Monday, April 29, 2013

Best. Weekend. Ever.

Our amazing weekend started with hubby coming home on Thursday night since he had Friday off from the academy. Then my sister came in on Friday morning and we all started getting everything set up for her ENGAGEMENT party! We got a ton accomplished and had a great time catching up and playing with Brayden. Mike flew in that night and we all hit the hay to hopefully be well-rested for their big party on Saturday.

Saturday morning I headed over to my parents house to help set up for the party and make all the party drinks (Sangria, margarita, lemonade and fancy water). My boys slept in until 10 am!!! Sleepy heads. It was swim time at 11:20 and my sister and Mike came with us to witness the incredible cuteness that is Brayden swimming!




After swim class, it was time to get ready for the party!! Brayden decided a nap was not necessary for the day and continued to play. Crazy child! 
I made the banners for the party! So fun to get creative again.

"She said YES!"

My mom's friend made this amazing sign...hand painted!



The beautiful couple! 

The cousins all playing together!

Some of the family

Kisses!

Grandma and Grandpa were too far to kiss...awkward! Haha.

We broke out the cornhole and of course a tournament ensued! Go Grandpa!

After a long and exhausting day, we all crashed. It was seriously the best engagement party ever! We couldn't be happier for Sam and Mike. They are so perfect for each other and he fits so well into our family!

The next day we went back over to my parents house to soak up all the Sam and Mike we could get. Brayden found the drink bucket from the party to be extremely entertaining!





This was a weekend I think we will always remember and I am so glad (almost) everyone was able to make it to the party. I know Sam and Mike were so happy to see family and friends there to celebrate their engagement. Today I am officially pooped out and having a lazy Monday to get my energy back. 


Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Wordless Wednesday

I am really late putting this up but I had to share this amazing photo!


Could he be any cuter??

Monday, April 22, 2013

Beach Day!

Again, Brayden and I have become stuck in a rut with daily activities. Since hubby is mostly gone and everyone I know has a job, it's just me a Brayden all day. A park can only be entertaining for so long and the time has come where the park isn't as great as it once was. The only problem? We don't really have money to be going out and doing a bunch of fun activities every day. I need FREE activities that also get Brayden out of the house. So today I decided we would hit the beach. Brayden loves the sand so we were sure to pack his bucket and shovel. He was a happy camper and so was I. It was great to get out of the house and away from the TV for the whole morning. And it was FREE! Win, win!


Pointing at the birds flying away!

So excited to see a helicopter fly by!

Silly boy!



This is obviously something I should have thought of LONG ago but now that it's fresh in my brain, we will be making trips to the beach more often! It is only about 10 minutes away so it's kind of a no-brainer! I even told hubby about our trip this morning and he was pretty excited to go again this weekend. 

Any other free places to take a crazy toddler?!

Bumpdate: 20 Weeks!

Holy cow people...I am HALF done with this pregnancy! And from last time, I know the second half flies by unbelievably fast. Baby Madison is now the length of a banana which explains all the movement I have been feeling up toward my ribs. She is also about 10 1/2 ounces! We will be going for the full anatomy scan on Thursday and I am anxious for two things: 1) for the sex to be confirmed. There was a clear picture when we went to the doc last time but this will just be a for sure answer. 2) to see how well she is growing and to know that she is growing correctly!
On a side note, I LOVE my new, sparkly phone case.

-Due Date: September 11

-Weight Gain: I will find out at the end of next week. As of right now, still +6 overall.

-Gender: GIRL!! Name will be Madison Kay...Maddie for short. If you want to see how I told hubby the gender, click HERE!

-Movement: More and more movement and I love it all! She moves a lot when I drink something cold and I can feel her moving around every morning.

-Clothing: I am still wearing both my regular clothes and maternity clothes although my regular shirts are getting a little short in the front. We don't need any belly hanging out so those might get retired until after Maddie arrives.

-Cravings: I had a strong craving for shrimp tacos this week but I definitely satisfied that by going to Chili's for lunch with Brayden. It's rare that I take him out to lunch on my own so it was a fun little date for the two of us. Something I really want to do more often, especially after Maddie arrives.

-Overall Feeling: Great! I am so blessed to be having another smooth pregnancy and I just pray that it continues this way for the remainder of this pregnancy. I love being able to still interact and run around with Brayden. I don't take that for granted at all!! I know it will be difficult to run around with him once Maddie arrives and hubby is off to work. At least for the first couple of months.

