Strolling the Grounds at Hotel Hershey

A few weeks ago we headed to Harrisburg to tell my mom the Big News! And since Madeline had on her "big sister" shirt in these photos, I couldn't post them until now. Anyway, after delivering the news, we headed out for lunch and then a stroll around the grounds of the Hotel Hershey. It was a gorgeous day, and Madeline had a blast seeing the Coy in the reflecting ponds, smelling the flowers, and of course eating some chocolate!

Checking out the Ponds!

Saying "Hi" to the coy.

Strolling, okay jogging...

Taking some time to smell the flowers.

Checking out the other pond.

Getting in a walk with Grandma. I love this photo.

Entertaining mommy with a quick photo on the stairs.

14 Weeks

Okay people, here you go! Belly photo number one; 14 weeks. Sorry it's not the best quality, but well for a phone photo and trying to take it yourself, it's the best I could do. I have a feeling these photos are going to be completely random, as in whenever I get the time. So different from the first time.

Anyway, Here is my status on everything:

Belly: not yet noticeable, still in regular clothing, no maternity pants yet!

Belly Button: In (It stayed this way my entire pregnancy with Madeline, so let's hope it doesn't pop with this one.)

Stretch Marks: Not yet, hopefully not ever!

Weight Gain: -3lbs (slowly, though probably soon quickly, gaining back the 5lbs I lost.)


Boy or Girl: I have no idea or "feeling," though everyone else seems to say boy.


Feeling: Nauseous a decent amount of the time, but much better than a few weeks ago. Still most sick in the evenings. Allergies are much worse this time of year since being pregnant. Mrrr.
 
Cravings: It was fruit in the beginning. But now it's salads/veggies and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (I bought 4 bottles this week when it was on sale for $1) and Mint Iced Tea, I've been making it by the gallons. I always have to have two drinks at once, the other being water, so the old MNMC insulated cup, or what Brad calls my "pregnancy cup" I got when I delivered Madeline, has made a reappearance.

Sleep: Sleeping well, up several times to go to the loo, but what's new about that?

Energy: Finally making a comeback, I've even started back at the gym in the last few weeks! Body Pump, Spin and Elliptical! Yeah!

Baby: Baby had an appointment last week and seems to be doing great! Heart rate was 150-160 bpm. Happy and healthy. My next appointment is the ever-so-fun glucose test. Hurrah. :/

Say WHAAAATT????

"I am going to be a BIG SISTER?!?!"

Yup! Madeline is going to be a big sister! I am currently about 14 weeks along. Madeline's new baby brother or sister will be here on or around November 14, 2011. Almost three years exactly apart, not that we planned that! Madeline's original due date was November 7, however she decided to come almost two weeks early and ended up being an October baby! I have a feeling it's going to be a different story with this baby. Murphy's law is telling me I will be a week late with a Thanksgiving baby!

Madeline is soooooo excited (see photo below). Well okay maybe not. She doesn't really know what's going on yet, but she had fun wearing her new "Big Sister" shirt and taking pictures at our photo shoot to help tell the rest of our family!



Here is the finished product that the grandma's and grandpa's received from Madeline. It was fun making the frame, but it was even more fun spreading the news :)

So that's it! There's our BIG news :) We've been waiting to make it blog public until we got the news out to most of our close friends and family. It's been a rough couple of weeks, though not as rough as with Madeline. Yes, I've been nauseous, but I've only been sick a few times, and I've only lost about 5lbs this time, instead of 15lbs with Madeline. I've also been more sick in the evenings, which is leading both Brad and my sister Sarah to say Boy. Just this past weekend my mom said "Well, I'm glad you had a girl with your first..." Do these people know something I don't know?!? Time will tell. I guess I'll have to start taking bets. We find out on June 28th if we are team blue or pink! Until then, let the bets begin :)

BTW, I will try to take belly photos like I did with Madeline, though most of them will probably be taken by yours truly. So look forward to many self portraits!

Bouncing Ball

This new, GIGANTIC bouncing ball from grandma is soooo much fun! Thank goodness for the nice weather we've been having lately. It's much needed for this little girl, who likes to spend as much time as possible outside playing in dirt.

She's still a little small for it, but she knows what to do with it!

Mostly we just like to carry the ball around.

And then play in the back yard.

Make up Makes Everything Better

Have I mentioned that I have some of the best girlfriends in the world? Well I do. We've been friends for well over 20 years now, some of us go back to being babies together! We have been through it all, and now, we are grown up, some married, some with babies, and we are still just as close as we were 20 years ago. In fact we just had a girls weekend together in Wilmington, NC last month. I miss them, I miss them all dearly.

