SPI

What a wonderful family vacation we had! I loved it all..the food was great, the weather was even better & the time together was perfect!
I was a little worried about spending 4 days with our family of 4 in 1 hotel room, but the girls did great. We definitely did enough each day to tire everyone out so passing out was the regular thing each evening a bit pass 10 p.m.!
I loved staying on the beach and being able to get wherever we wanted to go in a quick walk. Georgia preferred the beach while Emma loved the pool.
Our daily routine was breakfast, beach, pool, lunch, nap, snack, pool, dinner, fireworks, bedtime! We did squeeze a few baths in there too.. Georgia is definitely a crowd-pleaser and quite the show-off. She got her cheeks pinched more times than I can count. She would be throwing the biggest fit and people would still walk by and say "how adorable!" Oh really!?! I have a feeling she will be using that to her advantage for years to come. She was even flirting with this man and laughing at his jokes..not sure how she was 'picking up what he was putting down', but she did and he loved it! He saw her the next morning in the elevator and just went on and on about her. She also liked to do lots of supermodel poses on the beach and Daniel just shook his head. I think he is afraid of the future!!Emma was a wild woman all weekend. She swam & swam & wanted to swim some more. As soon as we got home today, she put on a bathing suit and wanted to go outside to swim some more! She wanted to stay at the pool because she can sort of swim now..I guess those swim lessons paid off..she thinks she can swim with no fear - a good and bad thing. I am impressed with what she can do now - swimming from the side of the pool about 6-10 ft. out to someone and then back. She loved going and getting icecream & watching tv and snuggling in the hotel room. Emma has been a little weepy or hormonal lately. I am afear of what this means for our teenage years. She will cry, whine, meltdown with just the slightest hiccup in her plan. I have a feeling there will be lots of spankings coming her way this next week.
We also got to see Daniel's dad & stepmom this weekend as they live there. They were nice enough to have us over for dinner, wash our laundry & meet us out for dinner & fireworks. The fireworks were awesome..I love them and the girls really liked them too. At one point, G had her fingers plugging her ears, then she was clapping and smiling. It was fun to watch their reaction. Emma "loved the pink ones"!
Now we are off to sleep & rest & recover from all the fun we had.

Change of seasons

Mother's Day Out is over for the summer. We opted out of the summer sessions to save money and so we could go out of town and not miss any school. last day of classes for my girls' 1st year of school
I know it will be trying to have the girls all to myself everyday this summer but my hope is that we will get to spend some quality time together before their little brother turns their world upside down! Georgia's class (the Bunnies)
Emma's class (the Frogs)
G & her teacher, we gave them our homemade strawberry jam & spa gift certificates
We have already spent a great day at the zoo with friends and still came home to all take naps! checking out the fishes
playing in the sand & water
I have also decided to take on a leadership role for MOPS next fall. I am going to be Special Events coordinator, basically putting together playdates and Parents Night Out. Shouldn't be too difficult and I get to choose where & when we go!G showing me her "baby"
G swinging at a new park in town

Dear Emma,

I wanted to thank you for helping keep me grounded on this green earth. Not only did your incident during swim lessons make me realize that maybe I needed to reevaluate what truly matters but your mature voice of reason "Mom, it's going to be ok!" was really what helped me to see the big picture.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Right?!

Whatever am I talking about??

Well, my sweet angel of 3 years did the unthinkable. She had an accident in the pool during swim lessons. Yes, that sort of accident. And yes, to me it was the unthinkable. So you might be asking, "Was she wearing a swim diaper? If not, why NOT?" Well, she has been potty trained for a long time. She had been to swim lessons with no problems for a while. Noone else in the class was wearing one. It just didn't cross my mind..and she literally JUST went to the bathroom right before the class started. I figured we were A-OK!

In her defense, and with a TMI warning, it wasn't like a normal potty where she had to think about and make it happen, I like to think of it more as a 'shart'..just use your imagination. If you still don't get it, just ask or google it, but it may offend you.

