Cute new pics!

This morning we went downtown to the Farmer's Market and then stopped by this beautiful park and took some cute pics of the little man!

Funny guy!

Ayden has started saying the funniest things, stuff he has obviously picked up from us or the TV. But he says them at appropriate times...and leaves us rolling with laughter! Here's a few examples...

He has a puppy that sings "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" and I started singing along with the puppy and doing to motions with the song...and he looked at me and said, "Momma, that's ridiculous"

Chris and I told him it was naptime last weekend and he said "You guys are crazy!"

I asked him if he would sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for me and he said, "Definetely not"

Ayden and Gunner were getting a little rowdy, so Chris put Gunner in his cage and Ayden said,
"Dad, you're killing me!"

I asked Ayden where his cup was and he put his hand up to his face and said, "Hmmm...it's a mystery"

I asked him what he wanted for lunch and he tapped his finger to his forehead 3 times and said "Think, think, think!"

At the table the other night Chris and I were talking and he said, "Attention please! I need to talk!"

When he needs to tell us something, he has started putting his hands on our faces, turning our heads toward him, and saying "Look at me on the face"



He keeps us laughing, I can only imagine what he'll be saying in another 6 months!

Belly pic! 22 weeks/2 days

Ethan is definetely a growing boy!

Big brother loves him!

And momma loves BOTH her boys!

My little schoolboy

This is Ayden's last week of MDO and he's out for the summer, bummer!! He loves going to school so much, I have no idea how I'm going to explain to him that he won't be going back for 2 and a half months! This morning when we were leaving, it occured to me how darn cute he is with his backpack and lunchbox and I thought I would capture the moment!


Little poser :)
Can someone please tell me where my BABY went??

Hello Summertime!

We had a very warm and beautiful day today, perfect playing in the water! We got Ayden a new kiddie pool and he played non-stop until dark. I'm sure he'll want to go back out first thing in the morning! I am so ready for this weather, I swear this past winter was the coldest of my life!! I know in a couple of months I may complain about 100+ degree temps but I still can't imagine it being any worse than constant ice, snow, and sub-freezing temps! Here of some pics of Ayden in his new pool!



Waiting for the water!

Cold!

Testing out the slide

Weeeeee!

Splashin'!

Ayden goes to the dentist!

This morning Ayden had his second dentist appointment. He went last November for the first time and he did okay with letting the dentist count his teeth but would not let them do a cleaning. They told me it was okay, but the next visit we might have to hold him down so they could clean his teeth. So needless to say, I was dreading today and have been for over a week! But...what a difference 6 months makes! He was such a big boy! He laid perfectly still and never even made a whimper during the entire cleaning and exam. I was so proud! The staff and dentist were super-impressed too, they said he for sure gets the "2 year old of the year" award! And to top it all off...NO cavities! :)


After the dentist, I took Ayden to the mall for pizza and a cookie and then for a haircut. He was so good the entire time, used the potty everywhere we went, and was just so well-behaved! I hate to act like he is never good, because he is...but usually when we go out he has at least one public temper tantrum or meltdown. I was so proud of my big boy today!


Checking out all the toys in the waiting room

Getting his cool sunglasses!

Being very good during his cleaning!

Opening wide for the dentist!

Pizza for lunch!

New summer haircut!

A tired little boy!

Ayden absolutely has to have a nap everyday...whether he was planning on it or not!

100% potty-trained!! (Sort of...)

Okay, so we are about 6 weeks into the potty-training process and I am excited to be able to say Ayden is 100% potty-trained. Well, sort-of. The techniques I learned in my Stress Free Potty Training Book are working wonders. Ayden stays naked from the waist-down at all times when we are at home. The potty chair stays in the living room and moves room to room when necessary so it's always there as a reminder for him (both of these methods came from the book). He stays dry at night about 50% of the time, sometimes he even wakes us up to go potty during the night. About 2 weeks ago, he started peeing standing up and we thought it was about the funniest thing we had ever seen. Until this week when he started pooping standing up. Yeah, I'm not kidding. Leave it to my creative and spirited kiddo to change the rules up completely!! We are working on getting him to sit for his major business but are just very excited that the poop is making it into the potty!

