It's Potty Time!!!

About 2 months ago Zoe started letting me know that she was about to "go". So, I think she's ready to start potty training and I buy the pull-ups and the potty. She was really excited about the pull-ups which she called poo pants. Whenever she "went" or was about to she would go to the little princess box and get one out for me. However, she was absolutely terrified of the potty. I did actually get her to sit on it once but she was holding on to my leg for dear life. Anytime she entered the bathroom I would ask if she needed to go potty and she would shake her head frantically saying no and back out of the bathroom. I didn't push the issue. She's only 18 months and I figured when she's ready she'll go. Well.... this past weekend she decided out of the blue that she wanted to sit on the potty. I was absolutely ecstatic and of course took a picture (which I'm sure she will probably hate me for one day). She didn't do anything but I was just glad that she was no longer afraid... we were taking a step forward. On the downside, I saw her later getting her ball and paci out of it. I hope that she doesn't continue to store things in there because that could turn out pretty bad. Anywho, last night she was in the tub and she said she had to poo-poo. So I asked her if she wanted to sit on the potty and she said "yes" (I didn't want to be cleaning out the tub as I have done a few times before). She did it!!!!! Well, she tinkled (poo-poo can mean either or). I was freaking out and then Cody came in and he was all excited and she just looked at us like we had lost our minds! I know this is kind-of a disgusting topic but I'm just so excited. Hopefully she will keep it up and I won't have to buy soooo many diapers.

Girl's Day

I finally got to have a girls day out. This past Saturday Caleigh and I did a little shopping and made a trip to the salon. Then we met Ashton and Hunter for lunch (he got to have lunch w/ us but then we kicked him to the curb). Next, we were off to have pedicures. Poor Caleigh! She was complaining about how she always ends up with the guy doing her toes, so Ashton promised her that they would switch if she got the guy again. Well... needless to say, Caleigh got the guy and at this point our feet were already soaking and we couldn't make the switch. Not to worry though, this guy was good... for a change. And, Caleigh actually ended up with the best looking pedi of all. Later Ashton and Hunter took Caleigh and her friend Sarah to the movies so I had some free time for myself. What did I do? I really couldn't tell you. I did take another long, hot, relaxing shower (2nd today) since I'm usually rushing or either holding an 18 month old the entire time. Then off to my mother-in-laws b'day party. This was Zoe's very first kegger!! She had a blast too. Houston took her swimming in the pool (which made him her new best friend)... Thanks Houston!! Then she did a little streaking and a little dancing, although not at the same time thank goodness.

Monday Zoe had to go to the Doc for her 18 month check-up. Everything checked out great. She has slimmed down some and is now only in the 55th percentile in weight and in the 90th in height. She did cry this time when she got her shot (only 1) but quickly got over it when she realized her bandaid had a dog on it (snoopy). She has been sleeping a lot since... she always does after getting shots. All in all, it was a good visit and luckily we don't have to come back for 6 months...Yea!!!!!

What's been going on...

Sorry I have been MIA. We have just been so busy lately I haven't even thought about posting. I will try to catch everyone up on what's been going on, if I can remember... you know I have momnesia! We had a very nice, relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Sunday I bought the kids an elephant sprinkler to take to Mimi Cindy's house. Zoe had a ball! While playing in the sprinkler the hot air balloons started coming over the house ( we are lucky that my parents live over there and we don't have to fight the crowds to enjoy the festivities). Zoe really liked this. She looooves balloons anyway so these were like super balloons to her. There was also an airplane that kept flying over and she was really amazed with that too. After that we just sat and listened to the bands play until the fireworks started at 9. I know Zoe didn't really know what was going on, but she really enjoyed it. Then Cody suggested that we go to Pt. Mallard Park on Monday - Memorial Day!! in front of the kids so I couldn't really say no. I did let him know that I didn't think it was a very good idea since it was a holiday. I knew it would be so packed you couldn't move in there. Well... we went anyway. We met up with Christy and Madison and their friend Hayden. We actually had a really good time despite the crowds. By the way, I did get a "you were right" out of Cody. Can you believe it? Because I still can't!!! That was a first! "Get this... I got another "you were right" the next day for getting the subtitles off of Elmo in Grouchland. I'm still in shock!! Ha!Ha!

