Late Night Doctor Visit: It's the Little Things

Oh this child makes me laugh.

Last night Jeff and I were finishing up dinner, when our little peanut walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of glasses from his doctor kit. Oh, was he proud.

If he's not checking our heart or ears, our on-call doc is always ready when you need him. This boy has a sense of humor, and is always laughing at himself. I love that about him and hope it's a characteristic that he carries with him as he grows.

Until the next checkup...

NOLA Girls Weekend!

Good Monday morning to ya!

Guess what I did this weekend? NOLA Girls Weekend, y'all!

Fourteen years ago, I made the decision to leave the state of Texas for college in Missouri.  I remember not even knowing that St. Louis was in Missouri, if that tells you how great my geography skills were at the time. But, they had the  best journalism school in the country, and I was ready for a change.

There I made wonderful life-long friends who taught me so much about life and friendship outside my Texas bubble. And through life's changes (husbands, jobs, kids, etc.) they have always been there for me, even though I don't get to see them as much as I'd like. I knew I would be almost 8-months pregnant when we booked this trip, but listen, this chick is NOT missing a trip 10-years in the making.

Here's a peek into my (and my boys) weekends!

NOLA Jazzfest.

I was a little nervous about the Jazzfest (pregnancy, pain, etc). but it was so chill, easy and fun. Highlight was watching the Avett Brothers.

My friend Katie. Don't let this fool you, we weren't wild and crazy.

First night after the Jazzfest. Enjoying some Hurricanes! And, er, water. Wah wah.

Street-car to Magazine Street and Garden District, hands down my favorite part of NOLA.

Breakfast at The Trolley Stop.

Walking the streets.

Last night enjoying drinks on the patio.

Highlights of the trip: 1 - Walking Magazine Street and Garden District.  2 - Dinner at Brigsten's and after-drinks at The Oak Wine Bar. Oak Street was super cute, I could have spent more time here and it's off the main touristy course. If you eat at Brigsten's you MUST have the Pecan Pie. It was picked by Food Networks "Best Thing I've Ever Eaten" as the best...and it was.  3 - "Allegedly" Cafe Beignet was better than Cafe du Monde for a beignet but I missed this stop. 4 - NOLA Jazzfest! They had transportation dialed in. We bought bus tickets that took us from a hotel to the festival and back. It was so easy, I highly recommend it. Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Enjoying his new kite at the park.

Cooper eating some ice cream with Daddy.

Boys doing rocks. How cute is Cooper's friend Thomas?

Ladies, I loved our talks, laughs, and each of your individuality! Here's to the next decade of friendship...and the next trip.

Keeping it Real.

I've been so unmotivated lately, y'all. 

On the blog and on any other tangible goal I've set for myself lately.

Thank you notes? 

Put 'em off.

Pick up that toy that's been sitting on the steps for a week now? 

Honestly, who even notices anymore.

I had grand plans for the blog, y'all - share my pregnancy must-haves, Coop's finished toddler room, baby boy's new abode; but let me tell you what I do...

Chase toddlers. 

Take them to and fro. 

Clean my kitchen like all day long (why can it never stay clean?)

And watch General Hospital during nap-time. 

When I am on the computer lately it's all about what's happening on People and UsMagazine.com. I'm a total snooze-fest.  What happened to that third trimester "get stuff done" and "nesting" mentality? More like want-to-be-napping and definitely-not-stressing-about-stuff-getting, well, done. 

Here's a few things that you can bet your last dollar are always done around here still: fresh flowers in the kitchen, a made bed in the master, and an overstock of dry shampoo. Yeah, I said it. I don't wash my hair a lot and pretty flowers make me feel like my house is pulled together.

Proof.

In other news, the bambino started to hiccup and I, er, the "Easter Bunny", gave Cooper 'Thomas the Train' (aka Choo Choo) underwear. He loves them! Loves putting them on and taking them off, carrying them around and throwing them up above his head in uncontrollable joy!

Yes that is a farmer's tan you see. The kid tans, unlike his mother.

Here's what he doesn't like- wearing them. Completely freaks him out.

Terrified Coop asking daddy to please take off the undies!!

I'll keep you posted on how that works once potty training starts. 

