The Goody Life

Disney 2012

This weekend we made our crazy whirlwind Disney trip....drive down, visit three parks, and drive back in less than 72 hours!  It was very crowded, since everyone (including us) was trying to take advantage of the last weekend for the Florida resident 3-park pass.  But we had a fantastic time, and Cooper loved it!  He is very into Mickey Mouse right now....it has actually surpassed Thomas the Train (gasp!) as his favorite show.  Of course I took a zillion pictures, so I will probably just make an album for those when I get a chance.  But here are some of my favorites. 

Meeting princess Aurora was a highlight...she certainly left her mark!

Riding Dumbo with Grammy and Howgie

So lucky to have both his grandmothers with him at Disney!

Lunch with the Winnie the Pooh characters

Meeting Mickey and MInnie

Dinoland at Animal Kingdom

I would say that his favorites were the "giant big ball" at Epcot, meeting all the characters, the car racing ride in Magic Kingdom, and all the chocolate milk he got to drink.  Least favorites were the Lion King show, the witch from Sleeping Beauty, and saying goodbye to everybody on Sunday!  It was exhausting but I'm glad we packed so much in, since I know it will be a while before we go back.  Such fun memories.  :-)

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom is awesome

I'm so blessed to have the perfect mom for me.  She loves my brother and me more than we deserve.  She makes me laugh....usually on purpose.  :-)  She has my back and is a helper in every situation, even from four hundred miles away.  She is an amazing grandmother and constantly has our little man in her thoughts.  She is a true friend, and we can hardly go a day without at least a quick phone call.  One of the reasons I've always hoped to have a daughter is so I can hopefully have the kind of relationship with her that my mom has had with me.  I love you, Mom!

Stewart's mom is awesome

If you have ever commented on how laid-back Stewart seems to be, now you know that the reason is this lady right here.  Nothing ruffles her feathers!  I can't count the times that I've stressed/obsessed/over-analyzed a situation or problem, and then when I asked her about it she assured me that whatever I decided would be fine.  Let me tell you, that is a trait that you want to have in a mother-in-law!  I really can't think of a situation that would ever send her into a tizzy....except maybe if we announced that we were moving out of the country or something.  She is steady and unshakable, and I love those things about her!  And just like my mom, she has taken on the role of grandmother like she was born for it!  I love you, Cheryl!

Being a mom is awesome

Usually Cooper is a good nighttime sleeper, but last night while I was in bed reading he woke up crying for me.  Something must have spooked him, because he was practically inconsolable....I could hardly even make out what he was saying, I think at one point he was asking for cinnamon??  Anyway, it was clear that he needed some major calming down, so I got him out of bed and settled into the rocking chair with him.  Almost immediately he relaxed and within minutes was back to sleep.  After I laid him back in bed I sat there rubbing his back, thinking about how powerful a feeling it is to be able to soothe and calm my child with just my presence and my voice.  That just being close to me was enough to relax his little body back into sleep.  He is not in a momma phase right now....he typically wants Stewart, or whichever grandparent is around, or his "teachers" at church, etc.  Sometimes it hurts my feelings when he says "All done momma" or cries when I pick him UP from the nursery at church.  But last night I was reminded that this mother-child bond that we have goes deeper than who he might prefer at any particular moment.  That as his mother, I will always be the one that can bring him comfort and make him feel loved and safe.  What a blessing and a responsibility!  Being a mom feels like finally finding the role that feels right.  It is someone I was meant to be, instead of a something I choose, like a college major or a career path.  Knowing that I have found that perfect title of "Mom", well it makes me feel blessed every single day.   

Happy Mother's day to ALL the special moms in my life, family and friends alike!  You are precious to your children, and you are special to me! 

 

Wheels at Work

I hate weekends when Stewart works (i.e. every other weekend!)  Usually everyone else is busy with their own families, all the places we normally go to stay busy or even run errands are way too crowded, and if there are fun things going on around town they are often things I don't really want to take Cooper to on my own without Stewart.  So we are usually pretty bored on the weekends.    That's why I was super excited to find out about a low-key event going on that had all kinds of vehicles for kids to see and sit in.  That has "boy" written all over it!  Cooper had a great time and it was a nice little Saturday morning activity!

In the back of a SWAT team truck

Trying on the fireman's jacket

My friend from MOPS was there and Cooper was glad to see Christopher!

