These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

playgrounds and slides

Thomas the train
the petting zoo
ABCs and 123s
2 Bayees, Bebe, and Duck

and POPSICLES!!!

Swing Set!

Today Natalie received the most belated birthday gift I hope she ever gets. Josh put together the swing set that we have been so longingly planning for and working towards. There is now a flat spot of ground, grass growing on it, and one very happy young lady! For those of you who don't understand what the delay was all about, take a look at the second picture and you will see how sloped our back yard is and why we were so desperate for those 6 tons of dirt to make a flat spot for her. Thanks for being such a handy-man, Josh!

It all began with Natalie's first swing in November 2006 at 9 months old.

See the faint red dot in the top of the picture, under the window? That's her current swing.

Nat's new Dora ball is a big hit and a big help in keeping her busy while swing set construction is under way.

The See-Saw was the first thing ready to try. Natalie was skeptical.

Next to try was her newly cleaned and relocated swing. Such fun!

Finally, the slide came together! Yay!

Natalie's Swing Set! "Ah Doo, Dayee!"

Play Date with Foster

Foster is one of Natalie's bestest friends. They've been play-dating since she was 9 months old. Foster is one month older than Natalie his mom Allison and I have become the bestest of friends as well. Today we went to their house for some fun in the sun. This is the first time Natalie's worn a swim suit since last summer, so it was an adjustment for her to learn that it's okay for clothes to be wet and leave them on. We had a great time and left just before everyone was ready for a nap ~ moms included!

How much do you love her little bikini!? I think it makes her look so grown up ~ for a 2 year old, anyway!

Foster and Natalie wait patiently for the pool to fill

A hug! How sweet!

Foster's not-so-little brother Everett gets in on the fun

Slide!!!

Done with the pool, it's swinging time. Despite this picture, both kids were smiling the whole time. Foster kept asking to go faster and Natalie got the giggles.

After lunch coloring

Thanks, Foster, Allie, and Everett, for such a fun day!

Not Much To Tell

Not much going on around here lately, now that Jeremy and Courtney's parties and our Anniversary have passed. Natalie is in between school and swim lessons and trying to stay busy with trips to the park/playground and play dates with friends. I'm also keeping busy getting ready for Baby Girl, but a lot of that will have to wait till we return from our week at the beach in June. That's when we'll transition Natalie to the big girl bed. I've read that it's wise to do this well before the new baby comes home, as it will be one less change Big Sister has to get used to. Natalie has been great at taking care of BeBe and making sure she has a diaper (Pampers size XS Preemie, up to 4 pounds!) and even giving her a bath once. In the mean time, I'm buying diapers and wipes and my mom and I have made sure we've bought plenty of season appropriate clothes for this Baby Girl.

Natalie puts a diaper on BeBe

Josh has ordered his big Craftsman tool box - yes, the BIG one - so that should be arriving soon and giving him something to be busy with and proud of for a while. He's also installing a wall to be able to install the door that breaks his office (finished basement) from the storage room (still mostly unfinished basement) -- a time consuming project because it involves drywall mudding and sanding.

So, that's our story these few weeks. Hope all is well with everyone out there!

School's Out For Summer

Today was the last day of Natalie's first preschool. She attends the Tuesday and Thursday morning 1 year old class. They play, do art projects like finger and easel painting, have music time each week, and learn colors and shapes. Today they had an Ice Cream Party to celebrate the end of the year! It was rough starting out in January, but now Natalie loves "scool" and I wish I had a way to explain to her sweet two-year-old mind that, while we won't be going for a while, she'll return in August with so much more fun to have.Natalie, Logan, Parker, Kamryn, Kloey, Lily, Hailey

Natalie's so excited to show her classroom to me.

I took this one from the doorway before she knew I was there.

Taking a break from her concert piano practice to eat some pretzels.

Natalie and Parker enjoying their ice cream

If you eat it with your fingers there's some to lick off later.

So tired on the way home, Duck and BeBe cuddles are in order.

Tickled Pink!

Baby is now officially Baby Girl! These are the ultrasound photos from our 18week scan. She was very active, at times the sonographer had to push the probe with one hand and push on my belly with her other hand to get Baby Girl to behave for her pictures! (remember, you can click on these to get a bigger picture!)

Her profile

Her official "alien shot" with her hand up by her chin

Her arm and hand and five fingers (and I guess that other thing is her leg)

Her foot and five toes

Her Girl Parts!

Now, it's on to play the Name Game!

Happy Anniversary To Us!

