First T-Ball Game

My daughter had her first t-ball game last night and it was a blast! I was really worried about how competitive I would be since I loved softball so much, but I actually did OK! They don’t keep score and they don’t keep track of outs. It’s seven batters on each side. In an hour and 15 minutes we had only made it through 4 innings :)

She was adorable in her little outfit and did really well! Keeping my son entertained while I watched was a completely different story though…he kept wanting to go out there and play! Hubby was one of the coaches and looked adorable in his coach’s “uniform.” He was so motivating to all of those little girls!

Charlotte Weekend

What a fantastic weekend! We left bright and early Thursday morning to take the kids to my parents’ house. After getting them settled we headed out around 12:00 for Charlotte. The ride went pretty quickly…we had gorgeous weather the whole way down! After we got there we ate some dinner and relaxed in the hotel room.

Friday we got up and headed down for a wonderful breakfast – every morning we got made-to-order omelets, waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, muffins, toast – you name it they had it! After breakfast we headed out to see Hendrick Motor Sports.

Then we went to the gigantic outlet mall! I never get to go shopping anymore…there’s no time and shopping with the kids is not any fun, so to have this fabulous mall with no little ones was absolute heaven! When we got to the mall there was this thing put on by Toyota, and if you drove or rid in one around the parking lot, they gave you a $15 gift card to Bass Pro Shop. So we all did it and each got gift cards! Hubby and I went in and bought the kids fishing stuff since he’s been promising to take them but hasn’t yet.

After shopping we headed to dinner at this really great Mexican restaurant that hubby and I found last year. We sat and talked for a while outside enjoying the nice warm weather.

Saturday we walked up to the track for a while, and then my mother-in-law and I headed back to the mall while hubby and his dad headed to the Nationwide race. At the end of shopping my feet and legs hurt so very badly! But I got so many clothes for the kids and didn’t spend near as much as I would have here! It was totally worth the pain :)

Sunday we lounged around outside for a while and then headed up to the track for the race. It was a pretty boring race again in the beginning, and halfway through I wandered out to the trailers as I do every year :) But the ending was exciting, especially since Kyle Busch didn’t win (we absolutely DESPISE him).

Monday we headed home to get the kids. We had missed them so much! Luckily they had a ton of fun and are still recuperating from all their playing!

The thing that stinks is that it’s chilly here again (40’s this morning when I came to work, only high of 68). Why are we still so cold??? I miss the warm sun!!!

Here are some pictures…we didn’t take too many – I usually only take pictures of the kids, so remembering to take the camera out was difficult for me :)

Misc. Tidbits...

Just a couple of random pieces of info for today:

-Today is the kindergarten screening for my daughter. I can’t believe this day has come. I’m going to be sad walking into that school knowing that in just a few short months she will be doing that BY HERSELF!

-I got to go shopping with just my son last night and had a ball! We had to go and get miscellaneous items and as we walked around, my son insisted that he needed a hat. Now as a baby, he always had to have a hat. When he was 1 he would get mad if his hat was not on or if you tried to take it off. But the next year he stopped wearing them. So I was kind of happy when he insisted on having one last night because he looks so cute in them! He picked out a Spiderman one and wouldn’t take it off!

-Tomorrow morning we are loading up the car and heading to Charlotte, NC. I can’t wait! We will drop the kids off at my parents’ and then head down there. It will be such a nice weekend for hubby and I…very relaxing and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous! But I guess anything would seem gorgeous coming from the 60 degree highs we’ve been having!

That’s about it…next post will be from our fabulous hotel in Charlotte!!!

Birthday Weekend

Sunday was my daughter’s 5th birthday, and her party was Saturday. The weather was pretty bad for the middle of May (rainy and chilly)…we almost had to have it inside! But luckily it warmed up by party time and even though we were all in jeans and jackets, we still had a great time! There was good food and she got some really great presents. I wanted to try to keep it low-key this year...I'm so sick of stressing over her birthday parties. So we just had family and the neighbors over (which still equaled about 25 people).

