Big Changes for a "Big Boy"

DFB has had some big changes this past week. Let me give you a potty training update. Well, even though I wasn't confident, that program worked! There were no wet accidents after day 3! I was shocked. There have been a few problems with the other, but it seems to all be worked out now. A total of only 2 accidents after day 3. I'm a believer of the Potty Queen's program and will be happy to share it with anyone! So, we get a few months break from diapers!

Franklin has taken David Franklin to south Texas right now for a very short trip with him. Their first overnight adventure on their own.
Franklin was a little nervous about the whole potty situation right before flying, and he said they have found pottys all over the place- including the HEB grocery store, but that he's done great! Whew! Enough potty talk.

We also have finished his new big boy room. We are leaving our nursery (and changing the bedding) for the baby, so DFB needed some new furniture. I found some I liked, but it needed to be stained so Franklin had been working on it and finished it. We got it all set up, but we weren't ready for him to sleep in there quite yet. Thought it might be too much change, too fast. We had been reading books in there, and playing in there all week. On Friday night after he asked us over and over again, he got to sleep in his new bed. He did great! Actually slept longer and better in his new bed than the crib! It was harder on me than I expected though- I guess I'm not quite ready for him to be out of diapers and a crib, and not be a baby anymore! It's been more sentimental for me but I'm so proud of him and know I won't be sad when the new baby comes.

Potty Training "Boot Camp"

His laundry after 2 hours.

Well, we have had an intense potty training weekend. I'm going to skip all of the gory details. Going every 15 minutes at one point. David Franklin was amazing though and we're so proud!!!

This weekend we started the Potty Training in 3 Day Method. We have fiddled around with pull ups and sitting on the potty, but nothing was really happening and he wasn't a fan. Basically, this is a put them straight in underware technique, and it's one that some people swear by. A friend of mine sent me the Potty Training in 3 Day Book. I read up, got the supplies, prayed about it, and tried to get as mentally prepared as possible. It says you have to be consistent and not give up. It also said it takes your total focus. So I gave it that. The first day I sat at his feet, staring at his underwear, looking for wetness, etc. and asking if he needed to potty CONSTANTLY. It's all I did. And clean up messes, and so laundry. I felt myself ask him every 30 seconds at one point and I was driving him crazy! One time he shouted, NO! I don't!! Hahaha.

I know he's only a little over two, but I also knew he understood the concept and could probably do it if he had a little push. I went back and forth about wondering if he is ready, but I decided I would give it one good try and see what happened. Our pediatrician said we could start at 18 months (which I declined). The idea of two in diapers is not a terrible concept to me, but it would be wonderful if we could potty train him before baby #2 arrives.

I will say, it's the morning of day 4 and I'm not very confident. In fact, I don't believe he is "trained" like the book suggested and I'm a little sad that they sold it that way. But, he is worlds better than where we started on Friday and I think each day will get better and better. I'm just scared to leave the house without extra clothes, cleaing supplies, and plastic covers! I feel like we are taking a dog or something with us, who may pee on people's floors! :)

C'ton Weekend

A little belly pic- 24 weeks.

The restaurant surprised us with this message in our apple crisp one night!

Franklin and I barely escaped the snow storm and got outta dodge. Really and truly, it was a crazy time getting to Little Rock on Wednesday, the day of the big snow storm. We made the quick decision to leave that morning and try to beat it instead of leaving that afternoon/evening. I was so nervous about it and we left in such a panic, I forgot to grab my purse!!! (With my ID and everything important in it.) By the time we got to Little Rock, I figured it out and we almost turned right back around to go to H.S. but the roads were getting worse and worse. A car had already hit the median and spun around almost in our lane one car up. Luckily, Franklin works at the bank and he called and got pictures of my ID and info scanned and emailed to him which helped tremendously. We learned a valuable lesson: The TSA is really nice and you don't absolutely have to have your ID to fly. You do go through more intense screening, aka- a full body pat down. That was fine with me though, I just was happy to get to get on the plane!

We went to Charleston for a long weekend to celebrate Valentines, our Anniversary (a little early), and have a little Baby Moon before I got too big to enjoy it. We had never been to South Carolina and picked it for a number of reasons, but one being how renowned the food is. Well, we ate and ate, and walked to another restaurant and ate some more. We got a couples massage, shopped, took a carriage ride tour, went down to the harbor, looked at the gorgeous old homes, and had a great time. The food was wonderful, but we both almost ate ourselves sick!
I feel renewed, and rested, and loved spending so much time with my husband, but I missed my boy. He had a such a good time with his Mammers and his Meme and Grandpa. It made is so much easier to leave him, knowing he was having so much fun! They had activities planned the whole time. Thanks to you all for taking such great care of him, and letting us get away together! It may be 2013 before we can do it again :)

We got some too!

