Lots Going On

And the winners are.... Brad and Crystal- Oompa Loompas (spelling?)


Jeremy and Elizabeth- Gone with the Wind


Matt- Top Gun


Joey and Erin- June and Johnny Cash


Ruth and John- The gopher and Billy Murrary


Rachel and John- Fionna and Shrek


Chris and Aileen- the Nightmare Before Christmas


Leslie and Clint- From Harry Potter...boy do I look preggers now!


Brotherly love


TJ and Becca- the foks from Dodge Ball


Brian (Uncle/Cousin- I am not sure- Eddy, and) Dawn- The Girl from Matrix

I also had my yearly Halloween/Birthday Party. The theme this year was "Movie Characters." Everyone was awesome! Though the moral of the story that I learned is that I need to get out and see more movies. I only knew the Disney characters :)





First off you will see the pics from the Loganville Festival. Notice the chocolate all over her face. She loved getting her face painted.

Then guess what happened last Tuesday...Baby Petunia woke up! Clint hates that I am calling it Petunia in thought that it might be a boy- but it will survive. Clint wants to call it Peanut- but that was Melanie's fetus name. So Clint is voting for Cashew- ummmm-NO! I was sitting at work on Tuesday and felt a small tap tap- and WAHOOO!! The baby is moving! It doesn't move much and nobody else can feel it yet but it is moving. Last night I got up to let Shelby out to go to the bathroom (and me also) and then the baby decided to move from 1:00 am- 2:00 am. I couldn't fall asleep b/c the moving is so new. I know I will get over it and and will wish it to stay still so I can sleep but right now I love it!!! I guess I am practicing for staying up with baby #2 :)

Well, would you like to know the name and sex of the baby?

I think Melanie believes you go to a fall festival every other day. We went to Loganville's Fall Festival on Saturday and if I thought Lilburn Daze was bad I didn't even know what was in store for me. It was AWFUL! It was very congested down one road and had 0 things for kiddos to do. It was a lot of churches and local business trying to gain publicity and not even many crafts. We watched some kids tap dancing and Melanie got a pumpkin painted on her face from a church. We also got free cookies from a church which Melanie (without our knowing) managed to smear all over her face. We laughed so hard when we went to get her out of the stroller. I'll post the pics soon.

Her latest almost 2 year old skill- telling us to "stop it." We are trying to nip this little game in the bud as fast as we can but she is quick to tell any grown up doing anything not to her liking to "Stop It." Good grief silly girl.

Now what you've all been waiting for:
Her latest funny story...
Mommy: Melanie, am I having a girl or a boy?
Melanie: A girl (and no, we do not know- nor are we finding out)
Mommy: Really? A girl? What is her name going to be?
Melanie: 'Atunia (Petunia)
Mommy: Really, Petunia. Who do you know named Petunia?
Melanie: Nanna and Pawpaw's house- baby Petunia.
Mommy: Oh, like the baby at Nanna and Pawpaw's house. Do you like the name Petunia?
Melanie: Yes, 'Atunia.

Of course we would never do that to a baby but Melanie sure is going to be sad when she realizes the baby is NOT named Petunia!

I think I MAY have felt some flutterings this past week. (Maybe that is what the pains were for- getting some space to move around.) I am not sure. They are not the "tap tap" or kicks that I remember from Melanie but something is going on- it is more just like possible movements. The baby is SO LOW. I also do not remember Melanie being this low but I'm sure she was. It is way below my belly button. But no pains and happy flutterings so I can't complain.

Hooray for the baby and for silly Melanie!

Quick Funny Story

Melanie has become VERY excited about Halloween (or Hallowing as she calls it). She loves to talk about it and all of the decorations she sees out and about. We have done a lot of role playing about what you do on Halloween. She knows that her costume is a cat (or in her version a "tat"). So at dinner on Wednesday night she was telling TJ's girlfriend Becca all about it....
What are you going to be for Halloween?
A tat!
What do you say when you go out in your costume and knock on the doors?
Trick or treat.
What do they give you?
Candy!
Then I pipe in...what do you say when you get candy?
Yeah (not what we practiced...so I ask again)
What do you say when you get candy?
Melanie pumps her fist in the air and says "WAHOOO!"
So funny. The answer I was hoping for was "Thank you." But obviously Melanie is quite excited about the candy!