The party was early, so when it was over my family and I just came in and watched TV and took naps. It was such a relaxing time – especially since the stress of the party was over. My daughter was supposed to have t-ball practice, but it got rained out, so more napping for us!

That night my dad watched the kids so that hubby and I could go out with my sisters. We ended up at a restaurant/bar for dinner and drinks (I of course only got the dinner L).

Sunday we had tickets for the preview of the new water park that is opening 5 minutes from our house. At 60 degrees it was way too cold to go in the water (although there were some people that didn’t think so), but we were able to take the kids on some rides and walk around and look at the park.

Here are the pictures from the weekend. I can’t believe how big my little girl is! She was so good at her party and had so much fun with all of her friends!

We Have a Baby!

We have been blessed yet again! The doctor said that everything looked perfect! She was so great showing the kids the different parts of the baby’s body, and she even printed out two sets of all the pictures so that they could each have their own.

I loved seeing the little one moving around…and in the words of my doctor, it has “the most perfect heart.” I couldn’t be happier!

Here are the pictures…I had a hard time scanning them in so that you could see them well…I needed hubby’s help but he was up sleeping with the kiddos :)

And as you can see on the pictures, the measurements say I'm anywhere from 20 weeks and 2 days to 21 weeks and 2 days, when in reality, when these were taken I was only 19 weeks and 6 days...I'm betting on yet another big baby :)

Big Day!!!

So today is the big ultrasound. I’m so very, very nervous. Thankfully, I know that the baby is OK because I feel it moving all the time. But I’m so scared that something is going to be wrong…we have been blessed with two healthy, wonderful kids…I just feel like our “luck” will run out. Now of course, my head knows that’s stupid…God will give me the child I’m supposed to have, whether it’s another perfectly healthy one or one that needs extra care from us. It’s just getting my heart to remember that :)

Unfortunately for most people that know us we are categorized in the “crazy” group because we don’t want to find out what we’re having. I know I’m crazy…not finding out is the complete opposite of my personality! But for some reason this little surprise is one of the best for me.

When I was pregnant with my daughter hubby was insistent that we not find out what we were having. I couldn’t believe it…I wanted everything to be perfectly planned out, right down to all the clothes bought, washed and hanging in the closet. I was always under the mindset that I wanted to find out the first one, but the next one could be a surprise, and hubby was just the opposite.

Since I love him and he doesn’t request much, we kept it a surprise. What a fantastic feeling when the doctor told me that I had a little girl! And hubby loved going out to the waiting room and announcing to everyone that we had a little girl!

When I was pregnant with my son I decided I wanted the same thing. And having my daughter go out with daddy to the waiting room and tell everyone she had a brother was just priceless (so I was told…I was getting all put back together so I really have no idea. But the pictures looked priceless!).

So based on past experience this one will be a surprise as well. I want my two kids going out and telling everyone what the new baby is, and I want the suspense that comes with no one knowing what it is.

A Few months ago I met a lady that had three kids – her first she knew, the middle was a surprise, and the third she found out. She said she loved the surprise the best. That’s good enough for me since I’ll never know what it’s like to find out.

But it is still hard every time on this day, because I keep thinking that in a few hours I could know what I’m having…it takes a lot of willpower to not give in a find out!

I'm Really Going to Have Three Kids?!?!

I think it has just really hit me that I will have three kids in a few months. I mean, my head has always known this (duh…this baby was planned), but it’s like reality has actually set in.

Every day to work I drive by the exit to my hospital. I love the hospital I deliver in. In fact, my favorite part of having a baby is the two (or three depending on how long the child decides to take) days I get to spend in the hospital. And today when I drove by it, my mind flashed back to the last time I did this.

My son was a quick delivery…5 hours from the time they inserted the first needle until he made his appearance (and that was with some serious pushing because he was not ready to come out!). He was a pistol in the hospital, but so was my daughter, so I just assumed that it was the whole “getting used to the world” thing.

