Yes, We're Still Alive!

I turned 30 yesterday! Life keeps getting better & better. Can't wait to see what this year brings. A few of my neighbors took me out to dinner to Kona Grill last night. Having a girls night out is just what I needed:)

Jon & Nolan are finally bonding. What I mean is Nolan is okay with Jon holding him now instead of just me!

Last Sunday, we skipped nap & took the kids to the zoo. It was a beautiful day & Jon didn't have to work. As you can see, the girls were wore out.

Not only is Nolan getting bigger, but also getting cuter!




We attempted to have a photo shoot in our back yard on Sunday. I wanted a picture of all 3 kids together but it just didn't work out. The individual pics turned out cute.

Believe it or not, both Madelyn & Ansley were super cranky on the night this picture was taken. It wasn't until I showed them their new jamamas (as Madelyn calls them) did they perk up!

What do you do on a rainy afternoon with kids? Send them outside to play!

Ansley has been sleeping in Madelyn's bed lately. Bedtime was getting a little hectic with Ansley crying & fighting sleep. This arrangement is working better for everyone right now. Aren't they sweet!

The whole family tagged along with Madelyn on her field trip to Stuckey Farms this morning. The picture is Madelyn's class, siblings, & the ladies at the ends are her teachers.

Ansley's 2nd Birthday

Ansley celebrated her 2nd birthday in Florida. We ate dinner at the beach house. Dinner was followed up by her birthday cake & ice cream. She LOVED us singing happy birthday to her & loved blowing out the candles even more! Madelyn helped her open the presents. Ansley had her special birthday party at Build-A-Bear. The girls were super cute. Ansley chose Hello Kitty & Madelyn chose a panda. Ansley loved giving her kitty a bath & brushing her hair! Madelyn named her panda Australian & prefers playing with him without the clothes she picked out for him. Ansley is sweet as she can be. She still has her terrible two's moments but she's slowly growing out of them. Ansley is a happy girl, always wearing a smile on her face. She loves greeting people on walks, stores, or where ever we go. Her favorite movie is Little People (she refers to it as ee i oh). She still loves playing with babies & her toy food. She's still our Baby Ansley!

Nolan 6 Weeks Old

Nolan is 6 weeks old today! I know its been forever since I've blogged. When I have time to mess around on the computer, I'm too tired, not inspired, or need to be doing something else. Nolan is doing great! He is in the 90th percentile on height & weight. He weighs 11 lbs 11 ozs & is 23 inches long. He's wearing his 3-6 month clothes. The top of his head is still bald. I gave up dairy & chocolate b/c he was especially cranky with gas pains. It seems to be helping. He is sleeping better at night. He sleeps pretty well the first part of the night, then he gets squirmy & uncomfortable with gas pains. The best part about Nolan's age is his social smile! I love when he smiles at me:) He loves it when I talk to him with our faces close together. He stares at me very intensely & if I'm lucky he'll give me a smile!

Nolan went on his first vacation a couple of weeks ago to Destin. He did great on the drive sleeping most of the way. He only visited the beach a couple of times when we had shade for him. It was difficult choosing which family beach picture was the best this year. Jon's eyes were closed or squinted in every shot & my hair was blowing what looked to be 50 miles per hour in alot of the photos!!

