Sunny San Diego

First of all, thanks to everyone for the sweet comments on our last post. They have been printed out and are sitting with the sonogram pictures, waiting to be put into a baby book. :) It is such a joy to bring a child into this world that is surrounded by so many people that already love him/her. You are all such a blessing to us!

Onto the next order of business... :) Wade and I just got back from a wonderful trip to sunny San Diego. Wade had to go to a conference there last week, so I decided to tag along for a mini-vacation. We had a blast together - some much needed time alone. Don't get me wrong, I missed Clayton terribly. I must have flipped open my phone to see his little face a hundred times. I felt guilty (of course) that I wasn't with him, but it was really fun to spend a relaxing few days with my hubby.

We sure did squeeze a lot into our trip! We were there Tuesday through Sunday. Wade's conference was Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. While he was working, I spent my time lounging by the pool, shopping, and reading a book. (It was the first non-parenting book that I had read in months!) I hardly knew what to do with that much time all to myself... but I managed. :) We got to do fun stuff every evening after Wade's conference let out, as well as on Tuesday and Saturday. Here is a "brief" run down of what we did:

1. We went to the San Diego Zoo as soon as we landed on Tuesday - which was really fun. I felt so bad that Clayton wasn't there to enjoy it with us. That is until Wade pointed out that he is too little to appreciate it. He wouldn't know the difference between the Ft. Worth Zoo and the San Diego Zoo. (I still missed him, though.) The zoo had a lot of animals that we had never seen. The koalas were my favorite - mostly because they smelt like eucalyptus instead of like animal stink. (That heightened sense of smell that you get when you are pregnant doesn't go too well with the zoo atmosphere.) Wade really liked the polar bears.

2. We went to a baseball game at Petco Park - the Padres vs. the Giants. Wade loves baseball, and collects a baseball from every stadium that he visits. So... he was happy to have a new baseball for his collection. He also got to see Greg Maddux pitch, which he was excited about.

3. We went to a super fancy dinner at the Skyroom. It is a restaurant at the top of the La Valencia hotel (an old, historic hotel in La Jolla). It was sooo yummy (especially for a girl that considers Chick-fil-a or McDonalds "eating out" - the foie gras and Chilean sea bass were a far cry from the usual combo #1).

4. Wade played golf at Torrey Pines. Apparently, it is a famous course that he has always wanted to play. They are having the US Open there in a few weeks, so it was even more special. I tagged along as his personal cart girl. :) It was beautiful, I must say. Wade made friends with the marshall of the course (no surprise there - Wade makes friends everywhere). The marshall told us that Phil Mickelson was playing a practice round that day at the course. We could see him from the next hole. We didn't bother him or anything, but it was fun for Wade to play right next to a golf legend.

We also went to the cliffs right next to Torrey Pines to see the hand gliders. These crazy people just run and jump off of the side of the cliff and coast above the ocean with their hand gliders. Wade thought that it was awesome and wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, we ran out of time for the tandem lessons that they offer. (What a relief for my nerves!)

5. We went for a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway and saw TONS of beaches. We went to Coronado Beach, La Jolla, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Dana Point, and Santa Monica. It was such a beautiful drive! We ended in LA, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood. We went to Grauman's Chinese Theater and saw the famous Hollywood sign. I got to check a lot of things off of my "things to do before I die" list. :)

It was a very fun trip! I had never been to California before and I must say that it was just as beautiful as I had always heard. The sunsets were amazing! We were sitting on the beach listening to the waves crash against the shore and watching the sunset one night. I turned to Wade and said, "If I could just see this for 5 minutes every day, I would be a much calmer person." It was so relaxing...

I was thrilled to see my little guy after almost a week apart. He actually looked older to me (sniff, sniff) - is that possible? Thanks to my sweet in-laws for taking WONDERFUL care of him (and spoiling him rotten). He had a great vacation away from us, too!

Any Thoughts?

Please read the shirt...

Yep, you got it - We're having another baby!!! Our hearts have ached for another little one for over a year now. It did require three months of fertility medications, but we are finally expecting! Here's the full story (it's a little long - sorry)...

After our third round of medication, my doctor told me exactly what day that I could take a pregnancy test. That day was February 25th. I took a test that morning and didn't see two lines. I cried to Wade and mopped around the house feeling sorry for myself. Later that afternoon (while Clayton was napping) I decided to dig the test out of the trash for a second look. Amazingly, there was a dark line followed by a very faint little pink line. (I guess that I didn't wait long enough originally.) I immediately burst into tears, but then second guessed myself. So, when Clayton got up from his nap, I ran to Walgreens for a digital test. I came home and took it as well. It read "Pregnant" within a few seconds. It was so reassuring!

I immediately went and bought Clayton a "big brother" shirt from a little store by our house. We then sat impatiently and waited for Wade to get home. As soon as the door opened, Clayton ran to him and yelled, "Read my shirt, Daddy! Read my shirt!" It was priceless to see Wade's reaction. He was totally confused! The last time that we had talked about it, I was crying and telling him that I wasn't pregnant. He thought that I had lied to him and made myself cry during our dramatic morning conversation. Once I explained it all, he was super excited.

So, now I am 12 weeks. It is such a relief to be officially out of the first trimester! We had a sonogram today and the doctor said that everything looked good. I was so nervous before the sono and filled with butterflies - just like when I was pregnant with Clayton. I felt a huge burden lifted when I saw that tiny heart beating. (We got to hear it too - it was awesome!) I know that sonograms are fuzzy and hard to read, but it was just precious to me. The baby was moving around and even sucking it's little thumb. The doctor said that he wasn't sure about the gender yet. We'll have to wait four more weeks and they will do another sono at my 16 week appointment. I am just giddy with anticipation!

