Thoughtless Thursday

The necklace

I didn't take a very good picture, but this is the necklace Mike got me for Valentine's Day. It's got one big flower and two little flowers on it. The little flowers have Jake and Emma's names under them. I love it! The designer is Lisa Leonard and here's a link to her website if you want to browse.

Shower-part 2

I feel so spoiled! The wonderful ladies in our Sunday school class gave Emma a shower Sunday afternoon. We got more clothes and much needed diapers. I'm so thankful to everyone! The support we're getting during this pregnancy is much different (by that I mean way better) than when we had Jake while living in Wyoming and not knowing very many people. It really makes a difference to have moral support and to know so many people are praying for us. Emma is certainly going to be a well dressed little girl!

Baby Bump Week 36

Inquiring minds want to know

My good friend Mel wanted more specifics on Jake and his progress since she lives far, far away and doesn't get to see him in person. I'm happy to oblige.

First, the physical stuff. Jake has his daddy's eyes. They're light brown, sometimes hazel looking. His hair is dark blonde right now with the prettiest curls in the back and his daddy's rooster tail swirl. He's going to be in need of some serious hair gel when he gets older. When he was born we all thought he looked just like Mike. At this stage of the game, however, he's looking a little more like I did at that age. He's got my chipmunk cheeks, my mouth and my curls. Poor thing, he's even got the gap between his two front teeth that I had. Hello braces.

I don't have his current weight and height because once they hit the two year old mark they don't have to go in for appointments as frequently. I think he weighs about 26 lbs and although he's growing, he's still a little small for his age. However, he is VERY agile. One of my friends keeps saying that he's "springy". Perfect word to describe him. He jumps really well and runs really fast.

He likes to dance, play with his cars, go to parks and bouncy houses and watch his movies. (Current favorites are Cars and Horton Hears a Hoo.) We're still working on this whole sharing thing and playing nicely with others. It's a work in progress.

His vocabulary is amazing to me. He repeats everything he hears and is now starting to speak in simple sentences. He loves to tell me "stay here, be right back!" If he finds something he's been looking for he squeals "I FIND IT!" He still loves Mr. Crab and tells me whenever he thinks "Prabby needs a bath" so we stick him in the washer to get clean. His favorite toys right now are definately the little cars from the movie Cars. He still can't say his L's very well so instead of Lightning McQueen he calls it his Wikeekee car. I love it.

He is a bundle of energy and very hard to keep up with. But lately in the mornings, he's been cuddling with me on the couch while we watch Elmo and I try to convince myself I can make it through another day. He'll lay his head on my shoulder and just say "Mommy." And that's my favorite part of the day. If we've been apart for more than ten minutes and he comes into a room and sees me he usually runs up to me, hugs my leg and screams "MOMMY!" And that's my second favorite part of the day.

He's eating much better now, but still not so crazy about veggies. Sweets are a different story. There's a donut shop on the way to church that we sometimes stop at and now every time we drive past it we hear Jake in the backseat squealing "DONUTS! GOOD DONUTS!" He's a chip off the old block. He also loves hot dogs which makes me want to throw up but hey, it's a source of protein I think.

We love our little boy. Each day with him gets more and more fun and more and more challenging. I can't wait to see how Emma's going to fit in the mix around here!

All I can say is WOW!

Yesterday I had a meeting at work to go to and when I arrived there was a table set up in the middle of the room with lots of gift bags and presents for a baby shower! It was so nice. The ladies I work with were so generous and truly blessed us with all of the gifts and warm wishes. We seriously won't have to buy diapers for quite some time. Plus, MORE cute girly clothes!

Thoughtless Thursday

He's like a king on his throne

Are ya'll familiar with Brady? You know, the dog who is big enough to snatch baked goods off of the back of the kitchen counter or the top of the stove? Yes, well this dog KNOWS he is not supposed to be on our furniture. Yet, every night this week when I've come downstairs on my nocturnal wanderings I've managed to catch him in the act of snoring while snoozing away on the couch. Last night, he didn't even wake up and try to get down and pretend like he wasn't doing anything wrong. He just rolled over on his back and continued to sleep. So I made myself comfy in the rocking chair because moving a 110 pound dog is not something I'm up for right now. He must have been tired from all the reading he did that day.

Shoppers Anonymous

I think I have a real sickness people. I can't stop buying clothes for baby Emma. I didn't have this problem with Jake. For one thing, we got tons of gently used clothes from friends of mine who had older boys so there was really never a need to buy anything. But also, we were living in Wyoming and there was no Carter's outlet store in the entire state that I'm aware of.

I was introduced to the Carter's outlet after we moved to Austin and then I did start buying a few things for Jake because I'm convinced they have the cutest, softest clothing and they have it for really cheap prices. Plus, it's like a ten minute drive from our house. Convenient.

