My Three Sons

Tucker's 1st Parade

2009-05-08T16:48:00.002-04:00

He really liked the music:

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-07T22:47:00.002-04:00

Breast Cancer Awareness

2009-04-30T14:05:00.003-04:00

My mom had surgery a few weeks ago to remove some pre-cancerous cells in her breast. She got results a few days ago that they have found even more pre-cancerous cells, and they have to go back in and remove more of her breast. Her surgery is scheduled for mid-May.

In honor of her and all other women struggling with breast cancer issues I urge you to support the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. Avon sells several breast cancer awareness items and 100% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research.

Visit www.youravon.com/sarawebb and enter "pink ribbon" in the search box. Free shipping on any of these items with coupon code FSANY.

Here are just a sampling of the items available:

This is what happens when...

2009-04-24T21:37:00.007-04:00

...you have three little boys and attempt to plant flowers.

I planted these exactly two days ago...
exhibit A: destroyed tulips

exhibit B: trampled pansies

no time to blog

2009-04-21T22:43:00.004-04:00

Well since Chase has been born things have been busier and I don't have time for blogs and such. Hard to believe he is 7 weeks old already!!! He's really growing and starting to get active, staying awake a lot more and cooing and reaching for toys etc. Tucker loves him so much. All he wants to do is kiss him and brings him toys to "play" with. If Chase cries Tucker goes running over to him saying "tickle, tickle, tickle". I guess he figures being tickled cheers anyone up. LOL I can't wait to see what it's like when Chase is actually old enough to play with Tucker.

I quit my job. With Aaron's new job he has more to do and longer hours and me going in on Tuesdays and Thursdays just wasn't going to work. So I'm officially a housewife. Somedays I love it and some days I think I'll lose my mind if I don't have a break or get out of the house. But either way I'm really happy I get to be home and have lots of time with the kids.

Thirty-One!

2009-04-02T15:45:00.006-04:00

Please join me in celebrating the Grand Opening of my Thirty-One website! I'm having an online kick-off party!

Thirty-One offers great purses, accessories, tote bags and even home decor. Be sure to also checkout the new line of Thirty-One kids products including baby bibs, diaper bags etc!

If you place an order of $50 or more, your name will be entered into a drawing for a free product up to $20 value.

Start shopping now at www.mythirtyone.com/swebb

He's Here!

2009-03-09T15:09:00.004-04:00

Chase Foster Webb was born Tuesday March 3rd at 11:45am. My water broke around 3am, we got to the hospital around 5am, and hard contractions started around 9am. The delivery was pretty quick and easy with no problems. His brothers love him and we've all been adjusting to our new member of the family. Chase doesn't like to sleep much at night so we've been struggling with that and are running on little to no sleep.

Snow Day

2009-03-02T17:31:00.001-05:00

Blah

2009-02-27T15:08:00.004-05:00

So not much happening here. I had about an hours worth of contractions a few days ago but since then nothing. I don't "feel" like I'm having a baby anytime soon. At my last appointment they told me they wouldn't induce until 41 weeks. Earlier in the pregnancy they were saying 39 weeks. Soooooo I could potentially have 2 more weeks to go.

I've been thinking about something...nearly the whole pregnancy I've been measuring about 2 weeks behind (this week I was measuring at 37 weeks instead of 39) and the baby is small. Well, what if I really AM 37 weeks and the baby isn't small, he's just right (or a little big) for 37 weeks?! What's to say the due date is totally correct? Not that I want to have 3 weeks left instead of one. I'm exhausted and tired of being pregnant.

My Widget

2009-02-27T15:08:00.001-05:00

My Widgetgreat free widgetsWidgetbox

last minute losing of my mind

2009-02-19T11:22:00.001-05:00

So towards the end of my pregnancies I tend to lose my mind and become incapable of decision making. Maybe it's the exhaustion, maybe it's the hormones, who knows.

Well the current topic is the baby names. I thought we were settled on Chase but now Charlie is sounding real good to me again.

Opinions?

38 weeks

2009-02-19T08:29:00.002-05:00

Well 2 more weeks to go...

I went ahead and scheduled my last day at work to be next Thursday so I've just got to talk myself into making it through three more nights. I have doctor's appointments Friday, Monday and Wednesday. Ugh. Keeping up with all these appointments has become a full time job within itself.

I've been ridiculously exhausted lately and have been finding it hard to keep up with Tucker during the day. I just want to nap and he wants to do anything but nap. I'm really looking forward to not being pregnant anymore.

Ultrasound update

2009-02-16T20:58:00.002-05:00

Had my follow up ultrasound today. At first the amniotic fluid level was pretty low but then he had me drink as much water as I could stand and then checked it again and it had increased a bit. Most likely the problem was just that I'm a little dehydrated. I have instructions to drink lots of fluids and go back again Monday for yet another ultrasound to check the levels again. I have a regular appointment with my doctor on Friday...then another next week. All these appointments are exhausting. Actually everything is exhausting right now. I'm just painfully tired all the time.

I realized the other day that I needed a couple of new outfits for Chase to wear in the hospital and during the first few weeks since he's going to be smaller and all of Tucker's newborn things will be a bit big for him at first so Tucker and I went out shopping today and found a couple of cute things. It was fun shopping for little baby things again, it was the first real shopping trip I had done for Chase...poor little guy is getting mostly hand me downs so it was nice to splurge just a little on some new things for him.

I'm thinking about talking to work about starting leave a little early. I was planning on working right up til my due date but I'm usually ready for bed early in the evening and the 10pm work nights are killing me and I'm not quite sure I can handle another 10 hour Saturday. Ugh.

Think I'll go see if I can talk Aaron into giving me a back rub. Usually when he gives me one he'll fall asleep after about 2 minutes and I'll still be awake waiting for my back rub to start. LOL

Uggggghhhh

2009-02-15T19:56:00.004-05:00

That's what I have to say about the upcoming week. Aaron's first day at his new job is tomorrow and he has to go up to DC to take care of some paperwork etc. He has to be out of the house by like 5:45am and doesn't know for sure when he'll be back. I have an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon and am really hoping he'll be back in time to go to that with me. I found out late last week that my amniotic fluid has decreased which may or may not signal a problem (which could possibly mean I'd need to be induced sooner rather than later) so they're sending me back for ultrasound #4 to run some tests on the baby and see what's going on in there. I really feel like everything is fine but better to be safe than sorry. We packed our hospital bags tonight just to be prepared.

Wednesday my mom has to go in for some testing, she has a painful breast lump so she has an extensive mammogram etc to investigate what that is. Hopefully it'll turn out to be nothing to worry about. Then on Friday I go back to the doctor for a follow up from the ultrasound.

We've been really busy the last few days trying to get ready for the baby. It seems like all of a sudden there is so much to do and all I really feel like doing is sleeping.

Avon!

2009-02-03T18:39:00.005-05:00

I am now an Avon representative! I'm pretty excited about it, I'm not sure why I didn't think of it sooner. I love make up, bath and body stuff, holiday stuff...you name it...and of course LOVE shopping so it makes perfect sense for me to combine something I enjoy with making a little money. Plus living with 3 (soon to be 4) boys, I need to do something feminine every once in a while!

My website is http://www.avonrepresentative.com/sarawebb you can order online and have your order shipped directly to you for free with coupon code FIRSTREP. Happy Shopping! If you want to be added to my email list to receive coupons and specials just let me know! (buyavonsara@gmail.com)

Just Like Daddy

2009-01-21T15:04:00.000-05:00

Tucker likes to work on his "laptop" just like Daddy does.

the news is

2009-01-17T10:12:00.002-05:00

there is no news. Had my ultrasound yesterday afternoon. I learned two things: a) never schedule an appointment for late in the afternoon b) never take two kids to a doctors appointment. They were crazy busy and super behind and it seemed like we waited for a year and neither of my boys were in the greatest of moods. Once we finally got to see the doctor we found out the baby is just over 4lbs right now which means he will likely be around 7-7.5lbs when he's born. That was surprising since my doctor has been pretty convinced that this baby would be bigger than Tucker (who was 8.5lbs) and that we'd be having to induce early. Guess neither of those things are true. I was looking forward to being induced and knowing what day the baby would be coming so I could arrange childcare, and when to take off of work etc. Oh well. Guess we'll be waiting til March. The ultrasound office was so busy and backed up that we didn't even get to play around on the fun 3D machine or get any cool pictures of Chase. :(

baby name poll results.

