Noodles on the Wall

Livy took a nap this afternoon, and I decided to look through some old pictures just for fun. I found so many that made me laugh, and if I didn't have to scan them one by one to put them on the computer, I would probably add them all. But this one really made my day.

Notice the noodle on the wall?

This picture was taken when Drew and I first got married. We were living in our dream home (2 bedroom, 1.5 bath tiny little house in the ghetto) but it was ours! I'm pretty sure I would've lived in a camper as long as it meant that I got to fall asleep to him every night and wake up to him every morning. I had loved him since I was 15 and had dreamed of the day we would finally be old enough to get married. So yes, I guess that made it my dream home.

Back to the picture... one night we were cooking spaghetti in our tiny little kitchen, and we got to talking about how we had heard if you threw a spaghetti noodle on the wall and it stuck, then it was done cooking. I remember we had one of those moments where we just looked at each other, realized we no longer had parents around to tell us not to make a mess... so we went for it! We started throwing noodles on the wall. I don't remember how many we threw or how many ended up on the floor, but I do remember laughing our heads off.

That's one of the many reasons I love Drew. He always knows how to make me laugh... even when I don't want to laugh at him. He makes me smile, and he makes me happy.

It's not about what our house looks like... but the amount of love in our house.
It's not about the vehicles we drive... but holding hands in the truck wherever we're going.
It's not about the clothes we wear... but reminding each other how attracted we are to the other.
It's not about the extravagant vacations we can't afford... but making the most of the time we spend together every day.
It's not always the BIG things in a marriage that make it fun... but the littlest things, like throwing noodles on the wall.

First Kick

I am 17 weeks today! My next appointment is a week from Thursday. I can't wait to see our little one on the ultrasound. 

I've been feeling little flutters since last week. Not many, and nothing major. Just tiny tingles. Thinking back, I don't remember feeling those first little flutters with Livy. I'm sure I just didn't realize what they were at the time. But with this pregnancy, I feel like I'm more willing to pay attention to details because I know how fast it passes by... And before I know it, my baby will be 3 years old. Just like this girl...

Tonight, Liv and I were hanging out in the living room watching a movie. I was laying in the recliner, and I pressed my hand against my stomach (as I often do... just to see if I can feel anything). All of a sudden I felt the baby kick my fingers. As soon as it happened, my heart skipped a beat and I let out an "Ahh!" 

There's nothing like feeling that movement inside. Occasionally, I'll start to have doubts that everything is fine. Once bitten, twice shy I guess? So feeling that kick is such a relief. 

Thank you, God, for Your wonderful little blessings... And for giving me the reminders I so often need. I can't help but smile when I think of all You've done for me! 

Look Like Jesus

This morning we were laying in bed watching cartoons and Livy started playing with my hair. She kept taking pieces of my hair and laying it across my face. 

"I'm making you look like Jesus... There. Now you look like Jesus!"

What an imagination!?!

A Tapping Ballerina

Livy got to go back to dance today! Woo hoo! She has been so excited to go dance with Mrs. Tara again. Last year she just took ballet, but this year we added a tap class too so she gets to stay a whole hour... which is great because she requested,

"I wanna stay a really long time at dance... like this big!" (held her arms up wide)

 

Before we left, I snapped a few pictures so we'll remember her 2nd year of dance...

 

 

 

 

Haha... ok, so sometimes she takes after her dad in the taking pictures department. Let's try this again!

 



 

She can still wear her ballet shoes from last year, but we had to order new tap shoes today. When she came out of tap class she said,

"I don't have any tap shoes yet because you just ordered them. But you can get some too... like Mrs. Tara!"

Wouldn't that be a sight!? This preggo tap dancing? Ha! Don't think Baby Baker would appreciate that too much... neither would anyone who had to watch! 

Little Susie Homemakers

This morning Livy crawled in bed with me about 7:30, I covered her up, kissed her, and she went right back to sleep. I checked my Facebook and saw all of the "back-to-school" pictures. I wanted to cry! I kept glancing over at my sleeping beauty, who I get to spend every single day with, and the thought of her leaving me to go to school was so overwhelming!

