Fun Mother-Son Day Take 2

Since Titus and I have a completely empty schedule this week I've been trying to find fun things for us to do together. I know this time will go quickly and I will soon be splitting my time and attention between the two boys. After yesterdays fiasco I thought it best to stay in today and find things to do at home.

So, we made playdough


Of course, he tried to eat it first

"digging" in


notice the uper lip :)


he loved that we could make a ball


pulling the little worm that I made

tearing the head off my catepiller

After our great morning playing together, he locked himself (naked) in his bathroom. He took his diaper off and ran in to go pee (he's not potty trained yet, but is starting to have an interest in his little potty) slamming the door and locking it behind him. It's the kind of doorknob that has a push button to lock, but a key opening on the outside. He often locks the bedroom door, but it can be popped open with a paperclip. I panicked. Called Steve, of course he didn't answer. Told Titus he could have a treat (Smartees are his new thing) if he came out and then banged on the door and yelled at him to come out. I could hear him in there playing with stuff from under the sink. I knew there was nothing that would cause him harm, but still I was in a panic. Eventually, after a few minutes, he just opened the door and came out. Asking for his treat.

Later in the day-

He calls this guy "Daddy" and is completely convinced it is Steve. Here he was saying, "Daddy!"

So These are the Terrible Twos, Huh?

This morning I decided it would be fun to take Titus to the butterfly gardens at Gumbo Limbo. We took a family trip there a few weeks ago and Titus loved running through the gardens. It's a beautiful day and I thought it would be nice to get out and enjoy it. It didn't go quite as I had envisioned.

After chasing butterflies for a few minutes Titus thought it would be fun to run away from me...straight into the parking lot. After taking him to the car and spanking him, we tried going to see the fish instead. He continued to run away laughing in that area as well. We stopped and sat on a bench where he started to hit at the plant beside him. I don't think the man watering the flowers nearby was amused.

My final attempt was to go play by the water.

walking down the path to the water (notice how secluded it is)


lovely place to sit and enjoy nature


I had a vision of sitting on the bench watching Titus play at the water...


...until a suspicious looking man dressed in all black came and sat under the pavilion. We were so far removed from anyone else that I immediately became a bit nervous. I am not one of those brave women. Especially here in Florida. It seems every time we hear of a kidnapping it's happened in Florida. Steve says the heat down here makes people crazy...I'd have to agree. Anyway I decided that our time spent by the water was over. However Titus wasn't so easily convinced at first. I told him we could go look at the fish and he seemed satisfied with that.

We never made it to the fish however, because on the way back he ran away from me (again) and had me chasing him in circles. After spanking him (again) we quickly left.

Determined not to let the whole trip be ruined, I did take time to "stop and smell the roses"...



So much for a fun mother-son day trip.

On the way home, while having visions of me chasing Titus while 9 months pregnant or with a baby in my arms, I decided to swing by the grocery store to pick up a time-out chair. I had seen cheap plastic kids chairs there before and thought they would make the perfect time-out chair.

We used it as soon as we got home...he wouldn't come in the house.

In the midst of our chaotic day, I finally got around to attempting to take some pregnancy pictures. Of course Titus tried to get in the pictures as well...he looks thrilled to be having a sibling. :)





Just when I was feeling like I have the worst child on earth...

I asked him if he was ready for a nap. He ran to his bedroom saying, "Night Night" and hopped up on his bed like the perfect little child.

Gotta love this age.

A Rainy Day and Feeling Under the Weather

I have been fighting a head cold for a week now and haven't gotten much of anything done. I remember last week dragging on, but now looking back, I can't remember a thing about it. Most of my time last week was spent with a humidifier, tissues, and my Neti pot. Saturday Steve had Titus all day and I went from the bed to the couch and back. Thankfully the pressure that I was feeling is now gone and I am just left with the congested feeling. Although I was dreading having Steve go back to work today and being on my own again, I actually enjoyed waking up to a dreary, rainy Monday morning. I've just recently started to drink coffee occasionally. Today seemed like a good morning for a cup. I don't know why I don't drink it more often...I tend to get so much done after drinking a cup. :) I was working in Titus' room this morning organizing some of his clothes and his closet when he found aunt Sandy's beach hat in the closet.

He seemed to take a liking to it. He put it on and went right to his lounge chair to watch his "toons" as he calls them...


Helping to Swiffer...he moves the furniture and everything! Just like his dad.



Organizing his toys...



After a pouring rain and tornado watches, the sun came out! By 3pm it was hot and sunny. Typical in Florida. We decided to go out and enjoy it.

