Ice Cream Party

Avery Claire's class had an ice cream party Friday. I couldn't go because I wasn't off work yet, but her friends' sweet parents made sure I got pictures.

They are the sweetest, cutest little bunch of kiddos.

She has been beyond excited about their party!! Looks like a great time was had by all!!!

School's Out for Summer

Today was the last day of school!!! 

Can you believe how much our baby has grown this year? I don't think she's a baby anymore, but I'm not ready to completely let that go! 

I picked her up this afternoon and we headed for Miami Ice!

I sent her Daddy this picture and titled it "you might be a redneck." Why not let your pinwheel hang out the window when you're traveling down the road?

And she turned into a princess when we got home! 

I'm so looking forward to this summer. It took us a few months to get pregnant, which started to get frustrating. Now, I think God knew what he was doing in giving me these couple of months with just my girl. We have two months ahead of us to do exactly as we wish and we cannot wait! We're gonna enjoy every second!

18 Weeks

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Size of baby: Baby #2 weighs about 7 ounces and is about 5.5 inches long from head to bottom. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Around 7 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I've still been wearing dresses, but I did break out the maternity shorts last weekend. And Elena Robertson, otherwise known to me as distributor of the summer maternity clothes jackpot, sent me a bag full of great stuff! I think I can get through summer without having to buy anything! 

Gender: We lied. We can't wait. No, really, we could've waited another week. But our moms wanted to do a gender reveal, and it just worked out much better for us to do it this week than next, so we figured we'd just go ahead and go to the 4D place near us and get her to call the cake lady and have a cake made for next Wednesday. We'll have a very low-key gender reveal! 

Movement: Yes, it seems to be higher this week. 

Sleep: I've been sleeping great! I even sleep through the night some nights! 

Cravings:  Dr. Pepper. I'm gonna make a Piggly Wiggly run when we visit CC next week to get some caffiene free DP. That way I can drink it guilt-free!

Symptoms: The acne, still. I hesitate to say it, but I think it's maybe 3% better this week. 

Best Moment this week: School's out for summer! We have a lot planned already, but I am so looking forward to spending the summer with my little family. 

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!

We are two lucky girls to have this man as ours. He seriously makes life so much fun. We could not ask for a more selfless husband and daddy. 

Happy 34th Birthday, Dusty!! We love you much and thank God He gave you to us! 

We didn't do much at all today! We ran a couple of errands and Avery Claire ran in the sprinklers for a bit. It so does not seem right that we have to go back to school after Memorial Day!!!

4 more days 'til summer!! 

Memorial Day Weekend

We had visitors come in Friday afternoon - Papa, Nana, and Mema arrived!

We went to Spring Park Saturday. 

We told Avery Claire we would take her fishing, so she got out in the yard to practice casting! 

We ran to Lowe's and bought a few plants to replace those that didn't make through our winter. 

And, THEN, we took this girl fishing. She had so much fun! She caught her first fish in just a few minutes! She caught 4 fish and then was pretty much over it. She let us do a little fishing while she watched all of the people around us on the pier. 

Sunday, we relaxed after church and grilled shrimp for dinner. 

Somebody needed a little more practice for her next fishing trip.

These two buddies love each other. 

17 Weeks

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Size of baby: Baby #2 weighs about 5 ounces and is about 5 inches long from head to bottom. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’m not sure. Around 6-7 lbs, maybe. 

Maternity Clothes: I've pretty much been wearing dresses. It's just hot and that's easier. I did order a couple of pair of maternity shorts. I'm very confused as to how I feel about the stretchy band vs. the full panel pants/shorts. I've definitely grown this week. A teacher at school commented Monday that she thought I'd grown since Friday. I think she was right. 

Gender: Our next appointment is June 10 and they will do gender ultrasound. We've been very tempted to go to the 4D place nearby this week, but they didn't have an appointment the only afternoon we could go, so I guess we'll just wait. 

Movement: Definitely, especially at night when I lay down. 

Sleep: I've been sleeping great! I even sleep through the night some nights! 

Cravings:  Bojangles spicy fries. 

Symptoms: The acne, still. I started using Cetaphil but I can't tell a difference at all. 

Best Moment this week: There's not like feeling those tiny, sweet flutters. I can't wait til Dusty and Avery Claire can feel baby! 

