How did this happen - here we are, a little over a week from seeing you at our HALF-WAY mark through this pregnancy - and I haven't written a single letter "to you" yet!
My baby girl!
(Ack! I've still yet to get used to the word daughter! I heard your daddy say it the other day at your big brother's birthday party - he was discussing the ultrasound during which we found out who you were, and how the techs like to point their little arrows/finger-hands right at The Goods, and Daddy wanted to say, "hey enough poking around there! That's my daughter!!" It was so adorable!!)
Mommy's been feeling your little pops and thumps for a few weeks now, but big news on campus - Daddy just got his first big feel from the outside!
He thought he first felt you two nights ago, a teeny tiny whispered "thump" against his fingertips - but really officially it was last night (18w4d) that you first gave him some good poppin' kicks, right into his hand!
I've been working on your first big thing/deal - a sweater hand-crocheted by Mommy! I can't wait for you to wear it this winter!!!
And we are so excited for pinks and purples - what a change after blues and greens for two years! While Mommy got a little nervous at the can't-resist-adorable-cardigans and leggings and headbands (oh my!) and more importantly, the damage our wallets would take, we had a friend's brother step in with loads of hand-me-downs from his two daughters!
But - don't think I'm already envisioning how cute you'll be in your big brother's hand-me-down overalls (which are, admittedly, a bit green after the tie-dye incident in Colorado this summer!)
I'll apologize now for the "boyish" hand-me downs - your mommy grew up in her big brother's Jordache jeans and Bugle Boy t-shirts, and am still as girly as ever now-a-days! - but we'll try to stick to the real gender neutral ;)
Your daddy and I have a fantastic backyard almost finished for you and your brother, we can't wait to see you both playing in the sprinkler next summer!!!!
We love you, baby girl (we're just fighting it out right now over what your name will be!) and can't wait to see you again in 10 days!!!
Next up, after our son arrived in July 2013, were the items to cross off while baby was, well - a baby!
After a brief foray back on the TTCAL-train, we welcomed our daughter December 2015!
This is our BUGGY List story!
Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Button - a TwoYearSnapShot
HE'S TWO!
We're totally guessing that he's around/at least 30 lbs right now (his 2-year check-up isn't for another 3 weeks... will update once we get those numbers)
And according to his little monkey growth chart on the wall in his room, he's almost 35 inches tall!
He is (still) in size 4 diapers (both daytime and nighttime) and we've started to pull out a few 3T items (pre-worn and -washed hand-me down pants and shirts!) but he's mostly still in 2T shorts and Tshirts, rocking a size 7 shoe (6 if he's lucky and they're his old stretched Saucony's!)
He loves to hang out with cousins:
He loves to visit playgrounds
He loves pooltime (whether a big pool or his baby pool) and letting it all hang out:
And he loves to go to the beach when we're down the shore!
He is famously entertained by wrapping paper, gift bags (and the tissue paper - he opened a Bday gift from Grandma and went "ooooooooo" as he pulled out just the tissue paper...) and laundry baskets!
We frequently come into the living room to find him (with as many toys as he can fit) in our shorter, fatter laundry basket - a boat ready to party!
His stuffed animals that must travel with us on any long-distance trips are Gee (a SleepSound Giraffe) and BoBo (one of the first toys we bought for him when I was still PG!)
He also loves a rocking horse an aunt got him (so much so, he does THIS:
He is very task oriented, and will spent minutes on end moving his stool from one light switch to the next, "helping" us turn the lights on, or shut the room doors, etc.
He's a BIG goofball, and will laugh and giggle and crack himself up after he's responded to the question "What should we name [baby sister]?" with something like "baby BLHSTHSISKMFK!"
He doesn't tantrum much/frequently and when he does, it's usually over not wanting to get dressed:
...and it's usually over within a minute or so...
He is very curious (he pulled up a chair on his own and watched - E said for an hour! - the big trucks working on the backyard)
He says, "Ben watch big yellow truck!" (of course, in his adorable toddler-ese accent!)
He loves to pull out his flash cards (E's idea to buy...) and rapid fires nearly every card in the deck!
We began keeping count of his words after the 18-month appointment "scare" and he quickly hit 50 words in the next two months...
His language kept exploding, and we were quickly unable to keep up with his word count - I'm going to guess over 100 words, and more each day!
He can currently identify a number of colors (you know - red, blue, orange, yellow, green - none of the "periwinkle" or "lavender" yet... lol)
He can also count (independently!) to 10!
We're even getting frequent 4-word sentences!
He loves broccoli (my son?!?!) and chicken (as long as it's dipped in "cupcup" aka ketchup) and apple sauce - make that any and all fruit!
He loves bananas (has one every time we pass the produce section while food shopping!) and basically - well, nearly every food we feed him!
He even ate creamed spinach the other night!!!
