Monday, December 31, 2012

A trip to Gigi and Poppa D's {Christmas, Part 1}.

We didn't have a white Christmas this year. White Christmas' just aren't in the cards when you travel to Louisiana. But we did have a lot of fun with my family, so I think we ended up faring well despite not getting the fluffy white stuff.

Fun little story:
Brayden and Connor were SO excited about traveling to my parents house. Brayden actually traveled really well. Connor did as well as a two year old could do, but about 8 hours into the 12 hour trip (both ways), he would have an all out whine fest. It was fun for no one. We got into Baton Rouge at 12:30am. I wish I had had video. Both boys were so excited to be there, and stood at the back door to my parents house like they were waiting to win a million dollars. And when Poppa D rounded the corner and they saw him? Goodness gracious, I hope the neighbors didn't wake up! They both started squealing uncontrollably. It. Was. Precious.
Connor ran into my parents room to see my mom after they greeted my dad. Connor gave her a big hug and then said "get out of bed!"

Some of the highlights of the boys time at Gigi and Poppa D's in pictures:

Fishing. This is a new obsession of Braydens. He learned how to cast while we were there.
fishingwithPoppa
fishingwithPoppa_1
fishingwithPoppa_5
fishingwithPoppa_4

Riding bikes. My parents live on a cul-de-sac, and have a long, flat driveway. Perfect for little boys to refine their bicycling skills.
playingwithGigi
(Connor was kind of all over the place, and is getting really confident on his Strider bike. I have a feeling he'll be on a big boy bike without training wheels by the time he's 3, just like his brother :)

Watching tv with Poppa D. Swiss Family Robinson was playing on Christmas Eve, and the boys were enamoured. I still don't know if it was because of the movie or because of my dads awesome commentary, but either way, we have that one on our "to buy" list for the boys. They LOVED it!
funwithPoppa

Snuggle time with Gigi.
christmas2012_26
the boys rarely snuggle with Drew and I, but with Gigi, they were always asking for her to hug them. I was also told by Brayden that I don't scratch backs as good as Gigi.

Time with cousins. Brayden and Connor LOVE their cousin Zoe. Brayden told us that he wants a baby just like Zoe :)
funwithcousins_6
(I caught both of them under the chair, and Connor was talking to Zoe. They had Braydens jingle bell bracelet, so it's almost as if they are conspiring together on how to keep it from him)
funwithcousins_3
trying to get 2 kids to look at the camera is a challenge. Trying to get 3? Impossible.
funwithcousins_4
This needs a caption SO badly. I crack up every time I look a this picture.
bigcousin_1
bigcousin

I'm so thankful for the memories that were made at my parents house this Christmas, and thankful for family to share them with! (More Christmas pictures to come...)

Sunday, December 30, 2012

A Laid Back, Snowy Weekend.

We are slowly coming out of the post-traveling funk. I feel like I just draaagggg for several days after traveling. And it doesn't help that I'm pregnant, so even doing mundane every day tasks can zap me of any energy I may have.

Friday we had a few flurries in the morning. Brayden was disappointed, telling me that he wanted big snow, like snowballs in the sky like on Beauty and the Beast. The snow stopped not long after is started, and the boys and I settled in for a good, long nap. Imagine our surprise when we woke up and the ground was covered in over 1.5 inches of snow! Brayden and Connor were besides themselves with excitement. It took all of my energy trying to keep them from running outside in shorts and t-shirts.
surprisesnow_12
surprisesnow_8
surprisesnow_6
Brayden would run really fast and then just throw himself onto the ground. He LOVED it. Also, please excuse our patio furniture, which blew everywhere while we were gone last week.

Of course, no cold party lasts that long, and Fridays was no exception. After about 20 minutes, both boys were up in arms about how cold it was, so we headed inside for some fruit snacks and a movie.

Saturday Drew had to go and pick up the beef that we split with several friends.
beef
That's two slaughtered cows right there, split between several families.

