The Barker Family

Brothers

2012-02-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

We've been having a lot of togetherness lately. Including mommy (unintentionally) dressing the two little ones alike. I was even brave enough to try them in the bath tub together. They were both pretty pumped about it! For the most part, the boys play really well together. I'd say around 3-4 times a day we have an issue where someone (usually Sutton) lets me know that he is annoyed. But the laughter more than makes up for it!

Say What?

2012-01-31T17:49:00.000-08:00

Ever have a conversation with a three and half year old? Ever have them repeating (or trying to) things they hear? It's insanely funny and humiliating at the same time.

For instance, I picked Moses up from school this week and his teacher tells me that he's been singing the words "Party like a rock star" over and over. I assured her that's all he knew and it was my fault because I sing it when Moses dances around.

This was followed the next week by telling the assistant director of the school (who is a UNC fan) of the school that "Tar keels" have poopy diapers and they stink. Thank goodness she had a sense of humor about it. He had gotten a time out from the same teacher for licking recently!

But perhaps my favorite as of late, was Moses take on taxes. I was on the phone with my mom talking about possibly writing of a home office on our taxes. Moses walked up and said, "Why don't we rip off Target." Oh buddy, if only that were possible!

Early Christmas Present

2012-01-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed I have not posted anything about potty training lately. Let's be honest, it was awful! It seemed like it was never going to work. If one more person told me, "No kid starts Kindergarten in diapers!" I was going to scream! I knew they were right, but it did not help!

Well, about two weeks after Thanksgiving, I was getting ready to put Moses down for a nap. He ran away and crawled underneath an end table. I pulled him out and told him it was time to go pee pee before his nap. He looked at me and said, "I need to go poop." And that's exactly what he did! We did a huge celebration dance and made a huge deal. We had been doing the Elf on a Shelf with our elf Cookie. Cookie was so excited he flew to the North Pole during nap time and brought Moses back a special gift. That made Moses so very happy.

Can you believe, that was pretty much it? We've had a few accidents here and there as to be expected but from then on, he has been FULLY potty trained. No pull ups or anything at night. It's AWESOME! I am so proud of my big boy!

Big Week for a Little Boy!

2012-01-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

Just ten days into being nine months old, Sutton took his first steps! He took a few tentative steps toward me yesterday while Moses was at school. I was SO excited. I honestly could not believe it! Sutton was beside himself too. Every time he practices he giggles and has the biggest grin on his face. I am so glad that Brett works from home. All I had to do was yell upstairs and he could come and join the fun for a while.

So far, he has put together 4 or 5 steps at the most and usually he can pull off two. He does better when he is aiming for a person, but I have noticed him trying on his own as well. Moses is getting kick out of this as too! We tried to get a video and a picture but had no luck. I am confident I will snag one this weekend though.

Sutton is also battling yet another cold. I would like to change this diagnosis to Mommyitis though. He was stuck to my side all day....literally! He didn't go far from me at all. For some reason I have convinced myself he has a dust allergy and I have spent a lot of time vacuuming out of the way places and wiping everything down. Doesn't seem to slow down our little boy though!

Happy Nine Months Sutton!

2012-01-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

Oh my happy little man, how is that in three months you will be ONE?! You are just magical when you smile, which is all.the.time. You are just the happiest baby. Everything seems to make you smile and laugh. Can you see those top two teeth that have come in? That makes it even better!

We had your nine month well check this week and for the first time everything is perfect! You have NO ear infections and no other issues! You are weighing in at 18.9lbs and 28.25 inches long. You had your flu booster and final Hep B vaccine. You cried for a minute but managed to give the nurse your winning smile before she left.

You and your brother are playing together more and more. You love him and he loves you. That means you have your differences! You are teething so you bite and are in a hair pulling stage, and your brother some times isn't so gentle. Luckily you both are forgiving.

It's amazing all you are doing these days. You are crawling faster than I can walk. If you hear a door open, you take off to try to go through it. You are cruising really well and will let go and just stand alone for a few minutes. I won't be surprised when you start trying to walk. That will probably add more bumps to your head. We joke that we need to buy you a helmet.

Eating has been a crazy struggle. You are tired of baby food and frustrated with feeding yourself. Dinner time is usually not our favorite. For the most part, you love bananas the best. Cheerios are also high on the list too. You could eat them all day! You are still getting formula and I've increased the amount you get. It seems to work best when you get a small bottle before your afternoon nap.

Speaking of sleep, you are still an early riser. As in, you hate to miss a sunrise. Daddy and I are very ready for daylight savings! That being said, you are still a good sleeper and go right down when you are put in your crib.

You are an angel baby! The only time we have a disagreement is during diaper changes. I have never seen a baby squirm like you do. You don't seem sad or upset just ready to get up or to find something to play with.

Sutton Barker I love you so very much. You make my heart melt when I see that sweet smile. I pray for you constantly. You are a precious gift!

2011 Superlatives

2012-01-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

Most Awkward Sleeper

Moses after waiting up for mommy one night.

Best Special Delivery

Our sweet Sutton Bug. I could not imagine a better baby.

Most Amazing Temporary Roommates

Jimmy and Meagan. Moses loved having them the most!

Person Who Traveled the Furthest to Visit

Lindsay made a Raleigh pit stop from Houston before moving to Italy. We are thankful for Skype!

Worst Summer Sickness EVER!

Mono blows! Hoping for a much healthier new year!

Craziest Week of My Life

Chairing the consignment sale. Can't believe we pulled it off!

Best Investment

Double jogging stroller. Worth it!

Most Fun Rainy Day Activity

Loving his imagination at this age!

Happiest Wolfpacker

Hey boys, what's it like to loose a football game to UNC? We dont' know!

So, the 2011 train is pulling out, and I am looking forward to see what 2012 has in store for us!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

What a special time of year! Moses and Sutton were both very excited that Christmas had arrived. Moses and Gaga spent the afternoon of Christmas Eve doing a few crafts, and enjoying each other.

We had a big Christmas dinner with turkey and all the fixings and just took our time and enjoyed being together. This little one was fast asleep before it was time to eat the big dinner, but woke up again because he just knew he was missing out on all the fun.

We took that opportunity to take some Christmas photos by the tree with all the presents.

Before he went to bed, Moses made Christmas cookies with mommy and Gaga. Since it was Cookie's last night with us until next year, he was allowed to give him a hug. He was SO excited about that.

Here are Moses' Santa gifts and his stocking.

And Sutton's...

Since the excitement level was at a all time high, I was pretty sure that sleeping would be a struggle. I was right! Moses woke up at 1:00am and Brett went and slept with him so that Christmas wouldn't be a cranky day. I could barely sleep all night because I was sure that the kids were going to wake up any minute. In fact, Sutton woke up around 4am and I gave him a bottle and put him back down. Of course, there was no way I was going back to sleep, so I got a shower and got ready for the day. Still, no kids! By 6:45am, I went to the kitchen and started getting things ready for breakfast. My parents were already up as well getting ready for the boys. We didn't have to wait long! Moses was up a little after 7am, which was perfect! He was so excited about what Santa had brought!

But to be honest, Sutton was the most excited! He was squealing and going to all the toys and playing with them. I was so happy that he was just eager as his brother.

After Santa gifts, I cooked a big breakfast and the boys played with their new toys for awhile. It was hard to tear them away. By the time we finished eating, one little boy was very ready to tear into the big pile of presents that was still under the tree.

Two family members are now the proud owners of ipads! Notice who is helping them tear into them? I have a feeling there might be an app or two for him on these.

We were all very spoiled with nice gifts this year, but of course my mom had great gag gifts. Brett joked with her that he wanted a "Forever Lazy" for Christmas. She went to get him one but they didn't have any in his size...so she got him a generic one. He thinks it's great to have a knock off of an infomercial product!

As you can see, Moses doesn't need a.single.thing.ever. We all had a great Christmas. Especially our boys. Moses spent a lot of December learning about the true meaning of Christmas. I am so proud that he is learning about his Savior and that he continues a quest of knowledge about the power and love of Jesus. God bless everyone!

Jolly Old St. Nick

2011-12-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

Moses' face when he saw Santa!

The first time we went to the brunch with Santa, I knew I would never set foot in a mall again to meet him! The State Club does such a great job! This year the entire family came. Moses is so aware this year and his face says it all when he first saw the big guy! Sutton was a little unsure, but he generally likes everyone!

Can you see the extreme adoration here? He couldn't even talk he was so excited. This guy is just like his mommy when he gets excited. Doesn't eat and gets a nervous tummy! Santa went around the room and spoke to every table and then went to his big chair in the foyer. I love that special touch!

Moses voted that Sutton would go first. We snapped a few pictures with him and then quickly moved Moses in and that's went Sutton...

looked up and realized...

that this was not for him!

After that Moses just wanted to give him a hug and get his special cookie. We went back to the table and ate dessert. Afterwards, we went on a sleigh ride around the property. Love it! Just the looks on those boy's faces was priceless and pure joy. Things are starting to get real now! Christmas is only a few days away!

Cold rides

2011-12-19T12:33:00.001-08:00

It's starting to get a little cold here. I think I am over doing it a bit with the layers!

OH Christmas Tree!

2011-12-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

Oh Christmas tree....not like the song...as in DARN YOU Tree!

This tree my children are decorating, is not the current tree in my house. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, we went to Food Lion and purchased a tree. We've done this in years past and had not problems at all. We took the tree home, cut off the bottom and placed it in a large bucket of water for twenty four hours. Put the tree up and decorated it. Moses loved it! He was so excited.

A week went by, and the tree never drank any water. Brett took all the decorations off, cut off the bottom again, and drilled a hole in it. Two more days go by and still no drinking. At this point if you looked at this tree wrong it would shed its needles! Brett went to Food Lion and told them what happened. They offered him a refund or a new tree. After checking out what was leftover he took his money and left!

After all of that, we went to the farmer's market where our sob story landed us a discount on the most beautiful Christmas tree we've ever had. Before Brett could go to the ATM and get the man his cash, he had cut off the bottom and tied it to our truck. I'm a farmer's market tree buyer FOR LIFE! Now, anytime anyone mentions our tree, Moses will ask me to tell them the story of our two trees. Yes sweet boys, we loved you so much that we decorated two trees for you this year!

Eight Months Old!

2011-12-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

My nudie cutie is eight months old! SO much has been going on in the last month and as per usual I'm about a week late writing this! This guy is still my peanut! He is weighing in at 17lbs. They did not take his height the last sick appointment we had, so I am not sure about that. He is very sturdy though. Check out those thigh muscles! My little bug is all over the place as far as clothes. Some 3-6 months, some six months, and some 9 months! He is still wearing size two diapers.

Sutton is crawling like a mad man on all fours. If you really want to see him move, just open the back door and he will make really good time trying to get out! He is also much sturdier standing when he has pulled up. He lets go with one had and some times with two. He is not afraid to try to pull up on anything! We've moved the coffee table out of the den, but he still gets a really good bump or two every day.

Sutton has also started babbling. Lots of dadas, babas, bubas, and a mama thrown in too. I swear he is saying his name sometimes. My favorite thing he is doing now is "dancing" when he hears any music. He sits and bops along and holds out his hands. I think he is trying to clap too.

As far as food goes, he is getting four bottles a day (sometimes five). An eight ounce in the morning and six ounces for the others. We have also started real solids. I so hate baby food so we are weaning off as soon as possible! So far he has tried green beans, carrots, cheerios, and toast. The only one he did not care for was the toast. It has helped that the bottom teeth are completely in and the top ones have broken through and are hopefully almost done coming down.

My sweet boy also had another ear infection last Friday. Two days before his tube surgery! Luckily they still go ahead with the surgery, even if there is an infection. So, bright and early Monday morning, we took Sutton to a surgical center and checked in. Sutton was happy in the waiting room and content for the most part in preop. He started to get fussy as time went on, so I held him tight and he fell asleep. Dr. Boice came in and spoke to us softly so Sutton wouldn't wake up. Then he asked if he could pray with us before they took him back. I nearly boohooed right there! I was grateful he was our surgeon! We prayed and he gently took Sutton in his arms (still asleep) and walked him back to surgery. We returned to the waiting room and in five minutes they called us back to recovery. He was fussing when we got back there, but within a few minutes calmed down and drank his bottle. Apparently, he never woke from his nap until post surgery! We brought him home and he was fine! If you are ever in need of an ENT I really recommend Raleigh ENT. Everyone but Moses in our family has been a patient there!

Sutton bug we are gearing up for your first Christmas. You are very interested in all the decorations and excitement. You pretty much slept through Thanksgiving, but I have a feeling you will be much more involved for this holiday. I can't wait!

Photo Comparison

2011-11-30T16:56:00.001-08:00

Here are my boys around the same ages. Sutton is SO my little peanut. I love that for the most part he is right at or just a few weeks behind what Moses was doing at his age. The funny part is, he is so much smaller so it is amazing to me that he is strong enough to do these things! There is no slowing him down!

Thanksgiving and Cuteness

2011-11-30T16:49:00.001-08:00

Mommy fail. I did not take a single photo on Thanksgiving day. So I will post these completely unrelated cute photos of my children. We did have a nice Thanksgiving. Everyone came to us and we had a relaxing meal. Moses went home for the weekend with his Nana and Pops and the rest of us participated in some Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping. I think everyone really enjoyed it!

We ended up taking Sutton with us to the football game on Saturday and he was an ANGEL. He slept the first half and watched the crowd during the second half. He literally lasted the entire game and did not cry once! One thing is for certain, he missed his big brother! I loved how excited he was to have him home. Moses would probably not tell you, but he missed his brother too!

Sutton at Seven Months

2011-11-14T05:48:00.001-08:00

Watch out world! Here he comes! Whew, what a difference a month makes. Sutton went from barely being able to sit up to pushing himself up to a sitting position, army crawling like a mad man and pulling himself up to his knees. Apparently sitting up and seeing what was out there was all of the inspiration he needed to take off. He is crazy mobile! Brett and are taking over under bets on if he will be walking with out assistance at Christmas. (For the record he will be 9 1/2 months, around the same age Moses was when he took his first steps).

Sutton is also getting three solid meals a day. Veggies are really not his favorite. He makes the worst faces and gags when I feed them to him. He has become tolerable of sweet potatoes and green peas are growing on him. He will finish a stage 2 container of fruit or breakfast blend and 1/2 to 1/3 when I give him veggies. His favorites are bananas, apples or pears.

Sleeping is getting better. The time change threw us off some, but typically he will go down for the night around 6:30. He might wake up between 4am-5am and want his morning bottle but he will go back to sleep until brother wakes up or sometime after. He takes a morning nap around 9:30am. The afternoon naps are trickier but he will usually take one after lunch as well (sometimes two if they are short). We are trying to drop the "pre dinner" 5pm nap, but sometimes he's so unhappy he needs that 30 minutes to compose himself! Moses never took this nap, but it's great because it gives me a chance to work on dinner.

