Minnie's First Haircut (AND SLEEPOVER)

On Saturday Minnie and I headed out on an "adventure" (she's STILL a big Cat in the Hat fan :) We had been talking about having Aunnie J.T. cut her hair and I decided after watching the poor girl brush her hair out of her eyes more times than I can count... Saturday was the day ~ 2 Years and 3 months of growth... (I know...and this is ALL.I.GET. :)
Patiently waiting her turn in the big girl chair...

I am so happy that J.T. was willing to do this for me. I was a little sentimental but it was a REALLY big weekend for Minnie... (more on that later)

Sitting very still... and as I found out later when she told her Daddy how she got the lollipop she had after the haircut "I be good girl. No talking." :) Poor thing thought she couldn't TALK... not that she couldn't "move" :)

All done!

How is my BABY this big? :(

She was all ready for her VERY.FIRST.SLEEPOVER! :) Minnie went to her TiTi's house for an overnight and she did GREAT! (Mom had a few tears, thanks for handling that "Yiz" :) but Minnie was THRILLED to stay there, asked to go to bed and only had tears at 5:30 in the AM when she didn't know where she was. Little snuggle time with TiTi in the chair and she was ready for her Sunday. :) My girl is so big....

A Day with my Redheads

LAST Monday (I know... the blog stinks these days... makes me sad) Laura Jane and I traveled north to spend the day with HB... and all.the.kids. Technically, there were five of them... thankfully we only had to wrangle 3 between the 3 of us :)It took Minnie about 3.5 minutes to warm up to Aunnie HB's house and start bossing these boys around. Asking them to come and play and stealing their snacks. :) That's my girl I guess ;)

Poor picture...but not bad considering it was taken by a 7 year old, the three of us had just eaten our weight (mind you two outta the three are PG) in snacks and salads and then lounged all over HB's leather couches while we watched the kids play... it was a rough day I tell yah...

Best line of the day... Minnie sneezed and her nose turned into Niagara Falls. Being the stellar Mom that I am I hollered from the couch, under a cozy blanket... "GOOD LORD someone get that girl a TISSUE!" To which Laura Jane replied... "that means YOU HB!" :) I love my redheads....

Minnie was a huge fan of HB's chickens... HB is a huge fan of HER chickens...it's kinda weird :)

My girl does love her some feathered friends though...

especially the kind that give her food :)

A successful day of giggles, grub and girls... mix in a couple of rough and tumble boys to play with and you get a GREAT day.

Camera Dump

Three of her favorite people all in the same place...now if only we could get the ADULTS to just smile at the camera :) hee hee hee

There was another "book club" meeting....seriously the food... ah... the food. :)

This one's for GA... I mean REALLY...you NEED this on the Corolla. I don't care WHAT Jack says... :)

Cousin Tod came down during February break... Minnie wanted to use the camera "yike a big girl..." :)

I can't resist her :) She loves these two guys and started fondly refering to Tod as "Toddy". It was the CUTEST thing... course after a few silly comments he made I suggested she call him "Hot Toddy" and that was all it took for the next day or so :) I love this age :)

Wednesdays in the Womb on Thursday: 15 Weeks

How far along: 15 Weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 10lbs ~ I was 19 weeks PG at this point the first go-round... yikes
Maternity clothes: Pants for sure... some shirts
Stretch marks: no more than before
Belly button: Flattening a bit...
Sleep: Love it
Baby movement: I don't THINK so but maybe... feeling something when I'm really still and paying attention but I think still too soon??
Food cravings: Salad, but it MUST have croutons and Newman's Own Creamy Caesar dressing
Food aversions: Mexican does NOT sound good to me
What I miss: Feeling good ALL the time
Looking forward to: "Big" ultrasound that is scheduled for 3/15 :) Praying for healthy!!! What's YOUR gender guess?

All the appts last Friday went fine. Sir Creeps A lot only did an EKG because insurance didn't approve an ECHO. If they see something funky I'll have to go back. HR on babe was 166 and my RN found it right away. I LOVE that sound... GREAT news at Loretta's... A1c (average blood sugar over the past 3 months) 5.7 which equals a blood sugar of about 117. LOVE IT. Long day but good to get it all done in one day and so fun to have MIL with me and know that Minnie was sleeping in her own bed with her Nana and Papa taking care of her :)

For real, we need a belly shot... for real... this is the LAST THING on my mind :) But I do love that I have them all with Minnie so I really need to do it for this one as well :)

She makes me giggle...