Drew and I have pros and cons for both public school and homeschooling. We haven't made up our minds about where Livy will go to school, but I'm so glad we still have a few years to figure all of that out. But the thought of not getting to spend all day with her really makes me want to lean towards homeschooling! 

All of this made me realize I need to make the most of my time that I do have with her... Especially before the baby arrives. And since I've been feeling so much better lately, Livy and I decided to be Little Susie Homemakers today. I was planning out tonight's supper (yes, I'm actually going to cook!) and decided to try out a homemade biscuit recipe. I asked her if she wanted to come help me make them and she replied,

"Umm, not yet..."

"Ok, well, I'll be in the kitchen."

A couple minutes later, she came running in the kitchen and announced,

"I'm ready to make biscuits now!"

Duh!? Silly me... I should've known one can't make biscuits without one's tutu on! 

We made the dough, rolled them out, and put them in the freezer until tonight. Livy had so much fun helping!
 

We had country fried pork chops, bacon green beans, roasted garlic potatoes, and the biscuits. I had all intentions of taking a picture of dinner to prove that I can cook, but we gobbled it all up as soon as it hit our plates. Even Drew was impressed... and that takes a lot!
 

Baby Bump

Tonight we're going to El Dorado to watch Planes in 3D and eat supper. When Drew got home, Livy and I were all dressed and ready to go. He gave Liv a big hug and then kissed me and said, "You look good! And you're bump... I like it!" Then Livy poked out her belly and said,

"Hey! What about my bump???"

A Day in Our Life

Here's some pictures from the last couple of days...

Livy dressed herself for church Wednesday night. She is really into "getting ready" and getting all dolled up!

Livy and I took advantage of the really awesome but weird cooler weather this morning and got the whole yard mowed for Drew. 

Of course, her day wouldn't be complete without a little dress-up. 

For some strange reason she loves this rug?!

She wanted a manicure just like Mom's...

...and she got a pedicure too!

I think I might've found something (finally) that tastes good... grapes and cool whip!

We cooked fried rice tonight, and Livy learned the life lesson of how onions "make our eyes cry!"

 

Then after supper we made a loop around the block which is almost a mile. 

And this little booger even got some lovin' too... Because she's attention deprived, obviously. 

My Birthday

Today was my 26th birthday. Oh, 26... That's a little hard to believe!

Most of my day was spent just like any other day, which is hard to complain about. Ate breakfast with my best girl, spent some time working on a current art project, colored with Livy in her new coloring books, watched a little Disney, did some dishes, and even took a nap. Hey, I'm pregnant and it was my birthday. I'm not sorry! :)

Drew came home with supper from Cancun, and Livy practically fell asleep while she was eating. Drew put her in bed and we curled up together on the couch and watched The Notebook for the 98th time. 

When he walks through the door every evening is one of my favorite parts of the day. Not that spending time with Livy isn't wonderful, because it absolutely is! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! But there's nothing like spending time with my husband. That's a different kind of love that can never be matched. 

Drew gave me my birthday card tonight and had a surprise for me... We're going on a mini vacation in September, just the two of us. He's not telling me where, but he said its somewhere we haven't been before. I can't wait!

Livy woke up during the very end of the movie, and we spent the rest of the night playing, singing, and laughing with her. Overall, I'd say I had a pretty terrific birthday!

Cousin Jillian

Jillian got to spend part of the day with us on Monday. She was so sweet. She sat in my lap and let me rock her while we watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for 2 hours! When Livy woke up, she sat with Jillian in the recliner while I made her some breakfast, and neither one got up to start playing until about 10:30! 

While I was making Livy's cheese toast, I heard them in the living room squealing and giggling. I went in there to check on them and Livy said,

"She's talking to me!!"

And Jillian was laughing, saying,

"Talk! Talk!"

