Spring Break 2013 - Family Photo & NASCAR

I can't explain why, but I've always wanted us to take an old timey photo.  And my awesome husband and stepson made it happen!  (Because an old timey picture by myself would just be awkward.)

I love how it turned out!  Daulton had so much fun dressing up and I know he looks serious in the picture, but he was smiling the entire time from ear to ear.  Matt had no problem with the serious poses and while it wasn't his idea of a good time, he indulged us both and I love, love, love how it turned out!  (Click on the picture to make it larger if you are viewing this post directly on the blog.)

After our family picture, the boys felt the need for speed and we hit the go kart tracks.  My role was that of photographer and spectator.

We tried one track by our hotel but it was pretty crowded. So we stopped at the NASCAR Speedpark on our way out of town.  The park had 8 different tracks, miniature golf, and some carnival type rides.  I couldn't ride any of the rides, but I had fun watching them had fun and enjoyed the spring sunshine.

After NASCAR we started the long ride home.  We had done everything we wanted to do in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and I was ready to be back in my own bed.  It was great to get out of town for a few days and I think it was something we needed as a family.  Now I'm curious as to where we will go next year as a family of four!

 

Spring Break 2013 - Shopping, Hillbilly Golf, & The Comedy Barn

Day 2 of Spring Break started with some shopping in Gatlinburg.  We only visited a few shops that interested us and we made a stop at the Ole Smoky Distillery.  Matt was the only one who could sample the moonshine but it was interesting to see the shop.  They also had a wine shop where I found a shirt I will need in about 4 more months!

We bought a jar of peanut butter with chocolate and honey mixed in, elk summer sausage, and duck, alligator, kangaroo jerky sticks.  Can you guess who picked out what?

After shopping, we did some Hillbilly Golf.  You go 300 feet up the side of the mountain to play 18 holes of miniature golf and it was a lot of fun!

The final stop for the day was to The Comedy Barn, a live show in Pigeon Forge, TN.  We got there early enough for Daulton to be selected as a helper during the dog act.  He was really excited to be picked and wasn't nervous at all to be up on stage.  The show was good and we have the DVD, which Daulton would be happy to watch with you!

This picture is a little fuzzy but you can see how excited he is!

This was our last night in Tennessee and after the busy day we had, we were exhausted!  Walking, shopping, miniature golfing, and participating in a comedy show deserved some cupcakes for dessert and a last swim in the hotel pool.  There were no pictures of the cupcakes as I was too busy eating mine to remember to take a picture.  But they were very cute and very delicious!

One more Spring Break post and when you are in Hillbilly Vegas, it only makes sense to make a pit stop at NASCAR on your way home!

Spring Break 2013 - Aquarium Trip

After we checked into our hotel, we drove to Gatlinburg and decided to check out Ripley's Aquarium.  We bought our tickets and started checking out all the fish.  We really enjoyed the aquarium and checking out the different kinds of fish.  Matt even bought us a souvenir photo, something I really appreciate as I always forget to have us take family pictures!

There was a huge tank filled with sharks, sting rays, and other fish I can't name.  There was a tunnel with a moving walk way so you can see how big the sharks are up close.  The sharks were huge and I couldn't stop staring at the saw sharks, they were just so strange looking.

The tunnel was great to go through but impossible for me to photograph, stare at the fish, and keep my balance on the moving walk way.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Matt and Daulton from the aquarium.  They both had the same fascination with the jelly fish.

The aquarium had great spots for kids to get in the exhibits.  Its hard to see it in this picture but Daulton is making a funny face as the penguins were passing by him.  If you are reading this in the browser, click on the picture to see it larger.

Watch out for the penguin photo bomber!!

Matt was brave enough to pick up a horseshoe crab.  Daulton and I were not.  Matt and Daulton also got to pet the stingrays.  I did not as I was in the bathroom.  (Being five months pregnant and on vacation meant stopping at every bathroom I saw.)

Daulton found Nemo!