OK, so after this happened and the teacher said "Oh no, someone had an accident" and all the kids squealed, my brave and honest girl raised her little hand and said "it was me." Just about made me die, surprised me and made me run fast (to her, not away for the record!) So we scurried off to the restroom and they had to cancel the rest of 3 more classes for the day. I have to add that I am proud of her for owning up, though.

I kept asking her how it happened and apologizing to the parents who were having to leave. Everyone was really nice and said it has happened before..yada yada yada..we get to the car and I am still in shock and that is when she says, "Mom, it's going to be ok!" At first, I think, yeah right, glad this isn't fazing you one bit..then I just had to give in and say, you're right..it will be ok!

Fast forward to our next scheduled lesson..I had been anxious about going. Emma was excited and ready and willing to wear a swim diaper. Good deal! We get there and not a mean stare or word was said. I was relieved that noone pointed and laughed. Cause you know we are the 'poop family' now instead of the 'family with really cute blonde girls'! (that is how I saw it, just being honest (you know Emma taught me that)) The lessons are going on and I hear the teacher saying, "Payton, your turn, Payton, it's your turn baby.." HA, she is talking to Emma and calling her the wrong name..

Now is it horrible that I didn't correct the teacher because she thought the poop kid's name was 'Payton' and not my child? I was ecstatic! This couldn't have worked out better, except Emma didn't know when it was her turn, but that is just a detail. She still got her time.

So at this point I was happy and felt like it was going smooth. Then Emma, I mean Payton, as she had grown custom to doing, yelled at me from the pool while pulling her bathing suit to show me, "Hi, Mom, I didn't poop in the pool!" Snickers and laughter ensued from the sidelines! Nice timing sweetheart! And there you have it!

Bringing me right back to reality! And when some of you (for the few who read this far) say that she will be embarrassed or I shouldn't have written about this incident, I say to you..

"It's going to be ok!"

And that is going to have to be enough! Oh, and no, lemonade is not a good thing to give your children before swimming, not that I know anything about that..

Georgia at 20 months

"Hi Mom!" - that is her favorite and most used phrased these days..she walks into a room or wherever I am and says it real casually like she is all grown up!
Georgia is wild, but sweet and oh so cute!
I love her bleach blonde hair with a tinge of curl to it. I don't want to cut it ever. She wears size 4 diapers and about a size 5 shoe. She is in 18-24 month clothes, more or less. She still likes to take her shoes off, no matter where she is. She also likes to take off her diaper. Her teachers at MDO said she strips down in her crib during nap time! Her teachers, Ms. Sandy & Sharon, wrote some things about the kids in class..they said "Georgia, what a cutie, she lights up the room with her smile and everyone always wants to hug and hold her. She is our doll baby."She has gotten really wild in the bath tub. I think she is copying Emma who is now "practicing" for swim class by laying out and sticking her head under water. G also likes to put one side of her face in and just smile at me. She thinks she is so grown up!She is currently attached to her B (pink taggies blanket) and her baby doll. She would prefer to take them everywhere but I'm not really into that.

She has lots of teeth and is currently getting her molars which is causing her to love any pacifier she finds..I think it's cute, but Daniel doesn't like it. She loves food still and will take forever to eat. She prefers meat and dips, like ketchup. She is polite and will ask, "more, please!"
We just took off the front of her crib, so she can get in and out by herself. So far so good..she is locked in her room, but has free reign there. She doesn't seem to really notice any difference, though! Emma really wants them to share a bed, but when asked Georgia will shake her head and say "No!" That makes me laugh! She is probably afraid of what her big sister will do to her in her sleep, I know I am!
I love how cuddly she is. She will crawl up on the couch and get real close and snuggle in. She will give kisses on demand and when she wants to! She will put her head down on your shoulder and still likes to be held! She also likes to pat my tummy and say 'baby'! She gets jealous when Emma sits on my lap or in her spot and yells, 'my my'. I think she is going to be a good big sister but it will hit her hardest when she has to divide her mommy time!