And today when I got a package in the mail from one of them, well my day got a bit brighter. One of my friends works for a little company called Bare Escentuals Makeup. Yup, that's the one. You might have seen her on QVC a few times? Most of the time if we need something or if we mention things we like, she will surprise us with them. Yes, all of us. She really is too sweet. And well, for a stay-at-home mom, who works part-time, runs after a 2-year-old and doesn't get to dress up much, it's the best gift ever. I really don't think she will ever realize how much these little things mean. Anyway, today, during nap-time, I played with makeup like I was 16 again. And I loved EVERY-SINGLE-MINUTE! So thank you to my friends who no matter what can brighten up my day.

Whether it's an e-mail about Swedish Fish, a phone call or a text message, a picture of someone's adorable baby, a memory from December 13th way back when, or a little package of makeup, they know how to brighten my day. I love you...and miss you all so terribly much. xoxo

A picture of my pretty, pretty make up.

Best friends on my wedding day.
Jami, Jessica, Bridget, Moi, Tina, and Hope.

Reading Rainbow

This song, is dedicated to my childhood. I remember watching "Reading Rainbow," hosted by LeVar Burton (remember him? I think he went on to do "Star Trek" among other things) when I was little and I absolutely loved this show, as well as the song. The other day I found this song on itunes, and immediately purchased it! I was so excited I e-mailed both of my sisters, who yes, both remembered "Reading Rainbow," with fond memories. There is something about this song. I don't know what it is, but it takes me back to being 8 years-old every time I hear it. Love nostalgia. :)

For those of you who want to relive an episode, yes I found one. Click here. Though the song is a little more laid back than I remember.

This girl...

Really loves Chocolate. I mean LOVES it. This is how she posed when I asked to take her photo with the kiss. Hilarious. The kiss got cut up and she got a bit or two from it and the rest was put away. And thankfully the last 2 days she hasn't even asked for chocolate thanks to all of the yummy strawberries and apples we've been eating. Whew!

More evenings like this please :)

Baby girl, mommy and daddy all got to relax in front of a fire in the great weather on Saturday evening. After a day full of hard work and lots of play for Madeline, I didn't mind her watching Pinocchio before bed :)

Johnsons 5 Squirrels and Chipmunks 0

Our backyard is amazing! Shaded in the summer, full of gorgeous leaves in the fall, complete with beautiful, and expensive landscaping. We LOVE it! That said we want to keep it that way. Unfortunately, with the number of chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits that we have a lot of our grasses, hostas etc. don't stand a chance in the summer. This year we decided to take matters into our own hands.

On Saturday we headed to Lowe's and purchased a trap called "Have a Heart." It allows you to bait and catch the little guys and then release them. Since we have the State Game lands about 2 minutes from our house, it's a win-win for everyone. We put the trap out on Saturday afternoon and Sunday during the day, and we already have caught 3 chipmunks and 2 squirrels! I am amazed the thing is actually working!

We still have lot's of the little guys to capture, but hey, it's a start!

Here is a photo of Brad and Madeline releasing one of the "chippy's" in the State Game lands. If you look closely, Mr. Chipmunk is a few inches in front of the trap, ready to run!

Thank you!

Madeline wanted to send out a BIG thank you to Grandma Ayres and Mamaw and Papaw Howe for her awesome table and chairs set! She absolutely loves it and I know we are going to get a lot of use out of it during the summer!

Guess Who...

Finally likes corn on the cob?!?! This girl does :) She finally started liking corn in the winter time, and just a few days ago there was fresh corn on the cob in the grocery store! Yay! Summer is on it's way.

Easter!

This year we spent Easter in Parkersburg, WV. We were supposed to have everyone up to State College for the weekend, but unfortunately Brad's grandma passed away. So we packed up the car and headed home for the services. Grandma Violet was buried on Good Friday, which would have made her happy. It was nice to be back in Parkersburg and support Great Papaw Bill, as he and Violet had been together for 40+ years. It must be so difficult.

Since that same weekend was Easter, well of course we had to dye some eggs, and help the Easter Bunny hide his eggs and baskets, yes more than one...spoiled little girl!

Grandma and Madeline dyeing eggs...it went by very quickly, about 10-15 minutes tops!

Such concentration, I think after this one Madeline decided it was best to just use her hands to dig the eggs out of the dye. Awesome.

Mamaw, Great Papaw Bill, and Madeline.

Our eggs, yes I think all of them are cracked, but it was fun!

