CMoE

My cousin gave Gavin some passes to CMOE for his birthday. I wanted to wait until he could walk and Brian could go with us before we used them. Gavin's been walking for a few months now, but scheduling a time has been a little difficult. We finally had a chance this afternoon, and it was so much fun. Brian had never been and at times I felt like I had 3 kids! He even crawled in the big duck with Macie! Even though Macie hadn't taken a nap and it was a bit crowded, the kids were well behaved and we had a great time!

Macie's favorite thing was the rice table and she could have stayed there the whole time! I have to admit, I love playing with rice too!

I've been realizing more and more that Gavin is my social butterfly! He makes a friend everywhere we go. He is able to "share" and "play" with kids much older than him. He isn't afraid to go through a group of people and find his way

More face paint!

My two little boogers

Love this picture of Macie driving and Gavin peeping from the back!

Holy Spirit Summer Social

This afternoon, I had to work at the Holy Spirit Summer Social. When my shift was over, Brian and the kids met me. It was hot, but it wasn't too crowded yet, so it was the perfect time for the kids. They bounced in two different inflatables, played some games, and we had a snack. The kids each picked out a bracelet and Macie picked a green one to match her shirt. Brian and I bought some dumplings for dinner and put some tickets in the Luck of the Draw. Macie was so well behaved all day. Brian and I were so proud of her and kept telling her over and over. If she can act like that, then we would take her a lot more places!

Warning: The pictures wouldn't rotate...sorry!

Gavin struggled to stand in the bouncy house, but he loved it. In fact, the worker had to go in to get him!
Macie was all smiles!

Waiting patiently for her face to be painted...

She asked for a strawberry and I was so proud of her for sitting there while the big girls took care of her!

The finished product

Mister Beast

Last Friday night, the kids and I met Brian's family at Mister B's in Henderson. Macie kept calling it Mister Beast. It was kind of a last minute get-together so that we could get our 31 stuff that we ordered from Beth's party. The only people not there were Wil and Brian. Ironically enough, he was bartending a church event where my family was! Beth was kind enough to buy my dinner as a birthday present and I have to say the food was delicious! I don't know if it just hit the spot or what, but I will definitely be going back soon for some mushroom soon. It was really hot in there and the bathroom was like a sauna. I guess they couldn't keep up with the heat. Macie wasn't the best behaved, but we survived. At the end of the dinner, we played pass the baby, and I had a chance to cuddle with Parker. We don't have a chance to do things like that very often, so it was nice!

Macie feeding Baby Parker
The kids (and Brian) got me a new lunch bag for my birthday

Brian's parents got me a picnic tote

The Golden Arches

Macie LOVES McDonalds! The funny thing is, we don't even go there very often and she doesn't play or get a Happy Meal. She just knows there are chicken nuggets and french fries. Everytime we are in the car, she is on the look out for the nearest McDonalds. I often have to tell her we can't go because we don't have any money. Macie is also curious as to where other cars are going. The other day she asked if the cars were going to McDonalds. I told her, "Maybe". She said, as serious as can be, "I hope they have some money". Brian and I lost it!

Quote

I read this quote on another blog today and loved it. Brian and I definitely need to think about this in our crazy, hectic lives!

"If you're always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you're in?
Enjoy the ride!"

Home

Everyday as soon as we pull onto our street, Macie will say "We are home!". Tonight, we pulled onto the street and before Macie could say anything, Gavin said, "Home, Home". That little guy takes everything in and he is becoming more and more verbal everyday! I love it when he does new things! I'm one proud Mama!

Counting and Patterns

The kids love to play with legos. I decided to see what Macie could do so, I made some simple patterns (red, blue, red, blue) and asked her what came next. She did pretty well and almost always got the right answer. Then today, I laid out several legos and asked her to count them. She was able to count blocks up to 11! I thought this was pretty impressive considering she is only 2 1/2! She can count to 15 without messing up, but counting the right number of blocks is a little more difficult. When I was working with Macie, Gavin wanted in on the action so we worked on colors with him. He repeated the words yellow, blue, green, and red. I love when the kids are focused on something and not all over the place!

I was trying to take a picture of Macie and Gavin came up and said, "Cheese". Do you think he's heard that before?

