busy days

Remember how I was going to do a reoccurring post starting Thursday? Well, I guess it won't be until next week- because Thursday was far too busy for me to even think about opening a computer!

I will fill you in about our busy day though!

I spent my morning folding clothes and baking muffins. A friend picked Slade and I up at 11:30 and we stopped to get Chic-Fil-A for lunch and headed on down to the Wrightsville Beach Park! The weather has been crazy nice lately, and it seems like almost everyday I'm outside. Thursday was burning hot outside and I had a nice little glimpse into my future. Large me, burning up, & chasing a rowdy little boy around.

It was well worth it though! I saw my little boy turn into a big brave boy as he tackled the big boy slide all by himself, which I later realized was for ages 8+...oops! I was sitting on a nearby park bench eating my lunch which he had no interest in. He ran right for the tallest slide, nearly giving me a heart attack as I ran after him- chicken salad sandwhich in tow. I thought for sure he was going right over the edge, but instead he plopped on his butt and went down the slide, laughing the entire way.

After that I pretty much decided it was pointless to run after him...and I let him do his thing. I cannot belive how brave he is- totally fearless. We spend a couple hours there until we were too tired to function & went home to take a big nap!

Later on we joined our fellow small groupers (a Bible study group we attend every other Thursday) for a big cookout at our Pastors home. It was so much fun- Dane even got pranked into sitting in a "chair" and falling on his butt. Pretty epic.

It was an awesome way to spend the day, but totally wore me out! Exciting things are happening this weeekend though, can't wait to fill you all in on Monday! Until then, enjoy some pictures of our park adventures...

holding hands in the car! so sweet!

Slade and Braylee even made friends with some big girls, who thought they were little baby dolls!

First Haircut

I have been totally against cutting my little guy's hair. When mom's get their baby boy's hair cut when it barely touches the back of their neck, it just makes me want to gag. Why the crew cut? Dane claimed Slade had a mullet, but I loved it. I am just partial to long hair I guess. I've always wanted to have a hippy child who refuses to cut his hair...

like Kate Hudson's son, Ryder.

Some people might think that's kind of girly, but I think it's super punk. Slade will have that hair eventually but for now he really needed a little trim, until his front can catch up to his back.

Dane has been trying to talk me into it for a few months, sometimes almost annoyingly so- and finally today I gave in. I guess I finally saw it like he did. I kept waiting for it to curl up into ringlets or something and it never did. At this age, with long hair pretty much EVERYTHING gets into it and it ends up sticky and lookin kinda scary.

So today I made an appointment with the family hairdresser (for boys anyway) and took him in to see Ralph. I was pretty nervous but best believe I brought a little baggie to keep some of his little strands in.

He had to sit in my lap during the process, but I did get a few pictures afterwards. He didn't cry at all, but didn't really like the process. He seemed kind of annoyed and kept shrugging away from Ralph. It was pretty funny, but I was prepared with Jelly Beans- so he did great!



waiting with mommy



before
(I will miss running my fingers through those locks!)



Side - Before

Side - After



Finished!!!

Isn't he the most precious thing ever?!

Happy Tuesday!

Spring has finally arrived!

It's not my favorite season, especially because of the allergies my two seem to be having- but I am really enjoying the nice weather and the sun staying out a little longer so my sweet pea can play outside with his Daddy after work!

Along with my second trimester (seriously, already?!) has come lots of energy & happiness though I am still suffering with migraines on a daily basis. It's pretty crappy but my medicine seems to help (though I'm trying to stick to one a day...even though I am allowed to take 1-2 every 4 hours.)

Spring always makes me want to open the windows, plant some flowers, drink lemon water & clean.

Though today was a pretty lazy day (thanks to mr. migraine) once I finally got up and moving I felt like I accomplished so much! I cleaned out our fridge (bleached it and all!) washed all the dishes, swept up the floors, made an amazing chicken & broccoli fettuccine with homemade sauce for dinner, cleaned up that mess, did two loads of laundry, AND made two cakes!

I let Slade try his first spoonful of cake batter tonight-- he licked the whole whisk and rubbed his sticky fingers all over the oven while he watched the cakes bake. My grandma always told me it wasn't good for you-- yet I continued to eat it...and still do! A little bit never hurts and it's sooo darn good!

I feel pretty happy about life right now- and we have some really fun plans for this week. Tomorrow I am doing a clean out of Slade's closet, something that us mom's have to do constantly to keep up with these growing babies. Thursday I'm meeting friends at the park for lunch and we have our Bible study small group cookout & I'm making another apple cobbler for it!

Sunday we also have a birthday party to attend which means I get to shop for a little girl which I am ALWAYS more than happy to do!

In other news, exactly two weeks from yesterday I will be making my appointment to find out the sex of our newest addition! I am so beyond ready for this. I've been super wishy washy about the whole deal...one second I want a boy, then a girl, and now I'm back to wanting a boy. I guess it's good I have absolutely NO control over it because I wouldn't know what to pick!

