This is Not What Melissa & Doug Had in Mind.

I made this picture extra large so you could see the drawing on our beloved Melissa & Doug easel.  (This is the only easel we own so I have nothing to compare it to, but it is fabulous -- keeps all three of us entertained for hours.  I would highly recommend it!)

When Mom's the easel assistant, we draw shapes, letters, numbers, seasonal-themed items (Christmas trees, snowmen, Rudolph, etc.).  Dad, on the other hand, uses the easel to quiz Fawn's knowledge of hunting and fishing terminology and know-how.  Don't get me wrong, Fawn loves it!  "Daddy draw a big buck" or "Daddy draw a hunter" are common requests.  And, he can tell you everything about this picture -- from the tree stand (as opposed to a shooting house, of course), to the bow and arrow, to the blood-trailing beagle ("just like Hank").  I just don't know if I should laugh or cry...but I knew I had to share.

The Tale of the Lost Christmas Toy.

Yep, lost.  Never arrived.  I'm okay though -- no consolation needed.  I was able to locate a not-quite right but definitely will do (with even some bonuses of its own) replacement.  And, to top it off Amazon gave me a refund.  I will definitely be a repeat customer.  But, I've learned a lesson -- have packages delivered to Buck's office. 

I must say that my dealings with the local USPS, while friendly, have been somewhat odd.  On multiple occasions, I've called seeking an update on the lost toy.
Me: "Can you confirm it was delivered to the right address?"
Postwoman: "Yes ma'am.  I asked the delivery man and he said he delivered it to a brick house on _____ Road."
Me: "Okay." While thinking, every house on my road is a brick house.
Postwoman: "I talked to him and he's going to stop by your house today and show you exactly where he put it."
Me: "Sounds great. Thanks."
Postwoman: "We will continue to check the returned package shelves and call you with an update."
At which point she takes my cell phone number.

This conversation has repeated itself since December 9 with the following results: (1) no visit from any post office delivery worker and (2) no return phone call.  I'm admitting defeat and simply cannot spend any more hours worried about it or having the same deja vu conversation with the post office.  Post office: 1, Belle: 0.

Baby #2 Update.

After a slight early labor scare this week (which turned out to be nothing, no worries at all!), all is well with the growing bambino.  (Sweet Buck has updated his Christmas list:  "I'll tell you what I don't want for Christmas...this baby to get here before Christmas.")  He or she is measuring about a week and a half ahead (as this pregnancy has from the beginning).  I knew I looked HUGE!  I'm still holding my own in the great Buck vs. Belle weigh-in -- while I'm too modest (and vain) to reveal actual numbers, I've still got some poundage to give before I throw in the towel on this one.  And, this baby is helping my efforts -- he or she is so high that I can't really eat much right now in any one sitting anyway.  I've heard friends talk about this, but didn't experience it at all with Fawn...so something new in this pregnancy.

Heart rate is 142.  This is how things went down at the doctor's office.
Nurse: "Oh, you don't know what you're having."
Me: "We're excited about the surprise."
Nurse: "Sounds just like a boy to me."
Seriously?!?!  I mean, while I respect her humble opinion and am grateful for the kind care received, who says that to someone who clearly wants this baby to be a surprise.  Too funny!

Still no baby names.  I think we are getting close on both the boy and girl side, but nothing is decided.  And, if you know me, you'll know I'm a pretty terrible decision maker.  So, even if I "settle" on something there is a greater than fifty percent chance I will change my mind in the next eight weeks.  Yep, eight weeks til chaos.  Oh, and excitement, love, joy, miracles, and siblings!  Can't wait!

Super Fawn.

We're finally into dressing up.  Fawn has a handful of dress up accessories -- fireman hat, cowboy hat, clown nose, reindeer antlers, and a superhero cape and mask (a precious Christmas gift last year from my sister-in-law, that Fawn has admired but never worn...until now) -- but generally just looks and doesn't ever want to play dress-up.  I'm not pushing it, but I know it's a stage of play and development that will come at some point, so I keep them visible in his playroom.  Well, it turns out he does in fact like being a superhero.  He put the cape and mask on for the first time last weekend -- too cute not to share.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

My mom is always encouraging me to save and freeze extra cake layers when I make birthday cakes.  She insists that they freeze and thaw wonderfully -- and she's right.  Not that I ever doubt her cooking tidbits, but I'm not so much a fan of frozen and reheated food.