By the way my stomach has felt MUCH better the past two days- no pain. I feel like I did when I was pregnant with Melanie (which was SUPER!).

Another not fun Monday

Yesterday I woke up and my stomach was hurting pretty bad again. I was able to rest and the pains pretty much went away. I took Melanie to gymnastics and about 15 minutes in I realized that was not the best of ideas. My stomach was starting to hurt pretty bad but I was trying to tough it out. However about 5 minutes before the class was over I was sweating and thought I might faint. So, I took Melanie and went out front and called my dad (not home) and then Clint's parents. Thankfully Clint's parents were home and were able to come pick Melanie and I up. There was no way I was driving. I got to their house and was able to rest and have them take Melanie. After about 1 hour or so it felt much better and we were able to go about our day with just minor annoying pain. Then, I woke up this morning and I was getting ready for work and they started up again. I don't know if they are a product of the hernia or the stretching of the ligaments. Whatever they are, they SUCK! I feel like typically I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and this is no fun! They come on pretty strong last an hour or two and then they are gone. Hopefully this will not last my entire pregnancy b/c believe me...I already have a countdown. I was whining to Clint this morning when my stomach hurt so bad that I have 23 more weeks of this- AAAHHH!!!! But, I DO NOT want the baby to come early so I will deal with it. Out of paranoia from the last dr. appt. I ordered a dr. grade doppler machine to listen to the baby's heartbeat. I can rent it by the month so hopefully I will only need it for a month or so and then the baby will be moving. Every time my stomach hurts I listen for a heartbeat. My stomach kind of feels like a tightening (or like I pulled every ab muscle I ever had) and I get scared that it is squeezing the baby. But, I've been able to find a heartbeat every day so I guess all is good. My big dr. appt. is in 3 weeks where we have the in depth ultrasound. I am so ready for that appt. and for them to assure me that everything is okay! But that is all of my latest drama.

Quick Game, Interesting Festival

Like father, like daughter...how cute are they!

Friday night Parkview had it's annual homecoming game and alumni cheerleaders were invited back for a reception. Well we got all cute however no one came. Yes NO ONE. There was one person that I saw later on, but at the reception it was me, Clint, Melanie, and the booster club women that put it on. Oh well. But, I did see one girl that cheered with and her two kiddos so that was nice. However, Melanie only made it to the 2nd quarter and she was FINISHED! She was antsy and did not want to sit still any longer.

Saturday morning Clint had to work so my mom and I went to Lilburn Daze. Well...not quite what I expected. They should have called it "Crafts a la Lilburn." It was mostly a craft festival. There was a pony ride and a hay ride and Melanie got to play on the playgroun but all in all not too much for the kiddos. It was nice to get out and about and the weather was beautiful but it did not rank up there with the most exciting things I've ever done.

Also this weekend Melanie has created a new game and it is pretty amazing to watch and is wonderful because it frees up Clint and I to do whatever we want (Sat night watch the GA Game). She sets up her high chair (on the lowest setting) the baby crib, the baby stroller, a bowl, spoon, sippy cup, 2 bottles, and a blanket with her million babies and acts out all of these sceniarios. It is so cute and fun to watch. She played for over an hour and Clint and I didn't have to do anything!

Curious George

Today we went to see Curious George at the library. Melanie does not know too much about Curious George other than seeing the cartoon a few times. However she seemed quite excited. When Clint put her down to sleep last night he told her when she woke up she could see Curious George. So this morning I go in to get her and the first thing she says is "Curious George Library." So off we went. She like him a lot from a far- not up close as you will see in the pic. I had to hold her...me with NO makeup and dirty hair- lovely!

