Cute Video Friday

This absolutely cracks me up. You can’t really hear it, but playing in the background is his favorite show, The Fresh Beat Band. He LOVES dancing to it. This particular night after dinner, I left him have some chocolate cake, which he tends to enjoy :) Well, a song came on the show and he started to dance, and sing a little. I think I’ve watched this at least 20 times and laughed every single time.

Enjoy my little booger!

 

Reasons Why I Smile

Went into my purse and pulled out my gum. This is a stick of Big Red that obviously made it into his mouth. He’s telling me “CHEESE!”

 

 

I love when he sits in his chair, especially when he eating a snack. I think it’s just too cute.

 

He LOVE to go to the park. He’s started pulling me to the door and saying “Part part,” which we can see from our house.

 

I’m so glad I caught this with my phone. Such a precious innocence.

 

I started making him a smoothie in the late morning or afternoon. This particular day I made it a little think, it took him about forty-five minutes to drink half that cup full. He sat and watched a movie the entire time.

 

A Boy and His Dog. These two love each other. (Most of the time)

 

I was laying on the couch recently while he played in the living room. For no apparent reason at all, he climbed up on the couch and gave me the biggest hug while saying “awe.”

 

      

And this morning. He had already eaten breakfast and was playing in the living room. I was cleaning the kitchen and took the garbage to the garage. When I walked back in, I found this booger standing on the chair eating the Renna’s we had for lunch yesterday afternoon. He opened the box and took the pizza out on his own. He proceeded to sit on the couch and eat the entire slice while watching Mickey Mouse.

 

 

With events like this in my life, I don’t know how I could be anything but happy. Yes I get stressed and have my meltdowns. Especially when he’s not being quite so cute. But when he stops his meltdown because I’m the one crying and gives me a 5 minute hug and says “OK Mama”… nothing else seems to matter for that time.

And I get two more :)

Mothers Day Version 2.0

Last year for my first Mother’s Day we moved into our new house. I really cannot believe it’s been a year that we’ve been here (and I have yet to post pictures!) This year my second, we, ok maybe I, decided that I wanted to actually DO something to celebrate and spend some time with Devin and Collin, since Devin has been traveling and next year we will have two more kids added into the mix.

Collin got me (us) a zoo pass :) I’m very excited about it (and just hope that we can really take advantage of it before the twins come). Friday Devin had the day off (HALLELUJAH!) so we planned to go, but the weather didn’t allow it. But we spend the day together. It sounds boring, but we ran errand and had Five Guys for lunch.

Saturday we got up and headed to the zoo. I swear I will never be arriving at the zoo past 10 AM. The weather was really nice. We started at the back because we never start there and are always too tired to enjoy it later. So we skipped the Africa loop this time (knowing I’d be back later this week). We packed a lunch, shared a shave ice and was in the car on our way home by noon. We all took naps then Devin and Collin headed to have dinner with his family at Ted’s for Mother’s Day and I met my brother and we took Mom to the Melting Pot. We had a great time, it was nice to be just the three of us again. After dinner I stopped at the mall with mom to try and help her find shoes for my cousins wedding in a couple weeks, but after walking the zoo in the morning, I wasn’t much fun and headed home after just an hour.

Sunday Devin completely spoiled me and let me do whatever I wanted :) We went to church, of course, and then stopped by Steak ‘n Shake for lunch. I really wasn’t wanting to go out for lunch, but since we were  driving by I thought, ok why not? We went home, Collin and I took naps while my wonderful husband worked in the yard. Then for dinner we went to Applebee’s. We even bought two cribs and a dresser that were on sale at Babies ‘R Us before heading home for the night. This is my beautimus bracelet Devin got me! I’ve been lusting after it for months! Collin and Devin both did REALLY good on gifts this year! Although, gifts aren’t really needed, I LOVED spending the whole weekend with them. It was long overdue.

