Celebrating Father’s Day

Linc is such an awesome daddy and we tried extra hard to celebrate him this year! Carter painted him a new coffee mug to use at work and a letter “C” to hang on the wall! Our most special gift though was the Father’s Day “D-A-D” collage that we made with our Baby Brigade friends. I love how it turned out and might need to make a second copy so he can have one at the office and one at home! The Sunday of Father’s Day, Linc and Carter drove to my parent’s club where C went home with Hattie and Linc, my dad, and brother in law Ryan hit the course and played golf all morning. I had a tennis match (my third of the weekend!) way up north so I met them at my parent’s house later. Linc then had his own tennis match and came back to the house that evening for a delicious dinner with the Nathans, Trottas, and Morgans. It was a great day surrounded by some of our family and hopefully Linc felt truly celebrated!

We woke Daddy up with lots of presents!

Linc- we’ve said it a million times, but you are simply amazing!

We love you SO much and are so lucky to have you.

We hope you had a great Father’s Day and know how grateful we are for you!!

Lil Allstars

For a week in June, Carter participated in a sports camp called Lil Allstars! It was a four day mini session where two year olds got exposure to t-ball, soccer, football, and basketball! Carter loved Coach Amy and Diane and was a great listener the whole week. He seemed to enjoy soccer and t-ball the most and I can’t wait until he is older and we can sign up for real lessons. Our week of camp was so much fun I think we’ll do it again later on in the summer and then sign up for a ten week session this fall! Here are pictures of all four days (first three were off my cell phone). Can’t wait to go again!

Lego Land

Two weeks ago we joined grandma Bella and our friends the Gordons at Lego Land Atlanta! This was an attraction we had been waiting to see for a while, but unfortunately, I think C was still a little too young to really appreciate it. He did not love the ride at the beginning which consisted of shooting the “bad guys” while being driven through a maze. He was absolutely terrified and clung to me crying and shaking until it was over. Poor little man :/ That kind of set the tone for the first half of our visit but once we finally got to the Lego building room he warmed up and had a great time! We spent a lot of time building towers and race cars and then hit Johnny Rockets for lunch before it was time to head north for nap time. Bella bought C a special Lego telescope as his souvenir and he was in heaven!

C loved playing with his Bella and building lots of towers and castles!

Thanks Bella for a fun day! C loves his telescope most of all :)

Sunday Silence

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

– John 6:28-29 (NIV)

Bumpdate- 20 Weeks

Once again, this is a little late but such is life! We had such a great time meeting baby h2o on Monday. Make sure to scroll down to read all about our halfway checkup! I think I woke up on the morning of week 18 and had “popped” over night! The belly doesn’t go away now and only gets bigger as the day goes on. I think most people can tell I’m pregnant (instead of just packing on a beer belly) and I have been feeling h2o kick and dance regularly now! Most days I am feeling good, just a few belly aches as things stretch out and only one instance of puking in the last few weeks! Note to self-- baby h2o does NOT like the crust of sandwiches…hahahah

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How far along? 20 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss? Up four pounds since my sixteen week check up (13 total).

Maternity clothes? Switched to all maternity bottoms but a mix of regular shirts. I love sun dresses too because it is getting really hot here!

Stretch marks? I have been lotioning up every day. Hopefully I can escape this pregnancy without too many more marks!!

Sleep? My sister Kristin brought the “snoogle” back and it helps keep me in position. I have been napping every day for about an hour and then going to bed shortly after Carter does. I am SO tired!

Best moment last week? We had our twenty week anatomy scan and got to watch baby h2o on screen for a really long time while the tech got all the measurements and pictures she needed. The baby was so precious and even waved to us a few times! He was a little roly poly and kept us entertained for close to twenty minutes! His heart rate was a strong 150bpm and he was very cooperative for pictures!

Worst moment last week? During my scan, the tech kept focusing back on my lower abdomen and finally explained that I had placenta previa. This was not something we were expecting to hear and got a little nervous until I had a chance to talk to my midwife. The good news is it’s only a partial and I have not had any spotting or bleeding yet. Unfortunately, I was put on “modified bed and pelvic rest” for eight weeks which basically means I can go about my daily life but am not allowed to do anything strenuous including exercise. The biggest bummer? Absolutely no tennis. I know there are so many other people with much more serious restrictions but after having a completely normal pregnancy with Carter and playing tennis up until two weeks before he was born, this came as a big blow. Obviously I know this is best for me and baby but it was a tough pill to swallow since I play multiple times per week and am in two leagues that were counting on me. Thank goodness I went out with a bang and fit in three matches before my appointment! My midwife fully expects this issue to resolve itself and we’ll do an ultrasound at the end of my eight weeks to see how things are progressing. The silver lining is getting to see baby again when normally I would not have anymore ultrasounds at all!

