Need sleep...

Wow. I'm exhausted. Corbin was doing so well for a while - going to bed at seven and sleeping until three or four, eating, then sleeping until six or seven. I didn't mind getting up with him the one time at all. Now...I spent all of an hour-and-a-half in my own bed last night. The night before, he was up every two hours. He's not sick, he just won't stay asleep. Right now, he's in his crib crying because I just need him to take a nap. He's so tired. I'm so tired. But as soon as I lay my head on a pillow, he wakes up. He no longer sucks his thumb, which was my saving grace. I just need some sleep!

Merry Christmas!!!

I love the holidays. Especially when I'm COMPLETELY done with my Christmas shopping. Sending is another matter, but what can you do when you're waiting for the item you bought online to arrive so you can send it off? You post on your blog!
Thanksgiving was pretty nice. We spent it at home. Jeff insisted on buying a whole turkey (because he wanted the giblets, crazy boy) instead of just a turkey breast. It turned out pretty good, though, because we 'adopted' our neighbors from across the street. It was just the two of them and they weren't going to celebrate Thanksgiving, so we shared ours. It was so much fun, I think we'll try adopting Thanksgiving orphans every year. We enjoyed turkey (duh!), mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans (thank you, Terry!), and more. Even Corbin joined in by trying his first cereal. After tasting it, he looked at me with an expression that said "I'll try it for you, Mom, but this is really weird." After a week, though, he's starting to come around.
I'm constantly telling Bryant I'm always right (which he denies). The other morning, I was telling him he had to do something he didn't want to do. I followed it with "I'm such a mean mom." He agreed. I said "You weren't supposed to agree with me!" His reply: "I have to, Mom, you're always right." I didn't know whether to laugh or growl. Dang kid.
Jeff just got back yesterday for a business trip out to Salt Lake City. The three days he was gone were the busiest I've had in quite some time! They were pretty busy for him, too. We considered ourselves lucky to be able to talk for even a couple minutes at a time. It's sure nice to have him home again. We stayed up late last night catching up on everything. After all, communication is very important in a marriage. And it was nice talking to someone about something other than homework or dirty diapers.
Bryant received his first letter-grade report card and did his mom proud - straight A's! We took him out to dinner to celebrate. I'm not too surprised, though. He's always bringing home A's on his tests. He also has his nose in a book all the time. I went outside to find him one day only to find him in the neighbor's yard, sitting on a soccer ball and reading a book. He will walk to or from the bus stop reading, too. He's finished the first three Harry Potter books and is working on the fourth.
Bryant is also the best big brother! He's always willing to play with Corbin while I make dinner or do the dishes. I absolutely LOVE seeing them together. I think those are my favorite pictures, too. I find myself almost tearing up watching them sometimes.
Corbin is getting so big! He's smiling and laughing almost all the time now. He's very jealous of my time and absolutely hates our office since that's where the computer is. I don't get a lot done when he's awake. But he's very sweet and snuggly. Everyone on our street, and most of the kids in Bryant's class, knows Corbin. I can't walk down the street without someone calling out "Hi, Corbin!"
Jeff and I have discovered the joys of Facebook. I resisted it for so long, then after seeing something about it on television, I decided to try it out. It's amazing! I think one of my favorite things is being a fan of the church and both the Friend and the Ensign. Every day, they post an inspirational thought or video. I love it!
I'm sure there's more, but it has taken me several hours to get this much written (thanks to Corbin) and I would really like to go to bed tonight retaining at least some of my hearing. He really, really, REALLY hates the office.

Sleep is Good...

After letting him cry it out a couple of times, Corbin has finally started letting me sleep at night! He wakes up just once - about 3 am. Four nights in a row, I've actually gotten enough sleep. He's also napping better. He's found his thumb and uses it to put himself back to sleep. I don't mind too much right now, but when it's time to break him of the habit...I'll worry about it when the time comes. I'm just glad to feel like I'm once again in the land of the living!

Happy Halloween!