So when our Advent calendar said it was the day to make a birthday cake for Jesus -- all we had to do was the fun part -- the decorating.  (I left a frozen cake layer on the counter the night before and when we woke up it was perfect for frosting and sprinkles.)

Fawn decided we needed three candles, I think because we're in the stage of attending 3-year old birthday parties.  He sang Happy Birthday to Jesus all by himself.  It was a fun, age-appropriate activity -- and I hope may instill some of the true meaning of the season.

Santa Claus.

We went to (of all places, I know) Bass Pro Shops to visit Santa this year, as we have the previous two years.  They really do have an awesome Santa -- and a great set-up to keep the kiddos entertained through the long Santa line.  We were there when the store opened and I still stood in line for about an hour before it was Fawn's turn. 

To say he was eager to tell Santa his wishes was an understatement.  He was thrilled when it was his turn and jumped into Santa's lap.  Despite this eagerness, the skeptical look was a permanent fixture on his face.

Then it was time to get down to business and tell Santa exactly what he desires this Christmas:

1. a Mickey Mouse fishing rod
2. a Pat the Hammer (from Handy Manny)
3. a small Lightening McQueen car (he's never seen Cars, so I'm guessing they talk about it at school?)

The goofy, yet adorable, half-grin is all we could get out of Fawn.  But, hey, it sure does beat tears!

Christmas Countdown Fun.

So, I realized the weekend after Thanksgiving that we had to have a way to countdown Christmas (and Santa's) arrival around here.  The first thing Fawn was asking each time he woke up from a nap or in the morning was "is it Christmas yet?" or "did Santa come?"  I'm thrilled he is excited about the season and seems to get it this year, but I felt like the source of constant let down..."not yet sweetheart."  Bottom line...we needed an Advent calendar and pronto.

I pulled out some scrap fabric to see if I could quickly sew a calendar for us this year and then decided that if I really wanted it done by December 1, I would have to do something much more simple.  Thanks to Pinterest (which I don't really use -- just afraid to get sucked into something else), I saw lots of cute and easy Advent calendars made in muffin tins.  They range from the super-fancy (think magnetic tape, scrapbook-looking, reusable) to the super-simple (cardboard circles taped over the holes).  We went with super-simple (I'll take a picture tomorrow when it's full again -- I used a big 12 muffin tin and plan to "re-fill" it tonight, though you can definitely use a mini-muffin tin and capture the whole season).  Red and white marker on white index cards cut into circles and taped on!  It fits great in my cookbook holder, so it's prominently displayed in our kitchen.

While it was suggested you could put a treat behind each number, I am currently anti-treats (we have weaned off the gummies/marshmellows that were potty training rewards and I'm not ready to start another candy high).  So I wrote a fun Christmas activity on the back of each card that Fawn gets to do (also a Pinterest idea...and I thought a great one!).  Some examples: make a Christmas sticker picture, read Christmas bible stories, go to the library to pick out Christmas books, make candy covered pretzels, paint Christmas trees with sponges, go to Zoolight Safari, watch a Christmas movie, go to McWane to play in the snow, decorate a birthday cake for Jesus...you get the idea.  Basically, things I would aspirationally want to do with Fawn anyway, but now schedule them ahead of time to make sure I have all the supplies on hand.  It's been fun!  Though this little guy is still eagerly anticipating Santa's big arrival (and trying very hard to stay on the "nice" list).

The Tale of the Missing Christmas Toy.

Subtitle:  You know you're pregnant when....

....your husband catches you crying on the phone to the Amazon.com customer service representative in who knows where over a lost Christmas package.

