July 2013

July was the month we tried to do everything at least "one more time before Nora Kate's arrival" which meant we got to do a lot of fun things! 

Unfortunately, the very beginning of the month started with the boys having a horrible sinus infection.  Both were content to relax for a few minutes at a time.  This is so rare, I had to get pictures!  I know the picture above is blurry, but I just thought Carter relaxing while sick was so sweet and look at his hair!  It's gotten so blonde!

I knew Dawson really didn't feel well because he was willing to lay down and watch tv for about 30 minutes straight which is rare.  We watched part of the Fox and the Hound. 

Thankfully the boys recovered quickly once they got antibiotics, and they were well in time for us to tag along on one more work trip with John.  He had to go to Chattanooga Saturday-Wednesday, so the boys and I went Saturday-Tuesday.  Carter seemed like such a big kid on the way there drawing on this magna-doodle!

 

 

John had to work most of the time we were in Chattanooga, but Dawson, Carter, and I had a great time!!!

We spent an entire day at the Chattanooga Children's Museum.  I wish we had one like this here!

Carter loved splashing in the water area.

Carter drove the car while Dawson worked on it!

Then Dawson took a turn.

We took Dawson to this museum when he was 2, and he loved the kitchen!  Not much has changed!  Both boys had fun playing in the kitchen.

Of course, farmer Dawson had to do some gardening while we were there.

Both Dawson and Carter LOVED the dinosaur dig area!  This was a huge indoor sand area with dino bones buried for the kids to dig up.  Carter LOVED the sand, and Dawson had fun finding dino bones!

Then we found these dino tails the boys wore around for a while.  Carter took off running in the sand with his, meanwhile Dawson wanted me to take a picture of him as Dawson-o-saurus!

Carter and Dawson both had fun exploring the museum!

Dawson really enjoyed the horse and buggy, churning butter, and cooking over the fire!

Just for fun here is John and Dawson last time we visited the children's museum when Dawson was two.  This was taken June 2011. And below, me with Dawson June 2011 when we visited the museum. 

And now here are our TWO sweet boys visiting the children's museum in July 2013, just over two years later!  Hopefully we wont' wait 2 more years before we go back-it's so fun!

While we were in Chattanooga, it rained, and rained, and rained!  The river was up over TWENTY FEET! You can see the river behind the boys covering an area that is usually a grassy hill!  On Sunday after we left the children's museum, it had finally stopped raining, so we took a walk around downtown!  Both boys loved looking at the river and the ducks!

On Monday we headed to the Tennessee Aquarium!

The two pictures above show Dawson and Carter outside the aquarium.

 

Just for the sake of comparison, here's a picture of Dawson last time we took him to the aquarium.  This was in June 2011, so just over two years ago! 

 

Our friend Sara and her boys Ethan and Austin drove up from Huntsville to meet us for a fun day at the Aquarium.  Dawson had a blast running around and exploring the aquarium with Ethan and Austin!  Above the boys are checking out a gecko!

Dawson got a turn to touch it!

 

 

 

We saw the bird show while we were at the aquarium!  Dawson and Carter both liked the owl.

Here are the four boys in one of the touch exhibits.  They were trying to touch the huge fish swimming in this very cold tank, but could never quiet reach them.  (Can you tell Carter is starting to get a little sleepy at this point?)

After we made our way through the first building of the aquarium, we went to lunch.  Along the way, the boys found this brick boat and had fun playing in it!

 

 

After lunch, we headed back to the aquarium to see the second building which was ocean life!  Dawson loved the penguin area!

 

Both of our sweet boys in the penguin area.

 

Here's one more comparison photo just for fun.  This is Dawson in the same area last time we went to the aquarium two years ago!

 

We put the big boys in the shark cage!

They obviously don't look to afraid of that giant shark behind them!  Dawson had such a great time with Ethan and Austin!  Look how silly they are being!

Checking out the BIG crabs!

 

We were almost to the end of the aquarium when the boys climbed inside this little viewing area and announced they were taking a nap!  You know they must have been worn out to say this!