Dr. Appointment

Well, I had a not so fun morning. I had my 16 week baby check up today. I took Melanie with me because we were coming straight from gymnastics. Clint told me it was a bad idea to take her and let me just say HE WAS RIGHT! I thought it would be no big deal...they would listen to the baby's heartbeat, weigh me and I would be out of there.
Well from the moment they weighed me Melanie started crying. She really hates people in scrubs. I tried my best to explain that it was not for her...no luck! So, back to the exam room. I asked about deli meat b/c all of a sudden I have been bombarded with info on how I should not be eating deli meat (which I did with Melanie). So I talked to the dr. about it and she said as long as it was from a reputable deli I should be fine...no chance of Listeria recently reported from Subway. However, there is more of a chance of Listeria from white Mexican cheeses AKA cheese dip. So, bad bit of info #1 for me- no more cheese dip. Well, without cheese dip and margaritas, what is the point of Mexican?
Next I talked to the dr. about my stomach pains which flared up pretty bad last week at work and a little bit yesterday. She assured me that it was probably just my ligaments stretching...until the exam that is. Bad news #2 I have a hernia. I knew my belly button was sticking out way further than with Melanie but I didn't know why. Well, it is because the hernia is under the belly button. The only way to repair a hernia is with surgery which I obviously don't want while I am pregnant. So unless it becomes unbearable the answer is deal with it. It won't go away after the baby is born but it may not bother me because I won't have a baby pressing against it. So moral of the story is...hopefully I can stay tough.
So after all of that finally on to hearing the heartbeat. Which I hate to say is normally pretty uneventful. The dr. puts the machine up to my belly and immediately a heartbeat. Well not today. The dr. tried finding one and thought possibly she heard one but she couldn't be sure. So she asked the nurse to go get a different type of machine. With this one she couldn't hear anything but my heart. So, I was starting to get quite nervous- meanwhile remember Melanie is hysterical beside me. So bad news #3 no heartbeat. Thank goodness the ultrasound lady was still there and didn't have any patients. So, my dr. sent me immediately to the ultrasound. I didn't have Clint there- he has been there for every ultrasound with both pregnancies and I had hysterical Melanie and I knew we couldn't find a heartbeat. I was trying to keep my emotions in check at that point. So finally the ultrasound lady has everything set up and I lay down and THANK GOODNESS!!! a heartbeat. She saw the baby and it's hands and feet. She measured it's head and listened to it's heart. Everything seems okay. But needless to say once I got out of there and had Melanie strapped into her carseat and calmed down I lost it. It was the least fun appointment I have ever had. Melanie will NEVER come back with me (yes, Clint you were totally right). I guess Mexican is out for a while and I am counting the days until my next dr.'s appointment which is my regularly scheduled ultrasound. I really need that appointment to have her carefully look at everything and reassure me that things are okay. So yuck...Monday blues!

Yet Again, Another Busy Weekend

The first pictures you see are of Melanie and her new baby "Jimmy" that she got at Mamaw's house. She has been playing with Jimmy and giving him baths.

We went to my school's Fall Festival on Saturday. This year she was able to do many of the activities and won lots of little things. We stayed about 1 1/2 and she was exhausted (as were we) and we headed home for the sad viewing of the GA game.

Today we went to the Pumpkin Farm to pick out a new pumpkin. I really wanted to experience getting a pumpkin not just find one a the grocery store. We drove around for a while but found one at Sugarloaf and 29 and it was perfect for Melanie. She rode a pony named "Trigger", petted some bunnies, took lots of pictures and picked out the perfect pumpkin (a big one for our family and a little one for her).

Busy Weekend

Melanie had a fun playdate this past Friday. We met our friends Zach and Grace at the park and then went out to lunch. It had been a while since I got to see Melanie play with them. They are in the same class at school but you can only ask a 1 1/2 year old so much about their school day. They are all so different but yet all so much like 1 1/2- 2 year olds! We then went to McDonalds for a lunch date with them and Melanie, Zach and Grace climbed to the top of this structure and Rachel and I couldn't even see them. I guess they liked it!

On Saturday Clint ended up going to the GA game with his brother and wife and our neighbor. It was educator appreciation day at the zoo and I really wanted to go so Melanie, my mom and I went to the zoo. It was a great deal- I was free, Melanie was free and my mom got $3 off. Then we got 10% in the stores and food places. It was funny at the beginning. Melanie was in some trance. I don't know if it was the number of people or what but for about 30-45 minutes she didn't say much or show much emotion. The people at the beginning really hang around the exhibits and it gets really crowded. It thins out as you make your way through the zoo. Melanie's personality came out later on. I didn't remember the zoo taking so long. We were there about 4 hours and could have easily stayed at least one more but we were all exhausted and Melanie was falling asleep. My favorite thing was the gorillas. However, we took Melanie's picture by the gorilla statue and right after the picture she busted her lip. It was pretty dramatic. She didn't know quite what to think of the petting zoo. The animals were large and there was nothing separating you from the animals. She loved the carousel with my mom. Enjoy the pics!