Everyone comments on how happy Sutton is. He is always smiling and so sweet. His laughs and giggles are heard all day! And what do we see when he grins? His two new bottom teeth! Sutton spends most of the day crawling around seeing what he can find. We have to make sure Moses' toys are on the coffee table when he is playing on the floor. Sutton is currently obsessed with shoes. He loves to untie them and play with laces or put them in his mouth.

Health wise, we are getting thing straightened out. Sutton's tummy troubles are a distant memory.
We are planning on having tubes put in in December. He constantly has fluid in is ears and hopefully this will solve that issue.

Our little Sutton-bug is growing so fast! Let's see what another month will bring!

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

Moses was SO excited this year about Halloween and trick or treating. If this is any indication of how his excitement level is going to be with Christmas we are in trouble! The boys actually had two Halloween costumes. I bought them all at the consignment sale and probably spent a total of $15 for them. So, we played dress up all day! (Really we've been playing dress up for weeks!) We went to see some friends in the afternoon and Moses was spiderman and Sutton was a pumpkin.

And here are my two dragons ready to go trick or treating! It was a cold and rainy night and Sutton was fighting a slight cold so conditions were not ideal. We put them in the car and drove to a few houses and then Sutton and I went home. Brett and Moses hit up several houses in the neighborhood and came home with a bucket full of candy.

I think he's had about 6 pieces of this candy in the last week or so. I think just thought of it made him excited! It was the first year he got the complete picture of what fun Halloween was all about. Sutton was fine in his pumpkin but I think the dragon costume was a bit much for him. He was happy to come home have his bottle and go to bed. I know Moses is already thinking about trick or treating next year!

When Did...

2011-11-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

...my sweet baby...

start growing up...

So fast?

Don't blink! He might grow an inch more!

A Love "Affair"

2011-11-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

The theme for this year's fair was "A Love Affair." I think that sounds just about perfect for me! I can't believe this the FOURTH time we have taken Moses to the fair. It was one of the first major outings we had as a family.

We have several traditions we always try to keep. The first is having a ham biscuit for breakfast. YUM! Great stat to fair food.

Moses was really into riding the rides. Luckily we bought the ticket booklets in advance which saved us a lot of money! He loved anything that went fast.

Our traditional corn photo!

Stopping for some hotdogs and refreshments

If you ask Moses what his favorite thing at the fair was he will tell you "crashing cars." He loved riding the bumper cars with papa.

We ended the day with a deep fried treat and...

brought home a Spiderman. I am already looking forward to next year. Sutton will be able to do (and eat) more! So long sweet fair, see you next year!

Teeth!

2011-11-01T09:40:00.001-07:00

Can you see them? We are getting bottom teeth!

Prospective and Prayer

2011-10-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today was a doozy. Sutton is getting his first teeth and not sleeping well. It has been a challenge to get anything done and I feel like the house is a wreck. I'm still struggling with potty training (#2) with Moses. He is also in to everything and so impulsive. I dropped a roll of toilet paper in the potty and a full jar of baby food...which splattered on the floor, wall, and windows.

I didn't scream, fuss, or yell why me. Not once. Because today, I have a sweet friend who is wishing she was cleaning up a mess and dealing with everyday little boy problems. This mommy has lost one of her precious sons. He is with Jesus and joyous in heaven, but his family is missing him so. I can't imagine losing a child and my heart breaks for them. If you read this blog would you say a prayer for them? Pray for their strength and healing and for to joy to return to their home.

Tomorrow, we will go to bible study and do our best to praise God and lift them up in prayer. Tomorrow, they will hold a celebration of his life and embrace friends and family. Tomorrow, I will have more maddening mommy moments and I pray I will remember what is important in this life and the next.

Staycation

2011-10-14T12:21:00.001-07:00

We are having a staycation at the beach. I will write more later, but for now here is a photo to wish everyone a happy Friday!

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears...

2011-10-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo! The NC Zoo is in Asheboro, which is only about and hour and forty minutes from our house. I didn't realize it was so close. It was a really easy drive and Moses was very excited to meet up with Nana and Pops.

Moses enjoyed all the animals, real and fake. The zoo is really beautiful, and I loved all of the walking trails between the Africa and North America areas.

Moses did have one little freak out because of our friend pictured above. All of the gorillas were sitting with their backs to the plexiglass. Moses was directly behind him. Our gorilla friend turned around when Moses was not expecting it and he quickly turned around and ran to mommy. He was done with them after that.

Apparently he realized what he had done, and immediately put himself in time out. How funny does he look just sitting on this log!

Sutton did a great job too. He didn't really notice too much, but enjoyed the extra attention and time outside.

Here are Moses' favorite animals at the zoo. The giraffes were really beautiful in person. They were just so elegant.

If you haven't visited the zoo, this is the time of year to do it. It was not crowded at all and the weather was perfect. The earlier you can arrive the better. Not only are the animals more active, the day will go smoother for you as well. I think 3pm at the zoo (and probably at most amusement parks) is melt down time. All the kids are tired and the adults are too! It takes several hours to walk and see everything. I would start in Africa and see the more fun animals while everyone is still excited.

Now that we know how easy it was to get there, I think we will go back again soon. Watch out gorillas, we are coming back to see you!

Family Football!

2011-10-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

There was a time not too long ago when football was our life. Brett and I NEVER missed a game. We tailgated for hours before and hung out afterwards. We lived for these games. Then we had Moses, and Brett never missed a game! Now with two kids, and a team that's not having a great season, we have begun to revisit our priorities. We still bought our season tickets, but we have sold a lot of them. We did promise Moses that he would get to go to a game. At first Brett was going to take him and sell the other ticket to a friend. When that didn't work out, we decided to get brave and take the entire family. Yep, we're crazy!

It was honestly not bad at all! Moses was very interested in what was going on during the first half. he loved the band and the "fire in the sky" (fireworks) when the team ran on. It was all very exciting. We also picked a perfect game. It was warm, and since we were playing a team that was not well known, the stands were not as packed or as rowdy.

We were also able to see the new American Idol, Scotty. I really don't watch American Idol, but I do think this kid is pretty sweet and it's very cool he lives about 10 minutes from our house. Let me tell you the Scotty patrol was fierce! I only had my small lens on so I could not zoom in. He is on the field with the white shirt and red hat. All the orange to the right? That was the press that followed him around all day. Had to be close to twenty people. If you lost sight of him all you had to do was look for the orange vests or the girls screaming for him. It was insane.

This is what Sutton did for most of the first half. He would like to thank his Auntie Lindsey for his sun hat. It was very useful! He did not wake up until it got quiet during half time! Moses watched the game some and spent a lot of time socializing with the people who sit around us, especially a group of preteen girls a few rows back. SUCH a flirt! He also convinced a little boy to play cars with him on the bleachers. Sutton and I did some walking after half time and by the end of third quarter we decided to leave. I was really happy they did so well. A Wolfpack win and worn out kids makes for a great day!

Happy Half Birthday Sutton!

2011-10-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Half a year? Already? My sweet boy is getting big! Seriously, is this not the cutest face ever? Sutton is becoming more active after every passing day. He rolls and scoots all over the carpet trying to get to what he wants. A toy, his brother, my shoes, or the rug fringe. We have switched to formula and you have been doing well with it. You are also eating one to two solid meals a day. You prefer pears, prunes, and apples. The faces you make when I give you veggies is priceless. Your well check is not until next week, but you are weighing in at a little over 16lbs. Those beautiful eyes are a greyish hazel we think. And you hair is a dark blonde.

You are working on your new trick, sitting up! You are doing it a little more every day. You like to be sitting up in our laps instead of being cradled. You play for a little while until...

you topple over! No crying, no fussing...just continuing to play happily. You love being outside. We go for a walk in the stroller every day. Sometimes you like to take a nap when your brother is not around to keep you awake. You have also been loving your swing on the porch. You favorite thing in this whole world is your brother. He makes you laugh all the time. Those smiles and laughs come all the time now. Everyone always comments on how happy you are. It's true! You make people SO happy, especially us!

Hill Ridge Farms

2011-10-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

Last year, we made our way to Hill Ridge Farms for the first time. The verdic: it was SO worth the drive! We decided we wanted to add it to our tradition list. (Seriously, we are the most boring people alive) This time my parents were in town to go with us. The first thing we did was take the train ride. Moses loves trains and this was not exception.

We walked around and tried all of the fun things. Like the big slide and playing in the corn.

The last thing we did was take the hay ride to pick out our pumpkins. I am still in awe of how exciting pumpkins are when you are three. Moses has been searching for them whenever we go anywhere. He is just in love with this time of year!

We picked out our pumpkins and grabbed a little lunch at Pei Wei, and picked up some paint to decorate our pumpkins. This is the point where I am super glad for my mom and her artistic skills. Moses LOVED painting. I really need to buy some more paints and find things for him to decorate because he had the best time. He even painted some this morning! Thank you for our fun weekend Gaga and Papa!!

Little Pumpkins

2011-10-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

Warning. the cuteness factor in these photos is overwhelming. There is not much back story here. We went to the pumpkin place we always go to. We took pictures. These are the results.

Are You There Blog?

2011-09-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's me Stella!

I have been neglectful, but busy. Here is a recap of recent events.

Moses has started back to school. Despite what you may think by looking at the above photo, he is very happy! He is the only boy in his class. That would be him and seven little girls. He does get to play with his friend Conner at "recess." He tells me they play "smash" the girls. I can gather this is some sort of game where they pretend to shoot lasers at them. Go.figure.

My little Sutton-bug his happily eating solids 1-2 times a day. We have also had to add formula to his diet. A topic for another time. It was a terribly hard decision and I'm just not ready to blog about it. Also,we are treating ear infection number 5. Yikes, yikes!

Despite all this, he is the happiest little fellow ever. He is moving, rolling, and grabbing at things constantly. He laughs so hard at his brother every day. It has amazed me how early that he has begun to look up to his big brother. We are working on the sitting up skills but he seems to be in no rush. I'm betting he'll just decide to do it one day and that will be that. It seems to be his personality.

The consignment sale at church is OVER! I still can't believe I pulled off chairing this sale. It took a lot out of me, but I had the best time and got to work with awesome people.

We are now the proud owners of a Bob Revolution double stroller. God bless Craig's List! The boys and I have used this stroller every day for about two weeks. I knew I had gained a lot of weight this summer being sick but looking at recent photos only confirmed it. Something must be done. Or else I'm going to start wearing a sign that says "I was pregnant, had a c-section, contracted mono, took steroids, and wasn't allowed to exercise all summer so THAT is why I'm so fat....oh and because I love to eat!"

I was trying to get my calendar together for the rest of the year this week, and oh my do we have some fun activities coming our way! Lots of my favorite traditions come up this time of year. We have the FAIR (YAY!), pumpkins, and Cornhuskin on our agenda. We are also going to squeeze in a trip to the zoo, the beach, lego fest and a few other fundays. All before Thanksgiving. This will give me lots to blog about!

Ken and Barbie Are Married!

2011-09-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Erin and Erik got married! But really, don't they look like Ken and Barbie? Anyways, we spent Labor Day weekend celebrating their nuptials. They were married in Southport, NC which was a great place for a wedding. You could walk every where and the back drop was awesome! Friday we had the bridesmaids luncheon and the rehearsal dinner. There were some really great stories told. Renee and Joelle had a great speech/poem prepared which included Meredith College sweatshirts and a Chi flat iron as props.

Saturday we had lunch with the bride and sipped champagne while we got ready. It wouldn't be a wedding day without some hiccups. Erin had two worth noting. Her stylist called ten minutes before the wedding and said she was going to be over an HOUR late. Um, did she not know Erin had some fierce friends in that wedding party? Luckily it all worked out!

Aren't they sweet! What you cannot see in this photo is hiccup number two. Earlier that day a scuba diver had gone missing. Behind them, were Coat Guard boats and helicopters looking for him. I silently prayed the entire time that no bodies would be pulled out while they were getting married. The minister handled it so well. The helicopter only buzzed low once and we could still hear everything. FYI, this is the first time I've been to a wedding where the minister had his notes on an ipad. The band also kept their set list on one. Oh, the times we live in!

Here we are with the bride and groom! They hosted the best wedding. We ate well all weekend and just had the best time. I miss hanging out with this group of friends so much! It is very rare we are in the same place at the same time. You could totally feel the love the entire time. Erin is just one of those people who always remembers your birthday, anniversary, kids birthdays, and other major life milestones. You can expect a car for Valentine's day, Christmas, or just because. She showers her friends with love constantly. Even though she was the one getting married, she remembered that three of us were having birthdays within the next week and had presents for us. I am so thankful that we were able to be there for her since she has been there for us for so long. We owe her big time!

Erin had Trolley Stop hot dogs as a post wedding snack! I really enjoyed mine on the way home!

I think Erin has played the tambourine at just about every wedding she has been in/to. It was only fitting that she played one at her own!

Since Erin is now Mrs. Rice she had "rice" krispie treats as her wedding favors. That girl is just so creative. I wish I had more photos from this weekend but I kept forgetting my camera! I am terrible. Packing for a family of four is just too much. I am always forgetting something. I loved every minute of this celebration. The older I get the more I appreciate my close friends. They are priceless! I love you to pieces Erin Taylor Rice! I am so thankful for you. I hope you have the best time on your honeymoon!

Moses at Three

2011-08-31T17:47:00.001-07:00

I can't get over how my baby looks like a little boy. Maybe because he is! I took him for his three year well check today. The doctor told me he was was way ahead of most three year old in verbal skill as well as physical ability. Moses even showed him how he could snap his fingers which really surprised him. Moses is weighing in at 33.6lbs and I think he was around 42 inches tall (I did not receive a print out). He also got his flu mist vaccine and didn't even flinch. I was impressed!
Moses this is what life is like for you at three:

You wake up at full throttle in the morning. You are on the go as soon as your feet hit the floor, usually around 7:30am. You yell, "come in!" and wait for someone to get you up. You immediately want to eat something, usually a Nutrigrain Eggo waffle and syrup. Sometimes you like to watch your Disney shows while you eat. You like Mickey Mouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Handy Manny, and Special Agent Oso.