This morning we woke up to school closings around us with nothing on the ground, but it finally came and we got some snow down here too! Although it cancelled our weekend plans and our friends coming, we are enjoying our snow day!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

It's Franklin's birthday so we surprised him this morning by making him breakfast! He had said recently that he loves blueberry muffins and doesn't get them very often so....that's what was on the menu today. I had a great helper, as long as he could watch Little Einsteins while he stirred and lick the bowl. :) We had our own little birthday party this morning and DF helped blow out the candle on the muffin, which was more spit than air, but was hilarious. I'm glad I didn't take him shopping with me because I've learned that he cannot keep a secret. When Franklin got home from work yesterday, he said "I have a birthday cake for you. I got it at the ice cream shop, it's in the deep freeze."
1. I didn't know he saw me put it in there.
2. I had NO idea he knew what the deep freeze was!

Happy Birthday to you, Franklin! We love you and hope you have a great day and year. We are so thankful for you and all you do for us!

Our new obsession...

the iPad! Whoa, I knew it was cool but I wasn't expecting it to be this cool! Franklin and I aren't the most tech savvy people, at all. We don't have kindles. We just got our first camcorder. We have one flat screen in the house with HDTV, and we just got a blue ray player because our one dvd player kicked the bucket after 10 years. It was one I bought for him one Christmas in college as a present. (That makes us sound so old and like we've been together forever!)

But, Aunt Robbie got us an iPad for Christmas and it just came in! We all LOVE it and it truly is for the whole family- it is really going to teach us a lot about sharing. I hope we can set good examples. We downloaded some apps for David Franklin and I almost had to pull it from his hands he loved it so much. Thanks Robbie!!! We feel so hip :)

(Any good app suggestions appreciated!)

Pregnancy Midway Point Update

So it is high time I document this pregnancy. This one seems to be going so smoothly and flying by...thank you Lord! I am teaching all the way through this time- my finals are the first week in May and then it's on. So far so good in the classroom, but I always have snacks on hand and did ask for a stool to be placed in my room. I have to sit on it sometimes and rest a minute. I'm afraid I will be parked on it for good pretty soon.

Here are my pregnancy stats so far:
I am 22 weeks. Baby Bass is the size of a spaghetti squash. I am in maternity pants, or leggings and sweats, but everything else is regular. I am starting to show and the belly is absolutely there, although in some clothes you can't see it at all. I am feeling really good. Starting to feel more pregnant now in terms of getting around, but not bad. I'm not going to yoga like I did the first time but I'm walking/hiking weekly, and chasing DFB is exercise! Worst symptom at this point, the frequency I have to use the bathroom. Best pregnancy symptom, feeling the baby move more and more. What I miss- red wine! I am not having any certain cravings although my appetite has really picked up lately. I have gained 4 lbs so far, but I go back soon and I'm sure that's gone up! David Franklin is warming up to the baby idea. If you ask him if he wants a baby brother or a baby sister he says, both :) We are not going to find out the sex but that was harder than I thought! I truly almost cracked at the ultrasound, but held strong. We have no names picked out yet...we are open to suggestions... but are working on that all the time. I like to use family names (obviously), if only all of my favorites were on that list!

My current project is decorating David Franklin's big boy room. We are moving him to the guest room beside his room and leaving the nursery furniture in his current room. We want to get that put together and him settled before I start with the crib bedding and nursery. Since it's gender neutral I am using lots of creams and chocolate brown. I figure we can add pink or blue later. I hope it will be very soothing and serene. I would also love to have David Franklin potty trained before this baby comes. He has a little activity on the potty, but really not much interest at all. He gets the concept but when you ask him if he wants to us the potty, he says "no thank you." At least he's polite. I have been reading on the 3 day program and may attempt that at some point. I'm not pushing anything yet, just keep asking and planting those seeds. We will see....

We are really excited about this baby coming!! I feel like I haven't shown that enough. I don't want this peanut to feel neglected, I don't have stickers on the pregnancy calender, I don't have gobs of ultrasound pictures, and I've honestly never cracked my What to Expect book (although I do have the app on my phone and refer to that). I am starting to think and dream about what it will be like having a little baby in the house again, and although I have seen this movie before, and I know how hard it will be, I also know it will be so amazing and I'm thrilled to meet this baby and feel so blessed to be adding to our family!