He nearly has a full set of teeth (up to his 1-year molars) - we're just waiting on two more canines to come in (which are taking for...ev...er)
I guess he'll get the last two just in time to start working on his 2-year molars!
While we've been very casually peeing on the potty for a loooong time (6-7 months?) we're trying to start the official Potty Training career now!
He's not as consistent as that letting us know he needs to go, especially like last night as he stood in the kitchen, looked me right in the eye, and pooped (poop face and all...)
I think this fall (September? start of "new school year") he'll get moved to the Toddler 2 room at daycare, and they officially start (helping with) the potty training! (since they have a toddler-toilet in that room) so we're just warming up!
He doesn't always nap fabulously (at daycare they average 2 hours! WTHECK!) but when he naps down the shore, boy does he nap!
On an average day, he goes to bed at 8pm (teeth brushing, bedtime stories, a few songs - asleep around 8:30)
and he (probably) wakes up anywhere from 6:30 to 7 - I say probably, because he just hangs in his room (mostly in his bed with a bed-full of toys) and basically waits for us to come in and get him around 7:30.
On weekends, it's closer to 8 when we wake up to go get him... (it's also a little later he may go to bed...)
Weekend naps can be anywhere from an hour+20min to just about 2 hours (again, how does daycare every day get him to nap at least 2hours, sometimes close to 3?!?!)
With his great sleeping habits (has been STTN since 11 weeks!) I'm nervous about the old wives' tale that baby #2 is usually the opposite of #1...
We'll just have to wait and see!
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Colorado Recap Part II
Day 4:
(Wednesday)
Half way through the CO trip, we did one of the coolest things - we drove to the top of Pike's Peak!
The 19-miles of road from bottom to top took us a good amount of time (probably 1.5 hours?) and it was soooooo crazy and treacherous, especially considering we couldn't see what was over the flimsy guardrail!!!
(one of the turns, coming down the mountain after our lunch at the summit...)
and unfortunately one of the only pictures I got on my phone... you'll see E's GoPro camera set up in the far left corner of the frame - we had it on the dash the entire drive, but - dammit - the memory card was somehow corrupted, and we lost two of the three videos... BOOOOO)
When we got back to the house, Button caught his mouth on a coffee table (actually cut his inner top lip pretty dang good...) so we had the fun moment when Mommy freaks out at the blood, and just stands there waving her hands, while Daddy calmly gets an ice pack and paper towel... (when will I react better to emergencies with my child?!)
We packed up once again and headed to the hotel, where we were scheduled for a 5:30 group picture - of everyone in attendance at the Reunion! (Can't wait for that to be emailed out!!) We then decided against attending a local baseball game that night (rumor had it the entire group of family was to be called onto the field during the throwing of the first pitch, by the surviving offspring of the original 9 kids - but then it got clarified that only he would be going onto the field) and instead found out that the local BJ's Brewhouse would have no wait time for dinner if we came right then - off we went for a great dinner (followed by ice cream and another rushed - and late - bedtime for Button!)
(Wednesday)
Half way through the CO trip, we did one of the coolest things - we drove to the top of Pike's Peak!
(too bad the weather was NO WHERE near this clear during our visit...
we drove through cloud system after cloud system on our way up!)
We were pretty elevated just being in COS to begin with (around 8,000 feet above sea level) but Pike's Peak stands at DOUBLE that: 14,115 feet above sea level (which is so high, it in fact had it's own weather climate there - a snow storm hit mid July while we were at the summit!!!)The 19-miles of road from bottom to top took us a good amount of time (probably 1.5 hours?) and it was soooooo crazy and treacherous, especially considering we couldn't see what was over the flimsy guardrail!!!
and unfortunately one of the only pictures I got on my phone... you'll see E's GoPro camera set up in the far left corner of the frame - we had it on the dash the entire drive, but - dammit - the memory card was somehow corrupted, and we lost two of the three videos... BOOOOO)
The kids didn't find the trip that thrilling:
When we got back to the house, Button caught his mouth on a coffee table (actually cut his inner top lip pretty dang good...) so we had the fun moment when Mommy freaks out at the blood, and just stands there waving her hands, while Daddy calmly gets an ice pack and paper towel... (when will I react better to emergencies with my child?!)
We packed up once again and headed to the hotel, where we were scheduled for a 5:30 group picture - of everyone in attendance at the Reunion! (Can't wait for that to be emailed out!!) We then decided against attending a local baseball game that night (rumor had it the entire group of family was to be called onto the field during the throwing of the first pitch, by the surviving offspring of the original 9 kids - but then it got clarified that only he would be going onto the field) and instead found out that the local BJ's Brewhouse would have no wait time for dinner if we came right then - off we went for a great dinner (followed by ice cream and another rushed - and late - bedtime for Button!)