Excited to see the helicopter that just landed!

We are buying a house!!

Those of you who have known us for a long time are thinking "Finally!!"  For me it hasn't really sunk in that we actually found a house and are really going to buy it!  As of right now we have a contract and are in the loan application/house inspection, etc. phase.  I feel kind of like I need to read some Dummies Guide to Buying a Home....actually, it appears that book really does exist.  Maybe I should have read it like six months ago! 

I think this house is going to be great for us.  It is in a good school zone, has four bedrooms, and a nice big kitchen.  But what I love the most is the outdoor space.  The living room opens up onto a screened porch, and then there is a patio to the side of that.  The lot backs up to an 800-acre greenway, which makes for a serene, private backyard.  The current owners obviously take pride in their landscaping, so there are nice trees and flowers all over.  The front yard even has a magnolia tree and a crepe myrtle. :-)

Assuming all goes smoothly, we are set to close the middle of June.  (Right before we go on a week long vacation, yikes!)  If any local people have recommendations for painters or someone who could do some basic work like put in a few ceiling fans, let me know!  I don't really feel comfortable posting too many pictures yet, but here are two of the porch and the backyard overlooking the greenway.  The property line is where the grass meets those low trees/bushes, so the backyard itself isn't huge.  Trying to figure out a way to fence it in for the security of the kids, but still not block the rest of the view.

So excited and completely overwhelmed!!

Dear Cooper, please stay this sweet forever....

I've started introducing Cooper to some scripture memory cards that I got through Lil Light of Mine.  There is one for each letter of the alphabet, and I just keep one at a time displayed in the kitchen.  "A" was pretty easy (A friend loveth at all times.  Proverbs 17:17)  "B" is a bit longer: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other.  Ephesians 4:32.  So I started breaking it down for him, just beginning with having him say the first four words.  But I made sure that I said the whole thing for him each time, and he floored us by spouting out the whole entire thing by the second day.  But I didn't think he had a clue what kind and compassionate meant, until this conversation we had in the car today.

Cooper: Wonder what Reagan and David are doing?
Me: I don't know, what do you think they are doing?
Cooper: In South Dakota.
Me: Yes, they are in South Dakota, but what could they be doing?  Maybe they are playing with Harrison [new baby brother].  You know, when they play with Harrison they have to be very gentle.  (Always a teachable moment, right??)  When your baby sister comes, you are going to have to be gentle with her.
Cooper: Cooper need to be kind and compassionate! 

Oh my word, can I just say I melted into a big puddle right then and there.  Love my sweet boy!

And the season of travel begins...

Cooper and I had a big time the last week and a half!  I had been really looking forward to our trip but also halfway dreading it because I was unsure about how he was going to sleep.  (We have gotten very little sleep on our last few travels.)  Well I'm happy to report that Cooper slept like a champ every single night!  Even when he had to sleep in the same room with me.  So are you wondering what the trick was??  It is this lovely number:

My friend Dawn suggested this little foam sofa that flips out into like a padded sleeping-bag thing.  I hated to shell out money for this tacky, cheapo, polyester thing, but given how much more sleep I got I'd pay about three times this much! 

So I've been trying to figure out how to approach this post, since it could easily get waaaaaay too long.  I guess I'll do super short recaps of the highlights and try to keep it to a picture or two of each.  I'll try not to get too carried away but I can't promise anything....

What prompted the trip was my cousin Sean getting married in Daytona Beach.  Our mothers are cousins, but I don't get to see that side of the family very often.  It was so great to visit with them and have them meet Cooper!

With my cousins Stefanie and Tracy, who I never see but totally adore!

After the wedding we headed down to my mom's house for a whole week.  Of course it flew by, but we managed to pack lots of fun into those seven days.  First a breakfast with Robin before she left town, and then some beach fun. 