Madeline is doing so well in a big-girl bed, she even slept in one at Mamaw and Papaws! We could not be more proud of our big girl!

Finding the eggs on Easter Morning, and stopping to open each one along the way!

The Easter Bunny hid a lot of eggs!

Nothing makes this gal more happy than chocolate, and I'm not kidding.

Finding Mamaw and Papaw's Easter Basket for Madeline!

And finally finding the one from mommy and daddy.

Munchin' on some bunny!

Columbus Zoo!

While we were in Parkersburg, we decided to take a day trip to the Columbus, Ohio Zoo! It's only a 2 hr. drive and with all of the rain we have had lately we were eager to get outside. Even though it wasn't the nicest of days. Madeline had a blast! Her first Zoo experience was a success! We saw Bison, Bears, Foxes, Monkeys, Elephants, Lion "Kings" (as Madeline would call them), and so much more! We cannot wait to find another zoo to explore!

We saw so many animals and took so many pictures that I had to pair them down a bit...so here are just a few!

The Zoo even had rides! And at only $1 per person, how could you say no? Madeline loved the "Choo-Choo!"

Daddy and Madeline checking out the black bear.

Ridin' a Polar Bear!

Polar Bear! We were lucky they were up for a swim, as we learned they usually aren't in the water!

View of the polar bear in the underground tunnel!

HUGE Brown Bear.

Fun with Uncle Justin on the Carousel, it was so much fun, that Daddy got to go on for round two!

Madeline got up-close and personal with this Orangutan! It was hilarious! They were nose-to-nose through the glass at one point!

Let Her Dance

This song has been brought to you my Madeline. It's the closing song at the end of the movie "The Talented Mr. Fox," and she LOVES it! We listen to it at least 10 times a day usually back to back. We dance, Madeline and Miss. Fox dance...it's a great time. So I thought I would share it with you all, so that YOU can all dance. Get on those dancin' shoes!

Easter Egg Hunt!

This past weekend we got all of the kiddos together for an Easter Egg Hunt! Annie, Dave and Zach were kind enough to host the party, and their back yard was perfect! While the mommy's got all of the kids full with pizza, the Easter Bunny (Dads) were busy hiding the eggs! They were so excited and they had a blast! Hopefully this will be an annual tradition!

To see all of the photos click here.

All of the kids ready to fill their baskets! they were truly adorable. They all stood at the door and said cheese for several minutes! Ha.

Madeline and all of her eggs!

Mommy and Madeline. :)

Big Girl Bed

Yesterday we finally got Madeline into her big-girl bed! She we so excited when we showed it to her she didn't want to get out! She immediately covered herself up and said "nigh nigh." Who knew? I went over with Madeline how Big Girls stay in their beds and they don't get out, and there is no jumping in a big-girl bed either. I think I repeated this about 20 times. "Do you understand Madeline?" She kind of nodded yes, so we read our book and it was time for our nap.

To my surprise she did great! She got out of bed once, and then 10 minutes later was asleep! After nap she got her special surprise (a new night light that's a lady bug. Her shell displays the stars and the moon in three different colors and turns off after 45 minutes). She loved it. And I was so proud of her. Madeline was apparently very proud of herself too, b/c I got several hugs throughout the afternoon and an "I love you momma." So sweet.

Then bedtime rolled around. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Bath, books and in bed by 8:15 p.m. She didn't get out of bed once. She played for about an hour and fell asleep! I was so amazed!

And where we are today. Nap time. She got out of bed 2 times, the second time I walked in she was sitting in her chair reading books and greeted me with a "Hi Momma!" I scooped her up, put her back in bed and closed the door. Fifteen minutes later-Silence. She passed out at the foot of her bed, hugging her ladybug night light. Too cute. I covered her up and closed the door.

All in all, it's not going any where near as bad as I thought it would! YAY! Let's knock on wood, cross all fingers and toes that it keeps going this smoothly. I know it takes up to 3 weeks for something to become a habit, so let's keep those good vibes going for a few weeks! :)

Really bad photo, my camera died, so we had to use the camera phone. Better pictures to come later. Besides her room isn't 100% complete yet.
She's saying "cheese!"

Playing with her new nightlight!

Thanks Grandma

Madeline wanted to send out a special thank you to Grandma Ayres for her awesome package she received in the mail the other day. Coloring book, crayons, lot's of stickers and chap stick (that mommy has hidden from her at the moment). She loves it all!

Cupcake

While I was away for a girls weekend in Wilmington, NC Brad sent me this cute video of Madeline eating a cup cake. Madeline Looooooves cupcakes, there is nothing she won't do for a cup cake ;)