2009-01-15T21:44:00.001-05:00

So the results are in from the baby name poll I posted a while back. Looks like "Chase" was the big winner. Coincidentally I think we're pretty set on Chase as well. I'm not quite ready to start ordering personalized stuff yet but I'm about 98% sure he'll be Chase Foster Webb.

22% Parker
37% Chase
11% Charlie
13% Spencer
17% Carter

32 weeks

2009-01-09T10:38:00.004-05:00

Hard to believe I am 32 weeks into this pregnancy already. Time has been flying by. Had a doctor's appointment this morning. The baby is measuring at 35 weeks so she went ahead and scheduled me for an ultrasound next Friday to check the baby's weight. I have a feeling this might be a February baby as opposed to a March one.

Blake's 9th birthday was Monday. Where did 9 years go?! He had a party last weekend, we had 12 kids in our house. Here are a few pictures.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T19:57:00.001-05:00

Sick Again

2008-12-30T11:52:00.002-05:00

I felt better for a little less than a week, which was good because that was during Christmas week and we had a million things going on, but Saturday morning I woke up sick again. This time it's a chest cold with a bad cough. I've tried basically every cold medicine that the doctor said was safe for me to take (which isn't much) but nothing seems to be taking care of it. I just want to get in bed for about two days and hope I wake up feeling better...but obviously with having Tucker to take care of and Blake being on winter break that isn't an option. Tucker's got a cold too, so far his isn't as bad as mine and hopefully it'll stay that way.

I had a doctor's appointment this morning. The baby is measuring about a week bigger than he is so she scheduled an ultrasound for me on February 12th to check the baby's weight at that point and then based on that we'll schedule and induction shortly after that.

We have tons of Christmas pictures but haven't had time or energy to download them. Sooner or later I'll get around to it and post them.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T22:35:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-19T15:30:00.001-05:00

We had our big Christmas baking day last weekend and Tucker had his first ever Christmas cookies. To put it mildly, he is a HUGE fan of cookies. He has probably eaten a dozen of them himself and gets really excited if he even sees the container they're kept in.

The boys are getting excited about Christmas. Today was Blake's last day of school until after New Year's. Tucker gets really excited over anything holiday related. If he sees a snowman we have to sing Frosty the Snowman, if he sees a tree we have to sing O'Christmas Tree, if he sees Santa or anything Santa related he goes "ho ho ho!". He goes around the house pointing to the Christmas decorations going "La La La La" and dancing until we start singing a Christmas song with him. He's at such a fun age.

Here are a few pictures from baking day and some after that of Blake's first basketball game of the season. They've had two games so far and have won both!

not such a great week

2008-12-10T09:28:00.004-05:00

Well I've come down with a bad cold or the flu or something. Being pregnant, there's next to nothing that I can take for it so I just have to wait it out and suffer along the way. I'm all achy and tired and blah. To make this week even more fun, someone (I assume some stupid teenagers) decided to go on a vandalism spree in our area of town and busted out the car windows on over 40 cars...and yep, my car was one of them. They completely shattered my rear window and now my jeep in undriveable. In an effort to cut down monthly expenses recently, I canceled my comprehensive car insurance and went down to a basic policy...sooooooo now getting the window replaced is not covered and is gonna cost me over $300 out of pocket. Which means it's never gonna get fixed. Ugh. It's always something.

On a better note, the boys went to see Santa this past weekend. Tucker was very excited and was giggling and talking up until the point when I sat him on Santa's lap...then he totally lost it. LOL Blake asked Santa for a laptop and is convinced that Santa will bring him one. I've been trying to break it to him that Santa will in fact not being bringing a laptop this year but he still believes. Oh boy. Christmas morning will be really interesting when he doesn't find his laptop under the tree. Here are a few pictures from Santa:

Tucker's First Birthday

2008-12-05T08:26:00.001-05:00

Well I'm about a month late on this, but here are some pictures from Tucker's first birthday.

my christmas list

2008-11-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

Well I know what I'm asking Santa for this year.

Baby Name Poll

2008-11-10T13:31:00.004-05:00

We have a few ideas for names but aren't completely sold on any of them yet. I was curious to see what you all think so I made a baby name poll. Click here to vote now!

It's a...

2008-11-06T11:34:00.002-05:00

boy!!! We're so excited! He's healthy and everything is perfect. Now we just need to come up with a name. Guess we'll have to dig out the baby name book. It's gonna be awesome having a little playmate for Tucker and Blake is going to be ecstatic about having another brother...he had no interest in having a sister LOL! We got a bunch of 3D pictures, he looks just like Tucker...chubby cheeks and all.

Big Week

2008-11-05T13:15:00.002-05:00

We have a lot going on this week. Tomorrow is our big ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby. Everyone has been asking me if I want a boy or girl this time. I really don't have a preference, on the one hand it'd be nice to have a daughter since I already have two sons but on the other hand it'd be great to have another little boy since he and Tucker will be so close in age...they'd be good playmates. Friday is Tucker's 1st birthday! Hard to believe, I really don't know where the year went. Then Saturday is his birthday party. I'll post an update tomorrow afternoon once we're back from the ultrasound!

Fall

2008-10-25T15:46:00.004-04:00

Over the last month or so we've been enjoying all the local fall activities that we go to every year. Here are some pictures from the apple orchard and pumpkin patch.

save the date

2008-10-08T11:36:00.002-04:00

Tucker's first birthday is right around the corner. Invitations will be coming in a couple of weeks but wanted to let you all know that his party will be on Saturday November 8th. Details to follow.

sometimes you get really tired when playing...

2008-09-17T13:28:00.002-04:00

funny

2008-09-13T11:01:00.001-04:00

Updates from here

2008-09-11T18:33:00.002-04:00

Well the update is...I don't really have any updates. Blake is settled into school, Tucker is being Tucker and that's all I got. I finally felt well enough last weekend to go to my cousin's bridal shower. That was pretty much the first outing I've made, other than work, since July 4th weekend. Unfortunately the feeling better didn't last long, by the next day I was sick and tired again. Hopefully I'll break out of this cycle soon. I have too, fall is almost here. By far my most favorite time of year. Soon we'll be headed up to the apple orchard for the harvest festival and to pick apples and eat delicious apple cider donuts and drink warm fresh apple cider. mmmm. I could (and do) spend hours up there. We'll have to take Tucker on his first hayride too! Then before you know it, Halloween will be here. Blake wants to dress up as someone from Star Wars and Tucker will probably go as Cookie Monster. Since when are Halloween costumes $40?!?! I looked briefly at them at Target last week and was shocked. Ridiculous for something that will literally be worn for a couple of hours. I might get adventurous and try to conjure up homemade versions this year.

To get ready for the season I started putting away my summer candles and decorations and have begun bringing out the fall dishes and apple scented candles. Something about the scent of apples makes me so happy. I need to get Aaron to go up to the attic for me to bring down the rest of decorations so I can get my fall wreath and doormat out and don't forget about all the garland and pillows and knick knacks! I've started using my bath and body works country apple scented body wash and lotion and soon my philosophy caramel apple 3 in 1 will arrive. yum.

The Dumb keep getting Dumber

2008-08-29T13:02:00.003-04:00

I've never been one to get on a political high horse but I've had enough. I just watched John McCain's announcement of his Vice Presidential running mate and her speech. First off, it's a sad sad world when McCain thinks all he has to do to win over Hillary's voters is to pick a woman. As if any random woman is will do. The Governor of all places Alaska, and for less than two years?! The poor woman is being used, big time, and she must know it. Her speech was amateurish and at times ridiculous. She actually made reference to Hillary Clinton and the 18 million cracks she put in the glass ceiling...and then claimed that she (herself not Hillary) was going to crash through that ceiling. Okay. Couple of problems here. Being selected as the VP nominee by McCain is nowhere even close to anything that Hillary has done. People didn't vote for Hillary only because she is a woman, it was because she has what it takes to be a leader. The self professed "hockey mom" from Alaska? Yeah not so much.