She Got Her Ears Pierced!!

Yesterday, we went to meet Dusty's college friend, Alex. On the way, we told Avery Claire who we were going to meet. We had to turn away and laugh when she said, "I'm a little nervous."

We ate lunch and she had ice cream and while the boys continued to catch up, us girls went to walk around the mall. We walked by Claire's and their ear piercing station was parked outside with a sucker container on it. Avery Claire stops and says she wants to buy one of those suckers. I, very nonchalantly, told her that those were for prizes when you got your ears pierced. She looked up at me and quickly said she wanted to get her ears pierced. She has talked about doing and was ready during spring break. When she learned she had to sleep in her earrings, she quickly changed her mind. 

So, I reminded her of that. There was only one girl there to pierce, which meant both ears couldn't be done at the same time. The lady probably wanted me to hush because I kept asking her if she was sure she wanted to do it. Every time, she said yes. 

So she hopped up in that little chair while I signed the papers. I'm pretty sure that the last time I signed my name so many times in regard to my child was when I left the hospital with her.

She was so excited!

Still excited....

And here's her after face:

After the first ear, I could tell she was trying not to cry. The lady did the 2nd ear very fast, and after she was done, Avery Claire turned her face so we couldn't see her trying not to cry. She was okay in just a few seconds. And she was so proud to go find her Daddy and show him. 

I hate that this picture is blurry. She showed every person we came into contact with at the mall. Even if they didn't notice, she was turned her head so they could see her ears. She can't wait to go to school and show Ms. "A-Belinda" and her friends Monday!  

TGIF

"Mama, I'm just relaxing." I don't know where she learned that!!

I love to keep up with things this chick says. Every day, she says something that I want to write down and never forget. I think they've been talking about Heaven a lot at school this week. 

One day, she asked, "Mama, why did those bad guys put those horns on Jesus' head? He didn't suh-vive to die on the cross." (She kept saying this and I just couldn't interpret exactly what she was trying to say. 

She went on to say "He wasn't in the tomb when they opened it up. He's coming back for us someday. What will we eat in Heaven?"

Me: "Do you think we will be hungry in Heaven?"

AC: "Yeah. What if we can't eat there? I want some of those tiny pop tarts if He has any." And after she thought for a minute, "I don't know if we will get to eat there. I've never been there."

16 Weeks

How Far Along: 16 weeks

Size of baby: Baby #2 is the about the size of an avocado (4.5 inches and 3.5 ounces). 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’m not sure. Around 6-7 lbs, maybe. 

Maternity Clothes: I wore maternity jeans for the first time Friday. 

Gender: We won't know for a few more weeks still. 

Movement: Definitely! It's much more frequent for the last couple of days, when I'm still. 

Sleep: I've been sleeping great! I don't have to get up every night to pee! I haven't even been sleeping with the pillow. I think I need to start 'cause I keep reading that you should sleep on your left side. I always end up as much on my belly as I can. Speaking of the belly, it has definitely started to grow this week! 

Cravings:  Bojangles spicy fries. 

Symptoms: The acne, still. It's out of control on this forehead! 

Best Moment this week: I went to the dr Tuesday. All was great! My bottom number on my blood pressure was a little high, but I have been keeping a log at home and it has been great. Dr. Hurd was not at all concerned and is very pleased with my log! The best moment of the week was hearing baby's heartbeat. The nurse found it quickly and then lost it. There was all of this scratchy noise, which I thought was me breathing. Then she says, "He's moving all over the place." That's what all of the scratchy noise was. It's crazy to know that your baby is moving so much inside of you and you can't feel it. And of course Dusty wanted to know if she really thought it was a boy! I need to put up a gender vote this week! 

Happy Mother's Day 2014

I had the best Mother's Day weekend.

Friday, my girl met was so proud to give me this gift (she has since carried it around and stuffed little random items in it.

Here was the sweet treasure inside. 

Sunday, I got the two sweetest cards and a gift card to do with what I wish! I also got this questionnaire. I love these and it makes me sad that they get more accurate as she gets older!

Of course we got a kick out of "her favorite food is everything" and "my mom is best at cooking." She thinks the smartest thing I ever said (or did, I guess), was "put bacon on shrimp." She actually knew my correct age, which was pretty impressive. 

