Patriotic Little Man

This is kind of random, but since I don't want to forget, I decided I better write about it. Garrison Cade has become very patriotic lately. =) It is SO funny! I think it all started sometime this summer when he kept requesting a "new song" at bedtime. We always sing a few songs to him every night and he has always liked to sing them with us, but for some reason he got tired of the same old, same old I guess. Once he started asking for a "new song", we really had to rack our brains to come up with something. We already sang the typical church songs/hymns to him like Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E, Amazing Grace, Jesus Loves the Little Children, He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, Count Your Blessings, etc. And we also did an occasional Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old McDonald Had a Farm, If You're Happy and You Know It, etc. Lately he's back to requesting a few of those, but earlier this summer he was very persistent each night, "Sing a new song. Garrsin want new song."

Sooo, a couple of the new songs I came up with this summer were God Bless America and Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Those were big hits and still are for the most part. Then Terrell came up with the Pledge of Allegiance (which isn't even a song, just something Terrell thought of when he couldn't think of anything else!) and The Star Spangled Banner. Those two became even bigger hits. Oh dear.

Now my child can officially sing God Bless America all by himself, the Star Spangled Banner (with about 75% accuracy even though he butchers lots of those big words), and he can recite the Pledge of Allegiance with almost 100% accuracy. It's crazy! His version of the Pledge of Alliegiance is: I pledge allegiance to the flag, United States Merica, one nation, unner God, indivisle, with litty and jusiss for all. He's only missing the line "And to the republic for which it stands". Whenever he requests one of these now, he sings every line with us or asks to sing it all by himself. It is so funny hearing our 2 year old sing these very patriotic, adult songs and occasionally bust out with the Pledge of Allegiance. Today at natptime before he fell asleep I could hear him singing our National Anthem quite loudly from his bed. It just made me shake my head and smile. When I really think about it, I'm amazed at his memory... and I do feel like the proud mom. Now I'm just hoping and praying that memory makes for good test taking and study skills in the future. =)

Garrison's Birth Story

I may be crazy for doing this, but now that I'm approaching the end of my pregnancy with Austin and thinking a lot about his delivery and arrival, it's also got me thinking and reminiscing about Garrison's birth... which is why I've decided to try my best to recall all the details (pleasant and not so pleasant) of his delivery and arrival. I'm planning to do the same thing once Austin arrives, we're home, and I'm up to writing about it. So while I have the chance now I wanted to go ahead and write Garrison's birth story. I really think I might be crazy for attempting to re-live everything this close to delivering another baby, but I'm reminding myself that even though it wasn't easy, I did it, and the reward of that sweet baby is so worth it! Okay, here goes...

But a quick warning first: some of the details and information below could be borderline "too much information". And a note to my sister: Don't read. ;)

Throughout the majority of my pregnancy with Garrison, the doctors thought I was carrying a very average sized baby or possibly smaller baby (despite my reminding them over and over that my husband and father-in-law were really big babies). Thankfully one of the midwives at my group of doctors' determined very late in the game that I was most likely carrying an 8 pound baby. So, we scheduled an ultrasound to make sure, and what the midwife predicted was confirmed... 8 days before Garrison's due date. They then decided to schedule me to be induced so he wouldn't have a chance to get too much bigger.

We left for the hospital on a Wednesday afternoon (Feb 4, 2009) and arrived at 5:00 pm to get "checked-in" and settled before welcoming our first baby boy. My doctors had already discussed the plan with me so I pretty much knew exactly what was going to take place. Or as much as you can know having never experienced child birth before. They decided that instead of starting me on Pitocin right away, they would first use something called Cervidil to help with thinning/softening my cervix. The next step would be to wait it out to see if my water would break on it's own. Then, if it did, more than likely I wouldn't need the Pitocin at all. There were a couple of not so pleasant experiences with the Cervidil but it did it's job and everything else basically went according to plan.

