Summer is over

Tonight we got to meet Cadence's 3rd grade teacher, and she had her Girl Scout pinning ceremony as well. I love her teacher, and I know that this year will be wonderful. Cadence was in true form when we met her, but hopefully we didn't scare her away too bad. ;)

The pinning ceremony was wonderful, and all the girls did so well. My favorite part was when they asked Cadence what her favorite thing about Girl Scouts this year was, and her response was "Making the world a better place!" I swear that child will be an actress or Miss America one day! Her troop leader also got her name wrong during the introduction, which I found very funny since her daughter and Cadence are great friends! Here are the pictures from tonight, and I can't believe that she's about to start her third year of Girl Scouts!

This is when Miss Tricia forgot her name

but she recovered quickly!

I loved Making the World a Better Place!

Even Minnie is counting down!

I'm going to attempt to do a countdown for Disney every day. Here are the results!

35 Days

Minnie is helping paint our new shirts

34 Days

Minnie found some friends to have a tea party with!


33 Days

Hanging around in the bathroom, just waiting for September!


32 Days

She had to watch her main man before getting the day started!


31 Days

Hanging out with her cousins


30 Days

Minnie loves meeting princesses, too!


29 Days

Checking up on Sofia before seeing her in September!


28 Days

Minnie is helping show off the new outfits for the little ones!


27 Days


26 Days


25 Days


24 Days


23 Days


22 Days


21 Days


20 Days


19 Days


18 Days


17 Days


16 Days


15 Days


14 Days


13 Days


12 Days


11 Days


10 Days


9 Days


8 Days


7 Days


6 Days


5 Days


4 Days


3 Days


2 Days


1 Day

Best. Momma. EVER!

This whole trip started because my mom mentioned that she spends tons of money on us for Christmas each year, and she would love to just give us the money and us use it for a family vacation instead. I was over the moon to hear that, then decided to use some money from leaving my old job and pay the entire thing off since we decided to go in September instead of waiting until October like originally planned. She had mentioned that she may make me a "travel kit" for my birthday/christmas instead, and also mentioned clothes. Then, a few days ago she offered to pay for the non-disney hotel we're staying in the first night (which is now booked and will be awesome!), then called today and said she had stuff for us and wanted to bring it up. She showed up with a gift card to Applebee's (the hotel has one attached where kids eat free, and we were already planning to have at least one meal there. The gift card should cover the entire thing), money for the "resort fee" the hotel will charge, an Old Navy gift card for me to get clothes before we go (all my clothes are too big since having Maddie), and a $25 Disney gift card for each girl (we were only planning on giving them $50 each for spending money, so this is half of that!!) We are so incredibly blessed, and I'm so so thankful.

Mike also took me shopping the other day (again, the whole "lost all the baby weight" thing), and I got two new pair of jeans, a pair of capris, crocs ballet flats, and some other "unmentionables" that I needed. I'm loving all my new stuff, and the best part was that all my jeans were the same size I bought before I was pregnant with Cadence! I also used the gift card tonight (yes, I had it a total of 3ish hours before it was spent!) and got two new pairs of shorts and a cute Mickey shirt for the trip. Mike rolled his eyes when I showed him the shirt, but whatever. I don't care. I love it and can't wait for it to arrive!

And I think I'm going to start counting down with the girls tomorrow. I saw this blog that had ideas on how to countdown to Disney in an "Elf on the Shelf" way, only they used Minnie Mouse. We have the same Minnie in red and the black and white version, and since tomorrow makes 35 days out, I thought I'd start then. I don't know that I'll be able to do it every day (and am in awe that she kept it up for 100 days!), but I'm definitely going to try! I'll try to get a picture every day that I remember!

Disney Arts and Crafts

We have been doing a lot of Disney related crafts recently, and I have to share them! This post is all clothes, but I'll do another with the autograph pillowcases and the bottles as soon as I have them finished. But for now, CLOTHES!

The thing I've had the most fun with is tshirts. I used the same freezer paper tutorial I used on the Jeep shirt, but made sure to have matte paint this time. They are working out beautifully, and I've gotten carried away making them.