livin' on a prayer

WHOOOOOAAAAAA..we're half way there!!
WHOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAA!
Yes, most days I am livin' on a prayer..but wow here we are at 21 weeks and counting. This pregnancy has gone by pretty fast so far and I am feeling good. I can't keep the Bon Jovi song from playing in my head when I think about it for some reason..but I do love that song!
Once we found out we were having a boy, I felt I could move on to more fun things like the nursery, names and stressing about which child would sleep where.
I haven't taken any pics of myself throughout this pregnancy like I did with the girls so I thought I would do some while I had it on my mind. I really just started to show and am feeling larger..this 5.5 month stretch is when I gained the bulk of my weight during Georgia's pregnancy, so I am hoping I can contain myself in some way and not show up at the dr. in June with a surprising number! Let's not get into all those details, though!Some things on my mind that keep me up at night right now:
-the name of our 1st (and possibly/probably only son)
-where the kids will sleep, will the girls share a room, etc.
-what theme, colors to do in the nursery
-will I get gestational diabetes again and if so will it all play out as well as it did last time
-Emma's speech lessons, are they working, are we where we should be
-what I am going to do all summer with the girls in no scheduled activities (MDO)

One thing we did today was head to Landa Park. I love going to Landa Park. I always think it is too far there and such, but it really doesn't take that long and it is so worth it every single time I go. We went with 4 moms and 8 kids. We did it all and then some..We started out at the playground, swings and picnic tables. We had lunch and then headed to ride the train, which I think was a highlight for everyone. The conductor was so cute and took our picture, he asked if we "were a school or did they all belong to us?" and he would slow down to toss the expecting squirrels a nut..for real!Then, we headed to feed the ducks. The kids liked this, of course, but were getting all muddy and almost falling or walking into the water. It was cute to hear them all "quacking" (the kids not the ducks). Finally, we decided to venture over to the wading/swimming area. The moms had to get into the water with the kids mainly because of the under 2 year olds, but it was ok because it was on the hot side. This was my favorite part. I love the natural river water and the rock bottom. The girls loved it and didn't seem to mind how cold it was. Emma was practicing her swim lesson moves and Georgia would pick up handfuls of rocks and chunk them.
I can't wait to go back and hopefully get more pics. I was too afraid to drop my camera in the water, but G is something cute in her bathing suit!

Mother's Day gifts

Today I received some early Mother's Day gifts!!

Not only did my parents send me a gift card for an hour massage, but I also am getting a hair cut and highlights, which I desperately need!! They sent me a sweet box with a beautiful picture frame and a cute top! Love it!!
I am waiting to see what 'Emma and Georgia' sent me (it was in the same box but labeled from them)!

Another gift I received was an ultrasound of my 3rd little baby who is rolling around in my belly! We had our big u/s today and got to see if more Pink or Blue would be in our future!! It's A BOY!!

We are so excited to be able to say that. I really can't believe (and think Daniel would agree with me) that we are finally having a boy. I don't know how I got this lucky and blessed! What else can a girl ask for?? Well, maybe a sit 'n' stand stroller, but that is for another post..

So far our baby boy :) looks healthy and is measuring 1 week ahead of schedule..so that puts us right at Georgia's 2nd birthday, Sept. 12. They won't change my due date but that is where we are at right now!Our sweet friends watched the girls for us and then we all went out to lunch to celebrate and enjoy a cake that I picked up for the occasion!

The u/s tech said "there it is just laying on his leg!" I thought, great, we will never hear the end of that..Daniel was the wrong person to say something like that too. Then we were looking at a different angle and Daniel asked, "Are you sure that isn't a hidden hand ?" She said, "It is way too big to be a thumb!" So there you have it! It's definitely a boy and Daniel is finally convinced!
YEA! Now we can talk names! We have a few possibilities, but are still totally undecided and taking any suggestions. Daniel's middle name and 8th generation family name is Andrew, so we may use some form of that.. Phillip & Emma eating cake!