I remember the doctors telling us to tell our parents not to come to the hospital until they heard from us because it wasn't guaranteed he would be born the next day. We were warned it could be as late as Friday sometime. That didn't stop the Garrison's and the Selph's from planning a breakfast together for Thursday morning before driving over. Ha! Anyway, we settled in Wednesday night and watched a video about receiving an epidural, signed some papers, watched TV, and slept off and on. I don't remember too much about that evening/night. I do remember Terrell trying to sleep on the couch thing in the room and I think he was freezing the whole time, and I remember nurses being in and out all night. Then, around 4:00 am I felt my water break. It wasn't a gush or anything, just enough for me to feel and realize what had happened. Terrell was sound asleep so I just used my little phone and called a nurse to tell her I thought my water had broken. As soon as Terrell heard those words, he was up. =)

I remember feeling relieved that it happened on it's own and we were making progress, but nervous that the time was getting closer... and we were making progress! At that point we made the decision to wait and call our parents once we knew they'd be awake, which ended up being sometime between 6 and 7. I honestly can't remember what took place between 4:00 am when my water broke and 10 am when they told me it was almost time to push. I remember feeling contractions before getting my epidural and they were not fun. Everytime I felt one I would grab onto the bed rails on each side of me and squeeze and try not to hold my breath.... which was sort of my first reaction/reflex to them. I don't remember where Terrell was. I was supposed to be squeezing his hand! I vaguely remember him being in and out of the room. He faints really easily and seeing me in pain, plus the nurses being in and out, plus the hospital smell had him a little light-headed.

Finally the nice man came in to give me my epidural. Sweet relief. I remember wondering when I would finally get it but I don't think I ever asked about it. The epidural itself went great. It wasn't painful or scary, or anything really. It was just easy. Terrell did leave the room for that one though. After the epidural we could watch my contractions on the monitor screen beside my bed but I was pretty comfortable. Let me re-phrase. I wasn't in pain anymore. That's more accurate. Calling myself comfortable at that point would be a bit of a stretch.

The midwife who would deliver Garrison finally told me to get ready to push around 10:00 am on Thursday morning. That's when Terrell went to the waiting room to get my mom. We had already planned for her to be in the room with us for extra support and in case Terrell started feeling sick or like he might faint. It was a great decision and I'm really glad I had two cheerleaders helping me through the toughest part... giving birth to a big baby!

I think I actually started pushing sometime closer to 10:30. It was the most exhausting thing ever. She had me pushing and "holding" for 10 seconds, then taking a break, then pushing and holding for 10 seconds, taking another break, etc. This lasted for 2 hours. 2 hours! (I know lots of women have pushed for much longer with no epidural, which I think is amazing... but 2 hours was about my limit!) I also had what my midwife called a "hot spot". It was a small spot on the lower, left side of my belly where I could still feel contractions. I don't think I felt the "hot spot" until I started pushing so I'm not sure if the epidural wore off a little or if it never really numbed that particular spot.

I remember them being able to see his head fairly early on. They told me he had dark hair and starting pouring or rubbing some kind of oil on his head to help out. So at that point I thought it was almost over. No such luck. His head was right there ready to come out for a looong time but he was so big and I was so small it took lots more pushing and every ounce of energy I had to get him out. I was feeling exhausted and hot (they kept putting a damp cloth on me and even giving me ice chips if I'm remembering correctly) and literally like I was running out of gas and couldn't keep going. But somehow I just knew that I had to keep going and so instead of panicking or even letting myself give up, I just kept pushing and mustering up all the strength I had. Kendra, my midwife, was amazing. I'm so thankful she delivered him.

Finally 2 hours later, at 12:33 pm, my baby boy was born weighing in at 8 pounds 1 ounce and 19 and 1/2 inches long. Praise God for his safe arrival and that he eventually made his way out. One of the first things I remember after he was born was my mom saying "There he is Meggie" and me just being out of it. They gave him to me and I was able to look down at him for just a second before handing him back because I felt like I had to throw up. Then I did. Yuck. Definitely not how I imagined our first moment together and seeing each other face to face. After that another doctor had to come in to start taking care of me. Unfortunately I had a 4th degree tear that couldn't be prevented. Not fun. Sooo, Garrison bonded with Terrell while I was laid up being "worked on". Afterwards I felt guilty about not being able to hold him and bond with him right away like you're supposed to, but I'm over that now. Garrison turned out perfect even though his delivery was a little traumatic and I couldn't hold him for the first hour or so after his birth. So there you have it~ the birth story of my first baby boy.

