Getting Ready for Two!

How is it that time just flies by?! Only two weeks until Corey's due date, and I'm actually breathing somewhat a sigh of relief because for the first time in the past month I feel like I would be " ready" if he came. How quickly I forgot how much goes into getting ready for a new baby! My overly detailed tendencies can't help the situation, but nonetheless I am glad to feel at ease and "ready." All the clothes are washed, nursery put together, double stroller bought(still in box:), and odds & ends in place. Phew....

No dilation as of yet. He's just in there enjoying himself, and I trust that he will come in the perfect timing. We shall see if he will fall in suit with his brother and come a week late. I'm definitely more mentally prepared for that this time around and I guess somewhat expect him to be late rather than early, even though they say the second typically comes early.

While we are waiting on him to come, I am savoring the last few days of just Ethan and I at home together. The age old addage, "They grow up so quickly," is so true. I remember when we first brought Ethan home and he was so fragile and tiny and now he is full force boy ready for any adventure all the while expressing his independence with "no's" and pouts and hands on hips moments. He definitely has a way of testing me but I just love him to pieces beyond what I could have ever imagined. We have so much fun playing together. The key to his heart right now is BASKETBALL! He is absolutely in love with it, so walking to a neighborhood basketball goal, playing at home, or going to the fitness center to play has become a consistent part of our routine. I know once Corey gets here I won't be able to be as "on the go" with two, so Im really trying to be as intentional with Ethan as possible right now and show him how much he means to me.

He actually starts "school" two days a week at First United Methodist Church in Conway next week, and while I know it will be great for him and me once Corey gets here, I am still a little sad. We had orientation this past week, and I started tearing up thinking about him going to school for the first day. If I'm this emotional over 2 days, I can't imagine what kindergarten will be like. :) I am really excited for him to spread his wings a bit, and I think he will really enjoy it. His class is comprised of just 9 kids with two teachers, so I think he will get close to his classmates by the end of the year. He will have art time, play time, outside time, eat lunch, and nap time there! I like that he will have something that is "his," especially with Corey coming along. I think we all need things that refresh us and we can call our own. He starts this Tuesday, so please be praying for me not to start crying and make him cry. :) I just know its going to happen despite my hardest efforts, but I guess he's just going to have to get used to it because I make most things into a big deal. hahaha

I've decided to post a few pics of our summer together!

key west

key west was simply wonderful! it was our first vacation as our little family, and we had so much fun. vacationing with a toddler proved to be very different than vacationing as a couple, but we adjusted and really enjoyed our family time! (maybe one day we will be able to part with Ethan longer than a weekend)

key west might be one of my new favorite places. it is so quaint and charming, the people are overly friendly, and the life style is super laid back. it was truly way cuter and fun than i expected, and surprisingly kid friendly!

i came back feeling refreshed and renewed. yay for that!

we stayed at the cutest place in the Historic part of Key West and it was wonderful because we could walk pretty much any where! I would recommend the Colony Poolside to anybody interested in going to Key West. it had so much charm, a pool, privacy, a great location, and best of all....was affordable!

I wanted to document our week of fun, so if we go back, we can remember the places we loved!

Day 1 Father's Day

Walked to Harpoon Harry's for breakfast in the Historic District

Ventured on the Key West Conch Train Tour of the Island

Key West Aquarium-Ethan and Craig got to feed the sharks as part of a Father's Day tribute

Ate at Raw Shell Oyster Bar and walked around the Historic District

Day 2 -Not our best day

Drove up to Big Key to see the Key Deer Refuge and stopped at Mangrove Mama's along the way. The food was delicious......Lobster Reuben, need i say more. :) Delicious!

The refuge was a bit disappointing considering the drive but we made the most of it and Ethan enjoyed seeing the deer!

Ate at Two Friends Patio off Duval Street. The food was okay and Ethan was tired because we decided to let him miss his afternoon nap. BIG MISTAKE. It was one of those times where I was just praying we got home before he had a huge meltdown.

Day 3-Beach Day

We parked ourselves at Higgs Beach for the day and had a wonderful time. We rented an umbrella and chairs, so we had a great set up. Ethan loved the "wa-wa." We dug in the sand, waded out in the water, and ate a restaurant on the beach called Salute! Great day.

Ate at El Siboney cuban restaurant and had the best "chicken enchilado".....oh my it was yummy and cheap too!