Real life people. Happy week, folks!

Wisdom Wednesday: Kind mothers making kind people.

I'm here, I'm here!

I wasn't sure I'd get a post out today because YOU GUYS. I've been so darn tired lately. So, so tired. This whole "pregnant chasing a toddler thing" is just EXHAUSTING.

Alas. I'm here!

I read this article about raising kind daughters recently and it struck a chord.  

Can I tell you (very candidly) one the reasons I'm secretly so excited to have boys? 

Girls scare me. I'm not scared by the dolls, or the pink, and especially not the way-too-adorable-clothing options out there for little ladies. But girls can be MEAN. 

I am one, I lived it. 

When we were celebrating (enter unnamed baby boys name here) at dinner the night we found out the gender, I admitted to my family that I feel like there's a whole lot of pressure and responsibility that comes with raising a little girl. Girls are sensitive and easily hurt. Bullying seems to be more commonplace around little girls or teenage girls. Things tend to hit them harder, to devastate them easily, and honestly, all this scares the heck out of me.

Let me also step in here and say that I take the responsibility of raising little boys into good men very seriously, and I recognize that it is not going to be easy (teenage hormones, anyone?).

More than anything this article reminded of how much we as parents impact our kids lives; it's actually unbelievable how much so. They model behavior starting so young, and the scary thing is that it's not just what we teach and tell them that molds the person, it is how we act, how we treat others, and how we think when we don't always realize those little eyes are watching.

"If we treat their friends as competitors, our daughters will, too. If we love their friends like we love our own children, they're more likely to see them as sisters and part of the family...Over time our way of thinking becomes their way of thinking. If we want to raise kind daughters, we need to start by being kind mothers." -Kari Kampakis

I don't want to raise little people that can't be happy for the other person, or who are only consumed with their own success and happiness. Those people are never truly content, they are bitter, and they drive people away.
It's a sad and exhausting way to live.

So this read was a total gut-check: How do I think? How am I treating other people? How can I lead by a better example?

Thanks to all the ladies in my life who always celebrate my success, and I hope I've been that kind of friend to you in life. Here's to making more kind little people.

Monday Musings & Coop's Two Year Photos.

Good Monday morning to you!

Well I turned 32 last week and it was AWESOME.
I feel very content at 32 - like I'm right where I want to be. I really love where life is right now; I know these years of young ones and pregnancies will be quick but they are so darn fun!

Now I'm not into weekly bump pictures and such but Jeff and I celebrated numero 3-2 at the George Strait concert, (which blew my mind PS), and we took this picture right around 1AM when we got home. Because how often am I rockin' a dress and cowboy boots these days?

(Extremely tired)
26-weeks at 32-years.

Here's some pregnancy updates:

1. LOW ENERGY. During my first pregnancy I had so much energy! At 40-weeks with Cooper I lapped a local park twice for a total of 6-miles trying to will this child out of me. I can't even IMAGINE doing that during this pregnancy. I am trying my hardest to stay active and healthy but it takes it out of me.

2. NO NAME. When we found out it was a boy with my Coop-man we knew right away what his name would be. This time? Nada. We have three names that we mull over, but there's just not that sense of urgency to decide this time. It may be a game time decision.

3. EVERY TWO WEEKS. We are now in our third trimester and go to our doc every two weeks until this baby arrives! That went fast. 

4. NURSERY UPDATE. Since I moved Coop I have an open room to work with. I am using Coop's furniture but did order new bedding and am still playing around with a rug and window. Per my us- it's taking a while. I did get Coop's clothes out, organized, and ready to wash. Goal completion: early June.

I also got to spend some time celebrating our second little boy-to-be this weekend, at a Sprinkle friends threw for me and my friend Patricia. We got pampered, enjoyed waffles and mimosas and had such a wonderful Sunday celebrating our babes upcoming arrival. I love to laugh and do life with these girls.

Happy Sprinkle!

And...can you believe I got Coop's two-year photos in the mail on my birthday? I was SO happy to get my hands on these gems. Our photographer was awesome and I feel like she captured Coop perfectly at this age! It was a chilly February day in Colorado!

Wishing everyone a lovely week!