Anyways, a few weeks ago I imposed a ban on myself from going into Carter's because it was just getting me into trouble. The problem is that I'm no good at enforcing my self imposed ban. I find myself in there all the time! Last week I bought a very cute girly diaper bag to use with Miss Emma. Poor Jake still has the same plain, black bag that the doctor's office gave me before he was born. It's got holes and rips in the fabric and everything. When I found out we were having another baby I swore that I would buy a nice bag that I could use for both kids. Alas, I never found a generic diaper bag that screamed out CUTE. But I did find a pink and brown one with flowers that screamed out ADORABLE so I bought it. I hope there will be no permanent repercussions for Jake with me putting his things in a girly, flowery bag. Maybe I'll just get him a Lightning McQueen backpack and let him tote around his own things.




Also, take a look at these sweet little outfits. I mean do you see the hot pink onesie with the whale on it? And the matching hot pink short shorts? I love the little ladybug dress too. How could I resist the temptation to buy them? The flesh was weak and the wallet was handy. I feel I need a sponsor I can lean on for the next three weeks to get me through the birth of this child without spending another dime on her. So that when I'm driving by Carter's I can call this person and they can do an immediate intervention on me by convincing me that I might want to buy food or gas or something else besides baby clothes. Hello, my name is Kim and I can't stop buying little girl things.

This is how we roll

I've reached the point in this pregnancy where all I really feel like doing is absolutely nothing. I feel bad for Jake because nothing is not very exciting for a two year old. So, I'm making an effort to do one thing with him every single day even though the temptation to lay on the couch watching Horton Hears a Hoo non-stop is very tempting.

On Valentines Day Jake was very helpful in getting a present for Mike together. We baked him some chocolate chip cookies and laid out his gifts on the kitchen table for him to see when he got home from work. Yes, that is a new body pillow for him and a gift card to Chipoltle. Because the way to my husband's heart is truly through a good burrito.

















Yesterday, we went to church. That's usually a good 2 1/2 hours of entertainment for Jake and he gets to play with kids his own age. Only when I went and picked him up from his class he was the only one left in there and he was crying uncontrollably. Great big crocodile tears were just streaming down his face. Turns out that some cute little girl decided she wanted the chair Jake was pushing around the room and yanked it away from him which caused him to fall down and bust his upper lip on a table.

Today we went to a bookstore where he met a cute little girl who enjoyed playing the "No, Mine! game with him." He also had fun running from one end of the store to the next squealing "MOMMY! I RUNNING!" And you know what? I didn't even care. I'm just fat and tired enough right now to think that running rampant through a Christian bookstore will at least get out some of that energy. And being that it was a Christian bookstore I thought maybe the other people inside would forgive me and pray for some sort of deliverance for me and my child. Hmm. Maybe tomorrow we'll skip the outing and just stay home and make stuff with Play-Doh.

Happy Day!

Happy Valentines Day to my wonderful hubby who loves me enough to give up his body pillow so I can use it now to get comfortable (more or less) at night. Thank you for listening to me complain on a daily basis now about what hurts and how uncomfortable I am being this pregnant. And thanks for taking over the cooking of most of our meals. I love you!

Happy Valentines Day to our cute little boy who has started giving spontaneous hugs and now either physically pulls me by the leg when he wants to show me something or holds out his hand and opens and closes it while making kissing sounds (much like he's calling the dog) to get me to follow him. I know your life is about to change little man. No matter how much you pull my shirt over my belly to hide baby Emma, she's coming Jake. She's coming! I love you and you'll always be my favorite boy.

And last but not least, Happy Birthday to my wonderful daddy! Today for some reason I'm remembering all the times you went outside with me to practice pitching, throwing and hitting a softball around. Hope you have a wonderful day! I've always loved being your little girl. Take care of my mama.

That's it for the sappy holiday wishes. I always hated Valentines Day because of the pressure to have a boyfriend to spend it with. And remember those stinkin' candy grams at school? There's no better way to lower a teens self esteem than to make them sit in class all day watching other people receive flowers and candy. Oh, the drama. If you find yourself single today, take heart. We've all been there. I recommend a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and a good friend to spend the day with. And just think of all the money you're saving by not having to buy someone a gift or take them out to dinner! Happy day everyone.

Thoughtless Thursday

Brought to you by the letter R

I saw this on another blog and joined in the fun!
Here are the rules...If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know, and I’ll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on!

1.) Risso dolphins-okay, I love all dolphins but these are the only ones I could think of that started with an R and I do love them. They're gray when born and turn white the older they get which makes them look almost painted. (hee, hee Laura!) We spent many a day when I worked on the boat following these guys around and the word that best describes them is peaceful. Love them!

2.) Rain-in my book there is nothing like a rainy day as long as it isn't followed by four more rainy days. I love curling up on the couch with a book and a blanket and some sort of chocolate while listening to the rain outside.

3.) Ruth-as in Emma Ruth, my mama.

4.) Reeces peanut butter cups-who doesn't love chocolate mixed with peanut butter?!

5.) Restaurants-I LOVE going out to eat even though we don't get to do it that much any more. Especially if the restaurant has good steak, enchiladas or cheeseburgers!