On the other hand I've been following the Democratic National Convention. A year ago this time I actually made the comment that if our next President was a man named Barack Obama that I was moving to Canada. It had nothing to do with him being black, that to me is a non-issue. It was just with a name like that it sounded like he should be hanging out with Bin Laden or something. I was a Hillary fan. I've always been a fan of the Clinton's and all they've done for our country. Bill was easily the best president of my lifetime thus far. Imagine my surprise when one day I decided to take a quiz on CNN.com. The quiz had a series of the candidates responses to questions on every issue possible, only it didn't list which candidate had made which response. You had to blindly choose which one you agreed with more. At the end of the quiz I was quite surprised to find out that I had chosen Obama's answers much more frequently than Hillary's. That's when I knew I had to be open minded and start really listening to what each of them had to say. The first time I've ever voted in my life was in the primary, and I cast my ballot for Obama. I never thought I'd give into all the hype, I usually tend to do the exactly opposite of that but here I am. As the new catch phrase goes: we don't need 4 more of the last 8 years.

Back to School

2008-08-23T14:53:00.003-04:00

Blake started back to school this past week. He had been really upset about the summer being over and insisted he simply wasn't going to go to school. Luckily after attending open house at his school Monday night and meeting his new teacher and seeing his classroom he got really excited. I'm sure running into last year's girlfriend didn't hurt either. It's hard to believe that my little boy is a third grader! Seems like yesterday he was Tucker's age. I've got pictures of the first day back but haven't uploaded them yet. I'll post them when I get around to it.

Speaking of Tucker, he sure is growing and learning lots of things. He's been able to crawl around for a while now. His new thing is pulling up and standing. Every time he does it he gets nervous at first then looks at me for reassurance then is really excited. He has six teeth now and the doctor says we can give him small pieces of table food. I'm not quite ready for that yet. (long story of choking experiences and paranoia)

The fall semester at work started today. Basically that means for me more students, more work and actually having to work a full shift. Things were pretty quiet around here during the summer. I liked it that way. I'm not exactly having the time of my life working a 10 hour shift on a Saturday.

In baby news, I'm into my 12th week now. Just a couple more weeks and I'll be into my second trimester. Hopefully that means less nausea and more energy for me. I'm pretty sick of being couch bound and useless. Last August when I was posting about being pregnant with Tucker I never in a million years would have guessed I'd be posting this August about being pregnant again. It's funny how life comes at you, isn't it? I can't honestly say I have completely positive feelings yet about being pregnant again but even though this was an "accident", none of my pregnancies have been planned and everything turned out great with my two sons so I have to believe that everything will work out eventually and that somehow I will not completely loose my mind having a 9 year old, 1 1/2 year old and an infant. I keep trying to remind myself of all the poor ladies out there who try for years to conceive, or those who know they never can, or those who struggle with miscarriages and try to think that maybe I'm lucky that I'm so damn fertile. LOL

Doctor Day

2008-08-05T19:43:00.003-04:00

I had my first prenatal appointment yesterday. The doctor and nurses all had a good time joking around with us for being pregnant again so soon. Everything went well, we got to hear the heartbeat and had an ultrasound. My due date is March 5th but she warned me that it's likely she won't let me go full term because Tucker ended up being 2lbs bigger than Blake and if that trend continues we're looking at a 10 pounder this go 'round. She said she'll keep a close eye on the baby's weight towards the end and we'll decide then whether to induce early etc. I've lost ten pounds so far since I've been so sick. I can't remember the last time I was in the 120's LOL. I got a new prescription for some nausea medicine and it's my new best friend. I took half a pill last night and was passed out within half an hour and wasn't fully alert until about noon or so today. I think these pills are effective because they put you to sleep. It's sorta hard to puke if you're sleeping. I have to cut down to 1/4 of a pill during the day so I can stay somewhat awake. The dosage is a full pill every six hours. Wow-zers, I'd be asleep until delivery time if I followed that. I do enjoy the fact that I have not gotten sick once today so far. That's probably the first time in a month. Given the choice between frequent vomiting and being in a drugged up trance, I have to go with the latter.

And baby makes FIVE?!?!!?!?

2008-07-24T17:52:00.003-04:00

Well some of you know, some of you don't...I'm pregnant. Again.

No, it wasn't planned. Yes, we were using birth control. It was a shock and we know it will be difficult having two so close in age but we're making the best of it. I was hoping at least I'd be able to go through this, my LAST and FINAL pregnancy, without being debilitatingly sick. No such luck. For about a week after finding out I was feeling 60% okay and was like hey I can handle this, I can handle anything after how sick I was with Tucker. Until it hit again. I've barely, and I mean barely, have been off the couch in two weeks. Thank goodness for only working part time. I do feel bad for my boys though who are home with me during the day. The most I'm able to do for them at this point is make sure they're fed and alive throughout the day. Whyyyyy whyyyyyyyyy must so much queasiness and nausea and related things be brought upon one person?! I try not to complain, I really do. But it doesn't work. LOL Some people go through all their pregnancies and never get sick once. If you see one of those people punch them in the face for me.

And in all seriousness I know that the only real thing that matters is that the pregnancy is safe and the baby is healthy. I try to remind myself of that on days like today when I can't hold anything at all down.

It isn't easy being queasy.

Jeepers!

2008-07-08T09:39:00.002-04:00

Over the last several months we've noticed that Aaron's Liberty has been getting a little tight by the time we all load in and pack up the stroller, diaper bag and other kid paraphernalia. The other day we started discussing getting something with more room. To me that meant we'd talk about it for months, drive by and look at a few things and probably never really do anything about it. To Aaron that meant we were going to the dealership that night and coming home with something.

We went "browsing" last night and came across an amazing seven passenger Jeep Commander. Wow-ah! We were both immediately in love but my practical side told me that we should also look at a minivan (yuck) just for comparison purposes. We test drove both, folded and unfolded seats in both, looked through the trunks etc. The van was the much more practical choice. So roomy and so much storage. Plenty of room for us and plenty of room to grow. Which one did we come home with?

I guess we'll always be a Jeep family.

Quotes

2008-06-28T13:03:00.004-04:00

Mothers of little boys work from son up till son down!-- Author Unknown

Baseball is where boys practice being men and men practice being boys, and they get real good at it.-- Mary Cecile Leary

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys."--Harmon Killebrew

There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything quite so special as the love between a mother and a son--Author: Unknown

Some parents say it is toy guns that make boys warlike. But give a boy a rubber duck and he will seize its neck like the butt of a pistol and shout "Bang!"--George F. Will

Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable.--Plato

Raising Boys
Roberta I. Teague

I scrub the wall of fingerprints, Pick up the mounds of clothes.

I sweep the dirt that shoes track in- Wish I could use a hose!

Meals are served from dawn to dark, Dirty dishes crowd the sink.

Just when they're washed and put away- Everyone wants a drink!

The washer pulls the dirty grime From pants worn thin and patched.

They look so very neat and clean- Yuck, look what the pockets hatched!

Broken bones and bloody knees, I should have been a nurse.

I take it all in shaky stride- Just grateful it's not worse!

Screams and shouts and arguments

Test the keeping of my cool.

They left the neighbor's faucet on- See their new front yard pool!

A soothing bath is ecstasy, A reward at the end of my rope.

Raising boys isn't really bad- But first I must wash the soap!

A rose can say I Love You, Orchids can enthrall; But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist, Oh my, that says it all!

Raising boys is as hard as it looks.

If you have a little boy, All your very own,Then you have enough and more, To make a happy home.

Vacation!