Life With 3 Kids

Nolan will be 2 weeks old tomorrow! It feels like he's always been part of our family. The girls are realizing that he is here to stay. Ansley gets jealous sometimes, especially when she's sleepy. She loves to hold Nolan. She hasn't been playing with her baby dolls as much since he's been born (she wants to hold the real thing!). Madelyn still goes about her business. She was excited that Nolan's umbilical cord fell off today. She's been asking about his belly button since she saw him for the first time. Madelyn has been my helper...grabbing diapers for me & happily making her & Ansley's peanut butter & honey sandwiches for lunch. Yesterday, we went to Centennial Days (a festival in our neighborhood). They had inflatables, games, face painting, food, a DJ, fireworks, & lots of kids running around. I got to show off Nolan to our neighbors who only knew me as pregnant at the pool or playground. Nolan sleeps alot! During the day I carry him around in my Baby Bjorn when I need to get things done around the house. Jon is still working a ton, practically every day. He gets home after nap time to spend late afternoon & evening with us. I love having 3 kids! And yes, it is easier to go from 2 to 3 kids than it was 1 to 2 (so far!). Maybe I am more laid back or know more "tricks of the trade". Maybe I just lucked out with a laid back baby. Don't get me wrong, I get stressed out sometimes trying to meet the demands of everyone. Its totally worth it...life is good!

Introducing Nolan Michael!

Nolan was born August 10 at 12:21 PM. He weighed 8 lbs 11 oz & was 21.5 inches long (our biggest baby yet). I was scheduled to be induced at 6:00 that morning, 3 days past my due date. The labor & delivery went well & was shorter than I anticipated. Being induced was different than going to the hospital already in labor. Jon & I talked & read our books until my labor got uncomfortable. My mom was in the room while Nolan was born. Barbara watched the girls for us. Even though Nolan is our 3rd child, the delivery was just as exciting. Meeting him for the first time was so special. People always laugh at me when I say labor & delivery is my favorite part of pregnancy. Finally meeting him after waiting so long was such an emotional experience. Madelyn & Ansley were so excited to meet Nolan. Madelyn is very inquisitive & Ansley is intrigued. Nolan sleeps more than the girls did. He eats about the same. He is such a sweet baby!

Waiting for Baby

So, my due date was yesterday. I'm scheduled to be induced on Monday at 6:00 AM. Maybe I'll deliver sometime during that afternoon or evening...not sure since I've never been induced before. My mom flew in from Louisiana Thursday July 30. She is supposed to fly home this Thursday but is considering staying longer. I experienced false labor the other night. I've had Braxton-Hicks contractions for the past 3 months. The difference the other night was the contractions were 10 minutes apart, then 8 minutes. I was hoping I was going into labor. I think our baby boy is in no hurry to get out of my belly! Its been nice having my mom here, keeping us company during our daily routine. She has been spoiling me by doing dishes, cleaning, helping with the girls, & letting me sleep in! The girls are enjoying Grandma's company as well. Ansley calls her "Na-ma". Today was a fun day. We went to the Farmer's Market this morning. Then met Geoff, Brandi, & the cousins at our pool. For dinner we ate BLT's & fresh corn on the cob from the market this morning. After dinner, we played outside & the girls got a dessert from the the ice cream man. Tomorrow is my last day of being a mom of 2! What am I going to do tomorrow you ask? We're going to church, then out to lunch. For dinner we're going to have waffles, eggs, sausage, & strawberries. Barbara, Jon's mom, is driving up tomorrow night to help with the girls on Monday. I have been trying to spend special time with the girls since we'll be throwing a third into the mix. I can't wait to lay eyes on our new little man. I'm excited to watch our family grow. We have so much fun together. Wish me luck!

Campfires at Cool Creek

Every Wednesday evening, we've been going to a campfire at our local park. The festivities begin with silly campfire songs. After that, there's an animal expert to talk about the critter(s) they brought. We've learned about spiders from the Spider Lady, alligators from Alligator Aaron, skunks, bugs, birds, possums, turtles, etc. Madelyn always volunteers to hold the animal & answer any questions from the audience (rather she knows the answer or not). She held a non-poisonous tarantula, a cricket, & helped make a bird flap its wings. Ansley's attention holds up pretty well. She likes to play with rocks or snack on the graham crackers. The evening ends with the roasting of marshmallows. I've been bringing our own marshmallows (since you only get one per kid), graham crackers, & chocolate for s'mores. The campfires are officially over for the summer. The girls & I have learned the importance of each of these animals & how our world needs all of them...even the spiders!