Taken by surprise!

Yesterday started off as an ordinary day. We took a trip out to Whole Foods in Ann Arbor to get some items for Hunter. All was well on the way out there but the ride back was a nightmare. Hunter was so unhappy and wanted out of the truck. Once we got home he inhaled lunch with his daddy and then took a very much needed 2 1/2 hour nap. 2 1/2 HOURS!!! He has not napped that well in months. Perhaps we are getting a grasp on what is going on and hopefully we find out more this Friday. So, after his nap we were supposed to go to our friend Tracy's house for the boys to play. Well, as we were driving Christian completely missed Tracy's street and I was really uncomfortable in the car. So, he had me open the center console up and in there was Reese Peanut Butter Cups - my favorite snack this pregnancy! Then we headed towards West Rd which made no sense to me at all. He then had me open the glove box and in it was a card from him which brought tears to my eyes. It explained that what was going on would all make sense in just a minute. We pulled into the Cultural Center and much to my surprise there was a baby shower all planned out! It was wonderful!!! I was completely taken by surprise! Our good friend Tracy planned out the entire thing along with a little help from my husband. I cannot believe he was able to keep it hidden from me. It was perfect! The center was decorated in blue streamers, balloons, flowers and candy. There was lots of yummy food and a beautiful cake that was welcoming our new little boy. There were also lots of cards for everyone to sign to put in Small Fry's baby book. It really was a great time and a total surprise! I am very blessed to have so many people in my life that care so much for me and my family. Then to top of an incredible day we had an awesome night too! Hunter actually slept through the night - 9pm until 8am!!! He has not done that in so long! Woo Hoo!!!

Wonderful Nana!

Our Nana is just plain wonderful! She has been there for us through all the ups and downs of this pregnancy as well as the recent developments with Hunter. She has seen just how hard this pregnancy has been on me physically as well as emotionally. She knows how ready I am to have this baby here and to get some answers for Hunter. She has been there every step of the way and we are so grateful to have her right next door. She provides nightly entertainment for Hunter since we have "Nana Time" after dinner. He totally looks forward to it and asks about it each night. Well, last night Nana thought I could use some cheering up. So, once Hunter was in bed and I was able to finally relax she met Christian at the fence with a special something for me. She had arranged a beautiful mix of yellow flowers in a vase for me! Not only did she do something special for me but she kept Hunter in mind too. She selected flowers in his favorite color - yellow! She knows how much fresh flowers make me smile.

Thank you so much Nana for being so great! We love you lots! Hunter and Small Fry are so lucky to have you right next door! Christian and I are very lucky too!

Happy where he is.

Small Fry is happily hanging out in his home. He is quite content but is starting to show some signs of making his debut! I went to see my OB today and all is still well in baby land. We are both doing great! I got to see our little man on an ultrasound. My fluid levels are awesome and the baby is measuring right on target. She is estimating him to be about the same size as Hunter was - so, no 8 pounder for me! 7 pounds looks like the magic number. The ultrasound also showed his head starting the decent into the birth canal so we are getting closer to the big day! She is happy to see me approaching 37 weeks! 37 weeks, how on earth did we get here? So, nothing much to report except that I go back to see my doctor next Friday. Perhaps we will have some exciting news to comment on after that appt. The time continues to tick on by - tick tock tick tock.

Addicted to yellow.

My son is seriously addicted to anything that is yellow. He LOVES the color yellow. A couple nights ago at bathtime he was playing with a yellow matchbox car and had to take it into the bath with him. He would not take no for an answer. That was a battle I was not willing to fight. So, into the tub the car went. After his bath he had to take the car to bed with him or else we had a full fledge tantrum on our hands. So, away went the car. Well, last night it was yellow flowers. Hunter went on a walk around the block with Christian and our backyard neighbor, Ann, gave him some yellow tulips and daisies to bring back to me. Yup, you guessed it. The flowers had to go with him at bathtime! So, I gave him one daisy to play with in the tub. He was a happy camper. Then he held it the entire time we sat in the rocking chair for cuddle time before bedtime. That kid had a death grip on that poor little yellow flower! Once he fell asleep I was able to pry it out of his hand and put him to bed flower free. However, once he woke for the day the first thing he asked for was his yellow flowers. So, I think it is safe to say that my son has an addiction to the color yellow!