This Halloween was the warmest yet! We enjoyed a muggy 85 degrees - enough to make anyone hot and sweaty. Eww! Friday night, Jeff and Bryant carved a pumpkin to go near our front door. I drew the faces on the poor little pumpkins "Jack" decided to have for dinner. Bryant liked getting his hands into the pumpkin guts. Jeff liked using his dremel to carve the face. I enjoyed not having to be the one cleaning up afterward. Jeff started off Saturday building a cabinet for his garage using the workbench he built earlier this month. (No more woodworking projects cluttering my kitchen counters - hurray!) Around 5:30, Bryant and Corbin got ready and posed for their shutterbug mom. Okay, Bryant posed. Corbin slumped and refused to smile. I think he was still irked that I woke him from his nap. In my defense, I think a three-hour nap was too long anyway! At six-thirty, wondering where all the trick-or-treaters were, we wandered outside and explored our neighbor's haunted house he set up in his garage. He seriously had ten to twelve life-sized Halloween figures that talked, moved and/or sang positioned between sheets of plastic. He even had a huge blow-up archway. Needless to say, they were the most popular house in the neighborhood. We had easily double the number of trick-or-treaters this year. They didn't really start until about seven, but I was out of candy by eight! I kept getting ambushed by groups of a dozen or more kids. Next year, I'll either buy twice as much or just hang out in my neighbor's driveway. That seemed to be where the party was anyway.
As for the rest of the month...Corbin had his two-month appointment and weighed in at 13 lbs, 7 oz. The kid is growing like a weed! He's started smiling for everything - bathtime, diaper changing, cuddling, etc. On Friday, he laughed his first real laugh. During his bath, of course, just like his big brother did. We've discovered a fun game for him. I build a tower of cups and put it within his reach. Corbin reaches over and carefully tips it over, then looks at me for approval. Once I start clapping, he smiles really big. He also loves to hold any toy that makes noise and wave it around. This kid doesn't stop moving!
Bryant and Corbin love to spend time together. We tried Corbin in an exersaucer someone gave us. Bryant would push the buttons to make the music play, then dance. Corbin absolutely loved it. He tried moving to the music, too. He thinks his big brother is really funny.
At Bryant's pack meeting this month, he received some more awards, including a couple of beads and a belt loop. He loves being in scouts. He especially loves being able to pass off something new. Only a half-dozen more things to pass off before he gets his Wolf badge! I'm so proud of him. And as a special note, he's almost finished reading the third Harry Potter book. He started the first one a few weeks ago and he's making his way through the series. Jeff just shakes his head in amazement and tells me Bryant is definitely my kid.
A couple of weeks ago, we took a drive out to Suwanee State Park. Okay, so we actually drove all the way to Valdosta, Georgia, but decided as we drove through town it wasn't a place we wanted to stop. However, Suwanee State Park was on the way home. It was a nice, cool day and low humidity, so it was perfect to get out of the car and take the stroller on a hike on a trail that was definitely NOT made for a stroller. Fun, fun, fun. Despite the adventure of navigating the stroller over and around giant tree roots, it was absolutely beautiful. We're thinking of going back with the fifth-wheel soon. That's it for now. I think I've pushed the limit on how long I can do something without Corbin fussing.

Chunky Monkey!

Corbin just keeps growing!
Tuesday, August 4 - 8 lbs, 2 oz, 20-1/2" (birth)
Thursday, August 6 - 7 lbs, 12 oz (2 days old - normal weight loss for a newborn)
Monday, August 10 - 8 lbs, 3 oz, 21" (6 days old)
Friday, August 28 - 10 lbs, 6 oz (3 weeks old)
Thursday, September 10 - 11 lbs, 6 oz, 22-1/4" (5 weeks old)
Monday, September 28 - 13 lbs (8 weeks old)
At his one month visit, he was ranked 90th percentile on weight and length. Bryant was only ever 15th percentile on weight and 50th percentile on length. What a big baby!

Baptism and Blessing

Today, my boys are eight years old and eight weeks old. They're getting so big! Bryant is such a great big brother. He loves to hold Corbin and play with him. He insisted on me getting a picture of the two of them. Corbin loves Bryant, too. The other day, Corbin was lying on our bed and Bryant was acting crazy. Corbin was loving it! He kept giving Bryant the biggest smiles.
We've had a crazy month. Bryant and Corbin got to have all of their grandparents visiting at the same time. Boy, were they spoiled - I mean, loved. Corbin was cuddled and held all weekend long and my poor arms got to have a break. For some reason, Corbin decided the only guy he liked was his daddy. Every time we handed him to one of his grandpas, he would get upset. Once, we just mentioned handing him to his Grandpa Meibos and his face puckered up and his lower lip stuck out a mile. What a funny little boy!
On Saturday, September 5th, Bryant was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was a great service. His grandmothers each spoke and his grandfathers witnessed. Even Corbin was very good and slept through the whole thing (much to the disappointment of my grandma, who was on baby-tending duty). Afterwards, we had a barbecue and Bryant opened a few presents - a baptismal plaque from Grandma and Grandpa Meibos, a new tie and some cool Legos from my parents and grandma, a CTR tie tack from Marshelle, and a new set of scriptures from Jeff and me. We're so proud of our kid!
Corbin had his blessing the next day at church. He slept through that, too. The tux was a little big on him, but he was so handsome! There was a mix up with the bishopric and they almost forgot to announce not only Bryant's baptism, but the blessing as well. The primary president had to send up a note with her son to the stand during the sacrament to remind them. If they hadn't done that, we would have just done it later. It's not like Corbin would have known the difference anyway. Of course, he wasn't too thrilled to have to wear the 'monkey suit', especially the jacket.
Bryant started school on the 24th of August. He's in the third grade now - can you believe it? I tried to get a good picture on the first day of school, but he kept looking at his brother, who decided he didn't want to be in the stroller at the bus stop. It was so nice to get back on a schedule. And Bryant is doing so well with his schoolwork. Most of his homework is done online and he's usually done in an hour or less. His Friday folders are filled with tests he's gotten 100% on. Oh, and I can't forget - he's read the first Harry Potter book on his own and has started the second. I've seen such an improvement in his work already. He's more focused and excited about what he's learning. It's going to be a great school year.

