Pregnancy Number Two.

Milestone moment for pregnancy #2:  Last night (March 5th, 2014), Tony felt our 2nd baby girl kick for the first time!  Just so happened to take place directly AFTER we finished our conversation about name choices... coincidence?!  I THINK NOT.  I think that #1 she loves her daddy's voice and #2 she likes the name we have tentatively agreed on!  (I say tentatively because we haven't chosen her name yet.  It's just the top name that we are liking but aren't 100% on it.)  It was a really sweet moment, though, and to see Tony's face light up when he for SURE felt her kick was awesome!!!!  It's really incredible how much more prepared I feel we are this time around or at least that we know what to expect.

It's definitely a new experience for me to not have a name for my baby by now... which may seem silly to other folks considering I am barely halfway through this pregnancy.  I know I've been talking about it so much lately... I am usually not so "type A" about things but this - naming this baby - is something I just can't not think about.  Tony and I have a great conversation about baby names last night.  He looked over my long list and starred the names he liked and could envision for this baby.  And then one by one we went through those 10 names and started marking them off one by one for different reasons.  "Oh, but Violet doesn't sound good with Presley..."  "Addison is nice.  But then we would call her Addie, right?  I don't know that I like her having two names..."  you get the picture.  So we narrowed it down to one name complete with a middle name that we both love - it's got family history, goes well with our last name, the initials don't spell anything offensive, and sounds great with Presley.  Plus, Presley can say it and it sounds adorable.

Another thing that is different about this pregnancy?  I don't remember feeling so sappy when I felt Presley moving around.  Maybe I did and I just don't remember (highly likely)... but I just really marvel in it here lately.  Especially thinking this could be my last pregnancy.  It's also weird to me to think that I am 26 and this could be my last time carrying a baby.  I don't regret starting our family when we did whatsoever, but it just feel like such a young age to be done expanding our family.  I like the idea of having three kids, but at the same time, I think it would be a lot less strenuous (in so many ways) for our family to stay at 4 members.  It's all very surreal to talk about at this point, anyways.  So anyways, I just bring this up to say that this pregnancy is different for me in small ways.  I guess the true test will occur when the baby's hiccups start!!!  (If you don't recall, I was thoroughly annoyed by those last pregnancy!  Sorry Presley!!!)

I also can't wait to unpack baby #2's baby book and start writing in it!  I got it several months before we got pregnant from Hallmark when it was on clearance for somewhere between 70-90% off!!!  It had a circus theme - which we are not fans of the circus - but we LOVE animals and it was just beautiful.  The colors were very neutral (mostly the color red) so I felt it would be perfect whether we would have a boy or girl.  Tony thought I was ridiculous at the time for buying it but I bet now he thinks I'm a superstar!  And my mom will be happy... she likes Hallmark baby books.  Plus, she bought us a baby book just before Presley was born last time because "she has to have a baby book!"  Which, I am so glad she does have one and I love Presley's baby book so so much!!

Update on the home buying:  The seller has signed the contract and the inspection is scheduled for the beginning of next week!!!!  SO EXCITING.  I hope to feel more at ease after the inspection is over... just one more big step towards owning our home!  I went through our list of wants for this house - and it literally had everything we were hoping for minus ONE optional aspect - which was our preference for a flat driveway.  It is definitely not flat... it's actually pretty steep.  What makes me a bit more comfortable is the fact that there are stairs right next to the driveway AND there is plenty of room on the street for friends and family to park if they are not comfortable in the drive.  Can't wait to talk more openly about the house once plans become more concrete!!!!!!

That's all for today... it has taken me all of Presley's nap just to write this much!  I'm not sure why my brain is moving so slow today.  Looking forward to a relaxing weekend and hope it'll turn out that way!!

22 Week Pregnancy Reflection {baby 2!}

How far along?:  22 weeks along in my second pregnancy... which means 18 weeks until we meet our baby girl!  I cannot wait to see her features... who will she look like?  What will labor be like this time around?  How big will she be?  What color hair/eyes will she have?  Now that it's not just me and Tony - but Presley as well - it is so exciting to wonder who she will look most like.  And perhaps she will look completely unique! 