Movement? Baby h2o is an active little fella! His head is near my belly button and his tiny feet are constantly tap dancing down near my underwear line! I can feel him at certain times during the day and it is so much fun. I always try and stop and concentrate on him and soak in those precious little flutters. I know soon enough they will turn into jabs and punches and won’t feel nearly as good!

Food cravings? Eh. Nothing really but at least now I can look at food without gagging constantly. I never had any serious “got to have it now or else” cravings with Carter and this one seems to be similar.

Gender? Have you caught on yet?? Baby h20 is all BOY!!!

Labor signs? Nope. Hang in there little man! No coming out until at least late October!

Belly button in/out? Still an innie but getting surprisingly shallow already.

What I miss: Tennis :(

What I am looking forward to: I don’t want these next eight weeks to fly by, but I will be relived when we can go back to the midwife and (hopefully) see that everything is A-Ok!! My goal was to have a natural birth again so if the placenta previa hasn’t corrected itself that is off the table. I know in the long run a c-section would be fine, and as long as baby arrives healthy than I will come to terms with it.

Milestones: We are so thankful for a healthy, growing baby BOY and can’t wait to watch Carter fulfill his role as a big brother! All along he has been asking for a “buddy” and hopefully they will be the best of friends!

Baby Boy h2o at twenty weeks- 11 ounces

The Spraygrounds

It’s been pretty toasty here in Hot-lanta so the Baby Brigade packed up our towels and sunscreen and headed to East Roswell Park the other week to enjoy the spray grounds! What a fun place! There were all kinds of fountains and sprinklers for the babies to run through (and drink……) and get as wet as their little hearts desired. It was a tad crowded because two day care vans showed up as we arrived, but the bigger kids managed to stay away from our little ones and everyone had a great time! The mommies and tiny siblings were able to enjoy watching from the sidelines and shade and I’d say a great time was had by all! For only $2, this was a great summer day activity and we can’t wait to go back.

Father’s Day Craft

The Baby Brigade got together the other week for a very special Father’s Day photo shoot! I couldn’t post this until after the fact because I didn’t want to ruin the surprise!! Krissy bought the letters to spell “D-A-D” and I took pictures of all the babies that were able to make it. The weather was not cooperating but we managed to shoot under their deck and no one got too wet! Even though the babies weren’t in the most cooperative mood (let’s blame the crazy full moon and bad weather), I think everyone got a few great shots. Hopefully the dads enjoyed their very special gift! I am not sure if this is exactly how everyone framed their pictures, but here are the collages I made of each baby!

My sweet Carter boy!

Spencer

Bennett

Miles

Kinley

Dylan & Adam

Macey & Aubrey

Nicholas

Kayden

Sunday Silence

The wind blows wherever it pleases.

You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.

So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. – John 3:8 (NIV)

June So Far

Ok, you caught me…I backed up my cell phone again hence the picture dump this week!

June has been a good month so far and here are just a few pics to show you what we’ve been up to!

Little church boy, MNO to see What to Expect, cuddling baby Noah,

free painting class at Gymboree, more fun time at Webb Bridge Park

Random May Happenings

May Birthday Dinner at Kani House, garage sale, painting with Evan,

out to lunch with mama, playing Angry Birds

Trip to Orlando, spa day at the Waldorf-Astoria for Mother’s Day, Nathan’s first birthday

Ice cream with Hattie, fun day with buddy Grace, lots of mommy and daddy time

Twins for the Day

May 17, 2012- Our Day with Spencer

The other week, Carter and I took Spencer out for the morning to give mama Shari a little break! We headed over to Webb Bridge Park for a fun morning of sand and splashing! This was our first time to the park since last year and I had forgotten about the stream running through. Of course both boys got completely soaked from head to toe and I did not bring C a change of clothes! Spencer’s mama was more prepared and he was able to wear something new out to lunch. Carter on the other hand was dressed in a wet tshirt and diaper. Whoops! At least I learned my lesson for future play dates at the park! It was such a fun day and both boys were incredibly well behaved. After a picnic lunch of Jason’s Deli, we dropped S off for nap time and headed home. I was surprised at what a great time we had and how much easier it was to manage the two boys now that they are older and (usually) listen to directions. I did not know what to expect but was pleased with our adventure! Thanks Shari for letting us steal your boy for the day- and your awesome new stroller!!!

