Hangin' In There

This has been THE longest week EVER!! Thank goodness it's almost over!

Jon had two finals this week for his MBA plus a Christmas party for work, so we haven't seen much of him since he was sick on the couch on Monday. Tanner is still sick out of both ends about every other day, so we can't really go anywhere or see any other people. Yesterday, I was just going to take him to the mall to walk around a little bit, and he threw up just after I had strapped him into his carseat. Nice. He was crying. I was crying. Jon was on his way out the door for class. I had to take the carseat apart and handwash the cover AGAIN. It has just been a terrible week.

But ... today is a new day. Tanner seems to be in a good mood. We went to the doctor and she gave me a few tips to help him get better. We stopped by the library to check out a few new videos (we've watched Polar Express and Baby Einstein's Baby MacDonald EVERYDAY this week). I might just make it to the weekend after all. And the best part is ... my husband will be HOME and he won't have to STUDY!!!! YESSSS!!!!! And ... he's promised me some time out of the house by MYSELF! I. Can't. Wait.

Until then ... I'm enjoying Tanner in his good mood. He's been quite silly and is actually entertaining himself. Tomorrow he'll probably vomit again in his carseat. But today ... today is going to be good. :)

The Difference Between Us

First Tanner on Friday.

Then Mommy on Sunday .

And finally, Daddy on Monday.

The stomach flu has visited all three of us during the last few days. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. (Especially for the lucky one who gets to clean up everyone's yuckiness :) My car just smells rotten. That's all I can say. And I feel like my house is totally germ-infested. I spent the day disinfecting my kitchen, and now that Tanner's in bed, I'm off to clean toilets and bathrooms. All pacifiers have been sterilized (see below), sheets have been changed, and everyone has a new toothbrush.

Anyways ... it's amazing how differently all of us coped with our illness.

Tanner would puke and then put his pacifier right back in his mouth. (Gross). No tears, no fussing, just off to find something new to get into.

I hid out in my room all day. Jon would come in with Tanner, but I would shoo them away as quickly as possible. I just wanted to be alone in all my misery.

Jon laid on the couch in the middle of everything ... complaining. (I just have to laugh because this is so typically male.) "Can you turn the faucet off, please," he would say as I tried to clean my kitchen. "When can I have something to eat?" "Can you get me some more ice in my cup?" And on ... and on ... and on ... I kept telling him he would probably be much more comfortable upstairs in bed, but he said he wanted to hear everything that was going on down here.

Hopefully, by tomorrow we'll all be feeling better, although Tanner just puked again in my car this evening. He's having a heck of a time getting over this stomach bug! Keep us in your prayers!

p.s. Here's some pics from the last few weeks. Hope they leave you feeling a bit more cheery than this post did!

Not quite your average "Snow Angel." He hated it!

Look at that mouthful of teeth!

Somebody stole Grandma's necklace!

If only we could get a decent picture of the three of us for Christmas!

Having a BLAST at the children's museum!

It's a ...

BOY!!!

Landon Jonathan Hall

The ultrasound tech was able to tell us right away that it was a "he," and ever since then, Jon has had a HUGE grin on his face! I am honestly SUPER excited about having two little boys to love! And I just hope that they will be really good friends and love each other! If they're anything like Jon and his brothers, I know they will! It is so awesome to finally know who's living in my tummy!

And I totally think I'm the luckiest woman in the world to have THREE boys to love me!

The weather today is typical midwestern winter. Gray and blustery with flurries on and off.


But we're staying nice and cozy inside with hot chocolate and some Christmas music!


Hope you're enjoying your day!

Dear Santa ...

Dear Santa,

I know it's probably kind of early for this letter, but my mom and dad already have all of their Christmas decorations up, and they've been listening to Christmas music since Halloween was over, so I've been thinking a lot about you!

My mom tells me that you've been watching me and I believe her! I see you practically everywhere I turn nowadays! As you can probably tell, I've been a pretty good boy this year. Nevermind all that food I threw on the floor all those times ... I'm still learning about manners. And I know I give mommy a hard time sometimes when it's time for my nap. But I'll work on that, I promise!