Looking at this picture I can't believe I was carrying him inside of me. But I definitely know why we both had a hard time...

I looked as rough as I felt...

Finally holding my baby boy who was still swollen from that tough delivery



Meeting each other for the first time


Daddy and Garrison... Terrell was instantly in love. While I was laid up in the hospital bed waiting for the doctor to finish, Terrell held and stared at Garrison the whole time and I got to watch. It was precious.

One of my favorite newborn pics of Garrison. All cleaned up and wide awake, my bundle of joy and gift from God.

***Now I'm praying (a lot) about the best, safest, easiest delivery method for my next baby boy. Please pray with me that we'll make the right decision and do what's best for me and Austin. In the meantime, we're still playing the waiting game until our ultrasound on Friday morning. Hopefully that will help make our decision a little easier.

37 Weeks

Since I'm now 9 months pregnant and the big day could come just about anytime, I've decided to do a pregnancy update every week until the little man arrives...

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 37 weeks! It sort of feels like we're at the "any day now" point =)

Size of Baby: At my doctor's appointment, the midwife predicted about 6 and 1/2 pounds and anywhere from 17-19 inches long. (She did remind me that her prediction of the weight had the same accuracy as an ultrasound prediction... could be a pound off either way)

Total Weight Gained/Lost: I've gained 26 pounds so far. It looks like I'll be really close to gaining the same amount I did with Garrison, which was around 28 to 30 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Most definitely

Gender: Boy!

Movement: He's still active but I also feel like he might be running out of room. His head is in the down position and based on the sharp pains and pressure I feel off and on, he's getting ready to make his debut.

Food Cravings: Anything cold... ice cream, popsicles, milkshakes.

What I Miss: Overall I guess I would have to say moving around easily

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really good considering how big I am and how far along I am. I wake up a few times a night to roll over and get comfortable, but other than that I'm sleeping good.

Symptons: Occasional sharp pains in my lower abdomen, pressure, lots of trips to the bathroom...

Best Moment This Week: Getting ready for Austin's arrival~ washing adorable little baby clothes, buying some last minute things we need, and getting the nursery ready.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Meeting my baby boy!

Speaking of baby boys... here's my first baby boy who continues to grow up before my eyes. I am so excited for him to be a big brother.

The Very Hungry 2 Year Old... Take 2

When I first wrote about my very hungry 2 year old, Garrison was showing signs of a growth spurt and eating tons. We literally couldn't keep him full. Lately though he's had days of eating a lot and asking for more and more and days where he's eating more "normal" portions and filling up faster. I'm sure a lot of our family is probably thinking his appetite has really slowed down because he definitely doesn't eat much at restaurants, or even away from home. But this boy loves to eat just about anything his mama cooks (except for peas and meat, unless it's tacos or spaghetti) and anything he can find in our pantry.

Last night the little man had a big and interesting meal. Terrell and I had roast from the crock pot, green beans, and mac and cheese. Garrison won't eat roast, so I fixed him a plate of green beans and mac and cheese, plus planned to give him some "fruit jello", grapes, and possibly seconds or thirds of the green beans and mac and cheese once he finished what was on his plate.

Well as soon as he saw his plate last night, he requested Spaghetti O's. He knew there were leftovers in the fridge from the day before. So I warmed up some of those and he ate everything on his plate including the bowl of spaghetti o's, and I think he asked for seconds of the mac and cheese. After eating all of that, he got to have his peaches in strawberry jello (a new thing he's really into). By that time Terrell and I were finishing up our plates and the little man noticed, so he asked for cake. (We've been eating leftover birthday cake from Terrell's party and sharing with Garrison of course... who is now a big lover of red velvet.) So everyone enjoyed a delicious piece of cake together to top off our meal and then got ready to clean up... or so we thought.