Awesome Mom!

We had a crazy fun weekend! All those pictures below, the blog posts, and Picassa are all kept up to date by Katie. She's an amazing mom and wife - we are all so grateful!!!!

A Family Picture.

Here is one last family picture before Small Fry arrives. It has been awesome being a family of three but I am anxiously waiting to see what life is like as a family of four! It won't be long now!

What a great weekend!

We had a wonderful and fun filled weekend! We were also able to get lots done around the house. I feel great! First off, we opened the pool and Christian has been working hard on it to try and have it up and going before Small Fry arrives. He also finished the kitchen! It looks beautiful! Now, we get to decorate it a bit more. We have some really neat ideas for that. I was able to get some new flowers and actually plant them too. Hunter really likes them because they are yellow (his favorite color) and purple. Next, we spent lots of time with Nana next door and Hunter just loves being over there especially since he gets to help her water flowers with the hose. That is super fun for him! We are slowly getting him used to be over there without us and it is working out great! We also got a new climber for him to go in the backyard along with a used Power Wheels Jeep. Both make him smile great big! So, it has been a very busy and productive holiday weekend.

Getting Bigger!

We had my cousin and her family over on Saturday and I must say that Ryan sure is getting big! He is such a cutie! It was wonderful to visit and have dinner with them. I loved being able to hold Ryan and to have him fall asleep on me. Oh, it makes me want my little man to be here so much more! I can hardly wait! Come on June!!!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

With all the recents events happening Hunter needed to have a super fun day. That happened on Thursday. It was a beautiful day outside and Hunter and I decided to venture out to the local petting zoo. He loves that place! He has so much fun petting all the rabbits, horses, sheep and goats. He also really enjoys playing by the duck and turtle pond. He points out all the yellow and orange fish to me as well as the turtles and ducks. There are dandelions all throughout the zoo and he is in heaven picking them all. Of course, we need to bring all his "yellow flowers" home to put in water. He will ask for them again once he gets up from his nap. He is a smart kid. After his nap I decided to get out the sprinkler. He had a blast running back and forth over and over! It was really a sight to see. His smile was HUGE!!! I am so happy that I was able to give him a day of fun! Seeing him happy made my day. I love my little guy so much!

Still Cooking.

I had yet another OB appt today and the little boy is still happily baking away! Everything checked out great with both of us! Changes are beginning to take place but it is still a guessing game as to when our little man will make his big debut! As long as he is happy and healthy he can come whenever he wants. My OB must be thinking it will be sometime soon since she made sure I had her personal cell number and told me to call if my water breaks or any fluids begin to leak (gross, I know) or I have contractions that are able to be timed for more than 10 minutes. Well, if that is the case I guess I should be calling her daily since I always have contractions that can be timed for longer than 10 minutes! We are not worried. It will happen when it happens. We are just more concerned with dealing with Hunter's new condition and how that is changing all of our lifestyles. So, I will update on our second little guy next Friday after my appt.

Wonderful Weather!

Despite all the stress and anxiety in our house latey there is one thing that is wonderful - the weather! It has been gorgeous the last couple of days! We have been able to spend so much time outdoors enjoying the 80 plus degree temps! I love it! We will be loving life outside even more soon. We are buying an 8 in 1 climber from one my friends and we are planning on putting it in the yard with the pool. This way we will be able to sit by the pool or BBQ while Hunter plays. It will be perfect! Of course, we know Hunter will not be able to play on his climber unattended since he will be right by the pool but that is ok with us. We are just excited to be getting a climber for him. He is going to love it! This way he will also have something to do that is new and exciting when his brother arrives! So, woo hoo for climbers and woo hoo for wonderful weather!!!