On Tuesday my dad came up to hang out with us (he has the pictures on his camera) while my mom worked.  The next day was another treat, a chance to hang out with Kimber, one of my childhood best friends.  We lost touch sometime in high school, but reconnected fairly recently through Facebook of course!  She has a little girl who is just a bit younger than Cooper, and I was excited to meet the little one!  We had planned to go to the beach but it was a bit of a chilly morning so we went to this indoor play gym place.  It was wonderful to catch up with her...can I just say that even as I five year old, I knew how to pick my friends?  :-)

Me and Coop with Kimber and Alex

Toward the end of the week we had another unexpected highlight!  I got an email from my dear friend Deb, who lives in Washington DC, mentioning that she was headed down to South Florida for her sister-in-law's wedding that weekend.  She had no idea that I was down there too!  So on Friday morning I was able to kidnap Deb and baby Madeline for a little trip to a beach park that was literally five minutes from their hotel.  I think that morning was my favorite part of the trip.  An unexpected hour just to visit with one of my favorite people, some baby snuggles, quality time with my mom, and a perfect place for Cooper to play in the water.  It was perfection. 

I think I got all the major highlights!  There was lots of other fun stuff....a morning at the pool, some shopping, a rare nap for momma (come on, that's big news!)  Cooper was super attached to grams the whole time, which is fun to see and also gave me the chance to actually read a book. :-)  Another highlight of this trip was that it was the first one in which I didn't have to bring diapers!  Yes, Cooper is officially wearing underwear!  Even for naps and usually bedtime too!  Potty training has been surprisingly easy and stress-free.  I am so proud of my little man for being fully out of diapers by 27 months!  Whoo-hoo!! 

Well, I think I did a decent job at keeping my recap as short as possible.  I'm sure I'll put a bunch more pictures on facebook in the next few days.  :-)  Next up.....DIsney!!!

Halfway there!

I have been so bad about taking belly pictures during this pregnancy.  But I did make sure to have my mom take one of my at the 20 week mark, while I was down in South Florida visiting her last week.

Everything is still going very well with the pregnancy.  My allergies have finally calmed down, so I actually feel human (and can wear mascara again, yay!)  I do have to be careful not to overdo it, because my lower back starts to hurt especially if I carry Cooper around for too long.  I am feeling little girl move a LOT....she is an active one just like Cooper was.  Stewart was able to feel her last night for the first time too!  I'm having the best time looking at little girl stuff and thinking about how to decorate a sweet girl nursery.  We don't have a name yet...I think it's going to be a while on that one.  And I have finally adjusted to saying "she" instead of "he"....it took me a while! 

It's a girl!

Well, I'm sure everyone already knows by now that we are having a girl, thanks to Facebook (and judging from the 98 "likes" and 40 comments I've gotten on my status update!)  We are so excited, although I can honestly say that we would have been thrilled with another boy too.  After having Cooper I have come to love being the mom of a boy!  But we were definitely hoping to have a little girl at some point, so this takes a bit off the pressure off to have a third (although it's not out of the question.) 

We wanted Cooper to be a part of us finding out the gender, but didn't love the thought of having to deal with him during the ultrasound and doctor's appointment.  So Stewart's parents watched him, which turned out to be a good decision since we were there for over an hour and a half.  We had the ultrasound tech keep the gender secret (she had us turn our heads several times), and then she put an appropriately-colored note in an envelope for us to open at home.  When we got home we let Cooper open it and tell us the color.  I know it looks like I was peeking in the video, but my eyes were closed (and that gasp you hear is Grammy!)

Baby #2 Gender reveal from Courtney on Vimeo.

Everything else looked good on the ultrasound. She (!) was lying sideways across my belly, with her face down so we couldn't see her profile.  Her position made it impossible/difficult for the ultrasound technician to see some of the key structures (like the nasal bone), so we have to have another ultrasound next time we go in for our regular appointment.  Nothing to worry about though.  I also found out that I have an anterior placenta, which probably explains why the movements I have been feeling have seemed kind of "muffled" and not as easy to feel as with Cooper. 

Of course everyone wants to know about names.  We have a list of somewhere around six names that we like, but we are definitely still looking and thinking about it.  We are nowhere near making a decision on that! 

Obviously, we are just thrilled.  Stewart is slightly dismayed because he says that almost everyone he tells makes some comment about money, or shopping, or paying for a wedding.  He says that our house budget went down by $30,000 the minute Cooper pulled out that pink paper.  (Yes, we are still searching for a house.)  I was the one to spread most of the news, but he sent texts to his best friend Marc, who has two boys and his cousin Jeff, who has a girl and two boys.  The two different responses cracked me up so I had to share....

Marc: Something to the effect of "Congratulations man, what a blessing!  I am so thrilled for your family." 