He no longer wants our help when going up and down the stairs and even does it without holding onto the railing...















Steve got home while we were still outside playing. Titus was so excited and ran over wanting to get in the car. Steve put him in the front seat and had the radio on. This was the result...





resting on his hedgehog...



worn out after a long day...

20 Weeks

How far along 20 weeks

Total weight gain 5 pounds

Maternity clothes Wearing the same few outfits, waiting to fill out some of my other tops. I still don't have that obviously pregnant look, so I'm just wearing a few flowy tops and maternity capris.

Sleep has been better lately, not napping during the day does wonders when it comes to falling asleep at night.

Best moment this week telling Steve the sex...see below. ;)

Movement Lots. The doctor said today, as she was trying to listen to the heartbeat, that we have an active one. Oh dear. Titus was the same way. I remember him moving away from the monitor every time my doctor would find him to hear his heartbeat. We may have a very lively household in a couple of years. :)

Food cravings none

Gender ... It's a boy! After going back and forth...and back and forth...we decided to find out. While having the ultrasound done we asked the nurse to write it down for us rather than telling us right there. I thought we had both decided we wanted to know, however, on our way to the beach to open the envelope, Steve said he didn't want to know. I couldn't hold onto that information and not look...so I did, but didn't tell Steve. That was last Thursday. He finally decided it would be special to find out on our anniversary (on Monday). That evening we went to spend a couple of hours on the beach and as we were leaving, walking along the beach, I told him he was going to be the father of two sons. He was so shocked. We're really excited to give Titus a little brother. I've always thought it nice to have siblings who are next to each other in age also be the same sex. We are already praying that the two boys will be best friends and that they will always look out for one another. We pray they will not have unhealthy competition between the two of them, but will support and encourage each other.

Labor signs none

Belly button in or out in

What I miss nothing at the moment

What I am looking forward to having Steve and Titus be able to feel the movement

Milestones halfway there...time seems to be going a little faster now. At the beginning it felt like time was passing so slowly.

It does feel a lot different this time to know what we're having before the child arrives. I sort of feel like we cheated. :) It will be nice to only have to pick out one name (we still haven't decided and won't announce the name early). And it will be fun to go through all of Titus' old clothes and get them ready for his little brother. A big part of why I wanted to find out early was to see if I felt a deeper connection with the child once I knew who it was...I do. It's also fun to now be able to tell Titus he's having a brother. For weeks, every time we asked him if he was having a brother, he'd shake his head and say, "no." But when we asked if he was going to have a sister, he'd get a big smile and nod his head, "yes." Maybe he will prove us all wrong and in the end it will be a girl...although there was no mistaking it on the ultrasound picture the nurse put in our envelope. :)

And, further confirmation that it's a boy, and a boy like his father...before even the technician knew what it was-
During the ultrasound it was bending it's (his) arm and the technician said, "Look, it's flexing." :)

Anniversary picture 2010...Deerfield Beach, FL...19 weeks and 6 days pregnant

Today We Celebrate

Seven years.

Our vows.

Morgan, I give you myself and my love. Through all of the uncertainties and trials of the present and future, I promise to be faithful to you. I promise to guide and protect you. I choose you to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish as long as we both shall live.

Steven, I submit myself to you. Through all of the pressures of the present and the uncertainties of the future, I promise my faithfulness, to follow you through all of life's experiences. I chose you to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish as long as we both shall live.

I am blessed to say that we're stayed true to them through these seven years.

Yesterday Steve and Titus ran out to the store and came home with bouquets of tulips. Purple tulips were our wedding flowers and one of my favorites. I was reading on the couch and heard the two of them whispering. Then Titus came running over as fast as his little feet would go with a bouquet of tulips just bobbing all over the place. The poor flowers, two of them lost their buds. He was so proud and said, "Here Mommy." Steve had three more bunches and said that since I was surrounded with flowers on our wedding day, I should be today as well. I put them in vases around the house and I have to admit they do make me smile.







The last bunch of flowers came from my parents. For each anniversary my mom sends flowers similar to our wedding flowers. These were gorgeous. I ended up dividing them into two vases so that I could see more of them and now have six vases around the house.

We don't have any big plans today. Steve had to work today and we'll just spend the evening as a family. We talked about getting a sitter and going out just the two of us, but instead we'll stay in. I'm learning to enjoy celebrating the moments in life, where we're at in life. Now that we are a family, we'll celebrate as a family. Though that's not to say that next year we won't get a sitter and celebrate alone. :)