When Drew got back he put together the play kitchen that Connor got for his birthday but that we hadn't put together yet. The boys LOVE their kitchen, and we spent a lot of Saturday afternoon "eating" their concoctions that they came up with.
IMAG0746
Brayden was so proud of the many things he created. When I told him he needed to wash his dishes, he went back to the play kitchen, looked around and then said "where's the dishwasher?!" ha!

Drew decided last minute to take Brayden to his first Razorback basketball game on Saturday night. I wish I had video taped Brayden's reaction when I told him he needed to get dressed to go to a basketball game. His face was priceless and he was SO excited. He fared really well, lasting almost the entire game.
IMAG0057
Brayden with his friend Jovan. Look how B is working the camera :)

Today was a day of rest for the most part. We had a family trip to Sam's, which included lots of food samples and soft pretzels. I love days like today, especially when I have a week with no childcare on the agenda and lots of errands that I have to run, including the boys flu shot boosters. Happy New Year to All!

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Brayden's Pre-K Christmas Program.

The last day of of the semester for Brayden's MDO preschool there was a Christmas program that the 3 and 4 year old classes performed in for the parents.

For the few weeks leading up to his little program, Brayden and I practiced his songs with youtube videos. It was so cute listening to him as he walked around the house singing the songs to himself. The night before the program I told him that Drew and I would be there to watch him. He looked at me with big eyes and then hit his thigh and said "I just can't believe it mom!" ha!

When we got to Brayden's school they were lining up outside of the classrooms. I found Brayden wearing his jeans and his undershirt. Apparently he was "too hot" and couldn't wear his button up. The high that day was in the low 50s. The possibility of him actually being too hot was slim. Little stinker just doesn't like to dress up!

braydensschoolchristmasprogram_2
He. Is. A. Mess. I love how confident he is. 

When the kids came into the room to perform, Brayden found us in the crowd and tried to come and sit with us. He finally figured out he needed to stay up at the front with his class. Once they started singing Brayden would look over at Drew and give him a thumbs up. He was so proud of himself.
braydensschoolchristmasprogram_1
braydensschoolchristmasprogram_5
After the kids sang they each gave a coke to their mom and dad. Brayden went back for one for me but didn't see the second stack so he thought they were all out of cokes. He was DEVASTATED and ran out of the room crying. A teacher found him and asked him what was wrong and through sobs, he said he wasn't able to give his mommy a coke. Bless his heart. They found another one and he came to me and gave me the biggest hug. He definitely keeps me on my toes, but I love seeing his sensitive side come out too :)

braydensschoolchristmasprogram_8
braydensschoolchristmasprogram_7

Brayden, I'm so proud of you and can't believe you're big enough to have a Christmas program. I can't wait to see you perform in many, many more!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

17 Weeks {pregnancy update}.

We're officially back from Christmas vacation. Our travel plans were delayed thanks to a Christmas snow storm that hit Central Arkansas on Christmas night. We weren't quite sure what to expect today when we left Baton Rouge, but are ever so thankful to not have had a single moment of worry in regards to road conditions during our travels. I'm a bit exhausted from the trip, and looking forward to a few days of laying low to recuperate. Our time with family was fun and filled with lots of laughter. You can bet your bottom dollar I'm up to my eyeballs in digital images that I'll be sifting through and organizing over the next few days, and sharing on this here blog. For now, I'll rest my weary feet (only a pregnant woman would have weary feet after traveling in a car for 12 hours), and share with you my pregnancy at 17 weeks (which I realize is so late that I should probably just combine 17 and 18).
17weekspregnant

