It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas!!!

I can't believe we're less than 3 weeks away from Christmas! And I can proudly say that I am all done with my Christmas shopping! In anticipation of bed rest, I got all of it done early and even did most of it online. I'm usually not one to do my shopping online as I like to actually see the product in person first, but I decided to try to do things more efficiently this year. I took advantage of free shipping, great sales, and % off when you bought so much stuff and think it went pretty well. Everything is even all wrapped
and under the tree! Well, most of it; we still have a few gifts for Austin that will just go unwrapped under the tree on Christmas morning with big bows on them.

Jordan braved the steep roof in the cold and got all of our lights hung on the house and I must say,
it looks great! We put the tree up and got it decorated. I tried to get Austin to assist in the decorating, but he wasn't too much into it. Although, he has found an ornament (ironically, his 'Baby's 1st Christmas' ornament) that he loves to take off the tree and carry around.

Our Christmas celebrations will be at our house this year, for both sides of the family. Jordan's family is coming out Christmas Eve. We usually go to Jordan's parents' house on Christmas Eve, but since I'm going to
very pregnant and likely on full bed rest then, they'll be coming out our way. Then my family will be coming over on Christmas day. Once Christmas is here and gone, it's only a matter of a few weeks before we get to receive another precious gift, Chase Cooper!

We're getting closer!!

I'm way overdue on an update regarding the pregnancy and the preparation for Chase's arrival. My belly seems to be getting larger by the day, but I can't seem to gain any more weight (still 7 lbs. to date). I've been taking advantage of my meager weight gain and indulging in anything I can find these days, but no such luck yet. I've been put on 'modified bed rest' by the doc, due to my blood pressure going up and lots of heart palpitations. They've adjusted my thyroid meds to see if that helps my heart rate, but it hasn't. So, I've been going into the office two days a week, and doing anything else from home. Luckily December is pretty slow at work.
I've had to keep a log of my blood pressure and heart rate each day to report back to the doc. I go back to see him on Monday and we'll see if it goes to full bed rest then. We also get another ultrasound on Monday to see how big our boy is so far. I've been trying to take it easy, but there has just been so much going on. Between Austin's birthday, the Thanksgiving holiday, baby showers, and holiday parties, it's been hard to stay off my feet.

My co-workers through me a lunch shower a few weeks ago and I had my friends/family one this past weekend. After everyone's generosity, we are pretty much set and only need a few things to be set for Chase's arrival. I've also been able to make some progress in Chase's room and it's almost ready as well.

Happy Birthday to You!

Ugh, can it really be; two years already? It just doesn't seem possible! I took cupcakes up to Austin's class on Friday of his birthday week. Austin must have known that cupcakes were coming right after nap time, because he woke up early and greeted me at the door when I got there. It was so cute when all of his friends sang Happy Birthday to him. And then they all dug into cupcakes with blue and yellow frosting. (I'm sure the teachers and the parents were thanking me later! :)) There was no way Austin was going to let me go home and leave him at school, so I took him home with me at 2:30
to play for the rest of the day. Conveniently, that night was also 'Parent's Night Out' at his school where you can pay $25 for them to watch your kiddo from 6-midnight while they have a pizza party and have all sorts of fun. It's quite the bargain if you ever have to pay a real babysitter by the hour! So, we decided to take advantage of this opportunity and I took him back up there at 6pm. Jordan and I grabbed a tasty dinner at Saltgrass and then headed home to do all the party prep for the next day. Jordan cleaned house while I made Austin's birthday cake and started setting up.

The next morning we treated Austin to a delicious birthday breakfast of chocolate milk and donuts with sprinkles. What more could a kid ask for?! Then Jordan took him for a quick haircut so he could look his best when our guests arrived at 4pm. The Handy Manny theme was a hit and everything went off without a hitch!
He got lots of great toys and clothes. Although, I think his favorite thing he received was a singing Mickey Mouse card he got from Meow Meow and LoLo. I guess it's the little things in life that make him happy. :)

I still can't believe he is two years old. It's so hard to remember what life was like without him in it.

Updates Coming Soon!!!

To my 5 readers of the Hougham Herald -

I promise to provide some updates here very soon. With Austin's birthday, a stomach bug that ravaged our house, baby showers, Thanksgiving break, Christmas shopping, and the pregnancy that is wearing me down, I have been slacking on providing you adequate updates on all things Hougham-related. My apologies. But I do promise lots of good reading to come. :)

Birthday Week Kickoff........Top 10!

I thought I'd start Austin's birthday week off with a 'Top 10 List' of my favorite things about our little guy, whether they're characteristics or little moments that we have shared. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard to narrow it down to just 10! I know I gush about him quite frequently on this blog, but I just can't help it! And I cannot believe that he will be TWO on Saturday!

#10- I love how you have made so many friends at school. It seems you have become a bit of a teacher's pet. You love to hang out with one of your former teachers and help her clean her room at the end of the day and she treats you to cake or extra snacks. And you love to go with your current teacher to get the snacks from the kitchen, take the dirty rags to the laundry room, etc. But my favorite part is when I drop you off or pick you up and you say hi/bye to your little friends by name and give them a hug. Such a social butterfly already!