When we got home he continued to be a pain. Not quite what I would call colicky, but he cried a lot, and hardly ever smiled. We took two vacations right after he was born (like I did with my daughter…maternity leave means extra vacation time!) and the one in particular was the most miserable trip I’ve ever taken. He spent the whole time crying, and in turn making me cry.

I had a hard time getting used to having two kids. I can’t pinpoint exactly why…but it seemed to take forever to leave the house, and my son was so demanding that I really thought I was neglecting my daughter. And the whole pregnancy I was so worried about how I was going to love two kids, and how anyone would be as precious to me as my daughter was, and here I was spending all my time with my son.

Life got so much better when he was three months old. It’s like it all “clicked.” And he became a much happier baby! From that time on (even now) he has been so laid back and happy most of the time.

So as I was remembering this, I was thinking about how it would be getting used to having three kids. I’ve heard people say they had the hardest time going from 1 kid to 2 kids, and yet others say it was harder going from 2 kids to 3 kids. I hope my hardest was the former, because I don’t think I can deal with it being worse this next time.

So for those of you with three kids…which was harder for you? 1 to 2 or 2 to 3?

Mother's Day Recap

What a great Mother’s Day I had!

It all started on Saturday…the kids were still with my parents, so hubby and I finished building my garden. It took a long time because he is such a perfectionist (thank goodness…I’d hate to see what it would look like if I were in charge!) when it comes to the measurements and stuff like that. When it was finished we went out to buy more plants and look for my daughter’s birthday present.

Saturday night my parents brought the kids back and my dad and I planted my plants in the garden. It looks great! Now I just have to find some patience somewhere to wait for everything to start growing! After we were done we grilled out a great dinner for my dad’s birthday (since we would be going to brunch on his actual birthday, and he’s not a fan of eating out).

Sunday we woke up and got ready to go to brunch. It was the best brunch I’ve had! All I wanted for Mother’s Day was this brunch! We went to the same place that we went to for my first Mother’s Day, and it was fantastic! It was our family, my parents, and my sister.

Afterwards we came home and had to immediately go down to the lower level because there were tornado warnings, and it was being reported that one had been spotted right by our house! Thankfully we didn’t see anything and were able to go back to lounging around and watching movies.

Hubby had to take my daughter out to get my present…even though I told him I didn’t want anything. He informed me though that I should not get my hopes up because what my daughter had picked out for me (all on her own) was small enough that she could buy it with her own money in her piggy bank. Sure enough, he was telling the truth! She got me cupcake wrappers! Hubby expanded the gift with some cake mixes and frosting, and a beautiful flower. My little girl wanted to make cupcakes with me!

After we gave my parents their presents (birthday and Mother’s Day) we headed off to church. After church we came home and made cupcakes! My daughter did most of it by herself and had so much fun!

After cleaning up I let myself lie down for a while (at 8:30 no less!). After my daughter’s bath she joined me and around 10:00 we drifted off to a wonderful sleep.

It was a great day, and I’m so very thankful for my wonderful kids and fantastic husband!

Moving From One Stress to Another...

I’m now done being busy at work (at least until Julyish), but unfortunately, I’m only beginning to be super busy at home. May is a very, very busy month for us. Feel free to relive my past May here…I get stressed out just remembering that month! Thankfully, this year is not as bad :)

-Since I don’t really get a break between January and the beginning of May, I schedule all appointments for May. So yesterday I had a bunch of subcontractors come to my house to deal with issues that had arisen over the last couple of months.

-This weekend is not only Mother’s Day, it’s also my dad’s birthday. I have no presents for anyone yet, so that’s something I need to take care of.

-The week after I have my daughter’s five-year check-up, my son’s haircut, my daughter’s gymnastics practice and the big ultrasound.

-The next weekend is my daughter’s fifth birthday, so there will be a party. This party involves me making food and making and decorating her birthday cake. My sister will be in from Michigan for the weekend and my daughter also has t-ball practice on both Saturday and Sunday.

-The following week we have our kindergarten meeting, more t-ball practices, and then on Thursday we leave for our annual weekend trip to Charlotte. This is always the most relaxing part of May, and I look forward to it every year!

