We're Moving

As our family is about to grow we've decided to move to a different blog site. Will you please continue to follow us? You can now find us here!

Zoo

Last week while daddy was off for Labor Day we visited the zoo.

We rode the train.

Something we only do when daddy is around so it was a special treat.

We fed the goats.

Who are ALWAYS hungry.

We fed the ducks.

We played on the sculptures.

But mostly we enjoyed a day with daddy!

36 Weeks

This Tuesday will mark 36 weeks. Just 3 weeks from Thursday this baby will make its entrance into the world. Holy Crap! I think it's time to start freaking out a bit. You see our basement is still under construction and the nursery is a storage room at the moment. I'm not sure the crib will be up before he or she is here. Funny how with your 3rd things like that happen. Carson's room was up and decorated before I hit 20 weeks. But hopefully, with a little luck, that will all change in 3 weeks as we switch every single bedroom around in this house in order to accommodate our growing family. I'm hoping to maintain my sanity in the next 3 weeks which I'm not sure is possible. Good news for me....I don't have to move ANY furniture.

I've been feeling big and large and tired and crabby and hot and large, oh I said that already, well basically every feeling one has in the waning weeks of pregnancy. I'm going in for weekly visits and ultrasounds now since the baby is so big and I have alot of fluid. Last Monday the baby was measuring at a nice, plump, 8lbs 1oz. Ultrasounds can be off by a pound either way...let's hope they are! 10 days before Carson was born they told me he was 11lbs and he was "only" 9lbs 6oz....something tells me that this baby will beat that!

So we wait with growing excitement for this new baby, trying to come up with a name and enjoying the last few weeks as a family of 4. And just for fun here is a belly pic of my ever growing belly.

This Ones For The Dogs

Hard to believe but Emily has been a part of our family for almost 2 months now. Carson adores her. This morning he was up at the crack of dawn to take her for a walk with daddy. He likes to help daddy train her and he loves getting her to play fetch. The other day we were in the car with her and she was whining....

Carson: Emily is sad mommy

Me: Yeah, she just wants to get out of the car.

Carson: I think she needs a friend. Maybe we should go get her brother! (He was at the shelter when we got her.

He's also mentioned more then once that grandma can keep the kitties and we can just get another dog. Ha, one dog at a time sweetheart.

Declan on the other hand could really care less. He loves to go to the dog park and play with all the little dogs. He likes having her around when she's doing what he wants but if she has other plans then Declan gets crabby with her. The other day in the car the conversation went like this...

Carson: I love Emily mommy.

Me: Me too honey.

Declan: I don't love her mommy.

I guess he's being honest?? In all seriousness he has gotten better with her but its still a day to day thing whether he wants her around.

A Horse Ride...into the wall

The Basement

It seems the basement has taken up most of our summer. As we near the arrival of another baby we've been feverishly working on the basement to get it done in time. And, knock on wood, it looks like we might get there. We are so excited to have it done and so are the boys. Here are some pictures of our progress.....

I painted the boys' new room while they were away for a weekend. I thought it would only take me a day and a half...I was wrong!

It took me 3 days. And I swear on my life I will never paint a room blue again. Between the red and the blue I did 6 coats plus one wall is khaki so that makes 7 coats. At least it turned out nice but it was enough to drive me crazy!

The boys had a blast with the pink foam insulation. They piled it high and smashed it to pieces.

Declan enjoyed hanging out the fireplace hole one last time before it got closed up.

Taking a break with daddy.

Daddy's Little Helpers.

View into my new closet. Which is about 18 times larger then the one I have now.....and I'm not even exaggerating.


And then there was sheetrock!

Doorway to my new bedroom (from inside the bedr00m)

Doorway into the closet.

First Day of Preschool

Yesterday was Carson's first day of Preschool. He was pretty excited to go back and see all his friends. The conversation when I picked him up went something like this...

Me: How was your first day of school buddy?

Carson: Mommy there was new friends in my class.

Me: Oh, what are their names?

Carson: I don't we had to wear nametags.

Me: Well that helps Mrs. Lunder remember your name but she probably knows your since you were in her class last year. What else did you do today?

