Lots to Catch up on ...and No Time to Do It

Well, we've made it...it is Sunday night-which means, we've officially made it to BABY WEEK!!!! I absolutely CANNOT believe how quickly the past 9 (but really 10) months have gone. At the same time, I feel like I have been pregnant for a REALLY, REALLY long time. When I look down at my belly (which is STILL growing) I can't believe how big it has gotten. I can't believe I am preparing for my THIRD baby. And I certainly can't believe that in 3 short days we will be meeting our DAUGHTER.
The boys seem ready. I am starting to feel a little anxiety mixed with all of the excitement, about the big changes that are going to happen for my 2 little guys. I know what a gift a sibling is...but I also know how another sibling means lots of change-and lots less individual attention for them. At the same time-I think they're both amazing little boys, and I think they are going to adore their little sister.
Mom is down here now-she got here yesterday-just in time to watch Hayden's tball game-which was a lot of fun. It was so nice to finally have some family at one of his events-and he loved every second of it! Last night Jason and I got to go out to celebrate his 33rd birthday-it was relaxing and fun and just what we needed. Thanks Mom-for watching the boys!!!
Today we had a great day getting Baby Reagan's room ready for her arrival. It turned out just as I had imagined and hoped and I think it's going to be perfect for our little girl. It was one of those days where we just hung out, worked, talked, laughed...Mom even napped...and it made me even more aware of how much I miss her and living close to her and the rest of my family.
Jason was exceptionally amazing today, honestly. He worked his bum off for me-hung things on the walls, cleaned, took care of the kids, ran errands...it is days like this that remind me of how lucky I am to have so many people in my life who love me and who are willing to do whatever it takes to make me happy. I am grateful.
We still have some things to get done before Wednesday. I'm trying not to get too overwhelmed-I know that whatever doesn't get done is okay. The main thing is focusing on spending some quality time with my 3 boys and my Mama before Reagan gets here and our world flips upside down.
Tomorrow all of us are heading to Chuck E Cheese as a last hurrah for the boys...followed up by a mani/pedi as a last hurrah for Mom and I. We also have to squeeze in a few errands...but I'm looking forward to a fun day with my favorite people.