Saturday Hunter and Ashton decided to come into town for the night. He is still in B'ham and she is in Huntsville for the summer. I guess Decatur will be their general meeting place, so maybe we will get to see a lot of them this summer. I know Caleigh and Zoe hope so. They just adore Hunter. And I think that Caleigh has adopted Ashton as her new best friend. She keeps telling me how much they have in common. It's soo cute. They are taking Caleigh and a friend to see Kung Fu Panda this coming weekend. They offered to take Zoe too, but I'm just not sure anyone would actually get to watch the movie. I think it would be more fun for Caleigh w/out her anyway. Sunday was Sean's B'day. He was home for the day but he was so busy I didn't get to see him. Maybe next time.

Next week Zoe has to get more shots which I'm kinda freaked out about because they keep talking about the 18 month shots are supposedly the ones that can cause Autism. I don't think they have actually "proven" this yet but it's still scary none-the-less. I know that God will take care of her and I really have nothing to worry about. Tuesday the girls are getting pictures done in matching outfits. I am really, really excited about this. Their outfits are so precious and I really wanted a picture with just the two of them before Heidi gets here. Maybe I will be able to post some afterwards. I will have to find out Amanda's policy on that. I get all my pics done @ Amanda Studio K in Hartselle and she does a wonderful job!

Well... that's it for now. I will try to do better and not wait so long in between posts. Maybe that way they wont be so darn long. God bless!!!

Good News!!

Today I went in for my 28 week check-up. I was really dreading it because I had to do my glucola test and drink that disgusting orange drink. My first bit of good news was that I could have 18 jelly beans instead (no black ones of course). That was soooo much better. I'm not a big jelly bean fan, but it beats the heck out of that drink. After that I got to have my ultrasound. NO more Placenta Previa.Yippee!!! They said that there was a chance it would correct itself and I guess I got lucky. Thank God!! It's sooo hard for me to take it easy. In fact, I have probably already been doing things that I shouldn't. Everything else checked out good too. Heidi weighs approx. 2 1/2 pounds right now which is pretty close to average. Maybe I won't have a gigantic baby this time. If she is, that's ok too... just as long as she is healthy.

I guess I have officially started nesting. I didn't really think you did that w/ the 3rd child, but apparently you do. Or I do anyway. It may just be my OCD personality though.... we'll call it nesting. I painted Zoe's twin bed (x on my "to do" list) and organized the bottom of her closet. The mattress set is being delivered Saturday and I can finish putting everything together. I have already rearranged all the furniture in the nursery (which is one of those things I shouldn't have been doing) so I just have the finishing touches. I have to get a picture painted w/ Heidi's name on it to match Zoe's. I had Miranda Rutherford do the other pics for the nursery and they are adorable... I will try to find a pic. During this process, I also organized my closet and started on the hallway closet. Next.... Cody's closet... maybe. I really need to get started on sorting out Zoe's, or rather Heidi's, clothes by size. I had no idea that Zoe had so many clothes. Thank goodness for that though b/c that means I won't have to buy so much... hopefully. It all depends on how big or small Heidi is. The seasons are different, but if the size is different it might all work out.

Nothing much else going on here. Tomorrow is Caleigh's last day of school which we are ALL really excited about. Saturday she is going to her very first concert to see Taylor Swift and Kelli Pickler? and some Atkins guy. I like some country music... I'm just not very up to date on it. She is really excited about that. I think Pt Mallard opens next week so we will probably be heading over there. I really want to take them as much as I can. Hopefully I will survive the heat. And to brag on Caleigh a little, she got straight A's the entire year! We are soo proud of her!!!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Never Done!!