2008-06-14T09:11:00.011-04:00

We went to Myrtle Beach for our annual Anniversary trip. It was our second anniversary but it seems like it shoulda been the fifth or something, I don't know just seems like I've always known Aaron. Anyways, it was a lot of fun and we had nice sunny (but 100 degree) weather. Tucker absolutely loves the water and splashes like crazy. He would laugh at the waves crashing. Blake has really progressed with his swimming over the last couple of years and is doing really well with that. We did a lot of fun stuff but it's probably just easier to summarize with pictures...here it goes...

on the beach...

He really liked the waves..

getting ready to build a sandcastle

Tucker spent most of his time on the beach napping like this...

checking out the waves...

At Nascar Speed Park...

At the Pavilion Nostalgia Park...

Tucker's first carousel ride...he loved it, he started yelling at me when the ride ended...

Blake and Aaron on the swings...

At the pool...

making lots of splashes...

kicking his feet...

Blake liked shooting everyone with his new water gun...

Pudge and Daddy hanging out by the pool...

Blake spent 90% of his waking hours swimming...

Daddy and Pudge under the mushroom fountain...

in the big pool...

lounging around the hotel...

Tucker's first Myrtle Beach Tshirt...

helping me check email...

Blake and Aaron making cars at RideMakerz...

Broadway at the Beach...

excited to be in the big boy highchair...

on the way home :\ ...

Been a while...

2008-06-14T08:54:00.004-04:00

Well I'm totally behind on blogging. We got back a few days ago from vacation...it was awesome but more on that later. Let's see, what have I missed? Tucker turned 7 months old last week. He's really maturing. He's been saying "da-da" for about a month now. I'll never forget the day when out of no where he blurted out "da-da ba-ba". My six month old was demanding a bottle already?! He's quick. LOL

While we were on vacation he starting talking a lot more. He started saying "ma-ma"! It's so cute and he always uses it at just the right time too. My mom was with us on vacation for a couple of days too and he started calling her by name too "na-na". If he gets fussy he'll go through all the names until someone helps, it'll start with "mama mama mama" then if i don't come immediately it'll be "dada dada dada" then if that still doesn't work in a desperate attempt he'll try "nana nana nana" even though she's not even there.

He also cut two bottom teeth. He's been gnawing on stuff for a while and been working on them but I was still surprised one day to see him open his mouth wide and all of a sudden two little teeth were sticking out! I'm trying to get a picture of them but he doesn't like to participate in smiling big when I have the camera out. He's really been working on crawling too. He has all the right hand and leg motions down, now he just needs to figure out to lift his stomach off the ground.

I never got around to posting Memorial Day pics so here are a few...

Tucker's Half Birthday

2008-05-12T08:28:00.004-04:00

Last week Tucker turned six months old. Blake wanted to have a "half birthday" party for him. Tucker got presents and we had cupcakes (Tucker mostly just played in his icing). I can't believe he is six months old already. It's going by way too quickly.

nicknames

2008-04-09T10:39:00.004-04:00

I've never been the type of person who was given cute nicknames growing up. My dad used to call me Sara-Beara. And Aaron will call me that occasionally when he wants to tease me. Aaron and I call each other baby. Actually I can't remember the last time I called him by name. My best friend starting calling me Princess years ago...I can't really remember why or how that one got started but so far that's the one that has stuck the most. The same friend also starting referring to Aaron as "idiot boyfriend" back when he was still my boyfriend. (it's a long immature story we'll refer to as the "Napoleon Dynamite phase") Then he became known as "idiot fiance" or IF for short...and now of course "idiot husband", more commonly referred to as IH. Don't get me wrong, no one actually thinks he's an idiot...believe it or not it's an affectionate term.

When Blake was a baby I always called him boogie-bear. Nooooo idea where that came from or why I decided it was acceptable but for some reason it stuck until he was about a year old. Since then he's gone through a serious of nicknames: turkey sandwich, slugger, sonic, buddy, and most recently and most often used Blakey-Wakey. That one was Aaron's geniusousness.

Similarly Aaron started calling Tucker "Tucker-Wucker" and hence we all picked it up and have been calling him that a lot. We still use that one a lot but it somehow didn't seem like the most creative nickname for him. One day Aaron was at work and Tucker and I were watching the Tigers game and I heard the announcer refer to Pudge Rodriguez. And there it was...the perfect nickname for Tucker. Pudge. What could be more fitting? Is he pudgy? You better believe it...and you all know that Aaron is a die hard Tigers fan and it's rubbed off on all of us, which means that Tucker doesn't have much choice but to love them too. So maybe they haven't had the best season so far (come on seriously guys, you can do better than that!) but hey, around our house the Tigers are still cool and Pudge is still awesome.

In other news:

Blake has been playing baseball for the last few weeks. He really loves it this year and is doing great. It's amazing to see the progress over a couple of years. This time the kids are starting to get old enough that they're learning the strategy of the game and there's some real competition.

Spring has sprung, only it hasn't. Blake is off on spring break this week and I had all these plans of fun outdoor activities we could do but so far it's been cloudy, chilly and drizzly. Yuck.

freebies

2008-04-08T19:41:00.004-04:00

I'm always on the lookout for freebies or other good deals. Thought you guys might enjoy these as well.

Free Scotch Brite toilet scrubber with bleach. Happy cleaning! (printable coupon) http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/scotchbrite/images/coupons/MSL_DTSCoupon_4-2008.pdf

Free book every month until your child's 5th birthday...only available in certain areas. http://www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com/about.php

Free sippy cup and coupons from Juicy Juice. http://www.juicyjuice.com/SpecialOffers/Default.aspx

Free reusable shopping tote (you know those ones most grocery stores are using to replace plastic bags). All you have to do is take a short quiz about conservation and they'll mail you the free tote. http://www.ebfarm.com/AboutUs/Environment/ConservationQuiz.aspx

Free 14 day supply of NatureMade vitamins. http://www.naturemade.com/specialcoupon/entry.asp?ID=23

Easter in Pictures

2008-03-24T15:13:00.006-04:00

We had a great Easter yesterday. Blake woke us all up at 5:40am to see if the Easter bunny had come. Of course, he had and Blake and Tucker were excited to open their baskets. The Easter bunny even visited me this year and brought me lots of candy and a Target gift card! Thanks Easter Bunny!!!

We went out to lunch and had an Easter egg hunt. It was a nice sunny day but in the upper 40's so we had to limit our time outside. My mom is having trouble with her leg (she has blood clots) so she didn't get to partake in the fun, but we went by to visit her afterwards and we ran into my grandmother, aunt and her husband over there. Blake decided a few weeks ago that he wanted a suit for Easter. He has HATED dressing up for about the past 4 years so to see him all of a sudden take this interest in clothes is fun for me.

Aaron's birthday is tomorrow but since Tuesday is one of the nights I work, we are celebrating tonight. I've spent the day today baking a cake and wrapping presents and we're going to go out to dinner when he gets home from work. At least I'm not as sick this year on his birthday as I was last year...I had morning (all day) sickness so bad that after planning him a big 30th birthday party, I couldn't even go to it myself.

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

2008-03-19T09:39:00.001-04:00

Silly Tucker

2008-03-11T14:38:00.002-04:00

Time Flies

2008-03-09T15:36:00.007-04:00

I cannot believe how quickly time is going by and how fast Tucker is growing. He turned four months old a few days ago. We fed him his first baby cereal today. Once he got the hang of eating from a spoon he really liked it. For about the last month or so he's been so interested in our food when we've been eating so I knew he would be ready soon for some food of his own. We've been giving him teeny tiny tastes of a few things we've had just to see his reaction to new tastes and experiences. He really loved sweet tea, wasn't sure what to think of coke, was confused by apple juice and loved juice from a kiwi and cantaloupe. Aaron had the bright of idea of letting him taste A1 sauce...needless to say he hated that. It's so much fun watching his face and reaction to new things.

I cannot believe Easter is two weeks away. What's up with that?!!? Time really needs to slow down.

