SNAP! CRACKLE! POP~ goes the belly!

Your toddler now: 17 months 2 weeks
Encouraging the "inside" voice

Screaming is one of the less pleasant habits your toddler might develop. As with everything else in her life, she's constantly experimenting, and her voice is an instrument that can do all kinds of neat things. What's more, shrieking gets immediate attention.
Some kids condition their parents to give in to make the shrieks stop. To avoid that, explain that yelling hurts your ears. Tell your child that you can't respond until she uses a normal voice. But take care not to yell your instructions. You can also say, "That's your outside voice. It's okay to use your outside voice when we're playing at the park."
Show your child other ways to have fun with her voice, like whispering or singing. I saw charlotte pick up a flash light and start singing into it like she was on stage! so cute!! In fact, if you really want to get your child's attention, try lowering your voice to a whisper – it's even more powerful than raising the volume. It sounds not only different from the usual but special and secretive, and just might stop her in her tracks.

The totes are in place so the toys are ready to be played with! Charlotte gets so excited to go to the basement now! We have officially put all of her toys in the basement so if a room gets dirty it is the basement and no one will know because I can just shut the door!
The rest of the furniture will be delivered next week and then we are done and can move on to Charlotte's new big girl room! She is making the move in the next couple of weeks! Oh and potty training has been put on hold because of the other changes(new bedroom/new bed/new sibling) going on in her life!

It may look like she is using her inside voice but she is not!

How your baby BOY is growing: (22 weeks down, now in my 23 week!)

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.


5 1/2 months preggers! This week I felt more kicks/twists/twirls then ever before! This little man is moving a mile a minute. Last night I felt the first bit of pain which I pretty sure was my uterus growing/stretching. It is a very uncomfortable feeling but you know your body is getting ready to make more room for your little bundle. 
I have officially made the switch to maternity clothes and let me tell you they are so much more comfortable then trying to work with the belly band or belly belt. I have started to use the this "C" shapped pillow to help support my belly when sleeping. It works great but it is not the smallest pillow so it feels like I'm taking so much more room in the bed! Sorry Steve!

This week I finally started shopping for little man! He now has a couple of little blue outfits and a seat in our new double stroller. Making progress!






After a ton of research this is the Winner!



look at all the ways to go for a ride!

22 weeks down! Now in my 23 week

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Weekend!

Working on the basement/Charlotte's new playroom!

Carpet is down and paint is up! We have lights and drywall! TV is mounted and surround sound is installed!We have made so much progress. This is a huge improvement!

Furniture will arrive in a week and a half! More pictures to come!

Totes to fill with all of my toys! They are almost as tall as Charlotte!

Steve made, yes made, the custom built ins for the basement! Didn't he do a great job! The toys and totes will be in place once the paint dries!

21 weeks down

My Baby BOY: 21weeks down! Now in my 22 week


Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.(well we are not making one of those this go around)

Im finding out that this little guy is very particular with food. I will be extremely hungry one minute and not hungry for anything two minutes later. The only thing we(mama and baby) could decide on was cherries!! Cherries on or in anything or just plain! I want to make cherry pies and cherry turnovers! I mean who doesn't want a cherry limeade right now? Off to sonic I go!

21 weeks down, now in my 22 week!

Congrats to Norie and Brad Cooper on the arrival of Caroline Lorraine Cooper last night! Happy Birthday Caroline! We cannot wait to meet you!

17 months old!

 By now your toddler may be able to climb up a set of stairs, turn around at the top and sit, then scoot her way back down. Some more cautious toddlers may like climbing up the stairs but will call for help to get back down. Sign your child up for a toddler gymnastics class at the local Y or community center where she can climb and tumble over soft play structures without getting hurt. Or make your own play area at home by stacking pillows on top of a mattress or futon on the floor to make a pint-size climbing course.

We really cannot believe how fast Charlotte is growing these days. She seems to understand so much more than just two months ago. She can hear the birds chirping and tried to minick the sounds by whistling. so cute!
How is Potty training going: well the only interest Charlotte is showing that I can tell is that she tells me after she goes to the bathroom and while I am changing her. I take this as she doesnt like to sit in her potty and wants mama to know about it. Yay! This is a milestone people! Hopefully one of these days I will catch it before potty happens or she will tell me before potty happens. Thats another thing.. Steve and I need to figure out what we will call it: potty, going to the bathroom, wee-wee, poo poo, winkle, tinkle, etc. This is a conversation we never thought we would ever have! Oh how the conversations have changed in our household!

My Lunch Date!

Loving this beautiful weather!

My new flippy floppies! Still trying to get used to the strap between my toes!

Owen's first Birthday and Mother's day!

A bunch of Owen's friends at his cowboy birthday party!

Cute Family!

Owen and his smash cake! He loved it!

going on a walk after the party!

Happy Mother's Day!

Boy oh Boy!

My Toddler: 16 months 4 weeks
Toddlers live large, play hard, and love big. When they get upset, they can start acting irrationally, just like adults do. And they often use emotional outbursts to clear out the bad feelings — which may feel good to them but isn't always easy for you. Before losing your cool, remember that your child's lack of self-control is normal and that he'll eventually learn what's socially acceptable by the way you and others react to his antics. Try to respond calmly and enforce the limits you've set so things don't escalate.
Charlotte has had a couple of outbursts lately. Nothing I would say is out of control but it is definitly new. I also have realized how crucial naps and a strick bed time are! Man, if Charlotte doesnt get her nap or doesnt go to bed on time she will have a bit of an attitude but who doesnt love their sleep?
This week we have been outside a lot lately and Charlotte has really tried to make a bird noises. It is the cutest thing! It is like she is whistling but the sound will not come out so it just sounds like wind!

My Baby BOY: 20 weeks completed and now in my 21st week


 You're at the halfway mark — congratulations! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana or cataloupe. (The way your baby is measured changes now.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (although some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).
We went in for our big ultrasound and everything looked healthy! Thats all we could ask for! We were also in for a surprise to find out that lil peanut is a BOY!!! We are over the moon! I went straight out and bought something blue, a boy baby book!!

Oh Happy May!

My Toddler 16 months 3 weeks

Your child is getting better at assimilating information from all five senses. It's why your toddler will suddenly stop to listen to the sound of a dog barking, squat down to get a better look at the ants crawling in and out of cracks in the sidewalk, or take delight in running sand through her hands. Whenever you can, get down and play in the sand (or peer at an anthill, or poke at an earthworm) with your toddler — you'll remember again what it's like to see the world through the eyes of a child.
Which is exactly what we did! we went to the park and had so much fun! She loves to swing and play in the sand and go down the slide ( she says "weeeeee" everytime! so cute!)!

Charlotte celebrated May Day but running( well fast hopping/walking) to the neighbor houses and then tried running away so she wouldnt get caught! Pretty fun!

Do we have to deliver these or can we eat them?

Charlotte finally got another tooth today!! Her left central incisor finally came in! It was a rough couple of days with interesting diapers, sassy attitude, constant drolling and some sleepless nights but it finally came in! As you can see she is a little behind the schedule for teeth but hey it is better for tooth decay, I hear!





How your baby's growing:(19 weeks down! Now in my 20th week!) 

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

We go in for our big ultrasound where we will find out the sex of the baby!! We cannot wait! We already know what we want to do for both a girl and boy nursery! 


                                  Are you team Bows or BowTies??