I'm feeling:  A bit self conscious about how big I look for only being about halfway through.  I know I'm pregnant, I know it's normal to show quicker your 2nd time around, and I know it's healthy to gain weight.  I know, I know, I know.  Since I didn't get down to a weight I would have preferred before getting pregnant this time around, I am a little unhappy when I hop on the scale.  I think the true unhappiness stems from the fact that I am not very active (at all).  Otherwise, I'm feeling good.  Haven't felt overly tired and haven't felt sick in a long time.

Size of baby:  Wow!  This baby girl is about the size of a spaghetti squash this week - weighing in at 1 whole pound and measuring about 8 inches.

Movement:  Definitely been feeling her move and kick lately.  Typically, it's after Presley goes to bed at night.  Tony has yet to catch one this pregnancy... I'm thinking it'll happen soon though.

What I miss most:   My sexy pre-baby body!  JUST KIDDING... didn't have one of those.  I miss what I looked like on our honeymoon.  And I do miss having my body to myself.  I know it'll be a while before I have that again considering breastfeeding will hopefully last a while.  I do miss the idea of alone time with my husband - but right now we still have this after Presley's bedtime so I can't do too much complaining.  I also can't believe that one day (soon) I'll be missing alone time with my goose (Presley).  Life is sure gonna change - but it'll be a great thing!  I know that much because looking at how full Presley's made our life just makes it clear that this baby girl is going to do just the same in her own little way!

What I'm excited about:  naming this kid!  I don't care if we literally have to go through every name in the baby book - we are going to find something soon.  We don't have anything big going on tonight so I really want to get Presley to sleep at a decent time so we can seriously dedicate the night to trying to name our baby.  I don't want to keep putting off this conversation.  So I'm very excited for tonight.  I'm excited to hear back from the sellers tonight about the house we are hoping to make ours!  22 days until closing and there are so many hurdles to jump before we get to that point so I am just hoping we can make it all work and fit in that time.

Cravings:  Chinese food, sushi, salads with tons of chopped up veggies, Mexican food, meat (steaks, burgers, ribs... etc), and still BBQ baked potatoes.  Just a lot of food, really.  Doesn't help that I feel starving right now!!!!  Heading to the kitchen now...

The Oscars (& real life)!

Tony & I are big fans of award shows - especially when it comes to movies.  We have been movie watchers forever and seeing movies together was a huge part of the beginning of our friendship and relationship.  I wish we had saved every ticket stub over the years from the movies we saw together... there would be a literal ton, I'm sure.  Anyways, needless to say, it has become less and less of a staple for us over the more recent years.  We have moved from the theaters to watching movies at home and even then, we rarely get around to watching movies anymore!  (Too busy making babies!!!  Just kidding, family... usually just too tired!)  Probably like so many of you did last night, we made a list of movies to see together.  Most movies on the list were nominees from this year, but a couple slipped onto the list when they showed the compilations of previous nominees, too!

1. Philedelphia  (Tony has never seen it!!!!)
2. Ali
3. Braveheart (again... Tony has never seen this!!! Ahhh!!)
4. Argo
5. Zero Dark Thirty
6. The Butler
7. Gravity
8. Frozen
9. Dallas Buyers Club
10. 12 Years a Slave
11. Wolf of Wallstreet
12. American Hustle
13. Fruitvale Station
14. Her
15. Lincoln
16. Runner Runner
17. Man of Steel
18. Prisoners
19. The Lone Survivor
20. The Great Gatsby
21. The Lady in Number Six: Music Saved my Life
22. August Osage County
23. The Book Thief
24. Blue Jasmine

So that's our list of movies to see.  And my thoughts on the Oscars this year?  Absolutely LOVED them and so happy to see Ellen hosting (again).  She is without a doubt my favorite talk-show host/personality.  She is such a great person.  My favorite moment for the whole program was seeing one of my idols, Idina Menzel, perform her song "Let it Go".  Between Wicked, Rent, Enchanted, Private Practice, & Glee {that's right... I have YET to see Frozen!} it's hard to imagine I'll ever adore her more than I already do!  Not to mention, her marriage to Taye Diggs is such a beautiful thing - I love their story - and her family is just gorgeous.  Her voice makes me want to cry in the best way... Idina is soooo incredibly talented.