Here are some recent pictures:

Picture Time!

2008-02-26T08:48:00.005-05:00

We have a habit of dressing Tucker up in cheesy outfits and taking pictures of him. Here are the latest pictures:

St . Patrick's Day outfit:
Easter outfit:

Mid Feb

2008-02-22T09:08:00.012-05:00

So being at home during the week with Tucker and Blake has been amazing. I love spending time with Tucker during the day and being home when Blake gets off the bus in the afternoons. My new job is going well. It took a few days to get used to the schedule (I work until 10pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays), I'm usually used to be being in bed by 10pm! And at first it was a bit weird being in charge of college students, but I've gotten used to that too. Basically what I'm doing now amounts to a Teacher Assistant, which is pretty cool because I've wanted to be a teacher since I was 5 years old...and this is about as close as I'm going to get at this point.

Today school is closed...and just about everything else in town. Why? Well they were calling for a snow/ice mix but NOTHING happened, yet everywhere is still closed. Go figure. Blake is excited about being off today though.

Tucker is getting bigger by the day and is so active and fun. He's starting to grow out of 6/9 month size clothes already. The boy is a chunker! I want to start getting him some summer clothes when I see good deals but at this rate it's hard to tell what size he'll be in by then... size 24 months?!?! Ha!

Here are some pictures from the last week or so:

Valentine's Day

Tucker playing

Tucker Sleeping

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T09:30:00.003-05:00

Blake must officially be in love. The child who absolutely refuses to wear dress shirts, who I had to bribe to even wear a polo shirt for my wedding picked out a dress shirt at the mall last night...insisted that I buy it and wore it to school today along with a pair of dress pants. I hope his crush is impressed. The things boys do for girls. And at 8 years old already! oh boy.

Tonight is my first night at my new job. It's been so amazing being home all week with the kids. It's the best thing ever. I'm so happy that I've had this chance to work part time to be home with my family more. Now, hopefully I'll like the job okay.

This one's from Tucker...he LOVES Cookie Monster

This is how I roll

2008-02-13T10:23:00.013-05:00

Tucker rolled over for the first time today and I happened to have my camera in my hand. Yay!

Getting ready...

Going...

Going...

Gone!

What the heck just happened?!

Bowling

2008-01-23T15:32:00.000-05:00

When Aaron asked me out for our first date he suggest we go bowling. I said I didn't know him well enough to go bowling with him. I know that sounds weird, but I try not to do things that could cause me potential embarrassment in front of people I don't know very well. And especially not on the first date. LOL For his 30th birthday I planned a party at the bowling alley for him but I had just gotten pregnant and was so nauseous that I couldn't even go.

Soooo over three years later we finally went bowling together over the weekend.

As with skating a few weeks back, no one broke any limbs or embarrassed themselves too badly.

Here are the pics:

and this is what Tucker did while we bowled:

Snow Day!

2008-01-18T09:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we got our first real snow storm of this season. We got about 4 inches of snow...which for around here is pretty signifigant. Blake got out of school around 9:30am. I got to work and pretty much turned right back around and went home...I got stuck in traffic on snow covered roads behind lots of wrecks, stuck cars etc turning what would normally be a half an hour trip into two and a half hours. When I finally got home I took some time to take the boys out to play. Blake got a snowboard for Christmas and was thrilled to get to use it for the first time. Tucker didn't know what to think of the stuff falling out of the sky. After getting over the initial shock and coldness I think he liked it.

Here are some pictures:

Back to Work

2008-01-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day back at work. It was even harder to leave Tucker this morning than I thought it would be. I thought since he would be home with Aaron for the next few weeks that it wouldn't be so bad, but I still couldn't stand leaving him. I miss seeing every little thing he does during the day. I can't imagine how hard it will be once I have to take him to daycare. I'm not looking forward to that at all. Blake has gotten used to riding the bus home and isn't looking forward to going back to after school day care. It was really nice being home and spending time with the boys while I could, I really got spoiled. Being back at work is quite the adjustment. Getting paychecks again will be nice, but that's pretty much the only nice part about it.

Here are some pictures from the past week:

And some from Blake's birthday a few weeks back:

Talking Tucker

2008-01-09T13:59:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Tucker starting cooing and making sounds (other than crying). Recently he's really starting "talking" a ton more. He talks to us, his toys, anything that will listen. Here's how he reacts to his baby mp3 player. I think we have a young Dave Matthews fan...

Hello 2008

2008-01-04T13:39:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe that another year has come and gone. 2007 was full of surprises and changes. I got pregnant, got really really sick, we moved into a great new house, Blake started a new school that he loves, and Tucker joined our family.

I learned a lot in 2007: that I love my children more than anything in the world and all I really want is to give them a happy life, that marriage isn't always easy but if you're married to the right person that it's worth sticking it out, that I'm never again to have 3 Christmas parties in 4 days (two if which are at my house) followed by my son going to his dad's for Christmas and then having family stay with us (the last month has been reaaaaaaal stressful to say the least), and most importantly that there is nothing more important in the world to me than my family.

Blake's birthday is tomorrow. I can't believe he'll be eight already! Where does the time go?! All he wanted for his birthday, rather than a big party like he usually has, was for us to all go roller skating together. So that's what we're doing tomorrow. That should be interesting...I haven't been on skates in 20 years. I hope no one breaks a leg or something. He also wanted an ice cream cake for his birthday so I've been working on that today. It should be said I have never made an ice cream cake before so hopefully it'll turn out decent.

Here are a few pictures since my last post:

Merry Christmas Eve!

2007-12-24T12:15:00.001-05:00

Don't have much time to write...I've got to start cooking my turkey for Christmas Eve dinner and have a million other things to do to get ready for Santa tonight!!!

Saturday night we had a Christmas party at our house with my sister's family, my dad, half brother, a few aunts, my grandmother, and my mom. We had 7 kids ages 8 and under in our house...needless to say it was madness. But it was fun. Here are a few pictures:

Tucker is starting to smile a lot more...it's so cute!

Aaron and I:

My sister and I:

My sister and her family:

my grandmother with Tucker:

Blake with two of his cousins:

my niece Jordan with Tucker:

My mom with my nephew Jayden:

My aunt Kay and Tucker:
the kids with all their presents:

Blake with his new video game:

2007-12-20T16:32:00.001-05:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

2007-12-20T16:19:00.000-05:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Countdown to Christmas

2007-12-17T20:14:00.000-05:00

It's crazy to think Christmas is just around the corner. I had most of my shopping done a long time ago and even have had most of my stuff wrapped for a while now but I still find myself in this last minute frenzy. We're having a Christmas party at our house Saturday night...it was supposed to be a small gathering with my sister, her family, my dad and my mom but it's turned into a 20+ person affair. I've got a lot to do to get ready for that. I ran out today to pick up some things for the party and couldn't believe how crazy all the stores were. Even in the middle of the day on a Monday. I hope I don't have too many more errands before the holidays.

Tucker is getting bigger everyday and is really getting social. He interacts with you now. We have a little game we'll play where I'll stick my tongue out at him and after he sees me do it a couple of times he'll do it back to me. Then I'll make a kissy face and he'll try to do it back. So far he's done it back once, that one's a little trickier for him but you can see him thinking about it and trying to do it. I think his favorite activity is still staring at the Christmas tree. He loves to look at lights. I wonder what he'll do for entertainment once the tree is down. ;)

Blake is super excited about Christmas and his birthday coming up. We baked a bunch of Christmas cookies this weekend. Having all that sugar in the house is just adding to his pre-holiday hyperness.

Here are some recent pictures:

Tucker is over a month old!

2007-12-10T21:31:00.001-05:00

Wow! How the time flies. I cannot believe Tucker is almost 5 weeks old already. He is staying awake more and becoming playful. He played with a baby gym today and really loved it...it's fascinating to watch him discover things. He also smiled at me for the first time today...he's smiled before but I think they were mostly gas pains or face reflexes but today it was a genuine "I'm happy to see you" it was amazing!