You probably know that I'm getting ready to hand most of my toys down to my new little brother or sister. This is a good thing since I've outgrown a lot of them. Anyways, I was thinking that maybe you could bring me some new things for Christmas. I mean, if your elves get around to it and all. I have a "Little People" farm set that I love to play with, and I think I would probably like some of their other sets, too! Some big building blocks and (large) legos would be awesome to play with when I have friends over. (I'm getting lots better at sharing ... sometimes). I would really like some more pretend food and a cooking set for my kitchen. And I love love love anything to do with animals! Oh yeah ... and I've caught my mom looking online at table and chair sets, so some coloring books and crayons might be nice for that! I know that I will love anything you bring me ... but just in case you need some ideas!

Also, Santa, you should know that I'll be staying at Grandma and Grandpa Hall's house for Christmas this year, so don't bring the toys to my house, because nobody will be home. I have it on good authority that Grandma and Grandpa ALWAYS leave out a yummy treat for you, so make sure you come by!

Very Truly Yours,

Tanner

On Pins and Needles

I can't tell you how excited I am to find out the sex of our baby this Friday. I dreamt last night that they weren't able to tell us, and I was so disappointed! I just kept reminding myself all day that the purpose of the ultrasound is not determine whether we're having a boy or girl, but to check and see that our baby is HEALTHY!

I can be totally honest when I say that I don't care what it is. Last time I said I didn't care, but I really did want a girl. This time I can tell you that I'll be really really happy either way. I think Jon wants a boy, but he assured me that he won't leave the office CRYING if it's a girl. (Like I did when we found out Tanner's sex.) Ouch -- he got me!

So, if I don't care one way or the other, then why do I find out? It's not so that I can paint a nursery or buy clothes. It has nothing to do with planning. It has everything to do with BONDING with this little life inside of me. I feel like I'm going to meet my baby on Friday and for the next 4+ months I will get to know him/her. We have names picked out already, so as soon as we know what it is, we'll start calling it by name. A lot of people like to wait and be surprised, and I totally respect their decision. I just feel like it's a surprise whenever you find out. And birth is such an amazing experience in itself, it doesn't require anything extra.

I am so blessed to be having another baby! I'll be praying over the next few days that the ultrasound shows s/he is completely HEALTHY. And, God, if you could help the ultrasound tech to tell me what it is, that would be great, too!

Isn't he a big boy?

I've gotten several comments lately about how much older he's started to look in the last few weeks. It's totally the teeth. Someone commented today about how big they were. I was like, "Hello! Have you looked at MINE?!!!" Poor kid is destined for many hours spent in the orthodontist's chair!

Congratulations Carolyn, Mike, and Big Brother Brady on the arrival of their newest family member -- Gavin Timothy! We're so happy for you!

Veteran's Day

I just wanted to take a second today to honor the veterans in our lives!

First of all ... OUR DADDY!!

Jon, we are so so proud of you and your service to our country! Thank you for all of the sacrifices you have made to protect our freedoms and defend those who never had the freedoms that we enjoy here in America. You will always be our HERO!!

Arriving home from his second tour in Iraq

*Sidenote: Upon looking at this picture again, I just have to say ... isn't he a HUNK?!

Secondly ... Grandpa Fagan, a veteran of World War II, who served at Midway!

And finally, thank you to all of our dear friends who are also veterans and continue to serve ...

I'm Still Alive!!

Just busy!

... and gaining about a pound a day it feels like. With 143 days left until the little cupcake arrives, I may be in trouble!!! (Let's just hope s/he doesn't come out covered in sour-patch-kid sugar!)

p.s. We find out a week from Friday whether it's a boy or a girl! SOOOOO EXCITING!

Go Ahead ... Make My Day ...

I'm sure many of you moms out there can agree.

An afternoon cup of coffee is good for the soul.

I drove through Starbucks this afternoon and ordered my fave -- grande/half-caff/non-fat/light whip mocha -- only to discover as I drove away that they left out the chocolate. Not to be deprived of this much sought-after treat, I headed straight back through the drive-thru and politely asked if they wouldn't mind making me a new one. Not only did I get my mocha, I also got a coupon for a free drink -- any size.

It doesn't take much to make my day. Seriously.

Trick Or Treat!

Is it really November already?!!