(Also pretty sure this was the night we found Button shaking
a packet of Tie-Dye powder at the hotel before dinner - coincidentally, they had MakeTDShirts as an
activity too... - and we gasped, and tried to brush it off him the best we
could without getting any wet - he still turned a bit hulkish (the dye was
apparently green, despite it's yellow powder appearance...))
Day 5:
(Thursday)
of course, as the day of departure got nearer, the weather got nicer (UGH) so on Thursday we decided to walk through Manitou Springs, a great street of shops and 7 natural mineral springs that you can drink/taste right from the source!
They also had the best invention ever.
You remember those old rides like this, quarter operated, outside grocery or department stores? Well Manitou Springs had hundreds.
All under one (outdoor) roof, all for a quarter!
Button had so much fun going from ride to ride, he barely had started one and he was already scoping out others for what he would ride next!
We all settled in an outdoor patio for lunch, enjoying the rare-for-that-week sunshine.
Until it started raining, and we dashed inside... It was nice while it lasted...
The group split after lunch, with Bro + Family heading back to the house (which at this point, I predicted, they'd stay there for the rest of the day, despite those remaining were heading to the hotel for the last night and the live auction...)
I actually ended up sending Button home with E (and sister's DH) to be put to bed (again, late - because E decided to give him a bath when they got home... he was probably in dire need anyways...) and stayed to enjoy the auction with my sister, mom and dad. (Mom drank a few (handfuls of) glasses of wine, and got all loud when she discovered she was outbid on a few silent auction items...)
The auction's all donated items/experiences (like the cousins with a beach house in S.Carolina who donated a week's stay anytime!) and the proceeds go to the "Family Fund" - people in the family can apply for relief, as well as Reunion Scholarships - financial aid to help them get to a reunion they would otherwise miss due to financial hardship!
Anyway - the auction was a great success, I only won a few items in the silent auction (fun times packing those for a plane ride) and donated $44 to the family fund. (which reminds me, I need to send that check to my dad, who covered me at the time... lol)
And just like that, we were all preparing to head home the next day...
Day 6:
(Friday)
Kind of like a hotel, we had to be "checked out" of the house by 10am (for the cleaning crew to come prepare for the next guests!) so we packed up Friday morning, while eating breakfast on the go. Bro+Family had an earlier flight out of Denver (1.5 hrs away) so they took off first; my parents and Sis+Family were hitting the road (all in one van!) to drive back to TX in one day (YEEEESH!) so we packed up any leftover food for them, and saw them off with their *honk*honk* down the street... so the Buggy Family closed up the house, said with Button, "Bye Bye House!" and then had to chill the next 2-3 hours before our flight, late in the afternoon out of Denver...
So we headed to Historic Colorado City, another cute street with little shops (I found the cutest knit socks - pink, blue and cream (we didn't know yet if Baby#2 was boy or girl!) on serious sale (75% off!) at the cutest little store - Mountain Moppets!)
Following the drive, we had to fight gas lines at the airport to fill the rental car tank before returning it, and then we had to wait at the agency for the shuttle to the airport.
And that?
That was our trip to Colorado Springs, the last flight Button gets to fly on for free! (Also the last flight we'll have to cram three people into two seats!! I said to E, I'm kind of glad at this point to be forced to buy three full seats - he's getting WAY TOO BIG to sit on our laps!!)
a P.S.
A perfect quote I found in the last few days that helps describe my thoughts about SIL, and her fear of disciplining or speaking harshly to her daughter, or doing anything other then what PRECIOUS LITTLE DAUGHTER needs/wants/thinks she needs/wants:
Day 5:
(Thursday)
of course, as the day of departure got nearer, the weather got nicer (UGH) so on Thursday we decided to walk through Manitou Springs, a great street of shops and 7 natural mineral springs that you can drink/taste right from the source!
They also had the best invention ever.
Like, ever, EVER:
All under one (outdoor) roof, all for a quarter!
Button had so much fun going from ride to ride, he barely had started one and he was already scoping out others for what he would ride next!
Until it started raining, and we dashed inside... It was nice while it lasted...
The group split after lunch, with Bro + Family heading back to the house (which at this point, I predicted, they'd stay there for the rest of the day, despite those remaining were heading to the hotel for the last night and the live auction...)
I actually ended up sending Button home with E (and sister's DH) to be put to bed (again, late - because E decided to give him a bath when they got home... he was probably in dire need anyways...) and stayed to enjoy the auction with my sister, mom and dad. (Mom drank a few (handfuls of) glasses of wine, and got all loud when she discovered she was outbid on a few silent auction items...)
The auction's all donated items/experiences (like the cousins with a beach house in S.Carolina who donated a week's stay anytime!) and the proceeds go to the "Family Fund" - people in the family can apply for relief, as well as Reunion Scholarships - financial aid to help them get to a reunion they would otherwise miss due to financial hardship!