Traditions

For some reason, yesterday, thinking back on our laid back, very relaxed-but family-filled Easter, I started thinking about traditions. Traditions, it turns out, are very important to both Jason and I...and we're hoping that some of these get passed on and stick with our kids when they start their own families. In a way, it's strange that Jason and I find them to be so important, as neither of us grew up with many concrete, solid traditions of our own. For me-and my family-the only thing I really remember being a constant was the food that we ate while putting up the Christmas tree (which is something I've carried over into our tradition...yes, we have a "putting up the Christmas tree tradition-and my husband is VERY much a part of it!) and honestly, that wasn't always the case either. I guess, I also remember that Santa always came on Christmas Eve for me (once my mom spilled the beans regarding Santa), and once my brother came into the picture, our tradition became celebrating on Christmas one year and Christmas Eve the following. Oh. And ornaments-while growing up, I always received and ornament on Christmas that sort of "wrapped up" the previous year. (example: a car the year I turned 16, a puppy the year we gave our dog away, etc.) Again, this is something we've carried over into our family-we get each other one-and always one for the kids.
We didn't have food traditions, or traditions that went with any other holiday like some other families. My mom isn't a big planner, and she tends to think that none of it matters (although, Jason and I have have figured out that it matters to her more than she thinks, and she ends up disappointed a lot around the holidays).
Anyway, back to our family. We made the decision when Hayden was born that we were always going to spend the holidays at home-in our house-with our kids. Especially on Christmas. We think it's important for them to wake up on Christmas morning and see that Santa has been here. We think it's important that we go to our church, drive thru our neighborhoods to see Christmas lights, and instead of spending Christmas eve and day driving from family to family, we think it's important that we are able to spend that time enjoying the holiday and celebrating what it means to us-as a family-in our pj's-if we so choose.
We've been really lucky, and for the most part, my family has been able to travel to wherever it is that we're living and celebrate with us-and this has become part of our tradition. On Thanksgiving, Papa is our cook-and makes the best meal (Nana is even enjoying it now after years of complaining!). Other than the meal, we really don't do much for Thanksgiving-other than just hanging out. (this is also the one holiday that we sometimes go back to Iowa for)
On Christmas, things are a bit more structured. On Christmas Eve we always start out by going to Ginger Sue's for pancakes. Then it's home to relax and make a Gingerbread House. That night we always make soup for dinner, go to church, make hot cocoa, get in our pj's (which is a gift we open on Christmas eve-along with a Christmas book to read before bedtime-coupled with The Night Before Christmas), drive around and look at Christmas lights, and set out cookies, carrots and milk for Santa and the reindeer. The next morning, we're up early and start on gifts. We always have the "big" gift put together- but the rest is wrapped-and takes us HOURS to open everything. It's a LONG process, but we all enjoy every second. About halfway thru, we eat some sort of breakfast (cinnamon rolls typically)...and then we're back to it. We spend the day playing with our goodies and with each other. That night it's something easy for dinner-showers-and more playing. And we're always ready for an early bedtime!
This year was our first Easter alone-and while it was nice-we missed our tradition of having Papa hide the Easter eggs in the yard! In my heart of hearts, I also missed our traditional ham dinner with all of the yummy sides-but also didn't mind the lack of work-and since our kids don't care yet, we thought we'd go with it. It was a nice morning-going to church, brunch and then home for egg hunt and baskets. The boys had a blast searching for their stuff, and we had fun watching-although, it was EXHAUSTING, as at this age, EVERYTHING is a fight!!
This was the first Easter that Jason and I didn't give each other baskets-a tradition broken. And we both survived it!
Anyway, I guess I'm blogging about this for a couple of reasons-to remind myself of why we go thru the stress of it all-that the payout is TOTALLY worth it and in the end I'm always really glad that we did it all. And. To remind myself of these traditions and to see how much they change throughout the years.
Next up: Mother's Day...hopefully Jason will remember the "sleep until I wake-up and then have breakfast and coffee ready" tradition!!!

Silly Boys!

Sleepover-Sorta

While putting the boys to bed the other night, Jackson came charging into Hayden's room and announced that he was going to "seep with Hayden"...so Jason and I thought-why not?!?!? We snuggled them both, gave them kisses and turned out the light. I sat in the living room and waited for a bit, but when they both stayed put, I decided all was good and went downstairs. About 30 minutes later we heard footsteps...and around the door saw our sweet Jack. He informed us that Hayden was sleeping, so he went bye-bye. After lots of giggles we took him back upstairs and he slept soundly-in his crib.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

Today was Hayden's first t-ball practice! It was so cute seeing him out there without the assistance of Mom or Dad...he looked and acted like such a big kid!!! They worked on hitting (his favorite part), running the bases, they did some glove work, and even did some pre-practice stretching (my favorite part).

A few cute moments worth mentioning:

• He went up and shook the coaches hand and introduced himself-without being told.


• While warming up, the coach had them doing jumping jacks-Hayden had never done one before-so he started out by just jumping up and down. He soon realized that arms were involved, so he started flapping his like a bird.


• While running the bases, he ran with his arms straight down and tensed. After practice, we talked to him and explained that pumping his arms would make him run faster-this then needed to be practiced immediately.


• The bat that the city provided was too heavy, and my poor tiny guy could barely lift it to his shoulder. We promised to bring his bat next week.


• Jason will be running a practice next Saturday. When the coach asked if he'd be around, he wasn't aware of what he was getting himself in to. Hayden is thrilled to get to call him Coach Daddy.


• The name of his team is The Cardinals-and his coach is Coach Doug.


• His size 9 1/2 glove is a tad too big-but we called Grandpa and got some advice on how to soften it up. This will involve a trip to the drugstore in search of some "Neat Foot" oil. Thanks Grandpa!