What else?  I loved Pharrel's performance of "Happy" !!!  It made me happy and sing and dance and was Tony's favorite performance of the evening.  And when Pharrel danced through the crowd?  LOVED.  When he made it to Jennifer Lawrence her face and reaction was PRICELESS and had us CRACKING UP!!!  (She was looking like, 'Oh my god, PLEASE no!')  I think Pink's version of "Over the Rainbow" was sad... I just didn't like it and wished I had.  I think Bette Midler did just fantastic and "Wind Beneath my Wings" was terribly poignant for the In Memorandum segment.  Seeing Paul Walker's face up and name up there was like a dagger to a freshly healed heart... completely respected that they ended on Phillip Seymour Hoffman and I felt the loss of a great artist once again.  It's just such an awful situation.

I loved that Jennifer Lawrence was all over the Oscars - they showed her reaction a bunch, she presented, and was mentioned by Ellen several times.  Love.  Her.  Was sad she didn't win in her category, but if you are gonna lose, at least you lose to the beautiful, deserving, and gracious Lupita!  Her acceptance was so moving.

"Thank you to the Academy for this incredible recognition. It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s. And so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance. And for Solomon, thank you for telling her story and your own."

Jared Leto's acceptance was one of the highlights for me.  If you haven't heard it, check it out.

"...To all the dreamers out there around the world watching this tonight in places like Ukraine and Venezuela, I want to to say we are here, and as you struggle to make your dreams happen and live the impossible, we are thinking of you tonight.  This is for the 36 million people who have lost the battle to AIDS. And to those of you who have ever felt injustice because of who you are and who you love, I stand here in front of the world with you and for you..."

 Good man.  So much respect for him as an artist and as a human. 

I also loved Cate Blanchett's flawless acceptance:

"...For so bravely and intelligently distributing the film and to the audiences who went to see it and perhaps those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films with women at the center are niche experiences. They are not. Audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people..."

What a woman!

Oh and Ellen ordering pizza for her friends?  So very fun.  Oh and the selfie that broke Twitter!!!!  I mean, broke a Twitter record.  In case you missed it, Ellen was live tweeting throughout the night.  She decided to take a photo with her phone of herself and some celebrities in the front row and wanted to break the record for most retweeted photo and she just smashed that record!  Last I checked, it had been retweeted 2.8 million times!  And it's a great photo.

If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014

All in all, I didn't regret the 3 hours we spent watching an awards show.  (Don't you hate that feeling after watching a bad award show??)  I loved it and can't wait to see what they do next year!!!  My message to the Academy?  Thank you for a great show and...

PLEASE BRING BACK ELLEN!

Other things we are loving lately?  THE VOICE.  So excited for this season and happy to have started watching from the beginning this season.  I just love these four coaches (Adam, Blake, Shakira, & Usher)  and love their chemistry.  I am so happy Scandal & Parenthood are back on but I wasn't super excited about either of the episodes... hopefully both shows will continue to pick up in intensity as the season continues.  I am also so sad to have become sooo behind on Revolution.  That was my favorite new show and after the huge break they had, I just found it impossible to pick it back up.  Hopefully I'll get caught up soon.


Now, back to your regularly scheduled news....

We are currently entering into contract on a home that we both LOVE in Cordova, Tennessee.  Obviously, there are several additional steps to take before calling it OUR HOME... but goodness gracious I am just feeling so hopeful and so READY to get going on this process!!!  It is just beautiful and I will share photos the moment it all becomes more real and concrete.  The house is just under 20 years old and such a blank canvas when it comes to decorating.  It's in a quiet neighborhood and has so many of the things we were wanting in a home.  If everything goes well, we will close by the end of the month.

