My Musical Men...

Wordless Wednesday: Stickers and Stamps

Poll Results: Which Name?

Well I can see a clear winner with you guys. I do like Miles Anthony. I think it flows nicely. However, I really like Owen Thomas as well. I can tell you that Cole often says the baby's name is "Miles" and lately has been saying "Miles Thomas" (this name is growing on me.) He used to say "Miles Anthony" but I think Cole likes "Thomas" because of the train :) However, recently he has also said, "Owen Thomas" and even once said, "Miles Owen Thomas" LOL. Tony has recently started calling the baby Miles but nobody (Tony, Cole or myself) have really set a name for this baby. We have talked about waiting until the baby is born since we cannot seem to decide (we had Cole named at 20 weeks and I am currently 27 weeks today with this little one!) but I told Tony labor was so hard last time I don't want to have to be deciding if I have another difficult labor if the name doesn't just "come to me." We really seem to get a good mix from people about either Miles or Owen so it doesn't make choosing any easier. If we go with Miles we often hear people prefer Anthony for the middle name but that is about the only thing we seem to get consensus on :) I have my reasons for why I like each name. The middle names I don't mind either one either because both have family meaning to us, which is why we picked them. So, for now, we continue to remain undecided and I continue to call the littlest guy "Little One."

As the Tears Flowed...

...I thought nothing could get better than this.

Cole had a hard time after we left him with Nana to go to a concert recently so I slept on his floor that night until he fell asleep after we returned. Since then, once in a while he asks me to do it again. Tonight, was one of those nights.

He got me a blanket, book, flashlight and some toys and told Daddy to give me a hug and kiss goodnight too. He kept checking in with me to make sure I was okay and didn't need anything :) It was so cute how serious he took it.

At one point he reached his little hand down towards me (he requests that I sleep on the floor right next to him) so I reached up and stroked his hand. He pulled it away after a few minutes and he had quieted so I assumed he was getting comfortable. Instead, he started stroking my hand. He then squeezed my hand and I squeezed his. We sat in silence "communicating" this way for a moment or too. Then, he drifted off to sleep with me holding his hand.

As his hand twitched off and on in my hand as sleep raced what I hope to be sweet dreams through his mind, my eyes filled with tears and I wept silent tears so as not to wake Cole. In that moment time stood still. I rotated between getting lost in my loving thoughts of Cole with my eyes closed and staring with the most intense love at his tiny hand in mine. I thought in that moment, nothing is greater than this...the gift of a child. The gift of a child's love. I also morbidly thought if God forbid something were to happen to me, I would want to go this way...with Cole holding my hand because at that moment I felt nothing but love and peace. Thank God for moments like this. Thank God for the gift of children. Thank God for my child.

And to top it off, my littlest man began kicking inside me. Just me, the quiet melody of lullabies playing on Cole's radio, Cole's hand in mine and my littlest man kicking inside me. God is good. Happy Easter everyone...

Promoting Health and Fitness

Last weekend a local health facility had a day promoting health and fitness. There was a lot of fun things for kids. Cole LOVED the giant blow up pirate ship but he would have had to navigate it himself and with all the "big kids" on it he was nervous to do that alone. We did a lot of walking around but he settled on a few things to try...

1. The marine life touch tank. He loved that but I didn't get a picture...hard to hold wet creatures and use your camera :)

2. We stopped to make (and eat!) a healthy snack :)


3. We visited a police officer and loaded up on stickers, pencils, etc. No picture here either...too busy assuring Cole the police officer was a nice man :)

4. The basketball hoop was a big hit but it was so high as you can see it was impossible to get a basket. However, bless his heart, Cole kept trying. He spent his time just working to get it into the inflatable part...lol.


5. Making a bird feeder. He enjoyed this very much and was excited to hang it when we got home :)




We concluded the day with a visit to the playground and we met up with my sister (and her now fiance'...congrats to you both!)

So, we really did have a healthy and fit day that was also lots of fun!