I hope you had a Happy Halloween! Ours was SO MUCH FUN! Jon came home from work early to carve pumpkins and then take his little guy trick-or-treating. The weather was AMAZING and we were able to sit outside most of the evening and watch all of the trick-or-treaters come by. By the way ... this is the first house we've lived in where kids actually came by -- we were in heaven! And best of all -- Grammy was here to share in the festivities! Check out our "scary" little dragon!

As you can probably tell ... it took us a while to get from house to house.

It's so fun to think that next year we'll have FOUR pumpkins on our doorstep!

No, I didn't swallow a pumpkin!

Me at 17 weeks.

I was extremely comforted to hear the heartbeat at my

appointment a few days ago. This means there really

IS a baby in there ... not just french fries and ice cream!

'Tis the Season ...

... to break out your crockpot and put it to good use! Especially all of you busy moms!

It was wonderful to walk into our delicious-smelling home after a chilly outing to the park earlier in the week and have our dinner waiting for us! Here are two of my favorite recipes if you need something to get you going!

Beef Stew

1-1.5 lbs Stew Meat or Round Steak, cut into pieces

1-2 Cups Carrots, chopped

1 Cup Celery, chopped

1/2 Medium Onion, chopped

4-5 Small Baking Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 can French Onion Soup

1 can Tomato Soup

Toss everything together in your crockpot. If you're only going to cook it for 3-4 hours, set the crockpot on high. If you're going to cook it all day, set it on low.

Confession: I actually ate HALF the crockpot of this stew on Tuesday evening. As a family, we finished the whole thing!

While Bean Chili

48 oz. Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded

8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 small can diced green chiles

16 oz. jar salsa

1-10.5 oz can chicken broth

Toss everything together in your crockpot. Same cooking directions as above. It's great served with some tortilla chips crumbled on top!

BTW, there HAS been more going on in my life than cooking and eating. :) My little boy who never gets sick has been to the doctor 4 times in the past 4 weeks.

1. Well-Baby Check
2. Ear-Infection
3. Amoxicillin Rash + Lagging Ear-Infection
4. Today ... I noticed some blisters on his hands ... and a few on his foot ... and a sore on his tongue. Yes, it was his second time getting Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. Unlike his last go-round, he had no fever at the onset, and has generally been in good spirits. I wouldn't have even known he was sick if I hadn't seen the blisters. I just feel bad that it's highly contagious and we've been around SO MANY other kids this week!

p.s. I'm pretty sure he's not in pain, but JUST IN CASE, I had to take him for ice cream at McDonald's on the way home from his appointment, just to make sure he had something to soothe the sores in his mouth. And in my pregnancy-induced haze, I ordered a small french fry in addition to our ice cream. The guy accidentally gave us a large. Shucks. We were in HEAVEN.

Whats On My Mind

Sour Patch Kids

Donuts

Coffee with Coconut Creme Creamer

Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich with Curly Fries and a Jamocha Shake

Any candybar with chocolate, nuts, and caramel. Oooh -- or a Butterfinger ... or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Nutella Gelato (never even had it ... it just sounds so good!)

Ballpark Nachos (with a crazy amount of jalapenos piled on top)

I've been thinking/dreaming nonstop about food for like a week now. What is going on????? Good thing I have a tiny bit of restraint. Otherwise it's very likely that I'd double my body weight by the end of my pregnancy.

Gross

This isn't the first time it's happened.

But, seriously, how do you NOT freak out when your child poops in the bath tub?

As soon as I saw it had happened, I screamed for Jon to help me. (Poor guy thought something was seriously wrong. But, HELLO, it was!) Then I whipped my boy out of the water and did what any other mom would do. I sat him on the toilet to see if he was finished or not.

Hilarious. I wish I had a picture.

At least I can laugh about it now.

p.s. I probably would have been a little more upset about it if he hadn't put on a show similar to this earlier in the day ...

Review

I just finished Gone With The Wind on Thursday. All 950+ pages.

Best.

Book.

Ever.

I wanted to weep when it was over.