Sweet Fawn has asked for a very specific toy this Christmas that I located on Amazon.com on Black Friday -- yes people, ages ago.  He saw it in Walmart this summer, but they no longer sell it (nor does Target, Kmart, Toys R Us, you get the picture).  I located *7* of the toys online and ordered one through Amazon.  It was supposed to arrive at my house by Wednesday, and the delivery confirmation says it was delivered on Monday BUT IT'S NOT HERE!!!  We've looked everywhere and I have been home each day around mail delivery time. 

I was so proud of myself for being basically done Christmas shopping (and completely done for Fawn), so this setback is a little disappointing...or a lot disappointing, considering I got up at 5 am to check my Amazon account for any new information on the missing package.  And, considering I cried my eyes out at the thought of Fawn not getting what he asked for this Christmas.  (After which I admitted to Buck that pregnancy hormones have simply got the best of me as he stifled a laugh, and -- shockingly -- didn't disagree.)

My local post office will be getting a cheery (but where the heck is my package) phone call from me in about 2 hours at opening time.  And I'll keep you posted on the missing package...  

A Boy and His Dogs.

What started as an attempt to get a sweet picture of our three children (or our one child with his two best friends), quickly turned to this:

And then chaos ensued:

What joy and love!  Thank you to our four-legged friends for loving our little man so much and bringing him so many smiles, not to mention putting up with his antics!!!

Thankful.

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving week this year.  I have to admit that I was a little hesitant going into the week because we had nothing on our agenda in terms of activities for Fawn...no school, no library programs, nada.  But, it turned out to be such a great week and just what we needed.  We spent a lot of good down-time at home, made a trip to the zoo for a train ride to celebrate Fawn's potty training success, finished building phase one of Fawn's fort in our backyard, ate our Thanksgiving meal with my family, spent Friday and Friday night at the farm with Buck's family celebrating my father-in-law's birthday, and enjoyed a peaceful Sunday celebrating the beginning of Advent. 

We are so thankful for this little guy who is the source of so much joy:

and laughter:

and wonderful family memories:

Reluctant turkey.

Fawn's school had a Thanksgiving program for the little ones the Friday before Thanksgiving, and the two-year olds were the turkeys.  Quite fitting and quite cute.  The week before the program Fawn came home with a handout from his music teachers with the words to the three songs they were singing so we could practice at home.  Fawn loves music and loves to sing so I didn't anticipate any resistance to my suggestion that we sing his turkey songs.  When I suggested it, though, his response was "Mommy, I can't sing those turkey songs with you.  I can only sing them with Miss Lani."  (Miss Lani is his music teacher.)  I got the same response when I made the same suggestion a couple days later, so I dropped the issue.

He was a precious turkey, despite being in total sensory overload by the costumes, noise, people.

He really did not like his turkey hat -- and cried through the "dress rehearsal" because it was itchy.  I had to be there early for monthly mom duties, and got to watch the meltdown.  I figured we'd have a very unhappy camper come actual show time, but he surprised us.  Though there weren't many smiles, he did all the motions with the songs.  But, no words came out of his mouth.  If you've spent any length of time with Fawn you will find this shocking because he loves to talk, sing and be loud.  He is constantly making noise.  He later told us it was scary with all the people.  Sweet thing.

Don't worry, though, we've been singing all about turkeys for the past couple weeks...Mommy is ready for some Christmas tunes.

Flashback: Disney On Ice.

Yes, the first week of November (I am so behind on getting pictures loaded!) I took Fawn to see Disney on Ice.  It was a last minute decision -- a friend texted me that she was taking her daughter and the weather was supposed to be really dreary so I thought it would be a fun, indoor activity. 

It was fun -- and Fawn sat through the whole thing.  Though, I have to say it was a little over his head.  While he knew the Mickey characters, they served as the narrators of the show, which featured various Disney movies.  Fawn has not seen any of the Disney movies, so he asked lots of questions but still seemed to enjoy himself.

The highlight, of course, was the light up toy (which I believe cost more than our tickets after I used half-price coupon codes).  Gotta love a light up toy.

Anonymous.