From the Mouths of Babes

"Mommy nuggle me" (or Daddy...depending on his mood)-Jack

"no diaper change"-Jack

-"huh?!?!?"-Jack

While saying prayers and asking GOD to watch over Grandpa Blaire and Grandma: "Don't forget Papa's Dad now too!"-Hayden

"I wish we lived in Iowa so I could see Nana every day-and wrestle Brandyn"-Hayden

When asked if he liked a new teacher in his classroom the other day-"nope. I only like Mrs. Gann"-Hayden

"No work shirt Daddy-Hawkie shirt!"-Jackson

"Donuts Daddy. Chockit."-Jackson

When asked to wait a sec-for anything-"that's gonna take 50 hundred hours"-Hayden

"dive-bomb Mom. Hockie, baseball."-Jackson (talking about getting put into his crib and which lalas he wants.

When asked if he liked one of Brandyn's friends-"no. he's ridiculous."

"Dad, when we go to California, can you find cartoons there?".-Hayden

"transformer night"-Jackson

"bubble guffies"-Hayden and Jackson

"cuz"-Jackson

"Sheeee"-Jackson (and Hayden too"-this means fruit snacks.




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2 peas in a pod

Enjoying a cartoon-watching-matching-jammie-day!!


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Donuts with Mama!!

Daddy always gets all of the donut fun, so I decided it was my turn!!! Such a fun morning with my little donut lovers!!!!








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First Trip to the Barber!

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St. Patrick's Day!

All dressed in green, the boys and I met Jason at our favorite restaurant-Ginger Sue's- for a rueben. Afterwards we all went next door to Classy Chocolates and let then pick out a treat. Mmm...chocolate covered marshmallows!!!


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Wacky Hair Day

Hayden's preschool had wacky hair day this week!!! We used lots of gel and some fun red and purple sprays-and wacky it was! Success!!!


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Quick Update

Ahhh...where to begin?!?! Things have been absolutely crazy around here lately, and unfortunately, I'm sure I've missed some key posting opportunities. So, instead, I'm just going to do a quick recap of the past few weeks.

•a few weeks ago my awesome, beautiful, amazingly thoughtful friends threw me a fabulous baby shower. It was full of pink, loaded with advice, and it made everything seem real and exciting.

•Last week Hayden and I got hit with a nasty case of the flu. Both of us had high temps, vomiting, etc. I ended up having to go to the hospital for a few hours-was dehydrated, and wanted to have the baby checked out. Luckily it was all short-lived and we were back on our feet after a few days.

•My stepdad's dad passed away last week. Although moments like that are never easy, Carl was 93 and lived a full life. Our family made the trip to Iowa for the services and were happy that we were able to be there for Mike.

•Hayden started soccer this past week. He is playing for the Western Missouri Soccer League-and it seems like a pretty amazing program. He had a blast at his first practice-and will play in his first game in April 9th.

•Jackson is all about talking and throwing fits. He has hit a brand new stage, and it's incredible how many words my little guy has now! He announced the other day that he wants to be a soccer player when he grows up. Such a goofball!

•I had my 32 week baby appointment today with Dr. Morris, and an ultrasound this past Monday. On Monday the baby was weighing 3lbs 14oz. Today her heartbeat was 142. All looks great so far! We also went ahead and scheduled my c-section and my tubal. Whew. If everything goes as planned, we will be meeting our baby girl on May 18th. With that date, she will share her birthday with her cousin Chloe, and will be born the day after her Aunt Jill's birthday (not to mention 4 days after her Daddy's).

•Jason and I are still no closer to a decision about our daughter's name. This is more frustrating than I can even put into words.

•bunk bed order will be placed this weekend for our big boys. Aye, aye, aye.

•baby Girl's bedding has arrived...and I'm thinking it's not going to look right with our nursery furniture. May have to go with our 2nd choice.

Okay, I think that's everything for the moment. Pictures soon!!!