Sweet little profile

Pregnancy Woes

Heartburn: With both of my previous pregnancies, I had occasional heartburn that would come and go, but it was nothing Tums couldn't cure. This time is a completely different story! I have heartburn off and on all day. Often times I don't want to eat and it's keeping me up at night. I take Tums all of the time and it doesn't always work. I hope this doesn't last the whole time, because I still have a LONG way to go!

Ring Reaction: I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring for weeks now, but it isn't because of swelling. A few weeks into the pregnancy, I noticed that I had some itching under my ring. I thought it was just a bug bite or something. When it didn't go away and spread around my finger, I was worried that I might have poison ivy or something. I took my ring off so that it could get better. As soon as my finger was better, I started wearing my ring again and the "rash" came back. The same thing happened over and over. I soon realized that it may be the pregnancy reacting with the ring. Several people have said that it may mean an iron deficiency. This hasn't happened before. Who knows...but for now I won't be wearing my ring. I hate it and feel naked to be honest, but oh well. What can you do?

Sleep??: I've been having a difficult time sleeping. Between the heartburn and muscle aches, I just can't seem to get comfortable. I move from the bed, couch, and recliner just to get some sleep. Poor Brian is also suffering because I toss and turn and move my pillows all over the bed. I desperately need my sleep now and don't want to lose it already!

My Birthday Lunch

Saturday we went to lunch with my family for my birthday. I picked Steak-n-Shake because I was craving cheese fries. The lunch didn't exactly start out on a good note because Macie was a complete nightmare all morning. She was throwing things, hitting us, pinning her brother down, and just being awful. Brian and I didn't know what else to do, so Gavin and I left to go to my "party" without her. I was so upset that Brian and Macie weren't going to be there for my lunch that I was balling in the car. (Yes, pregnancy hormones are in full swing) I tried to call Brian and tell him that as soon as Macie calmed down, to bring her, but I couldn't get thru. I called 20 times and finally just got to the restaurant. I was still upset, but I'd calmed down. I called my mom to tell her that I was fine, but that I didn't want to talk about it and before I could say a word I started crying again. It was ridiculous, but I jokingly said, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want too!". I finally got ahold of Brian and he was bringing Macie. Once we all got inside and settled, I had a very nice lunch. I satisfied my craving, got some great gifts, and ended the meal with a chocolate covered strawberry shake!

We Match!

Macie is all about things matching. If two people are wearing a blue shirt, she will point out that they match. The other day she had a pink spot on her shirt and I had pink shirt on and she kept saying that we matched. That girl doesn't miss a thing and I love watching her figure things out!

Elmo

Gavin is so into Elmo right now. He can say Elmo surprisingly well and he sleeps with him every night. It is so sweet to see him into something! For so long Gavin just went with the flow and didn't really communicate his likes and dislikes to us. He is growing up so fast!

St. Theresa Social

Friday night, Brian had to work late so the kids and I went to the St. Theresa Social with Aunt Allie. I'd been craving their chicken and dumplings. Our plan was to eat at the inside dinner and then head outside so the kids could play a few games. The line for inside was super long so we quickly decided to go outside. The kids were thrilled with their pronto pups! We had some yummy food (fish sandwich, onion rings, lemon shake up, sausage burgers) and then it was time for games. The kids had fun playing games and ended up winning several prizes. Macie also got to jump in a bouncy house. Allie and I saw a bunch of people we knew because we grew up going to St. Theresa and everyone was surprised that I had two kids and another on the way. The kids were really well behaved, but it started getting late and hot, so we headed home. Allie bought both kids a small thing of bubbles. Macie was blowing them and then she decided to take a swig. She was gagging and saying she felt sick. She didn't actually eat much, but it was enough to make her not do that again!

This was the first time Gavin had a whole pronto put to himself! It was also the first time he was able to really play games by himself. He is just getting so big:(

Ring Toss

Bozo Game

Libbie and Gavin

My friend, Julie, and her girls were running the games

Macie fishing

I just love how Gavin is waiting in line so patiently for his turn!

He was all smiles!

29

On Thursday, I turned 29. Holy cow...only one more year in my twenties! Several people asked me if I felt old. My body is falling apart and I now drive a mini van...yes I'm old! I do have to say though, I am in a really good place in my life. I am happily married and blessed to have Macie and Gavin. I'm even more blessed knowing that by Christmas we will have another addition to our family. I also love my job and I feel like all of the pieces of my life are finally starting to fall into place. Year 28 was great, but I know year 29 will be even better!
I had a great birthday! I had many phone calls, text messages, and a card made by Daddy, Macie, and Gavin. My dad took me to lunch at Hacienda. I spent the rest of the day hanging out and napping. For dinner, I made grippo chicken and then we headed to the mall. We let the kids play and then got pretzels. Our final stop was the candy store. It was hard to not buy too much! Allie, Annie, and Kathryn came over to hang out. It was a simple birthday but absolutely perfect!