After finishing his "zert" (dessert) Garrison decided he still wasn't full. He was already covered in cake and the rest of his supper and all we wanted to do was to get him cleaned up, but he insisted "I want somethin else". Sooo, he first asked for raisins and gold fish. A regular request at our house after he supposedly finishes a meal. Then, he asked for another bowl of spaghetti o's. We know if he asks for it, he really wants it and is going to eat it, so Terrell fixed him another bowl of spaghtti o's. Sure enough, he ate every single thing he requested. And the evidence of everything he ate was all over him. He hasn't been that messy after a meal in a long time.

We were thinking about moving him out of the high chair into a booster seat in a big boy chair, aka, one of my dining room chairs (since we don't have an eat-in kitchen). After the mess last night, I'm not looking forward to that day. This child still requires major clean up after a lot of his meals. I'm thinking this very hungry 2 year old can stay in his high chair just a little longer. Goodness. I do find him pretty adorable covered in cake and spaghetti o's though. =)

Terrell's 30th Birthday

Saturday the 20th at 9:49 am, my hubby turned 30~ and he handled it great! =) It's hard to believe, but I've been blessed to have shared 12 of those 30 years with him. Wow, that's crazy when I think about it. I love you Terrell! Thanks for being an amazing husband and dad who loves us and takes care of us and fills our home with laughter and fun. We loved celebrating with you and are so proud to call you husband and daddy.

Now for the details...

Typically we celebrate birthdays kind of the same way every year~ we go out to eat with both sides of the family (mine and his) and open presents and enjoy birthday cake or some other form of dessert. We are very spoiled by our families. =) But, with this year being one of those "big" birthdays, I decided several months ago that I wanted this birthday celebration to be a little bigger and a little more special than what we do every other year. And it worked out perfect with his actual birthday being on a Saturday. We didn't pull off a surprise party or anything extravagant (because he would not have been happy about that) but we did surprise him with things like guests, food, and decor and we made it bigger and more special than normal... which was my goal all along. Even though Saturday was filled with ups and downs and felt like an emotional roller coaster, in the end we were able to pull off the party without a hitch and I'm pretty sure the birthday boy loved it.

This is a picture of his invitation... sorry about the quality. Really wishing our scanner worked right about now! It was designed and created by Megan who is amazing and my official go-to person for invitations of any kind.

The party was a drop-in on Saturday afternoon for family and family friends so it was really laid back and casual.... just like my hubby. We decided to to do red and black because of Terrell being a UGA alum, and with this being the 30th birthday we had to have black. Our menu was also very Terrell-like and masculine with hamburger sliders, wings, meatballs, chips, fruit, veggies, and a super yummy red velvet cake. We did red and black tablecloths, red and black balloons, 90's music playing, and pictures of Terrell all over the room from the moment he was just a tiny baby to now with his own family and babies.

*I have to apologize in advance for my lack of pictures. I think I ended up greeting, talking, eating, or taking care of Garrison off and on the whole time, so pictures were forgotten about a lot. I wanted a picture of all the tables and all the guests, and a picture of me, Terrell, and Garrison. Oh well. I'm pretty sure my mother-in-law made lots so hopefully Terrell will have more than just these to remember his day by.

Garrison and Allison being so sweet at the party

The food table almost ready

Another view

All the kids at the party except for our niece Shannon (How is it that my child is the only "older" one not looking or smiling?)

Terrell's birthday cake (that almost wasn't... it's seriously a miracle that we got to enjoy this cake)

While everybody sang Happy Birthday... with my sister looking on.

Enjoying daddy's red velvet cake

Selph Family picture

As I mentioned before, the weekend was filled with ups and downs. My little man was sick with a runny nose and sometimes low-grade fever, the air condition wasn't turned on at the Lodge when we arrived to set up for the party leaving us in a 90 degree room to work, and the cake just about bit the dust. My parents actually witnessed it fall apart and the cream cheese icing slide right off.