How Far Along: 17 weeks, 5 days.
Size of baby: 5.5 inches long and weighs 5 ounces, about the size of a sweet potato
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 5 pounds was the last I checked, and I really am scared to step on a scale after 1 week of homemade cooking, Christmas goodies and cajun food.
Maternity Clothes: I'm in all maternity wear, although I wear sweats and t-shirts most days, and can still pull off non-maternity sizes in those things.
Gender: We'll find out January 7th!I still kind of think it may be a girl, but
Movement: I've felt flutters every now and then, but nothing consistent. Still waiting for those sure bumps and punches :)
Sleep: Other than getting up to pee every 2 hours, I have slept pretty well this past week.
Symptoms: No more braxton hicks... that was a praise! I think I was dehydrated. Just your typical pregnancy symptoms at this point-- frequent trips to the bathroom and sudden cravings :) Also, this isn't really a symptom, but I have definitely "popped" this week. I'm not sure if it's due to baby growing or momma eating too much over Christmas. ha!
What I miss: sleeping on my tummy. I also miss being able to walk into my closet and wear whatever I wanted. Sounds weird, since I do have maternity clothes, I just much prefer regular clothes over elastic waist-banded jeans :)
Cravings: this past week I was craving seafood and cajun food. Good thing to crave when you're in Louisiana! I ate my weight in boudin, cracklins and shrimp!
Food Aversions: Nothing this week, which I was thankful for since I was at my moms, and no one really wants to pass up home cookin' by their momma!
Best Moment this week: Spending Christmas with my family.
What I am looking forward to: Finding out if this baby is a he or a she. And praying that if it's a she that we can agree on a girl name (I think we're pretty sure what we'd name the baby if it's a boy).

Thursday, December 20, 2012

9 Years as a Mrs.

9 years ago today, I became a Mrs.
001 (3)
(photo credit: Tammy Belin)
I said it then, and I will say it now. Marrying Drew was the best decision I have ever made.

The past 9 years have been: fun, happy, hard, filled with laughter (and tears), filled with the highest of highs and some of the lowest of lows. The great thing about marriage is not that it is always great, but that you are able to walk through life with someone that will (hopefully) point you to the One who IS always Great. Drew does that for me. He is my sandpaper. Sometimes I don't like it, because let's face it, sanding off the rough edges sometimes sucks. BUT... he is patient with my weird quirks. He loves me for who I am. He completes me in ways I didn't even know I needed to be completed. He points me to Jesus and makes me want to be a better person. And he is even a better dad to our kids that I ever thought he'd be. My life is richer because I became his Mrs.

Happy Anniversary, Drew! I'm so glad I get to be your wife. Thanks for loving me well. I love you, and look forward to many more anniversaries in the future :)
IMG_9755

PS- I just have to laugh at the difference in the two pictures. Clearly parenting has done a number on us-- check out the bags under our eyes. haha!

Connor's First Trip to the Dentist.

This week we had a milestone for Connor: his first dentist visit. Brayden was so excited to show him the ropes of going to the dentist.
IMAG0720
When we got there, they both wanted to see the gorilla that sits outside of the door to the office. Brayden even asked if I had my camera, because he wanted his picture taken with him. Trying to get both of them to look at the camera is pretty much impossible. Plus, they were both so enthralled with the fact that the gorilla was a Razorback football player :)

When we got inside Connor was even more excited to see the ginormous salt water fish tank. All anyone heard in that waiting room was "DORY! NEMO! DORY! NEMO!" I didn't get pictures, which is kind of sad, because I'm sure Connor thought the fish tank was the most epic part of his day.
IMAG0721
she accidentally wrote Connor's name wrong, but I told her not to worry about it because it's not like he could tell the difference. I love that they put their names up on the wall though!
IMAG0722
When we were called to the back Brayden hopped on up into the chair like he's done this every day (it was his third time to go). He chose Toy Story as the movie to watch, and told Connor to just be brave like him. Connor watched with great curiousity, but when it was his turn to go he wasn't quite sure about the entire situation. I had to hold his hands down for part of his visit, so I wasn't able to get many pictures. I did manage to get this one:
IMAG0725
All in all the hygienist and the dentist said Connor did well, but Connor was much more skeptical than Brayden ever was during his first dental visit, so I was caught a little off guard. I was proud that both boys didn't have cavities, and a bit overwhelmed by the fact that next time I go I'll have 3 kids to take with me (granted, the baby will only be a month old, but still...).