Me and my babies! Macie and I had matching headbands!
Macie always loves to wave to this bear, but she never wants to get too close. Tonight, she hugged him!

Gavin's turn

Happy Birthday!

Hi everyone. This is Brian! Today is a very special day. Its Abbie's Birthday :)

New Job

A lot has been going on around here! Monday, Brian starts a new job! A few weeks ago, Brian talked to me about looking for a different job. He likes where he works now, but there is a great deal of stress and he's maxed out his potential there. There is no room for growth. I was open to the idea, so he put his resume out there. We were completely shocked when within a two week period he had 6 interviews and two job offers! He is going to be working for Brenntag in Henderson. It is right by where he works now. Brenntag is a chemical plant and he will be a
Vendor Cost Analyst (I believe). We are super pumped! Not only will he get a raise, but also a much better benefit package. He is going to continue to work one night a week at Ron Collins until the new person can fully be trained. He is also bartending most weekends. The money is great, but it is going to be an adjustment for the kids and me. I'm so proud of Brian. We both feel like things are just falling into place for us. Congrats honey! We love you!

Updates

Fox In Socks: Macie's new favorite book is Fox In Socks by Dr. Seuss. Has anyone every sat down and read that whole book? It is quite the tongue twister and very hard to read. I've read it to my class before, but reading it to Macie is different. She keeps jumping from page to page and asking a million questions. I love that she is so inquisitive, but it takes every bit of concentration to read the words. Answering her questions is sometimes too much. Aunt Allie, Daddy, and Mommy have all had the pleasure of reading her this book.

No More Paps!: Saturday night, we took Gavin's paps away. We put him in bed without it, he didn't ever ask for it, so we went with it. He ended up fussing/crying for half an hour before going to sleep. Not too bad for the first night! He didn't take much of a nap yesterday, but last night he went to sleep without a fuss! He also took a three hour nap today without any problems. Tonight he cried a bit, but overall things are going well and I'm thrilled to have it gone before he turns 18 months. I just wanted a big gap between taking it away and the new baby having one.

Hearing Test: This morning, Gavin had a hearing test at the rehabilitation center. Because of his hospital experience and language delay, First Steps recommended a hearing test. They did four or five different tests. She looked in his ears, put probes in his ears and hooked them up to machines, and talked to him through a speaker to see if he would respond. We were happy to find out that Gavin's actual ears appeared to be normal and he did very well when responding to her voice. He showed her body parts and responded at all levels of sound. However, he never responded to noises and tones. She was pretty sure he was just ignoring it because it wasn't interesting, but to err on the side of caution, he will have another test done between 2 1/2 and 3 years old. He will better be able to communicate with us what he his hearing. At most, he will have a mild hearing loss, but things look good now. Gavin is known for getting in his own little world, so I wasn't all that surprised!

Backyard Cookout

Today we had a few families over for a cookout. Brian didn't have to bartend this weekend so it was a great chance to do it. Macie was so excited that her friends were coming to "swim" in her backyard. We filled up their pool and turned on the sprinkler. Patti also brought some water squirters. The kids had an absolute blast! Even though it was a very hot day, the adults were able to stay cool in the shade. Brian made bbq chicken and it was yummy. We also had several other sides and ended with brownies! It was so nice to see some friends and hang out. Hopefully, it won't be forever before we can hang out with friends again!

Macie and Maddie ended up wearing matching suits! They were both yard sale finds!
Look at that water! Yuck!

Water wars!

Gavin took a snooze so he came back out in different clothes. He still got soaked again! In this picture he is trying to figure out what happened to the water from the sprinkler after I turned it off.

Brian, bless his heart, sat with all of the little girls (and Gavin) for dinner. He was so good and helped all of them get what they needed.