The plan for the nursery, right now, is dark furniture. Espresso. I found that I like the Lauren collection by Graco. I want teal walls and white bedding. I put together a visual for Devin, because, well, he’s a boy. The only thing he doesn’t like is the wall color, he thinks it’s too dark. We’ll see how that discussion goes ;)

Throughout the course of the weekend we talked names for the twins. There is a possibility that we may have settled on something. I have wanted to keep the names a secret until they are born. Devin, however, thinks that’s annoying and wants to tell. We’ll see how that goes too. I’m betting that when we finally DO settle on names I’ll end up caving and he’ll get to tell the names. Oh well.

A Year and a Half

Every time. It never fails. I can’t believe how fast the last few months have gone by and how big Collin is getting. I took him for his 18 month appointment last week. He took his one shot like a champ, hardly even flinched. He’s increased in both his height and weight percentiles, so Mama’s happy :) He’s 24 pounds (25%) and 32 3/4 inches (90%).

He’s changing so much every day, I’m having a hard time keeping up with all the new things he’s learning. It seems like there is a new word every day or every other day. New animal sounds, actions, and personality traits coming along all the time.

• We were FINALLY able to get him to eat vegetables! He will down half a can of vegetable soup like it’s his favorite food ever :) This was a HUGE accomplishment for us
• He loves to color (had a few incidents with the walls, but I had him “clean it up” and haven’t had any issues since) Tells me all the time “ca” and “pa-per”
• Dances to music
• Has started to “sing”
• Says “peas” and “daaan doo”
• Knows how to call for the cats to give them treats, he makes the kissing noise. It’s too cute, too bad the cats want nothing to do with him really
• Calls Carly in from the back yard and claps his hands to get her attention
• Builds a building (or had me build one) and tried to blow it down… every time
• Carries his own diaper and drink “ba-pak” It really makes him look like a big kid
• When I ask him where the babies are he either points to my belly or lifts his shirt and points to his :) hehehe then he says “bebe” or “bella-bella” (baby and belly)
• Entered (and has pretty much exited) a hitting and pushing phase
• Has started to pull at his diaper :/
• Gives not only high five, but also fist bumps and says “boom”
• He LOVES the Cat in the Hat. Both the book and the tv show. In the book, when they “see all those things fall” he says “oh no!” and on tv he sings, “two! GO GO!” (On the show it says 3-2-1 Here we go go go go on an adventure)
• Naps and goes to bed really pretty well without any fuss
• Will help clean up the big toys in the living room, with very specific and repeated instruction (put the block in the basket, get that block and put it in the basket, are there more blocks to put in the basket…?)
• Says “su-sor” Which is “sorry” when he’s told he’s done something wrong and is told to “say your sorry”
• If he thinks you are hurt or sad, he will get a sad face, put his head down, open his arms and give you a very comforting hug and say “awe”
• Loves grapes, bananas, and… Oreos

• Knows when we go to Publix that he gets a cookie, and repeatedly says “cookie” until we get to the counter. Where he has to say “please” first and before his first bite must say “thank you” If he sees a balloon while we are there, I will hear “balloo-balloo” until he gets one or can’t see the balloon anymore. Usually, if he gets one, shopping is much easier
• When he looses a sandal or shoe, he immediately tells me “Sue! sue!”
• Says “AMEN!” after the blessing
• When we are pulling into church I ask him where we are, he’ll say “Chuch” and on occasion will say “Jes-sus”
• Prefers to drink from a big cup than his cup

• Has been to the fair

• Hunted for Easter eggs

• Visited the Fire Station (These pictures were too cute to make smaller)

I just love this kid so stinkin’ much. He’s too much for words :) He melts my heart.

20 Weeks – HALF WAY!!!

I can’t believe that this pregnancy is half way over officially!I say officially because well, obviously I’d rather not go 40 weeks with twins. I don’t know if it’s because it’s the second time, or because I’m not “working” and I”m staying home with Collin and he keeps me busy, or a combination of everything, but this has gone by fairly quickly!