Meanwhile, Carter really did fall asleep in his stroller!  This rarely happens anymore!

 

After the day at the aquarium, we let the boys play in the water outside the aquarium.  It was so hot that this was perfect!

 

 

 

Our last day in Chattanooga we attempted to visit the Chattanooga Zoo, however upon arriving we were told they were closed due to all of the rain Chattanooga had experienced over the previous days.  Thankfully, there was a park right by the zoo, so the boys weren't too disappointed when I told them we couldn't see the animals that day.  Above:  Dawson playing at the park.

The boys outside the zoo.

We had a great time in Chattanooga!

 

Safety City is a mini version of Knoxville where kids can go to ride bikes, tricycles, or small battery-operated things.  It's only open two days a week and only in June and July.  Dawson loved it last summer, so we knew we had to find a way to make it there at least once this summer!  Last year Dawson rode his John Deere tractor and Carter was 2 months old and in the Moby wrap.  This year Carter rode his push tricycle half of the time and then rode on the John Deere Gator with Dawson the other part of the time.  Both boys loved it!  Thankfully we did this on a day that John was off, because I'm not sure I could have kept up with both of them there!

 

 

 

The bulbs that the boys gave me as part of my Mother's Day present in May, started to bloom this month!!  So pretty! I love them!

One afternoon John took Dawson to play golf, and Carter and I got to hang out.  Carter was VERY smilie and silly the whole time!  Look at that sweet grin!

 

 

We made a trip to the Knoxville Zoo and invited Lolly to come with us in the middle of July.  Here Dawson and Carter are having fun with the macaws!

 

Everyone had fun in the zoo safari truck!

Carter had fun running the cash register inside the Wee Play Zoo where we went to cool off (it was SO hot the day we went to the zoo)!

 

Dawson helped me make some 7 layer bars!  See evidence of taste-testing on his face?! 

I took the boys to play at Carl Cowan Splash Pad one Friday morning with our MOMs group.  Carter and Dawson both had an absolute blast!!  See Carter sitting down right in the middle of all the water!  No fear!

 

Caught Dawson mid-jump!  You know he's having fun!

The favorite activity was filling up buckets of water from the pop jets.

 

When our boys get in the water together they get WILD!  They have such a fun time playing in the inflatable pool in our backyard!

 

 

 

Drive a steam roller in the water? Why not!

 

 

A big "first" that happened this month was Carter spent his first night with the grandparents!  This was the first time Carter has spent the night away from home without me and only the second night ever being away from me.  He and Dawson spent the night with Nana and Grandad, and had a blast!  As soon as I picked them up the next day, Dawson asked he if AND Carter could spend the night there together again. 

The following week they both spent the night with their Lolly and Pop.  (I can't even explain how much I got accomplished with no kids in the house!!)

 

Carter started sitting at the table in a booster seat with us this month.  He thinks he's so big!

 

I decided to take the boys to Dollywood one more time before Nora Kate arrives since Dawson had been asking to go everyday!!  Lolly came with us since John was working.  We had a great time!

 

Dawson and I rode the teacups!

 

 

Waiting in line with the boys for the Lucky Ducks.

Dawson with Lolly on the train.

The boys and I waiting on the train ride to begin.

 

 

It's so unusual for Carter to fall asleep in my arms that I just had to get a picture!  He fell asleep on the train!  It's so loud, but he was tired!

 

 

 

 

 

Dawson caught a fish!

And won this prize!

What a fun day at Dollywood!  Next time we go we will have THREE kids!!