We  I finally decided on two names. Dane still won't give me a straight answer on either because he says "we don't know what we're having!" but I'm pretty hooked on them both and since I'm carrying and birthing this puppy- I think I should have all the say!

Here's the newest belly shot!

I haven't been posting any to facebook but some to my twitter...It's amazing how fast I'm showing this time!! As you can see, I got my hair done yesterday and I'm totally in love with it. Thank goodness Ombre is in because I just don't have the time to be bleach blonde anymore!!

Thursday I'm starting a recurring post--
So stay tuned :)

Weekly Breakdown

This week has really seemed to fly by!

Of course, I've kept myself super busy with housework, baby care, and friends.
Monday my family headed back to Winston-Salem and I was left with my normal routine to tend to.

breakdown of my week:

• Slade's new shoes came in the mail! It's a miracle I could even get into the mailbox because we lost our key about two months ago and I'm lucky if I catch the mail lady! They are some super sweet, navy blue suede high top Vans. It's amazing how fast these little feets grow! He's already wearing a size 5!!!

• Monday night, I went to bed with the worst migraine I've had yet. Which is really saying something because they have been bad. Like can't even get up to take care of Slade bad. The OBGYN had previous told me it was too early to take anything other than Tylenol (which doesn't help me, at all.) After waking up Tuesday morning with the same migraine, I called to tell them I desperately needed something. They called me in Fioricet. I was skeptical of it working but let me just say...it's a life saver!!!
• I finally hit 14 weeks, which marks the beginning of the second trimester (some people count from week 13) and I have been feeling amazing! Nausea is completely gone though I still have some weird food aversions. Chocolate cravings in full swing- I even begged Dane to go buy me at snickers at 9:30PM the other night...Luckily, this time I know the real "hunger" doesn't come until around 6 months and I've been really good about exercise (in the respect that I'm constantly running around after Slade) and I've only gained 6 lbs! I'm super happy about it. Did I mention I'm in my sister in laws wedding party and I will forever have to look back at photos of myself pregnant...that's been a real motivation (that, and I have to fit into my dress!!!!)

REPLICA DOLL to the size of a 14 weeks old baby, pretty cool huh?
(I do NOT suggest ever searching google for this. some very disturbing pictures show up...but it DID make me totally reconsider my views on abortion. People who can have abortions at this stage of life are sick in the head...I digress.)

• If you're a mom and you've never played the "toddler" genre on Pandora, I highly suggest it. Slade loves playing and dancing to the music and it gives me time get some stuff accomplished (plus it brings back childhood memories!)
• I got my nails and toes done this week which never, ever happens. I got a really awesome mint green shellac (it lasts for two weeks, seriously.) and french on my toes. These puppies are just begging to be put in some sandals!
• I've also been tanning (Hooray for pampering yourself!) It feels great to have 10 minutes of quiet time, in a warm room, and know I'm not going to be Casper the ghost at Paige's wedding. Some people might not agree, or advise against of it but one of my best friends worked at a tanning bed until recently and she said preggers come tan all the time. I also looked it up, and it said getting hot (and laying on your back for long periods of time) are the only downsides. So, I try not to lay for more than 12 minutes and I get out immediately if I'm too hot. My mom did it with me, and look how AWESOME I am! (ha ha)
• Name Picking has been very challenging this go round. Dane cannot pick names until he finds out the sex apparently. I think we have our girl name down pat- and we have a few we like for boys but it's just so hard!!!

He loved them!

Our chicken friends

givin them kisses!

petting Lulu

hanging out with mom on the barn swing

Gwen & Whiskey mowing the lawn ;)

\

Our Weekend

Late Friday morning, my sister and brother in law arrived at my house. We spent the day together, and waited for my grandmother & father to get into town. We all headed to a beach house my family rented for a little Saint Patty's Day vacation weekend!

It was about 20 minutes (with traffic) from my house in Wilmington, to the house they rented in Carolina Beach. It was a super quaint home with just enough room and a second story balcony overlooking the ocean. Slade spent most of his time running around out there. I really enjoyed spending quality time with my family! Slade didn't want them to leave (and neither did I!) but luckily I have next weekend to look forward to-- we are driving to Winston to see my cousin and her kids who are coming in from Maine! Yay!

Here's some of my favorite memories of this weekend!

Slade LOVES his grandpa Thor

He also loves to vaccum; outside, naked.

I couldn't drag these boys (kicking & screaming)
to live anywhere BUT here.

Soon, we'll be a family of FOUR <3

Always.Naked.

beautiful days like these can't be beat

he was a MESS, diving right into the freezing water

my boys

He literally has the most BEAUTIFUL eyes

A rare photo of us two

this is my life
and i love it!

Our sad news

When you see this, don't you think "Staple of kids across America?" Well, sadly it's not in our house.
I for one, LOVE peanut butter. Peanut butter toast, Reeses Pieces, Reeses Cups, Snickers, PB&J, Peanut butter cookies, Peanut butter Captain Crunch...I love it all!

So a few weeks ago when I innocently enough made some peanut butter toast as a snack before Slade and I went outside to play-- I had no idea it would result in an emergency trip to the doctor office.