Baby FAQ's

How old is he?
Corbin is now 2-1/2 weeks old!

How big is he?
At his last doctor's appointment (at 6 days old), he weighed in at 8 lbs, 3 oz. His doctor says he rarely sees babies get back to their birth weight so quickly. Obviously, he's a good eater! As for size, he's still in newborn-size clothing, but just barely.







Who does he look like - you or Jeff?
He definitely got the Meibos chin and the Cox cowlick. Other than that, we're not too sure. His ears are smaller than either Jeff's or Bryant's and his eyes are currently a steel gray, but we know eye color can change. I think he got the Meibos hands, too. He looks a lot like Bryant did as a baby (once Bryant put on a little fat). You can certainly see the resemblance.

How does Bryant like his new brother?
He adores Corbin! Bryant has to tell everyone about how he's now a big brother, even the lady at the McDonald's drive thru. Today, at his school orientation, he had to stop by every teacher's room to show off his new brother. We were, of course, a huge hit. Bryant also offers to hold Corbin or play with him to keep him occupied when we have to get stuff done. He loves to pick out new outfits for Corbin to wear. Bryant is an excellent helper, especially with dishes and laundry.

Is he a good sleeper?
Is any newborn a good sleeper? He has times where he'll sleep for three or even four hours at a time, but the norm is usually between two and three. He's a very noisy sleeper! Jeff and I will lie in bed and laugh when we hear some of the noises he makes. Fortunately, we've learned to sleep through most of them. Especially Jeff.

Is he a good baby?
Of course he is! He has his cranky moments - usually when he's hungry - but he's very sweet. He turns toward the sound of his brother's voice, fusses when his dad stops talking (especially when he wants attention), and lets me know when he wants me with a warning "Waah" (it's like he's saying "Hey!"). He loves to be held close. I think he just likes hearing the sound of our hearts beating. He also loves to look around and prefers sitting up in our laps when he's wide awake.

When is his blessing?
We're doing the blessing and Bryant's baptism the same weekend since all of their grandparents will be here. Bryant will be baptized on September 5th. Corbin's blessing will be the next day at church. All of our friends and family are invited to come if in the area (I know it's not likely, but the invitation's extended just the same).

Here at Last!

Bryant would like everyone to know he is officially a big brother! Corbin Lee Meibos was born Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 12:25 pm. He weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz and was 20-1/2 inches long. He's a cutie!

Hot and Busy

The thermometer is threatening to go on strike if it doesn't cool down soon. We haven't had a day under ninety degrees in ages. Even the water at the pool isn't cool anymore. Re-entering feels like you're getting into a hot tub. We've had a lot of rain recently, but I swear it almost immediately turns into steam as soon as it hits the ground. At least I don't have to pay for a sauna. (Ha, ha! That was a joke, people!)

Since Bryant's birthday was two days after school let out, we did his party the weekend before to ensure his friends would be in town. Instead of a big party at the park, as originally planned, Bryant opted to have a sleepover with his two best friends. They had a blast! Video games, Lego battles, fighting with swords, pillows, and balloons. For dinner, we had chicken fries, curly fries, and juice boxes (Bryant's choice). Dessert doubled as Bryant's birthday cake. Because we were going out of town, we did Warm Delights (individual cakes you 'bake' in the microwave) to avoid having leftovers. The boys loved them. They stayed up late giggling and talking, then got up early to play more video games. Bryant later told me it was the best birthday he ever had.

School let out June 10th and we took off just as soon as Jeff got home from work to Orlando to hit the Disney water parks - one last hurrah before our threesome becomes a foursome. Per Bryant's request, we went to Blizzard Beach on Thursday, then Typhoon Lagoon on Friday (his birthday). Bryant and Jeff went on the slides and played in the wave pools while I lazed about in the lazy rivers and took much needed naps on a lounge chair. We were very proud of Bryant when he went on a waterslide he was scared of at Typhoon Lagoon. After the first time down, he wanted to go down it over and over again! We splurged and got a funnel cake for a snack - so good! Dinner was at Red Lobster because it was too hot to cook. Bryant's overly-emotionaly mom teared up when the waitstaff sang Happy Birthday to him. On Saturday, we went to Downtown Disney and, of course, the Lego Store. Bryant and Jeff filled up their customary cup with loose Legos - only the cool ones, obviously. Then we had Bryant's birthday lunch at McDonald's.

