We took P to the pumpkin patch on Saturday. He had lots of fun!!
Let's get this one:
Okay I'll smile:
The 3 (almost 4) of us:
Nana and P looking at the goats:
P and Mom (notice him struggling to get away from my cuddles):
Look at this one:
Ready for my 1st Halloween Party:
*note--we had to be really creative with his costume this year as he won't keep a hat on. I was planning for him to be a monkey but he just wouldn't keep the hat on. I had gotten this shirt for him at TCP for him to wear during the day for Halloween and Mark suggested we just paint some pants to match. So that's what we did. I scanned the shirt, used psp to b.low up some bones, printed it out on an iron on transfer, then painted over it with glow in the dark paint. Woll-a--costume made!!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
more signs
Pierce learned how to sign read, book, and flower today. He's also putting 2 signs together—-more apple, more please, etc.
doc just called
and all is well!! The nurse ran my long winded message by my doc and she said she was with everything!!
She said that as long as I am not having more than 5 Braxton Hicks in an hour and they aren't getting stronger and not going away--no worries. She said that with me having sweet P and running around after him, my body is handling the pregnancy totally different than with him. She said to make sure and stay hydrated and otherwise all is good.
I asked her about the paint too, b/c I was worried about the oil based primer and she said they're not worried there either. Their concerns are with lead based paints which aren't allowed anymore anyway. A friend of mine asked her husband (who is a toxicologist) he isn't concerned either. So all is perfect!!
Is is February yet??!!
She said that as long as I am not having more than 5 Braxton Hicks in an hour and they aren't getting stronger and not going away--no worries. She said that with me having sweet P and running around after him, my body is handling the pregnancy totally different than with him. She said to make sure and stay hydrated and otherwise all is good.
I asked her about the paint too, b/c I was worried about the oil based primer and she said they're not worried there either. Their concerns are with lead based paints which aren't allowed anymore anyway. A friend of mine asked her husband (who is a toxicologist) he isn't concerned either. So all is perfect!!
Is is February yet??!!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
My boys are sick
Mark and Pierce both have some sort of stomach virus and have been throwing up. I feel so bad for both of them. I'm trying my hardest to take good care of them.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Mark sees baby move
Mark saw baby move for the 1st time today. P is always so sweet and loves to love on my belly!! It's the sweetest thing!! He's gonna be the greatest big brother, I just know it!!
Our vacation, update, & pics
We are back from our trip to the Smoky Mountains--actually got back Thursday night, but it took a bit for Mark and I to get our act together to put together a slideshow. If you would like to view pics there is a slideshow at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mandklowe/Smok...key=bOgFhAec8pA Click on slideshow for full caption and picture.Here is a rundown of what we did:
We departed DFW on Monday to fly to Knoxville, TN. Because of weather in the Dallas area it was a pretty stressful morning with flight delays, setting on the runway for a while, and baggage problems. However, we got there safe and sound which is what matters most. We grabbed a quick lunch at the airport and discovered Pierce has learned how to use a fork with efficiency! We drove to Gatlinburg, TN to check into our hotel. It was more like an upscale lodge. We had our own private entrance, staircase, living room, kitchen, patio, bathroom, and bedroom. It was quite luxurious--we would highly recommend it to any honeymooners in the fall. The view was spectacular. Mount LeConte, the tallest peak in the Smokies, was the backdrop from our patio. Since we were late getting in, we weren't able to do what we had originally planned. Instead we made a run to the store for milk for P and picnic supplies for lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. We ate dinner at the restaurant of our lodge (patio dining--upscale American food, think steaks, seafood, etc.) and watched the sun set.
Tuesday morning we ate breakfast at our lodge's restaurant and headed out for a hike. We drove through the TN Smokies to the NC side. There were quite a few amazing views but we didn't get pictures of them because we were on a time crunch. The colors were at their peak at higher altitudes with the trees having brilliant colors of crimson and gold. We hiked to Mingo Falls, the highest waterfall in the Appalachian Mountains, located in Cherokee territory. It was a short hike, but it was straight up stairs. After our tiring but beautiful hike, we headed out for a picnic lunch at an overlook in western North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We settled in a lovely little grassy area but quickly became swarmed by gnats that Mark coined, "blue mountain gnats" with no scientific basis. We moved our picnic into our Chevy Impala rental instead. Next we drove to Ashville, NC to spend the day touring the house and grounds of the Biltmore Estate. This is still owned by the Vanderbilt descendants and was once the residence of George Vanderbilt (the old man's grandson). The house itself has 4 acres under roof, over 250 rooms, and a dining room with a 70 foot ceiling. faint This place is the only North American true blue castle and there is nothing like it. The grounds take up easily 1/3 of the city of Ashville boasting many formal gardens, a farm, and a winery. It took more than 15 minutes of driving at 35 MPH across the estate to exit the premises. It was quite impressive and deserved more than an afternoon's visit. After making the 2 hour drive back to TN, we at dinner at our lodge's restaurant again, this time choosing to dine indoors.