Tomorrow Josh and I will have been married for six years. Six years ago today we were in Las Vegas, Nevada looking through the yellow pages of the phone book in our room at The Frontier hotel. The hotel doesn't exist anymore but I still have that page from the phone book advertising the Graceland Wedding Chapel. Six years ago tonight we were standing in line at the Clark County courthouse to get our wedding license. Six years ago tomorrow I married the man who was the guy I'd fallen for four years earlier. Here's our story:

September 1997 - I'm standing at the vending machine in the break room on the second day of my new job at Toys R Us in Athens. A guy joins me and introduces himself. I don't remember what he said but I do remember I couldn't stop thinking about him. I was 17, he was 21. We were worlds apart and became instant friends.

Spring 1998 - Josh invites me to go get ice cream after work one day. I call my mom for permission. She says no. He was too old.

Summer 1998 - Josh moves to Atlanta to finish school.

Fall 1998 - Josh shows up at my house (we'd moved - how did he find us!?) and invites me to join him taking his dog to the park. This time my mom says yes.

May 1999 - I'm leaving my high school graduation with my current boyfriend and I turn around and there's Josh. He'd come! He was with his current girlfriend and he'd sat through my long, boring high school graduation with her. I gave him a hug and ran off. To this day I hope that was enough of a Thank You for coming.

Fall 1999 - I'm in college. We keep in touch through Instant Messenger on my suite-mate's computer (I don't have one yet). He comes up for a party. I don't go. I hope he understands and had a good time anyway. Again, he must settle with just a hug from me.

Summer 2000 - He's in town. We have plans. I stand him up. I'm still sorry.

Winter 2001 - I become available for dating. I'm in Atlanta for a family event. He picks me up from the hotel and we get dinner or something. We go back to his apartment to walk the dog. Josh kisses me. Just a peck. He takes me back to the hotel. I'm on could nine. I still remember what I was wearing.

Spring 2001 - We're both going to be in Athens for the weekend. We have dinner at Gyro Wrap. We walk until I get blisters through the UGA campus. We go to the Spring UGA football game the next day. I have dinner at his parents that evening. They mention how nice it is to have all the chairs full at the table. I'm smitten.

May 2001 - I teach Josh about camping. We vacation at Lake Lure, North Carolina.

Summer 2001 - I start Nursing school in Athens. We begin our year of seeing each other only on weekends.

August 2001 - We vacation at Myrtle Beach and get in a huge fight. I think it's over. I can't breathe.

It's not over.

December 2001 - We vacation in Washington DC and have a wonderful time.

April 2002 - He moves in to a tiny basement apartment of a friend's lake house in Gainesville. I move in too, for the summer.

May 10, 2002 - I worked in Athens that day. My ear hurt. I stayed late to see the nurse practictioner who told me I had an ear infection. I drive an hour to our lake home. Josh and I get in an argument that turns into a fight. I don't have any idea what it was about. I do remember how it ended. I told him, "I love you so much, if you asked me to go to Vegas right now and marry you, I would!" (a dare? a threat? what was I saying!?) I walked outside. He joins me, fight over, and we decided to go to dinner. After ordering, but before the food arrives, Josh says to me, "Let's do it."
"Let's do what?" What was he talking about?
"Let's go to Vegas."
"We can't go to Vegas!"
"Why not?"
"Because..." "because..." "I don't know."

I can't eat. He's serious. I'm serious! We're going to go to Las Vegas. And GET MARRIED!!!

It's pretty late. We go to Dimo Jewelry store. They're closed. They hear our story and let us in. We pick out rings. We drive back to the house. Is this real? We get on the internet and have trouble finding affordable plane tickets. What if we can't go? That's awkward. Then are we engaged. Wait! There's a plane/hotel last minute deal and we can afford it! Click here, credit card number there, print that page, we're booked! We tell our housemate. We have to, he has to dog sit.

May 11 - We're at the Atlanta airport pretty early. We've got a long day of flying and lay-overs ahead of us. We're waiting. We decide to call people. We call everyone, quite the surprise awakening on this Saturday morning. We fly. We arrive in Las Vegas that afternoon. We find the hotel, I take a shower, Josh browses the aforementioned phone book, we decide we're too tired to get married tonight, we've got 3 days, let's do it tomorrow after we've had some sleep. We find the courthouse, get the license then drive by the chapel to make sure it fit's the requirements. Wait! We have requirements now!?

May 12 - We're scheduled to get married at 11:00. We arrive a few minutes early. We forgot the license. We drive back to the hotel and get it. We're a few minutes late. What if they aren't there!? They're there. They're so nice. They let us get married. THEY LET US GET MARRIED! We get married. Married. Wow.

We take pictures outside the chapel. Someone honks and cheers. I'm glowing. We lunch at the Starlight and spend the afternoon at Red Rock Canyon. His mom phones. She calls me Mrs. Cauthen. I laugh. We spend the evening at the Stratosphere. I don't think we ever stopped smiling.

May 13 - We drive out to Hoover Dam. What is this ring on my finger? We fly back that night, no layovers, thank goodness. I'm married. I have a husband. Husband. What a weird word.