After we ate, we went back to our fifth wheel to see if the power had gone back on (several blocks had lost power that morning). Fortunately, we didn't blow a fuse or anything when it did, but the air conditioning hadn't caught up with the heat yet, so we went for a drive to Clermont - one of Jeff's areas he served in on his mission. He showed us the beat-up apartment complex he stayed in and a couple of other places that have changed drastically in ten years. On the way back to the RV park, we found Lake Louisa State Park. The sign showed it had RV camping sites, so we paid the entrance fee to check it out. Not too far into the park, there was a parking lot with canoes and a dock. We stopped to see how much it was to rent the canoes and to admire the view. As we walked down toward the water, we passed a sign that read "Alligators in water". Bryant, always being ten steps ahead of us, piped up "Yep, there's one right here!" Sure enough, in the water just below us was a six-foot gator, just watching us. Unfortunately, we had left our camera in the fifth-wheel, but we watching him until he swam off. He wasn't the only wildlife we spotted that day. Later, as we were leaving the park, we saw a gopher tortoise on the side of the road. I will never again claim a turtle/tortoise is slow. That thing took off so fast! He disappeared into a burrow after dashing across the ground. We really liked the Lake Louisa area. We may stay there sometime.

The following Tuesday (June 16th), Bryant went to Cub Scouts with Jeff for the first time (for church, at least). He looked so handsome in his uniform! They made Father's Day gifts. Bryant loved it. He came back with the biggest grin. He's been working hard to pass off things so he can earn his Wolf Badge. He's already got his Bobcat badge (if you look carefully, you can see it on his shirt). We counted the other day and he had passed off twenty-one things. It's more than that now because he and Jeff went to the park and passed a few more off. We're hoping he'll get his Wolf Badge before the end of the summer so he can start earning belt loops and pins. Bryant is really excited about the pins, since he has a pin collection prominantly displayed on his curtain already.

Before school let out, Bryant participated in an Invention Convention. Each student in second and third grade had to come up with an invention and make a display about it. Bryant chose to do Sunblock Wipes. We took pictures of different kinds of sunblock available now and demonstrated how much easier sunblock wipes would be to apply. Bryant posed very nicely and in some cases, very creatively. As part of the assignment, he was required to stand next to his display and explain it to people as they passed. Instead of waiting for people to ask questions, he was flagging them down - parents, teachers, even the principal! He's quite the salesman. And yes, he got a good grade on it.

His end of school year party was a bowling field trip. Originally, Jeff and I were both going to chaperone, but the scheduling of the busses got messed up and they never showed. They rescheduled the field trip for the following week, but Jeff wasn't able to take more time off to go. Bryant was pretty bummed about it, but he still had a lot of fun. The manager at the bowling alley jokingly accused me of trying to smuggle out a bowling ball (ha, ha, very funny - no, not really). Bryant was hilarious to watch. He's played bowling on the Wii, so he thought it would be very similar. He would run up to the lane and throw the ball, striking a pose as he watched it make its way to the pins. His score wasn't the greatest, but we figured we could remedy that by making Jeff take us bowling another time.

After many headaches and phone calls, we finally got our XBox back from repair. Then we got a second one. Somehow they had messed up and sent us an extra. The representative helping us was very surprised when we admitted it and rewarded us by sending us an extra accessory - a new wireless controller. We would have sent it back no matter what, but it's always nice to know doing the right thing can pay off.

Corbin's room is finally complete. Jeff originally was going to build a dresser for each of the boys, but a few weeks ago, I was at Walmart and discovered they were clearancing out a lot of their furniture. I was able to pick up two really nice dressers and a desk for our office for the same amount it would have cost us in materials to build the dressers alone. And all Jeff had to do was assemble them. He was pretty impressed with the quality of the furniture. I'm just thrilled to finally have it.

Last Wednesday, Bryant had his trophy presentation for his soccer season. They had a barbeque at the amenities center. The kids swam in the pool while the food cooked, then received their trophies while still wearing their bathing suits. His coach said there are three things you could always count on with Bryant - he always wanted the ball passed to him, he was always hungry (no surprise there), and he was always good for great conversation. So true. He talks to anyone who'll listen. And every twenty minutes during the day, I hear "Mom, I'm hungry." Even if we just ate. Darn kid.

We finally have a fence on two sides of our property. Our neighbors got a golden retriever puppy and put up a fence for her. I'm now very jealous. Next year, we're hoping to finish off the back section at the very least so the neighborhood kids will stop using our yard as a thoroughfare.

After nine months of waiting...Bryant has finally lost another tooth! (What did you think I was going to say?) He was so worried he wouldn't be able to whistle anymore (a newfound skill), but nature prevailed and it came out this week. After wrestling with his friends. Go figure. We were both relieved when he could still pucker up and whistle a tune. He has two more ready to come. I love seeing his smile now. He's a bit bummed he can't eat corn on the cob for a while, but his new tooth is already starting to come in.