Sunday Silence

LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory in the heavens. – Psalm 8:1 (NIV)

Snip, Snip!

I had been letting Carter’s hair grow out for months and kept meaning to get it cut, but the longer it got the more I liked it! Unfortunately, it is SO hot here and his pretty locks would be drenched in sweat every day. Every nap time he would wake up a big sweaty mess and actually started complaining about being too hot. On Monday we woke up after a lazy morning and since we had no other plans, I put in a call to Ms, Rosa and asked if she could squeeze us in. It was time for the beautiful frat boy hair to go!

C really is an angel at Ms. Rosa’s and sat perfectly still while she buzzed his hair off! I showed her a picture of our blog buddy Knox as inspiration and she got right to work! I could not believe how much fell onto the floor and he instantly seemed cooler- in more ways than one hahaha I can’t wait to let his hair grow out again, but I think we’ll wait for the fall or winter so he’s not so miserable. Ms. Rosa spiked his new ‘do up but I don’t know how often he’ll actually rock a mohawk. He was super excited about his “candy pop” that he got for being a good boy and had fun riding the aisles of Target showing off his new hair do. He even suckered me into buying him an angry birds plush doll afterward! What a stud!

Here’s to Us!

On Saturday, Lincoln and I celebrated our sixth anniversary! We returned to our old stomping grounds and had dinner at Dante’s Down the Hatch. My sweet sister was kind enough to watch Carter for the evening so we could enjoy a three hour meal!! It was such amazing food, even better company, and such a fun evening celebrating where we’ve been and what’s to come. Over the past twelve years, Linc and I have gone from boyfriend and girlfriend, to fiancés, to newlyweds, to parents! It was been quite an adventure and I can’t wait to see where we’re headed next. Linc- I love you more now than ever before and I am so thankful to have you by my side on this crazy journey. Thank you for everything.

If you’re ever in Atlanta you really need to get a table at Dante’s. It is a fondue restaurant that looks like the inside of a ship. There is even a river running through with alligators, turtles, and fish. In 2000, the restaurant burned down and Lincoln and his step father Bo had a chance to help Dante rebuild! Linc built us a table and carved our names underneath. Who knew that twelve years later we’d be back to celebrate as a married couple! Dante came by to give us his best wishes and the entire staff was at our beck and call. It certainly was nice being treated as VIP :) We started off with a delicious cheese fondue and then moved on to the Mandarin dinner (pork, steak, chicken, and breaded shrimp). The nice thing about a fondue restaurant is you cannot rush the meal, so Linc and I were able to sit and enjoy our conversation and really spend some quality time together. We finished up with some tasty desserts and then picked up our boy for the long trek home. It was such a perfect night spent with my perfect date and I am so thankful for a wonderful celebration on our sixth anniversary!

Pool Boys

Over Memorial Day weekend, Linc had to go to a work thing at Ga Tech which left C and I to fend for ourselves! Thank goodness the Gordons adopted us and spent the day with enjoying their awesome pool. There is a huge one foot section for the boys to play in complete with water slide, squirt guns, and fountains. It is Carter’s favorite way to “swim” since he likes to control how wet he gets and never wants to be submerged. We spent all morning chasing them around the pool and soaking up the beautiful sunny day. Thanks to Shari, Bill, Spencer, and sweet baby Noah for having us over!!

These little buddies have so much fun together!

Sunday Silence

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.

The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

– John 11:25-26 (NIV)

Webb Bridge Park

Last week we got together with the Baby Brigade at Webb Bridge Park. This location has an awesome covered sandbox and a stream that runs right through the park. What a perfect combination on a hot summer day! We were thrilled that Shari, Spencer, and Noah were able to join us for their very first solo outing and Kerri and Miles surprised us too with a day off from work!! Add in Trenton, Kinley, and Beth and it was the perfect combo for a morning out. C and I stayed looooooong past when the others had to go home for lunch and nap time and it was a great day with my little man!

My favorite part of the park is that people leave all these great sand toys behind

for others to enjoy! The giant matchbox fire truck was a HUGE hit with the boys!

Look at that teeny tiny peanut! Noah is three weeks old and weighs a little over 5lbs!

Thank goodness for a change of clean clothes! These boys loved the stream!

A successful first outing for two out of the three Gordon boys! Can’t wait till Baby P can come too!