Anyway - the auction was a great success, I only won a few items in the silent auction (fun times packing those for a plane ride) and donated $44 to the family fund. (which reminds me, I need to send that check to my dad, who covered me at the time... lol)
And just like that, we were all preparing to head home the next day...
Day 6:
(Friday)
Kind of like a hotel, we had to be "checked out" of the house by 10am (for the cleaning crew to come prepare for the next guests!) so we packed up Friday morning, while eating breakfast on the go. Bro+Family had an earlier flight out of Denver (1.5 hrs away) so they took off first; my parents and Sis+Family were hitting the road (all in one van!) to drive back to TX in one day (YEEEESH!) so we packed up any leftover food for them, and saw them off with their *honk*honk* down the street... so the Buggy Family closed up the house, said with Button, "Bye Bye House!" and then had to chill the next 2-3 hours before our flight, late in the afternoon out of Denver...
So we headed to Historic Colorado City, another cute street with little shops (I found the cutest knit socks - pink, blue and cream (we didn't know yet if Baby#2 was boy or girl!) on serious sale (75% off!) at the cutest little store - Mountain Moppets!)
And then we had ice cream, for lunch...
(Thankfully, most places we get ice cream with Button have sugar free, so there's no worry
of sugar rushes during naptimes!)
Not that he napped well anyways - I'm pretty sure he skipped it entirely on that last day of travel... which entailed making the drive up to Denver (during which - he started HARDCORE fussing and I thought, well no duh - he's TIRED! except he finally vocalized, "Baby go PEE PEE!" so - well, we pulled over and he went in the weeds, standing next to E - and MAN did he go PEE PEE!)
Following the drive, we had to fight gas lines at the airport to fill the rental car tank before returning it, and then we had to wait at the agency for the shuttle to the airport.
Once at the airport (of course after checking-in, a last-minute diaper/OUTFIT change right next to security lines, and getting through security) we then took a tram/subway to the actual terminals.
Then a flight (direct thank god!) and waiting for luggage - and then another shuttle to our long-term parking lot, and then a carride - during which Button finally crashed! (AGH! It was 10:30 ET which was only 8:30 GMT, not horrible, I guessed...)
Of course - we forgot, until we got near our neighborhood at 11pm, that we were out of milk - so we drove to and from, only to find dark windows and "OPEN" signs unlit...
Of course - we forgot, until we got near our neighborhood at 11pm, that we were out of milk - so we drove to and from, only to find dark windows and "OPEN" signs unlit...
And that?
That was our trip to Colorado Springs, the last flight Button gets to fly on for free! (Also the last flight we'll have to cram three people into two seats!! I said to E, I'm kind of glad at this point to be forced to buy three full seats - he's getting WAY TOO BIG to sit on our laps!!)
a P.S.
A perfect quote I found in the last few days that helps describe my thoughts about SIL, and her fear of disciplining or speaking harshly to her daughter, or doing anything other then what PRECIOUS LITTLE DAUGHTER needs/wants/thinks she needs/wants:
Alas, a mother never is afraid,
Of speaking angrily to any child,
Since love, she knows, is justified of love.
Of speaking angrily to any child,
Since love, she knows, is justified of love.
—ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING,
Aurora Leigh
Aurora Leigh
Thursday, July 23, 2015
the Colorado Re-Cap!
A quick (somewhat) summary of our fabulous week in Colorado (you've probably already gotten a sneak peak at The Crazies of infamous SIL!)
This was also the first trip I can recall that we had a great travel schedule... we usually try to max out our time off, so we'll say - fly to Texas on a Thursday night after work (or ass-early Friday morning) and then fly back Monday afternoon and be at work Tuesday (E always remembers to request off the next day - I never do!)
The house wasn't actually open to us until later Sunday afternoon, so we were all kind of trickling in from various entrances into the state of CO...\
Bro and SIL had flown in the night prior, and after staying at a hotel(friends' house?) in the Denver area, had decided to grab lunch before driving down to COS (CO Springs). The second great idea they had was to invite us to meet them at the restaraunt on our way down to COS - perfect!
Well - ultimately, we pulled up and they were all, "yea we already ate - and we actually have to leave now, [niece] is tired and needs a nap and we have to stop back [at hotel? friend's house?] to get her [almond] milk from the fridge..."
So we ended up sitting and eating by ourselves (at that point, Button needed to eat before he slept for his nap on the drive down to COS) while my parents and my sister (and family) were all enjoying a bar in COS, asking where we were...
(Button needing a nap...)
Anyways - we eventually all got to a park in town to wait the last hour or so until it was time to head to the house...
The crew split, and while the girls got everyone settled in the house, the boys went grocery shopping.
Domino's pizza the first night (at the suggestion of frugal SIL - she'd found a coupon for $6 mediums! - but yeck: domino's pizza for a NJ Italian palette??) and we were all ready to call it a night after a long day of travel...