FallFest

Today we went to FallFest at a local farm. We got kind of a late start, but made it nonetheless and had a great time! Out of sheer adoration for our little man, we were totally suckered into buying $20 worth of tickets for rides/straw maze/petting zoo before we even got around to pumpkin picking, but it was all worth it in the end -- and I had packed us a lunch, so at least we saved money on food! Tanner really enjoyed the petting zoo and riding around in their wagons. He couldn't have cared less about the pumpkins -- he just wanted Jon and I to keep wheeling him around in the wagon. My favorite part was the homeade apple cider donuts -- YUMMO! (Second trimester cravings are here for sure!) Here's some pics of our day!

Tanner LOVES the roosters. He recognizes them from his Baby Einstein Video.

Tanner and Jon went down the fun slide. Tanner didn't understand that you only got to go down once. I think he was disappointed!

I'm in HEAVEN ......

This is a sweet ride! Santa -- are you watching??

Yeah ... I can lift my own body weight in pumpkins.

Sleepy

I hate to jinx it, but the little man has been sleeping in until 8:30 the last few mornings.

Can I get an AMEN?!

Back to Reality ...

... which isn't quite so bad when you've just spent time in paradise!


We just returned from our long weekend in Sea Island on Sunday and have agreed that it's the BEST time we've had together in a LONG time! My brother-in-law's family owns a house on the island and he and my sister have spent lots of time there over the years. We were so excited when they invited us down to share in their fun! (Well, actually, I kind of invited myself, but I think they were happy to have us.) Here's the rundown of our weekend:


Wednesday evening we packed the car and headed to Michigan, where we dropped Tanner off with his grandparents. After spending the night there, we got up in the morning, acted like overprotective, worried parents, then left for the airport around 10:30. I was so organized for this trip. I had all kinds of directions and itineraries printed out and in hand. I had planned well enough to fit all of my things into a single carry-on suitcase (this is a big deal). I had basically thought of everything -- silly me.

We arrived at the airport about an hour early for our flight. As we made our way to the ticket counter, I went to get my wallet out of my purse -- only to find it wasn't there! After running out to the car and back 3 times, we finally made alternative flight arrangements and got in the car to head back to Jon's parents'. It seems a little elf had helped himself to the contents of my purse earlier that morning and hid my wallet. I was upset, but Jon was just

laughing the whole way home -- thinking about how "smart" his little boy was when he hid my wallet and forced us to come back and see him. Oh well, a few hours and several munchkin hugs later, we boarded our flight and were on our way! We finally arrived at Sea Island around 1:30am.




I awoke on Friday morning to this view from the balcony outside my bedroom and hurried to make myself a cup of coffee and start enjoying the day. We spent most of it lounging in the sun -- with repeated applications of SPF 45. In fact, Katherine's first comment when she and Pat arrived later that evening was, "You didn't even get anything today!" If you know Katherine, you know she is addicted to the sun. She wants a tan SO BAD, but only ever burns. Poor thing. Her highest priority during the weekend was to get some color! Anyways, while Lauren and I got lost in our novels of choice (I'm still reading GWTW and loving it!!), Jon and Daniel began a series of competitions that lasted for the entire weekend. Most of their day was spent playing cornhole. They also played Bocce Ball and engaged in a few bike races during our little bike tour of the island. After K and P arrived, we went out for a fabulous Mexican dinner, then returned back to the house, where the girls did some more relaxing while the boys stayed up until the wee hours playing ladder ball.

On Saturday morning, L, K, and I went to Sea Island's Beach Club while the boys went golfing. I wish I would've taken some pictures while we were there because it was more like a resort than a little beach club! It was *awesome* and made us all feel like we were truly on vacation! The boys met us down there for lunch and some swimming and then Lauren treated us to some time in Sea Island's Spa. Heavenly! Later that evening, we went to one of Sea Island's Golf Clubs, where we had cocktails on the lawn and listened to a bagpiper walk the golf course at sunset. It was totally the highlight of my trip! Then, we had a yummy dinner inside and returned home.

On Sunday morning, we slept in and then spent the rest of the day at the edge of the ocean -- watching for dolphins, reading, etc. The boys took a net out and caught some fish, which P grilled for us. Finally it was time to say goodbye and I only left on one condition -- that we return next year! (not sure when this will actually happen with a new baby, but we'll make it work!)

If you're looking for a good laugh ...

Head on over to Clemson Girl and the Coach. I found her blog through Carolina Girl and she is freakin' hilarious.