After the aquarium, we headed back to the hotel to let Daulton swim for a few hours and then we headed out for pizza for dinner.  By the time we got back to the hotel we were all pretty tired from the drive, aquarium, walking, and swimming.

Speaking of hotel pools, why are they so loud?  Is it the bad acoustics or the fact that every small child in the pool is constantly shrieking with joy?  I mistakenly thought reading by the pool would be relaxing but Daulton thought it was fantastic and that's what counts.

 

Spring Break 2013

This week was Daulton's Spring Break and I took the week off from work and we headed out of town for a few days.  We stopped at my sister and brother-in-law's house in Lexington last Sunday for a quick visit and to spend the night.  Some unfortunate packing on my part left Daulton without clean socks, but luckily he and my sister have the same size feet and she loaned us some socks.

The drive to Gatlinburg, TN on Monday morning was a little overcast but we still had a great view of the mountains.  Once we got near Gatlinburg, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day.

We were able to check into our hotel early and we had a nice view of the water.  We stayed at The Inn on the River in Pigeon Forge and it was a great hotel for us.  Matt found a good deal on Groupon for our stay and we liked that it was centrally located.  The guys liked to sit on the patio in the mornings (while I slept in) and watch the ducks.

This trip was the boys first trip to Gatlinburg and my second.  Gatlinburg today is nothing like I remembered it as a kid.  The best descriptions of the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area is "Kiddie Vegas" and "Hillbilly Vegas".  There are bright lights and billboards everywhere and instead of casinos everywhere, there are miniature golf and go-kart tracks as far as the eye can see.

There are more posts to come with pictures of the rest of our trip!

Daulton is 9

Daulton turned 9 this week and I can't believe he is 9 years old.  I asked him several times before his birthday if he wanted to be 8 again since that was such a good year for him, but he was adamant that he wanted to be 9.  And he is very excited to be 1 year away from "double digits".

We celebrated his birthday by eating at BW3's and eating birthday cheesecake.  Last weekend, he and Matt went to the NCAA games in Lexington, KY as part of his birthday present.  They watched two games and sadly, watched Butler be defeated by Marquette.  They had a great time and I had a great time getting pedicures and shopping with my sister!

Its hard to believe he is 9.  He's so grown up from the little 3 year old I first met when I started to date his dad.  Now he's a sports loving, playing, talking young man who is very smart, kind, and has such a big heart.

Pregnancy Observations

I'm officially at the halfway mark with my pregnancy and I've made a few observations after being pregnant for 20 weeks.

Pants - Maternity pants are my friend right now.  I feel like I've been wearing the wrong pants for years!  Elastic waist bands are amazing and so comfortable.  Trying to fit into non-maternity pants was a game of Russian roulette.  Sometimes the pants would fit and sometimes they wouldn't.  I tried the rubber bands and a belly band but neither were very comfortable.

Naps - Let's be honest, I've always loved naps.  So naps while pregnant are even more amazing.

Ginger Ale & Tums - Ginger ale is a magical drink that I survived on during the first trimester.  Now I don't have nausea but I am starting to get heartburn, so Tums are my new magic tricks.

The bump - After we announced that I was pregnant, I felt like everyone started staring at my stomach. I get it, the baby bump is an outward sign that you are pregnant.  But it felt like everyone was waiting for me to get fat.  I could also have been sensitive because I was in the awkward "I just feel pudgy but there's no baby bump" stage.  Which leads me to...

The pregnancy glow - I think the pregnancy glow is Mother Nature's trick to distract you from the nausea, bloating, gas, constipation, fatigue, and overall feeling of chubbiness.  The more you compliment me on my pregnancy glow, the less likely I am to notice you checking out my bump.

Hopefully the next 20 weeks go as well as the first 20!

Almost Halfway & A Bowling Date

I've been pretty quiet on the blog lately.  I'm either busy in the evenings or too tired to think of anything clever to say.  But I also know one day I will want to remember this time, so I had better write it down before I forget it.