I know the blog has been lacking and I know you all know that it is because I have been so busy growing another human being and trying NOT to toss my cookies... BUT... I HATE when I don't blog because I do look back and I miss keeping track of what keeps us busy these days. Last weekend (I mentioned Husband was away) and we were BUSY BUSY GIRLS. I didn't take but a couple of pictures but I still want to remember what we did ~

Thursday as Daddy left with his buds Minnie and I headed to have a little visit with Pheebs, Yiz and the new babe ~ These two are peas in a pod and what a fun distraction from the fact that we girls had to go home to an empty house...

but not before we headed over to the CountryRents for dinner... I told you they keep showing up with the food :)

CountryDad helped me after dinner cut out all kinds of little pieces of clothes for a "busy bag" swap party that I had on Saturday AM back at "Yiz's" house. Wish I had a picture of that! :) Thursday night my shoulder was OUT... I was up ALL night in pain, couldn't get comfortable and when I'm nauseous, over-tired and in pain it did not make for a pretty or happy Mama Friday AM ~

Thankfully we had plans and spent with our friends at a "Love Party" over at Heather O's house. She had requested various travel sized toiletry items and we found out when we got there that we were putting together "Dignity Bags" for those homeless people who might need a snack, soap or a new toothbrush. There is always someone standing on a corner in the big city so I intend to hand mine out this Friday. Sadly, I've never done ANYTHING like this before...

Friday afternoon CountryMum graciously came over to stay with Minnie while she slept and I got in to my chiro to get "spider taped" up. Things started to improve. As soon as she woke up I connected with SIL L and the kiddos and we took them all to the local pet store. None of us had been in so it was fun to look around, drool (pun intended) over the sweet little puppies and watch Minnie GIGGLE OUTLOUD about the birds flying around their cage. EWWWWWW :)

when we got back to MIL's to hang out until dinner the kids, MIL and SIL L helped me finish up the busy bags. Good thing I have family huh? :) Ah.. yes... and Minnie also made up new words to an old song and her TiTi full on encouraged it. I'm sorry for those other children she is around in nursery and playgroup. The old song goes... "clean-up clean-up everybody do your share" Minnie made up the version... "clean-up clean-up... everybody DO it YOURSELF!!" and please note the capital letters are in her mean voice. SIL L could NOT STOP LAUGHING or encouraging it so I fear this is the way it will stay :)

This girl comes out with things all day long that I am GOING to start recording so that I can look back and giggle about them when she's 16... ;) She helped me get the mail at the P.O. the other day and I was distracted by what was going to go in the recycling and what we were taking home... I could "hear" her saying "Mama... Mama.... Maaaaammmaaa..." but when I didn't answer... she hollered out.... HONEY! :) At least it seems we have moved past her calling me by my first name... ;)

Saturday she hung out with the CountryRents in the AM while I went and swapped busy bags with some other mom friends... we came home with some great stuff and Minnie is LOVING the activities. After her nap she and I had plans for a DATE. When I start to think about how our days of just she and I are numbered... I start to cry. Not.Gonna.Lie. So I took full advantage of our girl time this weekend and we went to get Daddy his Valentine's, we got Pizza Hut, ate it in the living room and watched a Veggie Tale movie. Sweet and special times with my goose. She was PSYCHED when Daddy got home Sunday night and as he told his friend's wife... "I think I've held her more in the 2 hours I've been home than I've held her the past two YEARS." These girls sure missed their guy! :)

The video is quick but on the way home from church Sunday I was asking her about the nursery. I said... was it fun to be in there with Sara? She kept responding.. "NO!NO! It's SAAARRRAAAA" :) So when we parked in the driveway I tried to catch it. She CRACKS me up.

Wednesdays in the Womb ~ 14 Weeks

How far along: 14 Weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up at least 6lbs ~ haven't checked in on L&L's scale lately :) Scary.
Maternity clothes: Pants for sure... some shirts
Stretch marks: no more than before
Belly button: Flattening a bit...
Sleep: Husband was away on his annual ice fishing trip this weekend and there was NO sleep... now that he's back... aaaahhhhhhh sweet 9+ hours! :)
Baby movement: I don't THINK so but maybe... feeling something when I'm really still and paying attention but I think still too soon??
Food cravings: Captain Crunch. Whoops. BUT... it doesn't make my belly feel very good so I need to really weigh the decision. :)
Food aversions: Mexican does NOT sound good to me
What I miss: Feeling good
Looking forward to: Getting a whole mess of Doc appts out of the way on Friday ~ EKG/ECHO, OB RN, Diabetic NP ~ Special shout out to CountryMum for watching Minnie and MIL for going with me so I'm not with Sir Creeps Alot at the hospital :) aka the guy who does the EKG/ECHO :)
Best moment this week: Having a day (Valentine's Day) when I actually felt about 90%+ better...I had a few waves through the day but I told Husband that night I felt the best I'd felt in a LONG time... maybe starting to round the corner??? Oh.I.Pray!
Milestones: getting said EKG/ECHO out of the way this week and looking forward to scheduling our 20 week BIG ultrasound on Friday! :)

