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.