And pretty much in one breath it went something like this...

Carson: I got to play on my playground and we didn't go to the gym and Mrs Lunder told us to use quiet voices inside and loud voices outside and we sang some new preschool songs and we ate cheese crackers and I still have some in my backback. Can you hand me my backpack so I can get them out? And I drew you a picture and we had water in these little cups and we had to be careful not to spill andI painted my hand and I got to play with Andrew and Rory and Chayden and Westin but Chayden and Rory are friends and there were some old girl preschool friends in there too.

Phew...I was wore out just listening to it all!

This year he'll be going 3 days a week and next year, although I'd like to not talk about it, he will start kindergarten. Hard to believe this little guy is 4.5.

Westin and Andrew and Carson playing at the train table.

A day at the beach

We hit a local lake yesterday for the first time. Now I'm kicking myself for not going there sooner. The boys had a blast at the beach.

Even Miss Emily joined us for a swim. She wanted nothing to do with playing fetch but she did swim for awhile.

Reason #32 why my husband is the best....

He knows I can't stand swimming in lakes so he gladly, and without complaining, takes the boys for me while I sit on the side taking pictures(being 53 weeks pregnant may also have something to do with it). I need a pool where I can see the bottom and not feel any weeds. Luckily, it looks like both boys have been given the lake swimming gene from my wonderful husband!

And with 3 boys in the water a splash party soon ensues.

And I think...

the little boys may have won!

Declan has no worries about getting dirty. He'll sit right in the sand with his wet suit.

Or roll around in it all wet.

Or apparently stick his head in it.

Carson on the other hand wants nothing to do with being dirty....EVER.

Here he is showing off just how dirty he let his hands get....which in case you can see is mostly just a little dusty.

One messy. One clean. Both beach lovers!

A little of this a little of that.

Summer is winding down in our house. Not only are the temperatures a little cooler but Carson starts preschool next Monday already. We dropped off all his supplies last night and saw his teachers, he'll actually have the same ones as last year and his best friend Andrew is in his class again so he's pretty excited. So we've been trying to enjoy as much of summer as we can. Hard to believe that this time next year my little boy will be jetting off to kindergarten!

The other day we painted out on the deck. Why I haven't thought of this sooner I'll never know. They had a blast and it didn't matter is some got on the deck.

I think the rock holding Declan's paper down even got a paint treatment. Now if only we could keep doing this activity outside in the dead of winter.

Carson is almost done with soccer. That's his little butt in the air trying to move his soccer ball with his knee or some other random body part that coach has called out. He's had a blast doing it and we've had fun watching him.

Declan and I usually sit on the sidelines watching. This time he even brought his camera to snap some pictures. We tried to convince him that he could play soccer if he wore big boy underwear but apparently that wasn't enough to change his mind.

Have I mentioned he can be stubborn?
And he'll be wearing diapers to kindergarten?

We've also been trying to enjoy as much pool time as we can. Luckily last week it was HOT so we were able to get some lounging in.

And work on our tan!

I even soaked my feet a few days. I'm chugging along at 33 weeks today. However, yesterday at the doctor I measured a nice 40. This may explain my miserableness (is that even a word?) or the look on people's face when I tell them how much farther I have. Yes I'm big, no there is not twins and no I'm not wrong on my dates....I need those 3 statements made into a shirt.

Do you sense some bitterness in my tone? ;-)

Trevor told me the next 6 weeks would go fast. Hmmm, somehow I think if HE was carrying around this baby toddler in his tummy he'd feel a little different! But alas, I'm praying for patience and strength and some sort of peace of mind that this will end someday. As a bonus I do get another ultrasound in 2 weeks to check the babies size and my fluid level. It seems the little peanut is swimming around in a little extra water but that doesn't seem to be stopping him or her from growing like a weed!!

Take me out to the ballgame.

This weekend we went to a Twins game. The best part of it was...it was in a suite! I'm not sure I can ever go to a game and not sit in a suite again. Lots of room, lots of food, our own entrance, upfront parking and a great view were just some of the many perks!

Too much fun for one 2 year old.

Enjoying unlimited peanuts with daddy.