You usually get a shower with daddy. You like to play with your cup and hate having your hair shampooed our brushed. You love being wrapped up in a towel with a hood on it. You will sit an talk to us and your brother while we finish getting everyone ready. You have been trying to wear the same color as one of us every day. You like to match. You can pretty much dress yourself which is such a help!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays you go to school. You love school SO much. You have learned so many things like: colors, shapes, counting to 10, your ABCs, sharing, coloring, and making friends. You have learned to sing: Jesus Loves Me, Praise Ye the Lord, Row Your Boat, Old McDonald, and many others. Your teachers this year were Mrs. Janice and Mrs. Mary and then this Summer you had Mrs. Erin and Ms. Dara. They all loved having you in their classes!

On Wednesday mornings we go to Bible Study. You have a great time there too. You play with your friends and learn verses. On Sundays when we are at church you love to go to Sunday School. It warms my heart when I think about how much you love church and learning about Jesus. I hope this will continue for the rest of your life.

On many Fridays we go to play group. You have been playing with these friends since you were four months old. They are just the greatest playmates and you all get along very well. We like going to the pool, parks, and each others houses.

When we are home, you love to "play toys." You especially love puzzles, cars, and anything you can pretend with. Your imagination is growing so much. You pretend you have rockets and you are exploring outer space. You also love to "help" me cook. I can't be in the kitchen without you near me. Maybe it is because you love to eat. Between breakfast and lunch you usually have two pieces of fruit. You take the apple a day advice very seriously. At lunch you like a sandwich, gold fish crackers, and more fruit. Usually, there is nothing left!

You also love to play outside. You have a scooter, tricycle, a power wheel motorcycle. You also love to play on the porch with blocks and your little car. You look for the golfers and the tractors that do the landscaping. We also play soccer and football in the back yard. You went for a time this summer where you really did not like birds, but you seem to have gotten over that.

Before you take your nap (usually around 2pm) you get to watch one TV show to wind down. You snuggle on the couch with me or play with cars on the floor. You still have your "Rocky" lovey you sleep with. You have been sleeping in a full sized bed for a long time now and do well with it. You sleep anywhere from and hour and a half to three hours. You wake up again shouting, "Come in Mommy!"

The afternoons are full of more playing and getting ready for dinner. This is usually our hectic time of day. You are just much more wound up after your nap! You get to pick a "pantry" snack after nap. Usually crackers or a cookie. You almost always go upstairs to visit daddy during this time to share your snack. You also look for daddy's secret stash of candy! We play some more in the afternoons. You have started to help more and more with your brother as well. You love him and he looks up to you so much already. I hope you will grow up to be the best of friends.

For dinner you eat what we eat. You are so great about this! When I ask you what you want for dinner you usually say "chicken and rice." I find this so strange! I think you think of most meat as chicken? The struggle we have at dinner is keeping you still. You are just so full of energy all the time. If we eat out you love to go to Chick-fil-a, "Choo Choo Pizza" (a train themed pizza place), Moes, or any place with a cheeseburger. You do have a sweet tooth. You have been known to sneak cookies and then ask us who ate them all. I also have to be careful if I have a soda and I sit it down. You will come right behind me and drink it.

After dinner you spend time with daddy. You love to play golf course and just got your own clubs. You and daddy also like to play any game with a ball. Sometimes you and I will dance in the living room. You love anything upbeat!

We snuggle before bed time and say our prayers. You have completely memorized the following prayer: The sun is gone, the moon has come, and that's a sign this day is done, please God send angels here to stay, until I wake, to a new day. We then bless our friends and family. You really do not like going to bed at night. You usually escape for an extra snuggle, but we try to have you in bed around 8:30pm.

I cannot wait to see how much you will grow in the next year. (Fingers crossed you will be potty trained! Ha!) You are such a sweet boy and make me laugh every day. You keep mommy and daddy on your toes and make your brother smile. You are such an important part of our family. I love you Mo-Mo!

Big Birthday Presents

2011-08-28T19:01:00.001-07:00

Now you all can see the reasons,

why we did not feel...

Moses needed too much else..

For his birthday this year!

What I Forgot About the Fourth Month

2011-08-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

We finally got the green light to start solids last week. I was elated! All of a sudden, Sutton has not been sleeping well and has been so restless. I think he needs more calories because all of a sudden my silent and still little baby has turned into an active little thing! I had forgotten all that changes around the fourth or fifth month!
Sutton is now rolling over, which means I'm not swaddling him anymore. We tried the sleep sack but it just didn't work. He immediately rolls onto his belly when I put him in his crib so he's now learning to sleep on his stomach. After weeks of restlessness and two trips to the doctor (I am SO paranoid about ear infections) we are trying to do strict sleep training.
In the past several weeks he's gone from just lying around to playing with toys, rolling, talking, and being able to spend time in his jumper. That's a lot going on! I guess he's just adjusting. I looked back at Moses' baby book at this time (yes, I also keep a written book) and he was going through a similar thing. How easy we forget!

Until the Decision is His, The Commitment is Ours

2011-08-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sutton with his "fairy godmother" Joelle

This past Sunday was a special one for Sutton and our family. Since we are Baptist, we believe that the decision to be a Christian is one that has to be made by each person. When a baptism is performed, it is by choice (I personally think it is wonderful to have a full immersion baptism. I think is shows just how serious you are about joining the church.) At our church, we do what is called a dedication. This means we commit ourselves to raising our child in a Christian home and teaching him about Jesus and what it means to believe in him.

After the sermon the four of us went before the church and Kristen Muse our associate pastor introduced us to the church and read the verses we have chosen for Sutton. We chose Zephaniah 3:17 for him. It reads, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save you, He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will exult over you with singing."

After she spoke, we handed Sutton to Dr. Hailey who "showed him off" to the the church. At this point Sutton had the hiccups! After this he prayed over Sutton and our family and gave him back to us. He said he hoped that the prayer would cure his hiccups but it didn't work. It all went very well. I knew Sutton would be fine, but I was really worried that Moses would try to announce that it was his birthday or something!

After the service, we came back to our house and had lunch with our friends and family. It was so nice! I was horrible at taking pictures because I was so busy putting out lunch and then I had to feed Sutton. But I did take a picture of the food and the extremely yummy cake. Thank you to all of those who made that day so special! I know it was a whirl wind weekend and I promise I will never have three parties in one weekend again!

Welcome to Fuquay....

2011-08-26T05:43:00.001-07:00

Jimmy and Megan! Ok, NO ONE guessed this. I even had a phone call asking if I was having twins. Um, NO! Megan recently took a job at Methodist and Jimmy at NC State. Since their house had not sold down east, they needed a place to live for a few weeks. Bless their hearts, they will be staying at crazy Chez Barker for a while!

Moses' Third Birthday Party

2011-08-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

I tell you what, little kids can party hard! With a busy weekend planned, I knew it would be best to have Moses' party somewhere other than our house. One of his favorite places is the Rainbow Room. It's perfect because when you reserve it, you are the only people using it for that block of time. Also, it is one of Moses' favorite places! Basically it is a huge warehouse room with the biggest piece of playground equipment you could possibly imagine. The kids can run around and the adults know they are safe!
We ordered pizza and had snacks and kids played and ate and played and ate! Moses insisted he wanted a Buzz Lightyear cake, so that is what he got! He also picked out Cars plates. Couple all that with his hat, and he was one excited guy. I think he had a little party anxiety. He hardly said anything all day! I thought he was sick because that is SO not like him. Luckily, that was not the case!

If you can't tell, he had a GREAT time! Nearly everyone we invited was able to attend. Moses has such great friends, and so do we. I think all the kids had a super time. Thanks to everyone who was able to come and share Moses' special day. We all love you so much. Oh, and sorry about the party horns. I'm pretty sure no one took any home!

A Surprise for ME!

2011-08-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

All last week I ran around like a mad woman trying to get all the things I needed to for the parties this weekend. (I mean I even painted the trim in three rooms of the house and the porch railings and columns.) I had been consumed in getting everything just right. I had no idea my husband was up to something sneaky. Usually, I can see straight through him. I know him so well and he is a terrible secret keeper.

He had told me we were going to a friend's birthday dinner since we would have free babysitters. This person is not a great friend and I just did not understand WHY we were going to a small birthday gathering. I told him that I could not go if we did not get a lot done and I just wanted to work on party stuff. He said no go, we had to attend.

We walked into the restaurant, and there sat my parents and some of my friends including Joelle, who had come up early from Charlotte (by the way, there were three events this weekend and she attended them all, she rocks). At first I was SO confused. Then I realized what was going on and I was so embarrassed! It was an early birthday dinner for me!

I cannot believe Brett pulled this off! I really have not thought much about turning thirty. A sweet friend of mine is getting married that weekend so we will be busy celebrating her and her future hubby. I guess Brett wanted to make sure I got a little celebration too!

P.S. Want to know the reason there are no photos on this blog entry? Because when you throw a surprise party for the blogger you get NO photos!

Today's hint for the new members of our household, yes they ARE human!

Weee! Moses is Three!

2011-08-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, THIS GUY, turned three!!! Moses' party was not until Saturday, but we wanted to make the day special for him. That morning we woke up and sang to him and gave him his presents. Moses received big gifts from both grandparents so we wanted to get him something small but exciting. Since he has been pretending to be cutting grass and blowing off our yard lately, we bought him a weed eater. He loves it!
After presents, I took Moses and Sutton to Chick-fil-a for breakfast and to play. We came home and played with his new toys. I asked him what he wanted to do for lunch. He told me he wanted a "breetow" so we took him to Moes and then to Walmart to look at toys. He loves to go and see all the different stuff that "lives" at store. We came home for naps and more lawn care. I really think he could have played all day with that thing!

Later that night, we took Moses to his favorite pizza place. (If you can't tell our family loves to eat, and Moses loves to pick where we go so that's how we celebrate!) The restaurant is train themed and they have a wooden train he can play with while we wait for our food. Is this not the most brilliant idea ever? Moses is so well behaved when we are there).

It was a great day. Moses really gets birthdays now and he was so excited the entire week. Since he was in summer preschool he even got to celebrate with his class. But the thing he was most looking forward to? His big party! I'll write more about that later this week!

By the way, I received a couple of guesses about our "growing" household. Sorry, but they were both wrong! No pets for this family right now! Try again!

Lots to Celebrate

2011-08-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

So much has happened this week that I wan to properly document it all. I am going to try and write each day to properly give each event it's due. We've had birthday celebrations (one a surprise), a baby dedication, and lots of little life events in between. To make things more exciting, I have a mystery for you all to guess (LDT does this often and it is SO fun). This week our household is going to grow by two. Let the gossip and guessing fly in the comments box!

First Day of Church

2011-08-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here is our little bugaboo ready for his first trip to church. I took 8 pictures. He had his hands in his mouth in every.single.one. Sigh.

AHOY!

2011-08-12T10:51:00.001-07:00

Ahoy Mateys! I threatened to make Brett walk the plank unless he took some time off. So, he listened and off to Emerald Isle we went. Even my dad took a few days off and my mom left early on a Friday (I am writing this down because this NEVER EVER happens. Well unless dad is fishing.) We took a little day trip to Beaufort to check out the Maritime Exhibit of Pirates. We first stopped and did the fastest tour ever of the aquarium. Seriously, it was fun but I think Moses spent more time looking in then gift shop than at the fish. We also, made time for our favorite lunch spot, the NY Deli in Atlantic Beach. If you have never been there GO. I have been going since I was little. Jerry, who owns the place, is great and so is the food.

We finally made it to Beaufort to see the pirate booty. What good would a pirate be without his hat? Just before I took this photo I asked Pirate Moses if he would like some ice cream. He tole me that THAT pirate was not eating ice cream. See for yourself.
I had been told that the this exhibit was good but not really geared for kids. So correct. Moses liked it, but like the aquarium, it was a quick trip. Pretending to steer a ship is really all he wanted to do. We did some walking around and got our ice cream. I LOVE Beaufort and one day I will be able to walk around and do what I want there! Oh, the best part of the trip was when we were walking to the car and Moses's pants fell down. He thought this was the funniest thing that had ever happened and stood there laughing. He spent the rest of the day trying to make his pants fall down. I SO wish I had a picture of that.

Born to be wild

2011-08-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

So help me if I catch these two leaving my house like this in 15 years I will have a heart attack. Mom was staying with us and one of her friends came through town and stopped by to see us. She and her boyfriend rode his motorcycle. When Moses heard someone was riding a motorcycle to his house he promptly walked to the porch and waited until they rode up. He adored this guy and thought it was just the greatest thing. He played on the motorcycle and then asked the guy if he wanted to see his train table. Boys and their toys!

Sutton at Four Months!

2011-08-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

The older he gets, the better he gets! I am loving this four month old baby boy. Everyone comments on how happy he is. He is always smiling and now really laughing hard. It is the best sound in the world.

Sutton is also exploring a lot more. He can old objects in his hands and then immediately put them in his mouth! He is reaching for things and grasping them really well. He is also staring to play in his activity jumper. (It's like an exersaucer but it bounces). He seems to like it a lot. I love it because it gives him another view of the world!

My baby boy is starting to roll over some from his belly to his back. He can roll on his side from his back. Honestly, I just don't think he's too interested in it all. When I put him on his back he loves to kick up a storm, but he's just not motivated to go anywhere just yet. After having a super mobile first child, I am SO ok with his!

On Sunday, we took Sutton to church for the first time. He did great and got some good cuddle time in with Miss Vivian. Mr. Bob was upset that he had other obligations that morning and couldn't play with him, but I know he will get his turn! I tried to take a good pictures but he was just interested in putting his hands in his mouth.

I can tell Sutton is starting to get a little upset when I leave the room. He likes me where he can see me. He whimpers some if he is on the floor and I run to the kitchen. Luckily he's still doing great when other people hold him or we leave him with others.

I was so happy today to have a normal well check. His ears were all clear and his GI issues are a little better. We still will be seen at Duke and we have to hold off on starting solids till then. Right now, he is weighing in at 14lbs 6.5 oz and 25.25 inches long. (For those of you keeping score, Moses was 15lbs 12oz and 26.5 inches at four months) As long as he stays healthy, he will be seen for a well check at 6 months. FINGERS CROSSED!!!

It's only been four months with our sweet Sutton, but I cannot imagine our family without him!

Stunt Double

2011-07-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. I am closet celebrity blog junkie. I have a friend or two who work in the entertainment industry, but I am too chicken to ask them about the famous people they work with. I just keep up with them via facebook and feel cool to know them!

Last week I was doing my daily check of TMZ, and I came across this picture.

So, which one is Kate Beckinsale? The lady on your right. Her stunt double on the left? My cousin Alicia! My dad's cousin Ceclia and her girls have live in Hawaii and then California since before I was born. Alicia is the oldest and we used to be "pen pals" when we were little. They were avid gymnasts and dancers and now all work in the entertainment industry. Below are some more crazy cool things Alicia has worked on.