After breakfast on Wednesday at our lodge's restaurant, we were surprised by an early arrival of our sister in law, nephews, and niece from Nashville. We had plans to meet for lunch and to spend the afternoon together and were quite overjoyed when we discovered we would get to spend the entire day with them. As soon as they arrived, we hiked to Buckberry Creek (down a path from our lodge) which is stocked with trout for fishing, but the local drought has been detrimental to their survival. There is a huge pavilion with several big fire pits. Pierce enjoyed climbing on all of the rocks and stairs, while his cousins played in the stream. After hiking straight back up the mountain, we had a picnic lunch (inside our lodge) then Mark, Rebecca, Grant, and Cynthia headed out for some local attractions while I stayed behind with the little ones (Pierce and James) so we could nap. Mark and company enjoyed the Sugarlands Visitor Center. After a refreshing nap, we forewent the hike back down to Buckberry Creek in favor a ride on the "mountain limo" which is essentially a hummer type military vehicle. We had the driver build us a fire in one of the fire pits so we could roast marshmallows for s'mores. Once we had our fill, we called the driver for a return trip as we had learned our lesson earlier in the day. Nashville family headed out and we cleaned up for dinner at a local steakhouse--Cherokee Grill. I think this in the only time in the 7 1/2 years Mark and I have been together I have seen him eat steak three days in a row. Man, was it good!
Thursday morning we grabbed a quick breakfast from the lodge's restaurant, got packed up, and checked out. We ate lunch at a fantastic little tea room that specializes in wild plum tea and chicken salad flavored with nutmeg. We bought their cookbook to add to my collection. We toured a few local craft shops and were given the opportunity to trade crafts for Pierce. This isn't the first time we've been presented with a similar offer--on his very 1st vacation to the Texas Hill Country when he was about 8 weeks old, a local jerky smokehouse offered to trade his weight in jerky for him, straight up. noguy Yeah right, people!! Our flight home was uneventful just like I like it. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back.
Pierce learned so much during our trip--in fact he picked up 5 new signs including "eat", "drink", "please", "thank you", and "airplane". He also got 2 new teeth (top left 1st year molar and bottom right tooth next to the front tooth) which brings his teeth total to 11 (5 on top and 6 on bottom). Since being home he has learned 4 more signs--"dog", "apple", "bird", and "I love you" (which brings his total to 18 signs). He has also learned how to say "down" and "night night" (which brings his total to 9 words). We had many admirers approach us and tell us how well behaved and adorable he is!! I am so proud--he amazes me daily!!
I had my 22 week check up last Friday and everything looks great. Baby sounds wonderful (heart rate was in the 140s). It rolled over while she was checking for it and had a nice decel with the movement and it picked right back up (exactly what it should do). I'm measuring good too. But boy oh boy, are you ready for this?? I gained 11.5 pounds since my last appt bringing my total weight gain to 20 pounds by my doc's scale and 21.5 pounds by my scale. I had a nice talking to about needing to watch it a bit until she looked back in my chart at my weight gain with P. She noticed that I tend to gain most of my weight at the beginning to middle of pregnancy and taper off at the end. In fact, I only gained 6 pounds from 31 weeks to delivery with P. I gained 31 pounds with him and would really like to gain about the same with this one. I really don't understand (and neither does Mark) as my diet hasn't changed, and I walk at least 1-2 miles a day. He's convinced the scale was different. She was excited we had the will power to stay team green again and reiterated she didn't know either so she wouldn't "spill the beans". Our next appt is scheduled for November 14th at which I will take the GD test.