My pregnancy app isn’t kidding when it said that in the recent weeks the babies were going to triple in size. I suddenly and very aware of the fact that I look pregnant. I was reassured by this fact today. As I walked outside to get the mail my neighbor was loading up her to youngest kids to go pick up her two oldest kids from school. We always exchange hellos and how ya doin’s. As I walked outside today we said our hellos and as she was about to get into her huge SUV (she can have an SUV because her kids are older and not in little guy car seats anymore…) she did a double take. Her mouth dropped and said, “Oh my gosh! You’re pregnant!” I laughed and said, “yeah a little bit.” I wasn’t insulted by her reaction, because I’m half way though and she’s just noticing. Not that I see her and hang out on a regular basis, but we do see each other frequently enough to be able to tell.

I thought that I would be able to feel them move a lot sooner than I did. One, because I “knew what I was feeling” and two, well, there’s two. But I had the same questions as I did before, “was that it?” “it’s too soon, surely I’m imagining it, right?” Well, there is no doubt about it now, I’ve been able to really feel them for about a week and a half, but just within the last few days have I decided for sure that “yup, that’s what it is alright.” I’m pretty sure that Devin will be able to feel them in the next few weeks too :)

I’m definitely more comfortable in maternity clothes, but I could still fit into some of my regular stuff with a bella band if I really wanted to, but I don’t that badly.

I took Collin with me to my OB appointment yesterday and my doctor said everything looks good. My weight gain is perfect, for anyone who wants to tell me that I’m not eating enough. She also said to remember “you’re not eating for three. If it were only one baby, you really wouldn’t be eating for two.” The extra caloric intake is like 700 or something like that. It’s not the equivalent of what people generally think. So HA to all those people out there who think being pregnant is an excuse to eat whatever you want and however much you want. It’s NOT! And I hope not to make the same mistakes and gain as much as I did with Collin.

I go for my glucose test in about four weeks. I’m more nervous this time because I know that gestational diabetes is more prominent with multiples. So with week of I’m really going to be watching what I eat and make sure to stay clear of the sweets.

 

Again… I don’t know what the deal is, but I DEFINATELY look bigger in the evening. These were taken in the morning before the day really started, I’m tricky like that :)

Baby Burn Out

Am I the only one who gets baby burn out? I mean, not that I don’t absolutely love my babies. I could talk about all the fun things Collin does all the time. But there comes a time when I just can’t/don’t want to talk about it anymore. There are other things in life other than pregnancy, child birth, nursing, changing diapers, doctors appointments, and parenting in general. Right? Trust me, my life is over run by all of these things too, and for the most part that is my life. But just for a week, ok, maybe a week is a little long for some people, a day or two, I would like to NOT talk about how I’m feeling, how much weight I’ve gained, how much the baby weighs, how to get them to sleep, how long they do or don’t sleep, names, showers, registries, what stroller I want or how to decorate the nursery, have I thought about this, that and the other. I would love to talk about a movie or a new food recipe or decorating my room, I’ve even turned to couponing for crying out loud!

Don’t be mistaken. I’ve VERY happy for all of my friends and family having babies and I’ll talk about it all day long. But when one goes to a “9 to 5” job isn’t that one of the last things they want to talk about at the end of the day? Or was that just me? I need some adult conversation, not just mommy and parent conversation in my life sometimes. Which is why I am very much looking forward to the Ladies Retreat this weekend. I am going to miss my husband and baby like crazy. But Momma needs a little non-baby for a minute.

It’s a… And a…

After and eventful week last week, we had to postpone “THE” appointment where we found out what Thing One and Thing Two were from Monday this week to Friday this week. Well, it’s FRIDAY this week, and we were at the doctor at 8:00 this morning. So ladies and gentlemen without further ado I give you…

Thing One and Thing Two!

It’s a BOY!

And a GIRL!