The funny ones are from dinner club at TJs house.

Nice Weekend

First off...
Melanie's latest funny comment heard from the front seat of the car:
Melanie sneezed
Melanie: "Bless you me."
Hee hee sooooo cute!

Melanie got sick last week and it was NOT fun! Wednesday she had a bit of a runny nose but did not act like anything was wrong so we did not worry about it at all. Then Wednesday night I hear the most horrific cough over the monitor and then I hear her burst into tears. I run in there and she is crying and coughing terribly. I pick her up and take her downstairs. I am holding her and she is trying to go back to sleep but she can barely catch a breath. So I run upstairs and tell Clint to get up and that I need some help. I am normally really tough with her injuries and illnesses but maybe due to pregnancy hormones...I am not sure but I was NOT tough. I start crying at this point and I am telling Clint to get out the baby book and see what we are suppose to do. He is delirious and doesn't have his glasses on and I tell him that she is having trouble breathing and he says that the books says we should take her to the emergency room. Well, I had enough sense to know that was not what we were going to do so I told him to keep reading and we didn't come up with much. So, I thought well I need to monitor her tonight and keep her upright. So from 2:00 am until I had to start getting ready for work I held her on the couch. She was soooo pitiful! I got ready and took her to my parents and told them that I was going to make a Dr. appt and that they could meet Clint up at the Dr. later. Well at this point Melanie acted as if she was perfectly well and went playing around my parents. I swear she was sooo sick the night before. It ended up after a Dr. appt which Melanie HATED (and had to be held down by both my mom and Clint) that yes, she did have a cold and the croup! Yuck! The dr. gave her some steroids and all has been perfect since then. But, just a warning...if your child has the croup you will not be confused that it something else- it is a terrible sound!

Also, starting on Thursday I had terrible stomach pains. I was not too worried about the baby because they were not cramp feeling pains but pain to the touch kind of on the outside...mostly around the belly button. If anything came anywhere near my belly button it killed. I never felt this way with Melanie and I was not sure what it was. I called one of my friends, Amy, and she said she had the same pains with baby #2. I also called my dr. (to be on the safe side) and it is completely normal. Apparently my uterus has moved from where it belongs up and in the process it scooted everything out of the way and stretched a bunch of ligaments in the process. I think with Melanie this must have happened much more gradually and with this baby I think it happened in 2 or 3 not fun days.

So, with that drama over we had a pretty nice weekend. We were proud of our sports teams and Clint has trained Melanie well...she knows how to do the "Dirty Bird" dance for the Falcons (though it doesn't seem to help this season), she knows the "Goooo Dawgs, Sic Em" chant for GA and the tomahawk chop for the Braves and she can look at the TV and decipher the difference between baseball and football.

Clint and I celebrated my birthday extra early last night and had a date night to the Fox to see Stomp. We went a few years back and loved it so I really wanted to go again this year. We went out to dinner before and it was quite nice to get dressed up (though not too much fit...yucky in between stage...not too pregnant looking...not at all skinny looking...just a little chubby), and have a fancy night. No new pics right now...we'll get busy on that.

Super Fun Weekend

On the elephant ride


At the reptile show

Melanie had a super fun and busy weekend. Saturday I had a work meeting in the morning and then a hair appointment so Melanie and Clint had a daddy/daughter morning. He took her to a reptile show and then to watch football. She apparently really liked the reptile show saying "Wow! Big snake." She even got to touch a few of them. On Sunday we all ventured to the Gwinnett Fair. Quite comical I must say. My parents are NOT and were NOT fair people. So, I had never been to a fair. (In dad's words..."I would rather put a stick in my eye than go the fair.") But, since I'm pregnant the number of fun things to do is a bit limited and I thought the fair sounded like a blast. I don't know where all the fair folks come from but I have not seen them in Gwinnett County before. Quite the people watching venue! Most things Melanie was too small for but there were about 4 or 5 rides she was tall enough (with a parent) to do and a couple of games and a petting zoo. However, the fair is NOT cheap. I don't know how people do it if they have multiple school age children- you would easily spend $100. Melanie got to ride 1 ride (for exp. if we all rode the ferris wheel together it would have been $12!), play one game and go to the petting zoo. I think the petting zoo was her favorite part.
We went to gymnastics today. Melanie did great. The warmup was double the length it normally is because the kids were learning how to do things backwards and I was tired by the end- how pathetic is that? I think I am going to count Melanie's gymnastics class as my working out for the week- I'm sure my OB would love that since they asked if I was working out or walking about 5 days a week....ummmm NOPE! Didn't even do that before I was pregnant. I bought a pregnancy DVD workout...still haven't taken off the plastic I guess I better get busy!

