Where has the Time Gone?

In just 2 short days I will have a 2 year old!  WHAT?!?!  I just can't believe this much time has gone by already.  I still don't know exactly what we're going to do for her birthday.  We had some plans but they fell through so it looks like it's just going to be me and my baby big girl for the day.  She has requested purple cupcakes so I guess I'll make some cupcakes tomorrow night after she goes to bed...I'm thinking angel food cake with purple icing.  If the weather cooperates I'll take her to the pool first thing Saturday morning, then we'll come home for lunch, have a nap (both of us!), play outside in the afternoon then hit up Chick-Fil-A for dinner (I have a coupon for a free spicy chicken sandwich).  :)  Maddie has lots of presents to open at some point during the day as well.  I have 3 presents for her, and between 3 of her grandmas she has 6 more presents to open.  What a spoiled girl!!  I'm pretty sure she'll enjoy just being home in the afternoon to open all her presents then playing with them.  She won't even notice if we don't go anywhere.

In baby news...we're 26 weeks pregnant today.  Next week begins the third trimester already!  I can't believe how insanely fast the second pregnancy is going.  With Maddie I was able to enjoy every day of pregnancy.  I read a ton of books, relaxed in the tub at least 3 nights a week reading, got to bed at a decent hour and led a relatively stress free life.  With this pregnancy I feel like I barely have time for a 10 minute shower in the morning, let alone relaxing in the tub with a book at night.  I can't really say I'm stressed with this pregnancy, certainly more than my pregnancy with Maddie, but not to the point where I can't handle things...but I just don't have the time to relax like I did before.  Maddie keeps me on my toes from the minute she opens her eyes in the morning until I tuck her into bed at night.  It's exhausting but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!  (some days I'd give her up for just one relaxing night in the tub with a non-kid book!!)

I am so blessed to have these two baby girls in my life and I try to remember that every day when the going gets tough.  I live a very blessed life and even though some days it feels like too much, I just step back and look at all I have and look at things with a different perspective.  It's so easy to get caught up in the normal, mundane tasks of every day life, complaining about this and that...that we forget to appreciate what we have.  I never thought in all my life I'd have the life I have.  While it's FAR from perfect, it's my life and it's just right for me!  Now, if we could just get it to SLOW DOWN A LITTLE, then I could appreciate it more :)