Results are in!

I spoke with Hunter's doctor yesterday and got the results from his allergy tests. Well, let's just say we are working with them and it is going to take some time to get used to and a lot of trial and error. What the doctor ended up explaining to me is far to long for a blog entry. So, you can email myself or Christian for the whole story. All I can say is that Hunter is ok and will be ok. It is just going to take some time and lots of work. One day at a time. At least everything will be ok in the end. We love our little man very much and are willing to do whatever it takes to keep him happy and healthy.

The Napless Wonder.

My lovely child has apparently decided that sleeping is overrated. He will not nap anymore and sleeping at night is rare too. Seriously, today he took a TEN MINUTE nap and that was all! Before we take drastic measures of letting him work it out on his own we are awaiting food allergy results. If those are all negative then let the games begin! It will be a rough week or so but hopefully in the end he will be back to sleeping again. So, if anyone out there has any advice on getting a 2 year old to nap and sleep at night please share! We are at our wits end here. We are open to any ideas! We would love to get back to normal before Hunter's brother arrives.

Thunderstorms

I LOVE thunderstorms but my son, on the other hand, is terrified. This makes night time thunderstorms especially difficult. We had some really active weather roll through our area last night. I enjoyed it once it started but quickly realized it was going to be a very long night. I was right. As soon as the second or third good rumble of thunder was heard Hunter was up and screaming at the top of his lungs. So, I spent the entire night in his room comforting him and letting him know that he was not alone and he was safe and that the storm could not hurt him. Wow, I forgot how slow the minutes can pass when you are dead tired and have to stay up. Lets just hope that Hunter learns to enjoy storms and not be terrified.

Like Father, Like Son.

How adorable are these pictures? Too cute and 100% precious! Hunter just had to help his Daddy cut the grass today. So, he hauled out his little lawnmower and up and down the lawns he went with Christian. I loved watching it! Hunter sure is getting big and it seems to be happening right before my eyes. I feel like I am going to blink and he will be starting school and then graduating. But, these are the days that I am going to remember fondly and smile.

Cute Story

Christian and Hunter were at the mall a couple of weeks ago. Hunter was sitting on a bench enjoying a snack and talking to people as they passed by. Now, remember, Hunter is just over two and will say anything! Well, Hunter seems to think that everyone has a baby in their belly. So, I am guessing you can see where this story goes. Christian told me a heavy set lady walked by and was smiling as Hunter was talking away. Her smile quickly vanished as Hunter pointed to her belly and said "baby, Daddy". Christian could not help but laugh. The lady apparently walked off rather quickly. Kids, they say just about anything!

Waiting Game.

Right now we are playing the waiting game with Hunter's allergy tests. We should have results sometime next week. In the meantime we are treating him as if he has an intolerance to the milk protein in any dairy. So, that means we are limiting how much Lactaid he gets as well as any other dairy until we get the results. This is not easy as almost everything contains some sort of milk product. So, we are reading lots of food labels right now and will probably need to continue for some time. We are planning on taking him to see an Allergist once we get his results to get a second opinion. I will update on Hunter once we get his results next week and then we will go from there. Fingers are still crossed for no allergies!!!

Wish us luck.

We are heading out shortly to get our little man allergy tested. He is showing some signs of a dairy allergy - not cool. We always new this was a possibility but we thought we had it under control with Lactaid milk. Obviously not. So, Hunter will be getting his blood drawn and sent out for testing. Of course, he will get some sort of a special treat after visiting the lab. Poor kid. This is going to break my heart. Please keep your fingers crossed that we are not dealing with an allergy or anything serious. I will post information as we get the lab results. Until then, no dairy and such for Hunter. In case we are dealing with an allergy we already have a great Pediatric Allergist lined up that comes highly recommended from a friend who has a son who is literally allergic to just about everything. At least we have her and her family to help us through this as well as the Allergist. I just hope we do not end up going that route. Fingers crossed!

