First Spring Weekend

So I know the first day of Spring is still a couple of weeks away, but I am considering this the first weekend of Spring because it definitely felt like Spring had sprung around here.  I think last year the first weekend it felt like Spring actually occurred in February.  It was a very early Spring!  This weekend's warm weather (around 70 degrees) was definitely welcomed as we opened up the windows and let the fresh Spring air rid the house of that winter mustiness.  We actually had a crazy busy weekend.  On Friday afternoon, I enjoyed joining the boys playing outside with the nanny before she left.  Saturday, we spent most of the day putting together Evan's new bunk beds (which he'll soon be sharing with Brody) and just doing a big bed switch.  We moved Evan's full sized mattress into Brody's room to replace the old spare mattress which is on the way out the door.  In changing out Evan's bed, we took most of the old decor and pictures off the wall since the taller bed will take up more of the wall space.  While we were taking stuff off the walls, we puttied and painted any holes left by nails.  Unfortunately, we were also dealing with a sick little man during this process as Evan had awoken that morning with a stomach bug.  He was definitely feeling sick and weak and spent most of the day resting and sleeping.  Thankfully, the bug seemed to pass quickly so he has been as good as new all day today.  Yes, I did "overdo" it a little on Saturday, but I am glad that we got so much done around the house and managed to make some good memories too.  Here's to more Spring weekends ahead!

Welcoming Spring!  I had thought of making a cute Spring banner, but when I saw this at Target for only $6.99, I couldn't pass it up.  It is made of felt so it should last for future years. 

Evidence of Spring -- cherry blossoms! 

Our cherry tree is blooming!

Evan wanted to draw a hopscotch board on the ground.  I love that Brody was also drawing.  

This little guy has gotten so good on his scooter. 

Look at him go!

Brody was content to push his firetruck around.  We enjoy using the cul-de-sac  across the road for bike riding as it is seldom used by traffic. 

I just love how cute he always looks in his helmet. 

Enjoying a game of hopscotch.  He makes up his own rules.

Brody enjoyed exploring. 

And throwing sweet gum balls.  Ha!

I swear Brody thinks he's the Hulk or something.  He seriously thought he could move this sign post. 

Brody and his pal, Jonah, go exploring. 

Daddy begins the big job of setting up Evan's bunk beds.  Yes, it was in all of those boxes!

On Sunday morning, the boys got up and went downstairs to eat breakfast before Mommy got up.  Brody came back upstairs and got his little bunny that sings "Jesus Loves Me."  Mommy heard him "singing" along with the bunny.  He doesn't sing the words, but he definitely knows the tune. 

The big boys thought it was Summer already and decided to wear their shorts and flip flops today. 

We had to go to Target to look for new bedding for the boys and get some other weekly essentials.   I just loved my view while pushing the shopping cart!

After the run to Target and the Pottery Barn Kids store at the mall to get the boys' quilts and Evan's new dinosaur sheets, we made up Evan's bed for his first night on the top bunk.  We just decided to do neutral navy and light blue quilts and then let each boy have their own sheets and accessories.  Evan will have dinosaurs,and Brody will have cars.  We have to order Brody's sheets online because they had none at Target or Pottery Barn Kids or anywhere else I looked online in stock.  I refuse to buy anything but 100% cotton sheets for the kids because they both sweat so bad.  

Evan shows off his new dinosaur pillow.  He really wants a special stegosaurus pillow. 

Sweet boys sharing the top bunk.  Nope, this won't be a usual practice. 

Awww, how sweet are they!

Mommy had to test it out.  It is a pretty sturdy bed...no shaking. 

Evan's bedding

Brody tries out his bunk. 

After getting his new bed finished, it was time for some baseball practice in the backyard.  He has his first coach pitch team practice tomorrow.

Coach Daddy pitches the ball. 

There's our little ball player.  Great stance, Evan!

Swing! 

And Brody was content pushing his four wheeler around.  It was fully charged, but he still prefers pushing it to riding it. Silly boy! 

He's pretty fast at pushing though. 

Nice swing, Evan! 

Brody needed some refreshment after all his hard work pushing his four wheeler around. 

And now it was time for catching practice. 

Sweet little ballplayer. 

He's ready!

And he finally got on and rode a little. 

Brody loved swinging on the double glider with big brother.  I got video of him just giggling uncontrollably. 

Sweet little happy face!

Climbing up to the playhouse all by himself. 

So proud of himself!

Preparing to go down the slide. 

He really liked it when big brother went down with him. 

And he really loves swinging in his swing!

Swinging with Mommy. 

Evan had to dig out his old putt putt set. 

He's had the little set since he was about Brody's age.  The set has seen better days since it has been staying outside in the elements, but it is still cute.  Evan's putting green, on the other hand, could use a new groundskeeper.  Ha! 

I don't know what he was excited about here.  

And the tired big boy sleeping in his new bed at last! 