We had a beautiful weekend - it was 70 degrees and GORGEOUS on Saturday.  Today?  Tony is home from work because of the snow and ice.  It's been so great having him home for two days in a row!!!  YAY!  Presley has absolutely loved it, too.

Still very excited for all March has to offer.  Looking for ideas for Lent, I am considering making weekday mass with Presley a priority at least once a week during Lent.  (Not to mention making weekend mass a priority again.)  My hope with making it to weekday mass is visiting as many local Catholic churches as possible in order to find the best fit for our family.  Though, to be completely honest, I have also been considering converting to another religion that more closely aligns with my social values and beliefs.  We'll see how it goes but I'm very excited to make religion a part of my life again.

Thanks for keeping up with us - what do you guys look forward to in March?  And what were your thoughts on the Oscars?  What about any plans for Lent?

Behind the Scenes.

As excited as I am to have moved from the Quad Cities back to Memphis, there are some real bitter parts to that sweetness.  One thing, leaving friends and family behind.  That's never fun.  I hate missing out on my friends & family members' happenings and though I didn't make as much effort as I should have to be a part of their lives regularly, I always knew the distance between us was measured in minutes and single digit miles.  Another thing I've been missing a lot lately is work.  I had this amazing opportunity to work at a zoo for a few months and it was even better than it sounds.  I loved the people who visited the zoo, the folks I worked with on a daily basis, and of course the animals.  Overall, the experience was just fantastic and I was genuinely happy to go in to work and be there everyday.  I didn't have a position that would have worked long term for our family, so I know I wouldn't have been there forever, but I sure do miss it now and I've been thinking about it a lot lately.  That's why when I came across this entry in my drafts folder, I decided to finally publish it now.

To preface, I wrote this November 1, 2013 & had every intention of adding more details and publishing the entry back then, but with so much going on in such a little time, it slipped through the cracks.  I haven't touched the entry since I first started writing it so it isn't perfect or really even complete - but I wanted to share it nonetheless.

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So, I work at a zoo.  And it's the first time I've ever worked at one.  The more I think I know about the zoo and zoos in general, the more I find out I am actually still so clueless.  Today was one of the most awesome work experiences I've ever had.  Ever!

Let me explain by telling you I work in the administration building at this zoo.  That means I am not an animal handler and therefore don't have any super cool opportunities to see what goes on behind the scenes.  Any animal interaction I've had thus far is really just what any zoo goer has the opportunity to do - aside from the fact that I get to conduct the twice daily giraffe feeding (which is just as amazing as it sounds).

A few days ago one of my supervisors asked if I had ever been behind the scenes of any of the exhibits at work.  I told him no but that is something I would love to do.  He told me that one of the perks of working at a zoo should be getting to see all kinds of things that go on in a day and honestly, I couldn't agree more!  For me, this is more than likely going to be a once in a lifetime experience for me.  I tried not to get my hopes up in case this was to fall through, but low and behold he followed through with his word! 

We went behind the scenes of the giraffe barn, which is what I wanted to see the most.  After helping conduct the giraffe encounter many many times a week since the end of July, I really was interested to see the inner workings for the hoovestock keepers.  Also, since the zoo season for us ended last weekend, it has been a week since my last giraffe encounter so I am really missing those beautiful animals!  To go through one of my favorite animals exhibit from behind the scenes was incredible... to do so with our assistant zoo director in tow just added even more to the experience!

After that, we headed to the colobus (monkey) indoor exhibit which was even cooler than the last behind the scenes tour!!!!  Our assistant zoo director told us not to make direct eye contact with the monkeys because they would interpret that as threatening or challenging.  He also told us to stay back away from the barrier because the monkeys may try to grab/injure us.  This was not what I expected to hear at all!  When you go to the zoo and you see the monkeys in the exhibit they seem so friendly.  The monkeys will literally come right up to the window and seemingly play around with you in their outdoor exhibit.  Oh, and I make eye contact with them ALL THE TIME!  So yeah, needless to say, this was one of those moments where I just realized I was very clueless about these animals I feel like I've grown to know.
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Like I said, it was a super cool experience and one of my favorite days while working at the zoo.  I miss it and everyone there all the time and wish like hell it was a place I could have worked for tons of years!  And even before working at the zoo, we were members for years and have SO many great memories out there.
 

