INTRODUCING...

The newest little love of my life...

Baby #3 is on the way!!

 

 

Everytime I see this little picture my heart smiles. =) I am 11 weeks pregnant and due on February 18... my PawPaw's birthday. Family and close friends already know our news so we figured it was time to share with everybody else too. I won't be able to hide it much longer anyway. Baby Selph is growing and making him/herself known.

 

Here's a bit of the back story and details...

 

We've known from day one that we really wanted 3 kids. I come from a huge extended family and just love big families and having lots of cousins and aunts and uncles, so having 3.. for us... is perfect. I once heard a family of 5 described as a big, small family, and I agree. I love knowing my kids will always have each other. A sibling is a precious gift and I'm thankful all my babies will have double the blessing.

 

Terrell and I really fell in love with the age difference between Garrison and Austin (almost 2 years 7 months) because Garrison was potty trained, done with the paci, sleeping in a big boy bed, and past all the major milestones before Austin arrived. Sooo, when planning for baby #3 we always thought Spring 2014 would be perfect timing. Austin turns 2 and a half on March 3rd so the Spring would work out great. We were really hoping for May. That way all of our kiddos' birthdays would be spaced out nicely, plus the only thing our family has going on in May is Mother's Day. In other words, a great month and time to have a baby.

 

Except God had other plans. And His plans win out every time.

 

The Friday before Father's Day I was borderline "late". So the possibility started to creep into the back of my mind. And then it started to sort of drive me crazy. But at the same time I kept reminding myself there was a slight chance it was impossible. I know that sounds sort of crazy but you'll just have to take my word for it.

 

By Saturday I was really, reeeally wanting to know for sure one way or the other so it wouldn't keep driving me crazy. So after eating lunch with Terrell's family on Saturday (June 15th), Terrell dropped me by CVS on our way home. I took the test as soon as we got home and 2 lines appeared immediately. Wow.

 

I smiled, I hugged Terrell, I cried (tears of joy and shock), and I tried to process the fact that somehow, someway we were expecting baby #3... a few months sooner than we'd "planned". Terrell was amazing with the news. Completely calm and happy. I was the one who was super nervous. Ha!

 

I've worried just a teensy bit about Garrison and this baby having birthdays so close together. I feel a little guilty that they'll both have to sort of share their birthday time with each other. I also feel guilty that most of the month of February will be dedicated to 2 out of 3 of our children. At least Austin will have his whole "birthday time" all to himself and he won't have to share with anybody.

 

Every time these guilty thoughts creep in, I just remind myself that this is God's doing. This is part of His plan. There is a reason for the timing of this baby's arrival. And we are filled with joy over this blessing.

 

So far I've been feeling pretty good. (I'm starting my every- other-week updates next week when I'm 12 weeks) I do feel queasy every single day at some point but usually eating a little snack makes it go away. The only thing I'm really struggling with is the fact that I am beyond tired/exhausted/fatigued all. the. time. I do not remember being this worn out, sleepy, sluggish, and give out with the first 2. I'm not sure if it's because of the first two, or if it's just my body dealing with the 3rd preganancy... whatever it is is wearing me out though. I am ready to welcome the 2nd trimester with open arms.

 

Garrison is excited about the news (I'll share more about his reaction and thoughts on the baby soon), and Austin is sort of oblivious. He repeats the things Garrison says about the baby but doesn't seem to really get it yet. I'm praying they adjust wonderfully to our newest family member come February. In the meantime we're going to soak up life as a family of four and slowly but surely prepare our home for baby Selph.

 



Legoland!

Saturday we planned a family fun day at Legoland! One of my favorite things ever is family outings that include all of us and are super fun for the boys... but the cost of those outings can add up fast so for us they're a really special treat. We decided this trip would be our last big outing of the summer before school starts and we get back into the swing of things. And it was a big hit!

Austin was very apprehensive at first and cried a little off and on but once he got used to the noise and excitment and accepted that he was safe, he was fine and had a ball.