And on a funny note, tonight when I came home from grocery shopping, the boys were getting ready to go to bed. Connor had apparently thrown a fit about wearing certain jammies that were not appropriate for the winter season. So Drew got nifty and just put everything on over his footed fleece jammies. How hilarious is this?!
IMAG0727

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

16 Weeks {Pregnancy Update}.

16weekspregnant
We took this picture on Sunday. It's hideous, I know. Gotta love the t-shirt and sweats days :)

How Far Along: 16 weeks, 5 days.
Size of baby: the baby is the size of a Turnip, measuring approximately 5 inches long and weighing approximately 5 ounces.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 5 pounds.
Maternity Clothes: I'm in pretty much all maternity wear now. My regular pants still fit, but they get uncomfortable by the end of the day. I actually wear sweats and t-shirts most days.
Gender: We'll find out January 7th! Based solely on the way I am carrying this baby, I feel like it might be a girl (I was WAY lower with the boys). I'll be happy with either... I just really want a healthy baby!
Movement: I'm pretty sure I've felt flutters this week. Nothing strong enough to feel with my hand on my belly.
Sleep: I've had a rough go of sleep this past week. Guess I'm gearing up for those long nights.
Symptoms: a few flutters of movement. On Monday I had a few braxton hicks contractions. That took me a little off guard since I've never had them this early with my boys.
What I miss: sleeping on my tummy. 
Cravings: still craving Mexican food.
Food Aversions: this weekend at our Christmas party someone brought an artichoke cheese dip. I normally love that stuff, but for some reason I could NOT eat it. SO strange.
Best Moment this week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat during my monthly appointment.
What I am looking forward to: We only have 3 more weeks till we know if it's a boy or a girl!!! I really want to nail down names, but we either haven't had time, or have not found one that we both really like.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

In Honor of the Sandy Hook Victims.


Monday, December 17, 2012

P&G eStore {Review}.



As a busy mom that is on the go a lot, sometimes it's just a little stressful heading to the store with both kids in tow. Trying to grab what I need while simultaneously keeping my kids at bay... yeah, it gives me stomach ulcers. Which is why, whenever possible, I try to make my purchases online.

Recently I was introduced to the P&G eStore. If you've ever shopped (which would be most people), then I'm sure you're probably familiar with P&G brands. The P&G eStore is a GREAT solution for moms like me. It offers all of my favorite brands in one spot, bundling my favorite products, offering great deals, and I can do it all in the comfort of my own home. I thought I'd share two of our favorite and most used P&G items in our home, both of which are offered in the P&G eStore.

My mom bought Brayden a rechargeable Oral-B toothbrush about a year ago. We love it! It makes tooth brushing SO much easier for little ones, and I feel like it cleans Braydens teeth a lot better than a manual toothbrush. The head of the toothbrush is small, so even though this toothbrush isn't specifically made for children, it still works well for his little mouth and teeth. Oral-B offers several different options for rechargeable toothbrushes. I think the one that Brayden has is this one (I didn't keep the box, so I am just going off of how it looks):
You can see all of the Oral-B toothbrush deals at the P&G eStore by clicking HERE.

I'm a big fan of Pampers diapers, especially for my littlest family members (I'll be stocking up on itty bitty Pampers diapers soon for baby #3!). The P&G eStore is running a great bundle deal right now with Pampers Diapers and Duracell batteries. Basically two of the most needed necessities for a parent of babies and toddlers. Gotta keep their bottoms dry and their toys alive :)
You can view this Pampers and Duracell bundle deal by clicking HERE.

There are also other Pampers bundled deals with other great P&G products. You can view those bundles by clicking HERE.

In addition to the great products and bundle offers that the P&G eStore offers, they have sweetened the deals even more by extending these great everyday offers to customers:
15% off on a first-time order from a new customer, using promo code: A9Z-MN5-KY3-ISA
Free Shipping on orders over $25
Free Samples with every order

If you use the P&G eStore, I'd love to hear from you! Be sure to leave a comment letting me know what deals you were able to snag!