Wordless Wednesday- Hard Working Boy

First Scissors

I was coupon clipping the other day and the ever helpful Cole (he is in the wanting to help with everything stage, which I really do love) asked if he could help. I let him help me but was very nervous about my fingers as I held the paper and guided him. I told him I would try to find him his own scissors when I went grocery shopping that weekend and he was so excited about it. Thankfully, I found just what I was looking for- dull and rounded tip blades and small for his little hands.
He was so excited when I showed him the scissors and he has been happily cutting since :)

I showed him the correct way to hold the scissors but he prefers to hold them with both hands because he can cut more twice as fast :) However, I do remind him frequently of the correct way to cut and he does pretty well for 2.5 years old using them that way. In fact, today when he was cutting I looked over and noticed he was holding them the correct way! The only problem, lots of sweeping is now going on in our house because the paper inevitably ends up on the floor. Today was hilarious too because his palm from Palm Sunday (which he already managed to break into two pieces as we were leaving the church) was all dried out so he asked if he could cut it. I hesitated thinking it probably isn't proper to cut up the palm from Palm Sunday but I let him. He kept telling me that he wasn't going to cut in certain spots but the scissors kept making it to those places :) In the end he was left with nothing but the stalk (is that what it would be...stem maybe or reed? anyway...) and he said, "Ohhh....I cut too much!" LOL. The kid loves to cut now. :)

Easter Eggs

Cole dyed Easter eggs with MeMe the other day. 10 out of 12 eggs made it, which I consider pretty good for a 2.5 year old! According to Cole, MeMe was the one who dropped and broke one of them so Cole did really well! I saw in a local store's flyer that Easter baskets and stuffing were on sale so I stopped in and picked up this cute little basket and "stuffing" to display the eggs. Came out pretty good I think!

2.5 Today!

I just realized as I looked at my ticker on the sidebar that my Little Man is 2.5 years old today! It is so hard to believe he is so close to being a 3 year old! Time really has flown by and I have loved every minute of it (even the really hard times because they are far outweighed by the good.) Cole has been such an amazing blessing in our life. You cannot help but smile when you are with him...even when he is tantruming he can still be funny! Everyone comments on how big he is still and often thinks he is at least 3 years old. I have some Kindergarten kids that he is the same size as! Everyone also is impressed with how "well he talks" because of his age and his gender. This of course makes me smile (how could this not warm a speech therapist Mommy's heart?) To be honest, he even surprises me with the sentences he forms. He frequently speaks in 5 to 7 word utterances and the language he uses is impressive even to me at times! He uses "my" instead of "me" a lot so we are working on that :) He can count to 10 well and knows his primary colors pretty well. We are working on dressing himself and he impressed me getting both his boots on for the most part by himself the other day. He can spell his first name well and knows his full name and Daddy's name. He for some reason still struggles with Mommy's name. He really became interested in wanting to use scissors recently so I purchased some child friendly ones recently and he has been happily cutting paper since :) He can do pretty well holding them the right way but prefers the incorrect way because he can cut more faster the "wrong way." He still eats pretty well. Lately, he is in LOVE with the old Donald Duck movies (yes Donald Duck...he wants him in any he watches.) He loves to help. He continues to love to be outside. He is quiet and reserved. He likes to "feel you out" before he warms up to you. He is so loving and gentle. He feels things deeply. He is eager to please. He is amazing. He is my Little Man...

Watermarking

I find it ironic (and perhaps a sign) that I logged on to my blog to find two bloggers I read writing about watermarking photos. I have thought about this for a while mainly since I had Cole and thought about it more when a few fellow bloggers starting using it. However, I had no idea how to do it and when I looked into it, I found programs you had to buy, install, etc. and I just got turned off. Yet, it still sat in the back of my mind. I considered making my blog private but I have met some great blogging "friends" because it is public. However, thanks to LeAnna I found out I can use Piknic to watermark simply and for free! Above are my first two attempts at watermarking. It is a little more work than just adding my photos to my blog but considering that typically I just add one or two photos a post, it isn't that bad and makes me feel so much better. You just never know who is out there checking out your blog and just as I do when I am out and about, I wish to do all I can to protect my son online as well. So, from now on, you will hopefully always see my photos with a watermark. I will play with it and as I figure it all out you may see it change some. If anyone has any suggestions for my watermarking please feel free to share!

Happy 2nd Birthday MeMe!

MeMe had a birthday on Thursday (Happy Birthday again MeMe!) and Cole was so excited about it. He picked out her presents and excitedly told everyone about them (even one of the clerk's we bought something from...lol). He also helped me make her cake. I am sad to say that I used a different cake mix than I usually do and although it was amazingly moist, it was so moist I couldn't place it as I usually do to avoid the splitting it did as you can see in the picture. Cole also helped decorate it with LOTS of sprinkles (Cole LOVES sprinkles.) He said we had to have a candle to blow out and I only had the number candles from his birthday so he picked out the number 2 for the cake because it was "bigger." :) He loved having MeMe come over in the morning and presenting her with the gifts, opening them for her, playing with them and then helping her blow out the candle. He was as excited as if it was his own birthday :)

24 Weeks!

Here I am at 24 weeks with Cole....