Now for the sort-of part. So the naked method has worked wonders...but possibly has created a problem. Because just minutes after we put underwear on him, he comes to tell us he has peed. Or pooped. No idea why!!! As long as he is naked, we don't have to remind him or give him cues to go potty, he follows his own signals and does it all on his own. But just the fact of having underwear on makes him forget to read his signals??? I don't get it. So for now, he stays naked. Also, we have not been brave enough to take him out of the house without a pull-up on, but interestingly enough, he almost always stays dry while we are out running errands. It's just an issue of wearing underwear at home. I bought his favorite character underwear and tried the whole "Don't pee on Sponge Bob. Don't poop on Thomas the Train" theory and it didn't work. He immediately apologizes when he does it, but he does it every single time I put underwear on him! So I don't know if this is a defiance issue that needs discipline or if I am being too over the top...after all its only been a few weeks and he is really doing pretty fabulous overall. I just don't think we can take a naked child to Walmart or the zoo, let alone kindergarten!

Any advice?

Congrats to my hubby!

I am taking a moment to brag on my hubby, he signed his official offer letter this morning to begin working as a Finance Manager for Sam's Club this August! I am so excited for him! He was hired into the Accounting and Finance Development Program when he started with Walmart 18 months ago and was told he would need to be looking for a permanent position toward the end of the program. But he never even had to look! He started having offers come in a couple months ago and finally decided Sam's was the best fit for him. He did a 6 month rotation with Sam's last year and really enjoyed it, and they are very flexible and family-friendly which is a huge plus! He is even friends with his boss! This is a great promotion for him with lots of potential to continue climbing the corportate ladder. I am so proud! :)

20 weeks 2 days

I had a prenatal check-up this morning and all is well with Ethan and I! I gained 4 pounds this month (thanks to 3 times a week biscuits and gravy I'm sure!), Ethan's heartrate was in the 130's, and my blood pressure was 113/70. He is moving like crazy now! I love it! I can feel a few movements from the outside now but Chris hasn't got to feel him yet, but I'm sure it won't be too much longer! My appetite is surging! I am hungry all the time! My number one craving is biscuits and gravy, followed by guacamole and chips, pizza, and fruits and veggies. I am having occassional relapses of nausea but only a couple of times a week. We have completely cleaned out the playroom and started turning it into the nursery! We moved Ayden's toy box and several of his large cars and trucks into his closet and rearranged his room to make everything else fit. One thing is for sure, he doesn't need anymore toys!! I bought letters for Ethan's name to paint and hang on the wall as soon as we get the crib put together. I can't wait! I had Ayden's nursery completely finished by 25 weeks, and I think we'll have Ethan's ready that soon too! Overall I am feeling great and super excited about welcoming our little guy!

Mother's Day 2010

Well this post is a day late, but Happy Mother's Day! I count being a mother as the greatest blessing in my life. I really feel like of all my roles, being a mother is where I am most in my element. I am not saying I'm perfect...(far from it in fact!) but I get so much joy from being Ayden's mom, and I pray everyday that I am doing my very best raising him. Of course there are challenges, but honestly even in the middle of taming a temper tantrum or cleaning peanut butter off the walls, I feel a sense of fulfillment I never knew until I had him. Before I got pregnant this time, I knew I wanted more children but didn't quite understand how more love would fit inside my heart...but now as I feel little Ethan kick inside me, I am already overwhelmingly in love with him and I understand the concept of love multiplying! I absolutely cannot wait to see my 2 boys grow up together! I am also so blessed to have such a loving husband who is so incredibly involved in raising our family. And last but not least, I am forever thankful that God gave me such a loving mother who is now an amazing Memaw! In fact Ayden is surrounded with loving grandmothers and great-grandmothers and it makes my heart so full to see how much they all love him. I wish they could all see him more, but I know everytime he sees them he is making wonderful memories that will last a lifetime!

I had a great day with wonderful cards, flowers, gifts, and time with family. I hope all the other mothers out there had a great day too!

If Ayden is playing very quietly in his room...

He is usually doing something he shouldn't be............................................or in this case doing something VERY cute and picture-worthy!


Like sitting inside a box of stuffed animals! :)

Have I mentioned how much I love this little boy?!!!