Her sweet Sunday school teacher helped her make this:

After church, I had cheese fries for lunch with my two favorite people. Avery Claire was so tickled  that they brought me a flower. She'd told Dusty earlier in the week that all moms liked flowers for Mother's Day!

We went home, where I got to take a Sunday afternoon nap, too! See, I told you, didn't I??? Most relaxing Mother's Day ever!

I'm a lucky, lucky Mama. 

We hated that we didn't get to see our mothers on Mother's Day. We decided to wait a few weeks 'til summer to travel to CC so we can stay more than away and a half.

The longer I'm a mom, the more and more thankful I become for mine. She is seriously the best. I remember telling her often that she was "the best mom in the whole entire world." I still believe that. And now my baby girl says it to me, which warms my heart beyond anything I could explain. Because I know how, by saying that, I was trying so hard to make sure my mom knew how much I really loved her. So if my girl feels a small fraction of that love for me, I know I'm doing something right. 

Thanks, Mom, for always being there! I am so thankful for the mom you've always been and just as thankful for the friend you are now. 

When I married Dusty (but really even before), God gave the most wonderful 2nd mom. I could not have asked for a better mom-n-law. She has always treated me like one of her own and I couldn't be more thankful that she raised my sweet husband to be the wonderful husband and Daddy he is.

Another Relaxing Saturday in the Books

We enjoyed the beautiful weather today!!!

And after I commented last week that this busy chick rarely takes naps on the weekends, we laid on the couch this afternoon and both took a wonderful snooze. 

Miss Cranky Pants

Little Miss Priss has been playing through nap time at school. This is what I fight every single afternoon that we have to go anywhere after school. Not only does she try to take a 5 o'clock nap, she is the queen of cranky. She hardly ever takes a nap on the weekend and I'm not sure what's so different about a school day! We have warned her big time that she better start closing her eyes at nap time!!!

She does look so precious, doesn't she?

15 Weeks

How Far Along: 15 weeks

Size of baby: Baby #2 is the about the size of an apple (about 4 inches long and 2.5 ounces).

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’m not sure. Around 6-7 lbs, maybe. 

Maternity Clothes: Not yet. I officially cannot button some of my pants. I've worn dresses all week. 

Gender: We won't know for a few more weeks still. 

Movement: I've thought a couple of times this week that I might have felt baby. How can you know for sure the first times? It's so slight and sudden! 

Sleep: I get up once or twice to pee every night. I ordered a maternity pillow. I wasn't sure I needed one yet, but, for some reason, I sleep better with it! I think it's just that I can kind of prop on it. 

Cravings:  Bojangles spicy fries still! 

Symptoms: The acne. It's at it's all time worse on my forehead! 

Best Moment this week: Feeling those sweet little flutters (I'm pretty sure that's what it was!)

We've really got to work on these pictures. I think we may have to change our setting. Dusty takes the picture from near our bed and there just isn't enough room. 

Lovely Spring Weekend

We had a lovely weekend, playing outside and resting inside! Avery Claire and our neighbor, Parker, played all afternoon. He accidentally left his sword at our house. Dusty said Avery Claire was pretty much mid-sentence and he looked over and saw this. 

We returned the sword at dinner with the neighbors, but I didn't take a picture. They have a 9 month old, and if dinner with them was a look into our future, we're gonna have a BIG helper on our hands. We were worn out from trying to get her to back off him. 

Avery Claire has been so proud of our pink flowers blooming in the front. 

She's telling "you" that this straw will cut you!

She knows this from past experience. 

14 Weeks

Don't even look at me. Her sweet, funny faces are too much. 

How Far Along: 14 weeks

Size of baby: Baby #2 is the about the size of a lemon. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’m not sure. Around 5 lbs, maybe. 

Maternity Clothes: Not yet. I officially cannot button some of my pants. I rubberbanded for the last 2 days. 

Gender: We won't know for a few more weeks still. 

Movement: Not yet. 

Sleep: I get up once or twice to pee every night. I ordered a maternity pillow. I wasn't sure I needed one yet, but, for some reason, I sleep better with it! I think it's just that I can kind of prop on it. 

Cravings:  Bojangles chicken fingers and spicy fries. 

Symptoms: The acne, if that's what you call it. 

Best Moment this week: We loved spending the weekend at home with nothing to do!!