I am loving having baby number two be a surprise.  And, I think the baby likes it too.  Case in point, at my last OB appointment (I passed my glucose test, by the way (yeah!), despite the influx of Halloween candy at our house), the baby's heartbeat was 140.  I.e., the "breaking point" if you will for the old wives tale predicting gender based on heartbeat.  For some reason, when Buck told me that, I thought it was hysterical.  Buck has been checking the Chinese gender predictor calendar (I honestly don't remember what it said this time...it predicted Fawn was a girl, so I'm not hanging my hat on its accuracy) and the heartbeat, while I really am loving a surprise being a surprise.  That's not to say I don't like the guessing game...because I do.  I think the overwhelming prediction has been that we are adding another boy to this family, though there are a couple girl holdouts.  Either way we are truly blessed, so excited, and very thankful! 

And Then It Got Cold.

After two glorious fall days at the beach, the weather turned pretty chilly overnight.  No worries, though, we still had a great day.

We hit Chick-Fil-A for breakfast -- Fawn LOVES chicken minis, though he likes the honey-butter rolls much more than the chicken nuggets.  He insisted on playing on the playground after breakfast ("I need to get my energy out" -- I must tell him that we have to get his energy out a lot, he certainly has a lot of energy).  And, he convinced Buck to play with him.

Buck clearly exceeded the height limit...but who could stop such joy?

Then it was off to one of our favorite places...Bass Pro Shops.  We will visit a BPS wherever we are...seriously.  (In fact, funny side note, I received a phone call from our credit card company a couple of weeks ago looking for Buck who happened to be in LA for work.  When he called them back they were just making sure the California charges were really him.  Buck's comment to me -- "They must be questioning national, non Bass Pro Shops charges."  Sad, but true.)

It's never to cold to drive a four wheeler.

So even though our last beach day was really a non-beach day, it was a great day of family fun.  And, I'll take the beach in October over the beach in July every time.

More Beach Pictures.

Daddy arrived and it was game-on beach fun.  Beautiful weather -- sunny and just warm enough.  Plenty of sand to dig and shells to find.  And, the water was not too cold for wading and wave jumping.  Can't wait for our next trip to the beach!

Crazy Beach-Loving Fawn.

We had the lucky privilege of spending the long weekend before Halloween at Destin, Florida.  We needed to be in Destin on Saturday for a wedding, and turned it into a family getaway with Buck's family.  It had been ages since I'd been to the beach in the fall.  It was gorgeous -- definitely the best time of the year to enjoy the sun and sand!  I'd only taken Fawn to the beach in the middle of summer and this trip was a welcome change.  


Our first morning, Fawn was up and raring to go, sand toys and all.

It was 7 a.m. and fairly chilly for the beach (maybe 70 degrees), but that's apparently doesn't deter a two-year old.

I had to go with him so he wouldn't drown, but man it was chilly (and even chillier once we were wading in wet clothes!).

Seriously kid?  After dragging him back to the beach house and into some dry clothes, applying the sunscreen, and packing a lunch picnic, Fawn and I spent the rest of the morning playing on the beach...and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Buck that evening.  Fawn talked non-stop about teaching daddy how to play on the beach.  Apparently since Buck had never been with Fawn at the beach, Fawn's toddler mind jumped to the conclusion that Buck had never, ever been to the beach.  There was plenty of father-son bonding, though...more pictures to follow.

Baby Update and Belly Pic.

My little photographer took this picture (as is quite obvious by the height angle).  His current fascination with the baby ends with the belly pictures though.  He's had it with baby talk.  He continues to insist that the baby is in fact a cat (referring to it as both Figaro and Mr. Teddy Bones, which we finally figured out was a cat that Mickey Mouse goes fishing for in one episode) and meowing into my belly to talk to the cat (seriously, I kid you not).  I'm just laying low for now and figure he'll return to his sweet baby talk and excitement at some point .  .  . or not.  I am holding out hope, though, because he still gets very excited when he sees other babies -- and he loves to feel the baby kick (which usually occurs when Fawn is sitting in my lap for book reading before nap or night time).  It's as if the baby is trying to kick Fawn out of my lap.  Fawn, though, views the gesture as pure fun!  I am trying to emotionally prepare myself for the sadness that surely is to come when Fawn isn't my one and only.  I know our moments of being a family of three are fleeting -- and while that is so exciting, there is definitely a loss that comes with this precious time ending.  I know the loss will soon be replaced by bigger, better, more exciting things.  And we are so very excited to complete our family with this precious new addition.  But, for now, there's the looming loss and my fear of how both Fawn and I will react to the changes heading our way.