 

In other exciting news for the month of July, John has a new work schedule!!!  About halfway through the month, he got to switch to a day schedule!  He still has to work until midnight some, still works some weekends, and has to be there at 6 or 7am most mornings, but he's no longer sleeping during the days! We are very excited about this.  I'm excited to have him home to help with Nora Kate during the night too!  :) 

Also in July, I hosted a bridal shower for my sister-in-law, Emily.  I think everyone had fun.  She got a lot of great gifts, and I had fun hosting an event at our house. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nora Kate 37 Weeks

I am in the 37th week of my pregnancy with Nora Kate and still feeling great!!  We have made major progress in preparing for her arrival during this past week.  John got the bassinet, swing, and bouncy seat out of the attic and assembled them!  I washed all of her clothes, blankets, and bedding which was one of the more time consuming items on my to do list!  I also sewed a satin sash/bow to put around her bassinet!  We only have a few items left on our "to do before Nora Kate" list, and most of those are not too involved and are enjoyable more than work-for example some things still left include getting a haircut, picking out clothing for everyone to wear for Nora Kate's newborn pictures, and getting a pedicure!  :) 
I have continued to feel very well, just needing a little bit more rest than a few weeks ago, but I really have no complaints.  My mom and I took the boys to Dollywood yesterday, and that was officially the last time we will go before Nora Kate's arrival!
Even though I hit the 37 week mark Monday, my appointment wasn't until this morning.  It was a good appointment.  Nora Kate and I are both healthy and this stage of pregnancy is progressing as it should.  I go back in a week.
That's it for now.  Here are a couple of pictures...

We have used this sweet bassinet for each child during the first three months when they sleep in our room.  I decided since this was it's third time around, I wanted to give it a little facelift by adding a girly pink sash/bow around it.  I used the same fabric that I used on the tutu table and big bow pillow.

Here's a view where you can see the side how it wraps around the bassinet.

While I was sewing, I decided to make a little bow to go around her bear's neck that also matches the tutu table, pillow, bassinet, and ruffles and bows on the bumper pad.

And the official 37 week photo.

 

 

I was so excited the girl colored cloth diapers I ordered came in the mail this week.  We have many gender neutral colors of cloth diapers and some boy colors, and we knew we'd need a few more cloth diapers since we will have TWO kids in diapers for a while.  SO I took the opportunity of having to order more, to order these shades of pink!  :)

