Summer.....

I admit it!!! I'm a horrible blogger- it's just so time consuming.... and I have other ways to spend my precious nap-times. So..... here is a GIANT blog full of everything that has happened in the last few months :) Maybe once I'm all caught up I'll actually stay on top of blogging (probably not- don't get too excited Alyssa).Madison and I LOVE having a pool in our own backyard to cool off whenever we want! It is the most relaxing and refreshing thing ever (especially when you're prego in the middle of summer).But Daddy is the most fun in the pool (and Mommy remember to take pictures).....We had 4th of July at our house this year (yay :))- it's so much easier to host events at your own place than it is to pack up everything a toddler might need for the day and drag them some place else. It was nice to watch everyone enjoying themselves at our house. There was tons of food, plenty of drinking, a few competitive games and the traditional homemade ice cream and fireworks. Overall, it was a fabulous day and I'm looking forward to it again next year!Oh yeah.... did I mention that Madison, Joe and I were all in TWO wedding this summer- actually the weddings were a week apart. I completely under-estimated how much time and energy that would take! I also must admit that I was a very bad Mommy and I didn't take ANY pictures at either wedding :( I'm very disappointed in myself on this one.... Madison was the most adorable thing in her flowergirl dresses and of course Joe looked handsome in his tuxes.... I on the other hand looked like a giant beached whale since i was 7 months pregnant squished into non-maternity bridesmaid dresses (not a pretty sight). But none-the-less, I should have taken lots of pictures and I didn't take one! Luckily everyone else took tons, so I'm planning on stealing as many as I possibly can!
We've done a lot of hanging out! My belly is growing rapidly and that means my energy level and endurance are dropping rapidly, especially when it comes to chasing around an active toddler. We keep ourselves busy without doing too much (yes.... that is challenging at times).Madison helped me bake for the first time- so I had to show her the true joy of baking.... licking the spatula! I think she liked it :)

Like I said in the beginning of this ridiculously long post..... I cherish my nap time! I spend my 2 quiet hours every day working on my projects! It all started when I made aprons for Ashley's bridal shower.... I've been hooked ever since! I've make toddler-sized hooded towels for myself and a friend, I've made hair bows for Madison on my own and with a friend, I've made curtains for Madison's room, and I have the supplies and plans to make her giant letters and sheets for Baby B's bassinet. I am in love with this stuff..... but Since I entered my 3rd trimester I've also used some of these nap times to nap myself :) I took pictures of all my projects, but there is no way I'm adding them all to this already huge post- so you'll have to wait for a later one! (someday I promise)..... <3

It's a boy!!!

So I gave in and we decided to find out what the sex of the baby is....... BUT if/when we have any more kids we are definitely NOT finding out. I figured since now I will have everything needed for either a girl or a boy, then there will be no need to find out! Anyway..... I was 99% sure it was a boy before the ultrasound. This pregnancy has been soooooo different from my first one. A few of the differences are:

• I'm craving beef and sugar- not enough bacon cheeseburgers or chocolate sundaes in the world to satisfy these cravings!
  
• My belly is much more pointy and lower this time than I was with Madison.
• Ridiculous lower back pain (I don't remember having any with Madison)
• I was only sick the first 8 weeks, where I was sick 12 with Madison
• My "stretching ligament pains" as the doctor calls them, are sharp stabbing pains, where with Madison it was more of a cramping feeling.

So...... I was pretty sure this baby was going to have penis and not a vagina! I'm happy to say I was right (never doubt a Mommy). Here are the ultrasound pictures :)

Little dude is sucking his thumb already!












There's a wiener!!! So this view is looking up at his crotch with his legs spread and his wee-wee sticking out. No modesty yet... Funny thing is I have the same angle of Madison when she was in my tummy! My kids definitely wanted us to know what they were!

Daddy's Little Helper

How freakin' cute is this!? I thought I would have to wait until we had a son to see him helping Daddy mow the lawn, but nope! Madison is such a Daddy's girl that she would do anything as long as it means spending valuable time with Daddy! So sweet <3








This is her "cheese" smile. Any time she sees a camera she stops whatever she's doing to say cheese. It's very funny, but kinda ruins the moment when you want to catch an action shot! Madison is definitely not camera shy though. She loves to have her picture taken and then run over and look at it right away. The cutest part of the "cheese" smile is that she stands on her tippy toes while she is doing it. I still haven't figured out why, but she has to be on her toes to say cheese!

Easter

This was the first Easter where Madison could really participate in an Easter egg hunt- and boy did she love it!