We've been busy with Christmas activities. We took the boys to see Santa two weekends ago and went to see the holiday light display on the boardwalk at VA Beach this past weekend. Time is flying by. I hate to see my maternity leave disappearing so quickly. :\

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks:

2 1/2 weeks old

3 1/2 weeks old - Tucker loves staring at the Christmas tree

Seeing Santa:
Tucker's First Snow - one month old:

VA Beach Trip:

playing - 4 1/2 weeks old:

Tucker is 2 weeks old!

2007-11-21T15:01:00.000-05:00

So Tucker turned two weeks old today. It's hard to believe it's been that long already. He is such a good baby. He has this calm, laid back personality. He rarely cries, but when he does he means business. He'll sleep 5 or 6 hour stretches at night already. It's amazing! We've been able to take him out on errands and stuff already and he always cooperates. He loves car and stroller rides.

Blake loves helping out with his baby brother. He's an expert at warming bottles, but he has no part in changing diapers. I can't blame him. LOL Aaron has been of work the last two weeks. It's been so great having him around to help out and being able to spend time with him. I'm going to hate it when he has to go back to work next week.

I'm finally starting to feel somewhat like my old self again. Most of the soreness is gone and recovery from the stitches is almost complete. I've only got about 8 lbs to go until I'm back at my pre-pregnancy weight. Yay!

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks:

with me and Blake right after being born

one day old

first night home

first time in his crib (1 1/2 weeks old)

first bath

getting ready for Thanksgiving

He's here!

2007-11-07T21:22:00.000-05:00

After a 5 1/2 hour labor Tucker has arrived. He was born at 2:25PM today weighing 8lbs 7ozs and 21" in length.

The whole experience was amazing. The contractions came on quick and hard once they started and I didn't even have time for the epidural to kick in. OUCH! But the pushing was quick and intense and it was actually pretty amazing to experience the whole thing drug free. Everything about it was different than my labor with Blake. It really couldn't have been any better...well unless that epidural had done it's thing. LOL

So far Tucker has been amazing. He seems very laid back and easy going. He rarely cries and is a big eater already. Hopefully he'll continue to be so easy to take care of.

Finally - some news!

2007-11-06T10:34:00.000-05:00

Well the doctor's office called this morning. I was supposed to go in Thursday for a non stress test if the baby hadn't come yet but everyone in the office was so shocked that I hadn't gone into labor yet that the doctor went ahead and scheduled an induction for me tomorrow morning! So barring a 24 hour labor, Tucker should be here tomorrow!

I don't know much about being induced. I've heard it can make labor longer and contractions harder but I'm going to try not to worry about that. It does feel a bit odd having a baby on a schedule, knowing when it's going to start. But after all this waiting I'm not complaining.

I need to go finish packing my hospital bags and make sure I have everything in order for baby's homecoming!

We're supposed to arrive at the hospital at 7:30am tomorrow morning. I'm sure Aaron and I won't be able to sleep tonight!

Ugh!

2007-11-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

This is not what I was expecting at all. Overdue?!!?! Ohhhhhh man. With all the talk for months of the baby measuring big and then the excitement last week of being dilated and effaced got us all worked up to have an early (or at least on time!) baby. It never occurred to me that he could and would actually be late.

I've already used up a week and a half of maternity leave and here we are starting another week. I've tried nearly everything. From sitting here waiting for something to happen, to going out of town Saturday. We thought for sure if we went out of town that would be tempting fate too much and surely I'd start having contractions or my water would break while I was far from the hospital. Nope. We did go to Sonic to eat though (they just built one about 30 minutes away...we don't have one in town) and to a brand new Target that just opened. It was a nice distraction for a while. I sure could go for another one of those Toaster sandwiches! Then I was going so stir crazy in the house yesterday so Aaron and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. Again, nothing. Then I baked a cake. It's really hard keeping busy and not going crazy being at home all the time. But at the same time I don't have much energy to do anything. Blake is off school today and tomorrow for election day. He wants to go out shopping later so maybe we'll do that and grab some lunch.

My doctor's appointment isn't until Thursday. That seems so far off. I'm taking my hospital bag with me to the appointment and am hoping she will just send me straight over to labor and delivery to induce me. That is if nothing happens between now and then...which it certainly doesn't seem like it's going to.

Due Date!

2007-11-02T12:22:00.000-04:00

So today is my official due date. I thought for sure I would not have made it to this point. I guess Tucker is on his own schedule. He's making sure we know who's boss already.

Nothing has changed over the last few days. I have had a few random contractions but I'll only have about 2 or 3 or so and they are about 20 minutes apart and then they'll stop and I won't have anymore for hours...or days...my last one was yesterday morning around 8am. What the heck?!?!

So from all that excitement on Tuesday to nothing. I took Blake trick or treating on Halloween, all that walking didn't even get anything started. I'm trying a new tactic today...not thinking about it so much and going on with other things I need to do around the house etc. It'll happen when it happens...

If nothing happens by Thursday we have an appointment for a non stress test at which an induction will more than likely be scheduled.

Here's Blake trick or treating:

The Waiting Game...

2007-10-31T08:54:00.000-04:00

So we had quite the eventful appointment yesterday. Turns out I was 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. The doctor was going to send us straight over to labor and delivery right then and there and then come over in a few hours and break my water. I was so shocked and unprepared that I decided just to come home and wait for things to progress on their own.

We picked up Blake and came home in a frantic, running around getting the bags all packed and Blake all ready for Halloween in the event I wouldn't be here. Mom even came over and spent the night in case I were to go to the hospital in the middle of the night.

So far...not so much. I had a few contractions last evening and then a couple overnight. Nothing so far this morning. Now I'm thinking maybe I should have taken the Dr. up on her offer to go to the hospital yesterday. Tucker's a stubborn one!

I was adamant about not having a Halloween baby. The doctor said that means I'll get one. LOL I'm actually fine with it now. Let's just get this show on the road!

Happy Halloween!

Ahhhhh...

2007-10-25T10:34:00.000-04:00

...no work!

Today is my first day of maternity leave. I've been looking forward to this for a while. I swore I was going to take today just to rest but I'm having a hard time sitting still. I keep thinking of things that need to get done. I got up and dressed at regular work time today and got Blake off to school then ran some errands. I have lots of housework to do now.

I am 39 weeks now! Wow! One week from tomorrow is my due date. I wonder if I'll make it that long?! Aaron thinks tomorrow will be the day, some other family members have picked Sunday the 28th. I really don't have any strong feelings as to a specific date so far. At work yesterday I did have a couple of really strong contractions and for a while I thought it was the real thing. Nothing since then though. I just really hope I'm not in the hospital or having the baby on Halloween. I'd kill me to miss the holiday with Blake and not see him all dressed up or be able to take him trick or treating and I think it'd suck for Tucker to have to have his birthday on Halloween.

Blake is off school tomorrow so I'm looking forward to having one last day to spend time alone with him. I asked him what he'd like to do and all he wants is to play monopoly. I think I can handle that. LOL

At my 38 week doctor appointment earlier this week Tucker was measuring at 40 weeks so sounds like he's maxed out and ready to arrive!

Week 38

2007-10-18T12:02:00.001-04:00

Wow. It seemed like we'd never get to this point. Two weeks from tomorrow is my due date. And now that it's so close it seems more surreal than ever. I don't know what it is but I still cannot fully comprehend that a real life baby is coming soon. Real soon.

I have one more week left of work. That's the deadline I'm most looking forward to right now. I just need the rest really bad. I think maybe after I stop working the reality of a baby coming might sink in a little more.

