What a month...

I haven't posted much over the last month, it has been a little crazy.

For one, there was a series of strong storms/tornadoes that came through the state of Alabama on April 27th that killed over 200 people. We were only out power 8 hours that day but some were without for 2 weeks. I can not expressed how blessed we feel to still be alive and to only have dealt with a few down tree limbs. We knew that it was going to be a bad weather day. That morning around 5:30a.m. we went down in the basement for what sounded like alot of commotion outside. It was very powerful straight line winds that did the most damage for areas of that state that were not later affected by the tornado. I didn't realize those winds had done so much damage until I was driving around one afternoon trying to get Kate to go to sleep. Then is when I realized how many HUGE trees with Massive trunks were knocked over. Many roofs still have tarps over them. But what made that day a "Red Letter" day in Alabama history is the many many tornadoes that came through the area, one being a EF-5. The strongest most powerful of all tornadoes. It went through Hackleburg, AL which is not near where I live. There was a EF-4 that went through very close to our house. It was a mile wide and had gone through Tuscaloosa. My husband works in Tuscaloosa and if had not been for his employer releasing their employees at 3pm that day, Don would have been right in the line of the storm. It went through T-town between 5 and 5:30 and it left behind massive devastation. I am talking about homes knocked flat, people thrown 100s of yards, people trapped in debris, and obviously loss of life. The thing is I really had no idea it was really as bad as it was until the next day and all of the missing people reports and death tolls. We were listening to our tv and scarfing down some dinner. We were saying to each other, we will need to get down in basement in 20 minutes, then 10 minutes. Then we hurriedly carried the kids downstairs along with our dog. We put hard hats and bicycle helmets on, we knew it was bad. Thankfully we dodged those deadly tornadoes. Normally if a storm hits in Tuscaloosa, it will follow the interstate up to our house which is about 40 minutes away. That day, the storms went north and south of us. The Tuscaloosa storm hit Concord, AL and Pleasant Grove, AL. That was probably the closest to us. I think they were saying it has been 70 years since that deadly of tornados had passed through Alabama. I hope things never get that bad again. Please keep continual prayers for my state, those people that lost people they love, those people that lost all those material possessions, and the rebuilding process.

A few days after the storm, the kids and I headed up to my parents. I was needing to do some painting that weekend and so mom was going to keep Kate a Friday night. Well I drove up Thursday night so we could get up early the next morning and watch Prince William and Catherine Middleton get married. Mom tells me all the time that she was 8 months pregnant with me shelling beans when Prince Charles and Diana got married. So I was the first up with the babe (4:45a.m.) and I was able to see Princess Kate get in her car and ride to Westminster Abbey. I also saw her walk the aisle. I personally think she made wonderful choices on her dress and hair and makeup. She looked stunning. Mom and my Kate woke up a little bit later and mom made us some ham and cheese croissants along with sliced strawberries and sparkling grape juice. :) My aunt Melanie and cousin Rachel stopped by later to watch because they were still without cable. It was a fun morning.

On another note, we just got back from vacation to beautiful Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We stayed at the Sea Pines Resort which had just hosted a PGA tournament roughly 3 weeks earlier. We went with Heath and Ashley Hill. Heath and Don are golf buddies and have known each other since college. Ashley and I actually know each other from college too. We arrived there on a Saturday night after driving 7.5+ hours. Sunday and Monday the guys golfed at high end golf courses while the girls and babies checked out the beach. It was easy to say that the Gulf Coast Beaches are prettier then the Atlantic Coast. The Gulf Coast has that deep, white sand while the Atlantic looks more muddy so it has a grayish tint. However I will say that with the Atlantic Beaches have very packed sand which makes riding bikes on it easy. There is something really neat about being able to ride a bike near the water and having the water and wind hit you in your face. Don and I tried to rent some bikes to ride around the resort on Tuesday but due to Sea Pines telling us the little trailers are really not ideal for children under 1 (even though we were going to put Luke in his car seat too), we decided against it this trip. However, when we go back, we are definitely renting bikes! The resort was ABSOLUTELY beautiful. It had everything. There were gators in several areas of water. We actually saw one in a pond when we were taking a little hike in the Forest Preserve. It wasn't long after that I suggested we get back in the car and do the driving part of the Forest Preserve. Yikes! It was a great trip! Wasn't long enough though...we drove back Tuesday night (arrived home around 1:30am) after stopping in Savannah, GA for dinner. Tuesday was Don and I's 8th wedding anniversary. Yay!

