Quick Update

Last week flew by so fast! I can't believe that it is already February. I want to give my sister Lynne and Miss "L" some birthday shout outs! My sister turned 28 on Monday and Miss "L" turned 4!

Not too much going on around here. Pete's still in his bubble and we are really enjoying having him home from lunch time on! It's nice to have someone play with Pres after he is pumped from his nap.

I am trying to pick out a new dining room set and am amazed with how difficult it's been. Who knew that you could find 50 tables with ugly pineapples and trees carved into them but forget about finding a simple table with clean lines that has a matching hutch and buffet! Really...it could be where I am shopping...excess seems to be the design theme here in good 'ole Alabama. I much prefer a little boring. It is after all going to be a table to entertain our friends, their kids and our kids. Anything elaborate would ultimately end up with crayon on it!

The pregnancy is going well. I have been SUPER tired lately and have found myself taking afternoon naps. This is a rare thing for me and I wake up feeling like I've wasted the day. I've also found myself enjoying the wonders of my baby resting on my sciatica! All I can say about that is "OUCH!" Luckily it goes away as quickly as it comes so I'll hurt for a couple of days, Ashlyn will finally move position and then I can relax until she goes right back to the same spot! Pete has been wonderful about back and knee rubs during these periods and I am so thankful to have him home with me! (Any suggestions from you other mom's that have been pregnant about how to help with the pain, I am ALL ears!)

Pres is now talking up a storm and comes up with the funniest things. I still can not get over him coming into the room and saying, "Hi momma". It literally melts my heart every time. His favorite saying right now is, "I'm okay". He says it anytime he falls, slips, or drops something so we hear it all day long.

I need to wrap this up and get dressed. Our friend Mark graduated today from WOC school and we are off to his house to celebrate with his family. They have two little girls and Pres loves playing with the oldest who is 2.

Cookie Making Party and a trip to see Daddy!

Sunday was a big day for Pres and I. We got to not only spend a few hours with Pete, but we had some new friends over to decorate cookies with us.

Pete is doing great and he looked fantastic. I forgot my camera so there's no pictures...but that's probably a good thing. Pete in his whole Class B uniform with his long black trench coat buckled up plus beret is too much to look at and not mock. Needless to say I didn't know whether to hug him or to raise my hand and "Hail, Hitler" at him. Pres was super excited to see his daddy and the whole visit went very well. The Wings Chapel had such a nice set up for us WOC families with cookies, drinks, and coffee. It was a wonderful time although I didn't do any listening to the sermon (sorry chaplain but you were not as important as talking to my hubby!)

After we left Pete we came home to get ready for our cookie party!

Here Pres is helping me make the cookies!



Look at these cute flour toes! I can't get over them!



Here he is tasting the dough. I think it was a hit.






Some of the finished product.



We had Santa Chef hats that the kids made and lots of yummy candy and icing to decorate the cookies.






These last pictures I got from Megan's blog! I didn't take any of Pres decorating and of the Santa hats! I hope you don't mind Megan. The little cutie under the hat is her daughter and let me tell you she REALLY makes me want to have a girl!!!! So sweet!

Here are the pics of Pres' finished cookies! He actually decorated them and had fun with the sprinkles. He took a bite out of each of his cookies before decorating them, but it was so cute to see him get involved in the activity!





Thank you to Megan and Jodie for sharing this with us plus all of the kiddos! It was tons of fun!!!!

Greg & Jen

Our sweet friends from Tampa came a visited us last month (sorry it's taken me so long). Pete went to high school with Greg. They came to share with us stories from their recent wedding. We missed it because we had no babysitter. :(

Pres loved them from the start and had a great time being played with. They were both so wonderful with him. There is nothing sweeter that watching your child welcome in the people you care for.

Here's some pics from our dinner and two beautiful pictures from their wedding. Doesn't Jen look gorgeous?! She looks like one of those brides from the magazines. Her dress was amazing.

St. Louis here I come!

Tomorrow I leave for St. Louis! I am excited and a little sad at the same time. It will be the first time I have ever been away from Pres. I'm looking forward to some much needed "me" time, but I am going to miss that little booger more than anything! Please keep Pete in your prayers as he is going to be alone with Pres for the first time (I see lots of candy, tv, and other things I don't really approve of!). Luckily, Pete will have my mom to help him during the day so hopefully she can give Pres the much needed structure he needs during the day.

To the wonderful Challans family: I am on my way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see you all and my wonderful FF gals!

And they're off...almost

Tomorrow my girlie's and myself will become husband less for a few days. They are having a "guys weekend". Going to Vegas and gambling with the guys sounds very manly...like they are all dripping with machismo...uh-huuuuuh...not so much. Let me share a conversation that I had the pleasure of over hearing today. It went something like this:

Pete: "...no dude, you can only have a 3 oz bottle of something in a Ziploc bag. That's why I went out and bought the travel toothpaste, I'm really picky about that, I have to use MY kind..."

Ryan: "but what about my cologne?"

Pete: "cologne? What do you need Cologne for?" "you don't have to smell good for me."

Ryan: " no...I just like to wear cologne."

Pete: "OH, we can just go to some mall or something there and just spray some on."

Ryan: "dude...that's a really good idea."


Here is the really funny part. This was just a normal conversation between the two of them. Pete had no idea why I was laughing so hard!!!!! I guess you can domesticate a man a little too much!

All kidding aside: HAVE FUN GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!