In the grand scheme of things, it didn't work out for me to work there very long... but it doesn't stop me from thinking of everyone, missing the atmosphere, and really reflecting back on how great an experience it was.  Hopefully someday soon I will be able to put the focus on a fulfilling career for myself... as important as it is that either Tony or I stay home with our kids (IF POSSIBLE!), it doesn't keep me from having additional dreams for myself and my future.

PS, you know how I said there were SWEET parts of moving to Memphis from the QC??  Well that definitely includes missing out on all the snow they keep getting!  Holy moly!  Living closer to our family and friends here after being away from them for 5 years has been so great.  We have so much to catch up on and look forward to and I am so thankful for all the opportunities that have been placed before us both then and now!

Life with a TWO year old.

It's been quite a while since my last Presley update. 

Negotiations are very popular right now... trying to get her to eat, to do something she doesn't want to but has to do, etc.  She has become extremely picky when it comes to eating.  Her new thing is stuffing food in her cheeks and never eating what's in there.  Oh and screaming, crying, and kicking.  For example, we went to Chick-fil-A today for lunch.  She was in SUCH a wonderful mood and ate so great - we celebrated by going to the play area!  After about 15-20 minutes of playing, it was time to head out.  I was coaxing her gently but really, no matter what I said, the tantrum was unavoidable.  Cue the kicking, screaming, and crying in the middle of the restaurant.  I just have to pick her up and force her out of there... which makes me feel and look like I'm stealing someones kid... awesome!

Moments before the breakdown...

 Want to know one area Presley is still a ROCKSTAR at?  Sleeping!

No fits when it comes to naps and bedtime.  We can fluctuate her bedtime and it doesn't affect her and she sleeps for a long time.  Unfortunately, she's starting getting up SUPER early (6:30-7am) no matter what time we put her down!  That is new for me but it is what it is!  Maybe once she's back on a real mattress and in her own room perhaps it will get better... just in time for a new baby to show up and throw a wrench in the sleeping all together!  Ayeeee yii yi! 

Presley still sleeps with a bunch of her favorite buddies and Tony & I sing to her every night before bed - usually the one her nighttime puppy used to sing before it crapped out and also twinkle twinkle.  We've also added Happy Birthday to her bedtime routine because she just loves that song.  We've also started singing a song about rubbing her hands and feet (to the tune of "row row row your boat") and rub her feet then hands before covering her up.  She LOVES it and it seems to really calm her down before bed.

Presley's currently liking mandarin oranges, chicken, fish sticks, cheese, cheese tortellinis (sometimes), apples (no peel), honey + PB sandwiches (no crust), milk (she's drinking 2% now), chips (oh my word! every flavor!), noodles, corn, green beans, french fries (the only potato she will eat), turkey + cheese sandwich (usually warm), and SOMETIMES cheese pizza... to name a few of the things that we can count on her eating regularly.

She just turned on me with grapes... she has been loving grapes for the longest and now she tells me she will eat them and then doesn't, ever!  

Oh goodness, and Presley has been such a little daredevil lately.  She loves standing up on the arm of the couch at Chris & Kristen's and jumping/falling off onto the couch among other things.  She's fallen off the couch several times lately and I just have to let it happen so she learns.  I can only tell her "no" and ask her to get down and redirect her only so many times.  So, I keep a close eye on her and stay close in case anything goes wrong and let her be the little adrenaline junky she is.

I love having her repeat the baby names we like right now... just hearing her say the name that will potentially belong to her little sister makes my heart melt into a puddle.  I have just two favorite names that I can't get out of my head... and really, if it were up to only me, I would have her name picked out right now because one name sticks out over the rest!  But, we will just have to be patient and keep talking about names together (Tony and I) and see where it leads.