After my appt we headed out to the Texas State Fair. We dined on Fletcher's corn dogs, roasted corn on the cob, Belgian waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream with fresh squeezed lemonade to wash it all down. It was P's 1st taste of corn dogs. He was surprisingly indifferent about them--favoring mostly the breading with ketchup and mustard and spitting out the hot dog portion. We had a good time and got a lot of information on some SUVs we are looking at. Here a few pics from the fair:
P and I sharing his 1st corn dog:
Mark and P in front of Big Tex (the fair mascot):
We departed DFW on Monday to fly to Knoxville, TN. Because of weather in the Dallas area it was a pretty stressful morning with flight delays, setting on the runway for a while, and baggage problems. However, we got there safe and sound which is what matters most. We grabbed a quick lunch at the airport and discovered Pierce has learned how to use a fork with efficiency! We drove to Gatlinburg, TN to check into our hotel. It was more like an upscale lodge. We had our own private entrance, staircase, living room, kitchen, patio, bathroom, and bedroom. It was quite luxurious--we would highly recommend it to any honeymooners in the fall. The view was spectacular. Mount LeConte, the tallest peak in the Smokies, was the backdrop from our patio. Since we were late getting in, we weren't able to do what we had originally planned. Instead we made a run to the store for milk for P and picnic supplies for lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday. We ate dinner at the restaurant of our lodge (patio dining--upscale American food, think steaks, seafood, etc.) and watched the sun set.
Tuesday morning we ate breakfast at our lodge's restaurant and headed out for a hike. We drove through the TN Smokies to the NC side. There were quite a few amazing views but we didn't get pictures of them because we were on a time crunch. The colors were at their peak at higher altitudes with the trees having brilliant colors of crimson and gold. We hiked to Mingo Falls, the highest waterfall in the Appalachian Mountains, located in Cherokee territory. It was a short hike, but it was straight up stairs. After our tiring but beautiful hike, we headed out for a picnic lunch at an overlook in western North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We settled in a lovely little grassy area but quickly became swarmed by gnats that Mark coined, "blue mountain gnats" with no scientific basis. We moved our picnic into our Chevy Impala rental instead. Next we drove to Ashville, NC to spend the day touring the house and grounds of the Biltmore Estate. This is still owned by the Vanderbilt descendants and was once the residence of George Vanderbilt (the old man's grandson). The house itself has 4 acres under roof, over 250 rooms, and a dining room with a 70 foot ceiling. faint This place is the only North American true blue castle and there is nothing like it. The grounds take up easily 1/3 of the city of Ashville boasting many formal gardens, a farm, and a winery. It took more than 15 minutes of driving at 35 MPH across the estate to exit the premises. It was quite impressive and deserved more than an afternoon's visit. After making the 2 hour drive back to TN, we at dinner at our lodge's restaurant again, this time choosing to dine indoors.
After breakfast on Wednesday at our lodge's restaurant, we were surprised by an early arrival of our sister in law, nephews, and niece from Nashville. We had plans to meet for lunch and to spend the afternoon together and were quite overjoyed when we discovered we would get to spend the entire day with them. As soon as they arrived, we hiked to Buckberry Creek (down a path from our lodge) which is stocked with trout for fishing, but the local drought has been detrimental to their survival. There is a huge pavilion with several big fire pits. Pierce enjoyed climbing on all of the rocks and stairs, while his cousins played in the stream. After hiking straight back up the mountain, we had a picnic lunch (inside our lodge) then Mark, Rebecca, Grant, and Cynthia headed out for some local attractions while I stayed behind with the little ones (Pierce and James) so we could nap. Mark and company enjoyed the Sugarlands Visitor Center. After a refreshing nap, we forewent the hike back down to Buckberry Creek in favor a ride on the "mountain limo" which is essentially a hummer type military vehicle. We had the driver build us a fire in one of the fire pits so we could roast marshmallows for s'mores. Once we had our fill, we called the driver for a return trip as we had learned our lesson earlier in the day. Nashville family headed out and we cleaned up for dinner at a local steakhouse--Cherokee Grill. I think this in the only time in the 7 1/2 years Mark and I have been together I have seen him eat steak three days in a row. Man, was it good!
Thursday morning we grabbed a quick breakfast from the lodge's restaurant, got packed up, and checked out. We ate lunch at a fantastic little tea room that specializes in wild plum tea and chicken salad flavored with nutmeg. We bought their cookbook to add to my collection. We toured a few local craft shops and were given the opportunity to trade crafts for Pierce. This isn't the first time we've been presented with a similar offer--on his very 1st vacation to the Texas Hill Country when he was about 8 weeks old, a local jerky smokehouse offered to trade his weight in jerky for him, straight up. noguy Yeah right, people!! Our flight home was uneventful just like I like it. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back.