I had my 18-20 week appointment last week and Baby B and I are doing well.  The ultrasound went well and everything is where it should be and he/she is growing.  We still don't know the gender and are still very happy with our decision to wait.  I think I'm feeling some movement but its not consistent enough for me to be sure.  I'm sure I will feel more in the next few weeks.

I'm craving grapes right now and I ate almost 3 pounds in 3 days last week.  We picked up more today and I'm putting a pretty good dent in this batch.  In addition to the grapes, I'm craving yogurt and fruit.  I haven't had any strange food cravings or significant increase in appetite.  Matt and I are both a little surprised I haven't had more cravings.  But I also wouldn't turn down a box of Tagalongs (the Girl Scout cookies) if anyone has any extra boxes!

I've also started wearing maternity pants, which are amazing!  Why do we not wear elastic pants all the time?

Matt, Daulton, and I had a great weekend together.  We watched a basketball game on Friday night and went bowling on Saturday night.  The bowling alley was packed so we had to make do with shoes that didn't really fit the guys and whatever bowling balls we could find.

Please take a moment to admire the final score.  I didn't win the first game but I smoked the boys during the second game.

In the picture below, you can see my handiwork with Daulton's shoes on the right.  His laces were too long so I had to get creative.  I think they make bowling shoes that ugly so no one will steal them.

He talked us into putting up the bumpers for the second game.  They definitely helped out my score.

We are ready for some warmer weather and for baseball to start!

 

Going With The Flow

The most common question I get when someone asks about my pregnancy is "are you going to find out the gender?".  I've been enjoying seeing how everyone reacts to my answer.  The responses are usually excitement that we are not going to find out or surprise that we don't want to know early.  

Those who are surprised we aren't finding out usually ask how will we prepare?  They ask how will we decorate the nursery and buy clothes.  I just kind of shrug my shoulders and say most babies don't care what their nursery looks like.  And I have a mother and mother-in-law who are doing their best to patiently wait until they can go shopping, so I'm not worried about clothes.

I usually need to have a plan and be in control, but right now I'm okay with not being in control.  If I've learned anything from having Daulton in my life its that once you add kids to the equation, you can make plans but that doesn't always mean you are going to be able to follow them.  You have to be flexible and go with the flow.

So, that's what I'm doing.  I'm going with the flow and enjoying the present.  

Just because we are not finding out the gender does not mean we judge or criticize anyone else's choice to find out early.  What works for us may not work for someone else and vice versa.  To each their own.

  

A Happy Announcement!

I have some exciting news to share.  Matt and I are expecting a baby in early August!  We are very excited to add another person to our family.  Daulton is very excited to be a big brother.  Dixie seems apathetic to the news.

I am just out of the first trimester and am feeling pretty good.  I had some nausea and fatigue in the first trimester but most of the nausea is gone and the fatigue is getting better.  I've been coming home from work pretty tired, so I haven't had much energy for blogging.

I'm sure you have questions and here are the answers to the most common questions I've been asked.

Are you going to find out if its a boy or girl?

No, we are going to be surprised and we will not be finding out early.  We would like a healthy, happy baby.

Do we have names picked out?

No.  And we haven't thought about nurseries, day care, or anything along those lines.  We will figure it out.  

Will I post belly pics?

I don't know.  It will probably depend on how I feel.  Right now I just feel pudgy and am not feeling very photogenic.  So keep the compliments about my pregnancy glow coming!

Do I have any cravings?

Not really.  I had one pickle craving a few weeks ago but haven't had another once since.  I do have an aversion to chicken right now but its getting a little better.

So that's our news!  I'm overwhelmed with all of the love and support we've been shown.  I will do my best to keep you posted!

Cutest Snow Removers Around

As you all know, I'm not one for manual labor.  Lucky for me, I live with the two cutest snow removers around.

Dixie doesn't help with snow removal.  I just think she looks really cute sitting in the snow.