They were both cracking each other up! They watched Disney Jr., played on the slide, put on lip gloss (surprise, surprise!), and had a grand ole time! 

These two sweethearts are going to have so much fun growing up together. So thankful for cousins!

Baby Bedding and Birthday Cake

Saturday, Livy and I went to Texarkana and bought the fabric for the new baby's bedding. I'm going to attempt to make it. It'll just be the bumper and the skirt so hopefully it won't be too hard. And I have until February to work on it... Surely I can figure it out by then! ;)

When we got back that afternoon, we had an early birthday celebration for Lori and me. 

Weasel II and Muffin

Earlier his summer, our cat, Bob, disappeared and never came home. It wasn't unusual for the cats to wander off for a few days but they would always come back. But Bob never did. Bless him. Drew likes to think that he's living it up in someone's house being treated like a royal kitty, but I'm pretty sure that's not true...

Since Bob has been gone, Dwight has been pretty pitiful! He just lays around all by himself. So we decided we should get some more cats to keep him company. 

We got 2 kittens so they could grow up together and not be lonely. We left it up to Livy to name them. 

"What do you want to name them?"

"Umm, Weasel and Dwight."

"Well, we've already had a Weasel before and we still have Dwight so let's think of some more names."

"No I like Weasel! ...and Muffin. They can be Weasel and Muffin!"

So we have Weasel the Second (RIP) and Muffin. We have no idea if they're boys or girls... It's still hard to tell. Weasel could go either way but poor Muffin, if he turns out to be a boy, he may have a complex over his name!

The day we got them, Olivia played with them in her room. She played babies and had them in the baby doll crib, she pulled them around in her wagon, and even held them and took them down the slide. By that evening, her eyes were swollen and itchy with little raised bumps underneath. So I told her we don't need to play with them anymore since they make her itch. She was devastated at first, but she has handled it well. Now we go outside just to check on them. 

 

Yipsticks

Olivia has developed a new love... Yipstick!

Saturday morning I had gotten Livy dressed because we were going shopping in Texarkana. When she was ready she said,

"I'm gonna put my yipsticks on so I'll yook yike a yady!"

I was in my bathroom getting my makeup on and fixing my hair when she came in and said,

"Mom, do you want some of my yipsticks?"

"No, that's ok. I have some. But thank you."

"Well I'm gonna go get em just in case."

"Ok baby."

"No, call me yady."

"Oh, ok yady."

It started out with the princess chap sticks and lip glosses that she got for her birthday, but she has quickly graduated to Mom's real hot pink lipstick. The lip glosses were fine because they just made her lips (and the surrounding mouth area) really shiny. But the hot pink lipstick is more like lip stain!

I'm not a lipstick lover. I have one nude color that I wear occasionally... Like maybe to church or on dates with my super handsome husband! But really, I don't even like to wear it then. My hair gets stuck to it, it clumps up, and no one likes to kiss in lipstick! Yuck! The other lipstick I have is the hot pink one and the only reason I have it is because I wore it at Halloween once. 

Sunday afternoon I was trying to work on some art projects, Drew had just gotten home from playing an all weekend softball tournament and he was napping, so Livy was pretty much on her own. She asked me if she could play in my makeup and I said sure. Normally she only plays with my makeup brushes so I didn't think much about it. 

When it was time for me to leave for choir practice, I went in our room to get dressed and discovered this...

I told Drew just to use her wipes to clean it off before he brought her to church. 

Six o'clock rolled around, we started singing hymns, and they still weren't there. I started getting a little worried... Then they slid in the pew beside me. I took one look at Livy and almost laughed out loud!!! She still had the smeared lipstick all over her mouth! Drew said he tried to clean it, but it wouldn't come off! So she came to church looking like a clown. She slept during the entire service across mine and Drew's laps, and I would giggle every time I looked down at her. 

What a precious angel... With hot pink lips!

Daddy and Yipstick

Last night, we put Livy to bed around 9:15 and Drew and I were going to curl up in bed and finish the shark show we were watching. When we got to our bedroom, he remembered he needed to go shut the garage. Not long after he left, I heard Livy holler from her bedroom...