Trick-or-Treating and Halloween Manners.

Our little Mickey was pumped to hit up our neighborhood when it was time for trick-or-treating.  He has a light-up pumpkin that my parents gave him last Halloween that makes spooky music -- he was so excited to use it. 

All smiles for daddy.

Scary face for mommy (is he trying to send me some sort of message!?!?).

We accompanied Fawn to the front door for the first few houses, only to witness some surprisingly good Halloween manners from our Mickey.  I had prepped Fawn before the evening that he wasn't to grab for candy -- he was to either take what had been handed to him and say thank you or when prompted by the candy-giver to take one item and say thank you (unless he was offered more).  I really had no expectations of compliance, just trying to set the groundwork for good manners.  But, realistically I felt there was no way Fawn could resist a bucket of candy.  Lo and behold, he surprised me!  He said trick-or-treat, the bucket of candy was presented to Fawn, and he chose one item.  One neighbor suggested that he could in fact pick more candy.  His response:  "ummm...that's okay.  I'll get another piece at the next house.  Thank you."  Jaw-dropping experience!

We live across the street from a very sweet 5-year old boy who Fawn loves to play with -- luckily our neighbor loves to play with Fawn too, despite the age gap.  The boys met up after the first few houses to trick-or-treat together.  While it tugged on my heart strings that Fawn was on his own (so to speak) and I wasn't right there to experience his cuteness, I was also so excited for the big boy he's becoming and so happy for him that he can have fun with other children without Buck and me as props.

As for all of that Halloween candy, it miraculously disappeared from Fawn's sight while he was sleeping...imagine that.  We have baggied up his favorites (dum dums and smarties) for our current endeavor -- the dreaded potty training.  And, I have instructed Buck that he is to remove all traces of chocolate from our house or else I will not only lose the great weigh-in but will also fail my upcoming glucose test.

One more Halloween in the record book -- I'm reminded that next year will be a whole new ballgame with the presence of an 8-month old.  Until then, the pumpkins are packed away and the stress over costumes is done. 

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.

Yep folks, he wore it.  Fawn was Mickey for Halloween.  This year I had him help me set out his costume the night before and we put it on first thing and wore it all day (except of course for nap time when pajamas are non-negotiable).

 You can barely see the Mickey Mouse ears in this picture, but he loved them!  Early evening we were off to our street's annual Halloween party.  This year we did a hot dog cookout.  It's so nice to live on a cul-de-sac that plans such fun activities for kiddos (and their parents).  We've gotten a couple sets of new neighbors this year, so it was also fun to have new faces.

My boys on our way to the party.  Fawn was happy to agree to Buck's proposal that his car's "trunk" be used as a cooler of sorts.  We always end the Halloween party with a costume contest.  Before Fawn, Buck and I were the judges because we were unbiased, non-parents.  Trouble was we knew absolutely nothing about kiddie pop culture -- we could pick out Disney characters and superheroes, but didn't stand a chance with today's cartoon characters or High School Musical characters.  Now we're starting to learn, but we still have trouble identifying the tween/teen costumes!  And, even though we weren't the judges, Fawn won the costume contest.  I think just because he's cute -- his costume was pretty basic.  He was so excited and has a goody bag of Halloween-themed toys that I plan to dole out the next several years.

Jack-O-Lantern.

Though we've done the pumpkin patch thing every year with Fawn, this was our first year to experience the carving of his pumpkin.  We read multiple Halloween books all October (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Haunted Clubhouse, Clifford's Halloween, Clifford's First Halloween, 10 Trick or Treaters) many of which featured carved pumpkins in their illustrations.  Fawn was curious -- and wanted one of his own.  So, we complied (in all honesty I think Buck and I were way more excited to carve the pumpkin than Fawn was).