Sunday, December 16, 2012

Annual White Elephant/Ugly Sweater Party {Weekend in Review}

For the past several years, our community group (which is a loose term, since we've grown and split almost 7 times over 10 years) has gotten together at Christmas time for a white elephant party. Last year we added ugly sweaters to the mix. It is by far one of my favorite Christmas traditions with some of my very favorite people. We are not related by blood, but it doesn't mean we aren't family.
uglysweaterchristmasparty_24
uglysweaterchristmasparty_25
I feel like I should make a disclaimer that Drews hand is intentionally placed where it is. Oh boys. They are so silly.
 
This year I actually joined in the festivities and got an ugly Christmas shirt thanks to Walmart Christmas turtle necks. When I pulled my shirt out of the bag to show Drew, Brayden said "oh mom, that's beautiful!" Beauty is in the eyes of three year olds :) Connor thought it was great that I had "doggies" on my shirt.
uglysweaterchristmasparty_26
next year I'm decking Drew out. He needs a dickey with that sweater, wouldn't you say?

I was super excited that both of our gifts (A Chick-Fil-A giftcard and a pair of Superman underwear) were stolen the max amount of times. This also proves that the love of superhero underwear is continual throughout a mans life-- from childhood to grown man, every boy wants superman on their underwear. Brian was the first recipient.
uglysweaterchristmasparty_17
(Meredith, I'm sorry. But I had to put this on here. Hopefully you'll forgive me later ;) )
uglysweaterchristmasparty_16
Tim was really proud of his steal of a gift. And I'm sorry, but if you don't laugh looking at his outfit, you are emotionally void.
uglysweaterchristmasparty_19
David got the gift that's been given almost every year since we started this tradition... the Conch shell. This year it was hidden in Stitch.
uglysweaterchristmasparty_23
Meredith and Tim won best dressed this year. Obviously.
uglysweaterchristmasparty_27
If we had voted on couples, they probably would've won. Although, John's outfit just scared me.

Other than the Christmas party, we've laid low this weekend. I've hugged my boys more than normal, remembering those families in Connecticut who I know wish they had just another minute with their babies whose lives were tragically cut short on Friday. I think this weekend has been a good reminder for our family to not take for granted anything that we have, especially the moments with those we love most. It has also left me longing for the Prince of Peace to make his second return. Yet, even amongst all of the evil that is in this world, I can cling to the hope of the promise that in Christ, I can have peace among the evil, and that even though our lives will be filled with trouble, He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Christmas Card 2012.

We cut back on how many Christmas cards we sent out this year. I SO wish I could send a card out to each and every one of the people who read this blog, and to every single friend and family member, but if I did that, we might go broke ;) So from our family to yours, a bloggy Christmas card is the next best thing.

I hope you each have a very Merry Christmas, and that you remember the true meaning of Christmas: that God the Father sent His Son Jesus to earth as a baby boy to bring the world eternal life. There is no bigger or better gift to receive, and my prayer is that each of you will find the Peace that Only the Prince of Peace can bring. Merry Christmas!
christmascard_final

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” ~Luke 2:10-14

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

One Day I'll Hate It, So Today I'll Try to Love It.

This year I have had the opportunity to be a part of a BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) group locally. I'll admit, I was a bit nervous about joining at first.... most of the people I talked to either HATED it or LOVED it. There was no in between. I started the semester reserved, and have really grown to look forward to my Wednesday morning studies with my group. My boys love it too, which is an added bonus.

One of the things I have loved about BSF is that I am in a group that is the perfect mixture of young and old. There are enough young moms that I don't feel out of touch, but there are seasoned veterans there as well, and they are not shy about sharing their opinions :) There have been several instances when one of us young moms will sigh about how dirty our house is, or how we don't have as much time to devote to the study. And almost all of the seasoned veterans quickly chirp back "one day your house will be clean and you'll have no one to pick up after. And you'll HATE it. You'll wish you had someone to pick up after, and you wish you had someone to make noise." This has been said more than once, so I have to think that they're pretty adamantly behind their belief that I'll someday hate having a clean house. It's made me think a lot about my job right now as a mom.