-Fears: I am adding this category because quite frankly, pregnancy can be scary and thinking about all the changes to come is even more frightening. I am afraid for Brayden. I don't want him to feel like he isn't loved as much anymore when Maddie comes. I am also afraid of the jealousy to come. I know we will deal with it when it happens and try our best to involve Brayden so he doesn't feel jealous, but it always happens so I am preparing for it mentally. I also want to make a few small packages to bring out on particularly rough days. Maybe "gifts" from his little sister for being such a great big brother. Just a few simple either toys or books that will occupy him during a feeding or during Maddie's naps. I think these could really help in the long run and make Brayden feel like he is still very much loved not only by us, but also by his little sister.

So there you have it. Everything there is to know about my pregnancy right now and about my "pregnancy" state of mind!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Wordless Wednesday!

Me: "Hey Brayden, show me your muscles!"


HAHA!! I LOVE when Brayden does this!

Bumpdate: 19 Weeks!

Our baby is now the size of a large heirloom tomato and hair is starting to grow!! (In case you missed our gender reveal...click here!) Also, some research suggests that the baby can now hear voices...I guess it's time to start reading some books to my belly!


-Due Date: September 11

-Weight Gain: I am +6 from my original weight...not too shabby. Maybe I should cut back on the sugar cookies though!

-Gender: Go check out our gender reveal!! Click HERE!

-Movement: Again, more movement this week and it is becoming more consistent. I LOVE feeling the baby move! I have felt some small movements from outside so it shouldn't be long until hubby can feel it too!

-Clothing: I am still wearing my regular jeans and some of my regular shirts...the stretchy ones anyways! 

-Cravings: Well the sugar cookies I mentioned above have been sitting on my kitchen table since the gender reveal on Friday...lets just say there aren't as many left as there should be. Oops!

I am really starting to feel pregnant...not just fat so that's always a good thing! Also, I have been loving looking on Pinterest and figuring out how we will decorate the nursery! I will give a sneak peek soon!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Gender Reveal: It's A...







GIRL!!!!
We will officially have one of each! I was so surprised when the doctor said girl. I guess deep down I really thought we were having another boy. It has taken almost a whole day for it to sink in...a girl! (Okay, it might still be sinking in...)

Since hubby was working while I had my appointment, I decorated the house as a reveal for him when he got home from work. I think his exact words were "oh no!" Haha! Poor hubby is afraid of having a girl. He is psyched for the "little" girl but petrified of the "big" girl to come down the road. I think everyone is afraid of teenage girls! I guess it's about time he gets over his fear!

We have decided on a new girl name since my cousin (unknowingly) stole our choice! HAHA I guess that's what happens when you all have babies at the same time! New choice? Madison Kay. We love it! Hubby and I wanted to make the middle name special so we chose my mother's middle name to pass down. Madison is just a girl name we FINALLY agreed on. We couldn't be happier with the name...and this is amazing considering neither of us could agree on anything. I guess it was meant to be!

Now it's finally time to start preparing for a little girl!! Let the bows and frills flow!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

21 Months!

Oh boy! Brayden is growing up so fast and it has been extremely obvious in the last month. He can practically have a conversation! He loves to talk and has something to say about everything! He is absolutely cracking us up on a daily basis. I am so beyond blessed to have Brayden as my son and it makes me so happy when random people say how cute he is or how well he is talking. He is seriously the joy of my life and I can't believe that come September, he will become a big brother and we will get to experience all new things together!

Likes:
-Elmo
-Vinko
-food...he eats almost everything
-drinks...he still likes plain water and if he has juice it's always WAY watered down
-eating things on his own...he likes to hold the whole banana and the whole string cheese. No more cutting into pieces for this boy! (Obviously I still cut things that are a choking hazard!)
-Tangled...seriously, his obsession is so weird. He asks to watch it every morning and then when it's over, he asks to watch it again. Like I said...weird!
-jumping...he recently experienced his first bouncy house and LOVED it! View pictures below.
-running...he will constantly ask to run which means he wants you to chase him...or he says "go, go, go"...how can you say no?!
-drawing...but he likes to use a pen now, not crayons. Thankfully he is pretty good about keeping it on the paper and he knows that we only draw on paper! He has yet to draw on the walls...and now I just cursed myself!
-reading books...he always asks for a book when he wakes up.
-the park
-sidewalk chalk...we never go to the park without it!
-pacifiers...I fear the day I have to take those away!
-napping and bedtime...tonight he actually laid his head down on a couch pillow and said "night night Mommy" so I asked him if he was tired and ready for bed. He said yes! Gave him his beloved pacis and he hit the hay without a peep. Love it!
-blankies...he has three blankets that he absolutely loves. He must sleep with at least one of them and he cuddles with them throughout the day.
-forts
-flashlights...he thinks it funny when he shines it on me and I put my hands up as if he were the police!
-bubbles...every time we are at his grandparents house, he asks for the bubble machine. This means any device that makes bubbles!