Carter's 15 Month Update

Carter turned 15 months on July 13th!  I've had this post ready to go since then, but was waiting to get a better picture of Carter.  He got a horrible mosquito bite on his eyelid which caused it to swell a lot and get really red.  Of course, I still thought he was adorable, but I didn't feel like his pictures looked like him at all since the puffiness completely changed the shape of his eye.  His doctor had us giving him Benadryl to reduce the swelling, and after a few days that either started working or it just went down on its own-we're not sure which.  Needless to say, his eye is almost entirely back to normal so we can carry on with the 15 month update!  :)
At Carter's 15 month checkup he weighed 23 pounds which is a pound less than Dawson at this age, but Carter is a pickier eater than Dawson was too.  Carter LOVES snacks-raisins, crackers, fruit, etc, but when it comes to meals he has become somewhat picky.  His doctor assured me he's perfectly healthy and is eating enough even though it doesn't always seem like it. 
Other news from his checkup:  He had to get one shot, the MMR vaccine, but he did really well with it and just cried for a few seconds.  He, thankfully, did not get a fever or fussy after, but seemed to have no reaction to this at all!  I have to brag on Carter, and say that his doctor was very impressed with how well he is speaking.  We were in the exam room that has jungle animals on the wall.  The entire time we were there Carter pointed out all three monkeys over and over, said monkey, made his monkey noise, and then noticed one had a banana and said, "banana.  more.  me?"  Then when it was time for the doctor to look in his ears, eyes, and mouth, Carter repeatedly told the doctor, "no! all done!  all done!  all done!" while also signing all done.  The doctor really got a kick out of Carter being all done!  Carter continued showcasing his skills by attempting to push the stool with wheels around the exam room saying "beep! beep!"  He had a good appointment, and got a great report.  We don't have to go back again until 18 months, and after that until 2 years!
Carter's vocabulary has continued to expand quickly!!  He has started putting some words together.  This sounds crazy, but the other day he kept telling me "bye bye" so finally after telling him bye for the 15th time, I said, "Bye bye.  Have a good day!"  He looked at me, smiled, and said, "Have good day!" with the exact same inflection I did!  I couldn't believe it at first, and ran to tell John.  We tried and tried, but he wouldn't say it again right then.  Later that day though, John kept saying it to him and finally Carter repeated it again, "Have good day!" again with the exact same inflection perfectly copying John.  One of his new things is that when he sees something he wants (food, toy, anything) especially if Dawson has it, he points to it and says, "me??" 
Carter loves to interact with us especially if we are singing little songs.  If we start singing, "If you're happy and you know it..." before we get to the clap your hands part, he's already smiling and clapping.  We taught him "Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee."  He does the motion and says "baby bee baby bee" then all the sudden jumps and says "ahh!" (for when it stings).  He thinks this is hilarious.  His very favorite song is still Old McDonald, he requests this song (A LOT!) by saying, "E,I,E,I?  E,I,E,I??" 
He had really picked up on learning animal sounds this month too.  Dawson LOVES to teach these to him.  He always gets the following animals and sounds correct:  duck, monkey, doggie, dino, lion, tiger, and bird. (I think I'm forgetting one??)  And if he doesn't know what an animal says and he sees a picture of it or we ask him, he answers, "grrrr."  Dawson thinks this is hilarious-the other night at dinner Dawson was quizzing him and finally said, "Carter what does a turtle say?" Carter looked at Dawson and said, "grrr."  Dawson laughed and asked what a penguin said, to which Carter again replied, "grrrr."  Dawson thought this was SO funny! 
Speaking of Dawson, I really think there is NO ONE that Carter loves as much as Dawson.  As long as he has his big brother he is generally happy!  He copies EVERYTHING Dawson does-EVERYTHING!  Because they interact so much more now, there have been days where they have had a little more trouble settling down in their shared bedroom to nap, but at least they've still gotten a nap in.  The other day I could hear both boys continuing to laugh for a long time at bedtime on the monitor, finally when I opened the bedroom door Dawson smiled and said, "Carter's just funny!"  So sweet...and true-Carter will do anything to make you laugh or smile!
Carter has started telling us this month when he has a dirty diaper.  He will reach down toward his diaper and say "uh oh!"  He always does it for a dirty diaper and in the past week he has done it some for a wet diaper too!  (Maybe this is a sign he will potty train early, and we wont' have two in diapers for too long!)
Other developments this month...Carter enjoys being read to at this age.  If I get a book he will come sit on my lap and listen to it several times through.  He gets excited when he sees me get a stack of books.  He especially loves it when I read to him and Dawson at the same time...he constantly looks between the book and his big brother the whole time!   We are really impressed with how well Carter can do the shape sorter at this age.  He regularly gets the square, circle, and triangle correct!  Carter NEVER takes a morning nap anymore.  His sleep schedule is waking at 7am, nap from 1-3ish, bedtime at 8pm.  He LOVES brushing his teeth!  He now has FOUR teeth (finally!)!!  He has two on top and two on bottom.  His hair is starting to get a little unruly (even though he doesn't have a ton), he has some sweet little curls in the back (especially when it's humid) but there are some random long pieces and John is beginning to think it's time for his first hair cut. 
I think this about covers everything from Carter's 15th month!  Now on to the pictures!

This picture shows some of the swelling on his eyelid from the mosquito bite!  Look how puffy and red!  Poor guy!

Sweet brothers.

I love this picture because I think it shows up much Carter looks to see what Dawson is doing.  Look at that sweet look he's giving Dawson.

Typical-Dawson being silly to make Carter laugh.  :)

Carter 15 months.

Carter 15 months.

Carter 15 months.

 

Carter 15 months.