Here are the ones that are finished so far:


Hitchhiking Ghosts (mine)



The Tightrope Walker from the Haunted Mansion (mine)
I'm planning on putting some kind of frame around this one



Aurora and Maleficent (mine)



Nemo (Amelia)



Beauty and the Beast Rose (Amelia)



Perry Fedora (Cadence)



Max as Powerline from A Goofy Movie (my sister)
In cast you need more:




Tom Selleck from Meet the Robinsons (my sister)
Again, more:



And here are the clothes that my AMAZING friend Jamie made for the little ones:


Mary Poppins Jolly Holiday Dress


Snow White Tunic (it will have yellow leggings under it)

  
Minnie Mouse Pillowcase Dresses


And last, the other clothes:


The new nightgown Aunt Sarah bought. It's "Roar-Ra!!" and she is VERY excited to have it!

  
Snow White and Cinderella from MamMaw

I have more tshirts coming, plus Ariel Rompers and an adorable Alice dress! I can't wait, and will have those pictures up soon. 39 days to go!!

My Disney Obsession

Ok, I admit it. I'm obsessed.

There, happy? I said it. I don't just like Disney. I ADORE Disney. I just like vacations there. I obsessively count down to the and plan out all the details. I don't just go visit the parks. I visit, have outfits for my kids, and know all the new attractions that are open. And I will admit that this trip is no different. So far our schedule is as follows:

Saturday
Drive to Orlando, spend the night somewhere offsite. Hoping to get there by 7pm or so, but no clue if it will actually happen with three small children.

Sunday
Check in to Coronado Springs, and hopefully be in Magic Kingdom by 10am.
Take Maddie to get her first haircut at 1 at Harmony Barber Shop, Sarah and Aimee will take the two big ones to become Mermaids or Pirates at the Pirates League.
Dinner that night at Chef Mickey's

Monday
Breakfast with Alice and Mary Poppins at 1900 Park Fare
Animal Kingdom until it closes
Probably either the Boardwalk, Downtown Disney, Polynesian to watch the Electrical Water Pageant, or a movie at one of the outdoor movie areas that night.

Tuesday
Hollywood Studios with Sarah and Aimee until they have to leave
Lunch at Mama Melrose
Either hang out at Hollywood Studios awhile longer, or do one of the after hour things above. Maybe the pool at Coronado Springs

Wednesday
Epcot all day, with dinner at Teppan Edo

Thursday
Whichever park the girls want to revisit, and dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe. I'm sure we'll spend time looking around Wilderness Lodge while we're there.

Friday
Whichever park the girls want to visit for one final hurrah, then head home.
Listen to fighting and disappointment for 12 hours. Probably cry.

Since we'll have little ones, I've tried to make sure there is downtime in there. I've also intentionally not done park hoppers this trip because it makes us have to pick a place and stay, and because (per Mike) I'm trying not to over plan us. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean I can't plan outfits and car ride activities and make pillowcases for autographs and whatever else my little heart desires!! More on those projects to come!

*hangs head in shame*

Hi there. Again. I'm here, and starting to get a little bit of sleep, and we have so much going on. I'll try to make this short and sweet! (who am I kidding!)

• IT'S SUMMER!
Cadence is loving being home, and the only issue the little ones are having is that the sun is still up when they head to bed. We don't have any major trips planned, but it's been nice to throw them in shorts, tshirts and flip flops (or barefoot for the two little ones) and not have to worry about it. Cadence will start school first week of August, so next week summer vacation will be half over. I don't think I'll mention that to her any time soon. ;)

• I'm trying to get hot!
Tonight starts day one of me starting P90. I don't know if I'll be able to make it, or if it will kick my butt, but I'm excited to try! I don't really want to lose weight, but just tone up a little. Let's hope it doesn't kill me too much. And I'll try not to drive you crazy with P90 updates.

• Mike and I both have new jobs!
Both of our jobs were driving us insane and were very unhealthy for us (I lost 15 lbs in 3 weeks, wasn't eating, wasn't sleeping, and was being super cranky mom to the girls), and so on March 26 (yes, the Tuesday before Easter) I walked out. Mike left CarMax the next day (he at least gave 2 weeks.) I had another job waiting which is closer to home, smaller, less stress and I'm making more money. Mike is working with a friend of his doing windshield repair, and he's even happier than I am. I didn't realize how stressed and awful things for both of us were until we weren't dealing with it anymore. Things are MUCH MUCH better.

• WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!
This is the one I'm most excited about!! We will be there from Sept 8-13, and we're staying at Cornado Springs. It's for Amelia and Cadence's birthday, and our trip with overlap with Sarah's!! We are trying to do this as economically as possible, so I have tons of ideas that we're going to try and get finished in the next 72 days. And I'll apologize now that this is about to become Disney Craft Central! :) I'm beyond excited about getting to go!!!!

I'm not going to promise to update more often, but I'll try. But I say that a lot, so we'll see!

Yeah, so I suck at this

It's amazing how little time I have now with three little ones around. We've mostly settled into a routine at night, but by the time they are all out, it's then time for me to clean up and get myself to bed, and usually one of the little ones is back awake again! Anyway, I'm here. For now, at least!

We're all doing ok, and trying to get over the funk. Maddie is on antibiotics for a double ear infection, I'm on them for a sinus infection, and I was told today that Amelia has been pulling and digging in her ear. I foresee another doctor's appointment in my future.

So, tonight the girls and I were at Target looking for a baby gift for my cousin, Jennifer. She's about to have her second baby - a sweetsie little boy who will be the first on that side of the in years!! I wanted to get her something that she probably wouldn't get from anyone else, would be useful, and something that she probably wouldn't buy herself. One of my favorite gifts from Amelia's shower was this awesome drying rack by Boon. It has been so helpful, and since I was nursing and wouldn't really need bottles except at the sitter, I could also use it for medicine droppers, pump parts, and sippy cup straws. I'm hoping that Jennifer loves it as much as I do, because we got her one, too. I also got her the Twig, and came VERY close to picking it up for myself. I'm glad I didn't, because I saw the Stem when I got on their site when I got home. It's a purple flower!! A cute purple flower to go with my awesome drying rack that looks like grass! If I can find it at Target, I'm definitely getting it!

I'm also on the lookout for baby shower cupcake ideas. I'm taking some for a shower at work next week, and I want them to be perfect! I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, but the girl they are for has assured me that she adores cupcakes - any kind - so she will be thrilled with whatever I bring. Right now I'm leaning toward marshmallow flowers on top, but with blue sugar. I'll try to remember to post pictures when I decide!

I think I hear the little one up (again!), so I'll try to remember to come back before 3 months has passed!

Wow, three months...

I knew it had been awhile, but didn't realize it had been this long. The past month or so has been super crazy getting ready for Birthdaypalooza 2012, and now we've started "A Very Pinterest Christmas." I'll post quick updates on the girls and us, and I promise to be back with the good and not so good Pinterest ideas we've tried!

Cadence:
She's doing ok. We have an appointment on December 4 with a psychiatrist to see if she has ADHD, impulse control issues, a processing disorder or something else altogether. I'm not opposed to medication if the doctor thinks that is what she needs, but I also won't object at all if they suggest behavior therapy or something else. I love her to pieces, but she's still having outburst over very tiny things, *can not* sit still AT ALL, and has started pulling her hair out resulting in bald spots. She's so bright and funny and creative, and it breaks my heart to see her so angry and frustrated all the time. I'm really hoping this will help and give us some answers.

Amelia:
She's two. And definitely acts like a two year old! I hear a lot of "No, Mommy! Mine! You a mean mommy! No Sissy! No touch! DON'T!!!" and my favorites, "go bed, Mommy!" and "EAT SOUP, MOMMY!!!" She is absolutely hilarious most of the time, and is much much much better with Maddie. She loves to hold her, kiss her, and thinks it's so funny when she makes faces or talks and Maddie laughs at her. She loves "meme mouf", "Jake Ho Ho" and "Sissy YaYa" (Minnie Mouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Cinderella for those of you that can't speak toddler), and gets so excited whenever a Disney World commercial comes on. I can't wait utnil we can take her. She's a handful, but she's MY handful, and I wouldn't change her for anything.