Since we'd never been we weren't sure what to expect other than what we'd seen online so at first I was a little disappointed. It's a discovery center versus a mini indoor amusement park like I was expecting. For some reason after reading about everything they offered that was what I was picturing. Turned out, it's a big play area full of legos that offers one ride and one 4-D show. Once the kids got into it, they played and played and absolutely loved it and didn't want to leave. Success!!

 

One of Garrison's favorite things to do was to build a racecar and then test it out on the track. He did this over and over again.

Austin raced cars too, he just had a different approach.

 

After racing cars and building with legos we decided to go ahead and see the 4-D show. Austin Selph was NOT a fan. Bless his heart. (And the peoples' hearts who had to listen to him) Thankfully the pictures on our phones distracted him enough that he wasn't crying and terrified throughout the entire show. Garrison LOVED it... evidence below. =)

 

After the show Terrell and Garrison got in line for the ride while I followed Austin around and let him do and play with whatever he wanted.

 

Go time!

 

Action shot...

 

After the ride we let the boys go into the play area. This might have been their favorite part. They had so much fun building and playing together. And Garrison loved the "wrecking ball"! He did this at least 5 times and every time his face looked terrified and then thrilled. It was so funny. 

 

I can't get enough of Austin's "cheese" face. =)

 

Terrell made this picture of us while him and Garrison were waiting for their ride to take off. Proof I was there!

It was a really fun outing and hopefully we'll be able to go back in the future... and maybe Austin can even enjoy the show.

 

************************

 

Church update: After last Sunday we made the decision to return to visiting the church we've visited here off and on for years. We really felt God leading us back there and we honestly just felt more comfortable there... but they don't have a preacher right now. And it's so hard trying to find a church home in a church that's right smack dab in the middle of transition and a pastor search. Sooo, my mom encouraged us to go ahead and try Sunday School... a place where we could meet people and possibly form friendships while the church is in this transition phase. It wasn't easy, but we went for it on yesterday... and loved it! Terrell and I both left church Sunday feeling like this is the place God wants us. For the first time in years (or maybe ever since visiting churches) we felt confident. Such a good feeling! And going to Sunday School is what did it for us. We are praising God for this answered prayer.

 

It's bittersweet because we do miss our church in Barnesville and while we'll definitely be there for holidays and special occassions, we won't be there on a regular basis anymore. Boohoo! It also means changes for going "home". We've made a commitment to be here in Covington as much as possible on Sundays so we truly have our own church here... which means spending the night in B'ville way less. In fact, it will be pretty rare for us to spend the night unless it's a holiday or possibly a Friday night.

 

We've made some tough changes but they're changes we've felt led to make for a while now and that we feel confident about now that we've followed through. Soo, that's where things stand. God has been so, so patient with us as we've made excuses and dragged our feet and pouted over not living in Barnesville and not being able to go to FBC Barnesville all the time. Now we're praying his blessings on our new adventures here... in a new church with new friends and a new church family. Gulp. 

Another Day in the Life of Us

Yesterday I chronicled the events of our day. Our highs and lows, ups and downs. While it wasn't super exciting it was a pretty typical summer day for us, the kind I want to always remember. And since I haven't done one of these posts since October, it was time!

 

Here's what our day looked like yesterday:

 

I woke up a little before 6:00 and got dressed, had my quiet time, and went through pictures to use at Austin's birthday party all before the babies woke up. I like having a little me time before the day gets started and I'm also trying to keep my body used to an early wake up call so it's not such a shock and adjustment when school starts back.

 

Both boys starting calling for me around 7:30 and so began our day. =)

 

The boys had a muffin and cereal for breakfast and then had lots of playtime while I cleaned up the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher, started a load of laundry, ironed my clothes, and made up our bed. Most mornings they play really good together while I take care of chores around the house.