A mother's work is never done... seriously! I swear I clean my house like 27 hours a day every day and it is still a wreck. How is this possible. Just when I think I have everything clean, I turn around and it looks just like it did when I started. I don't get it. Also, where did that cheerio come from when we haven't even had cheerios in the house for a month. I promise I clean much more often than monthly, though you would never guess it by looking at my house. I had decided to just throw in the towel, give up and just live with it. I thought "well, my house will be clean when my kids are grown". Yea right!! I will still have a husband. And honestly, I don't think he's going to turn into a neat freak (like me) over the next 20 years. In his defense, I will say that he has recently learned how to load the dishwasher and will actually practice his new skill on occasion. Needless to say I am thrilled. Today I decided to actually write down my "to do" list. In my mind it didn't seem to be sooooo long. After 2 pages I decided to stop writing and just continue when I had cleared this one. If that ever happens. I will say that I have already marked off 2 of my 35 items. I got my oil changed in the Jeep and I finally placed my order w/ Strasburg for Caleigh and Zoe's pics in June.

Zoe is growing up soo fast. She adds more and more words to her little vocabulary every single day. Right now she has addagies(allergies), loves to eat wapples (waffles), would like to have a beer (I bet I know where she learned that one), will pretend to burp and say macamay (excuse me), loves doggies,kitties,fishies,pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo. She knows a lot of her body parts, partly because she has boo-boos on most of them. But she knows her eyes (which she likes to poke), her nose (which she has to beep every time), ears,mouth,teeth and tongue, her big belly (she thinks there is a baby in hers too) and she kinda has an obsession with toes (aka piggies)... I don't really know what that's about. Her favorite # is 6 but she has recently started counting from 1 and then stops. That's a start though. Tomorrow she will get to see her uncle Honey(Hunter) when we take Dad to B'ham to fly back to Oklahoma. The plan is to meet Hunter for lunch before Dad's flight. Mom is going to stay in Decatur for now, although she really doesn't want to. I think she was beginning to like it out there. Crazy!!

Caleigh is also growing like a weed. Her legs go up to her neck. Where she got that from I will never know. Well, maybe my grandmother, she's like 5'10" or 5'11". I'm just a runt I guess. Anyway, she is ready for summer and Point Mallard. I just hope I survive it. I went ahead and bought our passes online the other day because I had a coupon for buy 2 get 1 free.... GREAT DEAL!!! She informed me on Monday that she wants to be called Caleigh Blaine now, so we will see how that goes. My only gripe with that is how will she know when she's in trouble now?!! I'm hoping that we will get to have a "girls day" Saturday with lunch and pedicures. Yes, she loves the full spa treatment pedicure just like me. If the other 2 do too, which I'm sure they will, we will definately be broke. What am I talking about... we are going to be broke no matter what with 3 girls. Oh well!

Pregnancy Update

Everything is going really well right now. I am finally starting to feel very pregnant. My old friend heartburn has returned with a vengeance and a new one has appeared this time... varicose veins!! Yuck!! This one I kinda freaked about. First of all, I thought I must've had a deadly blood clot in my leg. I have to say that when the Doc informed me it was just varicose veins I really didn't feel much better. I thought only old ladies had varicose veins. Anyway, I would appreciate it if everyone prayed for them to go away because believe me, you do not want to ever see them. On the upside, Heidi is really becoming active. This is one of my fave things about being pregnant. It's just so amazing to me still!! I go back in 2 weeks for my 28 week check up and I will have another sonogram. This is mainly to check to see if the Placenta Previa has corrected itself or not. I hope that it has, but if not we will deal with it. I was really upset at first about not being able to exercise but I have pretty much come to terms with it and basically have no desire whatsoever to exercise now. It's almost summer. I am going to be swollen up and have cankles anyway so why bother. Besides, I am already complaining about the heat and it's really not even HOT yet. Just 3 more months! Maybe I will have my "to do" list done by then... MAYBE!

