BFF's

Tucker has so many friends to grow up with.  I am so thankful for that!  Boys and girls whose Mamas and Daddies Wes and I LOVE.  We feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing friends who have lil ones that are Tucker's age (and Gracie will have the same!). 

I tear up just thinking about what awesome plans God has for these kiddos.  There is no doubt they all will do wonderful things, many hand in hand :)

Here's Tucker with a couple of his BFF's!  These 3, along with several others, will undoubtedly make many memories together!

Welcome Baby Nash!

Michael "Nash" Yates

 September 21, 2011

8:25 am

7 pounds, 15 ounces

20 inches

Perfection :)

I'm Bringing Sexy Back

I am so pregnant.

I mean I am REALLY pregnant.

I could write a book on some of the comments I've heard recently regarding just how pregnant I am. 

Just this morning, while getting a pedicure, the lady asked me what I was having.  After I told her a girl, she responded in her Asian accent with, "A BIG girl!" then her and the guy doing the pedicure next to me starting talking in a language I didn't understand.  I'm 100% positive it had something to do with the size of my stomach.

I am getting ZERO sleep at night.  Okay, maybe 20-30 minutes here and there.  My hands and wrists hurt from the pregnancy carpel tunnel and I'm feeling so much pressure "down there" that it keeps me up at night in pain and I'm surprised every morning that I wake up to find that Gracie hasn't stuck a hand out or something.  (Sorry if that was TMI...)

I have like two tops that fit well enough to cover my ever-growing belly.  My poor husband.  I'm sure the day he said "I do" he had no idea what he would have to put up with from his wife parading around in shirts that allow half her stomach to hang out!  It's a good thing he has a great sense of humor!  Last night, I sent him a picture text after I got out of the shower (he was in the basement) with the caption "I'm bringing SEXY back!"  What was the picture?  Well, it wasn't what you are probably picturing (and shame on you!).  It was something close to this:

Sexy, uh?

I'm pretty sure all the ice cream I've been eating this pregnancy has contributed to Gracie's larger than life size.  My doctor assures me this is not the case.  I think she's just being nice.

I have been praying for labor since last Thursday.  Now, I don't want Gracie to come at least until Friday.  My sister is having her c-section in the morning and my mom is keeping Tatum.  I need my mom to keep Tucker when I go into labor.  It will probably be my luck that I'll go into labor tonight or tomorrow!

Tucker bit a kid at school today.  I know, it's not really related to this post, but I probably won't get a chance to write a post on it.  Every day, his teachers have raved about how good he is, how well he listens, and what a great eater he is.  Today, I pick him up and before his teacher even has a chance to say anything to me, Tucker says, "No bite!  Not nice! [and something about a kid crying]."  My stomach sank.  Then his teacher proceeded to tell me how he bit a kid in the FACE!  I feel awful about it.  I talked to the other parent and made Tucker apologize even though his teacher had said he hugged the kid and said "sorry" right after he did it.  What do you do in that situation?  That's the first real biting incident we've had and I pray it's our last....

Last night I stayed up until midnight cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer.  I'll end on that.

Potty Days

This is not an unusual siting thing around these parts:

Fortunately, the owner of the abandoned diaper can usually be found here:

Tucker is doing really well with peeing and pooping on the potty!  Right now, we're just making it fun, not really pressing the issue.  We ask him throughout the day if he wants to go potty.  Sometimes we get a "No thank you" and other times we get, "Yes!"  Then there are times he initiates it himself by either telling us he has to go potty or tearing his diaper off and running to the bathroom.  If I have the patience and attention span to let him keep his diaper off, he will actually go potty several times. 

When he does go, he gets stickers (1 sticker for going pee pee, and 3 stickers for going poopy) for his Potty Chart.  After 6 stickers, he gets a prize (a small match car, his favorite thing!).  He has really taken to the Potty Chart and is quite proud of it! 

 *Please don't make fun of my lack of creativity regarding the Potty Chart!  I really do not have a hidden teacher inside of me and the only creativity bone in my body is probably found in my pinky finger...  Hey, it works lol!

He goes back and forth on how frequently he wants to use the potty.  Three days ago, he earned 8 stickers in one day!  Then, yesterday and Saturday he didn't want to use the potty at all. 

We're still proud of our almost-two-year-old (gulp!)!!!