Back with a belly shot when I have a photographer :)

a WEEKEND of parties... ok... FOOD

Sweet Momma S (way on the right in the blue next to me) planned a Girl's Night at her home last Friday. It was a sleepover if you wanted, a come as you are, bring a snack?, kinda party. I love my friends. I love that they can send an email that in the same note says "want to make prayer journals with you girls...." and "wine is optional" :) BAH :) (*group photo courtesy of K.C. via FB) I was NOT having a "feel good" kinda night but being around my girls ALWAYS makes me feel better :) even if it smelled like hot fat :)

by FAR the highlight of the night was this girl and her white bakery box. Of COURSE she MADE this cake and of COURSE this is the reason we get her to make ALL our cakes. Why wouldn't we?? :)

Dark chocolate, raspberry ganache cake... oh.my.word.Not only was it GORGEOUS, but it tasted AH-MAY-ZING!

2nd only to that was the chocolate fountain brought by K.C. :) and anything you could ever WANT to dip in chocolate! Fruit, pretzels, min-marshmallows, cookies... cheese poofs??? Oh no. That was preggo's contribution to the party.

Just a GREAT time of fellowship, EATING, chatting, laughing, story telling and having a good time.

and there was bacon. In chocolate. I'm just sayin'.

FINALLY someone is on board with me and my bloodhound nose... peeee uuuuuu stinky kale chips....

and then it got silly... and this was only after 2 glasses of .... WATER :) Thank you Momma S for a great night! Can't WAIT until next year :)Sunday was the Annual Super BOWL Party!!! Started off with some snuggles :) Minnie LOVES Ethan...

and then the pah-ty stah-ted :) I asked Eddie if that shirt was a size "Smedium" and he assured me it was an

EXTRA Smedium :) These two crack me up :) Brando found them in some old totes of clothes he had... probably could have used Martin and Bledsoe during THIS years game... (Bleck!)

meanwhile... Minnie was scoring a foot rub from Uncle D :) while hanging with her favorite 5 month old :)

The kids played inside and outside...

and the R clan brought a GI-GANTIC TV for us all to watch the game on... the next morning Minnie woke up, came downstairs and said... "whoa!? Where's (insert her name here) TV??" :) she assures me everyday that Uncle L is coming to her house to pick it up... hasn't happened yet and I can't say that Husband is too disappointed :)

but... speaking of disappointment... please note her expression. Even SHE knows our team did not play well and therefore... well....

I think SIL L's face says it best... YIKES. Great times with great friends and family... I could have used a little NOT FEELING LIKE I WAS GOING TO YIFF all weekend... but I am still praying it is JUST AROUND THE CORNER...

How we "told" the kids...

TELLING people we are PG has GOT to be one of the BEST times in our lives. :) So FUN!! :) And telling all the kids was no exception! :) Their families were all coming over for one of the NFL playoff games and we checked in with their Mama's to make sure they were all set with us doing the big reveal. They were and this is what happened! :)

I wrote it on the chalkboard. :) Chloe LOVES to play with the easel when she comes over with Minnie so I knew it would be no time before she noticed. Sure enough... she went over, read it faster than I thought possible, but sidled right up to me and quietly said... "why'd you write THAT!?" :) SIL L immediately said, "bring Sky over..." it took her a minute longer than Chloe... but she got it :) at this point all the adults are watching what is going on from the kitchen and the boys of the group are taking it in from the living room... NO.ONE. IS.TALKING. :) It was hysterical :) the girls didn't SAY anything... SIL Bets convinced Bri Bri to go over... (I say convinced... you try talking a 16 year old into ANYTHING :) bah ~ teasing Bri Bri!! :)

I didn't manage to capture her jaw-drop on film but she came out with "THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER ONE!?!?!!?" :) And I think the boys were in at that point! :)

It was SUCH fun after they all knew talking about if they want a boy or a girl and chatting about names :) I HATE keeping secrets from those that I love but this was worth the wait :)