Anyway, today, Kate is at her mawmaw and pawpaw's house for the weekend. Don and I are about to do our finishing touches getting this house ready to put on the market. We are so tired of having that hang over our head every weekend. I will be glad when this transistion is over.

Little Owl

Don't know if you have ever watched an Owl but the way it slowly turns it's head and watches it's prey is the way Luke looks at Kate. Not so much that he wants to eat her, he just has real big blue eyes and they are wide open watching her. He slowly turns that head to keep a constant eye on her. I love watching them together. Especially when they are both happy and smiling. :) (side note: I witnessed an owl at Oak Mountain State park coiled and ready to spring at Petey. He was popping his beak! Yikes!)

So Luke turned 5 months old on the 29th. He started English Peas like 5 days prior because I was desperate for him to sleep through the night and guess what? He did! At least 2-3 days in a row. I am losing track of time here so forgive me. I weighed him about 2 weeks ago and he was around 18.5lbs. Well, I think he is around 19 now. Expect a 20lber for his 6 month appointment!

Easter & Lately

Easter pic - Very busy weekend with both families - Very Blessed, We Serve a Risen Savior

Kate has been doing this really funny thing lately. When we are driving somewhere that is a decent distance away (which many things are), she will lay her head to the side and close one eye. By doing this, she is trying to fake me off that she is asleep when I look in the rearview mirror. I know this for a fact the first time I saw her do this and thought something was wrong because the one eye that was closed didn't look stressed at all, so I called her name a few times without much movement. Later she was smiling up a storm. What a little trickster! Kate is also now a "Mommy-Daddy's Girl". If you ask her if she is a "mama's girl", she will say "No, I'm Mommy-Daddy's Girl". So correct! Smart girl! She used to say (when asked if she was a daddy's girl) "Daddy's gotta work, I'm Mama's girl!"

For Real

I decided to do a "REAL" post today. Let me tell you what is really going on in my life. I am currently extremely sleep deprived. I wake up each morning entirely too early for my body and I really want to be an ill-pill all day. Thankfully I have a little curly haired girl that squeaks "Daddy has to work, I'm a Mama's girl" and the mood slowly changes. My 4.5 month old baby who I thought would be sleeping through the night for at least 2 months by now is still waking me up multiple times in the middle of the night hence the extreme sleep deprivation for going on 4+ months now. The doctor told me to start going in to soothe him instead of feed him but when that doesn't work, baby wins. I am currently trying to find the perfect noise makers for both kids' rooms. Then we will be crying it out! Poor baby and mama! I am trying to potty train a child that doesn't really care to be potty trained. After accident upon accident I am thinking I chose cloth diapers instead of disposable ones (because that is what it feels like cleaning those suckers). Oh, did I mention that we are trying to put our house on the market? Yeah, first goal was April 1, then it was moved to April 15th, now May 1st looks like the date. Anyone know what it feels like to be in transition? Unsure of what the future will be like and how you will fit into it. I had this same feeling the summer before moving off to college. Just lovely! How do I get through this time? Realize this quite possibly is the best time of my life. Realize that it won't be like this for long. Realize how completely extremely blessed I am (even when spit upped and pooped upon). :) Also, if any of you guys need a good read, please read my friend Anna's post about "Facebook Depression". It inspired me to do this post. :)

4!

Here he is... My little chunky monkey...My stromboli...MY BIG TIME FLIRT...He was 4 months old 2 days ago and 3 days ago he weighed 17lbs 8 ounces, was 26 and 1/4 inches and had a 17 inch head. That makes him 90th percentile on height and weight and 75 percentile for head. Tonight we gave him rice cereal for the first time. He seemed to like it alright. Hard to believe in 1 more month he will be on solids. Luke's milestones right now include rolling over (only seen on our bed), grasping toys above him, laughing, smiling ALL THE TIME, and the other day he did a pretty good job sitting up unassisted for a good while. Tonight he is sleeping in his bed. We are SO proud of him and I literally kiss him ALL THE TIME. He stole my heart instantly. Love you booger bear!