At our doctor's appointment this week not much had changed. She thinks the baby had dropped some. Weight and measurements were all pretty much status quo. We go back again on Tuesday. Blake arrived at week 38 1/2 so the nurse practitioner was really stressing how it could be anytime now and to make sure we had our bags packed. Which we don't. LOL We did get the car seat in the car and the bottles sterilized though. Or I should say Aaron did those things while I laid down. He's such a good husband and is going to be such a great father. :)

37 Weeks...

2007-10-11T14:44:00.001-04:00

Not much to report. At the doctor this week the baby was measuring about a week ahead of schedule and I lost two pounds. They said I could pretty much "go at anytime now". We've been trying to take care of last minute things around the house to get ready - like packing our hospital bags, making sure all the toilets are clean (yeah I don't know...part of nesting I guess), finalizing the plans for who's keeping Blake when and where once I go into labor etc. We still need to install the car seat, set up the bassinet where the baby will be sleeping at first, sterilize the bottles...the list goes on and on.

I had a couple of what I'm pretty sure were contractions yesterday. I had about three at work in the morning but they weren't painful and weren't really consistent so I'm sure they were just Braxton-Hicks. Then last night I had one or two pretty intense ones that were painful, but I took a bath and laid down and they went away.

I found this list about signs that labor may be coming soon...I'm having about 5 out of 8 of them...I don't know, I just don't get the feeling that Tucker is going to hold out until November 2nd. Aaron and I have both picked October 26th as D-day...and there happens to be a full moon that night. The labor and delivery nurse at the hospital was telling us how they always get really busy with women going into labor on full moon nights.

Two weeks left of work. I hope I can make it. It's getting harder and harder everyday just to get up and dressed and out of the house...much less make it through 8 hours then pick up Blake and worry about diner etc.

Doctor's Appt - 36 weeks

2007-10-03T15:53:00.000-04:00

So this week we start going to the doctor once a week. I had an appointment yesterday and...nothing. I weigh the same, the baby measures the same, I'm not dilated. Nothing. I guess we were hoping to hear that things were progressing really quickly or that I'd have to be induced a few weeks early. I guess 4 more weeks to go isn't very long, but right now it feels like an eternity.

We have a lot to do around the house to get ready for the baby, so it's good we have some time. After work I'm so exhausted that I can't make myself do anything, so things only really get done on the weekends. I have exactly 3 weeks left of work before starting my maternity leave and I caaaaaan't wait!

Week 35 Pics (from the apple orchard):

How much longer?

2007-09-28T11:56:00.001-04:00

This is the question I am asked at least five times a day lately. And then I get to watch their reaction as I tell them I still have five weeks to go. It's hilarious to see people's faces...their eyes get all big then they stare at my stomach then they mutter something like "nooooooooo way!" or the ever popular "huh?!?!?!?!?!" or "hoooooooow much loooonger?!!?". Sometimes I just wanna be like "yeah you're right my stomach is huge, my baby is huge and I've been pregnant for two years." and if you're the fifth person of the day asking the question and I'm particularly exhausted and hormonal you'll get that answer. Just ask the receptionist at Blake's after school daycare.

I've decided to make a game out of it. I'll give a different answer each time I'm asked that day. If it's someone I know or work with then obviously I have to give a somewhat legitimate answer, but it'll vary from "a few more weeks" to "alllllllll the way until November 2nd" to "about a month" to the full on long story version about how I'm technically due November 2nd but the baby is measuring and weighing in big so I might be induced early etc etc. But if a stranger in a store or somewhere asks me I like to come up with inventive answers to keep myself from punching them in the face. It'll be something like "ohhhh any day now!" or "not much longer!" or "today's my due date!". You have to do what you can to keep sane at 35 weeks and counting.

I haven't done belly pics in a while so here's what I have. These are from about weeks 33 and 34.

Updates

2007-09-13T09:40:00.000-04:00

At my last doctor's appointment the baby was measuring a bit big so she sent me in for another ultrasound to see if maybe the due date is off or if he's just a big boy. Well turns out the due date is most likely right...he's just chubby! Most babies around this stage weigh around 4-4.5 lbs...Tucker is 5lbs already. They gain an average of half a pound a week from here on out so if he makes it to his due date we're looking at about 8.5lbs. Quite a difference from Blake who was born at 6lbs 10ozs. The thought of giving birth to a baby two pounds bigger is a bit scary. Delivering a small baby was hard enough!

Blake had his baby shower for his brother a couple of weeks ago. It was fun and we got lots of nice things. Here are a few pics:

According to my ticker we have 50 days to go until Tucker's due date!

Another doctor's appt

2007-08-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

I had another check up yesterday. Nothing exciting, just a routine visit but this time Blake came along. The doctor was going over the signs of labor and when to give her a call and Blake was just taking it all in. She said: "Contractions every five minutes, water breaking, bleeding..." Later on we were having dinner and Aaron and I were talking about the appointment and labor and Blake goes "yeah and you have to take a water break every five minutes." LMAO!

28 weeks belly pics

2007-08-14T15:14:00.001-04:00

Summary for the third trimester so far: everything is swollen, my back kills me, I have to pee non stop and I feel like a cow.

It's been forever since I've done belly pics, so here it goes:

Tucker - 26 weeks

2007-08-07T12:32:00.000-04:00

We had another ultrasound about two weeks ago and got some cool new pictures. Tucker is really starting to get bigger! He was about 2lbs and 2ozs at that time. I think he has changed quite a bit from our first 3D ultrasound. Here's Tucker at about 26 weeks:

He kicks and flips around like crazy. Especially when I'm trying to go to sleep at night, and he usually wakes me up in the morning. Interfering with my sleep already!

I'm about 28 weeks along now...officially in my third trimester. Still seems like forever until November, but I'm sure it will go by quickly.

Been a while...

2007-07-26T12:39:00.000-04:00

So it's been a few weeks since I've posted. Not much has changed. The pregnancy is going pretty well, other than the usual exhaustion and now my stomach is starting to interfere with normal everyday things. Like finding a comfortable sleeping position, bending over, getting up off the couch. Aaron has to help pull me up when I'm sitting down...and sometimes when he's trying to pull me up since I'm so front heavy I'll just topple over and fall on the floor. Then we start giggling and I end up peeing myself. Another lovely side effect of pregnancy. LOL

I've been busy setting up and decorating the nursery. I'm almost done, just need a few more things. We're going up to Ikea to get a dresser this weekend then I need to get a lamp and a few other decorations. I'll post a picture once it's all done. Aaron went up to Michigan for a wedding last weekend and came home with a Detroit Tigers crib mobile. It plays "Take me out to the ballgame", it's pretty cool.

I'm seriously over due on posting my weekly belly pics. I'll try to get one up in the next few days.

Only 99 days to go until Tucker's due date. Wow...down to double digits already?!!?!?

Update from the Doctor and Baby Shower

2007-07-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

We had an appointment yesterday. Apparently the doctor we saw at the ultrasound clinic has quite the reputation of freaking people out for no good reason. My doctor's office told us that there is no need to worry...that there is a 99% chance that Tucker will be perfectly normal. Sounds like the ultrasound doctor got me all hysterical for no reason. But it is a relief to hear good news from my doctor. I go back for another ultrasound at the end of the month just to check on everything again. Maybe we'll get some more cool 3D pics! :)

So Blake has decided that he wants to have a baby shower for his brother. He has been coming up with the ideas all on his own. It is so hilarious seeing him make the guest list and pick out games and food. He is taking it very seriously and knows exactly how he wants things, he doesn't want any advice. LOL It's too cute. What a sweet big brother.

Here he is...

2007-07-03T15:09:00.000-04:00

Tucker Jay Webb!

We got these amazing 3D ultrasound pics of his face. It's crazy to see what he looks like already. I'm in love. :) They didn't scan that great, but it gives you a general idea.

I think he has Blake's chin and Aaron's nose.

and proof that he is indeed, without a doubt, a boy! LOL

It's a...

2007-07-02T11:15:00.001-04:00

BOY!!!

I gotta say I'm pretty shocked. I was convinced all along that this was a girl! I can't wait to have another little boy...I'm totally out numbered now! Blake is going to be estatic to have a baby brother. Guess I need to return all the pink stuff I bought. LOL

There were some measurements of the baby's brain ventricles that concerned the doctor. It might be an early indication of Congenital Hydrocephalus. We go back in a few weeks for another ultrasound and they will be monitoring it very closely. Needless to say I'm very shocked and upset/worried. I'm trying my hardest not to freak about it too much until we really know what's going on. The most likely scenario is that everything is fine. There is just a very small percentage of a chance that something could be wrong. It's just a game of wait and see...and hope for the best right now.