Sometime after their pretty long stretch of pushing dump trucks around the house and working at the tool table, things went downhill. Fast. It started with a little scuffle and then before I knew it one boy was crying and one boy was headed to time-out. Sigh.

This was my cue to get everyone ready so we could get out of the house and do something fun. Unfortunately, the fighting continued while we got ready and up until the second before getting into the car. It just about made me crazy (especially since the morning started so promising), but thankfully the car ride to drop off library books and then to Chuck E. Cheese was peaceful!

In the past, Austin hasn't been a huge fan of anything Chuck E. Cheese offers. He usually strolls around and watches Garrison and that's kept him entertained and happy during our visits. Yesterday, however, we turned a new leaf. My baby boy got brave and rode rides and followed Garrison around and played games and everything. Yay!!

Garrison helped him with the horse ride. You can tell by the look on his face how excited he was. This was his first ride so he was very apprehensive. He stuck it out though! I was so proud. =)

They had so much and we made perfect timing because we used our last token as a big daycare group came in.

As soon as we got home around 11:30 I thew clothes in the dryer and tried to stall the boys so we wouldn't have such an early lunch. After a little crankiness it was finally time to have lunch. =)

After lunch they seemed to pick up where they left off this morning. They just could not get along. Needless to say, naptime started early. I put Austin to bed right at 1:00 and then Garrison watched an episode of Pioneer Woman (my big boy has tons and tons of things he wants me to cook for him now =)) before heading back to his room for his quiet time.

Then mama worked on more pictures for the birthday party and layed down on the couch where I was able to take a little nap... something I'm trying my best to take advantage of during summer naptime for the boys. Once the school year gets started I have a feeling naps for me will be very few and far between.

Garrison came out of his room a few times to ask me a question or tell me something so I was interrupted a lot it seemed. It's crazy how some days he's content and perfectly occupied/entertained in his room the entire time and some days he's just bored and in and out the whole time.

Terrell was able to get off work a little early yesterday (yay!) and he was just in time for snack time. We all enjoyed a yummy summer treat before surprising the boys with a trip to the pool.

They played and played at the splash fountain/pad and eventually went swimming in the pool. Unfortunately we had a little poolside drama because Garrison out of the blue became afraid to swim. It was SO frustrating. We definitely see another round of swim lessons coming next summer. He was doing so good and all of a sudden he just wants to hang out on the steps or by the side. Before we came home he did swim it was just a big, LONG battle. But we were so proud and relieved once he finally did it!

We got home just in time to change into dry clothes and cook supper. The boys went out while daddy grilled and then we had a yummy supper of grilled chicken, corn on the cob, and green beans. After supper the boys went back outside for a little bit. It has been so nice having somewhat bearable temperatures in July. Normally we can't even go out at all in July so this summer's cooler temps have been a huge blessing.

After a little more play time outside it was time for baths and bed. Austin is making progress slowly but surely. Praise the Lord! We still have crying and still have to go back in his room after leaving the first time, BUT, the crying isn't as "severe" and he's now usually asleep by 8:00 versus 9:00. We still have a ways to go but are super grateful for progress!

We had a really normal but lot of fun day. I'm especially thankful I have this blog to record and keep our memories... even the ones that are just regular ole days. Hopefully the next "day in the life" post I do will be sooner than 9 months away!

A Birthday, Church, and the Park

We had a really great weekend. We celebrated my sister's birthday on Saturday (today is her actual birthday... hope you have a great day AnAn!!) by spending the day in the hometown and then going out to eat on Saturday night and enjoying a wonderfully delicious meal. Yum!! AND, besides celebrating my sister's birthday, we were able to celebrate enjoying a drama-free meal with our second born!! It felt like a miracle. We were sooooo proud and thankful for our normal, peaceful meal. It was wonderful! =)

We came home Saturday night so we could be sure to go to church here on Sunday morning. We are trying to finally be grown ups and find our own church. =) And let me tell you, it is WAY tempting to just find a way to go to church in B'ville when we know we're gonna be there for something. But we've made a commitment that we're trying really hard to keep.