Day 2 (Monday)
My dad had wanted to meet a cousin's daughter the night before for dinner (which quickly got veto'd by the travel-weary group) so instead we headed over to Monument, CO (20-25 minutes) for lunch - sans Jeep roof panels! which made it quite interesting when it started to sprinkle with 10 minutes left in the drive... (somehow, physics and all - we did not get a single drop in the Jeep until we stopped moving at cousin's house!)
We picked up our jaws in time for lunch - where SIL (I'm sure) was all - "IS SHE EATING COLDCUTS!? OOOOOOOOOO!" because, yes - I had a turkey sandwich.
It was delicious.
I should have said, "If you are worried about listeria from these deli meats, you sure as hell better not let your husband or daughter eat them! seriously! PUT THE BOLOGNA DOWN!!!"
We enjoyed some fabulous homemade brownies, this preggo packed a plate of them to go, and we headed back to the house (roof ON the Jeep) for the kiddos to nap. As soon as they woke up, we headed to Reunion HQ (the nearby hotel where a lot of the family was staying, and where they had rented a conference room for the entire week) to check in and see some cousins we hadn't seen in years! (Last reunion E and I made it to was 2009!!)
Dinner planning hit a snag, as we had been told dinner "was included" for the reunion at the hotel - well, dinner was just a cold buffet that was open to all guests: cheese, crackers, snack mix, soup and salad. While it sat fine with a few of us, the boys demanded more sustenance, and so we headed off (as I checked my watch and worried about Button getting to bed at a decent hour - local AND home time) to discover the restaurants would all have 30+ minute waits... off to Trader Joe's we went for dinner foods to make at home (the grocery shopping earlier was only for breakfasts, lunches and snacks).
And so ended Day 2...
Day 3 (Tuesday)
We got a little bit of a later start on Tuesday - the kiddos were actually ready for a nap pretty early, travel and excitement having gotten to them on a bit of a delay... After their naps, we headed back to the hotel expecting to touch base and get the 4-1-1 on the reunion activities for the day (We even wore the shirts my mom surprised us all with - she made them in TX before the trip!!)
Well, we ended up being the only ones at the hotel... (well, ok not the only ones - but the only people in the common area/conference room from our family... lol)
So we headed off to one of our loosely scheduled activities/desires for the week: The Garden of the Gods, a registered natural landmark in COS:
We first checked out the free Visitor Center/Museum where the kids loved playing on the buffalo:
And then headed out into the park - we drove through most of it, and got out towards the end to hike a bit:
This was also the first trip I can recall that we had a great travel schedule... we usually try to max out our time off, so we'll say - fly to Texas on a Thursday night after work (or ass-early Friday morning) and then fly back Monday afternoon and be at work Tuesday (E always remembers to request off the next day - I never do!)
enjoying take off as we unexpectedly got an open row of three seats!
This time, we flew out to CO on a Sunday morning-ish (after a 3-day July 4th weekend to boot!) and arrived at 11am local time (GMT). We flew into Denver airport, and the house my family rented was about 1.5 hours south, in Colorado Springs. (We had decided a week or so prior that the easiest thing to do was to fly with Button's carseat, and rent a car when we got there... of course E was like a kid in a candy shop and upgraded us - at cost to his side-business - to a Jeep Wrangler, red at Button's request... and of course, the kind that the doors and roof panels all come off!)
Also the first time Button forward-faced!! He loved it!
The house wasn't actually open to us until later Sunday afternoon, so we were all kind of trickling in from various entrances into the state of CO...\
Bro and SIL had flown in the night prior, and after staying at a hotel(friends' house?) in the Denver area, had decided to grab lunch before driving down to COS (CO Springs). The second great idea they had was to invite us to meet them at the restaraunt on our way down to COS - perfect!
Well - ultimately, we pulled up and they were all, "yea we already ate - and we actually have to leave now, [niece] is tired and needs a nap and we have to stop back [at hotel? friend's house?] to get her [almond] milk from the fridge..."
So we ended up sitting and eating by ourselves (at that point, Button needed to eat before he slept for his nap on the drive down to COS) while my parents and my sister (and family) were all enjoying a bar in COS, asking where we were...
Anyways - we eventually all got to a park in town to wait the last hour or so until it was time to head to the house...
Button decided he was DONE posing for pictures! A playground needed playing on!
The crew split, and while the girls got everyone settled in the house, the boys went grocery shopping.
Domino's pizza the first night (at the suggestion of frugal SIL - she'd found a coupon for $6 mediums! - but yeck: domino's pizza for a NJ Italian palette??) and we were all ready to call it a night after a long day of travel...
Day 2 (Monday)
My dad had wanted to meet a cousin's daughter the night before for dinner (which quickly got veto'd by the travel-weary group) so instead we headed over to Monument, CO (20-25 minutes) for lunch - sans Jeep roof panels! which made it quite interesting when it started to sprinkle with 10 minutes left in the drive... (somehow, physics and all - we did not get a single drop in the Jeep until we stopped moving at cousin's house!)
enjoying a (windy!) roofless Jeep!