I'm just hoping for a healthy baby!!!

Monday is the big day!

2007-06-29T11:14:00.000-04:00

We have our big ultrasound Monday morning and if the baby isn't shy we'll get to find out if it's a boy or girl!!! I can't wait. I'm also nervous...just to find out that everything is healthy with the baby.

Baby Shopping!

2007-06-26T09:02:00.000-04:00

We have officially begun shopping for the baby and for the nursery. We got an amazing deal on a just like brand new crib and glider. And we're picking up a changing table Aaron bought from a coworker this weekend. Luckily all the furniture matches perfectly! Now we just need to hurry up and find out if it's a boy or a girl so I can decorate the nursery! We also got a great deal on a baby swing and baby carriage.

Here is the nursery furniture:

and Daddy putting the crib together (wow it seems strange calling him Daddy)...

Then we got super lucky and found this stroller/carriage for $15!!! Check out the retail price!

Vacation!

2007-06-19T08:21:00.002-04:00

Our trip to Myrtle Beach was amazing. It was so great to get away and relax. We had great weather the majority of the time and did lots of fun things. Here are some pictures from the trip.

So I am 20 weeks along now...officially halfway! In one way it's been flying by but at the same time it seems like forever until November. On the way home from vacation we stopped at a really great outlet mall in NC and found some cute baby things at baby gap and carter's outlet for really cheap so we bought our first baby clothes! We got mostly neutral things since we don't know what the baby is yet...but Aaron picked out one baseball outfit that we had to have so we went ahead and got that too. I mean girls like baseball too, right?! LOL

19 weeks belly pics

2007-06-08T22:11:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah I know. My belly is getting huge. I did have an excessive amount of tacos today so that has a little to do with it. ;)

We're off to Myrtle Beach tomorrow. Woohoo!

Big Brother

2007-06-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

So as the pregnancy goes on Blake is getting more and more excited. Last night he was telling me all the things he is going to teach the baby. He said he is going to cover him (yes him...Blake insists that this is going to be a baby brother) up with blankets, show him how to play with baby toys and teach him basketball. He has started talking to the baby through my stomach and likes to tickle my stomach because he is "tickling the baby".

He is also getting more and more curious. He understands that the mommy is the mommy because the baby is in her stomach. But he wants to know why the daddy is the daddy. "Because he's my husband" didn't seem to suffice. He gets more and more adventurous with his questions and sooner or later it's going to lead to "the talk". I'm not ready for that yet! How do you explain that to a seven year old!?!?!

Food craving of the week: still tacos. I cannot get enough of them! Man I wish there was a taco bell close to work!

Belly Pics - 18 weeks

2007-05-31T20:24:00.000-04:00

So I figured I would start tracking my belly growth each week with pictures. I wish I had started sooner so I could see the progress from the beginning but hey I guess it's better late than never.

I knew I was growing but I didn't realize just how big I'm getting until seeing myself in these pictures. So here I am at 18 weeks...almost half way there...it's hard to believe!

Food craving of the week: tacos

Boy or Girl?!

2007-05-24T11:21:00.000-04:00

So I've been reading lots of old wives tales about how to predict if you're having a boy or a girl...most of them are just crazy and have no logic what so ever. Since I'm dying to know and have to wait until July 2nd until our next ultrasound I did take an online test and here are the results:

83 % chance of having a girl

I guess I'm getting to the point in my pregnancy where it is obvious that I'm pregnant and not just getting chubby. People at stores, out in public etc are starting to ask me when I'm due. At the grocery store the other week some older man actually asked me if I had been feeling okay and if I needed any help carrying my groceries.

UPDATE: so I've become obsessed with taking these tests. So far I've taken four and they all say girl. Here's the latest one:

It's A Girl!

SARA, you're going to be the proud parent of a baby girl, and just look- isn't she just so damn cute! Based on our remote test results, your beautiful baby girl will weigh about 8 lbs, 2 oz and have brown hair and hazel eyes. Truly a Wonder To Behold!

Moving...middle names...maternity swimsuit nightmares...etc

2007-05-16T10:05:00.000-04:00

We are moving in two days. This has been the most disorganized move I've ever had. We didn't have much notice about moving and once we knew I was feeling so sick for so long that I wasn't able to start packing. This last week my mom has been helping and we've pretty much been throwing stuff in boxes to get it ready. Luckily we have movers coming to handle all the big stuff...we wouldn't have been able to do it without them (and thanks to the in-laws!!!) I'll be glad when the move is over and we're all settled.

I've been thinking about Autumn for a girls middle name. I looooooove fall and since the baby is due in the fall I thought it was even more appropriate. I had briefly considered it for a first name but quickly ruled it out because it was too "nature-y" for me. I think Kayleigh Autumn Webb is pretty though...

The pool opens next weekend and we are headed to Myrtle Beach for our anniversary/vacation in a few weeks so I ordered a maternity bathing suit online. It arrived a week or so ago but I've been afraid to try it on. I'm sure no matter how it fits that it pretty much isn't going to be a good look. Guess I have to try it on and get it over with sooner or later.

Here are some pics from Mother's Day:

food addiction of the week: donuts and strawberries (but not together)

Name Spellings

2007-05-11T15:40:00.000-04:00

There are multiple spellings for Kayleigh...what do you think?

Kayleigh
Kaylee
Kaileigh
Kayley
Kailee
Kailey

Baby Names!

2007-05-11T13:48:00.000-04:00

We've been decided on a boy's name since before we were even pregnant (Tucker Jay Webb) but had been having a hard time coming up with a girl's name we both liked. Today on the way in to work I was listening to one of our favorite bands, Carbon Leaf, and heard the name Kayleigh in one of the songs. We both love it! So it's settled: Tucker Jay for a boy and Kayleigh for a girl. We're still thinking of ideas for a girl's middle name.

Food addiction of the week: apples with caramel

Doctor

2007-05-08T14:13:00.000-04:00

Today I had my second doctors appointment. This one was just a short visit to get weighed (I've only gained 4 lbs so far), measured and ask any questions. The doctor said everything is going perfectly. We found out we have our big ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby on July 2nd! Can't wait!

Showing

2007-05-04T13:50:00.000-04:00

So my belly is getting bigger and it's becoming a bit more obvious that I'm pregnant. Maternity clothes are a bit big and regular clothes are a bit small. I have begun wearing maternity pants since I only have one pair of jeans that I can still button.

Food addiction of the week: lemonade

Second Trimester

2007-05-03T13:55:00.000-04:00

So technically now that I'm in my second trimester I'm supposed to be feeling great. That hasn't really happened for me yet. I'm still having morning sickness...although not as severe or as often as I once was. I'm still tired all the time, in my first pregnancy I remember being very energetic around this time. Maybe it's that I'm eight years older. Hopefully relief will come soon.

Doctor

2007-04-12T13:57:00.000-04:00

Our first doctors appointment. I had an ultrasound and got to see the baby moving and kicking around like crazy. We also heard it's hearbeat for the first time and found out our due date is November 2nd!

Tired!

2007-04-05T13:58:00.000-04:00

All I can do is sleep! I rush home from work so I can take a nap, then Aaron wakes me up for dinner and I go right back to bed!

Morning Sickness...

2007-03-22T13:58:00.000-04:00

should actually be called "all day sickness". I've never been so sick in my life! I can't keep anything down.

Breaking the news

2007-03-12T14:04:00.000-04:00

I told Blake today about being pregnant. The first thing he said: "Yesssssss! I always wanted you to be presnant!" Then he wanted to know if it was a brother or sister. I had to explain it was a bit early to know that yet!

Positive!

2007-03-11T14:00:00.000-04:00

This is the day I took the test and we found out I was pregnant! I had been suspecting it for a while, but it was still quite a shock to have it confirmed!