While I was gathering my camera and a spoon for scooping the inside gooeyness, Buck cut the top off the pumpkin and suggested Fawn use his hands to remove the insides.  Fawn's response (which was classic Fawn): "It's messy.  Mommy can do it."  Fawn comes from a long line of neat freaks (and I use that as a term of endearment) -- on his dad's side, not mine.  While he can push aside his OCD-tendencies to dig in dirt, splash in puddles, play in mud, he somehow can't at other times -- he hates for his hands to get messy while eating, for example.  And, apparently the sight of the pumpkin goo was just too much for him.  Buck was likewise not willing to dive in, so (of course) mommy did it.

You may notice that Buck is cropped out of the left side of the picture -- that means the photographer was none other than Fawn himself.  I didn't edit this picture at all -- he loves the camera (to be behind it, that is!) and takes pictures with my camera almost every day.  I plan to have a Fawn's photography post soon to share my favorites.  He will definitely be getting a kiddie digital camera for Christmas -- if you have given your kids one that you like, please leave me a comment or send me an email -- I'd love any recommendations.

Buck finishing up the carving -- another nice photo by Fawn.

The finished product on Halloween night:

Pumpkin Patch.

We've tried to make it a family tradition of visiting a pumpkin patch each year with Fawn before Halloween.  I am not sure three years counts as a tradition yet, but you've got to start somewhere.  We're so lucky to have such fun, accessible pumpkin patches close to Birmingham.  In 2009 and 2010, we visited Old Baker Farm in Harpersville.

2009 cuteness and chubbiness:

2010 slimmer, tractor obsessed little boy:

This year we went to the Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden.  While a little further away, it is open all day every weekday, so was a much better fit for our schedule.  Our October weekends found themselves jam-packed, so, unfortunately Fawn and I went sans Buck this year (I don't think Buck's shedding any tears over missing the pumpkin patch experience).  Great minds must think alike because we ran into multiple friends at the pumpkin patch, which made it even more fun. 

So excited on the tractor ride to the pumpkin patch:

Fawn displaying his loot (you would think he was miserable based on the face, but this is his current expression when asked to pose for a picture):

One nice thing about this pumpkin patch is that it allowed a la carte purchasing -- I could pay to ride on the tractor ride but only buy one pumpkin.  I knew I couldn't carry two pumpkins, possibly a toddler, and the baby growing in my belly back to the car sans Buck so we went with the one pumpkin option.  Fawn still make me work, though.  Not only did he pick quite possibly the dirtiest pumpkin in the patch, he also picked one without a stem.  But he loved it!

Beautiful day, precious boy, peaceful tractor ride back to the activities:

Then we hit the petting zoo (ho hum) and the inflatable park.  I was hesitant to take Fawn into the inflatable park because though he loves jumping on sofas, beds, parents, he has always shied away from inflatables.  I guess it's part of his first-born, cautious nature coming through.  But, he was eager to follow his friends so off we went.  While he definitely stuck to the smaller inflatables (REFUSED to climb up the inflatable slides) and was slow to warm up, he found his courage and jumped to his little heart's content.  With a huge smile on his face the entire time.  (I'm almost embarrassed to share this photo because I know you're thinking -- all the germs in his mouth! -- but it's just too cute and shows such joy!)

Let me tell you, these sweet boys were pooped!

Thank you Great Pumpkin Patch for an awesome fall day -- we'll definitely be back to continue our pumpkin tradition!

Pioneer Woman Meet Dr. Seuss.

I love the Pioneer Woman.  I don't have her cookbook, but love to search for recipes on her website.  I loved her book, and I enjoyed her television show (though it hasn't been on the past couple weeks...cancelled already?).  She made a quick, easy breakfast on her show that she called egg in a hole.  Basic concept: cut a hole out of a piece of bread.  Butter the bread.  Fry an egg in the hole. 

I've been trying to get Fawn to eat eggs since he was old enough.  With.  No.  Luck.  (I don't really care that he doesn't like them, they are just such a good, easy protein to have around that it would be helpful for the short-order cook to have another option.)

Fawn currently loves Green Eggs and Ham.  We have two versions -- the original and the lift-the-flap version.  Many a night he suggests that both be included in the nightly books.  Of course, I oblige. Buck on the other hand hides the Dr. Seuss books on the nights he is in charge of bedtime.