Sometimes I begrudge how Cinderella-ish being a stay at home mom really is (and I don't mean the Cinderella that was at the ball at the castle... I mean the Cinderella that was cleaning and scrubbing and just a plain ol' maid). Most days I can find myself on the floor scrubbing up food crumbs or spilled milk, I wipe bottoms endlessly throughout the day, I break up fights and teach manners (and mostly feel like my teachings and commands fall on deaf ears), my laundry multiplies before my eyes, the cooking is never ending (and usually is welcomed by a chorus of "I don't like this" unless it is highly tainted with preservatives and fake cheese). Let's face it... that list is less than appealing if someone was looking for glitz and glamour (not that I was looking for glitz and glamour, but it'd be nice to be able to shower regularly and not have to worry about poopy diapers every now and again). And yet, when I find myself mumbling to myself about the crumbs on the ground, I hear those sweet women in my study saying "one day you'll hate that clean house. Don't worry about it right now."

For all of the monotony of being a stay at home mom, the moments are fleeting and priceless. I keep trying to press record in my mind when I hear the laughter and giggles, see the hugs and kisses, get the requests for snuggles and book readings, and hear the questions about things that I just walk by not thinking anything about. Each day I have to choose to embrace the Cinderella life. To be ok with wearing sweats most days, be ok with not being able to shower on somedays, be ok with ridding the floors of crumbs while on my hands and knees, be ok with the messes and noise. I have to remember that even Cinderella, eventually one day, had her princess moment. And I'm sure that when I finally get that one day, I'll hate it, and wish for these messy moments back.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

15 Weeks {Pregnancy Update}

15weekspregnant
How Far Along: 15 weeks, 4 days.
Size of baby: as big as an apple, measuring about 4 inches long and weighing about 2-3 ounces.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 4 pounds
Maternity Clothes: maternity tops for the most part, and a combination of maternity/non-maternity pants.I wore maternity jeans for the first time this pregnancy on Sunday. I was kind of sad about it. Aside from my Gap maternity jeans, maternity jeans just make me feel flabby and gross. Trying to be positive about it though, as this is more than likely my last pregnancy. So on the up side, when this pregnancy is over with and I lose my weight, I'll be buying 2 pairs of new Miss Me's... because those thangs make me feel awesome!
Gender: we'll find out in 5 weeks! I. CAN'T. WAIT.
Movement: I've wondered if I have felt little flutters over the past several days. But I tend to confuse flutters for other stomach stuff, so I'm not really sure :) Can't wait to feel those big kicks and punches.
Sleep: It's hit or miss. If I sleep, it's pretty hard, with really weird dreams. If I don't sleep, I am restless, and toss and turn a lot. I am not really able to find a good position to sleep in (I love to sleep on my tummy), so I just kind of try the best I can to sleep and then drink lots of caffeine when I don't :)
Symptoms: Not really anything anymore, for which I am ever so grateful. 
What I miss: sleeping on my tummy, hands down.
Cravings: Still craving Mexican food. I also have a liking for sausage biscuits from McDonald's, which is totally disgusting.This weekend I dreamed about Olive Garden salad, and couldn't get it off my mind. So I had to make a trip there yesterday to indulge in my cravings. I ate two bowls of salad all by myself. Pretty sure I scared my waitress.
Food Aversions: it just depends on the day, and the smell.
Best Moment this week: Having the nausea from my meds go away. I love being able to live a normal day and not feel like I'm about to vomit at any second. Once I hit the second trimester, I really do love being pregnant. Sure, I don't love having to pee every second of the day, or not being able to drink a glass of wine every now and again, but to be able to experience and be a part of God making a little human being inside of me is truly miraculous.
What I am looking forward to: I have an appointment later this week, so I am looking forward to that and to hearing the baby's heartbeat.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Arms & Parades {Weekend in Review}.

Well, this weekend didn't go quite as planned, but such is life. We still had a good weekend all in all, and that's about all anyone can ask for.