Jeff: "Uh-oh"

:-)

I have been very restrained and have only bought one little onesie that was too good of a deal to pass up.  I know grams has already started shopping, and I wouldn't be surprised if Grammy and Auntie Amber were starting as well!  In the meantime I've started "pinning" things like crazy on Pinterest, which is actually quite a good substitute for shopping! 

We are, as they say, tickled pink!

Things loved in March

Lilly Pulitzer Tumbler

I started off this pregnancy doing great with my water consumption, but I have kind of fallen off the bandwagon.  I thought maybe a cute new to-go cup would help inspire me to drink more water, and it has worked!  The local store where I bought it even personalized Lilly cups for free!  I'm loving all things Lilly right now! 

Allergy Meds

Ooh boy have the allergies hit hard this year.  I am so thankful that pregnant women can still take allergy medicine (although not the ones with decongestant, boo.)  I try to limit the amount of medication I take while pregnant, but right now this is a necessity.  Funny side note....I take the generic Loratadine, but when I refer to it in conversation I always say Zyrtec....which drives Stewart INSANE because it's actually a generic form of Claritin.  Something like that would only bug a pharmacist!

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Fig

I almost always wear a small amount of make-up when I'm going out of the house, but I'm really bad about putting on lipstick.  This stuff feels just like a smooth lip balm but has a nice sheer tint.  I put it on with the rest of my makeup and usually lasts until lunch. 

Garden & Gun magazine

Photo of Alabama Shakes via Gardenandgun.com
I read this magazine randomly at the gym one day and really liked it.  Soon after there was an online deal for a $5 subscription, so I signed up.  It has since become a favorite of both me and Stewart.  Unashamedly southern, it has a wide variety of interesting articles, none of them too frou-frou.  This last issue had articles on several young southern bands, one on Sissy Spacek and her Virginia farm, and one on the life of the man who invented the most well-known salt water fly-fishing reel.  What I like is that they aren't normally topics I would read about, but they are always interesting and well written.  It usually arrives on the same day as my Southern Living, so I feel lots of southern pride that week.  :-)

Motherhood Maternity

I didn't have good luck with this maternity store last time around, but since I basically need a whole new maternity wardrobe (thanks to being pregnant in exactly the opposite season), I have had to seek out some low cost items.  I have found some really cute things at Motherhood this time around, including this top above and an Easter dress.  Glad I gave them another chance! 

Do you have any new favorites I should check out?

Cooper meets Thomas

Cooper loves Thomas the train, so when we found out about a Day Out with Thomas, we really wanted to take him.  None of the stops were that close to us, but we decided to do what we could to make it happen.  The closest one that fit our schedule was in Tampa, so we headed down there this weekend.  The event was on Saturday, so we went down on Friday.  We had planned to get there in time to go to the zoo or aquarium, but we got in a little later than planned.  The front desk guy (it wasn't a nice enough hotel to call him a concierge) suggested a nearby manatee viewing center.  It was free, so we figured we had nothing to lose.  Unfortunately the water was too warm for any manatee spottings, but Cooper had fun running around and playing in the little education center. 

We had a virtually sleepless night...if you saw my FB post, you know the that we have yet to master the fine art of sleeping in a hotel with our wild man.  Thanks to the lack of sleep, Cooper was a bit more subdued than we were expecting him to be when he saw Thomas.  He enjoyed it a lot, but it was pretty hot and there was lots of standing in line.  We spent a good amount of time there, but I think we were all happy when it was time to hit the road. 

Waiting for Thomas to arrive!

Our turn to ride the train!

Checking out the "jewel" that the conductor brought around.

After the ride, you could wait in line to take a picture in front of Thomas.  There was limited time (because the train had to go on another ride) and the line was long.  If you didn't make it, you had to wait another 25 minutes for the train to come back.  We were literally the last people to make it through the line, so we didn't really get a chance to make Cooper smile.  At least he is (almost) looking at the camera!

Met a nice train conductor!

Aside from the train ride, meeting Sir Topham Hatt was a highlight.  (He runs the railroad, in case you aren't up on all the Thomas characters!) 

It was a lot of effort, with all the driving involved, but I think Cooper had a good enough time for it to be worth it.  It was also a nice trial run for all our travels during the rest of the spring and the summer.  Let's just say we have some kinks to work out with the sleeping....