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Sick Jack

I was sitting in Hayden's room, playing with him...when I realized Roni was missing. I went searching, and this is what I found:




...he was all snuggled into my bed with his "blankie and Lambie" watching Word World.

Moments later he made his first food request in 24 hours (besides fruit snacks)...a "bar"...so of course, I had to oblige.




Sweet (and SUPER grouchy) sick boy!!!

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My Little Color Bug

Skipping nap today to hang with Mommy and get caught up on some coloring with markers. SO MUCH more fun than silly old crayons!!! ...and of course, since it's afternoon, he's shed his pants...which allows his creative juices to flow!





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Movement

Yet another picture-less post, but I couldn't pass this one up. However, this was certainly one of those moment that I wish were caught on video.
We were all finishing up dinner tonight- the boys were polishing off their "sheees" (how Jackson first said snack-and it's stuck), when I felt some pretty big movements from Sister. I have been trying and trying to get Hayden to feel kicks, but it seems as though every time we try she stops. Tonight she was going a bit crazy in there, so I quickly called Hayden over and placed his little hand on my belly. Sure enough, she gave him a good kick almost immediately. His sweet eyes lit up and he yelled, "Mommy! Was that HER?!?!". It was adorable, and a moment I never want to forget!!! We waited a bit longer, but his 4 year old attention span soon kicked in, and he was off chasing his brother. ...as I sat there watching the two of them running and screaming and giggling...with my hand on my belly while she moved and grooved...I couldn't help but think that was her way of saying that she can't wait to be part of the fun. Oh Sweet Girl...if you only knew!!!


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Nicknames

Names have been a HUGE topic of conversation in our house lately. Of course, this is all stemming from trying to find the perfect name for Baby Girl. Hayden has made his suggestion: Rose (not bad for a 4 year old!), and has given his opinions: he likes Madison better than Reagan because because Reagan rhymes with Megan which is his bff's mom's name, and that might get confusing (his words).
Anyway...I have been leaning towards the name Madison because I really like Madi...which is what started the nickname conversation. At first we talked about the shortened versions of our names...how we call Jason Jay and Jackson Jack...and how Hayden and Mommy don't really have shortened versions. Then it turned to our actual nicknames:
Hayden's:
When he was tiny we called him Boog and Boogie. Before he was born we called him Baboo. Now we call him Hay-Hay, Hayd, H-Dogg, H and Buddy.
Jackson's:
Bubba, Jackie, Jack, Roni, Bunny, Jackaboo.
It's funny how these start...and stick...and even FIT!!! It'll be fun to see what nicknames we come up with for Little Princess Leia...but first, an actual LEGAL name would be helpful!!!


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Hayden-isms

We are on our way to have our 3D ultrasound done with Baby Girl...and along with that came the instructions for me to eat something sugar-y in order to get her movin' and groovin'. Before we left, I hit the pantry, and the only sweet thing that sounded decent to me was a tootsie pop.

We were about 1/2 way there when I quietly and covertly (or so I thought) unwrapped it and started to eat. Within seconds Hayden busted me and asked where his was. I explained that Mommy needed it for the baby...and he seemed to understand.
A few minutes later, he chimes in with, "How's that sucker treatin' ya Mom?". Classic Hayden.
Shortly after that I was chewing it...and his response: "I told ya that biting it was the only way to get it done, Mom."

That kiddo cracks me up ALL the time!!!


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Hat ON

After getting Jackson settled into his carseat I handed him his hat and told him to hold it. When I turned around to check on him, this is what I saw...funny boy!!!


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Baby Girl Morehead

Well, does she look like a Madison or a Reagan? This is our sweet baby girl at 27 1/2 weeks. She's our little porker, weighing in at 2 pounds 9 oz. Notice her hand on her head? Dramatic even before birth...Mama's girl for sure!!!


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National Flapjack Week!

A day playing hookie with Mama, a promise of pancakes, and a dozen expired eggs in the fridge all warrant a trip to the golden arches for some Flapjacks!!!