Another thing that is so exciting is that my long time best friend, Carrie, is having her 1st baby and she is having a boy too!! She is due just 3 weeks after me! We also both live in the same town now that we moved back to Texas so it is really fun and special! I can't wait for our little boys to grow up together!

Emma's 1st swim lessons

This week we embarked on new waters...literally!
We signed Emma up for swim lessons and had our 1st go at it. At first she was a little hesitant and would tell her teacher "I don't want to right now!" (put her face in the water, blow bubbles, etc)Then, she got more comfortable, thank goodness, and was the kid who was yelling and waving to me, "Mom, I did it!", or tell her neighbor in the water, "That my baby Georgia over there!" Guess who was mad about being stuck in her stroller instead of in the water. She did kick her legs when the teacher would tell the class to!
Overall it was a success and she walked away happy and excited to go back! I wish I could say at the end of the 4 week class we will have a super swimmer, but I know better than that. I guess like most parenting things it is going to take time, effort and practice to get her where she needs to be to be safe in the water!I am glad we signed her up and are getting her more comfortable in the water. We decided not to spend the $ on Georgia's lessons just yet. I would have to be holding her in the water the whole time and I didn't think it was worth it..so we will just work on the same things that Emma is on our own time!

something borrowed, something BLUE?!?

After a quick weekend in CS, I am exhausted. I guess staying up way past my bedtime for a few nights in a row can really take its toll.
We got there late on Friday and pulled right in to Freebirds. I know there are Freebirds in other towns, but it just isn't the same. Does anyone else know what I mean?..Freebirds and Wings 'n' More are just 2 of the places that I really care to eat and crave but only when I am in CS. Saturday morning Daniel watched the girls while I headed out on the town..I had warned him before I left that Emma was under the weather a bit, with green diarrhea, but was seemingly feeling fine otherwise! He blew me off!
I got a text a few hours later (I was just a few minutes from home) saying "Emma had pooped all over the floor, literally." Then, followed by another text saying he "had got sick and thrown up twice while cleaning it up!"
I sent a message saying "ooh sorry" but I have to admit here and now I changed my course of direction and ran another errand, just so I would miss any and all of the clean up process! After a long day, including lunch at Wings 'n' More and a nap, we headed to a wedding shower for our friends, Brandon and Sara! It was great to see everyone and catch up.
We are running out of wedding showers and seem to be attending more baby showers nowadays. There were 3 pregnant friends there, lots of kids and I was later told talk of vasectomies! That made me laugh to think of where we have come from just a few years ago.
I really love that even after 11 years of being graduated from highschool we are still friends and get to make new friends with eachothers' spouses too!
We had pizza rolls at the shower, which was fun because Double Daves is where most of the guys worked at one time or another through college, including Daniel. Double Daves is basically how I met Daniel, because he worked with all my highschool friends there and they brought him to a party I was at!The girls had a lot of fun and were so worn out from the party and whole weekend. They slept basically the whole ride home which usually never happens. One of the reasons they were so tired is because Saturday night after my parents put them to bed, Emma had woken up, decided to go see Georgia and was trying to crawl in her crib. Luckily my parents heard her because she was moving a chair and it got stuck in the doorway and toppled over. When they went to check Emma was already in the crib hanging out with Georgia. My dad said they were just playing there together at 11 p.m. Then the next day we found a tube of lipstick in G's crib, that Emma had stolen out of my purse at some point and used to decorate a few things. It could have been worse, I guess.

So now I am a little leary of sleeping arrangements once the baby comes. That is consuming my thoughts and I keep going back and forth on where I want them to sleep. To keep the guest room or not, that is the question!

The other question is are we having a GIRL or BOY??? Will we need something BLUE or will we save money because we already have everything Pink you can imagine??!!
We finally get to find out this Saturday!! So stay tuned!!