But, those "hiccups" were all sort of minor compared to the real heartache of the weekend... saying goodbye to my parents (and mine and Anna's too) 14 year old miniature schnauzer Molly. She was a special puppy and truly loved as a member of the family. She lived a good, long, and happy life and we all knew it was best for her to not have to suffer. I have great memories of her and Ginger (Molly's daughter) growing up and even after moving out. We were all really sad and heartbroken but at the same time at peace about it and looking forward to celebrating Terrell's birthday. A tough moment occurred when Garrison asked about Molly very randomly and out of the blue. We tried changing the subject and distracting him but when he didn't let it go we eventually attempted to explain everything through tears. I have a feeling he doesn't truly understand, but hopefully we can head off that question before he brings it up again and makes us all cry. I know he didn't mean to upset us, but to me it was like my cue to let the tears flow.

After all the craziness and heartache of the day, I loved celebrating Terrell's birthday and having something fun and happy to do. I loved watching his face throughout the afternoon. I loved watching him catch up with family and friends who were there. I loved singing Happy Birthday to him along with a big crowd of family and friends. I loved seeing him open his presents. And I really loved seeing and knowing how much he's loved. Terrell pointed out afterwards that we don't have tons of close friends our age, but that we're all about family. That's just us. We have extremely close-knit families and life long friends, and that is a huge blessing and gift from God and something we're always reminded to be thankful for, especially on birthdays.

Big thanks to my parents and Terrell's parents for all of your help, advice, hard work, etc. in making the party come together and fun for Terrell. I am SO thankful for ya'll!!!

Happy 30th Birthday Terrell! We love you!!

36 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 36 weeks~ 9 months pregnant!!

Size of Baby: About 17-19 inches long and around 6 pounds... still the size of honeydew. =)

Total Weight Gained/Lost: At my last doctor's appointment I had gained a total of 25 lbs, but I remembered I wore my tennis shoes which are way heavier than my usual flip flops. So I guess we'll see what the scale says this week at my appointment. Ha!

Maternity Clothes: Is it even necessary to address this one?

Gender: Another little man!

Movement: He is loving moving around. Sometimes I feel like he's so active that he's just ready to come out. He still gives strong kicks and nudges but he mainly just rolls around or pushes down on me and the bladder.

Food Cravings: The only one I've had lately is chocolate and I think that's just because there isn't any in the house right now.

What I Miss: Just being comfortable all the time I guess. I can't sit or stand for too long anymore without feeling really uncomfortable. Guess we're just to that stage where Austin's a little crowded, either in my ribs or on my bladder.

Sleep: I've started waking up a little more during the night just because I'm trying to roll over or find a more comfortable position. Sometimes after I wake up it takes me a little while to fall back asleep. Not sure what that's about...

Symptons: I have to go to the bathroom like every 10 minutes, I'm feeling him pushing down on me a lot, my lower back has started feeling tight and achy off and on, and I still get these twinges of pain that I'm guessing are Braxton Hicks. To me, all signs point to him coming a little early. I'm pretty sure I'm okay with that as long as he's ready and we're prepared!

Best Moment This Week: Garrison snuggling up close to me before bed while I was reading him a story and then laying his little head on my belly and trying to wrap his arms around me. So sweet.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Celebrating my husband's 30th birthday!

Waiting for Austin

Time for the waiting game. Ahh. Waiting isn't always the easiest or most pleasant thing to have to do, but that's officially the stage we're in and I know being patient these last few weeks are really important for Austin to be completely ready to make his debut. I'm just a couple of days away from being 36 weeks/9 months pregnant and Austin is definitely making his presence known. We're working towards getting everything ready and preparing ourselves mentally for our newest addition. I told Terrell last night after Garrison went to bed and we were just lounging on the couches (I take the big couch, Terrell takes the love seat) watching the Braves game that in a few weeks we'll be busy taking care of a new baby after Garrison goes to bed instead of relaxing. That's an exciting and overwhelming thought at the same time.