So, I attempted to feed Fawn a green egg in the hole.  I let him help with the food coloring (he picked neon green instead of kelly green, but you get the idea) and we scrambled the egg up before we poured it in the hole.  It wasn't a huge success, but a very good baby step.  And, he had a huge smile on his face.

Random Thoughts.

1.  I do not like that my precious, sweet husband is striving to weigh less than me when I deliver this baby.  Yes, he's in great shape and I'm not so much.  Yes, I have been cooking at home almost every single night of this pregnancy and serving up some pretty tasty, healthy food (if I do say so myself) which has benefited his waistline.  And yes, last week I tried to sabotage him by making his favorite breakfast casserole for dinner with Sister Shubert rolls.  But, still it is not cool.  Only 13 pounds separates us...yikes!

2.  Cross your fingers for Halloween.  After I gathered the pieces for Fawn's Mickey Mouse costume, he has now stated that he will be a Tyrannosaurus Rex for Halloween.  Also, I am to dress as an Allosaurus and Buck has been assigned Pterodactyl.  Really?  Fawn suggested that I "sew up the costumes and put them in the oven to cook them til they're ready momma."  Let's hope he forgets by Monday because it's not happening.  (As a side note, I will point out that we are 0 for 2 on Halloween costumes.  For Fawn's first Halloween we purchased the most precious cow costume; Fawn refused to wear it so we improvised and he went as Nick Saban -- dressed in red with the hat that Nick Saban always wears.  Last year, my parents gave Fawn a dog costume that looked just like our beagles; Fawn refused to wear it so he went as a hunter -- we have plenty of camo around these parts.)  I'm still holding out hope for Mickey Mouse come Monday...keep you posted.

3.  Fawn now reads to me at night -- not every book, but for the books that he's memorized, he sits in front of me and holds the pages open for me and recites the words.  My little boy is growing up...and I need to rotate the books!

4.  Speaking of rotation, Buck and I got organized a couple weekends ago and sorted through Fawn's toys and split them up into three sets.  We've rotated the sets each week and I think it's been great for Fawn -- he's actually playing with some of his toys that he seemed to have forgotten about.  Plus, our playroom is much cleaner.

5.  Baby is growing great; heartbeat is strong; we are thankful and so excited.  Less than 4 months to go!

6.  Fall is my very favorite season -- we've been outside as much as possible and really enjoying the sandbox Buck built for our back deck.  Fawn plays in it at least once a day -- and usually twice.  (Have I ever mentioned how much I love being married to a handyman?)

New Haircut and Nutella.

  

How cute does Fawn look with his precious new haircut?  I keep calling him my little soldier.  He looks at me like I'm crazy (he has no clue what a soldier is, or why his hair would have anything to do with it).  He's very proud of his hair, though, and says his haircut makes him run faster.  Aside from the haircut, we are also currently obsessed with Nutella (I mean, what's there not to love?).  This picture was taken after I handed Fawn one small graham cracker rectangle that was covered with Nutella, most of which ended up on his face.  Happy snacking!

Branching Out.

Earlier this month, we expanded our horizons and headed to Ruffner Mountain for a story time and some outdoor fun.  Now realizing that it takes less than 20 minutes to get there, I am embarrassed that I haven't taken Fawn before now.  He absolutely loved it, and we had a blast!  The story time wasn't the best in town (we are story time connoisseurs, you know!) but it was short, sweet, and ended with a fun craft which Fawn really enjoyed.  So we'll definitely be back.  Also, the Visitors Center is filled with some great displays and animals that were quite captivating for my little man.  But, the highlight was the hiking, of course.  We went with a friend -- one of Fawn's favorite friends and his mom and baby sister.  We were a sight to behold.  The boys -- in all there two-year old glory chose what had to have been one of the longest trails and were off.  They were troopers, leading the way and literally booking it for an hour!  Meanwhile, my pregnant, out of shape self was trying to keep up with my diaper bag slung over my shoulder while my mommy buddy had a diaper bag plus a baby.  It was a great morning for all of us -- the boys were in heaven and Fawn keeps talking about taking Buck back with us.  We will be back very soon! 