Everyone had a great time watching her do it too- since she is the only little kid in the family right now. She spent days going through her basket after the big day was over. Yes... I'm a crazy mom that didn't giver her candy. She had cheeze-its, teddy grahms, goldfish, lucky charms..... all semi-healthy toddler appropriate foods. Next year I promise to let her have candy :)

Pretend City

Alyssa found the coolest place in the entire world for kids to play (and possibly adults who still wish they were kids). It's called Pretend City- so amazing!






Everything is hands-on. It looks like a little city, complete with a grocery store, a bank, a post office and a farm (every city has a farm right?) Madison had the best time running around from place to place knowing she could touch and play with everything there. I think her favorite part was watching and interacting with the other kids though. She would run up to all the boys (yes she only talks to boys) and start babbling in her baby language. Usually they would just ignore her or walk away (thank goodness), but she loved it!
















Since my kid is part fish, she was obsessed with the water. They had these giant tubs of water that kids could play in. There were squirt guns and fountains too, but Madison just wanted to keep putting her hands in the water!




I don't know what Madison would do without Alyssa's great influence....... Instead of letting Madison paint her picture (oh yeah- they had an art center there too) Alyssa felt she needed to teach her how to finger paint. Thanks Alyssa! But seriously- best place ever to take a child!

Oops I did it again.......

I'm pregnant!!!!! We are so excited. But....... I can't believe how ridiculously hard it is to be preggers when you have a toddler. Madison keeps me very active- hmmmmm........ maybe I won't get as fat with this baby then! 43 pounds was a bit excessive.
This was my belly the day I took the home test- about 4 weeks.

This was Joe's belly the day we found out. He's still working on loosing the baby weight from my first pregnancy! He gained 30 pounds with me when we had Madison..... he just forgot to lose it. I told him this time i don't want any sympathy weight hahaha!This is my belly at 8 weeks- right now. I have a belly but i haven't gained any weight yet- so weird! I can't believe how fast it popped out this time! This was how I looked with Madison and 4 months- crazy! But hey, at least I'll get past the "fat"stage sooner. Wish me luck!

Bye-bye Mullet

So..... I always said I would never cut my daughter's hair until she was 7 and she was sitting on it in school, but I barely lasted a year! Her hair grows REALLY fast (which is awesome), but it didn't have a chance to get thicker before it grew to her shoulders so she looked like she had a mullet. Now I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but mullets are not "in" for 2010, so I went against Joe's wishes and secretly cut her hair (we'll see what he says when he gets home tomorrow- if he even notices).

I was scared to death her cut her hair because I could just see her turning her head to see what I was doing while I was mid-cut and I would end up cutting off her ear or something! I sat her down in the kitchen to play in the cupboard, something she never gets to do so she was completely engaged. I was so worried about cutting quickly that I didn't take the time to judge the right length and I ended up cutting off more than I originally wanted to, but I was thrilled that it turned out straight the first time. I ended up cutting off about 1 1/2 inches. Now her hair is all one length and it looks so much thicker and healthier. Hopefully when it grows out this time it will stay this way!

Looking back at pictures, Madison was completely bald at 6 months, so I'm thinking by the time she's 2 she will have nice thick hair down to her shoulders again!

Wish me luck with Joe! I'm really hoping he just doesn't notice (men are horrible at noticing things like that right?!).

Madison's first trip to Glamis!

We decided to go to Glamis the week between Christmas and New Years since Joe took the week off work. So the morning after Christmas we woke up and started packing, since we spent any free time before then focusing on Christmas. Believe it or not we were totally packed, including a trip to the grocery store, and out of the house by noon! Only to hit major traffic in Beaumont and turn a 3 hour drive into a 6 hour drive.... oh well- Madison caught up on all the sleep she missed due to th holidays.

I love going out to Glamis to hang out with the family, but I'm not a big fan of actually riding in the dunes, so I had the perfect reason to stay back in camp: Madison was too little to fit in the buggy <3 I decided to be designated babysitter from now on so that everyone else can go enjoy themselves in the sand I can play with all the babies- perfect solution right?!

Joe had a blast riding his banshee again. He hadn't ridden it in 5 years! The last 2 years we didn't go out because Madison was a newborn and I was pregnant, and the 3 eyars before that we were riding in the buggy. It was pretty funny to see Joe walking around all sore and laying in bed without moving because it hurt to roll over! He really had fun though and loved that he was almost as fast as the last time he rode.

Madison had so much fun playing in the sand! Glamis is like a huge beach- soft sand everywhere. She did get a little frustrated because she couldn't walk very will in it though. She would sit in the sand for hours playing with all the old tupperware and kitchen spoons I brought for her to play with. I'm glad it's so easy to entertain them at this age!

We all had a fabulous time and can't wait to go back again soon! As soon as Joe can take more time off work.