Only 5-1/2 more weeks left! We're excited thinking that we're finally in the month Corbin could be born in (if he's a couple of weeks early - please let that be the case!). We are so ready for it, too. My waist has finally surpassed Jeff's size-wise - a very depressing thought for me. Bryant and I go to the pool or the beach to cool down at least 2-3 times a week. We don't leave the air conditioning for much else. The baby clothes are washed, the room is done, we are ready. We've made arrangements for Bryant's baptism and Corbin's blessing (September 5th and 6th). Now we just need the kid to come. Why does time have to drag so slowly?

Bryant and Jeff have signed up to enter an all-ages, everybody welcome, pinewood derby for church. They'll be racing in the regulation round since Jeff isn't sure if he'd do so well in the cheater's round. I wouldn't want to try to face people who are talking about using open flames and CO2 cartridges, either. The actual event is on Saturday, July 11th. I hope my boys do well! Jeff is working very hard to make sure their cars look really good. He even went out and bought a small vice, files, and a few other 'necessary' tools - including a digital scale. At least I know he'll use them for years to come.

That's it for this month. I think I've gone on long enough, anyway. Official baby countdown - 38 days!

Can it get any hotter?

The weather here has been crazy! We had a couple of weeks of hot, high-80's-low-90's and then a solid week of rain. Not just sprinkles, but 4-5 inches a day. We're finally getting blue skies again and with it, the humidity. Yikes! Fortunately, we can go to the pool to cool off and may the person who invented air conditioning be blessed forever.
This week, Bryant had two soccer games - one on Thursday and one today (which we have to leave in 30 minutes to get to). Thursday's game was to make up for the lack of one over Memorial Day weekend. The poor kids were so sweaty and gross afterwards due to the humidity, but it was a good game. At least the sun was behind clouds the whole time.
School is almost over - just a week and a half left to go. Bryant and I are very ready for summer. I doubt we'll be sleeping in, since we don't even sleep in on the weekends, but the no homework thing will be very nice. Bryant's class is having three end-of-year parties - bowling on Thursday, a BBQ the following Monday, and pizza on the last day of school.
Mother's Day was very low-key for us. Jeff and Bryant each gave me a card. Bryant's read "Happy Mother's Day from your favorite little headache." In a handwritten addition - "and I always will be." They also gave me a certificate to get a manicure and pedicure (more on that in a sec) and a recipe book Bryant's class wrote. The recipes were hilarious!!! None of them were edited, so they came straight from the minds of second graders. I couldn't stop laughing as I read them.
Jeff's birthday was also low-key. I stole him away from work for lunch. He wandered around Dick's Sporting Goods, deciding on the perfect bait to take on a father-son camping trip. We bought a canopy and screen enclosure (good for camping and the beach) and a new fishing reel for Jeff's fishing pole. Bryant and I gave him some cast-iron cookware he'd been eyeing.
The baby shower was a blast. A dozen ladies in my home, eating yummy treats and enjoying looking at really, really cute baby things. LOVED it. A few favorite items: a onesie that reads "Mom Rules", a bib that reads "I love my big brother", a blanket so soft it should be illegal, and a monkey backpack/harness.
Jeff and Bryant got out of the house to avoid the excess estrogen and went on a father-son campout for church. They fished (caught no fish) and Bryant caught 3 crabs. Bryant came back dirty and smiling. (No ticks, thank heavens!)
Memorial Day weekend was fairly quiet. We went to lunch and a movie (Night at the Museum 2 - VERY funny) using gift cards Jeff had won at work. We also went to Sears and bought (using more gift cards) a stroller/carseat combo, a booster seat, and a new watch for Jeff.
Today, we're hosting another Halo night. About fifteen guys (and one girl - me!) are going to be playing Halo 3 from 3 pm-midnight. I love hosting this thing. We've kind of become the official location for it. We're going to have a blast!
Oops, ran out of time. Gotta go or Bryant's going to be late for his game.

A Remembrance

On Friday, May 22nd, my great-grandma passed away at the age of 94. Unfortunately, we were unable to attend the funeral in Mesa, Arizona. This is a copy of her obituary that appeared in the East Valley Tribune (Chandler, AZ) on May 27th.