Garrison still had a little anxiety about visiting this "new" church but afterwards decided he loved it and had the best time. That was definitely a blessing. I don't think any parent ever wants to feel like they drop their kids off somewhere to NOT have a good time.

Terrell and I however left the service feeling like this particular church is not where God wants us. While we are trying really, really hard not to be so picky this go-round, because we know there are no perfect churches, we both left feeling as though it's clear we should return to the church we've visited here off and on since we moved here. We don't want to confuse our kids by going to several different churches so we've made a final decision to return to visiting this church long-term and to even try Sunday School. Gasp! Such a big step. We're both nervous but it's time to take the plunge. We've got to do it sooner or later!

Yesterday the boys and I had a fun and laid back day. We visited a new park that's about 20 minutes away but the boys both loved it. Austin didn't slide or swing but he played a lot and had fun. Then we enjoyed a snack in the car on the way home. It was a great morning.

Yesterday afternoon went really well too. We didn't even have our typical wild and crazy late afternoon. The boys were fairly laid back and low-key almost all day. They even went to bed early! Yesterday was definitely a blessing. I wasn't quite ready to jump back into our week-day routine but having a fun and somewhat easy day made things way better!

Today we're off to run a few errands and then we're enjoying a lunch date for Taco Tuesday at one of our fave Mexican restaurants. Happy Tuesday and Happy Birthday AnAn!!!

A Peek into our Week

This week has been sort of long and tough. We haven't had anything at all going on, so everyday I've been winging it and coming up with something to get us out of the house for just a little bit. It's worked okay for the most part but we've had our moments of going crazy inside too. And mama is tired. Real tired.

At one point on Wednesday afternoon after starting on supper the boys were running wild. (About 5:00 or so everyday we hit our witching hour. They're not bad during this time they're just wound up and crazy... and I'm spent so I have no patience or energy left. Not a good combination.) So anyway, I was cooking and the boys were running around totally wild. I kept having to ask them not to run around in the kitchen and to stop doing this or that and to slow down... and Austin was definitely in his own little world and hearing none of it. So I started feeling emotional and overwhelmed and ready to cry. My big boy stopped and was watching me and said, Don't cry mama. So sweet. But then I still did start to cry a little and he burst into song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star....It was so funny I cracked up and starting laughing through my tears. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star has always been Garrison's go-to song to sing to Austin when he's crying. It was so funny that he starting singing that to me so I wouldn't cry. We both laughed and laughed.

Thankfully the boys really do love to play together and they have entertained each other lots this summer. That's been a HUGE blessing. I don't want to come across as ungrateful because we are having a great summer. It's been waaay easier than last summer. This week in particular has just been a little challenging and exhausting. But since I haven't posted a single picture since my last vacation post, I decided to share the ones I have to give a little peek into our week. There aren't many... because this week hasn't been very exciting, just wild and exhausting... but it's better than none at all.

A few days ago Garrison requested to play in the fire truck tent. I love this tent because we can fold it up and store it away in a closet when we aren't using it. The boys really love it too. They usually end up playing rough and wrestling inside of it until it tips over. Then they either laugh a lot or somebody starts crying.

We went to story time at our library this week to hear a special guest paleontologist. I'm not sure if he was a real one or just a story teller... but it was really good. Except he was British and very animated and scared my baby boy. So we went to watch from the doorway to put a little distance between us and the strange man, and Garrison followed because he wasn't about to be left in there alone. Sooo, we watched from the doorway for a little while and then eventually Garrison went back in (once he knew it was safe) and I stayed out with Austin. He was a great story teller and his whole presentation was really entertaining.

Wednesday when Terrell got home from work he took the boys outside so I could enjoy a little R and R while supper finished cooking. It was heavenly. They went for a walk together. So sweet!

