Here is a much needed photo update

Here are lots of pics from lots of different things that I have been meaning to post for a while:

Check out that stance! He did really well hitting a t-ball for the first time.
Family Pic
Chase with Mimi and Papa
Another family picture
Rock Star!

Two Rock Stars!
The whole band!
Chase and Papa trying to wake up in the morning.
Chase feeding the turtles.
Chase and friends.

Medieval Times with Grammy, Granddaddy, and Aunt Leah
Chase even got a sword!
Silly faces.
Cheering on the knights.
Father-son camp out. The boys had a blast...I think the dads had an OK time too. ;)

Ava's Room! Finally done!

We finished Ava's room this weekend! yay! I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. It's a little more girly than I thought it would be when we first started but oh well! I was able to use a lot of Chase's old stuff b/c his room was blue and green and her's is pink and green. A little paint, a new crib bumper, and some homemade artwork did the trick. Here are some pictures...I'll start with the progression of the room:

Several weeks ago Preston's mom and dad were here and they were a HUGE help with getting the room painted. Here is Preston and I taping it up to paint.
Mimi taking a turn at the tape.
Papa getting it all primed for painting.
Preston painting pink!
Here's the final room (well...we still have to make the bed back into a crib from a toddler bed but Chase will still need it for when we have company in a few weeks).
Changing table. We have one lonely diaper in the diaper shelves!

Crib and shelves and Lucy.
Chase getting ready to read books to his little sister.
Here's the diaper bag my mom and dad bought me! Thanks guys! Love it!
I mean do we really have this much clothes already? Most is second hand but I'll take all I can get!

Baby Shower!

My awesome friends threw Ava and I a baby shower on Thursday! It was really fun! We had it at the Olive Garden over appetisers and desserts. Fried stuff, chocolate, and presents....it doesn't get much better than that! I came away with lots of super cute clothes, shoes and gear. Ava's going to be one well dressed kiddo!

I took a belly pic just before leaving for the shower. Gettin' pretty huge! I'm 32 weeks along now. Only 8 to go! (And yes, that is a tent in my living room.)

Chase's Room

We officially finished Chase's room today! He has been sleeping in there for a while but now all the decorating is done. Take a look:

Obviously we did a tropical theme! I even hand painted the tree myself!
Chase likes his new room!
I used a big cork board to take up some room on the wall and Chase just loved putting all his art work from school and bible class up! We'll just keep adding to it! (No, I'm not using push pins....what kind of mom do you think I am? Stapler!)

Conversations between Chase and I

I'm feeling the need to post some of the recent conversations that I've had with Chase. Here goes:

------------------------

Chase: Where we going?
Me: We're going home.
Chase: Where we going home?
Me: To our house.
Chase: Where we going to our house.
Me: In our neighborhood.
Chase: Where we going in our neighborhood?
Me: To our house.
Chase: Where we going to our house.

I turn the radio up loud.

------------------------

(At church)
Chase: Where's God?
Me: In heaven.
Chase: Is that heaven (pointing at the front of the auditorium where the man is praying)

------------------------

(at church before the offering)
Me: Here's some money for you to put in the plate. We're going to give this money to God to use in the church.
Chase looks wide eyed at the teenager that is holding the plate out for him.
Me: No, that's not God...he's just passing the plate.

------------------------

Chase: Cars tee tee in the potty.
Me: No they don't.
Chase: Where do they tee tee.
Me: No, they don't tee tee at all.

------------------------

Chase: Do tigers tee tee in the potty?
Me: No, they tee tee in the grass.
Chase: Like Lucy? (our dog)
Me: Yeah, just like Lucy.
Chase: Do lions tee tee in the potty?
Me: No, they tee tee in the grass too.

(and so on with like all the animals Chase can think of)

-------------------------

Chase is kind of into "always" statements:

"Cars always drive on the road."
"Babies always cry."
"Dogs always tee tee in the grass."
etc.

-------------------------



This is not a conversation but an interesting fact. Chase is REALLY into water towers right now. He looks for them when we are driving around. He'll point out the same ones over and over as if they are new every time!



Chase and friends at the zoo, watching the giant turtle eat lunch.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a fun holiday weekend hanging out with a few friends at the lake. It was a lot of fun to go out on the boat and ride around and watch everyone ski and swim. Good times. The boys played golf, we cooked out, we played at the "beach", we hung out and watched movies, some people spent an unusual amount of time and effort working on crossword puzzles....oh and we got sick. Unfortunately there was a stomach bug going around among us. One by one we started dropping like flies. The good news is that it only lasted about half a day for each person. Preston, Chase, and I thought we were in the clear until our way home. I'll spare you the details. Oh well, we're all better now. :) Below are a few pics of the fun. (It's funny how you stop having any pictures of the adults...only kids.)

Chase, Camden, and Cooper all ready for bed
Chase and Cooper testing out the water
Colt trying to decide if he likes this life jacket thing or not
Yes, this is Chase playing golf with no pants on

Water rescue by Sara H. Chase and Cooper got out a little too far and couldn't reach. This is why they wear life jackets! Sara pulled a "Bay Watch" to run in after them. I would have helped but it would have taken me way too long to just get up off the ground where I was chillin'.
Jay even let Chase drive the boat a few times.
Chase and Preston being pulled on the tube!
Preston on the wake board.

Big Bellies, Big Ankles, and The Big Apple

Preston and I just got back from a fun trip to New York City with our friends Judson and Amanda. We had a great time. I know what you're thinking...walking around New York City with a pregnant lady?...that sounds great. Try two pregnant ladies! Seriously...it was like Amanda and I were some freak show. People would stare and point us out. haha. But overall people were really nice to us. They let us use bathrooms that other people probably couldn't talk them into letting them use, people even gave up seats for us on the subway, etc.

Anyway, back to the trip. We did lots of site seeing, mostly from the top of a double-decker bus. I know it's so touristy but it was really fun! Probably my favorite part. We ate a lot, did lots of shopping, went to a Broadway show. The show we saw was Wicked (based on the Wizard of Oz). I absolutely loved it. I think I liked it better than the rest of my crew but that might be b/c I have read the book Wicked and grew up watching the W of O like every week. For a more complete run down of our trip you can read Amanda's blog.

I started to just leave my post at that but really that wouldn't be the whole story for me. I have to be honest. I had a hard time. I mean, we went to NYC when I was 32 weeks pregnant with Chase and I did fine. This time was different...and I'm only 29 weeks. I was a total wimp (not to mention I got dehydrated the very first day....but that's another story). Walking made my back hurt, legs ache, and ankles swell (pictured). I got sooooo tired. I complained a lot less than I wanted to but I'm sure I was annoying at times. Thanks for putting up with me Judson and Amanda and especially Preston! (Oh and Amanda did totally fine...didn't miss a beat...which I have to admit kind of ticked me off at times. j/k!)

Despite all this I really did have a great time...especially riding the bus, watching the show, eating....and other various sitting activities. :)


We had one pretty rainy day but it didn't stop us!

All four of us on the bus. Wow Preston, you sure are concentrating hard on taking that picture!
Times Square
I'm not in love with this picture but man, look at those waistlines! This is just before the musical started.
This is my foot the night we got back home. Wow. I mean, how gross is that. Don't worry, they don't look like that anymore....for now anyway.

Ava's Pictures

My friend Kacy was nice enough to take me up to see what Ava is looking like these days. My mother-in-law, Melanie, happened to be here during this sonogram run so she got to see little Ava too!

This is her face looking at us...

She kept putting her fingers in her mouth. You can see her little fingers by her face here....
This is her head with her toes right in front of her face. She's flexible!
And here's her cute little profile!