -- more through signals than words -- that success for them would be "marrying well." I was meanwhile hearing that the world's opportunities were there for me to seize. " - Warren Buffett

http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/02/leadership/warren-buffett-women.pr.fortune/index.html

So I am usual not the feminist, but Warren Buffett wrote a very compelling article on WOMEN on where we were and where we are going!  I think it is awesome that we are giving the guys a run for their money on taking on more of those leadership positions in the workforce.  My company, Nelnet, has created lots of cool leadership training/groups for us women to focus on us advancing.  Love how more and more companies are realizing we are a huge asset to this society!

Who knows, this working mom thing, might be the calling I never thought I had!

10 days

I SURVIVED!

Nick went to beautiful Queenstown, New Zealand for 10 days, when I stayed home 30 weeks pregnant to hold down the fort with our almost 2 year old! 

The whole week leading up to the big trip, I was terrified to do this single parenting, but I do have to say, I made it! 

Allie I filled the days with going to the park SEVERAL times, going to her 1st friend's dance birthday party, visiting Will Metzen in Minneapolis, KS, and having a visit from Grandma Davison for a few nights.

With Nick being gone, it made myself be more up on my toes, so I got up earlier made sure I had all my ducks in a line, Allie/I made a good little team.  But one thing I know, by day 10 we both missed Nick a TON!  Allie was the cutest I have seen her when Nick walked up the jet way and saw her buddy, Dad.  I was in tears, of course.  She was beaming and "talking" up a storm with him trying to fill him in on all that he missed.  This little girl of ours is turning into quite the Daddy's girl.

One thing I know...next time Nick has one of these 10 day trips, we are going to make sure I am not pregnant and it becomes a family trip!

The countdown on the arrival of #2 is becoming closer and closer.  Can't believe in 2 months, we will be a family of four!

Little girl!

We found out today we are having another little GIRL!  We are both SO excited!!! I can’t believe Allie will have a SISTER.  I hope she is as close with Baby Girl W as I am with my lil sis,  calling her every day to discuss boys, gossip, life!  Sisters are the best friends you could ever ask for and so happy Nick and I are able to give this wonderful gift to Allie.

 

 

Now we all have to be patient with Nick, he will be operating in a foreign land.  After growing up in a home with all boys, he is in unchartered territories of Beauty Shop, Barbies, makeup, and fashion.   Nick is going to need my help with knowing how a girl's mind works.

 

I just see our future being played out in the classic scene when Nick will tell our girls, "You're not leaving this house dressed like that."  He will be ruining their fashion sense, but deep down they will know that their daddy just loves them.  It is going to be a minefield for Nick to know how to react to certain situations!  But knowing my Nick, he will rise to the occasion.  "Anyone can be a father, but it takes a good man to be a Dad," especially to all girls!  You know he will teach them how to play in the dirt, chop down trees, and work in the wood shop, all the little boys will love our girls at the rightful age of 22 :)

So cheers to adventure #2!  Wish us luck!!

 

Early AM Comedy

So every Wednesday morning I drag myself out of bed to go teach a Boot Camp class at the NE YMCA.  Luckily it is a 5-10 minute drive to the gym so I can wake up and have energy by 5:45am. 

Comedy Section:
So I was making my class do the plank...
Me:  "Don't you all want six packs"
Member:  "OF BEER"

I think the whole class busted out laughing, that was the end of the plank for the day!

One Year Photos

We took Allie 1 year photos and family pics on a HOT HOT July day, but I think they turned out great!  Thanks to Michelle :)