Said cousin's house was A MCMANSION, no joke: the basement was comprised of an in-home theater complete with an entire row of leather reclining MOVIE CHAIRS, an in-home gym complete with every piece of equipment you'd need, a full-size ARCADE game (offering every game your 1980's heart would desire) a pool table, office, etc. The place was INSANE!We picked up our jaws in time for lunch - where SIL (I'm sure) was all - "IS SHE EATING COLDCUTS!? OOOOOOOOOO!" because, yes - I had a turkey sandwich.
It was delicious.
I should have said, "If you are worried about listeria from these deli meats, you sure as hell better not let your husband or daughter eat them! seriously! PUT THE BOLOGNA DOWN!!!"
We enjoyed some fabulous homemade brownies, this preggo packed a plate of them to go, and we headed back to the house (roof ON the Jeep) for the kiddos to nap. As soon as they woke up, we headed to Reunion HQ (the nearby hotel where a lot of the family was staying, and where they had rented a conference room for the entire week) to check in and see some cousins we hadn't seen in years! (Last reunion E and I made it to was 2009!!)
Dinner planning hit a snag, as we had been told dinner "was included" for the reunion at the hotel - well, dinner was just a cold buffet that was open to all guests: cheese, crackers, snack mix, soup and salad. While it sat fine with a few of us, the boys demanded more sustenance, and so we headed off (as I checked my watch and worried about Button getting to bed at a decent hour - local AND home time) to discover the restaurants would all have 30+ minute waits... off to Trader Joe's we went for dinner foods to make at home (the grocery shopping earlier was only for breakfasts, lunches and snacks).
And so ended Day 2...
Day 3 (Tuesday)
We got a little bit of a later start on Tuesday - the kiddos were actually ready for a nap pretty early, travel and excitement having gotten to them on a bit of a delay... After their naps, we headed back to the hotel expecting to touch base and get the 4-1-1 on the reunion activities for the day (We even wore the shirts my mom surprised us all with - she made them in TX before the trip!!)
Well, we ended up being the only ones at the hotel... (well, ok not the only ones - but the only people in the common area/conference room from our family... lol)
So we headed off to one of our loosely scheduled activities/desires for the week: The Garden of the Gods, a registered natural landmark in COS:
We first checked out the free Visitor Center/Museum where the kids loved playing on the buffalo:
And then headed out into the park - we drove through most of it, and got out towards the end to hike a bit:
Strong kids!!
(Of course, I would have straightened my (dirty) hair that morning, thinking - it's CO, even when it rains it's still really dry air and my hair shouldn't frizz and kink! and where did we end up but actually out in the rain when it started to rain. #curlygirlproblems)
After our fun (E slipped down a teeny slope while holding Button's hand, and Button got upset at (I'm pretty sure) Daddy possibly getting hurt... it was cute...) we headed back again to the hotel for our "light" dinner, which turned out pretty good - Caprese sandwiches (no deli meat!) and minestrone soup and caesar salad.
We forayed up to the conference room where they had some great crafts/activities going on: we planted our hand prints and family names on the large banner and checked out the HUMONGOUS family* tree:
*so the Reunion began with my great-grandfather, and his 9 children (and all of their off-spring.) My grandmother was #3 or 4 of the 9, and on her branch alone were (counts to self) somewhere along the lines of 3 kids (my dad's generation), 12 grandkids (our generation), and 20 or so great-grandkids (Button's generation). That's JUST ONE KID of the 9 on that family tree... so incredible, I LOVE that they have these great reunions every two years...
There was a reunion staple that night - The Talent Show, where it's a mix of the older women cousins singing silly songs with silly props, and the wee young ones whispering their misspoken ABCs - it's a blast! Of course, we baby-mommas had to leave early when it got close to bedtime, and again (a running theme all week) hadn't left enough time for dinner so we dashed into Panera, and dashed home - quickly fed Button, quickly bathed him, and got him to bed, oh around 9pm... which was 11pm home time. =\
I usually ended up hitting the hay around 10pm since the drinking was off limits, and the hot tub was off limits. So I ate the fresh baked cookies the homeowner had left, and tucked in with a good book... (oh more on that next Wednesday for the Reading Challenge update!)
And somehow, our week was already half over!
There was a reunion staple that night - The Talent Show, where it's a mix of the older women cousins singing silly songs with silly props, and the wee young ones whispering their misspoken ABCs - it's a blast! Of course, we baby-mommas had to leave early when it got close to bedtime, and again (a running theme all week) hadn't left enough time for dinner so we dashed into Panera, and dashed home - quickly fed Button, quickly bathed him, and got him to bed, oh around 9pm... which was 11pm home time. =\
I usually ended up hitting the hay around 10pm since the drinking was off limits, and the hot tub was off limits. So I ate the fresh baked cookies the homeowner had left, and tucked in with a good book... (oh more on that next Wednesday for the Reading Challenge update!)