Wednesday night we had a bad storm come through right at the boys' bedtime. Perfect timing (said very sarcastically). Both boys had a hard time falling asleep thanks to the extremely loud and scary thunder. After they went to sleep they slept through the remainder of the storm and slept really late yesterday morning. Austin woke up about 8:05 and Garrison woke up about 8:35. They were tired! And gave each other lots of good morning love while I made breakfast. =) 

Last night ended up being an even tougher night at bedtime than the night it stormed. Austin is not handling bedtime well. At all. It is starting to really wear on me. It's emotionally exhausting. Last night we tried letting him cry it out (which is the hardest thing ever to do) but he just never calmed down and there was never a sign of him stopping. If anything, he got more mad and the crying stayed the same or escalated. It broke my heart. I eventually went back into his room a few times and shed a few tears myself. It was so emotionally draining. I know that sounds dramatic but when you're suffering through it you just feel helpless and like your child is going to be scarred forever. Boo.

Finally he went to sleep... and so did I. I got in the bed and read for an hour and then fell asleep early. I was exhausted and emotional and thankful to finally relax and be able to go to bed early.

Even though this week has been a doozie we've had some fun times too and are SO looking forward to the weekend. We're planning a visit to the pool today and I'm going to a jewelry party tonight... that I'm not doing myself. Yay for a fun girls night! And a break from the bedtime drama. Pray for Terrell as he faces it solo. Then tomorrow we're heading home to celebrate my sister's birthday with family and good food. Happy weekend! We're almost there!!

Sounds of the Season

The title I came up with makes this sound like a Christmas post. But it's not. Even though my big boy requested to watch The Grinch yesterday, we aren't quite ready for Christmas yet.

This post is about my favorite sounds of this season of life. The sounds that are daily music to my ears. The sounds that make me smile and laugh and pause to thank God for His blessings. And as a way to always remember, I'm recording them here. =)

*I love you. Hearing these words from all my boys are so special. Coming from Terrell they are sweet. Coming from Garrison they wonderful. Coming from Austin they are preicous.

*Bless you! Austin has now caught on to this one and I just love hearing it every time!

*Hello my name is child of the one true King. I've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set free. "Amazing Grace" is the song I sing, Hello my name is child of the one true King... wo oh oh oh oh oh, wo oh oh oh oh oh, wo oh oh oh oh oh. Garrison can sing this chorus word for word and Austin tries to sing it too and it is the sweetest sound ever. Listening to them sing this song is truly music to my ears and one of my absolute favorite sounds.

*The zoom of dump trucks around my house. Sometimes they're too loud, too rough, in my way, but, I love them playing together and pushing around dump trucks having fun.

*Yes mam, please, thank you, 'welcome. Good manners are always wonderful to hear!

*Terrell's garage door opening sometime after 5:00 signaling his arrival home. The afternoons can get really long around here and some days they just seem to drag on, but hearing that garage door makes me happy every single day. We ALL celebrate daddy coming home!

*The Hot Dog dance. Hearing the "Hot Dog" dance song come on at the end of Mickey Mouse is my cue to watch my babies dance. Priceless!

*Laughter. My boys' 4 year old and almost 2 year old laughter is the most adorable sound. I treasure it.

*Little footsteps. I love the sound of my babies running around the house.

*Prayers. Whether it's the blessing before meals or bedtimes prayers I love hearing them talking to God.

*Take Me Out to the Ball Game, You are my Sunshine, God is Good, and Row Row (Row your boat). Both boys sing these songs with me before naptime and bedtime and it's the sweetest sound.

*Playing together. There is nothing sweeter than the sounds of your children playing together and having fun together and getting along. It's the best thing ever. We have our fair share of fighting, crying, and not getting along... so hearing (and seeing) my boys play together is super special.

Those are all the biggies I can think of. One day the things I hear on a daily basis will change and mature and be totally different than what I hear now. And some changes I'm looking forward to! But this list and these sounds are precious to me and I want to soak them up because I know they'll be missed one day and gone before I know it.

And now I'm ready to cry about it...