 

 

Today marks 18 weeks! Everything looked good on both babies :) And since everyone told me I didn’t look pregnant in my 16 picture, here’s the update. (and if you see me later in the day, I DO look MUCH bigger, promise!) I’m even more frustrated with clothes than I was two weeks ago. I can fit into my normal jeans, but I don’t like to sit in them, even with a bella band. I can also fit into my maternity jeans, but I don’t like them because they fall down, even with a bella band. My normal shirts fit, but I look fat, not pregnant. And my maternity shirts fit-ish, but are really long still or make me look like I’m way bigger than I actually am. Enough complaining about my clothes… Here’s me, er, us?

 

My Honey and Me :)

 

Something to Work With

By the end of this post, you’re going to be laughing at me. Thinking, “um, ok Erin.” But I don’t care :)

I was, shall we say, not feeling so well yesterday and pretty much recovered today. I’m feeling MUCH better. With the exception of my back being extremely sore and hurting when I laugh or speak above a normal tone, I’m all good. With that being said, I’ve spent a lot of time on the couch today. Devin is upstairs giving Collin a bath and putting him to bed and I decided to dive into the world of baby bedding. (On a side note, we won’t be finding out the sex of the babies on Monday, but rather Friday. Long story, don’t want to go into it right now. Sorry)

After Googling for quite some time a plethora of different combinations, “baby bedding,” "modern baby bedding,”  “kids bedding,” “kid’s rooms,” etc. etc etc. and bookmarking a few different sets, I had one of my epiphanies. I don’t have to design the room around the bedding. DUH! ERIN! Why did it take me TWO PLUS years to figure this out? What I loved so much about the kids bathroom upstairs is that it’s bright, colorful, fun, unisex, and could be changed fairly easily if I wanted to. That’s what has had me hung up on Collin’s room too. I didn’t want to stick to one specific “theme” per say, but wanted to do something that could grow and be easily adapted to a change in taste (mine or his, whichever it may be.)

So I went from looking at things like these…

 

To things like these…

While there is a big difference in the two “categories” at the same time, there isn’t. Both are modern, contemporary, bright (ok, maybe not the red, white and grey…) and funky. I realized that because I’m not a fan of “baby baby” that I could do something more “big kid” with a “baby twist,” if that makes any sense at all. That way, when the time comes to either switch their rooms or “graduate” from the babiness it’s not like I would be started all over again.

This is why I started looking for solid bedding. Shocker, I know, me plain. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. So I did a search and found that Carousel Designs has exactly what I was started to envision, in such a wide variety of colors.

 

The more I looked through all the colors, the more I saw a colorful room in solid colors (not necessarily matching but coordinating) with “something” else. A design on the wall or “something.” I’m just oddly proud of myself for finding something that I liked and could go off. So, now I’m looking for the “something.” And still have two rooms to do. Ugh… Oh well, it’s a start.

Calling All Creatives

Most people know the issues I went through with Collin’s nursery at our Argyle house. And my lack of motivation/cash flow here at the “new” house has left every room incomplete, except for the Kids’ bathroom, upstairs. You know, the one that no one ever sees. Yeah.

I knew the second I saw the shower curtain for the bathroom what I wanted to do. I love it. It’s perfect for boys or girls. It’s bright and fun. And I know exactly what I want to do in our bedroom (but it’s going to be quite sometime before that happens (Unless someone wants to make a sizeable donation for new furniture, linens and paint)) So here is what I want some help with. Bedroom ideas. For the kids.

Come Monday (HOPEFULLY) we will know if they twins will be boys, girls, or one of each :) Obviously if they are both the same sex they will share a room. And I’ll need to decide on decor for boys or girls. Should we have a boy and a girl, they will share a room for about the first year. Maybe a little more or less depending on sleeping habits. Then the boy and Collin will share a room and our Little Miss will have her own space. (This makes me kind of sad thinking that “the oldest” won’t have his own room, but I can’t make a boy and girl share a room for very long.)

The guidelines:

• I think I like darker furniture.
• We are more contemporary and modern with clean lines, and strong bold colors.
• Not so much into “vintage” or “boutique” or “classic baby.”

OK! Now send me your ideas! Pretty please :)

Wordless Wednesday