the past 10 days

It's been 10 days since I last posted, and I feel like we've crammed everything we possible could into those 10 days. I am tired. My stomach is growing at an exponential rate of speed, and I'm really starting to feel 33 weeks pregnant. Anyhow-back to the past 10 days. First things first-we have a new niece!! Kyle and Courtney welcomed precious Brooke Patton into the world on the morning of February 20th. She is gorgeous (just like her big sister, Leighton.) Maybe God just wants them to keep making girls because they make really, really, ridiculous good-looking girls. 

Seeing her for the first time! She is tiny-6 pounds, 9 oz.

 See what I mean? Gorgeous.

 And I got to hang out with this little stinkpot (and her doll, Stella) while her parents were busy with her little sister at the hospital. We might have had some sonic cherry-vanilla coke and chocolate donuts to celebrate.

We took some family/maternity pictures with Katie (kmosleyphotography.com) last week. I am so glad we have her in our life-I doubt Lofton would take 14730023 pictures if it were with someone else.

Finally took a 32-33 week belly shot! 

Went to several of Elliott's basketball games. Lofton loves going to his games (although we are missing the championship game right now because someone didn't take a nap today and I wasn't about to attempt to take him to a basketball game that would keep him out past his bedtime.) Elliott lets him sit on the bench with him when he's on the sideline, and when the teams pray together before the game, Lofton gets to pray with them.  Lofton is really into stretching with Elliott before the games.

We've played outside a bunch because it's been unbelievably beautiful outside for February. I'm talking in the 70's. Doesn't get any better than that! I'm slightly terrified that winter will suddenly show up around the middle of April...

And this past Saturday, I started my second grad school class, but ended up with this fun little bracelet by noon: 

I'd had some issues with Adler on Thursday, Friday, and into Saturday morning--cramping and spotting (sorry if that's too much info) and I finally called the on-call doctor at my OBGYN on the way to class on Saturday morning. He called back about an hour into my class and left a voicemail telling me to get to Baptist hospital as soon as possible, so we got to hear our littlest guy's heartbeat and monitor his movement for about an hour on Saturday. Everything turned out fine, but I am very grateful he's decided to stay in his comfy little womb for a few more weeks (Lord willing.) 

This is what Adler's room looked like last week. Who knew that little boys could have so many clothes and shoes? The coffee table is now down in our living room thanks to some friends who were over Friday night, and some of those clothes are being sold at a consignment sale this weekend, so it looks much cleaner now. It is so, so weird going through those little clothes and remembering Lofton in them and trying to imagine another little guy wearing them soon. Time is FLYING.

did anyone else watch Bobby's World as a kid?

My brothers and I used to watch Bobby's World as kids (well-Shane and I watched it, I'm not so sure about Kyle.) It's a cartoon about a little boy that cruises around his house on a tricycle and his mom talks with a Minnesotan accent. We grew up with 7 channels though, so some of you might have been watching Disney or Nickelodeon instead. Anyways-we got Lofton this tricycle for Christmas (it was $20 at Wal-Mart on Black Friday!) and he cruises around the house on it all day long. It makes me think of Bobby's World :) He's gotten really fast and he plows over anything that might be in his way.

The upstairs bathroom is pretty much finished! I love it, and am so thankful to have a vanity in the boys bathroom that isn't 25 years old and moldy. 

There's still a few things left to hang like towel hooks and some artwork I have for the walls, but other than that, it's finished!

Elliott gives Lofton his baths when he's home, and they drew this version of Percy from Thomas & Friends a few night ago. I was pretty impressed :)

Adler's room is still no where near finished, but it no longer has a toilet sitting in it, so I feel like we are making progress. I found this fun little guy at an antique store with my parents a couple of weeks ago in Dickson, TN and thought it might be fun to hang in his room. Right now his room is covered in clothes that I'm sorting through and consigning-I'll update with pictures as soon as I have started making more progress.

 

It's going to be "outdoorsy" if you were wondering...

funny man

Lofton has been extra funny lately, so I wanted to jot a few things down about him before I forgot. He knows how to make people laugh, but I think he's usually funny just to make himself laugh. He cracks himself up all day long. Since his bathroom was under construction, Lofton took baths in our bathtub for about a month. He LOVED the glass doors on it. He thought it was hilarious to smash his face against the glass.

 Since it's been freezing here lately, we've spent a lot of time at home and inside-this is Lofton's reading fort. Elliott's not allowed to go in, but I am (if I can fit--which is getting harder and harder.)

 Anytime I'm getting  dressed, Lofton comes into our closet and finds these leopard print shoes and wears them around the house.

 It worries Elliott, but I think it's really funny. And precious. I'll be a little worried if he's still doing it when he's 7.

In the past few weeks, we've had to give Lofton several spankings for throwing things and hitting...it's getting better, but now every time he knows he does something he's not supposed to, he'll turn around really quickly and ask, "spankin?" Some days that's funny and some days it's not. 

He's also been saying, "come on!" in a really sarcastic voice when we tell him he can't do something. Again, some days it's really funny, and some days it's not. I don't know where he gets some of these things...

Other updates: 

I go in for my 31 week appointment on Tuesday--the beginning of the every 2 week appointments. I can't believe we are already this close. YIKES. We did finish the boys bathroom upstairs (pictures coming) so it feels like the upstairs is back to normal and Adler's nursery is slowly coming together. Updated belly picture coming soon if I can remember to take one.

I finished my first 3 hours of grad school on Saturday! I have two weeks until I start my next class and I'm very thankful for a little break! I miss my Saturdays with my boys :)

rough week (although I know there could be rougher ones)

Last week was kind of a rough week for our little household of 3 (and 1/3 I guess--I don't know how to count Adler right now) We were all sick the week before last, and then we all got better, and then Elliott went to Chicago and got sick again, brought it back, and we all got even more sick. Last Thursday night at Elliott's basketball game, Lofton was extra cuddly and STILL (which NEVER happens--especially at basketball games) and he was crying off and on as I was putting him into bed and he had a little fever around 101. After a quick trip to the doctor on Friday morning, we were on our way to Publix to get some medicine for Lofton's first ear infection and an antibiotic for Elliott's sinus infection. My OBGYN just kept telling me to take over the counter meds, so I didn't get any of the good stuff. Anyhow, we're all doing much better this week, and after a few nights of good sleep, I think we've finally kicked the crud and I'm praying it stays away for a while. Lofton's ear infection didn't slow him down at all once he had medicine--not going to lie, I was kind of hoping for a day of sleep and rest since we hadn't gotten a lot of sleep that entire week, but Lofton's energy level was pretty much at it's usual high.

I was actually kind of nervous that Lofton wasn't feeling good last Thursday night because we were making cookies and between both of us eating the cookie dough, the cookies never happened...

 How could I resist this sweet face several spoonfuls of cookie dough especially when I was eating huge spoonfuls myself?

I had class all day on Satuday, and around 2ish, Elliott sent me a text warning me that Lofton would have a black eye by the time I got home at 5ish. He had a fight with a chair and the chair won (this was taken the morning after.)

Elliott and my dad have been working on our bathroom upstairs on the weekends, and last weekend they were able to lay the tile and grout, cut and put up beadboard, and cut the chair rail. We are so close to getting the toilet out of Adler's room!

 And since my little man seems back to his normal self, we went to Syd and Micah's house yesterday for a fun finger paint party! Our church pretty much has all little boys and 1 girl, so play dates are chaotic and wild. 

Hope everyone else is staying healthy and enjoying beautiful weather wherever you are! It was 68 here today--on February 2nd!! I think I might be the only one around that is slightly sad that winter seemed to pass us by this year :)