Day 4- Golf Day

We headed to Camille's for lunch then off to play golf! My dad bought Craig a great golf package at the Key West Golf Club for his birthday, so we all ventured out to the course. Ethan loves any chance he gets to hit a "ball ball", so we took his plastic club along. Sure enough he went into full gear the second we got to the first tee. It is so cute to watch him imitate Craig. It was a hot day, so I stayed in the golf cart most of the time repeating to myself "Be a supportive wife" because I could have thought of a million other things I would rather be doing haha. :) All in all we had a good time. Craig didn't play that well because I think we kind of stressed him out somewhat but he said he wanted family time and didn't want to play by himself, so that's what he got I guess. :)

Ate at Wendy's on the way back to our place then ventured to Better than Sex dessert restaurant! It truly had the best dessert I have ever tasted.

Day 5- Beach Day

We went back to Camille's for breakfast because it was so yummy then we headed to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, which is the "best/most beautiful" in key west. it didn't let us down. We just enjoyed another day in the sun playing in the sand and cooling off in the water.

Day 6- Drove back to Miami to head home

Day 7- 6 am flight out of Miami!

As of late

Life seems to be whizzing by.

I can't believe I am only 3 months away from my due date. We are about 99% sure we will be naming our little man Corey(will let you know for sure when we decide). He is kicking lots, and I find myself realizing more and more that I will actually be having another baby, which brings up a lot of excitement but also a lot of fear, so Im starting to process through all of that. I feel as though I am getting quite large....probably because I am eating one to many ice cream sandwiches, but I just can't resist! I'll blame it on the heat. :)

Ethan is officially 18 months today, and I feel more and more like he is a little man rather than a baby. He keeps me on my toes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. His laughter, energy, and zeal for life really challenge me to keep life's difficulties in perspective. He is saying lots of words now... among his faves "Oliver(our cat)", "Bye-Bye", "Ju-Ju(juice)", "Choo-Choo(train)", and "airpane(airplane)". He also started to mimick us a lot more, so we are learning to watch our words more carefully....always a good thing. :)

Craig will be done with his first year of teaching Pre-Cal/Algebra at NLR High, and I could not be more proud of him. He absolutely loves his job, and we are very thankful that he has a job where he feels very purposed. I must admit I am kind of giddy about him being around more this summer! Ethan won't know what to do with himself with daddy around more during the day....pretty sure he will be Craig's shadow this summer because he is definitely a daddy's boy.

We head to Key West for our own little Conner family vacay in a few weeks! Woo hoo. We have plans to be lazy, eat a lot of seafood, and just have fun as a family. No real agenda. Not too excited about lounging around with my big belly in a swimsuit, but I will get over it!

Craig's brother Clint, his wife Beka, and their little baby Rowin will be moving back to Conway from Memphis in a few weeks. We are beyond thrilled that they will be closer because we adore them and love that Ethan's cousin will be closer. Ethan takes such an interest in RoRo. I know he will be the best cousin to him!

We are in the last phases of finishing our house in Vilonia that we are flipping with our friends the Darnells. We've had several kinks in the road. The latest being tornado damage from the April tornado. Our damage was minimal compared to others, so we were thankful for that. We are in the process of hearing back from the insurance agency and then we can move forward on repairs and HOPEFULLY, put it on the market by July or August! We never in a million years thought the house would take this long, but it has really grown our friendship with the Darnells and we have seen God's provision throughout the process in neat ways. I am definitely ready to be done with it though.

Well, enough for now! Sorry...no pics. Much Love!

Night Light Moment

So Im not the best about documenting cute stories about Ethan, but he did the cutest thing last night in his "big boy bed" that I just had to jot down! We set up his mattresses on the floor a few nights ago and set up his bed but still left the crib in the room in case it was a disaster! Luckily, it went really well. Only a few minor falls onto his pillows and by the last two nights, he's mastered it. (Naps are another story for some odd reason). He loves reading on his bed and having all his snuggle mates up there, Pooh Bear, Bear Bear, and Brinkley our dog! So fun.

Well, last night I was going to check on him as I always do. I had gone in his room at midnight and he was doing well. I heard him rustle around at 4ish, so I went to his room and peaked in, and he had turned his lantern on beside his bed. It was such a precious moment! He didn't fuss or anything. I guess he just woke up and it was too dark, so he turned it on like a big boy. I know most of you are probably reading this and cracking up that I am making such a big deal out of it, but I just thought it was the cutest thing and I had to write it down! I took a pic of it on his nightstand this morning!

So proud of my little man! He typically takes to new experiences pretty quickly, which I must admit is a blessing, but also kind of hard on momma because it seems like he is growing up too quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was moving him from the bassinet to his crib. And now he's moving from his crib to a big boy bed. Many more moments like this to come! :)

BOYS all around!