Super-Moon Baby

What we have been up to lately...

1) My brother and sister-in-law had a precious little boy, Campbell Mark Keith, on March 20th. This was the day after the Super-Moon so I will always think of him as my Super-Moon baby. He weighed 6lbs and 7 ounces and was 19 inches long. I wish SO bad I was out there to hold him and love on him. At first, through pictures and skype, all I could see of him were Wade attributes. But now, after studying the pictures many times, I see a definite mix. Wade has gotten real emotional about this process. I guess he now feels the responsibility, the love, and the PURE JOY. I can't wait to witness it in person. We are hoping to go out late summer.

2) Don is taking off a few days next week to work on house stuff. We are trying to prep it to sell. I hate prepping to sell. Lots of work! Plus it is impossible to keep straight due to a sassy little 2-year old that is strowy like her mama. Whoops!

3) Luke is a CHUNK. Seriously! He will be 4 months old in like 3 days and I promise you he is 16lbs +. We go to his check-up April 6th and we will see where he stands. He weighed like 15lbs 14 ounces a little after his 3 month mark and I think that was with a diaper and clothes on but also after he had been sick a few days. Oh yeah, after Disney, we had to take Luke to the doctor on a Sunday for a Double Ear Infection and Bronchitis. They did a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia and I felt weak in the knees about the results (he didn't have pneumonia). Seriously, I am just like my mom about my children, I don't handle them hurting well. After Luke got meds I got a serious sinus infection. I was very sick for about 4 days - a week. Thankfully Don's parents took Kate 2 nights of that and I stayed at my parent's. Mom had to work during the day but it was so nice being taken care of at night. We all know how men take care of their ladies. They don't exactly make the best nurses. :) Love you Don!

4) My grandmother had to stay in the hospital 2 nights after she had a minor stroke. She thankfully was not permanently affected by it. She has new blood pressure medication now. Please pray for my grandmother's anxiety. She is very anxious about her new medication and the future.

5) American Idol! I am totally OBSESSED this season. I love the new judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. They are so dang cool. AND the talent this season is phenomenal. My favorites are Casey, James, and Paul. I really can't tell you right now which is my absolute fav. I didn't watch it from the beginning and really have only been watching 2 weeks now.

6) The Bachelor. LOVE LOVE LOVE that show! I really feel like I have lost friends when the season is over. ha! SO glad Brad picked Emily. Was totally shocked at the "After the Final Rose". I sure hope they are able to work everything out. They are one good looking couple!

I am just going to post some random pics on this blog post plus a picture of my precious new nephew!

Kate with her 2nd or 3rd or something cousin, Marco (my 1st cousin Monica's son)

Kate getting a sandwich hug from Marco and Marshall

Childhood friend Becky (due in May with a precious boy)

And below Kate with Kyli and Lily (Becky's girls)

The Happiest Place on Earth

So almost 2 weeks ago (it will be tomorrow), Don and I loaded up the Camry and headed south to WALT DISNEY WORLD. I know what you are thinking..."she took a 2 year old and 3 month old to Walt Disney World where they are not going to remember one bit of it and they will spend a couple grand!?!" Well before you judge me, let me explain the situation.

Rewind 2. 5 weeks ago on a Saturday. Tabitha (Don's older sister) called me back regarding a text message I sent her about getting some clothes her boys had grown out of for Luke. She responded we won't be in town for a week. I inquired and then she called. She didn't tell me where they were going just told me that if I could get transportation I could tag along too. WHAT!?! Well if you know me, you know I have the GO GOs, always have! So I was ready to say yes before she even told me where. She then drops the BOMB, Walt Disney World! I am thinking "what Tab, didn't you guys just go in September and drop some serious change?" She then informs me that her boss had vacation club points about to expire and he booked her a 2 bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs FREE. So, I ask Don if we can go. To my surprise he is sold on it. Once we jumped 2 more hurdles of Don asking vacation last minute and Tab's boss adding us to the room list, we were set ready to go. Did I mention that we got the final clearance on a Tuesday and we left early Thursday morning? Also, did I mention that we had Bunco at my house the Monday of that week and Kate stayed at my parents?

