Into the third trimester...

Here are some more belly shots! Boy, is this belly getting big!

Week 26.

Week 28.

Week 30.

In case you were dying to know what it looks like from the front, there's my beach ball!

Photo dump!

Below are some recent photos of our spring and start of summer!

Planting the garden with mom.

Finding worms with dad! So cool!

Poor Zoe, totally unimpressed with Payson's dress up stuff. Makes an okay pillow...

Eating frozen peas... naked!

Matt and I on our 5 year anniversary in Kennebunk. Hard to believe it's been 5 years already!

Getting creative with daddy on a rainy day - we're having a LOT of those lately!

Alison & Payson atop the BIG slide - these girls have no fear and are all over the "big" playground. They are growing up SO fast!

Payson & Leah enjoying some watermelon at the Odom's weekly BBQ.

Sawyer Dennis Smith joins the world on June 10! Welcome Baby Sawyer!

The happy, healthy, albeit tired Smiths (minus Alison who was not there when we visited).

Payson checking out Sawyer. She was pretty timid, but very gentle and interested.

Sawyer laying atop his buddy, still living it up on the "inside."

The Plummer "kids." Zoe wouldn't wear a hat.


Ringing in summer at Windham's Summerfest parade. Payson loved to watch the fire trucks, horses, people, helicopter, marching bands, choo-choo trains, etc. and it was so fun to see it through her eyes. We can't wait for a 4th of July parade!

Alison & Payson near the big tractor at Summerfest.

First ever taste of mom's favorite - Seadog Bisquit. No, she didn't eat the whole thing - but I ate all of mine!

After seeing pictures of herself nursing and watching 2 of our good friends recently nurse their newborns, Payson took it upon herself to nurse Pink Baby, which I found incredibly endearing. Up to this point she has been fixated on bottles, which is what she sees the babies at daycare receive. In this picture she's telling me that "Water comes out of this one" while milk comes out of the one the baby's nursing on!

This girl has a wild side, for sure!

More Belly Shots

The belly continues to grow - as it should!

I've still been trying to stay as active as possible, but I think our anniversary was my last bike ride. It's hard to ride bowlegged!

Here I am a couple weeks ago - week 24.

And in case you're interested, here's my week 24 shot with Payson - yep, it's proof I'm quite a bit bigger with this little guy! But also carrying differently - he's a lot lower.

Week 25 with this pregnancy, from the front...

... and week 25 with Payson from the front.

He may be bigger (or at least my belly is!) but we're all excited to meet him and love him already!

The Expanding Belly

As many of you recall, we took weekly photos of my pregnancy with Payson and have continued the tradition with this little one as well. Some say it's the scientist in me - it's pretty interesting to see how I change weekly and also how the changes compare to my first pregnancy. I did get bigger this time sooner, but I'm not markedly larger at this point than I was with Payson (thank goodness!). I'll post monthly updates here, or more if I'm up to it!

Week 17, with "normal" clothes.

Week 17.

Week 20-21.

My most recent picture, taken this past weekend. I missed my typical Friday night "Oh no, I turn the next week tomorrow, so we better take the picture tonight" so I combined weeks and hope I will get back on track next week and take the picture closer to the beginning of the week instead of at the end!

Ah, fahgetaboutit!

I've decided to forgo trying to catch up since last January. As most of you know, Matt and I found out on Inauguration Day that we were expecting Plum #2 in September, and then I started feeling awful almost immediately. My first trimester was full of an upset stomach, fatigue, and hunger matched with many food adversions that changed hourly. Luckily the upset stomach faded around the end of the first trimester, but the food adversions remain but don't change quite as quickly. The tiredness has JUST passed (at around 21 weeks), mostly, I think, due to eating more regularly and eating a lot more protein - a suggestion passed along at our last appointment with our midwives. I almost feel like myself again - just with a bigger belly!

So, I'm going to provide info on our latest adventures. We had a great Memorial Day weekend, filled with plenty of errands but also with plenty of friends, family, and cookouts. Our big task was purchasing Payson's BIG GIRL bed and getting her room reorganized... and her to sleep in the bed! It's been a pretty seamless transition, thank goodness.

All excited about the new surface to run and bounce on! (And the purple sheets were a hit as well, of course.)

How did snacks end up in bed?

All "smiles" - if we can call that a smile.

A good glimpse at how grown up Payson's face is looking these days.

Night #1 - konked out with her faithful sidekicks, Blue and Pink Babies.

We also fit in some fun and went to the Gray Wildlife Park on Monday, which was a total blast this year. Payson was really interested in all the Maine animals, in feeding them, pushing or pulling her wagon around, and having fun with her cousins.

Smiles with daddy before we got started.

The only way we can get a family photo - good think Matt has long arms.

Feeding this goose with dad - Payson actually let it eat corn out of her hand too.

Taking a picture with her cousins, Fiona on the left and Chloe on the right.

We also managed to buy some flowers and plant them - Payson is really enjoying watering, planting, digging... gardening in general. Unfortuately we are doing a very minimal veggie garden this summer - I don't think I'll be up for much weeding this summer!

Finally, Payson is pretty darn excited about the arrival of her new baby brother, even though it's not for a few months. She likes to talk to him, feed him (either through giving me food for him or with a special spoon she puts to my belly), hug and kiss him, ask questions about him, and include him in our family. It's very, very sweet. Last night all three (four?) of us were crammed in her new bed at her request, and she said, "Listen! The baby's talking!" I asked her what he was saying, and then she paused to think about it and replied, "He says, 'Love you, mommy! Love you, daddy! Love you, Payson!" Then she asked if she could hold the baby when he came out. I think she'll be a great big sister.

Payson's Party

Payson's second birthday party was in early January. We had so much fun! Thanks to everyone who came and contributed!

Making bug antennae headbands.

Payson kept hers on for as long as it took to take this picture! Notice how it's entirely purple - her favorite color these days, without a doubt.

Payson had requested an orange cake for about two months, and then added on a request for ladybugs to be on it also. A friend of Shirley's, Matt's mom, made this cake and it was wonderful! Payson was impressed (as was everyone!).

I thought I had a great idea - hiding fake bugs in a baby pool and then filling it with styrofoam (which I could recycle). It went well at the beginning of the party, but as I was distracted opening gifts with Payson, the kids got a little crazy and began diving into the pool (and driving into it, apparently!). Did I mention it was winter and the static was crazy? Thank goodness for family and friends that helped us clean up this mess!