6.) Rick Springfield! Okay, he probably should have been number one but I just thought of him. If you don't know I love Rick Springfield then you don't know me at all.

7.) Running-I HATE running, but I LOVE watching Jake run. If you haven't seen it, it is something else. I have never seen anyone else put their whole body into running the way that he does. Also, the fact that he sometimes squeals "I RUNNING!" is pretty cute.

8.) Reading-rainy day or not, I love a good book.

9.) River Rafting-I've only done it twice, but it is one of the most fun things I've ever done. And I love anything having to do with the water, but most of them don't start with an "R".

10.) Rearranging or reorganizing-in a rut? Rearranging furniture can make you feel like you've got a brand new room. Plus, it lets you find all the cheerios and stuff that get lost under your furniture.

Thanks Laura! The letter R was hard!

We're having some anger management issues

Yesterday Jake and I had a play date with a couple friends from our neighborhood. I like both these ladies and they have precious two year olds and I used to have a precious two year old so I was looking forward to the meeting. When I say I used to have a precious two year old don't panic. Nothing has happened to Jake except that I think maybe he has been replaced with some alien pod person. Like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

When I told him we were going to go play with these friends he said "Play! With Kenna and Weo!" (He doesn't say the letter L yet.) He seemed very excited and happy to go. I think the first mistake I made was letting him take one of his trucks with us. Because as soon as we got there and one of the other kids wanted to play with that firetruck, you would have thought that she was asking for one of his kidneys instead. He really did NOT want to share and was very ugly about it screaming "MINE and NO!" Oh, and he did not want to leave my lap and whined every time I tried to put him down.

Finally, he decided to get down and play. But he clearly wanted to play on his terms which meant by himself with "his" toys and nobody else better touch what he was playing with. I was disturbed by his actions but the other mama's were very gracious and insisted that their kids have their moments too. SO, I left for about fifteen minutes to go pick up lunch for everyone and when I returned my friends gave me a good report on Jake's behaviour while I was gone. Not five minutes later, I'm in the kitchen and hear one of the other kids crying. Then I hear Jake crying. So I went upstairs to find out that my child had whacked the other child right on the forehead with a little metal toy motorcycle. Hard enough to leave a mark. And Jake was crying like he had somehow been the offended party. Off to time out we went. When he came out of time out and I told him to say sorry to the boy he hit, my child said "NO, don't wanna." It was a bright and shining moment in my motherhood experience.

I would have taken him home right then, but ya'll I was hungry and the pizza was almost ready. So we stayed. And I'm not kidding you that not ten minutes later he had whacked the other child upside the head with the same motorcycle. It was like an unending game of Clue with the outcome of the crime scene always being "Jake in the playroom with the motorcycle." I was truly mortified.

We finally got the motorcycle away from Jake and got the kids settled down to eat. He seemed to get better once he had some food in him. So I thought maybe his blood sugar was just whacked out from the donuts we had for breakfast and because he was hungry and that my sweet boy will be back now. And that is when I looked over to see him whacking one of the kids in the head with a slice of pizza because she tried to sit in his chair. Sigh. Clearly, we have work to do. I don't even know where to begin because frankly, I'm too fat and tired to think about it. I need some serious parenting advice here before we have to send him off to some sort of military school for toddlers. Do they make such places?

Thoughtless Thursday

Shop till you drop

After a self imposed ban on buying little girl clothes, the other day I allowed myself to go to a second hand store that was going out of business to just see what they had left. There was only one rack of clothes left in the entire store, but I still managed to fill up a bag and since it was all on sale I only spent $10 for almost twenty things! So I managed to help out the economy while not breaking our personal bank. I do what I can. And look at all the cute girly clothes!

All by herself

Remember Itchy? We had to relocate him. I'm kind of sad about it. Not that I really miss him or anything, but I feel sorry for him and Scratchy. They were siblings raised together from little hatched eggs after all. Scratchy has been hiding under a rock looking forlorn ever since he left. Mike was afraid they were about to start a little family together and didn't want to go through the hassle of having forty eggs laid every few weeks so he called up his brother and managed to get Itchy a new home.

Mike keeps telling me that they're just lizards and they don't have a memory or feelings. But I really think most animals have feelings. And I think Scratchy's feelings are hurt right now. Yesterday, she finally came out from under her rock after I sat there talking to her telling her how pretty she is. I hope she's going to be okay. They spent a lot of time cuddling up to each other. Of course, Itchy spent a lot of time stepping on her and pushing her off the rock. But that's the sort of thing brothers do. And in retaliation, Scratchy may have pooped on Itchy a few times but little sisters have a right to stand up for themselves every now and then. I wish I had thought of that tactic growing up. It probably would have eliminated all of the surprise attacks and spinning toe holds from my brother.

Anyways, at least we know he's in a good home and if the little guys stay depressed maybe we can talk Matt into taking Scratchy as well!

Jake really didn't feel like having his picture taken today so these are the best pics I could get of him with his new haircut. I'll try to do better later.