So far, waiting for Austin has included some sharp pains and discomfort that are very unnerving to this mama. With Garrison I had SO many people tell me there was no way I'd make it to February (his due date was Feb 6th) and so throughout the month of January I was constantly waiting for Braxton Hicks or some sort of pain, or even for my water to break unexpectedly one day. Yet I never felt a thing. Ever. It was crazy waiting around to feel something and wanting to feel something so I knew it was "time". But Garrison was perfectly content and growing by the day, so he needed a little encouragement to be born. Haha! Thankfully a midwife at my doctor's office determined he was a pretty big baby and scheduled an ultrasound... which then led to being induced. I was never actually induced because I never had to have the pitocin, but they did put me in the hospital and helped to get the process started.

Anyway, got a little sidetracked... the point is that I'm not used to having these "pains" and don't know what to think about them. I called Terrell one day this week after having a really long and uncomfortable "contraction" (at least that's what I'm calling it). He didn't seem phased by it at all... just told me to call him back if it happened again. Looking back I guess I did sort of over-react about that one, but it kind of freaked me out! At least I can always count on Terrell to be the calm one.

There have been lots of differences between the end of this pregnancy and the end of my pregnancy with Garrison~ and I want to document them so I'll always have a way to remember.

*I've mentioned the pains/Braxton Hicks, but I've also felt a lot more pressure this time around, almost like he's pushing down on me.
*He's also been really active lately. More active than I remember Garrison being. I love feeling him move but it can also get a little uncomfortable because he's clearly getting bigger and stronger.
*Driving for longer than 10 minutes has become one of my least favorite things to do. I start to feel very uncomfortable, like he's cramped and in my ribs and all I want to do is get out of the car and stretch out. Riding in the car isn't so bad because I have some control over my position.
*I have to go to the bathroom all the time throughout the day. I was teaching up until the week before I had Garrison and I do not remember having to go that much.
*My feet and ankles are starting to get fat. They don't look way swollen or anything, they're just fatter than they've ever been.
*I get hot and sweaty very easily. Yuck. Clearly this wasn't much of an issue for me in January or February.
*I'm actually not waking up in the middle of the night needing to make a trip to the bathroom... yet. That has really shocked me. I remember doing this lots more with Garrison.

Overall I'm still feeling pretty good and even feel kind of guilty for ever complaining. I know lots of moms have it way worse than me. Thankfully we're slowly making progress on the nursery and crossing things off our to-do list. I'm thinking about adding packing my hospital bag and putting in the car seat to that list. I just keep having this feeling that he might come early. But I could be way off on that. Who knows. We also need to set up the pack n' play and get our room ready for Austin to spend his first few nights or weeks with us before moving to the nursery.

It feels like there are so many things we're doing differently this time around just because we're more prepared and know what to expect, and I'm loving that feeling. (The delivery method on the other hand is another issue. I'm just praying it's clear what we should do...) We're not diving into the unknown or doing something we've never done before. I know it will be challenging having 2 little ones to take care of, and I'm already preparing for meltdowns (of my own) in the future, but I'm so excited about the potential of being more relaxed and comfortable and at ease this time. And I'm SO appreciative of friends who back this up and tell me the second time around really is easier and more laid back. I know that's what we're praying for!

Until it's time, we'll just be playing the waiting game. =)

Austin's Baby Shower

Yesterday afternoon a few of my sweetest cousins threw Austin and me a really fun, cute baby shower. We honestly didn't know if we would have a shower this time around being that we're having our 2nd baby boy... but man are we thankful. Showers are such a huge blessing and after going through all of our gifts and goodies last night we felt super blessed and grateful for our shower.

Some of the guests and gifts right after we arrived

Me with my photographer sister. =) Thanks for making all the pictures for me!

I loved all the decorations...

Getting ready to open presents

I have never been so happy to see diapers and wipes!

Austin's first monogrammed blanket

Austin's new diaper bag. I can't wait to use it!

So excited to put this sweet outfit on my little man

And this little hat!