-The week after we have t-ball games and practices and it’s time for the Memorial Tournament here in Dublin, to which hopefully hubby and I will go one day (still waiting to hear if I will get my free tickets).

-That following weekend we are hoping to have a Wii party with some friends of ours!

Phew! Every year it’s this way. But that’s OK, because even though I will be stressed, I will still have a ball throughout it all!

Scrap Retreat Recap

This weekend was the absolute best! The second annual scrapbooking retreat at my house was a complete success! Unfortunately hubby took both cameras, so you’ll have to be satisfied with my verbal descriptions :)

Friday night I headed out of work a little early and ran some quick errands. I came home to a perfectly clean house (thanks to hubby and his wonderfulness of cleaning and changing sheets for me). I relaxingly cut up fruit and got things ready and was actually watching TV for an hour before everyone got there.

My friends started showing up and the party began! The two girls that were staying all weekend came, and then two others came just for Friday night. We ate the fantastic food that they all brought and just hung out. Then we got the Wii out, and that was one of the funniest things I have ever seen! Grown women all really getting to it! Most of us didn’t even do any scrapbooking that night – we just played Wii and then watched chic flicks (during which I fell asleep…I’m getting too old).

Saturday we woke up and got right to scrapbooking. The day flew by as three other ladies joined us – lots of food and laughing and movies and just plain fun. We went to a local place for dinner which was good because it was the only time we got out of the house all day. After dinner we played more Wii, did more scrapbooking, and had the chocolate fountain (which I think was the best part of the whole weekend, but then again, I’m pregnant and chocolate is just fantastic right now).

Sunday hubby and the kids came back and my daughter sat down and did some scrapbooking with us. Everyone left early afternoon, which was kind of sad…the weekend was over :( It really went by way too fast.

Is it bad that I’m already looking forward to the third annual scrap retreat at my house?

A Weekend With The Girls

So guess what this weekend is??? It’s Girls’ weekend! Hubby and the kids are leaving this afternoon to go to a city nearby to spend some quality time together, and I have friends coming over tonight to spend the whole weekend!

What will we be doing? Mostly scrapbooking, of course! I’m so busy at work and have had so much on my mind that it’s been hard for me to plan this and think about it (it’s now an annual thing, see here and results here and here). But now I’m really, really excited about it!

I feel bad that I wasn’t able to go all out like I did last year (I had made goody bags and everything), but it will still be a lot of fun. I’m not sure how many are coming, as many of them will be coming and going over the whole weekend.

The worst part about this year is that hubby and the kids are going to have a blast…without me! Last year they just went down to his parents’ house, but this year, they’re headed to a nice hotel, with a pool, and to the aquarium! They’ll go to restaurants and maybe even tour the major league baseball field. It was a lot easier last year :)

So Monday I’ll let you know how it went and maybe I’ll have pictures (assuming hubby doesn’t take both cameras with him).

T-ball and Gymnastics

My daughter actually had a good time at t-ball! Hubby took her because my son was still napping at 6:50 when it was time for them to leave (he didn’t end up waking up until 8:30, and he still went to bed at 10:00!). I was lucky because they were practicing in the fields in the school in our neighborhood, so I was able to watch a little from our window.

Hubby said the only problem was that she was so busy making friends and socializing that she wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to what the coach was saying. I told him to get used to it…a lot of sports when you’re a little girl is socializing!

Last night my daughter had gymnastics. She had gotten moved up a class, so this was her first time in the “big class.” It’s for kids ages 5 ½ - 6 ½, and since she’s 4 ½, we’re definitely really proud of her! She’s the smallest one in the class! But she definitely can do everything they can do!

Other than that I’m just trying to keep up with everything. I’m super tired a lot of the time, and my stomach still hurts a lot in the evening…but nothing as bad as it used to, so I’m not complaining at all! It has also been chilly the past couple of days and today it’s warm again, so that will put me in a better mood :)

Time to get back to work…I’m still super busy!