P.S. - Happy 600th post to me!  I am just the energizer blogging bunny...keep going and going and going!  Haha!

Introducing: Our Nieces and Nephews

Today, Kelly is doing a special link up all about nieces and nephews and/or grandkids.  If you've been reading here long, you have probably already seen many references to this crazy and special bunch of kiddies.  We are so blessed to have so many sweet nieces and nephews.  My brother and I were adopted and for much of our childhood, it was just us.  Our biological Uncle and Aunt lived in Indiana, and we actually stayed with them for a time so we were pretty close to our cousins then.  My Uncle is still very special to me, and he attended my wedding and came down to see us a couple of years ago.  He has some health issues that make traveling very difficult for him, but he is just the sweetest man.  His son, my cousin Rondall, and his wife and little girl came too so I got to see my cousin that I hadn't seen since I was a young child.

Evan meets Uncle Ronnie!

Getting to see our cousin Rondall and little Skylar. 

So providing my kids with family is pretty important to me and allowing my children to grow up close to their cousins is a wonderful blessing.  My brother and I currently have 6 kids under 9 with our little girl being lucky number 7.  My husband's sister also was recently blessed with our little Grady, and their family has a very generous portion of cousins so there are plenty of kids around us.

Introducing:

Emma - the almost teenage girl who started this whole adventure.  She is a beautiful little blue eyed blond who enjoys reading (just like her Aunt), playing with Barbies, fashion design (didn't get that one from me), taking care of her brothers and sister and younger cousins, dancing, swimming (what a fish!), and just never failing to entertain the crowd.  She belongs on Broadway!

Emma's dance recital when she was about 6. 

Lanny - the first boy who is 6 and definitely a character.  He is Evan's best friend since birth and loves all sports known to man (well basketball and golf may be his favorites like his daddy), pirates, Star Wars (he got Evan hooked!), and just about anything boy.  He'll do just about anything for a laugh so we have to watch this one.  Ha!

Evan and his best buddy, Lanny

Reade - a very smart and reflective little man of 4.  Don't let this little guy's quietness fool you; he's probably planning something big.  He is an inquisitive little guy and loves to ask some very engaging questions.  He loves his big brother and cousin and is also often much tougher than they are.  He loves to sword fight and play rough which his older brother taught him well, and he has a few battle scars to show for it.  But this little boy definitely knows how to give love.  He loves his sister and younger cousin and is so gentle with them.  He is also pretty cuddly too.

Sweet Reade picking a flower for Mom. 

Cate - the littlest princess of the bunch.  She is about a year and a half, and her best buddy is "big" cousin Brody.  She is little and delicate looking, but don't let those looks fool you.  She is tough and feisty and can definitely take care of herself.  Do not think you can take a toy from this girl and get away with it.  She is too busy for naps and refuses to slow down through her day.  Actually, she hates settling down at nighttime too.  She is sweet and quiet until she is displeased, and she loves exploring and testing her limits.  She is a dainty little Southern belle with a whole lot of fire!

Sweet Cate playing in the leaves. 

Grady - Well, this cutie is just working hard on growing up so he can play with his big cousins.  Despite some health concerns, he is a tough little cookie and is just as sweet as can be.  He has a head full of the softest dark hair and is just as cuddly as any baby you've ever seen.  We can't wait to learn more about this little man as he grows and develops.

Sweet Baby Grady

And of course, there are all the extended little cousins on Daddy's side of the family.  Wow, what a crew!

The Hudson great-grandkids. 

Mattie's Nursery Planning

Well, I have been a little slack the last couple of weeks on taking pictures.  We have just been busy with the mundane and normal tasks of daily living and caring for children, and the camera has been getting a well-deserved break.  I feel really bad about not capturing some of our normal everyday life lately though so I definitely need to work on that.  Of course, we are gearing up for more busyness (Is that even a word?  It just looks weird.) with the boys' birthdays coming up, setting up their new bunk beds and getting their new shared space ready, Easter, getting everything ready for the new addition, mommy's graduation, etc.  As usual, the list goes on and on.  So I thought I would give you a little sneak peek into our plans for the little pink space we'll soon be adding to our very blue home.  When I first started planning this out (way before knowing if we were having a girl or boy), I decided relatively quickly what colors I wanted to use.  Since this is likely to be our only little girl and our last baby, I knew there would have to be pink.  However, I am not a fan of bright bold pinks.  I just love the light and feminine feel of soft pastels.  I also absolutely love the way baby pink and blue look together.  I decided that I wanted a light pink and aqua nursery this time.  The room is already painted a light shade of blue, and the furniture is white so not many changes need to be made there although we'll probably add a light shade of pink to the walls.  When I was looking and browsing for bedding, the only crib bedding ensemble I really found that met these qualifications was a slightly richer tone of the colors I loved.  I had sort of made up my mind that I could handle those colors since I hadn't seen anything better.  I created this "mood board" to see what I could work with for the space.

