I love holiday weeks! The husband took off this entire week and even though during the day he is busy helping his brother with some house work or working on a friend’s car, I still love that we can have lazier mornings together. We still both naturally wake up around 6 am and then just stay in bed talking and resting for an hour…usually joined by M halfway through that time. It’s certainly a special time.

Based on an article I read recently, I should expect to live to 200 years old! Okay, I exaggerate. The article discussed how having fulfilling relationships can extend a person’s life expectancy. Makes total sense to me and based on how blessed I have been feeling recently with my family, friends, all of you, and the many other relationships in my life, I feel like I should live forever.

And I totally just went off on a tangent. This morning, Peter & I were talking and have decided to change baby B’s name. This wouldn’t be the first time name changes have happened in my family.

Our dog Roxy used to be named Tinkerbell. My friend gave me the nickname Tinabell a long time ago and so when Peter got our dog as a birthday gift to me he named her Tinkerbell thinking I would love it. I hated it but was too embarrassed to tell him since he seemed so happy. About a year ago we both realized we hated the name and changed her name to Roxy. I think it confused M more than the dog.

My name is actually Christina, but I much prefer Tina. My family always called me Christina so I didn’t think to call myself differently until college. Then, Christina was already in place with the exception of two of my friends. Peter and a few other friends call me Tina. I always think of myself as Tina.

Makenzie usually goes by Kenzie or M. We rarely say her full name. As long as she isn’t called Mak. I don’t like that nickname. My sister and Peter’s brother both love to jokingly call her Easy Mac.

Other family member’s names have been shortened and changed thanks to what kiddos call them. My grandfather was always Grandpa when I grew up. About 10 years ago his name changed to G-Pa because my cousin would only call him that. It fits him so much better though. He’s a rad G-Pa.

My sister is now officially Ha-Ha instead of Heather thanks to M’s special term of endearment. She is quite funny so it works. Personally, I just like laughing at my sister. 😀

And now, baby B will no longer be Braedon Hunter. Instead,we have switched to Braedon Michael. Hunter is my G-Pa’s middle name and I intended to carry it on since I thought no one else had. Well, my little boy cousin above has Hunter in his name. Peter’s family is huge into Michael as a family name and when I mentioned it to Peter I could tell how much it would mean to him. So, Braedon Michael it is! Maybe it will help him live a longer life too with close relationship ties. 😉

• Do you have any nicknames? What about family names?
• Do you think relationships can have an impact on life expectancy?

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Hello, hello! Are you all having a good day? Today has gone much better for me. M is no longer sick. Peter was home to help out. I have a more carefree time ahead of me for the next few days, which I plan on enjoying. All good stuff.

I also had my 30 weeks doctor visit earlier today. I can hardly believe I’m in the final 10 week stretch. 75% of the way through!

The visit went really well once again. I am measuring properly. My blood pressure looks good. Baby B’s heart rate is strong. Everything checks out. 😀 Expect to hear a lot more of these updates from here on out. I now go in every two weeks instead of every four. Something about that switch makes the time pass by so quickly. I’m not complaining! Maybe this pregnancy is going faster than I thought?

When prepping Q + A questions from you all, I noticed that there were quite a few relating to baby stuff. I will share some of those now. 🙂

How did you decide on your daughters name?? How will you decide what your little boys name will be??

I always loved the name Makenzie. It goes as far back as when I played with dolls and Barbies. When I mentioned it to Peter as an option, he loved it as well and we were set!

Choosing Braedon’s name was a bit different. We had no clue on boy names! We actually picked it out from a kid on Peter’s (much) younger brother’s baseball team. He suggested it. I like it. We had another winner.

Will you be having more children after Baby B is born?

Not that we plan on! You never know how things may change…or if God has a different plan. But, as of now, the answer is no.

What kind of car do you drive?? Do you think you will get a van now that you have two children??

I won’t disclose more than the fact I drive a compact four door. A van is my dream car. I never thought a day would come that I would say that. But c’mon! The room? The automatic sliding doors? Car seats not on top of one another? Yes, please!

How long did you breastfeed M for? Do you plan to do the same with Baby B?

I breastfed M for about 7.5 months. At that point, my body would not keep up no matter how much pumping, fenugreeking, and suckling I went through. She got frustrated and lost interest as well.

I plan to breastfeed B for as long as possible. Actually, one of my biggest worries is he won’t breastfeed well. I love it! I know I will do all I can to make it successful and that’s all I can expect. I will feed him ideally for a year, hopefully for at least 6 months, and realistically for as long as it works well for both of us.

Do you think it is okay to work out while you are pregnant?

Always, always speak to your doctor and go with his/her personal recommendation for you, but in general – yes, I do. Completely! Working out during pregnancy can alleviate some of the body’s pains, fatigue, etc. It can help prepare the body for the workout of labor – believe me, it’s a workout! It can also help with returning to fitness and exercise after the baby. The key is to not try anything new and adapt to your body’s current level of fitness. I never exert myself too much and continue workouts I have been doing for years. I trust my body and it hasn’t failed me.

• If you want kids, what are some of your favorite names? If you already have kids, how did you choose their names?
• What would be your dream car?
• ASK ME ANYTHING to keep the Q + A series going. I have quite a few more good ones I am excited to share.