Also?  Presley is starting to look a heck of a lot like her dad right now.  And she loves him in the sweetest ways.  I don't think I'll ever get over the way she runs to the front door when he gets home from work.  Or the way she talks about him throughout the day.  I love our family dynamic and I am so happy we have each other.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it much on the blog, but about a month or so ago Presley and I stopped nursing.  With the pregnancy and sleep changes and everything else going on, it just felt like the right time to stop breastfeeding.  I was 110% ready to be done but once it was over and there was no going back, I did have somewhat of a hard time with letting that part of our relationship go.  I was telling a friend recently that it also had to do with wanting some time between breastfeeding babies.  This way we will have about five months until breastfeeding the next one.  My concern here is that I may have burnt myself out with breastfeeding so long with Presley - I hope that's not the case - but I am mildly concerned with that right now... especially how taxing breastfeeding a newborn can be.  I am encouraged by other mothers telling me how much smoother it went the second time around because you already know what you are doing.  I have every intention and hope of breastfeeding throughout baby 2's first year of life just as I wanted for Presley.  I - CAN - DO - THIS.

SO, this is what life with our two year old looks like lately.  There are so many times throughout the day where I stop and text Tony, "She really is such a sweet girl."  Because she absolutely is.  We have our moments - good and bad - and we're all learning.  I love being a mom, especially to Presley, and I can't imagine where my life would be without her.

21 Week Pregnancy Reflection {Baby 2!}

How far along?:  Exactly 21 weeks along in my second pregnancy today! 

19 weeks to go!

I am feeling:  excited!  I really feel like March is gonna be our month.  I feel like it has so much potential - it's a brand new month with new opportunities.  It could be our month to move into OUR home.  My month when it comes to finding a doctor in town and starting to get prenatal care (don't you even get me started on this story - to make a long story short, we've had no health care for the last two months).  It'll be our month to find a new doctor for Presley.  It's our time to settle our roots.  I just have such high hopes for this upcoming month and I hope it doesn't disappoint.  After all, it's been good to us in the past - we started officially dating each other eleven years ago next month!  Instead of feeling anxious and desperate and defeated... for once, when I think of March and our current situation, I just feel excited.

Size of baby:  Baby 2 is the size of a banana this week - 7 inches, 11 ounces and growing!  That makes me hungry for banana pudding!!!  Oh and banana bread.  Might actually have to make some this week.

Movement:  I think I have been feeling Baby 2 for several weeks now but second guessing it.  Well, this week is finally the week that her kicks are no doubt kicks!!!  I hurried Tony over to feel my belly for the first time this pregnancy last night because she kicked 2-3 times over and over in the same spot but of course she stopped as soon as he put his hands on me! 

What I miss most:  Not a whole lot at the moment.  I'm not kidding when I say this pregnancy really hasn't gotten in the way of my every day life.  It isn't that I forget I'm pregnant or anything... but I just feel more normal and capable this time around, I guess.  I don't like feeling so sleepy all the time - but then again Presley has been getting up much earlier than she used to.  I guess I don't like having to pee all times of the day... and just think this will get WORSE!

What I'm excited about:  Oh man, I guess I answered this one by accident a few questions ago!  Don't worry, there is plenty excitement to go around.  I feel very excited when it comes to Baby 2.  I can't wait to see her little features and sweet baby everything!!!  I can't wait to choose a name for this future beauty queen.  (Hopefully soon!!!)  I can't wait to see the gears turning over the next few months for Presley when she realizes she will be a big sister.  I cannot wait to see my babies together.  I can't wait to see my husband become a dad again and hold his 2nd baby in the hospital.  So many mental pictures yet to be taken and I feel so lucky to be in the drivers seat.

Cravings:  Potatoes.  Give me some potato salad with a loaded baked potato with a side of BBQ baked potato and some potato soup.  How about adding some creamy mashed potatoes to the mix.  All of that just sounds amazing.


This excitement thing is a great feeling.  Is this what it feels to be a glass-half-full kinda person?!  Because it must be great to live life feeling hopeful all or most of the time.  And I know I haven't said too much on the blog when it comes to house hunting... that's mostly because we thought we found the ONE and it ended up not working out in our favor.  Every house we've seen since isn't even worth talking about on here... so we may revisit the house again and look at our options more closely.  Hopefully we will rule it completely in or completely out this time around.