It wasn't bad, but I still really wasn't feeling it.  I wanted a monogram above the crib which I'll probably order from the Etsy site where I got our free monogram for our room.  There is a very sweet little decal that I ordered for Brody's nursery on the wall that I would like to keep so I am thinking of framing out around it to make it look like a piece of art on the wall.  I will probably make my own version of a mobile and something to hold those little hair bows that will be a necessity.  A dainty chandelier of some sort is also on the list of must haves.  So this was the general idea until one day I happened to see something in my blog reader from Project Nursery's blog about a giveaway for a bedding set from Carousel Designs.  I headed over to their site to check out their bedding and well I sort of fell in love.  I entered the contest as many times as I could, but it was a pretty popular giveaway with thousands of entries so, of course, I didn't win.  However, the bedding set wasn't too much more than the other set I had liked so it quickly took the top place spot on our nursery list.  It is just the perfect shades of aqua and pink and very dainty and feminine and elegant.  The set also has lots of matching accessories available.  We won't need to add anything in the way of furniture this time so the change over to a girl nursery should be pretty easy, but I think it will still feel like a totally different room.

Here is the current plan for the space:

*Side Note:  I am sure bunnies will make their way into the decor and accessories as soon as I have a chance to break out my old box of bunny goodness that has been in storage too long.  ;-)

Oh and if any of you wonderful people would like to send a gift to the little princess, I found a wonderful new way of "registering."  Instead of the old school way of registering at a select store (and what store has everything you need and want anyway...haha!), there is a new trend using a site that works a lot like Pinterest.  You can "pin" stuff from any other website (Target, Babies R Us, Etsy, etc.) onto your Babylist and everything is all in one place.  It is mostly a good place for planning for OCD minds like mine.  Ha!  Here is the link to our Babylist!  Happy shopping!  Haha!

23 & 24 Weeks

Monday, February 25, 2013

Monday, March 4, 2013

This silly little cutie wanted to join the picture taking session. 

We have made it to 24 weeks.  It seems like February truly lived up to its reputation of being a "short" month because it went so fast.  The weeks are just flying by which is a little sad when I look at how quickly my boys are growing.  Evan is growing up like a beanstalk, and all of his shirts and sleeves are getting too short. His daddy marks his growth, and he is putting on at least a half an inch a month it seems lately.  My sweet little baby Brody is almost 2! *Sigh*  I know that I'll soon be saying the same about little Mattie. She should already weigh over a pound and be about the length of an ear of corn.  The belly is definitely out now, and that is not surprising when Babycenter says my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball.  Ha!  Brody has even noticed the belly now and will even point to my belly sometimes when asked where the baby is.  

Weight Gain:  I guess it is around 10 pounds, but I don't use our scales at home.  That once a month weigh in at the doctor is about all I can stand.   

Maternity Clothes:  I finally broke down and bought some new maternity clothes because I was just hating that so few items in my closet were fitting any more.  It would be nice if I could lounge around in my pajamas all day, but I guess that isn't going to happen anytime soon.  I did get some cute options on sale at a local maternity store called Pickles & Ice Cream (isn't that just the perfect name for a maternity store?) and Motherhood.    

Sleep: Still about the same.  I do still have trouble with a sore back and hips but pillows usually help. 

Best Moment of this Week: The last couple of weeks have allowed Eddie to feel his little girl's pretty strong kicks.  She is definitely making her presence known now. 

Movement:  Yep, we are feeling those punches or kicks now!  I am thinking this little lady will have no problem defending herself if these kicks are any indication.

Food Cravings:  I did finally get some Pinkberry frozen yogurt the other weekend, and they just so happened to have my favorite flavor back...salted caramel!  It was so good.  I always love a good salad too.

Food Aversions:  I still haven't really had any aversions.  

What I Miss:  Energy!  Man, I have just been so tired lately although I haven't really had a chance to fully rest.  

Gender:  Sweet baby girl to join a house full of boys!

Symptoms: Heartburn and back and hip pain are the primary symptoms so far.  I do still experience the occasional nausea brought on mostly by not eating soon enough or gagging.  Seriously, I have a terrible gag reflex!

What I'm looking forward to:  Spring break week and then being done with school (we are definitely in the home stretch), having a 3D/4D ultrasound in April so we can get that final confirmation that little girl is on the way, and ordering some stuff for the nursery.  We ordered the boys bunk beds today, but we'll be taking our time transitioning Brody from his crib to a big bed.  We wanted bunk beds with sturdy stairs and not just a ladder and built-in drawers for more storage.  I think Evan will like the top bunk. 


Mattie,

We are so excited to finally get to meet you in a few months.  Getting to feel you moving and kicking has really made it all so much more real, and we love that you are getting so much stronger.  Keep growing!  

Love, 
Mommy