 

 

Nora Kate 36 Weeks & Nursery

On Monday I began the 36th week of my pregnancy with Nora Kate.  This pregnancy has continued to be very easy and enjoyable!  I was never miserable with the previous pregnancies, but this one has been a breeze!  I'm tired and a little uncomfortable at this point, but I only have a few weeks left and it really hasn't been bad at all!! 
At my 36 week appointment, I had an ultrasound to check Nora Kate's size and she was perfect-right in the middle range of where babies are at 36 weeks.  She weighed (according to the ultrasound) 6 pounds 6 ounces.  Her heart rate, position, and measurements were great!  We do have a dvd of the ultrasound, but we didn't get any great views of her face or anything because she's in the position she should be which isn't exactly perfect for a in-utero-photo shoot!  We did however see that she has some hair-it was sticking out around her head.  I'm skeptical as to how much, as we could see Carter's hair on the 36 week ultrasound too, and then he didn't have much at all when he was born. 
Most importantly, she's healthy and everything from the ultrasound an doctor's appointment looked great!  The doctor said if I went into labor at this point they wouldn't attempt to stop labor, but we don't really think that's going to happen this early. 
Nora Kate's due date is Monday, August 12.  John's official guess is that she will be born on August 10th (two days early), and my guess (and hope!) is that she will be born on Thursday, August 15th.  If she's not born until the 15th this will give Dawson a chance to complete his first (ever!) week of school, and it will be after the 13th making her and Carter 16 months apart instead of 15!  :)  If the pregnancy continues to be this comfortable and enjoyable, I really won't mind going beyond the due date! 
I plan to attempt to update the blog each week of pregnancy from now until Nora Kate's arrival (like I did with Carter).  So check back soon for more updates!  :)
In other Nora Kate news, John and I have completed the nursery!  I am SO pleased with how it turned out!  I couldn't be happier!  Here are some pictures...

View of Nora Kate's nursery from the hallway.

John and my dad worked hard to paint over the green paint in this room making it pink!!

The view of one corner of the room.  I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of time during the night feeding Nora Kate in that chair.  At least I'll be surrounded by pink!

Some wall décor.  The rattle on the far left has been in each of our children's nurseries.  The tiara beside the rattle was my very first tiara.  I plan to put a picture of Nora Kate with her two big brothers in the frame.  The tutu handprint canvas we made one morning using Dawson's handprint for the middle and Carter's handprints on either side.  I told the boys they were making a little gift to put in Nora Kate's room.

More wall décor.  The frame on the left is Nora Kate's signature mat.  I will put her newborn picture in the frame.  We have had people sign it at her showers and we will also take it to the hospital with us when she's born so that everyone who helps welcome her can be remembered.  We did this for Dawson and Carter, and it's neat to look at and read the messages of each person.

I made this little pillow for her room using fabric I found at Hobby Lobby.  Where her bumper pads tie onto her bed it makes a satin bow, so this satin bow pillow matches those.  It was a quick easy project!

Up close view of the chair, her feather lamp, pillow, and stuffed bear waiting on her!

One of my favorite parts of the room is this tutu table.  I wish I had taken before and after pictures of this table, but it was a fun little project.  I made the tutu style skirt to go around it and then sewed the sash/bow to match the bumper pads and pillow in the chair.  I am SO pleased with how it turned out.  I can't wait to put her little handprint and photo in the frame on the table.

Next to her closet Nora Kate has the mirror I used to have in my room in high school.  Hanging from the side are my first pair of ballet shoes.  In the box below are ALL of her hairbows!  On the wall behind the mirror we have a board for jewelry and photos.

Close-up of my first pair of ballet shoes hanging on the mirror.

I've hung some of my first jewelry pieces on the board in her room.  Three of my first rings and the charm bracelet I had growing up.

A view of one wall.  See that cool "puff" hanging over the tutu table?  Doesn't it go great with the room and the table?  It was from Nora Kate's baby shower, I love it!

Close up of Nora Kate's bed.  See the little satin bows.

I absolutely LOVE the bedding.  It was the very first thing we got for the room.  The first time I saw this bedding online I knew it would be perfect!!

I wanted Nora Kate to have her monogram above her crib, but I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to do it.  This turned out to be another favorite part of the room and another thing I wish I had taken before and after pictures of because it was a project!  I glued each pearl on the "Z" (there are over 400 on there!)...I used hot glue, so I'm hoping my fingerprints grow back soon! haha!  The Z is mounted on a wooden plaque and the N and K are painted pink, mounted on canvases that have been painted solid pink on the sides and covered with scrapbook paper on the fronts.  The trickiest part was figuring out how to get the Z to mount on top of the canvases!  This was a rewarding project though, as I LOVE how it turned out! 