DAVIDSON, Vivian Lambson
Vivian Lambson Davidson passed away peacefully in her home on May 22, 2009 at the age of 94. Vivian, born in Redlands, Arizona on July 21, 1914 was the daughter of Gila Valley pioneers Ephraim and Maybelle Lambson. She is survived by her sons, Vance, Edward, Douglas and daughter, Arlene, one sister Ardith and a brother Phil. She was preceded by her husband Arlo in 1978, their son Stephen in 2006 and a grandson Jason in 1989. She leaves behind a posterity of 26 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren. She was married to Arlo B. Davidson of Safford in 1935. Together they worked in the Gila Valley running movie theaters for Louis Long. They later moved to Phoenix and then to Chandler in 1945 where Vivian ran Davidson's Reliable Hardware and Arlo was a mail carrier. Affectionately known as "Mrs. Reliable" she served the household needs of the community for over 30 years. After she retired, she moved to Mesa to work in the Arizona Temple. In her lifetime, she served in many capacities for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, making the most of each and every calling. As a mother, she was a vigilant teacher and very supportive of her children's many talents and activities. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 30 at the Miller Ward Building, 933 E. Brown Road, Mesa with a visitation 1 hour prior at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at Valley of the Sun Cemetery, Chandler. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ. Arrangements by Bueler Mortuary.

Baby Shower

The baby shower last night was awesome! Thanks to Allison, Tami, Jennifer, Lisa, Marivi, and everyone else who helped and/or came. The food was great, the company even better. The best part? No boys (father-son campout). I loved everything - you did a wonderful job, so thank you ladies! I'll post photos later. By the way, onesies totally rock!

May Day!

No, we're not calling for help. The weather has been so amazing, it's almost cause to celebrate. Last weekend, we went to the beach and had a wonderfully relaxing time. Bryant and Jeff built an evil lair - complete with traps - and I wandered up and down collecting shells. We tried a new beach this time, with finer sand, and liked it a lot. It's at Anastasia State Park. They have RV camping spots there with water and electric hookups. We'll probably take a long weekend after school lets out and go stay for a couple of days. There's windsurfing, kayak, and canoe rentals as well as a fish cleaning station. There's also an old coquina quarry and nature trail. It should prove to be a good weekend.
In a couple of weeks, some friends of mine are throwing me a baby shower. It's going to be at our house because Jeff and Bryant are going on a father/son campout. They bought a new tent and a couple of cots. Bryant is really excited about it, but he's a little bummed about missing the shower. He made me promise to save him a cupcake.
Decluttering is done and the stuff is shipped off to Goodwill. It's amazing how clean the house stays when there's not a lot of junk in the way. It takes less than 30 minutes to completely clean the house most mornings. That's going to really nice once the baby is born.
Speaking of which - he's doing just fine. My blood pressure is staying down (thank heavens!) and he's growing like a weed. He spends most his time squirming and stretching and making me just plain uncomfortable. Today, I laid down for a nap and he kicked and moved for over an hour. No sleep for me. Sigh.
Jeff finished painting Corbin's room (by the way, that's the name we've chosen) about a week ago. It looks great. Bryant helped put the crib up and I put Winnie the Pooh decals on the walls. I've also recovered the bumper pad in dard blue. All that's left is the curtain, a pillowcase, a crib sheet, and his dresser. Then we're done.
Ooh! Funny thing happened while making dinner tonight. I was making baked potatoes. Less than a minute before the timer went off, I heard a *pop*. I checked it out and found potato guts all over the inside of my oven. One of the potatoes had exploded! Poor Jeff will have to help clean it up because I can't quite get in there.
Only five more weeks of school! We're getting excited. Every day it gets hotter and hotter walking down to the bus stop and back. Thank goodness for air conditioning! Still, we're sweating by the time we get home in the afternoons. We are SO going to be living at the pool and beach this summer.

Spring Break!

This past week has been so much fun! Bryant had Spring Break and we went down to Orlando to visit the Disney Water Parks - Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. We drove down on Sunday (the 5th). Bryant and I jumped into the pool while Jeff watched the race.

Monday, we decided to chance going to Typhoon Lagoon even though the forecast called for rain. The wind was blowing and it was a bit chilly when you got out of the water, but it was a blast. Jeff and Bryant hit most of the slides (Bryant chickened out on a couple) and I enjoyed relaxing on a lounge chair and wandering around the park. After lunch, we decided to all join up in the lazy river. Halfway around, it started raining. We jumped out of the tubes we were riding and got in the water until the rain stopped (the rain was cold!!).

The next day was way too cold for water parks (low 60's for the high), so we went to Downtown Disney. We ate lunch at a really good Italian place there and saw "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" at the theater. Bryant laughed through the whole thing. Then we hit the Lego store. It was PACKED!!! You couldn't move without bumping into someone. But no one seemed to mind. There's an entire wall of bins of loose Legos - all sizes, shapes, and colors - and you can fill a cup with whatever you want (for a price, of course). Jeff and Bryant took their time picking and choosing. When we got back to the hotel, I sorted, then counted how many they were able to get into a cup (think large McDonald's cup size). It was almost 1000!!! Of course, more than 150 of them were tiny jewels that Bryant HAD to get.