Over the hump.

We are well past the halfway point of this pregnancy!  While at times I thought it would never end (i.e., weeks 6 through 15), the past few weeks have slipped away in the blink of an eye.  And, I'm sad.  There's something so magical -- but yet so grounding -- about being pregnant.  For me, it's a time when I feel so much more connected to God and His creation, to my husband, and to my mom.  I love the belly, even if that means my wardrobe is drastically limited.  I love the kicks and gymnastics, even when they keep me up at night.  I even kind of like the heartburn because I am a believer in the old wives tale that you have heartburn while your baby is growing hair.  Fawn arrived with a head full of the most beautiful, softest, dark hair.  I keep picturing our new baby with that sweet fuzz!

Right now, though, the thing that warms my heart the most is Fawn's enthusiasm for this little one.  Whenever he spots a baby in public, he shouts "there's a baby".  And, then follows up with -- "I'll bring my baby to [fill in name of location]".  And, he prays for the baby (whom he currently calls "Figaro") every night by saying "And thank you for Figaro" -- it is too sweet!  I just know he is going to be the most wonderful big brother, though I'm not sure his younger sibling will ever get a word in edge-wise.

So now we wait until February.  When I'm flipping through my calendar, that seems like a lifetime away.  But, when I stop to think about all that is going to occur between now and then (beach trip with Buck's family, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Fawn's third birthday -- not to mention multiple other family birthdays!) I know it will be here before we know it.  We can't wait to meet you little one -- we love you already!

Pajama Day!

Whoever decided that pajama day was a great treat for preschoolers must have raised someone like Fawn.  He frequently opines "I don't like clothes, momma.  I only like pajamas."  So, we regularly have the conversation that pajamas are for sleeping but you have to wear real clothes when you are out in public.  Not so on Pajama Day at Fawn's school!  Fawn was so excited as Pajama Day approached -- we washed his favorite pajamas (his Alabama pajamas) and saved them for the special day.  (It was very difficult for Fawn to have them clean in his drawer for three days and not wear them, but the little fellow showed more self control than I anticipated.)

It was the easiest morning of getting dressed we've had in ages.  And, Fawn was pumped about getting to wear his pajamas to Magic Muffins (our pit stop on our way to school).  He was all smiles the entire morning -- and got even more excited when we drove through the drop off line and he realized his teachers were wearing pajamas too.

Birthday Party Fun.

We enjoyed a Saturday outing to a farm near Harpersville for one of Fawn's good friends birthdays.  Fawn is obsessed with all things farm and loved his morning!  Buck joined us, and my boys were dressed for the occasion.

An animal feeder was filled with sand for the kids to dig in -- Fawn spent most of his time in the sand (boys will be boys).

Fawn also got to pet a chicken, though he was a little hesitant at first.

And, of course, Fawn couldn't go to a farm without his fourwheeler, so we had a little fourwheeler ride:

All in all a great way to spend a beautiful fall morning!

First Field Trip.

Fawn's preschool class went to Homewood Park for a field trip in September (with parents, of course, I can't imagine keeping up with the 13 kiddos without an adult watching each little one).  We had a picnic:

 

And then hit the park in matching t-shirts (I ordered the smallest size available and it absolutely swallows Fawn! I may have to do a little at home alterations because he really hates for clothes to be too big.):

Despite the look of the neon green dress, I promise he had clothes on underneath.  Then we played on the swings:

 

And rode the elephant:

It was a great day!  I have to admit that I was not looking forward to the field trip -- the only reason being that I consider his preschool hours (only 8 a week) as precious working hours for me.  It's the only childcare I have during the week and the only time I avoid working at night and on weekends.  So, as much fun as I knew we would have, I kept thinking about my always-growing "to do" list and wished he was at school so I could get work done.  But, I am so thankful for the two hours I got to spend with Fawn, his sweet teachers, his friends and their parents.  It was wonderful to watch him interact and to meet parents I didn't know and put names with faces.  It was a great reminder that the "to do" list can always wait.