Maddie:
She'll be six months old next week! She's still very tiny - in 0-3 month clothes still - and I'm going to talk to them next week about her weight in relation to how much she eats (a ton!) and spits up (also a ton!) She is rolling over, and has figured out how to roll/scoot/wiggle herself pretty much wherever she wants. She's still not quite sitting up on her own, but wants to so bad! I'm really excited about Thanksgiving tomorrow, because she's now eating whatever mushy things we are, and I know she's going to lose it with all the food we'll have tomorrow. She's usually happy (unless I put her down or pass her off), and smiles all the time. She's also set a bedtime for herself. She goes to bed about 8 or 8:30 every night, and will sleep until 4ish the next morning. I had one 10 hour night, but it was the exception. Usually she sleeps about 8 hours or so straight, and it's so nice. She's such a good baby, an we've been so lucky.

Mike and me:
Well, we're both still at jobs we're not completely thrilled with, and still not making quite enough for me to be at home full time. However, there are some things in the works, so maybe something will change for one or both of us soon.

It's been crazy having three little ones around the house, and even though Maddie has been here six months, I think we're all still adjusting to everything. It's so weird to look around and see 5 stockings on the mantle (yes, I've already decorated for Christmas!), and have three kids crammed in the back of my Jeep, and have three to check up on before I go to sleep. And I've ran into another problem I didn't have with Cadence and Amelia: I'm getting Amelia and Maddie's babyhoods mixed up! Cadence and Amelia were so far apart that it hasn't been that hard to remember which of them did what. But with Amelia and Maddie only being 19 months apart, it's all becoming a babyhood blur. And of course it doesn't help that my children all look alike!

I have tons of pictures from the mega Birthdaypalooza 2012, and of all the Christmas gifts and holiday foods we've been making. I'll definitely be back shortly to upload some of those!

In case I don't get back tomorrow, I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!

Praying it passes soon

I'm not sure if it's lack of sleep, stress, or hormones, but the dreams, anxiety and panics have started again. It doesn't happen often, but every once in awhile I have nights where I can't sleep and I keep imagining all the awful things that could happen to us. The most common is fire. I'm absolutely terrified that we're going to have a house fire in the middle of the night and I'm not going to be able to get all three of the girls out. And for the last few days, I've also been having crazy dreams, and will start getting panicky for no reason at all. I walked in a minute ago to calm Amelia and almost started crying when she looked up at me and said momma.

I know that these feelings will pass soon, but I absolutely hate feeling this way. I  KNOW it's irrational. I KNOW that I'm overreacting. I KNOW that I'm being a hormonal mommy. But when it's midnight or so and I can't sleep, and all I keep thinking about is crazy house fires or car wrecks or who knows what else, it's hard to remember that I'm being irrational and overreacting. Very very hard.

My "baby"

I was up late tonight getting clothes finished for Mike for tomorrow, and went to put something in Cadence's room. When you walk into Amelia's, it's covered in dolls and preschool toys and board books, and even though there is a "big girl bed," it's still very much a kid's room. I walked into Cadence's room, and was greeted with a DS charger, her hot pink camera, a few containers full of sparkly jewelry and headbands, and another container full of nail polish and the makeup she's managed to get others to buy her. There are still dolls and barbies and a few other kid things, but her room is slowly morphing into a tween room instead, covered in hot pink, lime green and sparkles. I know she'll be 8 in November, but she's not suppose to have a tween room yet!

She starts school next Tuesday, and will be in second grade. In the last year and a half she's gone from being our only kid, to having two sisters. She has a love of anything zebra printed, is a fabulous big sister, and is extremely creative. She's also extremely sensitive, and takes everything personally. She's dramatic, entertaining, loving, and goofy. She's extremely book smart, but can completely lack street smarts at times. And as crazy as she makes me, I wouldn't want her any other way.

Cadence is definitely the total opposite of Amelia, and is the opposite of me as well. It's taken me awhile to understand her attitudes and mood swings, and to be able to not take her reactions to things personally (actually, I'm still working on that), but I love her more than anything. I know that she will be the one to constantly amaze me, and will go on to do unbelievable things. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her.

Updates and Kids books

I could really get used to this "stay at home mom" thing. I've been able to take Cadence to camp, went with Amelia to Baby Bookworms at the library today, have had time to take care of little things, and of course, hang out with Maddie. Tomorrow I have my six week checkup, and it's reminding me that I don't have much more "stay at home" time left. That sucks. It's necessary, but it still sucks. Makes me really wish we were very very wealthy and I didn't have to worry about it! ;)

Cadence started Girl Scout camp yesterday, and seems to be having a blast. She's coming home really tired (even though she'd never admit it), and I'm worried that she won't be able to get out of bed by the end of the week! She's brought home photos of her artwork the last two days, and I can't wait to see the art show at the end of the week.