My Baby Names.

I know this story has been told once or twice before, but really, who gets sick of talking about a love story?  Especially when it's their own?

I'm linking up with Kathryn from Team Whitaker to talk about part of our love story that includes a baby girl and how we ended up choosing a name that was just for her. 

First, lets start with the mama.  My name is Allison Michelle and I love my name.  My name is unique and something my parents seemingly agreed on together.  My name has no family ties and was picked purely out of love for those two names.  How cool is that?  My two sisters have family ties in their names (Amanda Marie - Marie is hugely popular in my family - and Ashley Merideth - Merideth is my mom's maiden name), so you could imagine as the middle child, I had a complex about this.  When I realized I was the only one who was different out of us, I took it personally.  Then I got over it and realized how cool it was to be different and that even though they each had family names, theirs were different too.  To fast foward a couple years...

My husband and I found out that we were carrying a girl about halfway through our first pregnancy.  I was ECSTATIC and so relieved to be having a girl.  I don't know if it was because I came from a family of three girls or what... but I just felt like having a girl the first time around was perfect for us.  And I was totally right.

Our daughters name was discussed long before we ever got pregnant or were even married.  I was one of those girls who often thought about baby names throughout different times in my life and it's something Tony and I would discuss together.  I wanted our first baby to honor my dad and also utilize family names if possible and that's how we landed on Presley Rose.  Apologizing in advance for everyone who has heard this story a trillion times... but since I'm linking up with a whole bunch of new blogger pals, I must tell the story once more!

To say my dad was an Elvis Presley fan may be somewhat of an understatement.  He straight up loved the guy and his music!  And I remember his Elvis impressions were just great.  I also remember nearly every Christmas he would load the family up into our station wagon (aka, chick magnet or "chick mag" as it was lovingly known) and we would drive passed Graceland to see the blue lights on the house while listening to a little "Blue Christmas."  My dad was a fan before the family even moved to Memphis, Tennessee and I'm sure the admiration he felt for the King of Rock & Roll just got better after moving here for dad.  So Tony and I went with the king's last name for our child's first name.

Presley's middle name was handed down from my paternal grandmother - Elinor Rose.  It's a beautiful, timeless name and my grandmother is someone who is very interesting, open-minded, witty, and someone I have always liked spending time with - so many qualities I appreciate and would love bestowed upon my daughter.  Tony hugely loved my Gramma's middle name for Presley and he really pushed to use that name.

This time around?  We totally prepared our hearts for a boy.  At first, all I could think about was having another girl.  That's what I wanted.  But somewhere along the way I started to brace myself in case we would be bringing a boy into our family this time around.  So I prepared myself ahead of time so I wouldn't be disappointed or anything.  (I know that sounds awful - I can't think of another way to put it!)  And then bracing myself turned into neutrality which soon turned into hoping for a boy!  How that happened, I'm still not sure.  We came up with a boy name that we both agreed on right away: Benjamin Anthony!  (That should've been sign enough that we wouldn't be having a boy... agreeing on a name so easily!!!)

As you may know, this 2nd baby Duggan is a GIRL and we are so overjoyed.  And of course, we are having a very difficult time agreeing on a name that feels right.  I can think of dozens of names that work well with our last name, sound good with Presley, and names that have meaning to us.  My husband, on the other hand, is having a harder time finding one that fits his criteria - a criteria he even has yet to discover.  Meaning, he doesn't know exactly what he's looking for or expecting, but it is no doubt going to be a magical moment when he hears THE name.  [insert sigh here]

So, it might be a while until we come up with a baby name this time around.  Tony wants it to have as much background and meaning and purpose as Presley's, but I told him the important thing is that we focus on THIS baby and that what's special is her parents coming up with her name together.  And he agreed.  But here we are.  My mother-in-law suggested getting a book full of baby names - and we have a great one... in storage!  Just another thing being put on hold until we find a place to live...