More Summer Fun

We have been soaking up all of the nice weather this past few weeks. We spent a few days at my aunt's pool and we have been outside a lot. Steven and I had a date night this past Saturday. We went to watch our friend's MMA fight. It was outside and very, very hot, but we had a good night...with the exception of a few bad contractions. I guess I should be expecting that to happen, now that I am in the home stretch.

I started contracting about a week ago. They can get pretty hard, but I am handling them well. My water is not broken, which is a great thing since it broke at 31 weeks with Carter. I had a doctor's appointment today and he did my glucose test as well as my Group B Strep test. He checked my cervix and it is still closed, thank God. I have been getting really nervous about having this baby. Last pregnancy, exactly 7 days from today, at 31 weeks, my water broke. 2 weeks and 5 days from today, at 32 weeks and 5 days, I delivered Carter. It was an unexpected and awful experience which I have no recollection of. Carter and I almost died that day, and I am praying that things go differently this time around.

For now, we will continue to enjoy this wonderful summer. Steven's birthday is this Saturday and my BFF Kelly is planning a weekend visit as well. It should be a blast! Here are a few pictures from the pool and the MMA fights...

From Crib to Toddler Bed...to Crib.

Steven and I have been discussing getting rid of the crib for a little while now. We thought that with the new baby coming, we should give it a try before Brooklyn comes home. We figured adjusting to her would be hard for all of us, so we wanted to do it while things were still calm. We have been slowly introducing him to the potty as well. We will get more serious about that in the next month or so.

We removed the front gate from Carter's crib and made a "big deal" out of his new big boy bed. We let him get his pajamas on a little early so he could settle down for night time. He chose stuffed animals and put them in there and we gave him his very own pillow. As soon as my mom came in the door, he brought her down to his room to show her. He was very excited!

When it came time to put him in bed, Steven took him to his room and tucked him in. He left the door cracked because we didn't want him wandering around in his room by himself if he got up. About 1 minute later, he came mozying down the hall. Steven brought him back in and kissed him good-night. Carter came right back out, laughing hysterically. We put him back about 10 more times before deciding that it is still a bit too early for the switch. He thought it was a game and he was not about to go to sleep when he could come and go as he pleased. Steven went in and put the gate back up and Carter was asleep within seconds. So, we will be waiting until after his 2nd birthday before we attempt the switch again. It was worth a try.

Today and tomorrow we are getting the house in order for my mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and Carter's godmother to come visit for the weekend. We are going to the zoo again on Saturday. We had so much fun a few weekends ago and I really wanted to bring my good camera and zoom lens to get some photos. Now that we will have a little more help, I can feel comfortable bringing it. So, hopefully I will have some great photos to post after the weekend! I am ready for some sun and fun!!

Car Shopping...FINALLY! And a Baby Update!

I have been going insane for months now, unable to drive my Escalade. My hand controls fell off...yes, I said fell off, in the grocery store parking lot and I have had to rely on others to drive me in my own car when I need to go somewhere. Not to mention the fact that the wheelchair lift has been broken since last fall. The company that made and installed it is no longer in production, so I have been unable to have repairs done on it.  I am done with custom modifications and refuse to ever drive hundreds of miles to get my vehicle serviced ever again!

I went car shopping with my mom on Wednesday and I have decided to go with a...wait for it...mini-van! Yes, I am officially a soccer mom, LOL! I have always been the first to say "Eew...I'll never drive a mini-van!" That was until I looked at one and thoughts of how easy life would be started running through my head. Seriously...having 2 or more kids should automatically qualify you for a "Free Mini-van" coupon. And best of all, it has a totally perfect automatic ramp and I can drive from my wheelchair. It also helps that it is half the price of a custom modified SUV. I would be a complete moron not to be excited!! 

I chose a silver 2010 Toyota Sienna and I will have it in about 2 weeks...if all goes well. It has to be customized a little bit, to ensure that my wheelchair will fit properly. I am biting my nails waiting to get a little independence back!

On to the baby update...we had (what was supposed to be) our 3D Ultrasound appointment yesterday. Brooklyn is measuring perfectly and looks great. She is weighing about 2 pounds, 3 ounces. I wish I had some awesome 3D pics to share, but our stubborn little princess was head down and facing my back, so other than confirming that she is indeed, a girl, we couldn't see much of anything. I took the plunge and signed all of the paperwork for my tubal ligation. Delivery is way too dangerous for me being paralyzed. I have a family to think about and I know they need me, so we have decided that Brooklyn will be our last baby. I am OK with it and absolutely know that it is the best decision for all of us.

In lieu of baby pics, please accept a belly shot from fireworks night.

Happy 4th of July!

We have already had an eventful weekend...and it isn't even over yet! Thursday was the annual Mardi Gras parade. Carter really liked it. I thought he might be afraid of the sirens on the firetrucks, but he wasn't. It probably helped that they were throwing candy out to the kids! He had a big bag full by the end of the parade!

Friday was Kids Day down at the Mardi Gras, so we brought Carter to ride some rides and play some games. He played games last year, but wasn't big enough for any rides, so I wasn't sure how he would react. Let's just say its a "no go" on the rides! My mom took him on the carousel and he flipped out. It was certainly an experience. Maybe next year!

Carter has a new obsession...Elmo! We were in Walmart the other day and he kept saying something that we didn't understand. "Ulmo! Ulmo!" Steven turns to me and says, "Can...what's he sayin'?" I had no idea. So, some guy walking by goes, "He's saying Elmo." Of course, I was thinking, "Thanks a lot sir...but I think I know my own kid...and he doesn't know who Elmo is." So, we went on our way and ended up buying Carter a Buzz Lightyear action figure, which he loves. We also got him a booster seat for the table because he is a little Houdini and can escape his high chair. Anyway...so we get home and grabbed a toy with Elmo on it..."Ulmo". I felt like a total jerk! He was saying "Elmo" at Walmart! So, I immediately put on Sesame Street and he was riveted! He kept saying "Elmo...Dorothy!" So, this morning we went to the pet store and bought him a little goldfish, which we named Dorothy. He loves to watch her swim...and its adorable hearing him say her name!

We are off to our family cookout today. I hope you all have a safe and happy 4th of July!