Amelia has FINALLY warmed up at Baby Bookworms, and actually interacted some today (and, of course, it was the last day of the summer session. It continues through the year, though.) She also "read" more than enough books for the summer reading program. She needed 20, and I think we ended with closer to 50. Her entire sheet was filled, and I've discovered some really great kid books in the process. Some of my favorites:

The Baby Lit series A beautiful series of board books based on classic literature. So far we've read Alice in Wonderland (colors), Jane Eyre (numbers) and Pride and Prejudice (numbers.) There's also Romeo and Juliet and Dracula (both numbers) and A Christmas Carol (colors.) I love the Alice in Wonderland one so much that I'm tempted to buy it, tear it apart, and use the board book pages as the artwork in Amelia's room. They are that beautiful. Amelia adores Pride and Prejudice (she's carried it around all day while hugging it and saying "MINE!!") and Alice in Wonderland (she's insisted on checking it out of the library twice because she's seen it on the display and had to have it), and I'm pretty sure I know what she'll be getting for Christmas. 


The Boy Who Cried Ninja This book is absolutely hilarious, and seriously, how can you go wrong with a book that contains ninjas, pirates and a time traveling monkey?? It is a funny story about how a boy's parents don't believe him when he says ninjas (and other various exceptional creatures) do different naughty things around the house, but he can't lie because that gets him in trouble as well. The end is great, and Cadence laughed all the way through this one.


Robot Zombie Frankenstein The title alone was enough to make me want to check this one out, and I wasn't disappointed at all. It's two robots trying to outdo each other by making themselves into bigger and crazier things, and it includes pie. Cadence thought it was funny, but with all the zombie craze at the moment, I think I found it funnier than she did. The illustrations are bright and colorful (and kept Amelia's attention), and the words are simple and very effective. Awesome book!


Dinosaur vs. The Library  Dinosaur is on his way to the library, and challenges all his friends along the way. His huge ROAR allows him to win against everyone - except the librarian. This is a great book to introduce animal sounds, and to talk about inside/outside voices. Again, very bright pictures, and it's mostly animal sounds so very easy for toddlers to follow along. And seeing Amelia "ROARRRRRR!" with him was well worth it! And I just realized that they also have Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, Dinosaur vs. The Potty and in September, Dinosaur vs. Santa. I'm very excited.

I also LOVE the Bink and Gollie books that Cadence has been reading. There are only two out at the moment, but she devoured both of them and is (not so) patiently waiting for more to appear. I'm on the lookout for more books like that for her, so if anyone knows of any, please share! And thanks to Bink and Gollie, Cadence met her reading goal for the library as well. The end of year carnival is Thursday, and I'm glad we were able to stick with it and both girls finished the program.

Busy week next week

Next week will be crazy, but will be a great test run in getting the girls up and out the door on time every day. Cadence is going to Girl Scout camp, and has to be there at 8am every morning. I also have my six week check up next Wednesday, and then on Thursday I have to take Jonathan to the airport and am going to see Singin' In The Rain with Sarah that night. In the last six weeks I haven't had more than a day at a time that I needed to be somewhere at a specific time, so next week will definitely be a challenge. 

I think Cadence has everything ready for camp, and she's really excited. I hope she enjoys it as much as I think she will, and I really hope it's the start of many years of great Girl Scout memories.

One Month Old

I can't believe it. Saturday my tiny little baby turned a month old! I took her in for a weight check, and she's now up to 8lbs 13oz (she gained over a pound in two weeks.) She's starting to stay awake more, and smiling at us (mainly the girls, but I've gotten one or two!) She's such a good baby, and it's hard to believe she's been in our life for a month already!

I love you sweet Maddie Pearl, and can't imagine our life without you!

Reasons to wait on having kids

Don't get me wrong, I love my children. However, having two unmarried, childless sisters is a great and constant reminder on why you should live a little before settling and having kids. Between buying gifts for their nieces, going to the movies, and hanging out with friends, that's enough to make me jealous. The highlight of my day is usually going to Target on my own, and my social life is all lived on Facebook. But the biggest? Cecily left today going to London for a month for school, and Sarah will be in London, Paris, Scotland and who knows where else in July. Plus, she gets to go to Disneyland Paris!! 