Happenings Lately

*On Saturday we traveled to Cartersville to celebrate Terrell's Granny's 91st birthday. We had a lot of fun! We went to a local park and had such a good time playing with cousins and celebrating with Granny. We all crashed when we got home. Except for Ausitn. He was going strong after his nap in the car. He just ran circles around the 3 of us who were worn out. =)

*After my update about the paci and how things have been going since doing away with it...we haven't made much progress. Hardly any. So sad. Naptime seems to be a little easier/better most days, but bedtime is still a battle of tantrums, crying, and going in and out of his room many times every single night. Boo! I know it's just a phase, it's temporary, won't last forever... but it's still tough going through it. Don't get me wrong, we know it could be worse. We are extremely thankful that he's falling alseep by 9:00 every night and that he's sleeping all night. It's just heartbreaking having him cry and struggle with falling asleep/going to bed every night. Maybe we'll turn a corner soon. I'm definitely going to start praying about it before we even go in his room to start our nightly routine.

*Party planning is in full swing for Austin's 2nd birthday. I've made a few small purchases already and we're in the process of finalizing the menu and picking out the cake. Making progress feels good! The new school year is fast approaching so I'm trying my best to get the major stuff done before all the craziness begins.

*Yesterday we visited a new church. If you don't know the story of our church situation I'll try to fill you in real fast...

We are still members of our hometown church, FBC Barnesville. For the entire 8 years we've been married we've been pretty regular attenders at our home church. We love it there, and so do our kids. It's always worked out for us to go there multiple times a month because we go home a LOT. For holidays, birthdays, get-togethers, etc. And in the past, everytime we went home we spent the night and went to church too. So we've technically never found a church home away from home. We've visited churches here in Covington and had stretches of feeling like we had a church "here" but it's always been temporary and it's never felt like our church.

Long story short, we KNOW we need a church home here. A new church. (Gulp.) We know God has us here for now (obviously) and this is where he wants us to worship and serve. We've fought it for years (8 to be exact) and struggled with the decision of what to do and have honestly questioned God because how could He want us to go to church HERE every Sunday when we have a church we love and want to attend that's an hour away? But we've both been convicted and know this is what we have to do... so this summer we started back visiting churches here. And it's never easy visiting new churches.

Yesterday was no different. Both of my boys cried (and Garrison never does). It broke my heart. We've committed to going back at least one more Sunday but it's so hard when your baby doesn't want to... when he's asked to go back to a different church. Ahhhh. All we can do is pray about it. We can't figure it out on our own or analyze or critique or obsess. God knows where we're supposed to be so we have to seek Him on this instead of taking matters into our own hands... which is very tempting. Please pray for us. It's a big decision but it's time.

*Yesterday we also visited the pool. Yay! Our first visit since before vacation. The rain and our schedule (but mostly the rain) has kept us away a lot. Garrison has been asking to go to the pool almost everyday since getting home from vacation so we finally went yesterday after naptime... only to have it start raining the second we arrived. Talk about disappointing. But, we waited it out and once it slowed to an almost nonexistant sprinkle, we went swimming! The boys loved it and Garrison got to practice his swimming skills. He's doing better and better. We stayed until supper time and made the most of the sunshine.

*I think that's all for now. Happy Monday!

The Paci and the Potty

It's official... my baby boy is paci free! I'm excited and sad at the same time. It's bittersweet I guess.

While we are definitely paci supporting and believing parents, we definitely wanted to say goodbye to the paci before age 2. For sure. With Garrison it happened by accident around 21 months so we aimed for the same age with Austin. We've actually been talking about taking the paci away all summer but didn't want to before our anniversary trip because he'd be spending the night away from home... and we couldn't while he was sick with a little cold because that would just be mean... and we definitely couldn't right before vacation because that would definitely be asking for trouble. Sooo, given that our deadline was age 2 and we really wanted to get it over with during the summer we decided to go for it the day after we got home from the beach.