Alicia and NPH at the Oscars

Wait, that's her again stunt doubling on Transformers 3

Dance double for Nicole Kidman on the set of Just Go With It.

There were lots more like Avatar, Zookeeper, and doubling for Charlize Theron and Milla Jonivich but I think you all get the picture. Alicia was recently rated one of the top ten stunt women in the biz. So, it appears that someone got the talent jeans on my side of the family. HA!

We're Still Here!

2011-07-25T18:32:00.001-07:00

We've been a boring bunch over here lately. Not only is July 29 Brett's birthday, it's the end of the fiscal year for him. This means he has been working INSANE hours. For me this means I've been working INSANE hours too. (I know he is under a ton of stress, but I am here to tell you when he is working over time, you bet I am too!)

All this means is we've been home a lot. Also because, we've been sick AGAIN. We've all had slight colds which means for Sutton-bug ear infection number four! Poor guy! His GI issues are improving, but the doctor would like to see them get even better. I'll hopefully know more very soon.

Moses has been sniffling, but acting fine. We are still working on potty training. I am here to tell you that potty training is the single worst parenting experience of my life so far. I feel like a complete failure. I have tried everything and if one more person gives me advice and tells me how easy it was for them, I'm going to just send Moses home with them for a week.

I've mainly just been trying to keep the crew happy. For me, that means cooking! I had been searching for new recipes a lot and finally have settled on using allrecipes.com. It's fantastic. I love the way it is set up and the ratings and comments. You can also store the ones you like in a virtual recipe box. Brett has enjoyed all the new stuff!

I'm also working hard getting our church's consignment sale started up. Yes, this crazy woman volunteered to chair the committee. I'm also on the executive council of the Meredith College Young Alumnae Board, which gears back up in August. Did I mention we have two weddings, Moses' Birthday party, and Sutton's dedication coming up as well?! As you can tell, I will have a lot to write about very soon!

Sutton is Three Months Old!

2011-07-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, Sutton-bug you are three months old! You are weighing in at 13lbs 8oz and 25 inches long. (This is the exact same height as your brother at this age, but TWO pounds lighter!). You've already battled three ear infections like a champ. We are trying reflux medication with you to maybe help. Your pooping issues have not changed. We are going to Duke Children's Hospital GI department in September for them to take a look at you. In the mean time, we are trying a a medicine called Miralax. Today, it worked! I am praying that it keeps working and you will get better.
You are just a ray of sunshine. You have been sick, but the happiest baby I could imagine. It is so easy to make you smile. You think mommy is the funniest person! You still have not officially slept through the night. You always wake up at least once. I'm hoping this changes soon! You nap pretty well, just not for long periods of time. We are working on this sleep thing! We've been letting you nap in the crib and tonight you are sleeping in there at night for the first time.
You are cooing a lot now and I love to hear you make those noises. You have even been blowing razzberries these last few days! You are really finding your voice. You think your brother is great and will always try to find him. He makes you smile all the time.
I can see some dimples coming through on those sweet cheeks. Your eyes are still greyish blue and I think still trying to decide what color they will be. You still have the same light brown hair. I can't get over your expressive eye brows. You scrunch them up all the time studying what is going on and giving people serious looks.

You like to be in the sitting position and prefer to be help straight up so you can hold onto our shoulders and look around. Tummy time is still not your favorite but it is getting better. You have rolled from your belly to your back once. You have also started to spend a few minutes in your bumpo seat. You can only last a few minutes until you are all done.

Sutton you are just a joy to your entire family. We love you so very much!

JJuly Fourth Part Two!

2011-07-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here is the best shot I got of the four of us on the Fourth. Mose is going through a I don't want to smile at the camera stage, I don't like any of me right now because of the post baby/steroid weight gain, and Sutton is well, a baby! Brett is the only one who looks good in them all!

Do I have the cutest boys or what!? We generally spent the entire week we were at my parents eating. I've been trying new recipes and my dad loves to cook as well so we did not go hungry. We spent the actual Fourth holiday grilling out with my parents friends Tom and Vicki who Moses calls Tomtom and Vickvick. They are super sweet and Moses loves them like they are family! Seriously, he includes them in his prayers at night.

We are very lucky not to have to go anywhere to watch fireworks. We have a great view right on the dock. This was the first year Moses was able to stay up an enjoy them. We did a test run the night before on some fireworks someone had given my dad and he thought they were great! The official ones probably went longer that he was willing to pay attention but he did love shouting out what color they all were! His favorite thing was the poppers. He would throw them down and just squeal.

It all went by too fast. July is a busy month for Brett so we had to head on back not too long after. The rest of the Summer is looking really busy, but we are hoping to get back soon!

July 4th Part One!

2011-07-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

As usual, we spent the Fourth holiday in Emerald Isle. I just love it! This year was a lot different because we are limited on going out on the boat because Sutton can't go with us (yet!). The first night we did an evening boat ride to watch the sun begin to set. Isn't it beautiful!
We spent a lot of time on the dock catching shrimp and crabbing. Moses generally would not touch the crabs or fish but for some reason was perfectly ok with holding shrimp. It was really unseasonably cool at the beach this year. I do not remember a July so temperate.
We took Moses to the beach to build some castles and play in the waves. He loves being in the water and playing in the sand. He had the best time!
Of course we had to do some chores. Moses helps out with grass mowing, tomato picking, watering flowers, car washing, and vacuuming when he at his grandparents. He is a busy fellow.
Of course we take time to rest too. Moses sleeps like a rock when we are there. He can take naps that last three or four hours! More on our fun times in my next post!

A Few Iphone Photo Updates

2011-06-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Lately, when we leave the house, I will send Brett photos of what we are up to. This has been a lot of fun! I feel a lot closer to him and it also helps remind me to tell him things. I'm forever forgetting stuff these days. So, since I have been so slack here are some of the photos. Above, Moses eating his "Papa cake" (Moon Pies).

Sutton being rocked to sleep on the porch.

Moses and Mommy's Monday beach trip

My helper getting our stuff out on the beach.

The Numbers of Mono

2011-06-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

5 - Weeks

4 - Rounds of antibiotics

100 - Ibuprofen (shared with Brett)

50 - Tylenol (also, shared with Brett)

2 - Rounds of steroids

6 - Boxes of tissues

2 - Visits to the doctors a week (minimal between the entire family)

This all equals ONE annoyed mommy!

Beach Date

2011-06-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to make time for my buddy as much as I can. Sometimes after dinner I'll take him for a quick trip to the store or for a walk outside so we can have some time alone. Last week, I went to stay with my parents for a few days because Brett was out of town. I was so disappointed that the last time we were down I did not get to see him play on the beach so, I asked mom if she could watch Sutton so Mo-man and I could have some beach time together. It was so fun! I loved having that time with him! We played in the sand, had snacks and jumped in the waves (P.S. I learned to play with a toddler at the beach you need a more supportive bathing suit than normal, especially post baby.) I think mom had a great time watching Sutton too!

I hope I can do this more this Summer with my big boy. It is hard being a nursing mother and making time for anyone, including yourself!

quarantine

2011-06-22T10:54:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know, the blog has been quiet. But I have a good reason...I have mono. You got it, that nasty sinus infection was a lot worse than we thought. Technically I am now way over the active stage but it has been a heck of a few weeks.

I was diagnosed about a week or two after Memorial Day weekend. I'm now on my fourth antibiotic for my ear and a two week round of steroids for all the fluid. Do you know what steroids do? They make you gain a ton of weight. YUCK!! I have gained back a lot of weight that I had lost post baby. This makes me feel bad in a completely different way!

The rest of my crew is not doing that great either. Brett tested negative for mono but has had two rounds of coughing and congestion these last few weeks. Moses currently had a runny nose and a cough and a REALLY bad case of the terrible twos.

And my poor Sutton bug, he is on his third ear infection. He is also having pooping issues and is getting medication for reflux. I have been so worried about him! Brett came to bed one night and I was asleep with one arm in the bassinet! He is doing better now I think but both poop issues and ear issues are bothering me. I really hope they resolve themselves soon.

The long and short of it, I am SICK OF BEING SICK! I haven't blogged much because I HATE being a negative blogger. I try to write when I am happy so that these memories are positive. So that's why you haven't heard much lately. We have squeezed in a lot of fun things in between doctor visits. (No lie, I have been in a doctor's office at least twice a week since the end of May). I will try to post about them this week.

In the mean time, please pray for our health. I am a sick woman on the verge with very little sleep. My house is a mess and so am I! I think I have officially reached my limit!

Sutton is Two Months Old!

2011-06-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

Oh my sweet Sutton, where has the time gone! You are already two months old. You are such a great baby. You are very happy unless you are hungry or sleepy. You are such a smiley baby! After you eat, you love to look around and check out things and smile at what you see. You are getting so strong too. Your head control is getting better every day. You love to sit propped up on my legs and look around too. I will pull you up and you can sit sort of like a "big boy." You've started making some cooing noises and things that sound like laughs. When you lay on your back you love to kick your legs and move your arms. You are never still when you do that!
Your second month was a little rough though. You got the yucky virus your family all shared. You had a cough and runny nose and another ear infection. You had your first oral antibiotics and took them like a champ. You sounded pitiful, but acted like your sweet self!

Remember when I wrote about how you pooped all the time? Well, you now NEVER go! We've had to go give you a little "help" to go and are still working on regulating your little system. I hope it gets better soon.
We had you checked out today and you weigh 12lbs 10 oz (60th percentile) and are 24.5 inches long (75th percentile). All your numbers are right on track. You can sometimes be a lazy eater, but obviously you are getting enough to eat!

Your sleep habits are starting to form. You are ready to go to sleep most nights sometime between 7-7:30pm. You will usually sleep until around 3am, sometimes waking up around 1am for a paci reposition. From 3:30 to 6:30am you are in and out of sleep before you finally wake up for good. You watch everyone get ready for their day and eat breakfast. About the time we are already to start our tasks, you are ready for your morning nap! Some days you will sleep from 9-11am and others for not as long. You wake up for some "lunch" and more play time. Afternoon naps have not been established as well yet. You and your brother keep me on my toes and like to be asleep after different times. The witching hour is getting better and I am trying to get you to cat nap before "dinner time."

Baby boy I just can't get enough of you! I cherish every moment that I get to spend being your mama!

Read Something Else!

2011-06-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

We're really boring these days. Sutton and I are still recovering from this wicked virus. He's lots better and I still can't hear out of my left ear. Moses started his "Summer school" today so we are back on a schedule.

Since I have nothing of interest to say, I wanted everyone to read something else. Sweet Tara wrote this post yesterday that really resonated with me. I love what she has to say about busy being the new stuff. I find it SO true. So enjoy her post and her blog. She is a phenomenal mother that we can all learn from!

Blast Off!

2011-05-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

Moses is really enjoys outer space, rockets and the like. I guess it is keeping with the whole Buzz Lightyear thing! So we thought we'd make sure he got the chance to watch the launch live on TV.

He was really impressed with it all. He helped count down and then got really excited with the shuttle launched in the air. I have to admit it was really cool. He was holding his Buzz toy and hit the button that recited "To infinity and beyond!" moments after lift off. I guess he felt like narrating a bit. I asked him if he wanted to go to outer space one day and he said no. I'm ok with that, I like my boy on the planet Earth!

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

2011-05-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

I was really excited about heading to the beach for Memorial Day Weekend. I wanted to spend some time in the sun and playing with Moses in the sand. I was also ready for some help with my boys and I KNOW my parents were looking forward to some special time with them.

It all sounds good on paper! Moses had a minor cold on Sunday and Monday. I felt a little throat scratch Sunday and thought I better go ahead and get something for it. I got some antibiotics for a throat infection and thought I'd be fine. By that night I was 100 times worse. I went back the next morning and got a higher dose. By this time Moses is fine and I'm thinking it can only get better. I WAS SO WRONG! Brett got it too. I was starting to wonder if we should go to the beach at all. We talked to my parents and decided to go. They could help with the boys and we were surely going to get better.

WRONG AGAIN! We both go worse. By this time it had spread to our eyes, ears, and noses (TMI warning...It is the nastiest thickest green snot EVER) and it never lets up. I went to the doctor in EI because I was pretty sure my ear drum had a tear or had ruptured. He gives me new antibiotics, prednisone, and a nasal spray. Since I can't take a decongestant while nursing all that fluid as built up all over my sinuses. YUCK

Then the worst thing happened. Sutton got it too! I don't think he has as bad off as his poor parents, but he feels yucky. The three of us did a lot of sleeping and lying around being pitiful. Let me tell you nothing is as sad a croupy 7 week old coughing spell.

As for Moses, he got a lot of grandparent time. Lots of boat rides, a trip to the beach to make castles and play in the waves, playing in the baby pool on the deck, and helping Gaga and Papa in the yard. Oh, and we taught him to pee of the deck. So, future wife of Moses, I'm really sorry. Blame his desperate potty training mommy if he is still doing this at 35. I will try my best to make him stop before then.

Needless to say I am pastey white and look like death and ready for a beach do over! Not the way I wanted to spend a long weekend. I am very lucky that parents are so great and took really good care of all of us. As of right now Brett and I are still trying to get better and I am going to take Sutton to the doctor tomorrow just to make sure he's ok too. Luckily kids are resilient. I just wish I was!

It Helps to Be Prepared

2011-05-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

Look out for the flood, we are potty training!

What a Difference a School Year Makes!

2011-05-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

I tried (sigh) to get a photo of Moses on his last day of school but he was not exactly up for it. But I wanted to document a before an after.
Really? He is like a completely different child! The baby face is GONE. He's so much bigger and can do so many more things. Here are a few things that Moses learned this year in school.

- He knows all his shapes

- He knows all his colors

- He can count to 10.

- He can sing all of his ABC's

- He is more focused on his artwork

- His vocabulary and sentence structure are great. He speaks so clearly and his sentences are really something

- His social skills are really nice. He has learned to share a lot better and play with kids and not just around them.

- He has made some great friends. We hear about Conner, Sam, Haley, and Katie all the time.

- He can sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Jesus Loves Me, Praise Ye The Lord, and few other songs.

I really will miss his sweet teachers Mrs. Janice and Mrs. Mary. They have been such a blessing in our lives. I do believe Mrs. Mary, who is an older lady, would take Moses home with her! She had all boys and has a special place in heart for them.

It has been hard to get information out of Moses about his days at school, but here are somethings I do know about what goes on day to day. When he gets to class they have a snack. They do artwork everyday, have learning time as well as music class and Chapel. They sing a song about giving a hug, sharing and a smile and shaking hands (Everyday when I ask him what he did at school, without fail he would respond, "Shake hands.) They have playground time and come in for there lunch. After lunch is story time and free play until I come to get him. Before he leaves Mrs. Janice gives him an M&M. Moses always remind her to eat the broken pieces.