My summer? Baby Bookworms, Girl Scout meetings and camp, and dreading maternity leave being over because I won't get to cuddle Maddie all day anymore. Not that I don't love all those things, but it's just not quite the same as studying literature in London or visiting Disneyland Paris.

Going by too fast

My tiny little baby is now almost a month old. I can't believe that my maternity leave is half over, and in about a month I'll be back at work. So far I've loved every second of it - taking Amelia to Baby Bookworms on Tuesdays, lounging around the house with Maddie and watching her sleep, watching crap tv, and of course the cat naps during the day. I've heard that there are some... things... going on at work, so it should be very interesting when I go back in August. But honestly? I'd rather be here. I know that we wouldn't be able to live anywhere like we do now if I quit, but man, I'd love to be at home. Especially since I'll be shelling out so much for daycare. If only the side projects would pan out, or Mike could get moved at his job so he'd be happier. If only, if only...

Last few days as a family of 4

I turned 38 weeks on Friday, and they let me pick a day for the induction. On Wednesday, May 30 (barring any complications or unseen events) we will go from a family of 4 to a family of 5. I was told to be at the hospital at 6:00 pm on Tuesday night, and they'll start the induction Wednesday morning. If it goes like Amelia's did, she'll be here before noon.

Knowing that this time next weekend we'll have a newborn around here has made me want to spend way more time with the two I have. As of Wednesday, everything will be different. It will never be just the 4 of us again. And as excited as I am about the baby, that makes me sad. I feel like I just got used to having the 4 of us, to having Amelia around, and just got our routine down pat. And now it's all going to be different.

I am excited - I'm looking forward to nursing again and the sweet newborn cuddles, and watching Amelia adapt to being a big sister. To having a baby again, and the sweet tiny clothes, and definitely the 2 months off during the summer where my only job during the day will be to take care of and pay attention to her. But I'm worried - about Amelia adapting to having a baby taking over some of my time, that something will go wrong with the delivery or something will be "wrong" with her, and about being able to be a mom to three. I worry about finances and no sleep and our overcrowded little house. And I worry if I'm ready for this or not.

Mike and Cadence went and spent all day yesterday together, and Amelia and I went shopping. Today we're going to church, then hanging out, and we'll spend today and tomorrow cleaning last minute things to make sure it's all ready for me leaving. I'll go grocery shopping, make sure the bed and everything is ready, and try to make sure my house is decent enough for company since I know there will be tons of it the next week or so. 

I'm scared and nervous and excited and just overwhelmed. I'm not sure what to expect or what this baby will be like, or how my little family will react to me having to give so much attention to this new little one at the house. It's scary, but exciting. And I just hope I'm up for it.

Happy Mother's Day!

I've spent the day on the phone with PayPal (someone in New Zealand was using Mike's credit card), and Amelia's room won't be finished by the end of the day, but I got lunch made for me, Cadence brought me home a pretty plant from school and made me a card, and I've have had a blast hanging out with my girls. Happy Mother's Day to all the Momma's out there, and here's some pictures from my weekend.

4 weeks to go...

I had my 36 week appointment today, and everything is looking good. My blood pressure is good, her heartrate was strong, no signs yet of labor, and I'm now officially on weekly visits until she arrives. I also found out that my Group B Strep test came back negative, but since I was positive with both of the other girls, there's a chance I may get antibiotics anyway as a precaution. I start checks next week, and was told that if I was "easily induceable" at any point after that and want her here, they'll induce me. I'm going to try and hold out until at least June 1 (39 weeks), but at that point, I don't think I'd turn an induction down!

I've spent the last few days trying to get things ready. At work, I've talked to them about vacation time, maternity leave and insurance, and I also have the major list started for the guy that's going to be filling in for me. As far as the room, it's to the point I hope to start painting tomorrow night. Over the weekend we got all the trash and donated items out, both dressers are ready (one even has clothes!), and got most of the items put away that we are keeping, but don't need to stay in there. Today I got the carpet shampooed and the desk finished and pictures on craigslist for it. We're now down to painting, arranging furniture and toys, and then fixing the ceiling and ceiling fan when my dad is here this weekend. I also need to wash and put away Baby Girl's clothes, but hopefully we can get Amelia in there before that has to be completed. It's actually looking like a real room, and I can't wait to get her settled.