Wednesday was a bit warmer and promised to get into the low 70's, so we decided to chance visiting Blizzard Beach. It was literally high 40's, low 50's when we walked in the entrance gate at 9:30. We spent the morning wandering the park and taking pictures. The afternoon warmed up enough for my two brave boys to try a few slides before we tried the lazy river. It was SO cold!!! Especially when water sprayed on us. We didn't make it all the way around before I insisted we get out. BRRRRR!!!!!

We went back to Typhoon Lagoon on Thursday. (We bought annual passes, since it cost the same as a two-day pass.) The weather was MUCH nicer and the crowds showed it. Every single chair and lounge was claimed by 11 am. It was a very good thing we arrived just as the gates opened. We claimed a great spot in the shade. The lines for the slides were long and the lazy river was very crowded. We left early, tired and satisfied with our experience. What an awesome week.

Easter was pretty low key for us. The Easter Bunny came and left lots of M&M's, money, and some Bakugan (with cards!) for Bryant. We relaxed most of the day, just chillin'. Dinner was a bit late, since we didn't realize a lamb roast takes about 2-3 hours to cook. Good thing there's no school until Tuesday.

Little baby boy is doing very well. I swear this kid never stops kicking. Bryant likes to lean his head against my tummy so his brother can kid him in the head. He gets such a kick (pun intended) out of it! The doctor says he's doing extremely well and is very healthy. Every time we get an ultrasound done, my due date moves up. It's now tentatively August 7th. I don't want this baby to be big. Please, please, please, not a big baby! I have another appointment tomorrow morning. Bryant is going with me. I'm excited for him to be able to hear the heartbeat. As for a name...we haven't made a final decision. Until we do, you'll just have to be in suspense. Bwah-ha-ha! I mean, uh...darn.

We're in the middle of a major decluttering/purging spree. No closet, drawer, or shelf will be spared. We are getting rid of tons of stuff we just don't need or use. We're hoping to get it done by the end of the month. It's very cleansing, not just for the house, but for the soul. It's amazing how much the mind clears when you clear out the clutter.

ATTENTION FAMILY: Late June or July of next year (2010), we're planning on driving out for a couple of weeks. Instead of meeting at homes, we would love to do a reunion of sorts at Yellowstone. We're giving everyone lots of notice to enable proper planning and maximum attendance. Feedback would be wonderful.

It's a Boy!

That's right, the ultrasound showed we're expecting another boy. Bryant is thrilled to be getting a brother. He's already been talking about what he'll teach him.
Yesterday was our nine-year anniversary. It was a pretty good day. The weather was absolutely perfect - mild and sunny in the morning and warm enough to wash both vehicles by the afternoon. Jeff took the day off. After my appointment in the morning, we went to Sears and lo and behold, the crib we had priced only weeks before was on sale! That plus a $50 gift cheque from Fidelity (for joining the Healthy Baby Program through our health insurance), we were able to get it for a steal. Only one more big-ticket item to get (a car seat/stroller travel system). Hopefully we'll get that for a good deal, too.
For lunch, we went to Olive Garden and had the best service I think we've ever had at a restaurant. The food was really, really good, too. All in all, it was one of the best anniversaries we've ever had.

Hot, hot, hot!

It is nice and toasty today - 82 degrees. No coats for us. I bought plants today for our yard. Bryant comes home, does his homework, then he's outside until we call him home for dinner. Beautiful, beautiful weather!

Valentine's Day weekend was as backwoods as you could get. We stayed in an RV park where the permanent residents read like characters from a book. I couldn't have made them up in a million years. They were strange and widely varied and I loved it. I really wanted to stay longer and learn their stories. Jeff took Bryant fishing on a small motorboat on this lake that was never any more than three feet deep. It was too shallow to use the motor near the dock, so Jeff had to paddle out to deeper water. They didn't catch anything, but they saw bald eagles all over the place. The RV park owners suggested they use live bait - minnows - and when the boys got back, Bryant boasted he 'caught' a fish. With his hands. In the styrofoam bucket of minnows. Ewwww! Bryant loved it so much, he came home and told everyone who would listen about it.

For lunch, we drove past the only restaurant listed on the website and determined the drive to Gainesville wasn't too far after all. The building looked like a soft breeze would knock it over. After we ate, the boys went back out on the lake and I took some much needed quiet time. I also met pretty much everyone who lived there while sitting around the firepit. They were some of the most colorful people I've ever met. So, while it wasn't the most romantic weekend we've ever had, it was a lot of fun.

On a sad note - we decided to find Chipper a new home. Fortunately, we found a really nice family who are active enough to keep up with him. Bryant was upset at first, but he now agrees it probably was a good decision. I'm not missing the dog hair and whining and picking up doggy messes. My house is quiet again.

Tomorrow is another ultrasound. Hopefully we find out what we're having!

Ultrasound pic!