Have a GREAT day and God Bless!!!

I Have Been Blessed!!

I have truly been blessed. I don't have any particular reason for writing this today. No major event or "blessing" has occurred recently to inspire this. I just think it is something we all need to stop and reflect on each and every day. I have realized that is is so very easy, too easy, to pay attention to all the bad things that happen to us. We focus on that unexpected bill, or the leak in the laundry room or that tennant that just wont pay their rent on time. Yes, these are all issues that have to be handled, one way or another, but they don't have to determine how we look at the day or life in general. These are not the things that define us and make us who we are. Well... they do some people and those people are usually pretty cranky and unpleasant to be around... who want's that?! I have decided to take time out every single day and count my blessings. I have a wonderful husband who loves me, 2 beautiful little girls that are happy and healthy and a roof over my head. I have another little girl expected to be here in August who so far appears to be thriving in the womb. How lucky am I? So many people don't have these same things that seem so simple, things that we take for granted. My heart truly goes out to those who can't have children or who have trouble keeping a pregnancy or worst of all, lose a child so soon after receiving them. When I think about that, I don't feel like I have a right to even complain about back aches or ligament pain or those painful little jabs to my ribs from that precious little life inside of me. I thank God every day for these pains now. I take a moment to thank God for every tiny little blessing He has given me. And believe it or not, it's really not that hard. In fact, I do this several times a day. It makes a huge difference on how I look at things and how I handle those trying moments that are going to occur no matter what. It helps me to soak in every amazing moment with my children. Moments that are firsts for Zoe and all the intelligent insights Caleigh has already. Cherished moments that I could miss and never get back again if I were worrying over something that I won't even remember at all tomorrow. Cody has a very stressful job with waaaay to many responsibilities and he sometimes brings that home with him. I understand that he needs to vent sometimes, and I let him. But, I have reminded him that if he hangs on to all that stress all the time he may be missing out on something wonderful. We will never get this time back with our children and I believe that I will someday look back on this time as the absolute best time of my life. I won't remember how much money we had ( or didn't have) or the leaky faucet or that pesky tennant. So, remember to count your blessings.... you will feel so much better.

Spring is Here!!

I love spring time. So does Zoe. She would like to be outside every waking minute. The only problem with that is that we literally have to drag her back inside kicking and screaming. Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but we have really been enjoying the outdoors and also there isn't much else going on. Mom left for Oklahoma with Dad last Saturday and seems to be surviving pretty well so far. I know she already can't wait to come back home though. Zoe has started talking up a storm. She has really mastered Peek-a-boo and is now her favorite game since she can say it so perfectly. Also, she likes to point to my facial features and name them, which can be really painful for me since she pokes at my eyes repeatedly. I think she might be our little "tomboy". She likes to climb and play in the rocks and pretty much keeps boo-boos on her little legs. It doesn't bother her a bit. She just shakes it off and keeps on going whenever she gets hurt. Caleigh, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She will come to me with a little paper cut and pretty much expects me to call an ambulance. It's funny how they have such different, unique personalities. I can't wait to see what baby girl #3 is going to be like. And yes, that is her name as of right now. We are still struggling to come up with the perfect name. I just hope we can figure it out before August gets here.

Last week we went to visit my friend Lila and her new baby Ella Grace. Well, actually she is 4 months old now and it's the first time we have seen her (which I am ashamed to say). I wasn't sure how Zoe was going to react to her since she has never been around such a small baby. She absolutely adored her. She would walk up next to her and give her kisses. I am hoping that she will be the same way with the new baby. I'm sure there will be some jealousy, but hopefully it won't be too bad. Be sure to check out their picture on my smilebox. Also, the little blue dress Zoe is wearing is from Mini Boden and I highly recommend their clothes. They wear very well and are super cute too. They have cute stuff for adults too. I also ordered some custom made clothes from Snugglebug Kids today and when I get them I will post some pics. Hopefully soon!!

Make a photobook - it's easy!