Cadence is almost finished with school, and the next two weeks are going to be so busy. This week she has Field Day on Friday, and next week is Awards Day. We also have Girl Scout meetings, a bake sale, her Bridging Ceremony then Memorial Day. I also have weekly doctor's appointments, and a shower for Stacey that I work with. At least I'll have a ton of things to keep me busy until Baby Girl gets here!

Can I blame it on the baby?

It was brought to my attention that it's been 2.5 months since I updated anything, and I am so sorry! There have been a ton of things going on, so I'll give a quick rundown on our lives since February.

• I'm now 33 weeks, and can't believe it's this close. I go in for my 34 week checkup next Wednesday, and will also get an ultrasound then. My blood pressure has been great, I haven't gained a ton, and so far, still not sick. It's been surprisingly good!
• We have some name ideas, but nothing set in stone yet. More than likely, though, she will either be a Julie, Madeline, Cara or Hannah. Mike and I both like them all, so we're talking about waiting until she gets here and seeing which we think she looks like.
• Still not much closer on the room, but hoping to get that settled this weekend. I'm going today to buy stain for the dressers, and Mike promises me that we'll work on moving computers and getting the rest of the stuff cleaned out of Amelia's room. All we'll have to do then is paint, then set it all up for her. I can't wait until we can move her in!
• My husband now owns a gun. He's been talking about it for awhile, and decided the other day to use some of his bonus money to go purchase one. It's a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, and honestly, it's one scary looking gun. I was expecting something like a .22 rifle, but this looks more like a military machine gun. It's going to take some getting used to, seeing it in my house. He hasn't bought ammo yet, but already has plans to go down to Brookhaven to shoot soon.
• Cadence is loving Girl Scouts, and we're in the process of swapping troops since she'll be a Brownie next year. She went to the 100th anniversary thing last weekend, earned another patch on Monday night, and has another event on Saturday. She's really enjoying it, and REALLY looking forward to camp this summer!
• Cadence also got her report card yesterday - two 100s and a 98. :) She's getting to go today to visit the school she'll be at next year, and is really excited. It's closer to our house, too, so if I can (keeping my fingers crossed) be a stay at home mom after the baby gets here, I could walk her to school every day.
• Amelia is growing like a weed! She's now talking non-stop (and getting clearer and clearer every day), is in love with "Kitty-Kitty" (her stuffed Marie doll), and tries to climb on anything she can get near. She's also entered a screaming phase, which is oh-so-much-fun. EVERYTHING makes her shriek at the top of her lungs, and it's the one thing she does that's going to drive me insane! She almost sickening cute, though, and I love that little thing to pieces!

Things have been going well around here, and I'll try to get pictures up soon and post more often!

We got it!!!

We have talked about getting something bigger, but since we don't have a car payment at the moment, couldn't justify the payments on anything we looked at. On Friday, they had something come through wholesale that was perfect. It's a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, completely fully loaded, owned by an older couple, low miles and extremely well taken care of. It literally has every feature available at the time - leather, navigation, Sirus, power sunroof, adjustable pedals, heated seats, you name it. And since it came through wholesale, Mike could get it for $6,800.

We went over the weekend to make sure all three car seats would fit (they do), and he had it inspected on Monday (passed with flying colors.) He spent most of yesterday afternoon at the bank getting the money, but after it was all said and done (taxes, trading my 2004 Sentra, tags, etc) we ended up paying $4,115 for it. Our payments are going to be crazy cheap, and this is by far the nicest vehicle either of us has ever owned. We got it last night, and went through putting car seats in, setting the seats for me to drive, setting the automatic garage door opener and doing all those other little things. Cadence is so excited, and informed me last night that she doesn't miss my car at all, because this is much more awesome.

I'm a little sad to lose my car, because I bought it brand new, and I've had it for the last 7 years. And I've only ever driven little cars - a 91 Pontiac LeMans, 2000 Mazda Protege and then the Sentra. Driving a Cherokee is going to take a little time to get used to, because it's about twice as big as my car, and sits A LOT higher. I really really like it, though, and am so happy to have a place to put all three girls when #3 gets here!