We are excited to announce that we have a precious little BOY on the way! He is healthy and we are so thrilled that Ethan will have a little buddy. A lot of people have asked me how I feel about having another boy, and I can say in all honesty that I am PUMPED! I think one day I would like to have a girl, God willing, but I am beyond blessed to think about having two boys! I truly have such a heart for raising our boys to know God's truths and show them that they aren't defined by WHAT they do but WHO God made them to be and the purposes He has for them and the gifts He has uniquely placed in them. I think the Lord has placed this on my heart, as I have seen the way our culture encourages men to let go of their true purposes and God given talents all for the sake of status, money, and societal "norms." I truly cannot wait to see the plans that God has for this new baby and for Ethan! I get giddy thinking about it!

I thought I would devote this blog to Ethan's quirks and favorite things! It cracks me up at how such a young age he already has a full personality and so many opinions about his world....i love watching him interact with others and his surroundings!

He Loves:

-Cuddling! This is one of my favorites. He cuddles with Craig and I all the time and he loves giving kisses. I know this won't always be the case, so I am soaking it up! He really does have such a loving nature.

-Balls, balls, balls-He is pure little boy and carries a ball around with him everywhere we go or if he sees a ball in a store or a kid playing with it, he becomes obsessed with figuring out how he can get to it.

-Playing outside, rain or shine. I have to drag the child inside when it is raining because he doesn't understand why it is too cold or wet to play.

-Giggling. A good book, veggie tales, hide and seek, mommy and daddy tickling him or chasing him around prove to be good ways to get him to giggle.

-Tickling others feet. His Mel Mel taught him how to do this at a young age, so now when he sees toes, he goes straight for the tickle.

-Macaroni and Cheese, Chicken Nuggets, Pineapple, Peas, and Goldfish are some of his favorite foods.

- Cell phones! Sad but true. He is always grabbing for ours, so we finally gave him an old one of ours and he walks around with it having "conversations". Hilarious!

- His blankie. His blanket goes with us wherever we go because it is his comfort blankie. Luckily we have two, because it gets dragged, spilled on, and chewed on constantly. He looks like a little Linus.

-Flirting with older girls. I'm not so sure about this one, but it sure is cute. He manages to bat a flirty smile at most girls he sees.

-Sour candy like me!

-Obsessed with balloons and any sort of animal!

-Music- He will start pumping his arms and bending his legs to just about any type of music.

-Being Adventuresome- He enjoys hanging upside down or trying out any new little game we come up with. He is always up for a new adventure

Quirks and Mannerisms:

-Calls telephones, "Hellos". Anytime he hears one ring, he says hello!

-Wants to wear his snow boots ALL the time

-Says "Uh Oh" anytime one shoe comes off

-Saying, " Hello and Bye Bye" automatically to anyone we see at the store

-Puddles up "his" blankie in a neat little pile and then lays his head on it before he goes to sleep

-Blows kisses all the time, even when we are just driving down the road

-Pointing up at the sky and saying "airpane" anytime he hears a noise that resembles one

-Dipping anything and everything in ketchup

-Loves sips of my morning coffee

-Likes to "pet" people. He doesn't quite know how to respect personal space, so we tell him to be gentle and since we started out teaching him gentle with our cat and dog, he pets kids when we tell him to be gentle....very funny.

-Tries to charm his way out of time-out or being disciplined by coming up to me and giving me kisses

Gosh, I could go on and on! I just love learning my little boy. He is so very special and unique, and I can't wait to see the boy he grows into!

Another Conner on the Way!

I am 17 weeks preggers! Most of you reading this probably already know that I am pregnant, but I figured I should go ahead and make it blog official as well. The last few months have been full of ups and downs for me as we were not expecting this little bundle, but God has been so gracious and gentle with me, and I feel like slowly I am getting more and more excited about this little baby inside of me!

We find out on April 19th what the sex of the baby is! I am convinced it is a girl because this pregnancy has been so different from Ethan's, but Craig is convinced Conner men can't have girls. We shall see! Ethan obviously doesn't really understand that I am pregnant but he sure has fun with my belly button sticking out! He is obsessed with belly buttons right now. I am so excited to see him as a big brother because he is very thoughtful, playful, and observant at such a young age. We went to see Beka, Clint, and their new little baby Rowin a couple of weekends ago and Ethan just thought the world of baby RoRo. He was very gentle with him and tried to sneak him a potato chip..:). Very cute!

I truly can't believe I am old enough to be having another child. It seems very surreal in so many ways. I am excited for the new adventure though. Ethan has blessed our lives more than I could ever have imagined, so I am eager to see what God has in store for our family through this new little bundle!