Here I am at 24 weeks with Little One...


Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 24 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby's now the size of a papaya!
What's Happening Now: Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, his newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have gained back 6 of the 12 lbs. I lost so I am now at minus 6 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: Maternity everything now :)
Gender: Another boy! :)
Movement: Every day now and I can even SEE him move sometimes :) He is moving less than Cole though...not sure if I am so busy with Cole I don't notice as much or maybe he isn't going to be a busy bee like Cole :)
Sleep: Pretty good now.
What I miss: Sleeping on my belly.
Cravings: Still tacos.
Symptoms: Some increased breast tenderness but still not as bad as when pregnant with Cole. They must already be stretched out from him! :) Still having a "stuffy nose", which I had some with Cole. Some shortness of breath too. Mid back pain has also set in. I didn't have this with Cole...I am guessing having a 30 plus lbs. toddler helps contribute to this :) Overall though, I really am feeling good and sometimes honestly forget I am pregnant! Starting to have trouble moving around as well...belly is starting to get in the way some :)
Best Moment this Month: SEEING the baby move in my belly and hearing Cole matter-of-factly tell someone the baby's name was Miles (we haven't decided yet but he seems to have!) :)

Reminder : I am actually 24 and 2 days today but the photo was taken at 24 weeks :)

So now I am officially caught up! I caught up this time around faster than I did with Cole...I am impressed with myself :)

20 Weeks

So just for fun, here is the little guy at almost 19 weeks (18 weeks 6 days)

And here is Cole at almost 20 weeks (I think he was 19 weeks and 4 days?) Do they look like brothers? :)



Here I am at 20 weeks pregnant with Cole...

And here I am at 20 weeks pregnant with the little one...
I think I have finally caught up with looking just as pregnant as I did with Cole at this point...yikes!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 20 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe!
What's Happening Now: Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have gained back 2 of the 12 lbs. I lost so I am now at minus 10 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: Maternity pants and working in maternity tops while weeding out regular tops. I am in maternity bras and underwear now too for the most part.
Gender: Another boy! :)
Movement: Starting to feel him move more now.
Sleep: Getting better at sleeping on my side. Still getting up at night to pee but not as much.
What I miss: A good night's sleep...yes, I know, it will be a long while before that happens again!
Cravings: I have moved my cravings again...now it is tacos!
Symptoms: No more nausea! Some breast tenderness but still not as bad as when pregnant with Cole. They must already be stretched out from him! :) Still having a "stuffy nose", which I had some with Cole. Some shortness of breath too. Makes me feel out of shape! Mid back pain has also set in. I didn't have this with Cole...I am guessing having a 30 plus lbs. toddler helps contribute to this :) Overall though, I really am feeling good and sometimes honestly forget I am pregnant!
Best Moment this Month: Finding out at the anatomy scan that our little one looks happy and healthy and that we are having another boy!

Reminder: Today I am actually 24 weeks 1 day...that post coming soon I promise!

Wordless Wednesday- A Little Too Big Now :)

"Idea"

I just have to put this in here because I think it is so darn cute. I don't know where he got this from but very recently Cole has started saying, "Idea" and then what follows is genuinely an idea he has, usually about something we are about to do. For example, yesterday, I asked Cole if he wanted to call MeMe and then we could clean his room. He responded, "Idea...how 'bout we clean my room AND call MeMe" (aka call MeMe while cleaning my room not before because I am really excited to clean...the boy loves to clean!) Also yesterday, I asked him if he wanted chocolate or vanilla pudding for a special treat after dinner (he usually gets fruit.) He replied, "Idea...how about try "banawa" first then chocolate." LOL.

"Idea."

How cute is that?

Mom Monday....

You Know You're A Mom When...

- You feel like a kid again...trying to sneak a cookie without getting caught and it never happens!

- You can't sneak above mentioned cookie because you can't honestly tell your little guy no not before dinner when you are eating it!

- Cleaning your child's room from top to bottom has never been so much fun (or taken so long) as when you involve a child in it all.

- You find yourself "standing corrected" by a 2 1/2 year old.

