The Schmidgalls

Baby #2 and I are just plugging along here.  I am pretty sure, I am complaining a bit more this time around. I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I am trailing a toddler this time!  As I get bigger, I am a lot less willing to bend down to pick things off the floor.  And, when you are only a couple feet tall, that is where you tend to leave everything!

When I was pregnant with Ella, I would take a picture of my growing belly once a month.  This time, I am less curious about my growing girth…a bit more horrified!  I am kidding, it is really not that bad.  It is just more fun to post pictures of Ella and our family adventures than how I am lookin’ through it all.

But, for memory sake, here I am at 33 weeks.

Wait, it is cuter with Ellie in the photo too.  This cutie turns two on Thursday!  Can you believe it?  When we ask her the baby’s name, she replies, “Baby Sister!”  We are not exactly sure where she got that but it causing question to all those who are certain it is a boy.

What the heck, here is one in a different outfit.

For comparison, here is twenty weeks.  Surely, this baby has to be cooked.  I have gotten so much bigger!

Less that two months to go!  We can do it!

It is an exciting week in our city!  Regardless of your political position, you can’t help but get caught up in the excitement our nation feels about the inauguration tomorrow.  We are continually thankful for all the things are are able to experience living in our nation’s capital and we try to take advantage of them whenever we can.

We talk as a family a lot about embracing adventure so yesterday, after church, we bundled up and biked down to the Lincoln Memorial for the Inaugural Kick-off Concert!  I must have looked hilarious - eight months pregnant biking down the street with a singing toddler on the back of my bike!

Yep, Ellie sang me songs the entire way.  I had to keep reminding her why I couldn’t do the hand motions with her. Twinkle star, Away in a Manger, Old McDonald, Happy Birthday - I got a pre-concert!

We could not believe the crowds!  This will be the third inauguration I have had the privilege to experience since moving to DC but this was just a concert and it was NUTS!  We were way back by the Washington Monument but people were jammed in there like sardines just to see the jumbo-tron!

We were cracking up at all the people who climbed up into the tree to see!

She won’t remember any of this but we had a blast together as a family!  In fact, as we were leaving, we saw some police officers on horse-back.  One of the horsies went poop while we were saying hello.  The entire ride home Ella wouldn’t stop talking about the “horsey go poopy!”  So much for history!

We stopped for a family photo in front of the Capitol.  It is looking all fancy for the big day!

We live just a few blocks from the Capitol so most of our streets will be closed and we will have to experience the day on foot!  How exciting to walk out your front door to history!

Yay, yay, yay!  Our best friends have welcomed Baby Cali Michelle! She was born Wednesday, January 14 at 5:19pm and weighed 7lbs and 7.75 ounces.

We are so thankful to “do life together” (as we say) with Dairo, Christina, and Giovanny…and now they have a new baby girl for us to cuddle!  Christina and I met in Sweden almost ten years ago (wow, already?!)  Though we went to separate colleges, we were on the same travel-abroad program studying international business and economics.

I am convinced God had a plan for our friendship!  Though I lived in California at the time, I happened to move to Christina’s side of the continent after graduating.  We watched each other fall in love, make early life decisions…and prayed each other through it all!  Now, we are married, our whole family works in ministry together, we live around the corner from each other, and our kids are best friends.  It is just how you plan it in junior high!

Ellie and Go-Go are three months apart.  Now, Cali and our baby #2 will be two months apart!  Fun stuff!  Holding Cali made me so thankful for the way God has provided for each of our families.  True friendship, committed to encouraging and supporting one another is such a gift!  Welcome to the fun Cali!

Look at that hair! Gorgeous!

Aunt Nina, Uncle Joel, and Ellie…so happy to welcome her!

Ellie meets Baby Cali - she has such a nurturing spirit.  I can’t wait to see her with her baby sibling soon!

Proud mama and papa!

Look at these teensy feet!  Yummy!

Oh, the memories ahead!

We ushered in the New Year with a family trip to the mountains!  We rented a cabin with the Schmidgall side of the family - which ensured lots of laughter and memories!

Ellie and I enjoyed watching everyone ski!  We played in the snow at the bottom of the mountain.  Daddy stopped to visit after a run.  “Please Daddy, take me!”

My little snow bunny could barely move!

The family waved hello when they passed on the ski lift overhead.

“Hi daddy!”

Parker amazed Ella on his snowboard!

She was in HEAVEN, playing with her cousins!

My favorite time was probably the family hike.  We let our nephews lead (yep, the masked men)…and they took us up the side of a mountain.  Even Ella made it to the top!

Everyone got plenty of time on the Wii.

But the best was…Wii Sing!  Oh yeah, all the songs were from Disney show teeny boppers!  The guys loved it!  (Ahem, this was a Miley Cyrus song!)

This is one good looking group of kids - even early in the morning!

The spoil little Ellie!

We are so thankful for the time together as a family.  Happy New Year!