So we drive 9 hours down to Disney on Thursday with the 2 youngins. We make it by 10pm there time. We had to find a place to stay that night since our Saratoga Stay didn't start until Friday night. I remember staying at a Hilton when I was working that was nice and right next to downtown Disney. Because we lacked time and all that we just booked there. We were beyond exhausted by this time.

Friday morning we made it to the Magic Kingdom by probably about 10:30 or 11. We started off eating (which is a joke at Disney...poor quality food) then carousel, Pooh ride, It's a Small world, and some Mickey show which 3D glasses of which Kate would NOT wear. I took mine off for a second to see exactly what she would be seeing. Can you say HEADACHE? Seriously everything was blurry if you didn't have the glasses. By 4pm EST our room was ready so we all headed back. After about 2.5 hours at our posh new pad, we made our way back to MK for the fireworks and light parade. Exhausted we headed back to room.

Day 2 at Disney, Don's sister's family was out the door by 9am. We were all headed to Animal Kingdom. I was pretty pumped about this because I had never been there. Well we show about 11am again and Kate pretty much acts like she feels awful. Great! So we get our fast passes to the safari then head to get some lunch. One thing I have learned is don't get my crew past hungry or things get ugly quick. So we all ate and were happier. After eating, little man had to be fed so we took a quick stop off at the baby care center. Can I just say that this was the best thing Disney could have done on my vacation to go above and beyond? Seriously! They have baby care centers in all of the parks where you can go indoors (air-conditioned) and change your tot, feed them, pick up supplies you forgot. Well believe it or not, this mama actually forgot all diapers that day. After Luke experienced a blow-out, I had to buy the overpriced pack but was so thankful that was an option. Next stop, the safari. I was so excited! Luke got to go too. Well halfway through it, I look over at Don holding Kate and she is not even looking up. She felt that bad. This made me feel horrible. What kind of mom does this? So guess what we did after the safari....started making our way out of the park. We did however see Don's sister (and fam) on the way out and caught up, plus got ice cream. After about an hour plus wait to get back on bus to head to resort, we were on our way. And at this time lady and gents, Luke woke up from his peaceful nap and screamed inconsolably the whole way back. Awesome! At this point, I didn't care because I was mad at the whole Disney bus shuttle process. :) We ate at Downtown Disney that night that was about a 5 minute walk from our room. Oh yeah, and as we were leaving where we ate, Rob (Tab's husband) noticed that Kate had something that resembled bean stains around her knees. Well if you can imagine (all moms reading this can) it wasn't beans. All we had been giving her to drink was apple juice. Whoops! :)

Sunday morning we headed to church at the Maingate church of Christ that was about 15 minutes away. Small church service of which we had to stay in the back and I had to pace back and forth with Luke to keep him happy. Once we got back to hotel, we decided to eat at the resort. Dropped about $25 for nothing of food and surveyed the amazing pool. If Kate had felt better the day before I would have let her swim but since she didn't I was going to chance it. We took a long nap that afternoon to gear up for our night at Magic Kingdom. MK was having magic hours that night which meant that guests staying in Disney Hotels could stay until 12pm that night. All other park goers had to leave at 9. So we didn't get to the park that night until about 6:30. It was great. We did everything we wanted to do that night and left the park about 10:30. Kate loved getting to ride the Dumbo ride that night several times and seeing Mickey and Minnie on there. So thankful she felt good this last night of Disney! Because we had such short notice about this trip we were unable to book any reservations for meals with the characters. That is definitely something I want to do next time. It's a Small World was also one of her favorites if not her favorite and we all got to ride that one, even Luke.

Monday we hit the road headed north. After 2 stops to feed the baby on the way up, we decided we would stay in Panama City that night (plus I forgot to DVR the Bachelor and really wanted to see it) :). Nothing special about the place we stayed that night and it wasn't on beach. The next morning we hit the beach fairly early, got pictures of Luke's first trip, then got back on road. 2 more stops to feed baby on way home, and then we arrived back in B'ham.

Take aways from our trip were that we are not going back for 3.5 years (when Kate is 6 and Luke 4), that we want to stay close enough to Magic Kingdom that we can take a boat or monorail to get into that particular park, that we will try to take some snacks into park if easy to carry, that we will buy meal plan if one meal a day and 1 snack is offered, that we will go back in the Fall (Sept - Nov). We really can't wait to go back!