- You find yourself thinking before you say "no" about whether it is really worth the fight or not.

Poll Results: Boy or Girl?

In case you didn't read yesterday's post (see below)or can't tell from the pictures in the post, I am officially announcing that we are having another BOY! I am so thrilled. I couldn't stop smiling when we left the ultrasound (partially because all was well with our little one too.) Tony had a hard time believing me when I told him I felt it was a boy and I really wanted another boy but after seeing my smile he knew I wasn't bluffing. I don't know if it is because Cole is such a joy and I know how to "raise a boy" or because I have always gotten along well with guys (one of my close friends in college was a guy and in high school I often hung out with my now husband and his guy friends) or even because my husband is 1 of 4 boys but I am beyond thrilled that the baby is healthy and a boy! As some have said, it will also be nice for Cole to have a brother. It will also be nice to reuse all the clothes I have saved (they will be 3 months apart in terms of when they were born so I am hoping the sizing is somewhat close so that a lot can be reused.) I am excited to pull out stuff that Cole once wore and put it on the new little guy. We really wont need many clothes or toys because we are set there and that is wonderful. I considered doing a different "theme" for this next little guy's room but decided since I saved it all, why not reuse it? As someone suggested to make it a little different, I will make this little one's room a different color but still use the same farm theme and thus reuse the light, mobile, etc.

So, tell me, did you guys know it was a boy from hearing it before I posted about it or did you all just have an instinct that it was a boy when you took the poll?

At 18 weeks 6 Days...

We went for our anatomy scan. It was Tuesday, March 1st and I was so nervous. With Cole's I was so excited to find out what we were having. However, this time around, I knew all the stuff that could be wrong with the little one because I now knew what they check and look for. So far, all my screenings, etc. had come back normal but I still couldn't help but worry and that trumped the excitement of finding out what we were having.

As a reminder, Cole said he was having a baby sister but that the baby was a boy...lol. Tony (as he did with Cole) was insisting this little one was a girl. I had no clue with Cole but deep down was hoping for a boy I think (and I got him!) This time around, I felt it was a boy. I don't know if it was intuition or if I just felt it was a boy because I already had one and was used to thinking about a boy. Also, a woman I am in the Lions Club with knew I was pregnant with this little one and with Cole before I told anyone other than Tony. She also knew Cole was a boy and said this little one was too. She said, I am destined to have boys. She also said she didn't have a strong feeling about the third one yet. Third? I said how many does she see for me? (Remember I have the number 4 stuck in my head for some reason.) She said she sees 3 right now :) I digress though.

Thankfully, we had a great ultrasound tech. The scan went really quick because little one was very good for her allowing her to get all the "hard shots" right away. I was impressed because this little one usually scares me each appt. because he/she hides when the OB tries to get the heartbeat. Little one also wasn't very cooperative at the NT scan when the tech tried to get his/her NT measurement.

We went to the bigger hospital because of them wanting to check out the little one for hydrocephaly since my Dad was born with it. Thankfully, all looked well with little one. And we got a good video and pictures. Pictures are below...

Adorable little feet...

Amazing profile...

It's a....

Easter Decorations and One Smarty-Pants

Cole and I decorated for Easter today. He loves to decorate for the holidays and he got so excited today except he kept squealing with delight, "It's Valentine's Day!"...lol. Anyway, here are the pictures from the bathroom mirror decorating...his favorite part.






I initially tried to show him the correct way to assemble the ducks and eggs on the mirror so we didn't have body parts and broken eggs on the mirror but I let my controling side go and let him do as he wished and the above is the result :) Also, note he had to wear sunglasses while decorating. LOL.

I decided to clean our full length closet mirror in the bathroom too after we were done decorating and Cole went to play. Then I heard, "Uh-oh, I broke it" in a very disappointed tone. When I asked him what he broke knowing he couldn't have done too much damage because I hadn't heard much noise, he replied that he broke the backhoe on his riding tractor. I came out to find that he had gotten a screwdriver out of our junk drawer and unscrewed a very long screw from his backhoe. Screw in his hand, he showed me he did it with his plastic screwdriver. I soon realized as I tried to fix it that he had not used that one and he said, "Use this!" and went to the junk drawer and retrieved the "real" screwdriver. I was not mad at all. I was actually impressed and I told him that but I also reminded him to be careful what he takes apart as Mommy may not be able to reassemble everything. What a litlte smarty-pants!