Moses has had a wonderful experience at school. He has grown by leaps and bounds in ways I don't think I could have helped him. I am so excited to see what he will learn next.

A Visit From Lindsey!

2011-05-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

I always get asked why I blog. My usual answer is for my kids. It gives a frame of reference much larger than their baby books. It also keeps family and friends up to date. I can't begin to tell you how many people tell me they read this blog. People I wouldn't even begin to think had any sort of interest in our lives!

Another great reason is I get to keep in touch with people from my past. I have reconnected with friends from elementary school to college and learned a lot from them. One of my favorite is Lindsey! Since Lindsey lives in Houston I never get to see her. I knew her from college and YAB. We never had the chance to have a true long conversation but now since we read each others blogs we have become so much closer!

The funny part is WE COULD NOT BE MORE DIFFERENT! We have a lot in common but our daily lives are total opposites. Not only are she and her husband childless and not sure about the whole parenting thing, but they are avid marathoners and travelers. By travel I mean living in Asia and Europe! They are cat people and we are dog people. And don't even get me started on the team she cheers for. Thank goodness she has her husband to redeem her! I wish her blog wasn't private so I could tell you to read it. It's awesome and so interesting!

Anyways, I was very excited that Lindsey was in town and made some time to meet Sutton and I for lunch. I had the best time! We got to really catch up and she had the chance to snuggle on Sutton. I feel very honored that she made the time for us during her busy weekend. We hope to see you soon LT! Hopefully at the new address!

Got to Be NC!

2011-05-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

When Moses was about 9 months old we went to the Got to Be NC Festival at the fairgrounds. We mainly went for the Pig Jig which is a pig cook off. This year I really wanted to take Moses because I knew he would be old enough to actually go on the rides. I also heard the words tractor parade and knew we couldn't miss it. So, when the playgroup email went out I suggested we go with our friends.
Can I just say, WE HAD THE BEST TIME!! It was free to park and get in and it was not crowded at all. They basically shrink the State Fair and have it really geared for kids. There was a place to feed animals too. Moses did not want to go in at first but once that first goat took his carrot he loved it. He felt the same way about the pony ride.
But the big hit of the day was the rides. We need to start saving up our money now for the fair this year. This little boy has no fear and wanted to ride everything over and over again. (Also, NEVER had to wait in line for a ride!)
How cute are these kids! We were talking about how much we hope they are all still friends when they get married so we can use these pictures during a slide show.
We had such a blast with our playgroup friends, that we convinced daddy to take us back after nap time. When your kid is this happy somewhere how could you resist?

Mother's Day Part 2

2011-05-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

This year for Mother's Day I decided to get crafty with the gifts. I found cement stepping stone markers you can make for the yard. I thought it would be fun to make them as part of the present. (I also was pretty confident I would not be able to do it on my own!) Moses was excited about helping Gaga complete hers. He loves a "project."

I love this picture of Sutton's little foot! His hand wouldn't spread out enough because he was asleep so we did his foot.
That weekend my Aunt Brenda stopped by to see us and meet Sutton. She has lots of grandchildren ranging from 6 to 19 so it has been a while since she's gotten to spend some time with a little tiny one!
And of course we had to stop by and see Grand Mollie on the way home. She loves little tiny babies just as much as her daughters and grand daughters! Sutton was very happy to meet her. If my math is correct he is her 14th great-grandchild. (I am the second youngest grandchild by about a month of seven grandchildren). Whew!

I am so glad we got to visit so many special women on this Mother's Day. I feel equally blessed to be a mother to such sweet and wonderful boys.

Mother's Day Weekend Part 1

2011-05-20T20:07:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day weekend we traveled to EI. The biggest reason was to attend a wedding for my friend Ali. I have known Ali since she was in middle school and I was in high school. She started out as a friend's sister and turned out to be so much more! We spent so much time at the Kroeger's house growing up. Her parents were, and still are, the best! Having a baby was NOT keeping me from this wedding!

Ugh, I wanted a picture of the two of us all dressed up. But, NOTHING is making me feel good about post pregnancy fat arms! But doesn't my husband look handsome!

Here is the beautiful bride and her new husband, Brett! It was such a sweet ceremony and incredible reception. Moses was asked to be the ring bearer but with my surgery and his unpredictable two year old behavior we decided several months ago to forgo that idea. I felt just awful about it but Ali was great and completely understanding.

I have to say, this was the best time I've had a wedding! I couldn't dance or even have a glass of wine, but I did get to see tons of people I have not seen in long time. Especially, the couple above! My friend Jimmy and his new wife Megan! I really hadn't had the chance to spend much time the Megan or really see Jimmy in forever so it was awesome to hang out with them. There were also people there I hadn't seen in well over ten years. Ali, can you and (your) Brett get married again so we can see all these people more often?!

So Sweet

2011-05-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Smiley

Six Week

Sutton

How It's Going - Six Weeks Postpartum

2011-05-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

It's six weeks post pregnancy. Recovery has been a lot easier this time around. I've shed my maternity clothes, but I'm still not totally in ALL of my clothes but most fit just fine. According the "official" doctor's records I gained 24lbs and I have lost 20. Pregnancy or not, I'd like to lose another 10lbs and tone up the flab! I did manage a few stretch marks but I'm hoping they will fade. I've been using Mederma and if it doesn't work I'm going to be a little irked that I paid $40 for it!

Hormones have been INSANE! I'm going to blame a lot of it on lack of sleep, but holy hormones batman! I think I've only had one break down about something, but I'm walking a thin line here people. I take everything very personally, I even try to infer what people are thinking which is never good. I'm hoping this gets better pronto.

As I mentioned before, I'm not getting a ton of sleep. For the first 4 weeks or so I really tried to sleep as much as I could during the day because it really is the best thing you can do to heal, help with milk production, and maintain your patience. It's getting a lot harder to do that now. If I don't stay on top of the house work (the laundry crazy!) I get more stressed out and tend to want to lock out everyone who makes a mess! So, I'm now trying to skip afternoon naps. Sutton is sleeping better at night, but still not completely through. I'm ready for this!

My appetite is ravenous. I'm eating more than I was when I was pregnant. I am hungry all. the. time. I am craving the complete opposite things than I did when I was pregnant. I am one bipolar foodie! This pregnancy must have done some weird things to my taste buds.

I have a little more healing to do. You can still see one of my staples or stitches if you look closely but Dr. Placide said it will heal soon. That wonderful doctor even got rid of my old scar and made my new one much thinner. In case you are wondering, the scar is so low you can not see it when I wear a bathing suit. Personally, I consider it a badge of honor!

That's about it. Much better recovery this time around and I am super thankful for it!

Sweet Sutton is One Month Old!

2011-05-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby boy is a month old. He is so precious to us and I can't imagine life without him. I have already learned so much about our baby boy. He is such a snuggler. Sutton loves to be laying on my chest. Usually if I put him there and he hears my heart beat, he will fall fast asleep. It's the best thing ever! Right now he is still sleeping a lot, but his wake time is increasing. I can tell he has gotten into a bit of a routine already. His naps are usually at the same times and he understands night times for now.

Sutton hates to have a dirty diaper and this kid ALWAYS has a dirty diaper! I know it's been 2 1/2 years since I've had a newborn, but I don't remember this many diapers. Brett and I can't get over it. We actually know he's ready to be fed when we hear him in the middle of the night pooping! (So gross, I know but it's the truth).

He has also started to smile some. It's the sweetest thing. He'll be looking around and focus on a face and give us a grin. Especially when he sees his big brother. He's beginning to notice lights and ceiling fans too. He is really great at holding his head up as well. He is super strong and curious! At his doctor's appointment we got his new stats, 11lbs 6.5 oz and 22 1/2 inches long.

Sutton's eyes are still a shade of blue/grey. His baby hair has fallen out a little but I can already tell where it is going to grow back in. Sutton is still a chubby baby. He won't be weighed until next week's appointment, but I can tell he has gained a lot of weight. He has the most delightful fat thighs and round belly. He has already outgrown a lot of newborn clothes and we are into the "up to three months" clothes.

Little Sutton, you are so precious to us. We have loved every minute of this first month!

(P.S. I wrote this last week but stinky blogger has been mean and not noticed my new photos so I am just now posting!)

How to Play With Your Baby Brother

2011-05-04T19:04:00.001-07:00

"He's Not a Nice Wolf"

2011-05-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

It's Wolfpack Caravan time again. I feel like we've started a lot of traditions (a lot even before the boys were born) and I feel like I've written the same posts over and over! Moses had a blast playing last year and this year was no exception. Brett helps with this event and helped make some suggestions for the kid's activities. They had bounce houses and giants slides along with student athletes playing games. It took a lot to get Moses to leave that night!

It was good hearing the coaches speak and I really liked hearing from the AD, Debbie Yow. She is one smart lady! Brett and I swapped kid duty so we each could hear the speakers and enjoy both or our kids. We had to keep one eye on where Mr. and Mrs. Wuf were though. Moses is NOT a fan.

The next night, Brett took Moses to the baseball game. Moses was having a blast and was running a few steps a head of Brett. All of a sudden, he looked up and Mr. Wuf was about five feet ahead. Moses stopped dead in his tracks, turned and ran back to Brett!

When they got home, I was sitting talking to Moses about what happened. Here is how our conversation went:

Me: Did you have fun at the game?

Moses: I scared of Mr. Wolfpack

Me: Why? I'm sure he likes you a lot.

Moses: He's not a nice wolf. He's not a nice man.

Me: Why do you say that?

Moses: I can't give him a high five.

How can you argue with that?

We Left the House!

2011-04-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took both boys out! It was the last day of Bible study and I really wanted to be with my small group one last time so I got up early and managed to get both boys and myself ready AND get there on time. It was probably the easiest trip to make because Moses goes straight to his class and I was just taking Sutton with me to class and everyone there is eager to help.

It was so worth it. Moses got a chance to play with his friends and I was able to see all my sweet friends who had been praying for me and precious Sutton all year. We had some time together in small group and then went and met with the other groups and we were able to have some fellowship time.

The funniest part was when I went to feed Sutton. I had my nursing cover and since it was all women I just fed him there. I just forgot how loud he is when he feeds! This was all happening while we were waiting for people who felt called to speak about the study this semester so everyone was really quiet and all you could hear was the wheezing sound Sutton was making. It made me feel a little better when my friend's little boy loudly pooped his pants! Well, Sutton took that as a challenge and did the same thing. She and I were caught between wanting to laugh out loud or crawl under the table. Luckily, everyone else thought it was funny too.

I'm already looking forward to next semester's study. I sure miss these ladies in the Summer! I have been very blessed to find such a great group.

Dear Mommy

2011-04-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

Don't forget I'm cute too! Especially when I'm wearing my favorite jammies.

First Bath

2011-04-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sutton's little umbilical cord finally fell off the other night. I was so ready to put him in the tub and give him a nice spa treatment. I knew it would be soothing to him and I was right. He had been a little fussy and as soon as his toes hit the water he was nice and calm. He tolerated everything well except for rinsing his hair. Moses still hates that too!

We did have one unhappy camper when we took him out. He just did not want to leave the Barker Spa. Good to know that he can go back several times a week! Mommy loves nothing more than a sweet smelling baby after a bath.

A Berry Good Time

2011-04-26T18:53:00.001-07:00

It's strawberry season! I love nothing more than fresh produce. I really miss the huge garden my grandmother kept when I was younger. For as long as I can remember I have been picking strawberries when the "u-pick" signs go up. In fact when I was Moses' age my picture was taken while I was picking strawberries and put in the local paper.

I knew this was a tradition I wanted to carry on with my family so before Papa and Gaga went home on Easter, we went to pick some yummy strawberries. Moses is an old pro now. He just needs a little help finding the really red ones. He didn't even try to eat one till we were all done. Sutton also helped a little as you can see. We did not want him to feel left out.

The place we went also sells homemade ice cream and lemonades, so we treated ourselves afterwards to something else sweet. I'm sure Moses loved that ice cream but not nearly as much as I loved my lemonade. It was the best! We even picked up so fresh herbs to grow. Yes I am feeling ambitious! I really hope we make it back one more time this year. I know I need one more lemonade!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T16:25:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful Easter Sunday! I couldn't imagine a more glorious day to celebrate a risen Savior. Unfortunately, Sutton and I had to stay home from church. He is just too tiny for me to leave him in the nursery. So, I sent the rest of the family on and Sutton and I watched the HBBC service from home.

We met up with everyone for lunch at the State Club. YUUUMM! I love the special brunches they do. So much great food and a great place to take photos after too. Please forgive me, but I just have not had time time to go shopping and things just do not fit quite right yet, so I just wore the dress from last year. Don't my boys look spiffy though? I made sure they had haircuts and new outfits at least. Special thanks to Gaga for the Sunday haircuts and Sutton's special Easter clothes.
Yes, we did do an Easter basket for Moses. He was very excited about the puzzle and play doh. Of course there was lots of candy and a few other treats. Sutton even received some new bottles and pacifiers in his basket. It was such a wonderful day and made even better since we spent it with people we love.

Two Weeks, Two Kids...Double the fun!

2011-04-24T12:09:00.001-07:00

This sweet angel is two weeks old! Last week was kind of a roller coaster for us. As soon as we were on our own for the first time as a family of four, we find out Sutton has an ear infection. I knew he was a little congested, but I had no idea he was that sick. We were really lucky with Moses I guess. I don't remember him getting sick until he was over six months old and he's never had an ear infection.

Sutton never acted like he had the infection, even after it was diagnosed. Let me tell you, they take that very seriously in babies that young. We had checks for three days and a shot of antibiotic each day. He also had a blood culture and an RSV check. Everything checked out fine and he seems to be acting like a normal infant.

I actually saw the founder of the practice on the second day who I just adore. (We go to a phenomenal, but large practice so we see lots of people.) He looked at Sutton's stats and did a double take. At birth he was 8lbs 14oz. As with most babies he lost a little weight after the first week and went down to 8lbs 5oz. At two weeks old, he was back up to a whopping 9lbs 11oz! He told me I needed to give classes on how to put weight on an infant. Glad to know after 30 years, I have found something I can really excel in. In fact yesterday, he was up to 9lbs 15oz. At this rate, he'll be in toddler clothing by the end of the year.

Sutton has been such a good baby so far. He sleeps well, even at night. The only time he is fussy is usually around that 5pm witching hour. He is already trying to hold his head up on his own and look around. I'm noticing that his wake time is expanding, but he is still a sleeper.

Things are still great with Moses. If he has any jealousy, he takes it out on us, but never his brother. He is SO sweet with and it just melts my heart. So boys, if you are reading this twenty years from now, there WAS a time when you got along!