He never has truly liked peanut butter, and has never even tried a peanut. I kept trying to force it on him. Like, hey you know you like this-- it's SO good!!!! I never understood why he pushed my hand away or made a yucky face.

Fast forward:

I called the pediatricians office to check and see if Slade's blood test had come back. It had. I held my breath and was totally shocked when she said, "He tested positive for a peanut allergy." HUH? We have no food allergies in my family. I was sad. I mean, my baby can't ever have Chic Fil A nuggets again? (They are cooked in peanut oil) I have to take time to read the labels? I can never make a PB&J for his lunch? I couldn't comprehend it.

I still don't know much except that he is a 3.5 on the scale- which is midway. So he won't have just a runny nose, but he also wont be going into anaphylactic shock (thank goodness!!!) I have no idea to what extent he has to stay away from peanuts. We go see an allergist April 13th, so I will know more at that point in time. For now, I just have to keep him away from everything peanut-y. *sigh*

A come back

I haven't written a post in a few weeks.

I guess you could say I've been down in the dumps lately. Not really sure why, seeing in how I live a pretty amazing life right now. I get to spend every single day watching my son grow and learn. Sometimes, life just gets you down.

"Sometimes" has been hanging out a lot lately, and it's kind of concerning. I have a history of depression, and I'm 99% positive I had PPD but didn't get it treated, so it doesn't take much to overwhelm and upset me. Mix in a little pregnancy hormones, fear of the unknown, a wild and rowdy 14 month old, and zero energy... It equals a not so happy mommy.

I'm starting to feel pretty positive I'm making a total turnaround though! After all, spring is in the air and who can resist putting on a sundress and soaking up some sunshine?

I had a long and grueling day of doctor appointments last week, (I dropped Slade off to spend the day with a friend from church and her daughter) but it was totally worth 5 hours of my precious time. I got to see my baby, yet again! They were doing "first trimester testing" which tests for downs and various other problems that can occur. I wasn't worried though, I'm young and healthy and even if something (God forbid) was wrong, nothing would change how I feel about my child.

Everything was fine and dandy though! I will get the blood test results back late April, but usually if the ultrasound checks out everything else will too. I go back to the Dr. on April 9th for a general checkup and after that appointment I will schedule the ultrasound for the anatomy of the baby! I'm guessing it will be around April 20th. I am beyond ecstatic and I find my mind wandering daily to thoughts of what this little butter bean could be.

I also discussed my sad, hopeless feelings with my Dr. and he prescibed me an anti-depressant. After further research (he swore my baby wouldn't come out with three arms) I decided to give myself a few more weeks to see if the feelings subside. I'm happy to say, they have (so far.) I'm not against taking medications, especially since he thought I definitely would benefit from treatment-- but I don't think this is a good time to be shopping around for different pills. It's something I've done a lot of and they have never seemed to help me. Hopefully it's just early pregnancy hormones ruining my life & I can just suck it up.

On a happier note-
Tomorrow I am 13 weeks! Hello end of first trimester and all the yucky things you come with! Still not eating chicken but I have been able to eat beef and lunch meat! (in case you were wondering what's been on my menu lately)

This weekend I am really looking forward to spending some QT with my family. They are coming down and renting a place (ocean front) and we're spending the weekend there. Nothing like a little salty air to put a smile on your face...and did I mention it's going to be 70+ all weekend?!

house we're staying at...so stoked!

I'm making my come back to the blogging world-- I have lots to fill you in on! Including some very upsetting news I found out the other week...that's a whole post in itself though!

Baby W Update!

Today I had another ultrasound! That's three so far, and I feel pretty lucky because unless you are having complications you usually only have two. I will have another one probably sometime in April as well to determine the sex.

 

The place I went today was not my regular OBGYN, but they did my first ultrasound. It's sort of like a pregnancy counseling center, and they had some nurses in for training today. I guess I was the specimen, ha ha. Everyone there is super nice- and it lasted around 45 minutes which is way longer than any of the previous ultrasounds I've had. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him/her bounce around, kick his/her legs, open and close his/her mouth - etc. It's absolutely amazing what you can see these days on that little screen!

 

This time, the baby actually looked like a baby, and less like a blob. I could distinctly make out a face, arms, legs, feet, hands, even his/her little nose!! The heartbeat was 168 and going strong. Slade was present for the entire thing, and he thought it was pretty cool (mostly the actual ultrasound machine itself.)

 

fig in comparison to the human hand

I only got three photos to share, but being there is person is way cooler. I can't believe this tiny little thing already has a personality. Here's some updates on my progress:

Measuring 11 weeks 5 days (though according to my due date, yesterday I was 11 weeks)

Baby is 1 1/2 inch long, the size of a fig!
I'm starting to get some energy back (I hope for good) and I still can't stand to eat meats


This pregnancy is zooming right on by! Next week I'll finally ending the first trimester. I'm not in a hurry at all though, I'm trying to enjoy this time with the baby I already have and smother him with as much attention as possible before his new sibling steals the spotlight!

 

 

close up of head & arm