Thankful Thursday

This week, I am thankful for:

1)  McDonald's Caramel Hot Chocolate.

Funny story:  A couple of weeks ago I went out during my lunch break because I had a hankerin' for a McDonald's iced tea.  It was a sunshiny but very cold day.  I pulled up to the drive through, and a recorded voice came over the speaker:  "Welcome to McDonald's.  Why don't you warm up your day with a caramel hot chocolate?"

I froze.  What's this?  Two of my favorite things in one???  Without thinking, I enthusiastically blurted out into the microphone, "Oh my gosh, I SO want one of those!" 

Then another voice came on the speaker...this time that of a young woman.  "Ummm...small, medium or large?"

I was afraid I might have frightened her with my demanding tone.  I also figured that the other McDonald's employees were probably standing inside, looking at me leaning halfway out my car window and laughing their heads off, so I sat back, tried to maintain an air of dignity, and casually replied, "Small.  And no whipped cream, please."

In hindsight, the no whipped cream thing was a grave mistake.  But the hot chocolate was probably the best decision I had made all day long. 

I have had a nagging, tickling little cough this week, so on my day off Sam and I zipped through the McD's drive through for another one of these warm, delicious treats.  (I at least managed to stay in my seat this time.)  So.  Good.  And exactly what my itchy, scratchy throat needed.

2)  March flowers!!!

I've been seeing these little beauties pop up in fields here and there for a couple of weeks.  Admittedly, I always get a little too excited when I see their bright yellow clusters, but I can't help it--they're simply gorgeous!  And they're one of the first promises of spring.  But this morning was extra special because THIS MORNING, I had one in my very own yard!!!  There was one bloom and at least two more buds just waiting to pop open in my front flower bed.  I think it was a very appropriate way to welcome the first day of meteorological spring.  (My calendar says the first official day of spring is not until March 20, and I really don't so much understand the difference between meteorological spring and regular spring, but the weather man used the word "spring" on the news this morning, so I'm running with it!)

3)  Little flutters.  My little girl has been shaking things up lately.  I never get tired of feeling those little ripples of life.  It's like she's sending me little messages:  Hey, Mom!  That caramel hot chocolate was delicious.  Thanks.  I love feeling her pokes, jabs and somersaults.  It's one of the greatest blessings of being a mom. 

So what are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday

This week, I am thankful for:

1)  This little outfit.

Sorry for the stolen images from Carter's.  I forgot to snap a picture of the outfit after I bought it.  Sam and I went shoe shopping for him after our ultrasound this week.  (Can I just say my kid is now wearing a size 8 shoe?  As in--1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, EIGHT!!!  Yeesh...)  While we were out, we decided to pick up a little outfit for Baby Sister.  What?!  She needed a present.  Personally, I think Sam did a great job putting her outfit together (with a little help...)  And what girl in her right mind doesn't love a good cupcake? 

2)  A flexible babysitter.  I know I have mentioned before that I'm grateful for Ms. Tammy, but she really went above and beyond this week.  I had a slight schedule change this week at work.  Nothing huge...just my day off was different than it normally is.  I could have sworn I mentioned it to her, but obviously I didn't.  Obviously, because when I got to her house to drop Sam off that morning, she wasn't home.  (I plead pregnancy insanity.)  I went on to the clinic, taking Sam with me and knowing that having him in a pharmacy all day was NEVER going to work.  When I talked to her a little while later, she laughed off the whole situation and said she would swing by the clinic just as soon as she was finished with her appointment.  I'm so glad she was willing to save the day and I didn't have to take an unexpected day off of work or try to keep my child drug-free for the next 10 hours. 

3)  Breyers Peach Ice Cream.

Especially when the peach ice cream is nestled inside a lovely waffle cone.  This has been one of my favorite sweet treats lately.  I think the peachness of it makes me think it's summer time.  Somehow, I never get to finish the entire portion of ice creamy goodness all by myself.  I have a little boy whose eyes light up when he sees me walking into the room with it and suddenly any toy he was playing with is forgotten. 

Come to think of it...I'm pretty thankful for that too.

Oh Boy! It's A.....

GIRL!!!