I'm doing great with healing as well. I finally got to drive yesterday and today. I really missed that! I had a million errands to run for Easter and a million more to do for stuff around the house. Not to mention some cleaning. I have learned the secret to losing baby weight...it's having two kids! I never can seem to find the time to eat or finish a meal. Life is crazy but so great!

The Days of Baby Haze

2011-04-16T18:47:00.001-07:00

I've been spending my days soaking in my new little baby. I can usually be found with Sutton asleep next to me, in my arms, or on my chest. We do a lot of snuggling through out the day. It's perfect really. I'm still healing, not really allowed to do too much and all Sutton wants to do is eat, sleep, and well you know. It works out well for both of us!

Sutton and I are getting to know each other. Right now I know he hates having his diaper changed and hates have a dirty one even more. He's already doing a great job of sleeping at night (JINX!) and doesn't cry unless he needs something or is a little gassy (double jinx!). I think he is going to be a mama's boy and I am perfectly fine with that.

I have realized I completely forgot what it's like to have a newborn. They go through a lot more diapers than a toddler, they sleep a lot, and they are more noisy than I remember! I was so worried about Moses waking Sutton up but it's really the other way around. We could bring in a band right and Sutton would sleep through the entire thing.

It's all very blissful right now. Moses is still super sweet to Sutton. He's just acting wild in general because things have changed, but he just is the sweetest big brother I could have ever asked for. This could change in days, weeks, or years so I am enjoying it now!

We have also enjoyed the blessing of having our meals fixed for us by our Sunday School class. I cannot begin to tell you how awesome it is! It's always just what we need and VERY yummy! We have friends bringing us meals into May and I feel so spoiled. I'm going to have to step up my baby meals. These folks are awesome!

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and well wishes on blogger and facebook. I usually only have one hand to read them and if I have two I try to blog or return emails. I do want everyone to know how thankful I am for these kind words. I'm just having a hard time putting this baby down and surfacing from this lovely baby haze.

A Week With Sutton!

2011-04-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

As of tomorrow we've had Sutton in our arms for one week. I feel like he's been in our hearts forever. Our family just was missing something until he arrived.

We came home from the hospital late Saturday afternoon. We were really surprised Saturday morning when they told us we could go if we wanted. I think the only reason we left was so Brett could sleep in a bed. My hospital stay was a a dream. I slept well and had the best nurses so I would have been glad to have been taken care of another night!

Things have been going really well since we arrived home. I'm healing really well and we've started to adjust to having a newborn again. I had forgotten how different they are. Moses is doing well with Sutton too. He always wants to know where he is and gets really excited when he opens his eyes (hardly ever happens!).

I'm learning a lot about my new little boy. He is quite the snuggler. He loves to be held and will find just the right spot to keep warm and safe. He also is "Mr. Regular." Ha! I always know it's time to feed him because he goes to the bathroom right before. He's doing really well and nursing which is a good thing because we had been going for a lot of bilirubin tests (for jaundice). One of the best ways to get rid of that is to gain weight.

In the looks department he really favors his brother. However, he has my nose! He has long skinny fingers and toes and a robust little chest. He does have a faint red mark below one of his eyes but we can't tell if that is from a scratch from the hospital or a little birth mark.

I am just so in love with this baby boy. This is absolutely the dangerous stage of babies, when they are like this you want to have a dozen!

He's Here! Sutton's Birth Story

2011-04-09T18:42:00.001-07:00

He's here!! I can't believe it. I wanted to write this all while it is fresh so I don't forget anything. I woke up on April 7, and I couldn't believe that I was going to have a baby that day. It was scheduled and I had been preparing for i,t but it just didn't seem real. I got up early to shower and finish packing. I got Moses' things ready for school and waited for everyone else to get up. Brett and I, along with my parents, took Moses to school along with his "big brother" cupcakes. I was very proud of myself for keeping it together when I dropped him off. He seemed happy and was excited to be wearing his big brother shirt.

After stopping by the house to pack up the car, Brett and I were off to the hospital. I felt confident that they would be busy and I would have to wait. Well that was the first thing they told me! We actually only waited five minutes before they took us back to triage to get me prepped. My surgery was scheduled to start at 12:30pm. The nurses kept telling me over and over that things were so busy and they thought I would be pushed back but they would not know until it was closer to my scheduled time. Well Dr. Placide swooped in a little before 12pm and said that he had worked it out and we would be going back soon!

Luckily my parents arrived just in time to get Brett some lunch and to see me for a quick second before they wheeled me back for surgery. Brett was put back in the little room to get dressed and wait for me to be ready. (I'm going to go into a little detail here because I think it is important for people to know about c-sections and what REALLY happens.) The anesthesiologist came in to put in my spinal block. She had a hard time because of my scoliosis. I think I was stuck somewhere between 7-8 times. OUCH. So not fun. They laid me down and started to get the rest of me ready!

I feel really lucky I spoke to my friend Katherine who had problems a lot like me the first time and who has had a repeat c-section. She told me to remember to breathe even if it felt like I couldn't. Thank goodness for this advice! Your chest feels very heavy and you are breathing but it doesn't feel like it. I could talk but felt like a shouldn't just in case. Brett came in and I think I barely said three words to him.

It only took about 10 minutes or less to get Sutton out. Dr. Placide had told me that morning he thought Sutton was going to be another big baby while I thought maybe smaller. As soon as he started to deliver him he informed me I was VERY wrong! As soon as they pulled him out I could hear him crying. They gave me a glimpse of Sutton and they took him off to be cleaned and weighed. Brett joined him not too long after. That left me there with my crazy heavy chest and the chatting doctors and nurses. It is SO weird to listen to them talking and not be able to respond, but the strangest thing is hearing them count the instruments and sponges so that they know they have gotten everything out! That went on for about 30 minutes. Yes, most of the surgery is spent putting me back together!

I was wheeled into recovery where I had the BEST nurse! She stayed with me the entire time. Since it was so busy, they had sent Brett and Sutton up a floor to get him checked out and get his real bath. I felt better every minute I was in recovery. Brett came down right before they were ready to send me to my room. Sutton was going to meet us there. To my surprise they wheeled us into the SAME room that I was in when I had Moses. How crazy is that!!??

I was able to be examined and get my contacts in before they finally brought Sutton in. I was able to nurse him and spend some time with him and Brett. It was SO great!! I did get sick twice during this time but it was quickly controlled with nausea medication. I think it was mainly because I got hot.

About an hour after this, Moses and his grandparents arrived. Brett went to get Moses and brought him in. He was very quiet and didn't say a word and just looked at Sutton. He was just ready to get his grandparents in I think. They all came in and got to hold him and they brought in the little cake I bought and Moses got to sing Happy Birthday. It was so sweet and special!

So here he is Hugh "Sutton" Barker. Born on April 7, 2011 at 12:50pm. Weighing in at 8lbs 14ozs and 21 inches long. He has lots of brown hair and reminds me of his brother so much! He does have my nose. He carries most of his weight in chest and has skinny legs. We can't really determine an eye color yet but they seem to be a grayish color right now. We are in love! I will post more soon I promise!

39 Weeks!!

2011-04-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Look guys, a picture of me pregnant! Since I went to church on Sunday and we were not racing out the door, we took some pictures in Sutton's room. It's not quite finished so I'm not posting complete photos until we finish tomorrow night (right at the last minute!)

I take one look at this picture and all I can think is how tired I look! Maybe it's because I am. I know I've said it a million times but this pregnancy is SO different than the last. I've gained less weigh,t which is great! However, I've also experienced a lot of pain and discomfort associated with Sutton positioning himself on a nerve. They call it lightning pains. With Moses I was walking every day. But this last week, I have been spending a lot of time on the couch unable to move.
All in all I'm READY!! Tomorrow we are spending our last day as a family of three together. Brett is taking the day off and we have some fun things planned along with some errands.

Moses has been talking about how he gets a "bruder" this week. I think the thing he is most excited about is having someone to ride int he back seat. I explained where the car seat would go and he got really excited! I thought it was SO sweet.

I also want to thank everyone for their sweet messages, emails, texts, phone calls, cards and gifts! I feel so special!! All the heart felt words have been exactly what I have needed in this home stretch. I am so very blessed!

Post Pregnancy Wardrobe

2011-03-30T20:33:00.001-07:00

The dreaded deflated belly will return next week! I've been swapping out some things to make room for the "I'm not pregnant but I'm still too big to fit into my other clothes" look I will be sporting. Here are some of my favorites.

This is the type of skirt I LOVE to wear post pregnancy and well all the time! After having Moses I bought a lot of similar ones from Old Navy. They have a lot of elastic waist band skirts that are very flattering. Shirts were easy to get back into, but my thighs and hips could not fit into pants that I already had and I am just NOT a shorts girl anymore.

I have also already bought two of these dresses from Target. Lucky for me Kimono dresses are in fashion this year. I have bought a pair of leggings as well to go with some tunic tops to make the transition from Spring to Summer.

I have great nursing bras from last time. That was one of my big splurges! I knew I wanted to try to nurse for a year and I wanted to be comfortable. I went to Nordstrom where they will have someone actually fit you. (Oprah doesn't lie on this one folks, it will change your world!) I bought an Elle McPherson bra similar to this and LOVED it. I would also recommend J. Alanes which has moved to Cary from North Hills. Ask for Justin Anne. She rocks!

I am also trying some new things this time around. I hear people swear by Spanx after pregnancy so I have bought one pair to give them a whirl. I think I might try to hit up TJ Maxx to see if they have the generic option if I like them. I have also purchased a new nursing tank top and I am in search of another one that I can use.

The one downer is that I will be hitting bathing suit season very soon after giving birth. BLEEECCCCHH. I'm thinking only a tent would hide this problem! (In case you are wondering, a c-section scar is completely hidden when you have on a two piece bathing suit.)

Anyone else have any suggestions? Any must haves that I am leaving out? I only have one more week to plan!

The HBBC Consignment Sale

2011-03-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Twice a year, I become consumed with the Kids Stuff Consignment Sale at our church. I'm on the committee and this Fall I am helping chair the event (EEK). I talk about this project all the time, so I thought I'd give a very small glimpse inside. These not so great iphone photos were taken the night before the sale when we still had some work to do. But you can tell the MASSIVE amount of items inside. We use the church gym and it is filled to the brim!

This area was pretty much cleared out on Saturday afternoon. Can you tell how nice some of this stuff is? Most of it was in great condition and even better it was a great price! We had one of our biggest sales to date and I feel like it went smoother than it ever has.
Our church is so pleased that we are able to serve our community and the children't ministry so well with this sale. I love being a part of this and love the people I get to interact with. I really encourage everyone to find an area (or two or three) to serve in your church. I have been able to meet so many people this way! I'm already getting excited for the Fall!

C-Section/Baby Sutton Questions Answered!

2011-03-28T10:48:00.001-07:00

(A completely unrelated belly/Moses picture after we'd both sacked out)

I love questions! It gives me something to blog about that might not totally bore the people who read it. It is also a huge distraction these last few days before Sutton arrives.

Q1. Did you consider a vbac?

I knew after Moses was born that if we had another baby I would have another c-section. The problems I had are likely repeat ones. Meaning I would go through labor and end up right back on the operating table. Also, the vbac statistics are scary. You literally have to sign your life away and have force your way down that road with your doctor. I do have one friend who has successfully gone through a vbac. She told me she had to be very insistent about what she wanted and her doctor tried to talk her out of it. I just don't feel as strongly as she did about it. I feel very comfortable about my decision!

Q2. Are you scared about the surgery?

Not yet. I'm getting a little nervous though. I had a fantastic appointment with the nurse practitioner/mid-wife last week which was a huge help. She and I sat and talked for about 30 minutes about what happened last time and what will be different this time. I have my pre-surgical appointment at the doctor's office tomorrow with the doctor that will be delivering Sutton. I really like this doctor and I feel very comfortable with him. I'd say my current biggest fear is going into labor early and getting one of the doctors I'm not so crazy about. Oh, and the fact that Friday and is April Fools Day and My dad is going to Houston for two days this week. Minor stressors!

Q3. When can we see belly, nursery, or other pictures??!!

Have no fear, that post is coming. My mom was here this weekend and let me tell you that woman can get more done in an hour than I can do in a week. Before we finished one task she's thinking of the next. She also has an uncanny ability to get my husband to do things that he just won't do for me! So the nursery is very close to being done and as soon as I have a day to put some make up on and something that looks some what cute I'll snap some pictures. (Mom also cut everyone's hair this morning too so that we will not look like vagrants when we are taking new family photos next week. I TOLD you she was busy!)

Q4. How are you feeling...really?

I'm not going to lie. AWFUL. This pregnancy is so completely different than Moses. For some reason even though I have gained less weight and I think this baby is much smaller, I am in pretty much constant pain. My muscles are just done with carrying this baby. The mid-wife also told me his head is very low which is to blame for the shooting pains I've been experiencing. At this point with Moses I was out walking in about a mile in the August heat. No way will that happen now!

I think that about covers it! Thanks for the great questions. Be prepared for more posts this week. I have a lot to catch up on from being slammed with volunteer work and meetings. I am so hoping I have time to blog after Sutton is born so I can capture those first sweet weeks!

Birth Plan, Take 2

2011-03-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

The saying, "We make plans, and God laughs" is never more true than when you make a birth plan. NOTHING ever goes as planned. However, knowing I will have a c-section makes things a little easier to map out. Also, knowing what went wrong the last time will make it easier to prepare.

The day I am scheduled to have Sutton, Moses is in school. This will make life much easier for me! I know that he will be busy and happy that day. My plan is for him to have a "Big Brother Day" since his birthday is during the summer and he doesn't get a class party. He'll come home and have a nap and get a snack and then go meet his new brother. If for some reason I go into labor before then, I do have a back up plan. A sweet friend who lives near the hospital and has a child Moses' age that has offered to be on call for me. This is a relief because we do not have any family in town!

As far as the hospital goes, we have talked extensively with my doctor about what happened last time. I was very sick during the entire surgery and after. Later that night I passed out and was given two units of blood the next day. We have a plan to combat all of this and I know to be more vocal about my needs. Brett also has a greater understanding about what I need medically (a traumatic event can do that!). I have also asked my parents to be at the hospital on stand by to support Brett and I. My mom can pretty much look at me and know what is wrong and that puts me at ease.

The biggest thing I can and WILL control is when everyone gets to see the baby. I have NO memory of the moment our family and friends met Moses the night he was born. I do remember a sweet friend holding my hair back as I got sick. I REALLY do not want to miss these moments. I also feel that Moses should meet his brother first and our family should have sometime alone together. There will be NO pictures sent out via phone or Facebook before we have the honor to do so. (Yes, this did happen last time.)