Pierce learned so much during our trip--in fact he picked up 5 new signs including "eat", "drink", "please", "thank you", and "airplane". He also got 2 new teeth (top left 1st year molar and bottom right tooth next to the front tooth) which brings his teeth total to 11 (5 on top and 6 on bottom). Since being home he has learned 4 more signs--"dog", "apple", "bird", and "I love you" (which brings his total to 18 signs). He has also learned how to say "down" and "night night" (which brings his total to 9 words). We had many admirers approach us and tell us how well behaved and adorable he is!! I am so proud--he amazes me daily!!
I had my 22 week check up last Friday and everything looks great. Baby sounds wonderful (heart rate was in the 140s). It rolled over while she was checking for it and had a nice decel with the movement and it picked right back up (exactly what it should do). I'm measuring good too. But boy oh boy, are you ready for this?? I gained 11.5 pounds since my last appt bringing my total weight gain to 20 pounds by my doc's scale and 21.5 pounds by my scale. I had a nice talking to about needing to watch it a bit until she looked back in my chart at my weight gain with P. She noticed that I tend to gain most of my weight at the beginning to middle of pregnancy and taper off at the end. In fact, I only gained 6 pounds from 31 weeks to delivery with P. I gained 31 pounds with him and would really like to gain about the same with this one. I really don't understand (and neither does Mark) as my diet hasn't changed, and I walk at least 1-2 miles a day. He's convinced the scale was different. She was excited we had the will power to stay team green again and reiterated she didn't know either so she wouldn't "spill the beans". Our next appt is scheduled for November 14th at which I will take the GD test.
After my appt we headed out to the Texas State Fair. We dined on Fletcher's corn dogs, roasted corn on the cob, Belgian waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream with fresh squeezed lemonade to wash it all down. It was P's 1st taste of corn dogs. He was surprisingly indifferent about them--favoring mostly the breading with ketchup and mustard and spitting out the hot dog portion. We had a good time and got a lot of information on some SUVs we are looking at. Here a few pics from the fair:
P and I sharing his 1st corn dog:
Mark and P in front of Big Tex (the fair mascot):
Sunday, October 21, 2007
blow kisses, tooth, and apple
P learned how to blow kisses today. He also cut his bottom right tooth next to his front tooth a few weeks ago. He can sign apple now too.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Our Big U/S
went great!! Baby looks perfect--all 4 chambers of the heart, 2 legs, 2 arms, 2 feet, 2 hands, beautiful face, great brain, placenta, spinal chord, and umbilical cord!! We are so super thankful!! Baby was very active, but the sonographer (same one we had with P) was still able to get all the measurements and everything is right on target. It was lying in a position which made it difficult to get a profile pic and even balled up and went to sleepat the end. Baby weighs 12 ounces and its heartrate was 162 BPM. Mark, Sweet P, and my mom all came with me. P did wonderful and even giggled looking at his lil' bro or sis. We're having a.......................................................
healthy baby!! We're still waiting until delivery to find out the sex!! There was a point in time that we could see the bottom area and the legs and I was getting super. She said, "Don't worry, I am no where near there, it just looks like I am. Plus baby was lying in a way that made it difficult to see anyway. She had us all turn our heads for a moment while she looked at the cord. She was eventually able to see the gender but did not/does not document it anywhere. She has an admirable poker face. Not even our doc will know until delivery.
healthy baby!! We're still waiting until delivery to find out the sex!! There was a point in time that we could see the bottom area and the legs and I was getting super. She said, "Don't worry, I am no where near there, it just looks like I am. Plus baby was lying in a way that made it difficult to see anyway. She had us all turn our heads for a moment while she looked at the cord. She was eventually able to see the gender but did not/does not document it anywhere. She has an admirable poker face. Not even our doc will know until delivery.
Friday, October 5, 2007
score on books
P could seriously start his own library!! Yesterday when we returned from shopping, our front porch was covered with about 50 books from our neighbor. Her son has outgrown them and she wanted P to have them. How sweet of her!! Between my books as a child, books I've collected over the years from teaching, gifts, and the generosity of our neighbor, his book shelf is literally overflowing!!
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