We went for our big ultrasound yesterday.  Shawn and I were both nervous and excited.  Excited because actually knowing the gender of our baby makes it seem so much more real.  Now we can actually start seriously thinking about names, nursery decor and all of the other little (and big) things that go with having a baby.  Nervous because, well, ultrasounds are kinda scary.  There's always that tense few seconds before we see the little heart beating where we wonder if everything is okay.  The night before, our dreams are always filled with scenarios of what ifs.  Because the truth is, having a baby is serious business.  Oh sure, people do it every. single. day.  But in reality, there are hundreds of thousands of things that can go wrong that could end a pregnancy.  Things that could happen at no fault of anyone else.  And let's not even think about the things that could happen to just cause a lifelong disability.  (Yeah...JUST.)  So while we were getting ready for my appointment yesterday morning, we were both dwelling on family histories, congenital disorders, anatomical malformations and other happy thoughts.

Sam, on the other hand, was totally consumed with thoughts of "Nano", which we have recently learned means Mickey Mouse.  He couldn't care less that we were going to look at his baby brother or sister. 

For some reason, I have fixated myself on cleft palate this pregnancy.  Maybe it's because I recently saw a baby that was born with a cleft palate in person.  Maybe it's because I heard a news story about a charity drive to raise money to pay for the corrective surgery for children overseas.  Maybe it's just all of the crazy pregnancy hormones coursing through my body.  But I just kept thinking about our baby being born with a cleft palate and having to have facial reconstruction surgery at such a young age.  Then, just to keep things interesting, we got into the ultrasound room, and Little Miss was bashful and wouldn't let us see her face.  Are you kidding me?!  We examined all of her other organs.  Bladder and kidneys looked great.  Heart had four beautiful little chambers just pumping away.  Umbilical cord looked like it had good bloodflow.  (Or at least that's what the ultrasound technician told us...we just took her word for all of this.)  But she refused to move her hands enough to let us get a good look at her facial anatomy. 

Finally, after I turned over on my side, stood on my head and the ultrasound lady did some kind of weird rain dance-looking thing, our little bundle of pink moved her hands just enough to get a quick look at the bones in her face.  All was well!  But sorry...no cute photo ops. 

At least no photos of her face.  She was more than happy to give us a full crotch shot.  Very proud of her girl-ness, she was.  I've always heard that girls can be tricky on an ultrasound.  Just because it LOOKS like you're having a girl doesn't necessarily mean you should rush out and douse your house in pink.  Sometimes those boy parts can hide from you.  But the nice lady assured us that she got a great look and we can douse to our hearts' content.  Not that we will, probably.  If I know my husband, he'll still be pulling for a UK themed nursery. 

One of the nurses later asked Sam if he was excited to see his baby on the TV screen, and Shawn told her that unless "his baby" is a character on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Winnie the Pooh, Sam has no interest in watching her on TV.  I mean, they didn't even have the courtesy to play the Hot Dog song while we were watching the screen, so what was the point? 

After the ultrasound when we were confident that our baby is healthy, I started letting my mind wander to all things little girl.  And I got a little nervous.  I mean, I never could figure out how to French braid.  I always felt like I needed a third hand.  I have no idea how I'm going to get those cute little tights on a squirmy baby.  And have you ever just taken a stroll down the kids aisle at the shoe store and looked at all of those adorable little shoes?  I may have to get a second job...  And NAMES!!!  Sam was easy because we always knew if we had a boy we would name him Sam, but we have never really agreed on a girl name.  So now we actually have to decide!

Nervousness and reservations aside, we're just tickled to be having a little girl.  As one of my friends told me, it's a whole new ballgame, and it's one that I can't wait to play.  I'm excited to see if she'll be a little tomboy...running and romping with her brother...or if she'll be girlie and prissy...begging me to paint her nails and do her makeup.  Maybe she'll be both.  Maybe we'll have the only girl who carries a purse onto the basketball court.  I hope she's blessed with long legs like her daddy so buying pants isn't as much of an ordeal for her as it always has been for me.  I can't wait to teach her the importance of regular pedicures and spa days.  (Lead by example, I always say.)  And maybe she'll teach us a thing or two, as well. 

So, little Shelby/Sydney/Sarah/Catherine/Nicole/Abbey/Grace/Macy...keep on doing what you're doing.  We'll see you soon. 

Valentine's Day

Shawn and I have always been pretty low-key about Valentine's Day.  I honestly cannot think of a single time in our entire existence as a couple that we have done the whole get-dressed-up-and-go-out-to-eat thing.  We usually just have a quiet dinner at home.  (In our early married years when we were both still in school, it was probably take-out and a night full of studying.)  I do, at least, try to bake some special, sweet treat that I know Shawn likes (you can see the cookies I made for him a couple of years ago).