What a wonderful Mother's Day!

Today was a great day! I got 2 beautiful cards, one from Christian and the other from my little boys. I also got a perfect gift. I got a coffee mug with Hunter's picture on it as well as some of my favorite coffee. I was thrilled! It was the best morning ever and the day just kept getting better! After Hunter's nap we went to Lake Erie Metro Park and Hunter chased some geese and played on the playscapes and we even got to walk down by the water for a short while. The baby has been really active today too. It is almost as if he does not want me to forget about him today. My boys have made my day one to remember for sure!

To the most amazing mom!!

This is a guest post from Christian :)

I just wanted to tell everyone what an incredible mom Katie is! With Small Fry on the way, Katie hasn't slowed down at all with anything, and is still there (all the time!) with Hunter keeping him happy at the same time.

I'm a very very very fortunate guy to have her be my wife! She's truly quite a model mom too!!

Many many thanks girl for doing what you do!! Your whole family is so grateful!! We love you!!!

Hanging in there!

This Sunday will mark 34 weeks for me!!! I went to see my OB today for a regular appt and to discuss a few things. Everything looks great with the baby. He is still head down and floating. His heartrate is wonderful and he is really active. All good things. Things are well with me too. I am still behind in the weight gaining compared to Hunter's pregnancy. I am also still stretchmark free!!! This is amazing!!! I love it! My OB wants me off my feet more. Hmmm...how on earth do you do that with a 2 year old??? Any suggestions? She is also guessing that I have about a month left until our next little man arrives. This was exciting to hear because that means I would go about 2 weeks early! However, I am well aware that babies arrive when they want not when a doctor says it will happen. So, with that said, Hunter's little brother will arrive on the day that he decides is a good day for his birthday. We will be thrilled with whatever day that happens to be. I will update again on the baby on May 22nd after my next appt. Then we should be down to weekly updates until he arrives!
On a different note, his nursery is complete! Christian purchased the closet doors yesterday and even put them up! So, when our little man makes his debute his room will be ready and waiting! It looks so cute too!

Just when you think...

Just when you think you have them figured out - BAM - they change things up on you! Hunter used to go to bed so easy for me. Not anymore. He will act like he is sleeping when he is not. However, for his Daddy things are totally different. He falls right asleep for him. Geesh, kids are always changing things. At least he goes to sleep easily for one of us! Christian is so good with him. Hunter sure is lucky to have a Dad that is so involved. Hunter's brother is lucky too. Heck, we are all lucky to have Christian in our lives. Christian, thank you for all that you do for us. You certainly make our lives complete!! We love you lots and lots!

Successful Weekend.

This past weekend was very successful and really productive! We got so much done! I was able to get out into my gardens and they look so much better! I love my gardens! Christian got all 3 lawns cut, edged and trimmed. Hunter loved trying to help his Daddy do that. Hunter also really enjoyed picking my tulips, especially the yellow ones. He kept walking around saying yellow as he held the tulip in his little hands. Really cute! Christian also got some more work done on the kitchen ceiling. It is really coming along quite nice. It should not be long now and it will be completed! I know that will make him happy and me too. We also picked out the closet doors for Hunter's little brother's room. Now all we have to do is purchase them and install them. That is another weekend project. Along with all the household chores and projects we were able to sneak some park time in at Bishop Park and lots of walks outside around our neighborhood. We were also able to celebrate my mom's birthday this past Friday. It was a great weekend!!!

Check him out!

Hunter adores the train at Babies-R-Us and here is a picture to prove it! Each and every time we go to that store he stops on his way in to play on it. Now, if only it would be "in order" he could actually ride it! Perhaps one day it will be working.

Happy Birthday MeeMaw!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEEMAW!!!

We are looking forward to helping you celebrate your special day!