Please keep us all in your prayers! We would love to hear from you, as well. Please, please, please leave a comment on this post. I plan on printing them all out for his/her baby book. :) If you have never left a comment before, it is really easy. You don't even have to make up a google account. You just click on "comments" next to the time under this post. Then type your comment (make sure you put your name on it) and click "anonymous" and "publish your comment." Thanks!

This is the baby's face (you can see it's eyes and mouth if you look carefully).

This picture is from behind. Isn't that the cutest little spine that you've ever seen?

Another view of that sweet face...

Cousin Bubba has left the building..

Well, Cousin Bubba is no longer going to be coming over to visit. :( Clayton found the mullet wig in the closet and has figured out our little scheme. I had to take some pictures of him in the wig - just to see what Cousin Bubba, Jr. would look like! Aren't they hysterical!



Wade took Clayton fishing this weekend. They just went to one of the catch and release ponds by our house, but Clayton had a ball. They caught several little brim (is that what they are called?). They were using hot dogs as bait. Wade said that he caught Clayton several times sneaking a bite of the cold hot dogs. Yuck! I'm telling you - this kid will eat anything! Isn't he just too darn cute with his little fish, though. :)

Cousin Bubba

A new visitor has started coming to our house every night while Clayton and I are getting his bath ready. The crazy looking gentleman says that his name is Bubba, and he is looking for his cousin, Wade. Somehow, Wade never seems to be around when Bubba comes to visit (*wink, wink*), so they keep missing each other. Clayton LOVES Cousin Bubba. He will go all over the house with Bubba looking for Wade. He'll say things like, "Bubba, hold my hand while I go down the stairs." or "Bubba, I gotta show you somethin'." Bubba has a redneck accent, and Clayton and I are pretty sure that he is really into Nascar. :)

Clayton is pretty skeptical of the Cousin Bubba/Daddy relationship. It's almost like 90% of him knows that it is his Daddy, but that other 10% keeps holding him back. It is so funny to watch his little mind turn. We'll think that he is onto the prank, but then the next night he will bite again. Either way, it is hysterical!

I laughed so hard last night during Cousin Bubba's visit, that I had to take some pictures. (In case you are wondering, the wig came from a minor league baseball game when Wade was in Canada on business. It was mullet night and he received the lovely headdress for a mere $5 dononation to charity. It was totally worth it!)

What Daddies won't do for their little boys...


P.S. If you are one of Wade's business associates, please don't give him too hard of a time. I had to beg him to allow for these pictures to be published. :)

Obligatory Bluebonnet Pics

I tortured my child yet again by making him pose for MORE pictures with flowers. (Do you think that he will ever forgive me?!?!) :) I love bluebonnet pictures, I just think they are so beautiful. Every good Texan should take them annually. Don't you agree? I'm sure that he will be scarred for life and will shy away from the camera in his adult life, but for now, I have captured the moment on film (er, uh... JPEG).

P.S. Most of the pictures that I got are like the last one - the positively painful smile that says, "I'm gonna loose it if she makes me say cheese one more time!"

Pearly Whites

Clayton had his first ever dentist appointment today. Growing up, my Mom was religious about taking us to the dentist every 6 months. I credit her with the fact that I have only had 2 cavities my whole life (one baby tooth and one permanent tooth). So... I am going to try to be as good as she was about passing on good dental hygiene. :)

The first visit that this dentist does is a "happy" visit. He just looked at his teeth and brushed them. He doesn't do fluoride treatments or X-rays until they are four. So, it was not stressful at all. Clayton was cautious through the whole exam and didn't say a word (which is surprising for my little chatterbox). He finally opened up at the end when he got his Batman sticker and new toothbrush. He handed me the sticker (he didn't really care about it) and then excitedly examined his new toothbrush. He begged and begged for me to open it all the way home. What can I say, the boy loves to brush his teeth!

A Day Out with Thomas

This morning we went to A Day Out with Thomas in Grapevine. Clayton had a blast! They have a historic passenger train that they add a Thomas car to once a year. There were tons of kids and lots of fair-type activites. Clayton got a Thomas tatoo, jumped in the bounce house, rode the train, got a Jr. Engineer Certificate, got a personalized horseshoe for his cowboy room, and got to take his picture with the conductor and with Thomas. It was all great fun - especially for a little boy that LOVES trains!

When it came time for our 9:15 departure, Clayton raced to get onto the train and find the perfect seat. Just when we got settled into our spot and they fired up the engine, Clayton said, "Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom." Of course... Luckily, he made it through the 25 minute train ride without an accident. Whew - that was a close one!

Shutterbug

Wade's parents gave Clayton a Fisher-Price digital camera for his birthday. He LOVES it! He takes pictures all day, every day. It is funny to look at his photography and see how he views the world. He will sit there and arrange his toys and stuffed animals until he has the perfect pose. Then he will say, "Say cheese! No, not that way... a pretty smile, please." Wonder where he's heard that?!?!?!

Being the avid picture taker that I am, I have totally encouraged this new pastime. I think it is fun! Perhaps I have encouraged his hobby a bit too much.... The other day Wade was in the shower and I was doing my hair. We were talking to each other as Wade was getting out of the shower. Then, out of nowhere - click and flash! I quickly confiscated our little paparazzi's camera only to find a perfectly centered picture of my naked hubby. The picture was immediately deleted, and we had a long talk about not taking pictures of people while they are in the bathroom. :) I thought that it was hysterical - Wade didn't so much. he he he

Here are some of our budding photographer's recent shots (minus the nudes, of course). There were some really good ones from his birthday party, but he figured out how to delete them and now they are gone. But, there are still some good ones. Enjoy!