This year, I actually had the day off for Valentine's Day, so Sam and I spent the morning putting together our surprise, "We Love You" dinner.  My sous chef was eager to help at first.

But it wasn't long before he decided that cooking was pretty hard work and he'd better save his energy for later in the day.

So what was our special dinner, you ask?  Steak and baked potatoes?  Some decadent pasta dish?

Nope...none of that around here.  We spell romance B-B-Q....or at least we did this year.  I had been wanting to try this recipe and also this one from the Pioneer Woman, so we decided to give them a whirl.  I used Coke instead of Dr. Pepper for the pork.  We normally only have Diet Coke in the house, but I figured the pork might need the sugar, so I bought the real deal for this.  Also, at the last minute, I altered the recipe to only use 1/2 of the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and I'm so glad I did.  It gave the meat a really good flavor, but there was just a hint of heat, too.  The whole can would probably have been too much for me, and it most certainly would have been too much for Sam.  As it was, a little barbecue sauce disguised the heat just fine for him, and he ate it like a champ. 

Of course, no self-respectin' Southerner eats a pulled pork sandwich without a little coleslaw on top. 

Shawn decreed that the potatoes must become a regular at our house.  I have to admit, they were really easy to throw together.  I think the only thing I might change next time is to mix the cheese in with the milk mixture instead of just topping them.  Or maybe even melt some Velveeta in with the milk mixture before pouring it over the top.  Cheese just makes everything better, doesn't it?

For our sweet treat, I decided to keep things simple and do some chocolate dipped strawberries.  Shawn and I both love them, and I was pretty sure Sam would be excited about them too.  I ended up with some extra chocolate, so I went digging through the pantry for something else to dip and came up with vanilla wafers.  Oh yeah, Sam is TOTALLY going to be excited about this.

I arranged everything on a plate so it would look pretty when Shawn got home.  But wait a minute...is one of my vanilla wafers missing from the outside edge???

Ummm....EXCUSE ME?!

The dirty little rat stole a strawberry and put the whole thing--stem and all--in his mouth before I could stop him.

Doing his best to look innocent.

Leaving the scene of the crime.

Hey Sam--just a tip:  you should probably destroy all of the evidence if you're going to steal dessert before supper.

Shawn wasn't the only one who got a surprise.  I got these lovely tulips.  I just love tulips.  Some day I will grow them and have flower beds that are overflowing with them.  I will be the envy of all of our neighbors.  For now, I will just have them on my kitchen table when my sweet husband brings them home from the local Kroger.

SERIOUSLY...

What does this kid do in his bed at night to make his hair look like this?!

I Thought I Thaw A Puddytat

Remember how I said Santa left Sam a tent with a cool tunnel on it for Christmas?  And how I said he didn't play with it that much but the cats were sure crazy about it?  Well, he has gotten over his fear of it, but the cats are still pretty darn keen on the thing too.  I wish I had the following scenario on video vs trying to use a couple of snapshots to tell the story, but see if you can imagine the scene:



Molly was bee-bopping through the living room when she caught wind of something that required closer inspection in Sam's tent.

She leans in even closer for a better look.  I think there's something in my friend's tent...

Soon, someone else had to come along and see what the buzz was all about.

I realize the quality of this picture is pretty poor, but between Sam's and Molly's heads you can just make out a little striped kitty.  The picture is blurry because I was trying to catch a quick picture before Sam got caught in the middle of a cat-dog fight. 

I wonder how many messes these two will get themselves into over the next few years as a result of their curiosity.

Thankful Thursday

This week, I am thankful for:

1)  Lunch dates with friends.  I was lucky enough to meet up with a friend and her kiddos for lunch this week.  We have been trying to make connections for weeks, but sometimes school, homework, work, gymnastics and runny noses can wreck your plans.  We FINALLY got together this week for lunch with a side of laughter.  I'm hoping we can actually make it happen again before our kids are graduating from high school.

2)  The way my kiddo always keeps me guessing.