And somehow, our week was already half over!
Monday, July 20, 2015
sluggish and crabby.. (also 17w1d)
and it's my own damn fault... I stayed up late (finally watching some old stuff from my DVR list... so many movies/show... so little time!!) working on a crochet baby sweater I started a month or so ago...
I just kept saying, "one more row!" and then it was 12:45...oiy...
but what a great weekend!!!
we got into the VFW hall Friday night to decorate (only got blurry shots from that night, meant to send them to my mom - who, due to long distance, couldn't come to the party)
(we put up a few more decorations Saturday morning... after I locked myself out of the hall by not bringing the right key, and having to wait nearly 25 minutes for E to come with it...)
(and of course, all the great pictures of the cake, more decorations, people, etc are on my big Canon at home... which means I'll promise to post them later and they'll never get posted... but really, I do intend to take a look at them very soon.. this week... lol)
the only other pictures I could find from friend's phones/my phone:
(obviously the collage on the right is from a friend, so it's her son in the center lol)
I've been feeling baby (kick! pop!) a bit more regularly - 2-3 "sessions" with a few pops per session each day! - the last week or two... I LOVE IT!!! According to Button's pregnancy, two more weeks-ish until they can be felt from the outside!
Weight gain definitely slowed down/stalled - I think I overdid it until last week, and am feeling much better with what/how much I'm eating
Next appointments are an OB check-up (only weight, urine, BP & doppler) in two weeks, and in another week after that - the A/S!!!! (oh and in between there somewhere is my 30th birthday... GAH)
but it'll be a 30th birthday spent probably shopping for .....
GENDER REVEAL!!!!!
Ok so - we went in Friday right after work, and made nice with the "tech" (obviously they're trained at ultrasounds, but instead of working at a clinic are working at an elective ultrasound place, hence the quotes around tech. lol I dunno...) and made our votes on the cute little board in the room:
(I just realized, I plastered a picture of my daughter's VaJayJay on the internet... #worldsbestmother)
And sobegins (ok honestly, continues) my P.interest obsession for all things Little Girl!!!! Time to make that board public!
I just kept saying, "one more row!" and then it was 12:45...oiy...
but what a great weekend!!!
we got into the VFW hall Friday night to decorate (only got blurry shots from that night, meant to send them to my mom - who, due to long distance, couldn't come to the party)
(we put up a few more decorations Saturday morning... after I locked myself out of the hall by not bringing the right key, and having to wait nearly 25 minutes for E to come with it...)
(and of course, all the great pictures of the cake, more decorations, people, etc are on my big Canon at home... which means I'll promise to post them later and they'll never get posted... but really, I do intend to take a look at them very soon.. this week... lol)
the only other pictures I could find from friend's phones/my phone:
yesterday was so hot... so so hot... we got out one of Button's new gifts (water table from MIL&FIL) and played on the front lawn for about 10 minutes, which is when Button even said, "too hot aiya! (outside)"
After nap time, we high-tailed it over to IL's house to lounge in their pool (and get dinner that I didn't have to cook!)
And a quick 17W update:
I've been feeling baby (kick! pop!) a bit more regularly - 2-3 "sessions" with a few pops per session each day! - the last week or two... I LOVE IT!!! According to Button's pregnancy, two more weeks-ish until they can be felt from the outside!
Weight gain definitely slowed down/stalled - I think I overdid it until last week, and am feeling much better with what/how much I'm eating
Next appointments are an OB check-up (only weight, urine, BP & doppler) in two weeks, and in another week after that - the A/S!!!! (oh and in between there somewhere is my 30th birthday... GAH)
but it'll be a 30th birthday spent probably shopping for .....
GENDER REVEAL!!!!!
Ok so - we went in Friday right after work, and made nice with the "tech" (obviously they're trained at ultrasounds, but instead of working at a clinic are working at an elective ultrasound place, hence the quotes around tech. lol I dunno...) and made our votes on the cute little board in the room:
(these votes were totally based on the prediction we got at 12w... hint hint)
We got to see baby (hi baby!) and hear a great hb (154-156bpm!)
and then came the Money Shot...
and boy, did SHE SHOW HER GOODS!!!!!
(I just realized, I plastered a picture of my daughter's VaJayJay on the internet... #worldsbestmother)
And so
Friday, July 17, 2015
HOLD THE PHONE!!!!!
Seriously.... you guys...
I got this in my email this morning...
We woke him up this morning with a whispered, "Happy Birthday Ben! it's TODAY!" and received a whispered, "yea!" back with a shy grin... sweet boy...
MommyOfTheYear sent in aaaalll the cupcakes to daycare yesterday, so we stuck his candles in raspberry cheese danish this morning...