"Daddy!"

"Daddy's not in here."

"Where'd he go?"

"He just had to go do something real quick."

"Well I need my daddy!"

"What for?"

"I need some yipstick!"

"No you don't. You're supposed to be going to bed.

"But I need my daddy to get me some yipstick for my yips!"

Thankfully she fell asleep by the time Drew came back to bed, so she never got her yipstick.

14 Week Check-Up

14 weeks

Heartbeat: 160

-4 lbs

We go back at 18 weeks on September 5th, and we'll get to see our growing baby! The last time we had an ultrasound, I was only 7 weeks along so our baby didn't really look like much more than a blob. So I can't wait to see the little face and fingers and toes! 

I was so excited Livy got to go with us today. I love letting her be part of the process. We talk about the baby all the time, but I know it's hard for her to really understand what all it means. I had told her before the appointment that we'd get to hear the baby's heartbeat. So when we heard the sweet little sound, Livy said,

"That sounds just like a barking dog!"

After our appointment today, we went to Arby's for lunch because I thought it sounded really good at the time. I took a few bites of my sandwich, ate some fries, and had to take off running for the bathroom! Thankfully, I made it just in time to throw up everything I had just eaten. 

Then once we got home, I started some laundry, planned out our grocery list (which is super hard when every recipe you look at makes you want to puke!), loaded and unloaded a truck full of groceries, and walked down the road with Liv so she could drive her new car. By the time I made supper and it was time to eat, I couldn't even bare to look at it. 

Dr. Watson said she wanted me to gain those 4 lbs back by my next appointment, but as long as my appetite stays like this I'm not sure I'll be able to do it!? 

On the bright side... I definitely look pregnant now! I love it! It's so much more fun getting dressed when you have a cute baby bump. I can't wait until I can feel the baby moving around. That was my favorite part about being pregnant with Olivia. It seems like time is really starting to fly by now... While I'm trying to enjoy this pregnancy, I cannot wait until February!

Not An Angel

The other morning, I was snuggled up to Livy. I hugged and kissed her and said,

"You're my sweet little angel."

"But I don't have wings and I can't fly!"

Too smart for her own good! :)

Goodnight Princess

As Drew was putting Livy to bed a few nights ago, this was the conversation they had...

"Goodnight Princess Sofia."

"But I'm not Sofia... I'm not purple!"

"Oh, then who are you?"

"Dad, I'm just Oyivia! (Looked down at her pajamas) ...and I don't know what color I am?!"

Baby Names

See this tiny little blob? This was our baby back at 7 weeks. That's the last time we had an ultrasound. But this tiny little baby is bound to have a big name! 

Naturally, we've been talking about baby names. We had Olivia's name picked out before I was even pregnant with her, so when we had the gender ultrasound, it was already decided. 

This time it's a little different. Since we're not finding out the gender, I don't feel rushed to pick any names. It's also been really fun discussing baby names with Livy. And by fun, I mean hilarious. She doesn't like any of the names we have in mind. Instead these are her picks...

Girl:

Tree Baker

Minnie Mouse Baker

Tinker Bell Baker

Punzel Baker

Boy:

Birdie Baker

Mickey Mouse Baker

You-dream (Eugene) Baker

 

She's really set on either Punzel or You-dream at the moment. I'll update as her ideas change! 

 

Babysitter

Livy had her first babysitting gig today, or she thought she was the babysitter. 

Baby Travis got to stay with us all day. Livy got some good practice in on how to be a big helper. She was so sweet to him. She wanted to rock him, feed him, and boy, did she do some baby talking! The first time we fed him a bottle, she said,

"I think that's enough."

"No, he needs to drink the rest of it."

"Whoa, his head's getting full!"

 

Before his mom picked him up, she even rocked him and sang one of her very special made-up songs. She can't wait to be a big sister! And I already know she's gonna be a good one!