Our New Ride

Wednesday, July 6th, we bought a new van! We had been looking for a while, but weren't quite ready to buy. Now that both cars are paid off, Brian really wanted to start looking seriously. We found a few we were interested in online, so we asked my mom to come over and watch the kids so we could check them out. I've been skeptical of buying a used car simply because I want peace of mind that I won't break down on the side of the road and be screwed out of my money. I have to say, knock on wood, that so far we've had a wonderful experience. We found a 2010 that we liked with around 40,000 miles on it, but with no perks. It was a standard van. The guy could tell we were looking for more if possible, so he found us a 2008 Dodge Caravan with a little over 50,000 miles, but all of the perks for the exact same price. It has dual dvd players and a back up camera! That was worth it to us. We ended up trading in the Focus. I bought the Focus, brand new, on July 5th 2003. We traded it in 8 years later on July 6th, 2011 and they gave 25% of what I paid for it. I thought that was pretty good! The van was a leased vehicle and only had one owner. That made me feel better. We were also able to get a bumper to bumper 3 year warranty. Now, if something goes wrong, at least we are covered. We went ahead and bought the vehicle on Wednesday night. I figured we already had mom there to watch the kids. People are always shocked with how good our credit is. I don't know if it is because we look young or the way the economy is, but they kept saying, with your good credit we have a lot of options! We weren't able to pick it up until last night. The vehicle had just been turned in and needed to be detailed and touched up in a few places. We were happy to wait for it to be all clean and full of gas! After dinner last night, we revealed the van to the kids and drove to my parents' house and Allie's to show off. Macie kept saying it was "good". That is her way of saying she really likes something. She even said, "It doesn't have Minnie on the side." Silly girl! So far I'm loving driving it. I'm so excited to finally have a bigger, roomier vehicle!

Macie and Gavin are all of the way in the back. Their bulky car seats take up the whole back seat!

Silver is a popular color in my family! All three girls now drive a silver vehicle. I honestly didn't care about color, I just wanted a good van. The funny thing is, two of my good teacher friends drive silver vans too!

Brian's favorite part! My favorite part is the stow-n-go seating!

Crashed

When you get up at 5 am...

...you crash out on the couch by 6!

15 Week Appointment

Tuesday, July 5th, I went to see Dr. Crutcher for my 15 week appointment. My weight gain was good (a little under a pound), but my blood pressure not so much. It was border line high again and it shouldn't be that high with me on medication. I have to get it checked every few days and if it acts up again, she will up my medicine dosage. I was able to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was a little difficult to find, but eventually we got it. It was 156 hbm. I had several questions for Dr. C and I got most of them answered. I've been having a lot of hip pain and it even locked up on me once. She said to keep taking Tylenol and to use heat. I just wanted to make sure that heat was OK. I also found out that I will have biophysical profiles at the end of the pregnancy. I had these with Macie. The reason is because I'm on blood pressure medicine. While I like seeing my baby every week, it will mean more work missed. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there. The last thing we talked about was when my c-section would be. I am due Christmas day and the hospitals don't want anything scheduled before 39 weeks now. That is a change from my previous two. Dr. C normally schedule surgeries on Mondays, but she is pretty sure she is off the week before Christmas. If she is, she will schedule me for December 15th. So basically, it will be Dec 15th or 19th. That is, if my blood pressure can stay under control. Otherwise, I will have the baby even sooner. I go back in 4 weeks for my ultrasound.

4th of July

Our original 4th of July plans included staying home, playing in the backyard, and grilling out. We were invited to my aunt and uncle's house, but it was nice to stay home. Not only had we been running all weekend, but Gavin still wasn't feeling well. The weather was gloomy so we spent the day inside, but Brian and I got so much stuff done around the house! We had a cooking day in the morning. I'm loving that I have some energy again. I froze some meals and cut up all of the fresh fruit and veggies we bought at the store on Saturday. The kids were pretty well behaved and played together all morning. During their naps, we got the rest of the house cleaned and organized. When kids woke up, Brian grilled and the kids and I played inside. We had a delicious dinner!! Brian made bbq chicken and potato salad. I made carrots and we had strawberries for dessert. Brian also stuffed the banana peppers from his garden with cheese and turkey, dipped them in bbq, and grilled them. They were amazing! I could have eaten a whole dinner of them. After dinner, we went and bought a new laptop. Then it was time for bed for the kiddos. Brian and I stepped outside when all of the fireworks were going off. What a great 4th of July!

We gave Gavin a new pillow. He was so excited! We even used the pillow case they gave him when he was in the hospital.

And as always, if we are taking a picture of Gavin, we need to take a picture of Macie.