His eyes LIT UP (no pun intended) as we lit his candles!
(He mostly spit when he tried to blow them out, so Daddy helped actually extinguish the candles...)
He's at grandma's house (MIL) now getting spoiled:
Today they plan to go see SIL's new apartment (where I'm sure there's more waiting for him there, she adores him!)
E and I have a 5pm elective ultrasound to see if #2 has an innie or an outie (OMG I CAN'T WAIT!!) and then we pick up the birthday boy! (and most likely E's adopted sisters to come stay the night & babysit - we've got to get to the VFW hall (we've booked for tomorrow's party) by 6:30 to pick up the key and start decorating!)
And then the big party tomorrow!!!!
So Monday (or, like, next month) should be a big birthday party post, as well as a gender announcement!!!
Have a great weekend!
I got this in my email this morning...
HE IS TWO YEARS OLD!!!!!
We woke him up this morning with a whispered, "Happy Birthday Ben! it's TODAY!" and received a whispered, "yea!" back with a shy grin... sweet boy...
MommyOfTheYear sent in aaaalll the cupcakes to daycare yesterday, so we stuck his candles in raspberry cheese danish this morning...
His eyes LIT UP (no pun intended) as we lit his candles!
(He mostly spit when he tried to blow them out, so Daddy helped actually extinguish the candles...)
He's at grandma's house (MIL) now getting spoiled:
Today they plan to go see SIL's new apartment (where I'm sure there's more waiting for him there, she adores him!)
ETA: Nana took Button to McD's PlayPlace for his birthday:
E and I have a 5pm elective ultrasound to see if #2 has an innie or an outie (OMG I CAN'T WAIT!!) and then we pick up the birthday boy! (and most likely E's adopted sisters to come stay the night & babysit - we've got to get to the VFW hall (we've booked for tomorrow's party) by 6:30 to pick up the key and start decorating!)
And then the big party tomorrow!!!!
So Monday (or, like, next month) should be a big birthday party post, as well as a gender announcement!!!
Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
16weeks! (16w2d)
Total Weight Gain: Well I'm not really sure the total... the OB has me starting at one weight (which nets 7 lbs gained), I'm remembering my real pre-pregnancy weight (as soon as I got my BFP, and which nets about 8.5 lbs gained) and then there's the first weight I noted on my little tracker at 12w (which nets only 5 lbs gained.)
soooo - anywhere from 5-8.5 lbs, and if it's 5-7, I feel good/ok about it. 8.5 lbs? I'm getting leery that I'm on a course to gain more than I did with Button. That and I feel like I've done as much as a slug, physical-activity-wise the past few months... after-work walks starting tonight!!!
Maternity Clothes: I've kind of given up - they're so comfy, I don't fight with my wardrobe each morning (and leave a pile of discards all over the bedroom...) I'm still wearing non-maternity maxi-skirts, and some dresses and tops...
Symptoms: none really - there's times I feel like I forget I'm pregnant!!
Sleep: getting pretty good sleep, as long as I get to bed at a decent hour (not like last night, which was around midnight...) I think we're still adjusting to the time-change from GMT
Food Cravings: I guess still oreo ice cream... nothing really, otherwise
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really...
Movement: Some pops here and there!
Stretch Marks: Still just ones I had on my hips from highschool...
Gender Prediction: I have my prediction, the tech has hers as well - we'll actually find out this Friday at our elective ultrasound!!! (Check out the new countdown on the left!)
Labour Signs: Too early.
Belly Button In or Out?: In (never turned out last time either)
Wedding Rings on or off?: On
Happy or Moody?: I think I can officially say the mood swings have definitely improved, minus one or two here and there...
Purchases for baby: Officially made the first purchase at a cute little store in CO called Mountain Moppets (seriously, how cute is that name?!) I got a set of knit socks (one pair pink, one cream, one blue!) that were 75% off and only $7 or so!
Purchases for Momma: I hit Burlington Coat Factory this weekend looking specifically for loose, racer-back (shoulder baring for some tan!) tanks and ended up with shorts, two skirts, and a bunch of blouses!! Go BCF!!
Miss Anything?: Still probably a good cold drink, like a margarita or Twisted Tea... I also hear commercials for Six Flags and remember how fun the roller coasters were in our TTA BuggyList extravaganza! (Holy cow.... that was over three years ago...)
Looking forward to: this Friday's gender ultrasound!!!!! (and even aside from finding out Boy/Girl for sure, just excited to see baby again!)
ETA: fun pics (from almost 18w) with Button for comparison!
another P.S.S. - Had 16week bloodwork done yesterday for "Second trimester" screenings (spina bifida is the only one I can remember now...) and inquired about the results from the 12week bloodwork/NT scan, since my OB had never brought it up... We are <1:10,000 for both Down Syndrome and Trisomy (13 and 18 I think) wooooooot!!
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