I cut the tips of the paci's so that they would be "broken" but would still be in sight and still available to see and hold. I just felt like he'd be able to understand and accept that better than a complete disappearance of them altogether.

He decided immediately that he didn't like the broken paci and wanted nothing to do with it, annnnd proceeded to throw a major tantrum at bedtime after I put him in his crib. Major. Jumping up and down, screaming, crying, the whole shebang. He had been doing something similar for a week or two every time we got ready to leave his room at bedtime so we weren't sure if the fit was totally and completely paci related or not. The first 2 nights we were in and out of his room several times until he finally fell asleep a little before 9:00. So not great but not terrible either. We could've been dealing with all nighters so we were thankful things weren't that bad!

Bedtime has definitely been a little harder than naptime but we are finally seeing progress. We changed our approach just a little by staying in his room after putting him in the bed to sing to him or talk to him in an effort to keep him calm. That helped somewhat but he still threw huge fits the second we left. Then we decided when we went back in his room after letting him cry a minute or two that we wouldn't pick him up (therefore having to eventually put him down again leading to another crying fit) but we'd just sit in the rocking chair and talk to him or sing to him.

Last night was our first successful night of me only having to go back in once and him falling asleep by 8! Yaaaay! Then today at naptime he cried when I left but it stopped after 20 seconds or so and he went right to sleep. I am soo grateful. It was hurting my heart to have him cry and scream and throw tantrums over and over again. Now we're just hoping and praying that things keep improving!

And here's a quick potty training update:

Austin is going to the potty when he wants to go to the potty. Ha! At this point I'm not forcing him to I'm just asking him if he has to go and reminding him not to go on Buzz or Woody or Mater (whoever is on his pull-up). We always try to go in the morning and before we leave the house and every night before bath time and he's done really well getting the hang of it... he just doesn't stop playing or eating to go. Those things are too important. =) Thankfully he isn't afraid to poop in the potty and he knows exactly what to do when he gets on the potty, he just isn't fully trained yet.

We'll probably try big boy underwear once or twice before school starts just to see if that makes a difference. I know it's not realistic for him to be trained by August 12th (our first day of school) but I really want him almost there. I keep having to remind myself that it'll be fine either way and that he's not even 2 yet. Plus I'm super proud of him already!

I think that sums up our paci and potty update. Journal entry complete. I know my boys will appreciate this so much one day. Haha. =)

Summer Vacation: The Remainder!

Day 5

 

1. Wednesday was messy and rainy all day long. Boohoo!

 

2. We decided to get out and ride around for a little while before going out to lunch at Pier Park. We scouted out potential houses/condos for future beach trips. =)

 

3. After lunch and getting wet we did a little grocery shopping before coming home and gettting ready to make our annual Chocolate Chip Delight.

 

4. I've made this dessert with the boys every year for the 4th of July since Garrison was a baby. Austin was very involved this year and consumed several M&M's.

 

5. We went out to eat at Hammerhead Fred's Wednesday night. It was still rainy and yucky but our food was delicious and we were thankful to get out again.

 

6. Austin was a big ole handful at the restaurant. Again. He's fine as long as he's hungry and has food in front of him, but once he's done, he's DONE. Ready to be out of the highchair. Ready to do what he wants to do. Ready for freedom. It was SO stressful that he decided to exhibit all these new behaviors while we were on vacation. Sigh.

 

7. Wednesday wasn't very exciting but we made the most of it and had a pretty good day anyway. 

Day 6:

 

 1. Thursday morning everyone slept really late. Yay! But we woke up to a monsoon. Boo!

 

2. It turned out to be a loooong day. We avoided getting out simply because the wind and rain were SO bad that it wouldn't be any fun to get out.

 

3. Instead we ate a really big, late breakfast. Soooo yummy. (We were definitely spoiled by Granna's cooking all week.) Then we played inside, watched any and everything that came on Disney Junior, tried to keep the kids entertained, and then eventually ate lunch. After lunch we had naptime... and after that things sort of fell apart. So sad.