38 Weeks and 2 days

That's where we are. 

I found this representation of how big Gracie should be now at that gestational age:

The What to Expect App on my phone says she should weigh about 7 pounds.

Well, Gracie has been measuring big recently.  At my 37 week appointment (which was the day before I actually turned 37 weeks), my doctor scheduled an ultra sound to get a better gauge on her size.  At that point, she was estimated by the U/S tech to weigh approximately 8 pounds, 14 ounces (though she pointed out this could vary by a pound in either direction)! 

At my 38 week appointment, my uterus was measuring 44 centimeters!  What the big deal about that?  Well, the number of centimeters you measure should be consistent with the number of weeks you are.  That means I'm measuring 6 centimeters bigger than I should be....   (And, yes, I passed the glucose test with flying colors.)

At that appointment, my doctor offered to induce me.  I declined.  I'm barely dilated at 1 cm.  My body and my baby are just not ready yet (even if she's the size of a 3 month old right now!).  I was induced with Tucker due to high blood pressure at 38 weeks.  It was a very difficult labor, on both of us.  My goal this time has been to avoid induction if at all possible.  My doctor shared risks associated with having a big baby.  Though she also expressed that she didn't feel I was at the point where I HAD to go in that direction just yet.  She said it was up to me.

I hear about women giving birth to 10+ pounders all the time, without complication.  I also hear lots of stories of women who were told they were having 10 pound babies and birth 7-pounders. 

I have prayed about it and feel peace with my decision to not be induced last week.  I'm really hoping that Gracie makes her debut soon because at my 39 week appointment, if she has continued to grow at the same rate, induction may be the best route to go....

On another note, what's your thoughts on whether Gracie's going to look like her big brother or not?

Here is a glimpse of Gracie at 34 weeks:

And Tucker at 35 weeks:

22 Months

Tucker will be 23 months in a few days (WHAT?!).... 

But I have his 22 month "fun fact list" saved in the Notes App of my phone, where it has been since a few days before he turned 22 months....  As I read back over it today, I realized that I cannot just skip it, there are too many cute things that make me smile and that I want to remember about my Tucker Bug at 22 months.

1.  You are a little under 26 pounds and wear a 7 1/2 - 8 size shoe.
2.  When it's time to clean up, you sing the Clean Up Song. 
3.  You ask where something is ALL THE TIME.  You will say, "At?" over and over and over again.  No answer is ever good enough.
4.  You saw your first movie, Winnie the Pooh. 
5.  You are sleeping in your big boy bed and have been since day one.  Knock on wood, we have not had any issues (though you have fallen out twice...ooops!).  You have also not yet gotten out of your bed on your own from a nap or night-night.  Through the day, you get in and out while playing, but you know when your sound machine is on that you are to not get out.  When Daddy or I come in your room after you wake up, you will tell us, "Turn it off" indicating for us to turn your sound machine off so you can climb out of bed.
6.  You typically pee in the potty once a day.
7.  You always ask for a treat afterwards.
8.  You usually pick out cereal for your night-night snack.
9.  You will ask if something is "ours" so you can touch it.  This comes from times when we are out and you want something or want to touch something and we tell you that you can't because it's not ours.  For example, when we go on walks, you will say, "I wanna touch it" about every truck we walk pass.  I will tell you, "We can't touch that truck, it's not ours."  So, when we walk pass another truck, you will say, "Mommy, red truck ours?" 
10.  You refer to yourself as "Tucker Bug". 
11.  You always want the orange stars from your night-night turtle.
12.  You will always ask someone if they want what you want.  For example, if I say, "Tucker, do you want some pretzel sticks (or whatever)?"  You will ask Daddy, "Daddy, want pretzel sticks?" And you will have your head cocked to the side when you do.  It's so cute and shows how much you care about others :)
13.  We hear "do myself!" ALL THE TIME!  You are so independent!
14.  You have started to say "thanks" instead of "thank you".  It makes you sound so grown up!
15.  When you're going to do something mischievous, you will smile and say, "I stinker butt!"
16.  You always pick out a purple vitamin.
17.  You are into Big vs. Little.  If you have more than one of something that is two different sizes, you will always point out which is the big one and which is the little one. 
18.  You cut your top two 2-year old molars.
19.  If you hear someone pass gas, you ask them if they have to poop.
20.  If you hear someone say, "Owe!" you always ask if they are okay in a very concerned voice.  You are so caring :)
21.  Daddy taught you to say "Blue and White!" if you are asked what your favorite color is.  (But you leave out "and" and just say "Blue White!" :))
22.  You are truly Daddy and I's world!  (A spot that for only a short time longer you can claim as all your own....)  We love you to the moon and back times infinity, Tucker Bug!  Our hearts are overwhelmed with love for you!  Everything about you is absolutely perfect!