Here's our little munchkin at about 12 weeks. They've moved my due date up to August 8th because the baby is bigger than they were expecting. We've also got video, but posting that is a little beyond my skill right now. Bryant loved watching the baby move around. He actually insisted the other day that the baby sleep in his room. I persuaded him otherwise.
Morning sickness has finally passed, for the most part. I'm still a little queasy every so often, not nothing like I was. I've got more energy and can finally get off that darn couch! Of course, my emotions are in high gear.
We bought a play pen on Saturday. It's so cute! We were originally going to get a very basic one because we're cheap and there's a lot we have to get. But lo and behold, as we were perusing Sears, we found a Winnie the Pooh one with all the bells and whistles for the same price as the basic ones we've been pricing. It comes with a bassinet, changing station, mobile, and hanging storage. It's set up in our livingroom right now. I just don't want to take it down right now.
We've decided on a color scheme for the baby's room. Bryant's room is in red and gold, so the baby (boy or girl) will have blue and silver. It's a nice, neutral backdrop for the Winnie the Pooh accents we'll be using.
The next ultrasound is in four weeks, on our anniversary. We're pretty sure we'll be able to find out what we're having. My friends keep asking me if we know yet because they keep finding the cutest baby things on sale. I just want to know so I can start putting things together and washing the baby clothes we actually kept.
And now for the weather... it's cool. It's been really cold the past week. Below freezing temps at night and only reaching the 40's or 50's in the afternoon. Today I was finally able to wear sandals to the bus stop again. My poor fruit 'bushes' didn't fare so well, though. We forgot to cover them and now they're brown and dying. Just like the rest of our yard. Hopefully, with a little TLC and warmer weather, we'll get it back to where it needs to be.

Bryant earned an award at school for showing respect to his fellow students. He was handpicked by his teacher. We attended an award ceremony and watched the principal present Bryant the award. Along with the award, he received a gift certificate to Sonny's Barbecue. We took him to dinner that night to reward him and gave him a Nintendo DS accessories kit that included a carrying case, car charger, cases for his games, screen protectors, and a few other little things. We're very proud of him.



Jeff kept very busy over a three-day weekend last month. He got very ambitious and painted our livingroom (light yellow), kitchen (light green), and family room (light blue). We love the colors. And the best part is I can actually scrub the walls now - hurray! Jeff had to do some fancy footwork to reach some of the more inconvenient places. I wasn't able to do much to help, so he did the majority of the work alone. Everyone is impressed by how clean his lines were and I was even asked if we had it done professionally. It looks great. Now I have a million things to hang back up on the walls and I have no idea where I want to put everything.
It's a long weekend for us and we'll be enjoying the nice weather in our fifth wheel. Jeff found a place not too far from here that promises to either be extremely backwoods or pretty good or both. We'll be having Valentine's dinner at the only restaurant listed on the website (no pictures). It'll be an experience, to say the least. Fun, fun, fun!

It's Still Warm Here!

I was looking at photos of kids in the snow and laughed because Bryant went to school this morning in shorts and a t-shirt. We're enjoying the weather. Jeff now plays tennis every Thursday evening at the amenities center with one of our neighbors. Bryant spends all day, every day outside. I hardly see him some days.Besides that, we're living life and trying to wrap our minds around the fact we're finally having another kid. Bryant really wants a brother and refers to the baby as "him". I asked him "What if it's a girl?" and he told me he didn't know what he would do. He's so excited. I've been telling him stories about when he was a baby and he just grins when I tell him how all over the place he was. Darn kid.I'll be having my first ultrasound this Monday to confirm we're only having one. A friend, who has twins of her own, keeps hinting she thinks we might be having twins. I don't even want to think about that possibility right now. I'm not all that sick anymore, just hungry all the time. And very tired. I have to make sure I take a nap before Bryant gets home so I can make it the rest of the day. Especially for piano lessons.I'm officially 10 weeks along and my jeans are no longer comfortable. Which really stinks because for Christmas, I asked my parents for a gift card to Eddie Bauer to buy jeans that fit me really well. That didn't work out. Speaking of Christmas, ours was pretty good. No snow. We have had fog, though. Bryant finally got his coveted Nintendo DS along with a Pokemon game. He takes it everywhere. I love that it has a headphone jack. I don't have to hear it. I got new dishes and flatware. LOVE THEM!!! Jeff got a table saw and scroll saw. He spends so much more time out in the garage than I've ever seen him do. He spent hours cleaning it up to make room for his new toys. Then he made trophies for the Pinewood Derby and one to take to work. They look amazing. He literally spends most of the day out there making stuff. I've started a nice list of projects for him. We harvested our first orange off our orange tree (bush). It was so good. We were disappointed there was only one, but we can't expect much from a tree that only reaches our knees.No photos today. I'm rapidly running out of steam and am extremely hungry all of a sudden. I'll post some later.