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Finally...a veggie!!!

After spending a week with Aunt Jeannie, Hayden came home loving "crunchy carrots"! SCORE!!!!

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The Boys: March 2011

Thought it would be fun to do an updated post about the boys and where they're both at right now. They change so frequently, that I miss a lot, so doing these will help me remember the little men they were in 2011.

Hayden:

• Hayden is 4 3/4...I know this sounds funny, but I literally got an email about him yesterday that said this, and it struck me...it's true too...4 3/4. Wow.


• He is weighing in at a whopping 34 pounds these days-we never thought he'd break thru the 30 pound mark-but his eating is improving and he's growing, growing, growing. Of course, he's still on the small side-but Jason is confident that he'll catch up. I think he'll just always be Mommy's peanut.


• H's favorites these days: Transformers (the 80's version)...the three boys watch an episode every night before bed, and it truely is the highlight of their day. He's also still a Scooby fanatic, and he also enjoys any "super heros". He loves to watch tv and movies, and would do it all day long if we'd let him. He also loves to play video games (angry birds, mario, sonic...). He's still a mac and cheese boy, he loves donuts and pancakes, fruit snacks and ice cream too.


• Hayden is a book junkie-lately he loves going to the library and picking out "looking at books" (books about animals, space, weather, geography...). We've also recently started reading some chapter books, and he's following right along and is excited each night to read a few chapters.


• Hayden is in Preschool at Shoal Creek with Melissa Gann as his teacher. He really loves his school, his classmates and his teachers. His best buddies in his class this year are: Sawyer Lewis, Girl Sawyer (lol), Gavin, Dylan and Alex. This is his 2nd year in preschool, but this year we've been focusing a lot more on the social aspect of it all. He's been helping Mrs. Gann out a lot in the classroom, making friends and leading a lot better, and he's doing great with all of the aspects that he struggled a bit with last year. Mrs. Gann spoke with us during his conferences this year and said that she was a bit concerned that he wasn't being challenged-so she's been sending home some homework, and we work on that nightly with him. He enjoys doing it, and we're seeing some improvement in his writing and other skills.


• Pre-K is up next, and sadly we will be leaving Shoal Creek and Hayden will start attending Second Friends Preschool. The class that he's in is a trasitional class-specifically designed for the kiddos with the later birthdays who are being "held back". We visited the school this past week, and Jason and I are super excited to have him enrolled here. We will miss Mrs. Gann, and I hate the thought of leaving, but we both think this is a great "next step" for Hayden.


• Friends: Hayden has become a pretty social kid, but he has his bff's for sure! He just got to spend a week playing with his oldest friend Michael while Jason and I were in Mexico. They don't get to see each other often, but always seem to be able to pick up right where they left off and have fun together. He also loves to get to play with Oliver and Milo, he really enjoys playing with Owen when we get too...which doesn't happen too often, Alex and Max are favorites, and the rest are just icing on the cake!!


• Hayden has become a pretty awesome big brother! He's great with Jack and they play together really well. He can always figure out what Jack is trying to say-before Jason and I most times, and he's great about helping out when I ask him! It took Hayden a little while to come around to the idea of having a baby sister, but now that he's had time to get used to it, I think he's really excited, and I know he'll be great with her! He's filled his role as the oldest with flying colors!!!


• Hayden just finished with basketball and did great with that. Daddy and I just signed him up for tball and he'll also be starting soccer. We've finally graduated from the "bitty" sports and are now moving into the real deal. He'll have practices and games-this is all very exciting for all of us!!!

Jackson:

• Jackson just turned 2 on February 19th, and he wasted no time embracing the 2's!


• He's weighing in at 28 pounds, and is extremely tall for his age. He's lost most of his "baby fat", and my guess is that he's going to be my tall lanky boy.


• Jack still has a "goopy" eye now and then. It's his left, and while it drives me insane, it really doesn't seem to bother him much.