May 14 - Back to work and the real world as Mr. & Mrs.

Six years. Tomorrow Josh and I will have been married for six years. I love him as much now as ever. Happy Anniversary, Joshua!

Barefoot and Pregnant

...and slaving over a hot stove making my dear husband some hush puppies! (and they were good!)

For those of you who don't know me well, I don't cook. I'm great at popping pre-made stuff in the oven, but a sight like this is quite unusual. And, for the record, if Josh ever leaves me it will be for someone who doesn't burn rice. =)

Weekend at Lisa's

Let me start this off by saying how insanely jealous I am of my mom right now. She flew to London last night and is going to spend the week having Tea every morning, shopping every afternoon, and seeing shows every night. Geez, I can't wait to be retired!

As for those of us left behind, we're having a good weekend too. Yesterday we went to our friends Jeremy and Amanda's house for a Tres de Mayo party. It was a fun time. We ate some very yummy home made Mexican foods and got to visit with some people we only see once a year at some even hosted by Jeremy and Amanda (duh). Natalie proceeded to spill tequila on herself twice by picking up cute little cactus shot glasses that were very much at her reach. The first time it was empty and so only had a drop or two that landed on her shirt. The second time, though, it was a full shot and I think it got on her face (mouth!?) and I know her hands got soaked from it as she was picking it up. I feel like a terrible mom, but it's not like she drank the stuff, just spilled it on herself while she was picking up the cup. Oh well. Here's a pic of her towards the end of the party, holding a Wii remote and gnawing on her (tequila soaked!?) finger.

FYI: that is a cup of grapes, not another alcoholic beverage in her reach.

Today Josh had a boys afternoon, going to see Iron Man and have lunch. Natalie and I have hung out at home, though not by choice. The car has a flat tire and the tire-fixing-guy went to a movie. So we're stuck. We've spent some time outside, playing T-Ball and at the water table, where, inevitably clothes get wet and must come off. This is last year's hat, and is a little small, but I hope is doing some good at keeping the mid-day sun off her.

Waving Bye-Bye to a plane overhead.

Have you ever seen a more girly T-Ball set?

I'm spending a lot of time today day dreaming over shopping for the new baby, and if any of you out there have a Sit-N-Stand style stroller, please tell me what brand you have and what you think of it. I've read reviews that vary from "like a tank" to "best stroller ever." I'm also nesting a bit and trying to clean out the drawers of the guest room furniture so it can be ready to go to the basement. I'm also wondering where I'm going to hang all the art that was in that room. The art is mostly blue, as the guest room was the Blue Room, and the only other blue stuff in the house is in the kitchen were wall space is most limited.

We also had a scary run-in with someone else's dog in our yard. Salem and Natalie were on the back deck and I was at the table, kitchen door open, practically out there with them, and I was wondering what Salem was having such a fit about and why Natalie was laughing so hard. I went out to see and saw nothing and almost came right back in, when out of the corner of my eye, at the top of the stairs, nose through the gate, was a Boxer. Now, normally this would just be annoying, but since Winston was beat up so badly by two Boxers in January, I became terrified and rushed everyone indoors. Knowing boxers are not typically aggressive, I went back out, reached through the gate and looked at his (her?) tag. It had no phone number on it. I called Josh for advice but since he was at that movie, I got none. I did the only thing I could think of and called the Sheriff's office for animal control. Since it wasn't an emergency and is Sunday they couldn't guarantee me anyone would come or even call. Well, two deputies did come over and get some info and the neighbors got the dog on a leash so he's no longer roaming around and I really hope the dog got back with his owner, it's just since the Winston stuff it put me into panic mode. I guess I did the right thing.

and OMG, while I was typing this Natalie pooped in her diaper, took the diaper off, freaked out, started wiping the poop with her hand, wiping her hands together, and sat down in the carpet in our bedroom, so that was a whole lot of fun to clean up. ::sigh::

After such a busy weekend and having skipped her nap today, at 6:00 pm Natalie decided she was just too tired to even finish her noodles and grapes dinner.

a Father's Response

Eggs!

Can you imagine!? You spend the entire month of March and most of April learning what eggs are and spending every day playing with eggs, learning to open eggs (often revealing goodies!), put eggs back together, sort eggs by color, all the while saying "eggs!" with a big grin, and then to be told this morning that Dayee is going to the store and to buy Ba eggs because Ba needs eggs to have Dayee arrive home, put the eggs in the fridge and then when you go to reach for them to be told, "eggs are not for Natalie." How confusing!!! No wonder she broke down in tears! Luckily this dawned on me rather quickly and I was able to go to the basement to find the Easter storage tub and bring out Natalie's precious eggs to play with. I feel terrible. They should have separate names for things like this.