Friday night we had some friends over for dinner. It's always fun enjoying another couple's company, and Pauline and Matt are no exception. We played games, laughed, and told stories. I love having a younger couple to hang out with-- makes me feel like less of an old person ;) Before dinner Brayden and Connor were rough housing with Drew and Matt. Somehow Brayden fell on his arm strange, but we didn't think anything of it. However, after about 2 hours of him still complaining of it hurting, I started to get a little worried. Since there was no obvious swelling or discoloration, we decided to not bring him in immediately, but rather wait till morning.

Well, Saturday morning came and the first words out of Brayden's mouth were that his arm still hurt. Drew checked it over and thought that it was starting to swell, so off to the walk in clinic we went.
IMAG0693
he requested donuts because his arm hurt. We obliged ;)

I'm so thankful to know that the walk-in clinic near our home has an x-ray machine. Helped us avoid another $1000 ER visit.
IMAG0695
waiting in the waiting room
IMAG0696
waiting on the doctor (notice his blankie is on his arm. It's the only thing that would keep him from crying
After lots of waiting (and exposure to germs), 3 xrays, and more waiting, the doc came in and told us that it wasn't broken. Cue the relief.
IMAG0698
so glad he can keep his sense of humor, even when he's in pain. He makes me laugh!

The unfortunate thing was that his arm was probably just badly bruised, which takes a bit to heal.
IMAG0702
I told him he could have whatever he wanted after he was so brave for the xrays (since I'm pregnant I couldn't sit with him, so he sat in the room by himself as I watched through the window. Bless his heart, he did so well, whimpering while he held it still for the technician). He told me he wanted a cookie from Chick-Fil-A :)

Thankfully by Saturday evening Brayden was feeling better enough to play outside. He told me at dinner it was still hurting, but just a little bit, and by this morning he didn't complain at all and had full range of motion. So glad to have avoided a cast (so far anyway-- I'm sure our time's coming!)!

While Brayden and I were out seeing doctors, Drew and Connor got to go to the local Christmas parade. I was hoping Brayden would be well enough to go, but trying to get him to even move his arm remotely caused a huge wailing session, so we thought it best for me to just take him home. I laughed when I got this series of pictures from Drew, along with the following captions:
IMAG0040
"having fun at the parade!"
IMAG0042
"we're having an MEP- Meltdown of Epic Proportions."

Connor is very much a two year old, which is basically synonymous for bipolar. I swear the child can go from happiest of happy to maddest of mad in about 2 seconds.

Saturday afternoon Connor and I snuck away for a little errand date. We went to Sam's Club, which Connor was perfect okay with since he's a big fan of the samples. They were sampling cake, and I thought we could share. I was wrong. After my first bite Connor said "no share, do it myself." Awesome.

On the way home the sunset was beautiful. I pointed out the sunset to Connor and asked "Connor, who made the sun?" Normally he responds with a jibberish answer. But yesterday was different, and he said "Ummmmmm..... GOD!" Sweetest thing ever.

IMAG0705
Connor has taken after Brayden and is OBSESSED with basketball shorts. Every day is a battle over clothes. I normally don't care, unless we're going somewhere, and then I lay my foot down (mostly because you just can't wear shorts when the highs are in the 50s and 60s). The battle continues into bedtime. So Drew improvised and told Connor he could wear his shorts over his jammies. This picture just cracks me up (please notice that Brayden also has something over his jammies. I'm pretty sure someday they'll kill me over this picture.)

Today has been just a typical Sunday. We did decided to debunk Brayden's bed in anticipation of the boys sharing a room starting next month (hold me... I'm not ready for Connor to not be in a crib!). We had to do quite the rearranging to make everything fit in his room. It's not the prettiest arrangement in the world, but it is the most functional for their room. We plan on bunking the beds once Connor gets closer to 3. Right now we're both worried with the boys performing acrobatics from the top bunk (see also, my first paragraph about avoiding casts... haha!).

We have some fun things planned this week-- tis the Season. I also have a few loose ends to tie up with Christmas shopping, and considering I'll be doing that by myself, I'm pretty excited about errands this week :) Hope yall have a great week!
 

A Dollop of My Life Copyright © 2007 -- Template created by O Pregador -- Powered by Blogger