• He has the funniest little personality. He's never been a huge fan of people outside of the 3 of us...but I'm slowly seeing some changes there. He has a deep little voice and always sounds (and looks) super grumpy-which adds to his personality and totally cracks us up.


• Jack is talking, talking, talking now. And along with all of the talking has come the demanding. He's a boy who knows what he wants (and doesn't want) and isn't shy about asking for it.


• He's our eater-when he feels like it. He'll try just about anything-especially if he can dip it in ketchup. One of his favorites: pancakes with syrup and ketchup. Mmmm!!!


• Jack loves books-he likes to sit and "read" to himself and he loves to be read to. It's rare if there aren't piles of books scattered thru the house in all different rooms. Several times per day he goes into his room, grabs a stack, and comes out saying "heaby" (heavy) and then plops down and starts reading.


• Jackson's Favorites: Jackson is a big Curious George fan-it was the theme for his 2nd birthday, and it's always the first thing he asks for when he wakes from his naps. He also loves the Transformers, blocks, coloring, and cars. Jack is a pizza fanatic, he loves juice, grapes, cheese, pancakes and donuts. Jack usually prefers to play with whatever Hayden is playing with-no matter what it is.


• Jackson is still getting his lala's at night and during naptime. I just haven't had the heart to take them away, altho, I'm well aware that it's time.


• He's a very independent little boy-very different from his big brother. He doesn't ask for help much, and if you offer, his response is typically, "Jackie try" or "me do it". I love this about him-except when I'm in a hurry or trying to keep the messes under control.


• Jack just finished with his first session of tumbling. We don't think it was his favorite thing, so we're going to try to find something different to get him involved with. Swimming lessons are on the agenda for sure...which will happen for both boys. I think we're going to need more days in the week!

Baby Girl:

Thought I should include her as well! :)

• Names: Jason and I have it narrowed down to Madison or Reagan. We love both names, and I have no idea how we're going to choose. Other names we considered: Addison, Eden, Emerson (me) and Camryn (me).


• We are now getting ultrasounds every month and so far everything is looking awesome! Baby Girl is weighing in at 2 pounds 9 ounces at her 27 1/2 week check. This is actually big-which surprised us all.


• She's not much of a mover-nothing like her brothers. I do feel kicks and flutters throughout the day, but just not nearly as often as I did with the boys.


• Her due date is May 25th, but we're thinking the c-section will be scheduled for May 18th (she will share a birthday with my cousin's daughter Chloe).

Too Long

It has absolutely, 100% been too long since I've utilized our family blog to post about...well, family stuff. Things have been different for me, personally, lately...and I'm going to make an attempt to once again post regularly here instead of on the social sites. I regret not keeping up with this during the past year, but hopefully I'll get back into the habit...and all will not be lost. Happy Reading!

A Day Fille with Nothing!

Our family just got home from spending a crazy busy weekend in Iowa-filled with lots of football and lots of fun-but also with lots of driving, lots of late nights, and lots of unhealthy food. Usually when we get back from our trips, I immediately unpack and get things back to normal...but last night I was just too tired, and this morning when we all finally woke-up, I decided to change things up a bit! My boys both got loads of sleep last night and woke up happy and snuggly and sweet...soooo...instead of rushing around like crazy trying to get things done, I decided that today would be a great day to spend just being with my kids. Hayden has been accusing me of cleaning too much lately, and not "just playing", so that's what today is all about: playing, snuggling, reading, and simply having a fun day together.





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Mommy-Hayden Date

So, for the past few weeks, we've noticed that Hayden has really been NEEDING some Mommy time!!! On this day, we had planned on going to see a movie...but at the last minute, Hayden decided that instead he'd just like to go out for lunch and chat! And that's exactly what we did!!!! It was so great to just hang out and talk like we used to do...it was good for both of us, and seemed like a great way to start our week together. Both of my boys are total Daddy's Boys, which I truely do love, but it's also nice to know that Mama still ranks up there too!!!

(below: Hayden and I splurged and enjoyed a Freckled Lemonade)