Saturday, July 9, 2011

Biltmore Gardens at Dusk

After a day at home, we decided to have a picnic dinner at Biltmore Gardens tonight. I guess we did not consider it was at least 90 degrees. No one complained though and we had fun. Everett liked watching the bees and he kept telling us he was looking for a snake. Thankfully we did not find one.


Playing with rocks. We had an amazing view for our dinner.



So many stairs! I was exhausted.








Beautiful evening with family.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Yesterday's Happenings and 30 Weeks

Yesterday was just a typical stay at home day. We started off with a big breakfast. We then played in our playroom which consisted of blocks, trains, and Everett's favorite activity-cooking. Hampton cooking for us.....

And Everett cooked for us as well!

While Hampton took his morning nap, Everett and I played several games of Don't Break the Ice. He is getting better at the following the rules of a game and turn taking. We also played Memory. While he was watching a video, I dusted, cleaned all the bathrooms, and did some laundry. I am able to get so much done during that time. Once Hampton woke up we played some more and then had lunch. Then we had afternoon naps. I was able to relax and finish up some continuing education stuff. After naps it was raining so we stayed in. Once Eric came home and we had dinner, we broke out the ball pit.

They love this and I only bring it out occasionally so it won't lost its novelty.

It was a good day at home, however even the mundane everyday normal stuff can be exhausting at times.

I was happy this morning to go to my 30 week OB appointment. Everything looks good. My doctor checked and I am not dilating. I was so relieved since I have had so many contractions lately. She is measuring right at 30 weeks and her heartbeat is strong. I had to laugh because she had a hard time catching her heartbeat as she is active. She will fit into this family just fine!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Performing

I asked the boys to perform this morning. They obliged, sort of.......


Saturday, July 2, 2011

Update

Update on the crawling in the crib situation: this may be becoming a problem.

Productivity and a Barbecue

Today was a very busy and fun day. I caught Everett on the video monitor climbing into Hampton's bed this morning. Too funny. This morning was very productive. I have a semi-long "to do" list before Eleanor is due. We were able to mark several items off that list today. Eric steam cleaned all the carpets, while Everett and I went and got our van washed and vacuumed. We also made a stop at Dunkin Donuts! While the boys were playing before lunch I was able to clear out a few closets. I also organized the boys' clothes and got Fall clothing easy accessible. The conclusion I came to with that is Hampton has a ton of Fall/Winter clothing and Everett has nothing. Good thing there is a big consignment sale coming up next month. While the boys napped this afternoon, Eric and I took on a big project and cleaned and organized our storage room. That took awhile, but it was worthwhile. I can't believe we are getting out baby gear again! Later this afternoon, Gigi came to visit. We had fun tonight grilling and playing out on the deck. We ate corn on the cob, barbecue chicken, potato salad, and french fries. We also made a red velvet cake for dessert. Yum!

Playing with Gigi.



Deck crawling. We are on our way to walking, but not there quite yet.

Now the babies are in bed and I am exhausted! We are planning on watching a movie, but I have a feeling I may pass out from fatigue before it's over. Busy day, but a good one!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Thoughts On Three

Since Everett turned 3 in May, I have observed a lot of changes in him. He is really turning into a little boy. It has been so fun. Yes challenging, but fun. I am learning more and more about Everett's personality each passing day. He is witty and funny. He loves to make others laugh and has such a great sense of humor. 3 year old humor is the best. I love our simple conversations. This morning he told me that when Eleanor is born he is going to have a tea party with her. He also keeps asking me if she is going to be a ballerina. Ever since we introduced him to The Nutcracker last December he loves ballerinas. I guess because it combines his love for dance and classical music. I also love that when we get in the car he asks me to play him the Beatles. I think Eric may like that even more. Sure he is stubborn. He has a very strong will. He is quick to reply with, "I don't want to......." Parenting him can definitely be difficult at times. But overall, he is a joy. The moment I found out that I was having a boy I felt clueless. I didn't know much about boys. I am still learning. But one thing I know for sure, this boy loves his mama. We have a special relationship. 3 has been fun. And it keeps getting better. I have also been thinking and preparing for what life will look like with 3 children. Many people have questioned me on how I am going to do it. I honestly don't know. I can't believe that in 2.5 months (2 months if history repeats itself) we will have 3 kids, 3 and under. It will be challenging for sure. However, I can't express how excited I am to meet this little girl. She will be such a great addition to our family. This pregnancy has been different. I feel like I have experienced every symptom under the sun and my endurance and energy are so low. I feel her kicking so strongly now, even to the point it sometimes brings tears from the pain! She is definitely letting me know many times throughout the day (and night!) that she is here. I am counting down the days until she is in our arms.

And I can't leave this guy out. He is a mess lately! For over a week now he has been whiny, fussy, and unhappy. I am chalking it up to teething since he is showing signs of that. Nothing makes him happy and he just wants to be held all day long. This morning the boys were watching a video and I found Hampton like this.......

I guess he was just extra tired. What happened to my content and joyful baby!? I know he will return to his normal self soon. Or at least we hope! For now we will just snuggle extra, and maybe watch a few more videos than normal. That is my survival plan!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Al Fresco Dining

We took lunch outside today.......



and it was good.......