Yay for more diapers!

Garrison got a piggy bank exactly like this right after he was born so we were thrilled to get one for Austin too

Lots and lots of blessings!!

I had a really fun time at the shower and Terrell and I loved going through all the gifts one by one last night after Garrison went to bed. We appreciated this shower so much. I think I'm starting to feel more and more ready to meet baby Austin... and dress him in cute outfits and use all of the things we have for him, including the diapers and wipes! I'm really starting to wonder if he might come early. The Braxton Hicks and sharp pains are occurring every day now, and occasionally giving me a little bit of a scare. As long as we make it to September, I'm ready when he is. As for now, time to get started on thank you notes!

Big, big thanks to Bobbi, Heather, and Mandi for such a great shower!!

The Boys' Bathroom

As soon as we found out we were having another little boy I started planning a little makeover for our guest bathroom so we could sort of transform it into not only a guest bathroom, but the boys' bathroom. I don't have any before pictures because I just didn't think to make any, but this bathroom used to be a typical guest bathroom... kind of girly, decorative stuff on the counters that weren't very kid-friendly, etc.

So, when I started coming up with ideas and looking up and pricing shower curtains, toothbrush holders, towels, etc. we decided two things: we weren't going to go overboard (honestly we couldn't have afforded to if we wanted) but that we would try to make it kid-friendly yet something that could grow with them. Terrell and I are both big believers in room makeovers that will last. It's just not worth it to spend a lot of money on something that's only going to last a couple of years before you have to do it again. I found some super cute bathroom stuff at Target that I was really thinking hard about... but ultimately we decided against it because they would out grow it too fast. Anyway, here are the pictures of Garrison's and Austin's new bathroom:

Standing at the door...

The really cute toothbrush holder. The frogs actually have little spring things under them that make them wiggle everytime you take out and put back the toothbrush

A different view of the counter. I can't wait until I have a picture of both my boys to go in that frame. =)

One of my favorite little "decorations" in the bathroom....

Here's a few details: The shower curtain and monogrammed towels are from Pottery Barn, the toothbrush holder is from Target, the frame is from Hobby Lobby, and the painting with the Bible verse is from an Etsy shop. I knew from the beginning I wanted monogrammed towels with their names and I knew I wanted a frame to sit on the counter that would eventually hold a picture of the two of them. I also really wanted some sort of kid friendly picture/painting/ piece of art with a Bible verse. It turns out the combination of those two things, plus matching it with blue and green was not an easy find. Finally I came across "the one" and crossed my fingers she could match the colors... which she did. Yay! The shower curtain was just a favorite that we decided on and the toothbrush holder was too cute to pass up.

While we didn't do anything major, I'm really loving the new look of the bathroom and I'm excited about how everything turned out. I guess the only thing we have to worry about in the future is if Garrison and Austin have a little sister. Hmmm... I'd have to get really creative with decorating a bathroom for two boys and a girl. As for now, I'm just enjoying the new look and loving seeing my boys' names every time I walk in. =)

Another First...

Tee Ball! Yesterday Terrell had the day off so after Garrison woke up from his nap, Terrell put together his little tee ball stand and the boys went outside to play. Garrison was SO excited to finally get to play with this new "toy" he discovered in his closet and I think daddy was pretty excited himself. The first time father and son head out to the backyard to play baseball together... oh yeah, daddy was way excited. Terrell actually had to remove an entire piece of the tee because Garrison still isn't quite tall enough for it, but after that they were ready to play.

Daddy showing Garrison how to hold a bat

Getting ready to swing

Doing it all by himself!

He loved hitting the ball off the tee and was so funny because he kept hitting left-handed. Terrell tried to correct him a couple of times but he always went back to hitting left-handed. He still throws right-handed (which is the most important thing, according to Terrell) and he is only 2, so we just let him hit whichever way he wanted to. Is it possible he could be the exact opposite of daddy? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

After hitting the ball lots of times he decided he wanted daddy to hit the ball and he would run after it and bring it back. Then he decided to pitch to daddy. This occupied him for the longest time and he had so much fun throwing to daddy and chasing after the ball once daddy hit it. We decided he may want to be a pitcher. =)

Terrell had to get creative to hit some of Garrison's pitches...