Dislikes:
-putting shoes on
-long diaper changes...like when poo is everywhere. That is the moment he decides he doesn't want his legs held and insists on kicking my hands away. Awesome.
-when I cook and can't give him my attention...of course this is when he says "up Mommy" and pulls at my pants.
-being in the car for too long...I am talking anything over 30 minutes he starts to get antsy, throws his paci and then wants me to give it back to him as if I have octopus arms!

Bubble gun!

In the fort with Grandpa..and a flashlight!

Watching cartoons on GiGi's phone...so spoiled!

Relaxing like a true boy.


This is how he entertains himself while I cook dinner!

Putting one of his favorite blankies over his own head...he loves it so much, he is willing to suffocate himself!

He LOVED the bouncy house...I think it might make an appearance at his 2nd birthday party!

 I can't believe that he will soon be 2...I guess I should start figuring out what I am doing for his party. Tangled theme?!?! Ha I don't think the hubby would like that too much! So happy 21 months to my not-so-baby boy! We are in such an amazing stage right now where we have very few tantrums and he mostly listens. He is so much dang fun! I more than love spending my whole days with him. I just can't believe sometimes how lucky we are to have such an amazing son and that we get to expand our family again. Life is perfect!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Wordless Wednesday!

If you follow me on Instagram, you have already seen this photo. It is just way too adorable not to share again!


This happened yesterday while just playing on the kitchen floor in our pajamas. I had flipped the camera so Brayden could see himself. Then he did this and I thought I would snap a picture to see what I could get. Turns out, I got one that I LOVE!!

Monday, April 8, 2013

Bumpdate: 18 weeks!

At 18 weeks the baby is now the size of a sweet potato! I can sure feel the baby growing and everyone can see that my belly is growing too! This is when I really start to love pregnancy!


-Due Date: September 11

-Weight Gain: I will see the doctor on Friday so I will have a weight update next week. Hopefully nothing too drastic! 

-Overall Feeling: Great! The only issue I have is my hip at night. I tend to sleep on my left side so my left hip has been getting the brunt of the weight throughout the night and it hurts! I have been using a bigger pillow between my knees to alleviate the pressure and it has helped a little. Other than my hip, I have great energy and have been feeling awesome!

-Gender: Well we only have to wait until FRIDAY! I am so excited to find out what we are having...I can't even go an hour without thinking about it! Also, the hubs will be at work and wont get home until later that night so I am planning on decorating the house with either blue or pink for when he gets home. I don't just want to tell him over the phone and I really want to see his reaction! So dang ready to see what we are having!

-Movement: Tons more movement this week. I think that also has to do with the little nugget getting bigger and stronger. The movement is much more obvious and I think you will be able to feel it from the outside very soon!

-Clothing: I am comfortably wearing both maternity clothes and regular clothes. Another reason this is one of my favorite stages of pregnancy! I don't quite fit into some of my maternity pants just yet but I know that will change soon.

-Cravings: I haven't had any new cravings really but the hubby and I did indulge in some In-N-Out before he started the academy. It was his last hoorah and for me, it was just delicious!

I am so blessed to be having such a great pregnancy so far and I really do enjoy being pregnant. I can't wait to start getting things ready for this new little baby, boy or girl, and I can finally plan a nursery! Keep an eye out next week for the gender reveal!!

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Brayden's First Swim Class!

It's official. Brayden has started his very first class. This is a "parent & me" swim class so I get to do it with him. He was very hesitant at first and gripped onto me like a leech! After a while he started to adjust to the water and by the end, he was no longer clenching his legs around me. I would call our first class a huge success. We have 7 more classes this spring so I am sure by the very end, Brayden will be comfortable in the water. Perfect timing for those hot summer days!



He was very unsure!


Splashing was obviously his favorite part!

He was not a fan of blowing bubbles. He only liked when I did it and he wanted nothing to do with putting his mouth in the water.

He was NOT about to let me pull him in front of me so I could show him how to kick his legs...

...but he eventually got used to it and was kicking on his own!

I am so proud of Brayden already and I am so excited for him to get comfortable in the water! Hooray for swim class! (Oh and it's great motivation for me to get my legs in better shape...yikes! I start my leg lifts today!)