 

4. The boys were stir crazy from being inside all day (just like mama and daddy), we were feeling depressed from being inside all day, and then we were paranoid that the boys were driving everybody crazy... because they'd been inside a small condo all day. Ugh. Not a good combination. I felt sorry for my kids because they were just being kids... who had been couped up inside for almost 2 days straight without their toys and their rooms and their routine! But I also felt sorry for everybody else who had to deal with my wild, crazy, loud kids!

 

5. Finally Terrell and I decided to brave the wind and rain with the boys still in their pj's and we got out. We were DESPERATE. Terrell took me to Pier Park so I could buy another pair of sunglasses and then we just rode around. The boys got to see the amusement park and people watch and we all enjoyed a change in scenary. It was much needed.

 

6. When we got back home it finally felt a little like the 4th of July. We had hamburgers, baked beans, and french fries for supper... on our patriotic paper plates. Then we had our festive Chocolate Chip Delight for dessert. Austin loved it. Garrison did too.

7. The grown-ups watched the Braves game and a movie after the kiddos went to bed.

8. Even though the 4th was nothing like we wanted (they even had to cancel fireworks), and I may have had a little afternoon pity party over it, we enjoyed yummy food throughout the day and were definitely thankful... for family, freedom, and the USA. =)

Day 7:

 

1. We were sooooo thankful to be back on the beach on Friday!

 

2. The boys loved playing in the sand and their buckets of water again AND daddy made them a little pond/hole to play in just like last year. They had so much fun and that made me super happy.

 

3. We stayed out all morning long and went in for a late lunch. Then Garrison and daddy made one more trip to the pool.

 

4. Friday afternoon we decided to skip naps and take the boys to Miracle Strip at Pier Park. It was our last chance to go and Garrison had been loving the rides from a distance everytime we rode through.

 

5. Austin fell asleep in the car on the way and it rained a little off and on while we were there so Terrell and Garrison did the amusement park together while I stayed in the car with Austin and let him nap. 

 

6. I'm thinking Austin was okay with that since he doesn't even really love the rides at Chuck E. Cheese.

 

7. My big boy rode several rides, including the ferris wheel, and loved every second.

 

8. After our amusement park fun we were off to dinner at Captain Anderson's. We had a really good experience while we waited... Austin played in the gift shop for like 30 minutes and Garrison played on Terrell or AnAn's phone. But after that it went downhill. Garrison felt sick and Terrell ended up having to stay in the bathroom with him for what felt like forever while Austin was refusing to sit down and throwing fits and stressing me out. Our food was great but Terrell and I felt like we couldn't get out of there fast enough and like we may never go out to eat with family again. It's one thing to deal with it on our own, it's another thing to make additional family members suffer through a stressful meal at a nice restaurant. Gracious.

 

9. After our wild and crazy dining experience Garrison fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up until the next morning. He slept in his clothes all night long. He was worn out from our busy week of vacation fun.

 

10. Austin on the otherhand had a hard time going to sleep because of the fireworks. We were glad to see fireworks but not so glad that they terrified our baby and kept him up. A baby really does change everything. =) Thank goodness Granna finally got him to sleep.

 

 11. To sum it up, Friday was a wild one. BUT, we were extremely grateful for better weather, beach time, and amusement park fun!

After eating fast food for breakfast (with Austin sitting beside me in a chair and NOT in a highchair), we made good time getting home late Saturday afternoon and had another really good road trip. Praise the Lord!

While the weather wasn't perfect throughout  the week (and neither was restaurant behavior) we had a really fun and memorable vacation. We enjoyed my mom's good cooking all week. We had sooo much fun on our beach days. We laughed with family... a LOT. We played a game! We enjoyed Thomas's famous dough-nuts twice. We had a blast on our double date. And most of all we enjoyed a week long break with family at one of our favorite places. This year was definitely an adventure and we are thankful. =)