My advice for first time mommies is to have a birth plan, but also have a post birth plan. Do NOT let family or friends pressure you into something you are not comfortable with. You are the one in the hospital essentially having a medical procedure performed. Do not feel guilty about being "unfair" to someone. Your health and little family is what comes first. Guard it! Besides, no one can be upset with you when they are holding a sweet baby!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2011-03-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Whew! I know I've been really slack these last few weeks, but it's because we have been super busy. Moses was sick about two weeks ago with a sinus infection. He had to take antibiotics for the very first time. He was such a big boy about it. Luckily he felt better last week because while Brett was out of town, Nana and Pops came to visit. We had big plans to get some serious shopping done. As you can see from the above photo we accomplished a lot. I feel much better about Sutton having what he needs. And Moses got a few things too.
One of the side effects from the medicine was a loss of appetite. This was so strange for me because Moses is such a good eater. We took him to the new Andy's at Crabtree the day he started feeling up to eating again. There was a cheeseburger on this plate at one point! I laughed so hard after I looked at this photo. The kid in the background is totally jealous of the milkshake Moses is having!
One of the most important things we did was build Sutton a bear from Moses and Nana. He really had a good time picking out everything for the bear. He did NOT like the machine that stuffed the bear and preferred to sit with me. He wanted two hearts for each bear which I thought was so sweet. I kept asking him what he wanted to name the bear. He wouldn't tell me anything! Finally I asked him what the name should be and he said "Six!" I didn't question it. The bear's name is Six.

I am working on our church's HUGE children't consignment sale all this week. It is seriously a tremendous undertaking and I am helping chair next fall so I am trying to learn as much as I can. So, if you are in Raleigh PLEASE come to the Hayes Barton Baptist Church Kids Stuff Consignment Sale! You can find all the info at www.hbbc.net

Since life is so hectic, I'm going to do my pregnancy update now instead of tomorrow. Sutton has DROPPED. My belly is in my lap! These last three weeks are not going to be pleasant physically. I have bad inner thigh and pubic bone pain. It's a nerve condition that sometimes happens during second pregnancies. Not fun! Poor Brett has had to hear me whine a lot especially in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. I've just been a big ball of cranky nerves! At least we don't have much longer to go!

34 Weeks

2011-03-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

Pretty much more of the same this week. My doctor's appointment is not until Thursday, so nothing medical to report just yet. I feel like I'm growing, mainly because of my ligament pain. I also think I am starting to drop because I sometimes feel my belly trying to poke out under my shirt! I have also lost sight of my belly button. It has moved further down!

Mainly I'm dealing with third trimester tiredness. My mind has a million things I want to accomplish and my old body says NO WAY! When I do get some energy, watch out. I've cleaned out and reorganized a lot of kitchen cabinets and and my pantry. I needed a three hour nap the next day though.

The only new thing is I think I have acid reflux. YUCK! This will end my orange juice habit before bed. I have never had this before and it is not pleasant. I am hoping I can just watch my acid intake with food and it will go away.

Just a few more of these updates! Sutton will be here in a little over 5 weeks!

Love Doesn't Divide, It Multiples!

2011-02-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

Over the past several months, we've been slowly trying to prepare Moses for the arrival of his little brother. We've made him apart of a lot of the things we are doing to get ready for Baby Sutton, because he will be Moses' baby too! When it comes to family, I am a firm believer that everyone is responsible for each other. We should always be helping each other be better and do better. This means Moses and Sutton belong to each other!

I have explained to Moses that mommy will go to the hospital so the doctor can get Sutton out of my belly and a few days later he will come home to live with us. I found a few episodes of "A Baby Story" that were edited enough for him to watch. He saw the mommy go to the hospital with the daddy. He saw the nice doctors and nurses helping her get ready. Then they took her to a room and all of a sudden there was a baby on a table getting cleaned up! His response to this? "He's all muddy!"

It may sound like too much for the rest of you, but I really want him to understand what is happening. They really showed very little medical parts in these stories and he now seems to really understand that even though mommy is going to see the doctor at the hospital that I will be ok and the things attached to me are to help.

Right now the thing he is most proud of is Sutton's room. He loves to show the things that are in there. He likes to tell people where Sutton will sleep and the clothes in his closet that he will wear. Moses has asked me if Sutton will drink his milk and I told him that he will drink special mommy milk. He seemed ok with that.

I am sure when he arrives, things will be a lot different. I am expecting some jealousy and also a lot of wanting to help. Moses loves to do chores and tasks so I am planning on using that to my advantage. What I want him to take away from this experience is that love doesn't divide, it multiples!

Erin's Shower!

2011-02-25T05:59:00.000-08:00

My sweet friend Erin is getting married! I am SO excited for her and Erik and can't believe their wedding day if fast approaching. To celebrate, a few of her Meredith friends decided to throw her a Recipe Shower.

Instead of a traditional corsage, we had this apron made for her to wear while she opened her gifts. I loved this because it is something she can use after the shower.
All the yummy brunch food and the delicious cake! We also decorated the table with pictures of us with Erin from the past 10 years. Erin was so much fun to watch open presents. She just loved everything she received and we had a book full of recipes to take back to Charleston with her. We were all super jealous of all the yummy stuff she was going to be able to make! One of my favorite gifts was a book Renee picked up for her called "Pat the Husband." If you have a friend getting married PICK UP THIS BOOK!! It is a great shower or bachelorette present!

We had so much fun that morning! I really don't see these girls enough since a lot of them have moved to Charlotte. Getting us all in the same place is even harder to do! I also loved seeing the girls Erin worked with in Raleigh. They are all so sweet and fun! I can't wait till the wedding this summer!

33 Weeks!

2011-02-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

Wow, this week has been a really busy one! I'm hoping this is the reason why I am so exhausted. Maybe sleepy is a better word! I feel like at any point in the day I could just curl up and go to sleep. I have to be careful not to get near my bed, because I accidentally took two naps this weekend!

I'm still able to do most of the same things, or at least I try to. I am still picking up Moses and getting him in our SUV and I move stuff around I probably shouldn't. The one thing that is strangely difficult is laundry. Picking up clothes after I sort them, reaching for detergent, getting the clothes from the bottom of the washer and then getting them out of the dryer. WHEW!

I have indulged three times in a fast food cheeseburger this week. BOO for me! I'm back on track for now and eating only at home. I really think that this has been the secret to keeping the weight off this time around. Well that and a busy toddler! I also don't really have an appetite for sweets this time either. I did get a box of Carmel Delights from the lovely Girl Scouts. When I was in college I ate an entire box of these while writing a paper one night (all 100lbs of me)! Today I had about three!

What has been really sweet is all the compliments I have received about how great I look. Being this pregnant you feel huge and gross. Your hormones are also tricking you into thinking that no one likes you and you can't do anything right! But my dear friends and even perfect strangers have been so positive about the way I look. It has meant A LOT! I know it sounds totally vain, but it really has helped.

I feel like we're in for the final count down. Around six weeks to go! I'll have a more detailed update next week after my doctor's appointment!

Oh, just a little side bet here. We have dinner plans with some friends on Friday night. I will be 33 1/2 weeks pregnant and my friend Gina will be 36 weeks pregnant with twins. I'm wondering if we will have this dinner here or at the hospital!?

Happy Half Birthday Moses!

2011-02-21T18:10:00.000-08:00

This is the only face Moses would make for me on his half birthday!

Moses is officially 2.5 years old! I just can't believe all the new things he can do now. The learning is just piling up every day. Here are some new Moses facts.

- He can pretty much count to ten if we remind him of the number seven. It trips him up every time! He'll then go into trying to count by tens.

- He knows pretty much all of his shapes : heart, star, diamond, circle, square, rectangle, triangle, and oval. He likes to make a triangle with his fingers.

- He is getting a lot better with his colors. If he has any question over a color he will just call it green.

- He is getting really close to singing his ABCs. Funny story, he will sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and instead of singing "how I wonder what you are" it will come out "how I ABC R." It is SO funny.

- He is singing lots of songs and making up his own ones too.

- He can almost dress himself! In fact he prefers to. He has put on socks, pants, and shirts on all by himself.

- He still has great manners. He even thanks me for making meals and tells me how good they are. He's also started to tell me I do a good job and I'm pretty. He is just the sweetest thing!

- He has a great imagination. He pretends to be super heroes and his favorite characters. He loves books and and asks questions about the pictures.

- He has such a love for learning about God! He loves going to church and Bible study and we read Bible stories. He can sing his entire meal prayer and recite his bedtime prayers. He prays for his family and "Baby Sutton" as well as his friends and mommy and daddy's friends. Sometimes if he goes to time out in his room I hear him talking to himself. When he comes out he tells me he has been reading the Bible. How can you stay mad at that?

- He likes to help me cook. But he is a sneak about eating while we do it.

- He is very good about following rules and is such a creature of habit. He has to do things a certain way every time.

- He is still doing well in school. He talks about his teachers and friends all the time.

- Moses has a huge vocabulary. He is quite the talker. It surprises me at the stuff he says sometimes.

- He is a rough and tumble kind of kid. He loves jumping around and crashing into things. He has invented a game with my dad he calls "runaway" which is pretty much hide and seek.

- He loves to do puzzles still. He can do a lot all on his own that are all ages 3 and up.

- He is still a great eater. I think pizza is still his favorite thing ever. Moses would eat a PB&J every single meal if I would let him. (so thankful no one in his class has a nut allergy) He also eats tons of fruit. He likes all the foods we do and the only struggle we have at dinner time is getting him to sit still.

- He still taking an afternoon around 1:30pm and goes to bed usually after 7:30pm. He is up in the mornings around 7:15am. The boy snores like a freight train especially since he has been congested. He still has to have Rocky and his blue blanket to fall asleep. Sometimes he will hide him if he doesn't want to go to bed and yell that he can't find him.

- I think we are ready to potty train. I tried one weekend but I think my timing and methods were a little off. I have been waiting for all the illness to leave us before I try again.

We are very blessed to have a sweet loving little boy. He can be a little wild and sneaky at times, but that makes us love him more. Happy Half Birthday Moses! We love you!

We Have a Date!!!

2011-02-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

YAY!!! April 7 we will meet our new little boy!!

Today I went for my ultrasound appointment. I usually go to the central Raleigh location, but today they had me go to the North Raleigh office. I was a little annoyed by this until I realized the lady who schedules the surgery is at this office!

First, the ultrasound. I have never had an ultrasound this late in my pregnancy. Everything is so much more defined and even the non ultrasound savvy can figure out what is what. I didn't even have to ask to confirm it was a boy! Sutton was moving all around and generally being sneaky, but she was able to measure everything. He is on the big size, but nothing world record shattering. The culprit seems to be a huge amount of amnotic fluid. She was even amazed by how much! She said they would probably want another ultrasound before I deliver which makes me happy!

After my sneak peak, I peaked my head into the scheduler's office and she worked with me to get the doctor I wanted for my c-section. As it turns out, the doctor that delivered Moses will also deliver his brother. I am so much more at ease knowing this is taken care of. I have a lot going on between now and then and hardly anything accomplished with the nursery! Now at least I have a real deadline...unless he decides to come early!

With the Fishes

2011-02-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

With my due date approaching in a few weeks, we decided to take one last road trip to my parents house. Mom has moved her shop and needed some help with a few things and we all needed hair cuts as well, so off to EI we went. We left Thursday afternoon and arrived in plenty of time for nacho night! The next day everyone had to work. Since Brett was working from home, which means close quarters at my parent's house, I took Moses to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

Do you want to know the BEST time to go to the aquarium? That would be when the doors open anytime in the Winter. We were the only people there until 10:30am. I let Moses run from tank to tank and room to room and enjoy himself. He really loved it this time. They also have a room just for toddlers to enjoy. It has books, puzzles and craft stations. I think we stayed in there for about 45 minutes (a very long time by Moses standards). There maybe have been one or two field trips there but that was it. The staff was great and we really loved it.

I wish I had photos of my mom's new shop. She has really done a great job fixing it up. We worked hard on that for the rest of the weekend so she would be willing to make us all look pretty! I can't believe the next time we visit there will be 4 of us!

UPDATE on 32 Weeks

2011-02-15T09:09:00.001-08:00

Well, I just got back from the doctor so I thought I would post an update. My new total weight gain is 20lbs. This is AWESOME compared to my last pregnancy. (I felt so good about this I stopped and got a McDonald's cheeseburger on the way home HA!) My iron is higher than it was at my low point, but they would still like it higher. Blood pressure and all other numbers look perfect.

Now, here's the kicker. Although I am currently 32 weeks pregnant, my belly is measuring 36 weeks. For all of you who have never been pregnant that is a HUGE difference. Most normal pregnancies last 40 weeks. Doctors like you to make it to at least 38 weeks. Since Sutton is measuring so large I am scheduled for an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon. What does this mean? I have NO idea. This is reason number 193847 that Brett should come to the doctor with me. He asks all these questions when I call him.

I am guessing I might have some sort of update for you guys tomorrow! I am very excited to see my little guy tomorrow. I want a double check between the legs too!

31 and 32 Weeks

2011-02-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

"Sutton, are you in there?"

Look at me posting a picture! Here I am, large and in charge! I'm feeling that way too. Moving around is getting harder every week as I grow. It's almost comical to see me try to roll over and get out of bed. I've also had to be careful cooking. I'm spilling a lot more and even noticed I got a little too close to the stove cooking dinner tonight!

Surprisingly, I am sleeping ok. In fact, I feel tired a lot and have been napping more these past few weeks. My energy level is low, but my mental project list is HUGE. I have a lot of things I need/want to accomplish before Sutton comes. It's all making me pretty cranky which I hate. Poor Brett and Moses, my patience level is extremely low.

I have been feeling a lot of contractions lately. I really have to be careful and remember to eat and drink at appropriate times to ward them off. A few times I've been a little concerned, but they always stop. I'm also still stretching out and having the ligament pains to go with them. I find this so crazy since I got them early in my pregnancy last time.

Back problems are really starting up too. My body shape just doesn't hold up as well! Moses has really started to realize that I'm a lot slower and I can't do somethings like I used to. In some respects he has become more helpful. Getting things for me, climbing into his car seat, and standing in the grocery cart so I can get him out. BUT, boy does he use it to his advantage when he doesn't want to do something. He'll run away and go limp before nap time so I have to support all 30lbs of him!

Sutton's still a little belly acrobat! I notice he gets the hiccups a lot too. He's usually busiest right before dinner and before bed time. If I wake up in the middle of the night he will usually be doing a little dance then too.