The Things Kids Say...

Our day at the park




The bra and panty set Clint's mom gave her

Melanie has been super funny with her one liners recently....

A week or so ago I brought her to our bed after she woke up. We are talking and just sitting there and Melanie looked at Clint's chest (he didn't have a shirt on). She then pointed to his nipples and said "apples." Obviously she doesn't quite understand the real word.

Also, a couple of weeks ago Clint had to get new tires for his car. So, when they were finished I drove him up to the car place to drop him off. It made Melanie sad to see him get out of the car and then have us drive off. I was trying to explain he was coming home but he had to get his car back- it had just gotten new tires. Well, for whatever reason she refused to call them tires and instead called them "tigers." So, we were at my parents a couple of weeks later and she decided she wanted to tell my parents about them so. So, she told my parents that daddy's car has new lions. So cute!!!!

Today I ventured to the vet with Melanie and Shelby. It was the first time I ever took both of them. I don't know about little dogs, but Shelby is not the easiest at the vet. She LOVES the vet and acts sooooo excited about everything that she is hard to control. Thank goodness Melanie was on her best behavior. She kept saying that Shelby was going to the doctor. Melanie cried when we went to the exam room and saw everyone in scrubs- I think she thought it was her turn and I explained it was only for Shelby. So she stopped crying and watched in amazement at everything they did. Well, they had to complete a fecal test on Shelby so Melanie stared as they stuck the thing in Shelby's butt and when they pulled it out she said "Thank you." We all started laughing.

Also I had my 12 week Dr. appointment on Monday. Melanie knew we were going to hear the baby go "bump, bump." I have gained 3 pounds my BP is great and we heard the strong heart beat- hooray. I feel less tired than I have and I think my appetite is back to normal. So, I think the worst is over. My clothes all fit funny but what else is new? I haven't had normal clothes since before I was pregnant with Melanie.

Melanie's First Day of School

The baby she is obsessed with!


Her first day!


Melanie in my pants...her weight loss success story...

Well, Melanie had her first day of school today. Clint and I went to registration last Friday and we got to meet the teachers and see the class. Melanie really seemed to enjoy the class during registration so I was hoping for the best today...and got it! I feel soooo fortunate that I am able to work part time and experience things such as her first day of school. She was such a big girl. She went right in the classroom and picked up a baby and forgot I ever existed. I convinced her to tell me bye and she was on her way. The teachers said she did great today. Wahoo! Nothing like the gym nightmares when she was a baby.

The cute cute cute thing she does now is hug and kiss the baby in my belly. I don't know how much she really understands. She will ask if daddy has a baby or if she has a baby but I tell her only mommies can have babies. Then she will lift up my shirt, stick her finger WAY in my belly button and say baby. Then she will hug and kiss my belly. So sweet!

She is quite obsessed with numbers right now. All she does is go around and count things. Pool steps, cheerios, blocks, anything is getting counted. She goes up to 14. She still loves shapes and colors but numbers are her "thing" right now.

I am enjoying the change of seasons right and an excuse to get her new clothes. We had so many this summer I didn't have any reason to buy and new ones...now I do :) However, with my new part time pay check I can't splurge as much as I used to- YUCK! But, since we are on such a budget we have started thinking about the holidays and her birthday and not letting everything sneak up on us. So, I was able to go get browse around for her some Christmas things today while she was at school. I went to SO MANY different stores just piddling around. Normally, she would be FINISHED after about the 2nd store but I had 4 hours to play. What fun!!! I really wanted to find some Melissa and Doug puzzles and on EBay they were as much as they are in the store so I thought, well I'll just go buy them. For those of you who don't know, Melissa and Doug make the most high quality wooden toys- including great puzzles. Sometimes TJ Maxx and Marshall's carry them and I was able to get a couple of things there and then I went in a consignment store and they carried them also- so I racked up.