Both boys had the best time and were worn out and pouring sweat once they came in. Thankfully it was really overcast outside so it wasn't too hot, but it was still muggy and humid. Garrison's feet were so flithy when he took off his flip flops that I walked him straight to the bathroom to wash them off before he left little dirty footprints all over the house.

Here's a picture of my hot and sweaty baseball players after a fun game of tee ball.

It makes me excited to think about 2 little boys and 1 big boy playing together in the backyard in a couple of years. And I've been so hormonal lately I could probably cry (happy tears) if I thought about it for too long. Gracious. Maybe by then we'll have a bigger backyard! Now that thought makes me smile!

First Day of School

Today was Garrison's first day of school for the brand new year. In some ways it seems like we've had a nice long summer and it's definitely time for him to start school again, but in other ways I'm left wondering where the summer went! We had open house on Friday and met his new teachers and got to see his room, and since then we've been trying to talk to him about going back to school and to help him understand he won't be in Ms. Brandi and Ms. Heather's class this year (that seemed to be the only thing he was confused about). He is going back to the same preschool this year, First Baptist, and will on the same schedule as last year (every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00-1:00) but he's in the "Older 2's" class this time around. They actually have a curriculum and units they'll be working on every week and a little class schedule. It's a little more formal than his "learning through play" experience with school last year.

Here he is on the first day of school last year...

And here he is on the first day this year... he's really changed and grown a lot

He insisted on taking his little football in the car with him to school... hence the reason it made it in the pictures

View from the back

All ready for school!

Things worked out perfect today because Terrell had the day off and he was able to help with our morning routine and go with me to walk him in and pick him up. Garrison was such a big boy and went right into his room. Somehow we were the first ones there in his little classroom so that made him a little apprehensive, but once he discovered some toys and books he was good to go. Things got a little chaotic once all the other parents and kids arrived but the little man was so wrapped up in trucks and cars that he didn't really pay any attention to the commotion around him. At one point he even said, "mama, daddy go leave." Wow. If that doesn't say, I'm a big boy and don't need you hanging around, I don't know what does. But don't worry, I didn't let it hurt my feelings...probably mostly because 2 moms standing nearby overheard him and were very impressed. And you should know that I did hang around for a little while longer. Not getting rid of me that easy buddy.

I think I counted 11 kids in his class but I'm not positive. Just like last year the class is dominated by boys... 8 boys and 3 girls to be exact. I hope the teachers are ready!

The only thing that made me a little nervous and uneasy about leaving him this morning was the fact that one little girl had a really big meltdown/borderline panic attack when her grandmother left her. That upset at least one other little boy who started crying and so I kept wondering if Garrison was going to possibly get upset too. Apparently it was concerning me a lot more than him because he kept playing and going about his business like normal. I think he noticed the screaming and crying but he just didn't care or let it stop him from playing. Terrell kept telling me he was fine and we needed to go, so we gave bye hugs and kisses before I had to stand outside the window and watch him for just a few more minutes... plus I wanted to make sure the little girl calmed down and that 10 other 2 year olds in the room didn't decide to burst into tears. Finally Terrell convinced me he was fine and it was safe for us to leave. =)

When we picked him up he greeted us with a big smile and immediately started walking towards us. I was thrilled he was happy to see us. His teachers told us he had a good day and ate all of his lunch, etc. but he refused to go to the potty. He didn't have an accident all day he just wouldn't go to the potty at school. I tried to get him to go before we left so I could show him it was okay and so he could get acquainted with the new potty, but he immediately said no and that he didn't have to go. I think I'm going to try to make him go Thursday morning at school before I leave. Hopefully he'll cooperate and go and we won't have any issues with refusing to use the potty and possibly having accidents. I'd have to say that the first day went great overall and we're looking forward to an awesome school year.