I'm Back!!

Hey everyone! I have to say, I was afraid no one would really be checking the blog, but to my surprise, you are checking it quite often ~ to the point that I am getting a lot of emails, reminding me that it is time to update it because you want news and pictures. :) In my defense, we have been out of town and quite busy; but hopefully, this will catch everyone up on the latest Buckler News....

Okay, let me see if I can address the questions and requests I am getting.....

Yes, Brad is loving his Neonatology Fellowship. He is definitely in his element, and although it is a very difficult place to be, he truly enjoys working with the babies and his coworkers in the NICU.
Yes, we still have the dogs. Stanley, our pug, is 7 years old now ~ and just as much of a baby as ever! Doc, our golden, will be 6 in a few months, and he is as sweet and gentle as can be. Alli absolutely loves both of them, and they are both great with her. They are too cute and love each other, as well ~ what a pair they make!

Let's see.... What else? Yes, you can definitely "tell that I am pregnant!" I look and feel as if I am carrying a bowling ball in my tummy ~ I can't see my feet without straining my neck out over my belly to get a glimpse of my toes. I love my tummy!! It is so amazing to know what is going on inside of me and to be able to feel and see Elizabeth as she moves around. Alli has been interested in my growing tummy since Day 1. With the first sign of a pooch, she thought I had a boo-boo in my tummy, and she kept wanting to kiss it to make it feel better. Now, she "knows" that I am getting bigger because her baby sister is in there. She kisses my tummy ~ now, not to make me better, but to give her sister "Bootsie" some love ~ and she occasionally looks at my belly button and tries to figure out how to get the baby out! I have gotten several requests for preggo pictures, so here are some pictures from earlier today; I am 21 weeks along ~ over halfway there!!
Several of you have been asking if Alli is still signing ~ and the answer is a resounding YES! She was on the local news back in the spring for her signing, and there was an article in the paper, as well. At the time, she was signing over 100 words, and she continues to learn, constantly saying, "Mommy, I dont know the sign for (whatever). Can you show me please?" It has been a lot of fun and has not hindered her verbal ability at all. In fact, she doesn't ever seem to stop talking! :) I am still teaching my Baby Signs classes ~ just one morning a week, and an occasional evening for Parent Workshops ~ although I am taking a little hiatus right now during the summer and plan to start back again in the fall.

Alli has been having so much fun, and we have really been enjoying this time with her. She is nearly two-and-a-half now, which blows my mind!! I love seeing the wheels turn in her little head as she figures out something new ~ and I have to say, we don't give our little ones enough credit, because they are certainly smarter than we think! Recently, I was telling her that her friend, Peyton, is going to be a big sister, just like her. Alli mulled over this information and said, "So, if Peyton gonna be a big sister just like me...., then....Miss Ashley has a baby in her tummy, just like Mommy!" Wow.
We have been having lots of "adventures" this summer, and as you can see from the pictures below, she has been wearing herself out ~ unable to keep her head up! (The picture in the bottom right corner is Alli in her big girl bed, into which she moved at the beginning of June. It has been a super easy transition, and she calls us to come to her room before climbing down her stool to get out of the bed.)

This sweet, precious baby is our absolute JOY! We thank God every day for allowing us to be her mommy and her daddy ~ and now, we are thanking Him for the second precious gift He is giving us in just a few short months.....
"Every good and perfect gift is from above" ~ James 1:17