#9- I love how you're like a little monkey, literally. Monkey see, monkey do. You watch us say or do something, and you can immediately mimic it. This is particularly convenient when I want you to say funny things. Lately, when your Daddy passes gas, you immediately yell, "Daddy, you tooted!" and laugh. All it took was to say that one time, and you were hooked. And you're the coolest kid in town when instead of giving a high five, you give knuckles. :)

#8- I love how lately you like for me to raise up my shirt, you raise yours, and we rub our bellies together and you laugh hysterically. I haven't decided yet if you actually know that a baby is going to come out of my growing belly in about two months, but I have faith that you will be a great big brother. I see how you play with Brady and love on him, and even though he's just a dog, I know you'll be great with Chase.

#7- I love how independent you are. From the very beginning, you were never one of those babies who cried if I left your sight for just a moment. Now, you're great at playing on your own, just roaming the house (which is finally 95% baby-proofed) and entertaining yourself by coloring, reading your books, or riding your bus through the house. This makes it so much easier for Mommy to get dinner started in the evenings, so thank you! But your growing independence makes me a little sad at the same time.

#6- I love how you know when it's the weekend. When I finally arrive in your room to get you out of the bed, you shout, "Nonuts!" (donuts) and 'Chocky Milk!" You have obviously picked up on our weekend routine around here. I'll also throw in here how you love to sleep, almost as much as I do! I thank God everyday that you're not one of those kids whose up at 6am on Sundays. I can usually get you to sleep til 9am or so, sometimes even later. :) Any kid who lets Mommy and Daddy sleep in on the weekends can eat all the donuts he wants!

#5- I love how you think the vacuum, broom, Swiffer, and dust pan are the best toys ever invented. I've never had a toddler yell at me, 'Mommy, need to caccuum!" so much, as you go to the closet to get it out. And you seem so content Swiffering the kitchen floor for a good 20 minutes. Oh, you are going to make some woman very happy one day! But until then, I should probably start paying you for completing your chores around the house.

#4- I love to watch you with your Daddy! He definitely lets you be 100% boy when you're with him, too. And as I watch you grow, you act more and more like him, along with looking more and more like him. You've become kind of a mini-me of him. Even with those little Fred Flintsone toes that he has 'blessed' you with. They're cute on you now, but by looking at your Daddy's, they won't stay that way forever. :)

#3- I love how when you don't want to go to sleep, you always talk me into rocking you in the glider in your room. I cherish this 'special time' we have, since I know you really don't even need to be rocked anymore. But my favorite part of this routine is how you proceed to brush the hair out of my face and say, "Pretty Mommy!". Melts my heart every time!

#2-I love how after Daddy and I put you to bed at night, you proceed to yell "Love, Love!" at least 5 or 6 times even after we've shut the door. "Love, Love!" is mine and your Daddy's special way of saying "I love you" (picked up from a Ben Stiller movie, nevertheless) and we're glad you have picked up on it!

#1-I love how the moment I saw you in the operating room for the first time, you had me wrapped around your little finger. We had waited so long to meet you, and it was truly love at first sight. It doesn't matter how bad a day I have, your bright smile warms my heart and makes everything else seem so unimportant. It's true what they say; a child changes your life forever.

Hello 3rd Trimester!

Finally! Although I feel like I've been pregnant forever so far, I'm 2/3 of the way there. I had my monthly checkup with Dr. Sudela yesterday. Total weight gain 6 lbs., so we're happy on that front. We got to have an ultrasound and take a peek at Chase. He is 2 1/2 lbs. now, and is measuring a week ahead so far. We weren't able to get any really good pics, because he was facing towards my spine. My blood pressure has been getting a little elevated lately when I'm up on my feet and running around too much. But I've been keeping an eye on it at home with my own monitor. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before it gets too out of control and bed rest is in my future. :( At least let me get my Christmas shopping done first! I start going back every two weeks now, so I'll be seeing alot of the doc.

I've had good intentions on the nursery, but haven't made much progress to show for. The crib is put together and the dresser is in there. No decor is up yet. But I've been sorting through ALL of Austin's old clothes and getting them washed so I can see what all we have......ALOT!!

My great co-workers are throwing me a 'Baby Supplies' shower on 11/17, so I see alot of diapers in my future. Then my friends/family shower will be on 12/5. So much going on!

On a side note, we did Austin's 2 year photo shoot at the park this past Sunday, and I can't wait to see how the pics turn out!

Happy Halloween!

What a difference a year makes! Last year at Halloween, Austin wasn't walking, we pulled him around the neighborhood in a wagon, and he had no idea what was going on. This year, he totally got the concept! I had been brainstorming the past few weeks on what he should go as. I went back-and-forth between a skeleton costume I had bought him and just putting together a Handy Manny outfit. Of course, two days before all the festivities started at his school, I decided I needed to put together Handy Manny! I bought him some work boots, did some iron-on magic on a shirt, painted a toolbox, and pulled out his tool belt. All done! He was the cutest Handy Manny I had ever seen!

Last Thursday, Austin's school hosted a fall festival where he got to ride the ponies, a choo-choo train, and play games for candy. He had a blast! A couple times, it took him a minute to recognize his teachers in their costumes.
Then on Sunday, we ventured up to our neighborhood Halloween party, which ended up being more geared towards older kids, but he enjoyed the bounce house obstacle course. Then it was trick-or-treat time! He was the most polite trick-or-treater, ever, saying thank you after receiving candy and then saying bye! He even got brave towards the end and walked up to doors by himself as we waited back a few feet on the sidewalk. So proud of our little boy!