On my day off this week, Sam and I ran in the bookstore to pick up a couple of birthday presents.  (Because books are, in my opinion, always a perfect gift.)  Sam was really on his best behavior while we were there, so I told him he could pick out a present for being so good.  I'm thinking he's gonna pick a BOOK, right?  'Cause (a) he loves books and (b) we're in a BOOKstore.  Nope.  Sam chose this grasshopper hat, complete with buggy eyeballs and antennas on top.  (Or is it antennae???)  When I tried to talk him out of it asked him if he was sure that was what he wanted, he signed please and yelled "NICE!"  (Sam's version of asking nicely.)  So we are now the proud new owners of a grasshopper hat.  He wore it all day that day.  I love that he has his own Sam personality and that it constantly cracks me up.  I don't love that a certain chocolate lab who shall remain nameless got her paws (and teeth) on said grasshopper hat and we will now be taking it to the grasshopper vet/seamstress to see if it can be salvaged. 

3)  The nice officer who gave me a warning instead of the ticket that I really deserved.  I was buzzing along on my way to work earlier this week when I looked in my rearview mirror and saw blue lights.  Blah.  I pulled over and  fought the urge to bang my head against the steering wheel.  He came up to my window and asked me if I knew why he had pulled me over.  I sheepishly replied, "Yes, I'm afraid I do."  Then he told me what he clocked me doing.  Oops!  Knew I was speeding but honestly didn't realize I was doing it so well...  Anyway, I'm not sure if he just has a soft spot for working moms who are perpetually late for work or if it was just the end of his shift and he didn't feel like fooling with the ticket, but he let me go with a warning and a stern, "Slow. Down."  Thank you, nice officer.

Music Lesson

I found these pictures on my phone from a while back.  Shawn got his guitar out (probably for the first time since Sam was born) and was picking away at it.  As expected, it wasn't long before a little boy (and his sidekick...notice the brown furry mass in the foreground) were checking things out too.

Thankful Thursday

This week, I am thankful for:

1)  Good test results.  Shawn had to have a few tests done this week.  Nothing serious--just a couple of things that we needed to get checked out.  Everything came back fine, and I even have a few funny stories to tell of things Shawn said as he was recovering from the sedation.  Win, win!!

2)  A movie date with friends.  This weekend, I am going to catch a matinee with a few girls from work.  We're going to be seeing One For The Money, which is based on a series of books about an accident-prone bounty hunter.  She ain't no Dawg, y'all!  I love the Stephanie Plum books, and I highly recommend them to anyone who needs a few laughs.  I'm excited that they made the first book in the series into a movie, and I can't wait to catch it with the gals.  (And how about a shout-out to my husband for pulling Daddy-duty so I can sneak away for a couple of hours?)

3)  Our newly tiled basement.  Okay, so I had fully intended to have pictures for this part, but it seems that I'm upstairs and the basement is, well, downstairs, and it's getting REAL close to bedtime.  That poses a problem.  But trust me:  we had icky, yucky, needing-to-be-replaced carpet in our basement, but we are now sporting pretty, new, quickly-and-neatly-laid tile.  I love that we found someone who (1) showed up to work when he said he would (2) did great work and (3) didn't charge us an arm and a leg.

What are you thankful for this week?  Head on over to Black Tag Diaries and leave your list!

Hitting the Books

For a while now, we have let Sam take a book to bed with him.  It's not uncommon for him to sit in his bedroom and "read" for over an hour after we actually put him to bed.  He flips through the pages and calls out characters or animals that he knows.  Sometimes he chews on them.  Sometimes I think he just sits and tells imaginary stories to his Pooh Bear.

Lately, though, one book just isn't enough.  We have to have a minimum of three books, and they aren't necessarily the same books every night.  Part of our nightly ritual has become for Sam to stand in front of his bookcase and study the titles as he decides which books he will take to bed that night.  Some  nights when I go in to cover him up before we hit the hay, he is literally lying on his back with all three books hugged to his chest.  I love that my little boy has taken such a liking to books.  Saturday morning, I snapped these pictures when I went in to get him up.  He was sitting in his bed, patiently waiting for someone to come and get him.

This is one of our Melmo books.  We really love Melmo these days.  (You know...the little red character from Sesame Street?!)  This is one of our more popular books to snuggle with.

This is another one of his favorites.  I have to admit...it's one of mine as well.  It's a book about the different seasons and all of the fun things Mommies can do with their kiddos throughout the year.  He was determined to NOT leave the book in the bed Saturday, lest we should miss an opportunity to read it later in the day.