Superstar Adam

Officially done with his second step boards and gearing up to begin his ER rotation on Monday! He has studied his brains out and still been an amazing Papa and Hubs. We love him and are proud of all his hard work!

And now he is outside mowing. Thankful for that, too.

Meanwhile, Henry got his first real haircut! We went to Famous Hair and the lady cut off two inches. He ended up in my lap instead of in the kiddy seat (after a slight freak out) but he was okay in my lap until the buzzing clippers came around.

Before buzzing his sideburns, she said, "This kid has sideburns that grown men would die for..."

Texas Again

So, to pick up where I left off from last week, the second part of our trip was with my family. Both of my brothers live in Austin, Texas and so my parents picked us up at the Jennings' house and we drove down to play at the lake for a week!

The main activity was jumping off of the roof of the dock. (My Mom even did it!)

Over and over and over again.

I couldn't partake in this activity so I floated in the water, enjoying my preggers excuse and watched my nephews and my child-like husband jump over and over and over again. My nephews are so cute and they love their Uncle Adam.

"Uncle Adam, look at my jump!"

"Uncle Adam, how big was my splash?"

"Uncle Adam, will you come jump with me?"

Adam just ate it up. I think that my nephews are right about at his maturity level:) (Kidding...but Adam really does love to play more than any grown man I know. He must've jumped off the top of that dock 600 times.)

The boys all went on boat rides and tubed on the lake (again, I stayed back...the first day I tried to go on a boat ride with Henry but the water was choppy and it was slightly jarring for a pregnant lady and a 14-month old). Also, we ate a ton. My mom cooked for us each night and we did it up right- ate and ate and ate some more.

This was our first year in my life that my family hasn't gone to Florida for vacation and it ended up being fortuitous timing that we hadn't rented a beach house on the sad, oily beach. The lake was excellent!

Girls' Night!

First off, thank you so much for all the tantrum advice. It really has been so helpful and reassuring to know that this is PERFECTLY NORMAL for Henry's age. Bless you folks.

Second off, my girls' group had our 2nd annual slumber party on Friday night (somehow I've managed to be pregnant at both slumber parties- hmmm). It was so much fun. We all had matching t-shirts and we made friendship bracelets, ate delicious junk food, prank called our friends and husbands (The best prank call was us pretending to be La Leche League except that everyone started cracking up when the word "nipple" was said and the call was derailed).

Bethany also brought her Wii and the game "Just Dance". So, we all were wearing our matching shirts doing choreographed dances to songs like "Can't Touch This" and "Cotton Eyed Joe". We seriously looked like a straight-up chick flick slumber party break-into-song scene (i.e. 13 going on 30). It was awesome.

There was also a mix c.d. and a game of "Likemind" (which is an awesome game- I highly recommend). I just love hanging out with girlfriends and it's so fun to be able to spend a whole night being silly and laughing and just being with your gal pals while wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt.

It keeps ya young.

Toddler Tantrums

At the park before the infamous road redirection tantrum

I love the age that Henry is at right now- it's a lot of fun and he's so social. But, I also have noticed a serious assertion of WILL coming from that child. Dare I say...tantrums? We are at a total loss at what discipline should look like at this age. He's 14-months old. But he's not in charge, either.

He ain't the boss.

For example, if he is walking towards somewhere we don't want him to head (i.e. a major road) and we pick him up to redirect him, he often does the going-limp-wailing temper tantrum that I didn't think came along until the "terrible two's". He did this at the park yesterday and Adam insisted on holding him until he calmed down so that Henry wouldn't think that he could just get his way (i.e. get down) by throwing a fit. Afterwards, we couldn't decide if this was beneficial or not. Does he get it?

Usually his fits are when he wants to get to something and we won't let him. Or if he wants me to pick him up and I can't at that exact second. (He's a serious Mama's boy).

What works? What doesn't? I feel like we're flying blind and need a strategy. Does anyone have any book recommendations? Words of wisdom?

Thanks, bye!

Texas

For the first segment of our trip, our little family stayed with Adam's parents in Weatherford, Texas. They were awesome about taking Henry and shooing us away. So, we saw Wicked in Dallas (we were in the 3rd balcony but it was still SO COOL even if you couldn't see their facial expressions). I went to a baby shower for one of my dear college roommates and had such a wonderful time seeing my girlfriends, hanging out, and celebrating a new child coming! We swam (a lot!) and went out on a couple of dates- it was a relaxing, wonderful trip for us!

The funny is that, somehow, the Jennings always end up with pink or purple chairs and accessories for Henry. The box usually has a different colored object pictured but then, upon arriving home, it turns out to be a girly color. Hence, the pink floaty pictured above. We get a kick out of it.

It is so cool seeing both sets of Henry's grandparents love on him. Anyone who adores your kid like that goes up a few notches in your book, you know?

Big Mama.

I can't help but notice that I am growing at quite a different rate this time around. When I was pregnant with Henry, I was chilling in my pre-pregnancy pants for months. Now, I am busting out of everything! Strangers KNOW that I am pregnant...and ask when I'm due! (I'm sure that they're thinking that I'm a little further along...)

Last pregnancy, I took pictures nearly every week! This time, I have failed to document the growing belly until now.

22 Weeks.

(Taking pictures of yourself on photobooth is quite unglamorous.

Hence, the squatting)

ill-timed laughter

Henry a-top his two big cousins in Austin.

oh-oh-oh-oh

oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

oh my gosh.

That song drives me nuts but the good (and sad) news is that we are back in Erie! After a 17-day trip to see our families, we had a landed north of the Mason Dixon on Saturday afternoon. Kiss the ground, it was 77 degrees.

I have many a story to share, which means I'll probably never get around to sharing. I forgot my camera and am relying on my sister-in-law (ahem) and mother (ahem, ahem) and father-in-law (ahem, ahem, ahem) to send me some pictures of our trip. More on that later!

Meanwhile, a short plane story. On our final flight on Saturday, Henry was tired. He wanted down, to roam the aisles and stick his fingers in the fellow passengers' noses. We finally got him to take a short nap on top of us and were thanking the Good Lord when I look over at Adam. Between his legs is Henry's Nalgene bottle and, because of the altitude, water is leaking out of the straw, drip by drip.

And Adam's crotch is completely soaked.

Now, Henry is asleep on my lap and I don't want to wake him but this is funny. I just picture Adam as we get off of the plane with his pee-my-pants khakis. And so I began shaking with laughter. It was like when you're in the library or a wedding and you just shouldn't laugh...this time, so that I wouldn't waken Henry but I couldn't help it. We were giggling like two sixth-graders. It was funny.

Luckily, Henry slept through my laughter tremors and Adam's shorts almost completely dried (after he pointed the air nozzle at his lap). Flying, flying...what an adventure.

We're Still Here!

We're just not "here"-here. On a trip, that's where I've been and am. But I'll be back soon and everyone is fine and I am eating ice cream for that baby (that's what we've taken to calling #2..."that baby" or "the next one").

Will return on Saturday and will be up and posting again in no time!

It's A...

BOY!

Another stinky, wild, wonderful, smiley boy.

We are going to be at the ballpark ALL THE TIME.