Here's a close up on the monogram over the crib!  You can see the pearls better in this picture.

The bushes outside Nora Kate's windows even got the memo...they are blooming pink right now!!!

The changing table.  Poor Carter gets changed on this table still even though it's now pink and in Nora Kate's room.  He obviously doesn't mind though.  He points to the tutu on the wall over the table and says, "pretty." 

The tutu on the wall over the changing table was my very first tutu from my first year of ballet when I was 3 and 4 years old.  This was one thing I knew I wanted to hang in Nora Kate's room from the beginning!

This sweet sign is over Nora Kate's door.

The important part is do not disturb! :)

 

And since it's been a few weeks since I uploaded any pregnancy pictures here are two from when we took my 36 week pictures. 

One more picture, this one was taken "at Nora Kate's level."  Haha!

 

So now that the nursery is done and we know Nora Kate is a healthy weight (not too big!), we are mostly done with preparing for her arrival.  I do (of course) have a to do list to complete before she gets here which I'll be working on over the next weeks, but for the most part we are ready for her arrival!

Sunday School Baby Shower

Our wonderful Sunday School class threw a baby shower for us this evening.  Another member of our class, Sarah, is also expecting her third child (due in September), and so it was a great joint shower!  She is having a boy, so it was fun seeing both pink and blue at the shower.  It was at Aubrey's restaurant.  We had delicious food, and it was so nice to get to visit with everyone.

Our group at the shower with Sarah and I in the middle.

The beautiful pink hydrangeas I was given.

(Sarah got blue for a boy.)

 

After we ate dinner and chatted a while.  Sarah and I got to open gifts!  We both got a lot of great gifts!  I love all the sweet little girl bows, headbands, shoes, bibs, and diapers!!  One of our friends gave us a handmade gift...

Look at this adorable quilt Tracy made for Nora Kate!

It's so pretty and so soft!

Here's a close up...it even has her name in the middle!

 

We really appreciate the thoughtfulness of our Sunday School hosting a shower for our third child especially since we have not been a part of the class for a really long time!  We are very grateful for our Sunday School class! 

Bows, Bows, Bows!

In preparation for Nora Kate's arrival, I mentioned I've been making hair bows...a lot of hair bows!  John has been giving me a hard time about my recent obsession with making bows because I've snuck in a bow here and there in all of my free time during naps and after the boys are in bed.  :)  BUT I've reached a stopping place...for now.  :)  I've used up the ribbon I have, but more importantly, I've given Nora Kate a mixture of colors, styles, and sizes of bows.  So, since I've spent SO much time on bows over the past couple of weeks, I had to share!

 

 

I made these 11 loopy bows for Nora Kate.

 

I made these 11 "korker" bows.  These are by far the most time consuming since in order to make the ribbon curly you have to wrap it around dowels and bake it in the oven for 25 minutes, then remove, cut to the length and then put the bows together.  But they look so fun, it was worth the time!

Then I made these button center bows.

These 6 bows are special!  All the materials used to make these bows I cut off of some of my old dance costumes.  I was really pleased at how the tutu type of material made into a bow so well!

These few were very easy to make.  I just covered the clip with ribbon and then added the flower or feather.

Then I made these bows, so Nora Kate will have some bigger bows too!

I made these bows back in April, but I wanted to share these at the same time.  These three cloth bow headbands match three bow ties that the boys have. 

So far I've made Nora Kate 63 bows, so I think I'm at a stopping place!  :)

Now I just need to finish decorating the nursery with this same intensity!

(Nora Kate's nursery is *almost* complete!)  Hopefully in the next week or so I'll have pictures of the completed room to share!

 

Quick Nora Kate update:  I'm 34 weeks now, and I'm still feeling well.  So well, in fact, that I think the boys and I are going to tag along on one last business trip with John before Nora Kate arrives!