Lots of Love has been Going into Gracie's Nursery :)

Memaw has spent HOURS sewing basket liners and the crib skirt!

Papa & Daddy hung the chandelier

Even Big Brother Tucker has gotten in on the action!

Helping Daddy!

Or maybe just being mischievous!

All that and loads more in preparation for our sweet baby girl! 

Tucker's First Day of School!

Today is Tucker's first day of school! 

(Actually, it's "Parent's Day Out" every Tuesday and Friday morning from 8:30-12:30.)

I'm so excited for Tucker because I know he is going to love it! 

Fun crafts and songs and games and lots of new friends! 

If all the fun he had at orientation is any indicator, he is in for a great time!



Checking out all the toys!



Tucker & Charlie

 

Tucker and Makenly



 Yup, he was definitely excited to be starting school this morning!



Sportin' his big boy backpack

 



All ready to go to school, Mommy!



Now, Mommy just needs to figure out how to be at home without my Tucker Bug and not feel weird lol! 



A Smelly Milestone!

Tucker poopied in the potty for the first time last weekend!

No, we are still not "officially" potty training, but that's because Mommy is being L-A-Z-Y.  I'm thinking Tucker's definitely ready (which means Mommy needs to get on the ball...).  Anyway, about once or twice a day, I'll let him go around without a diaper on.  We usually hang out around the bathroom, just in case he doesn't get that "gotta go" feeling until the last minute.  This typically consists of him sitting on the potty reading book after book, running to his room to grab a new one, and then returning to the potty.  Mommy hangs out in the hallway because, well, Tucker tells me to.  Yup, he wants to do his business in private.  He'll tell me, "Shut door Mommy" or "Do myself."  The funny thing is, he will read his books for about 20 minutes, decide he's done in the bathroom, run to the kitchen and then stop after a few seconds only to dart back to the bathroom and pee in the potty.  (What is it about the kitchen that makes him have to pee??) 

Ok, back to the poopy.  Last Saturday morning, we were going through the whole routine.  I was sitting in the hallway waiting to hear his potty sing indicating he had peed when I heard, "Uh oh....  Mommy??"  The way he said, "Mommy" made me think to myself, "Wonder what this is about..."  I knew I hadn't heard his potty sing.  I opened the door to find that Tucker had pooped in the potty!  I think he wasn't quite sure what had happened.  He seemed kinda confused until I became all excited and said, "Tucker!  You poopied in the potty!"  and yelled for Wes to come see.  And it wasn't just a little bit of poop, it was A LOT of poop lol!  (Don't worry, you're not about to see a picture of my son's poop below!) 

I'll be honest with y'all, the whole potty-training thing is not something I'm looking forward to.  For one thing, I learned today that cleaning poop out of a potty is a lot more yucky than changing a dirty diaper, why is that?  Secondly, it means that accidents are inevitable.  Having pee (or poop!) on my carpet is not something that sounds appealing.  Thirdly, it probably means a good 3+ days of house arrest until some kind of consistency is established.  Fourthly, anything that requires even the slightest bit of mental and/or physical effort is way too much right now for this 36 week and 4 day pregnant woman!  Maybe we'll hold off until after Christmas..... 

On another note, Daddy and I are so proud of you, Tucker!!! :)

*The above picture is a couple months old and from Daddy's phone, so please excuse the quality.  I realized I haven't taken a picture of Tucker on the potty in quite some time and posts are much more fun with at least some relevant picture, so this was the winner ;)  Also, I have had this post in draft form since last Saturday, waiting on an appropriate picture.  I've learned that hundreds of my posts go unpublished because of that very reason, waiting on a picture.  Therefore, in an effort to keep this virtual baby book up to date and document my babies regularly, I can't wait on the perfect picture ;)