I realize this post is a little, ok well, a lot whiney. I'm not one of those super duper happy pregnant women. I love feeling Sutton kick and seeing my stomach move, but that is about it for me. I have to take medication twice a day, I've been in pain, and it's a ton harder to do with a two year old. I've also been waiting for two and half weeks for the doctor's office to call me back regarding my c-section date. I'm a few days from going Terms of Endearment on someone there!

I think I will be in a lot better mood when I have my date! I have so much going on between now and then so I'm sure the time will start to fly by.

Who will He Be?

2011-02-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

Brett and I have been talking a lot about what Sutton might look like. Here are two of our baby pictures. I think you can figure out who is who! I just wonder if he is going to take after Moses in looks and behavior. We will find out soon!

Blast From the Past!

2011-02-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Me, Renee, and Erin circa 2007

Found this today in my files. Can't wait to see these girls in a few weeks!

Consignment Sales!

2011-02-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! Time for consignment sale shopping!! I've been purposefully putting off buying anything for the new baby until after I hit up all my major sales. I realize a lot of people that read my blog are pregnant or are thinking about shopping these sales (or even selling their stuff) for the first time, so I thought I'd give my top tips for buying and selling!

Buying:

- Make a list!! Know what you really need to come away with. How many shorts, shirts, shoes, dress clothes etc. What gear you want and need or toys you would really like to have.

- Make a budget!!! I usually carry cash with me to make myself stick to it.

- Bring something to put your stuff in. In the past I've carried a hamper and even Moses' wagon. That way you can put a lot of stuff in it and not have to hold on to it constantly.

- If this is a big sale, and you plan on doing some serious buying, get there early. I can't tell you how much my husband teases me for this. He however does not complain when he sees what all I've bought! The really good stuff can go fast. Especially the big ticket items. If you want the baby swing that looks brand new for nearly nothing, be one of the first in the door.

- Be patient. And be willing to not be upset if someone gets something you want or if they just don't have it.

- Be nice. Help each other out. Talk to people in line and if you find something they are looking for grab it for them. They are more than likely to do the same for you.

- Sort. Find somewhere way out of the way and go through what you picked up. This will make checking out much easier and make you accountable to your budget.

- Bring a friend. Or better yet a mom, mother-in-law or sister. The more hands the better.

- For the sake of others and yourself LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME!!

Selling

- Plan ahead. It usually takes a long time to go through all the stuff you want to sell and then tag it. Don't wait till the last minute.

- Presentation is everything. Make items look nice. Use appropriate hangers and bags. Make sure your things are not stained,torn or broken. Most places refuse these items.

- Be realistic. I've heard SO many people complain about their stuff not selling. A quick look at the price tag and I know exactly why. Yes, your stuff is nice, but it's not making you any money hanging on the rack. Other people know the secret to being profitable at these sales is to price accordingly. Their stuff will sell before yours! You'll be a lot happier picking up a check than an armful of unsold items.

- Read the rules of the sale. Know the "dos and don'ts" and it will make things easier.

- Be on time for drop off and pick up.

- Develop a relationship with a sale. There are tons of sales. Selling at several will make you crazy. Pick one and get to know the people and the rules. It will make life easier.

- Volunteer. Until I was on the committee that put on our church's sale I had NO idea what it took to put it all together. Nothing brings a sense of appreciation like lending a hand.

To say I love these sales is an understatement! It has really become necessary in our lives to use them as our primary source of shopping for children's items. I even caught myself telling Moses last week to not drag he shoes on the cement because I paid $5 for them and his brother had to wear them too! Good luck everyone!

What's New with Moses

2011-01-28T07:05:00.001-08:00

I've been neglectful about writing about what is going on with my little man so here is an update on Moses:

- He has gotten really good at puzzles. I mean like REAL puzzles with only a picture to go by. I'm amazed at his skills.

- His verbal skills have gotten a lot better too. I asked him last week if he was going to help me with something and his reply was, "Eventually." Is he 2 or 22?

- He's so creative. He pretends a lot more than he ever has. He makes us things in his play kitchen. He loves to make coffee, pizza, cookies and sausage biscuits. He makes the noise for the microwave and everything!

- He has taken to chewing on his lovey Rocky. Let me tell you that thing STINKS after a night of him being slobbered over.

- He loves being a helper. He will clean up his own mess or help me with house work. He loves nothing more than sitting in a big pile of warm laundry looking for his socks.

- He has started singing. He knows all the words to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and almost all of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

- He's mostly a shower boy now. It is SO much easier to bathe a toddler that way. Brett puts him the shower with him and he loves to draw shapes on the steamy shower glass.

- He is still a pretty good eater. I am so afraid all these boys are going to eat me out of house and home! I wish he'd eat more vegetables, but with some of the stories I hear I can't complain. He does have a sweet tooth but he knows that he has to eat his lunch or dinner before he gets anything "cookie" like.

- Before he goes to bed at night he begs to "snuggle one minute" over and over again until we finally have to put him in his bed.

- Even if we put him in his bed for sleep, he falls asleep on the floor in front of the door. Every night we have to put him back in his bed where he stays until the next morning.

- That boy can snore. Oh my goodness he puts his daddy to shame. This officially makes me the only person in my family (grandparents included) that does not snore.

- He is learning so much. Shapes are still his best and colors his worst. I actually gave him a color blind test I found online. He passed! We'll keep working.

- He loves to run all over the place. He'll even run in circles! He keeps us busy!

- He is such a creature of habit. He does things a certain way every time. If something is missing or different he can spot it in a heartbeat. Whether is is Brett's hat not on, photos I've switched on the mantle, or a napkin not underneath his plate he'll be the first to speak up about what is wrong.

I'm so proud of my big boy!

30 Weeks!

2011-01-25T11:21:00.001-08:00

Oh my goodness this keeps going by faster (but not fast enough!). I can tell a definite drop in where Sutton has been sitting. He is much lower than where he has been. When I stand up is the worst. Usually means a bathroom trip is to follow!

I can feel Sutton stretching out all over my belly. He moves all the time especially at night. In the evening, I love to watch my stomach move with all his kicks and turns. It is still so amazing to know that he is in there and growing so fast! I really can't wait to just hold him in my arms.

I have noticed that I am having some inner thigh pains. I have scoliosis so things shift a lot more in my body. I have always been told that I will have to watch my weight because of this, but with pregnancy there is no choice! Hopefully things will shift again soon and I will have some relief.

The only other thing that I've noticed a change in is my hormones. I am taking things very personally these days! I am stressed out about things I can't control and that are going to happen AFTER the baby is born. How crazed am I?

I went to the doctor last week and I have gained 16lbs and my iron levels are not where they would like them to be, but much higher than they were. At this appointment I was 29 weeks but I measured at 32 weeks. I got really excited and asked if that meant I would actually deliver sooner or that they would move my due date. HA! No way, just means a big baby!

I put in my request for the doctor I wanted to deliver and I was told that they would schedule me on April 5 or shortly there after. They are suppose to call me very soon to set a firm date. I am SOOO ready to know when. There are a lot of schedules to rearrange! I also have to figure out what in the world I am going to do with Moses as well as a "birth plan." Of course in the past few days I have heard of a few people not making it to their scheduled c-sections with second children and my inner type A is FREAKING out.

As far as preparing for Sutton, I still have a lot to do. Clothes to buy, nursery to fix, and baby necessities to ready. Just about 9 more weeks to do it all!

Potato Head Master

2011-01-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

28 Weeks

2011-01-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling great this week! The nesting has really started. I have been cleaning out closets and getting rid of things around the house that we don't use/need. I've been trying to make this house "work" for us. This makes everyone who lives here very happy!

As far as the pregnancy goes, I'm feeling pretty good. I went to the doctor on Thursday and had my glucose test. I haven't heard anything so I'm feeling pretty good that I passed! I failed by one point with Moses. I really blame the Bojangles I ate 10 minutes before for that! I have gained 13 lbs and I feel pretty good about it! I know I really tend to pack on the weight my last trimester which they tell me is perfectly healthy especially since Moses was a big baby.

Dr. Gaines said everything looked great and Sutton's heartbeat was nice and strong. He said the contractions I've been noticing are normal and as long as they are not regular and not happening more than seven or eight times an hour I should be ok. I will start going every two weeks from here on out. The next visit I will put in my request for my c-section date! I'm so thankful I they allow me to choose my doctor. It looks like I will be working around Spring break schedules for their kids though! Keep your fingers crossed for us!

I can tell Sutton has made a drop a little bit lower. I do know he is pressing a lot more on my bladder! I have moved to that constant feeling of having to go to the bathroom, especially when I stand up. He is still as active as ever and I've noticed I can see him moving and not just feel it.

I know these next few weeks will fly by. January is almost over and February is a short month and then we'll be very close to meeting the newest member of our family. I am SO excited!

27 Weeks, Anniversary Contractions, and Cabin Fever

2011-01-11T11:33:00.001-08:00

Hello third trimester!! We're in the home stretch! I've been mentioning to Brett that Sutton will be here before we know it. We have less than three months. He replies we have plenty of time. Then this weekend while watching college basketball, they mention that selection Sunday is less than 90 days away. He totally freaks out realizes that Sutton will be here right after. Seriously? I should have known to put it in sports terms for him! I think it's funny because with Moses we watched a lot of the Olympics in the hospital and apparently we'll be watching some basketball this time!

I can feel the weight gain this week! My nonmaternity stretch pants are filling out. And according to by belly button my little turkey is done! Moses thinks that it is super weird. He'll ask to see Baby Sutton and either pat my belly or push my belly button and run away laughing. That does wonders for my self esteem!

Everything else is pretty much the same. I'm still having the same cravings and tiredness and even if I have trouble getting comfortable sometimes I am sleeping pretty well and only having to get up once for a bathroom trip.

We ended up having a small one night getaway for our anniversary. We had dinner at PF Changs and stayed at the Renaissance at North Hills. Both were great choices! I usually love a good steak or somewhere downtown to eat, but when I can't eat soft cheese and have to get my steaks cooked nearly well done that limits my choices with those places! But dinner was great and we really enjoyed our hotel. How cool is this bathroom mirror. That is a TV INSIDE the mirror. We both thought that was amazing.

We watched the movie Unstoppable and went to bed. I had a bit of a hard time falling asleep not being at home. I awoke at 3:30am with a strange pain that would come and go. They started to feel like contractions and they would come and go every 10 mins. I started to get a little scared and didn't know what to do, so we decided to call my doctor's office. I really like all the doctors at the practice, but when I'm confused or a little freaked out there are about two or three I want to talk to and don't make me feel bad for asking silly questions. Of course, one I really would not have liked to talk to called me back. He gave me some suggestions of things to try and told me to call back and head to Rex Hospital if nothing changed. Luckily, some water, tylenol and deep breathing worked and I went back to bed. So much for a relaxing night!

That's pretty much it. We've had another blast of bad weather. Not much snow here but lots of ice. We had to drive from my parents house Monday morning. They had a ton of snow and I was a little scared until things cleared up once we got on I40. This means we're stuck here at home unable to go to school, run errands and generally get our wiggles out. Even getting the mail looks a little scary. With my grace I'd probably cartoon fall in the middle of the driveway. I don't want to spend my last few weeks on bed rest or with a broken leg or arm!

The Random Cell Phone Photos of December

2011-01-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention...

2011-01-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

I wish I had better/more photos but apparently the rules for Disney are WAY more strict than Wolfpack football and they would not allow my SLR in. BOO.

We went to Disney on Ice! Because, you know, we didn't have a lot going on in December! Brett's mom had mentioned taking Moses and at the last minute we decided to go. We had a Saturday morning window available so we went to a Christmas breakfast party (by the way, a FANTASTIC idea) and headed to the RBC Center. I'm sure most parents were really trying to get close seats, and if Moses were a little bit older I would have done the same, but we some how ended up on the club level with the seats with a counter and TV that are very coveted for sporting events. It was PERFECT!

The show was very cute and Moses did ok with it. He did a pretty good job of paying attention but kind of lost it towards the end. He was way more pumped about his new spinning Buzz Lightyear. Disney does a great job with this show. Lots of music and dancing. Brett and I were very entertained by a little girl in the front row who stood up and danced every single time a song was played. She was hysterical.

Moses still asks about Buzz ice skating and will pretend to skate in the house. I'm guessing we might be going to Disney on Ice again next time!

4 Years of Marriage

2011-01-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

Honeymoon in Tortola Jan 2007

This week, I was reading another blog that was talking about marriage being hard work. It's true! I usually spend this day on my blog reflecting on or wedding, but the real accomplishment on this day is our marriage. In the last four years, we've been through tremendous change, accomplishment, hardships, and triumphs. We've had to work very hard through all of it. I think so many women think that finding someone is the hard part, when in fact that's when the real work begins!

I am so fortunate to be married to someone with the same mindset that I have about important things. Our faith plays a huge part in our life and daily decisions especially in our relationship and our parenting. We do struggle to put our relationship first, especially with the demands of a toddler and our day to day chores. It's very hard to find time for just us with our closest family being 3 hours a way and babysitting rates skyrocketing! But more importantly, we really recognize when it is time for "us" and we do what we have to to make it happen.

I think that our biggest success as a married couple is recognizing when something isn't working and doing every thing we can to change it. I've always told Brett that if we don't fix the things that don't work now, that life will be a lot harder when those problems are still here and new ones arise. It helps tremendously that we can both work to make these changes. That's where loving each other makes it easier!

So, the wedding was a beautiful start. A party to send us off for our long term job and life together. So, on this anniversary, I think we should say here's to our marriage! I love you Brett!

26 Weeks

2011-01-04T06:48:00.001-08:00

Shew! Last week flew by! Brett had all of last week off, which meant I got to sleep in! Sleeping in means 8:30, but I'll take it! Cooking and cleaning for Christmas and staying up late for company really took it out of me. Lucky for me, Brett and I are not New Years people so we stayed in and went to bed early just like we have the past couple of years.

I did not get the memo that my doctor's office was going to be closed last Friday, so I did not get my prescription called in for my nausea medicine. I was only one pill short so I was hoping that it wouldn't make too much of a difference. It wasn't that bad but I could absolutely tell a difference. I am really glad to be back on it.

Food cravings are really intensifying. I think I went about three weeks where I ate a hot ham and cheese sandwich nearly every day. I'm also still loving a bowl of cereal in the afternoons or at night. Also, some things just don't sound good. Luckily I'm really craving healthy foods.

I'm thinking the holiday has helped my weight gain. The belly is growing! No mistake that I am pregnant now. Sitting is still not a fun thing to do. It is much easier to stand or move around or lie down on my side.

Sutton is still kicking up a storm. As usual, he usually is very active when I am resting or before I go to bed at night. I hope this is not the case when he is born!