Peter Pan Fan

A few months ago, my Aunt Ann came to visit my mom. We planned a trip to Houston so that we could see her as well. She brought Clayton a little Captain Hook figurine to play with. She was shocked and appalled that he had never seen Peter Pan and had no idea who Captain Hook was. Shortly after we returned home, a package arrived from Florida. Aunt Ann sends Clayton packages quite often, so he is always thrilled when he gets one. He was even more excited when he saw that the movie Peter Pan was inside. Since then he has watched it a hundred times. He LOVES it! I am not so crazy about the sword fighting and pirates, but Wade assures me that those are normal activities for little boys. (Being a girly girl, I'm still learning about that sort of thing!)

The other day I was sorting through some of Clayton's old clothes and things. (I'm already anxiously washing baby things and getting baby #2's room ready. Isn't it too early to be nesting?!?!?) Among the onesies, blankets, bibs, and burpies I found a Peter Pan hat that his Mother's Day Out teacher from last year had made for the kids. Clayton squealed with glee and hasn't taken the darn thing off yet (except for sleeping and baths). He recently added his leather church belt to the ensemble. He proudly stuck his sword in his makeshift sheath. He also asks me to refer to him as Peter Pan and calls me Wendy. What a nut!

This morning, after I took the picture above, I walked in the kitchen to see this sight...
I guess today is dress up day?!?!

The Name Game

Before we ever got pregnant with Clayton, we had picked out a boy's name and a girl's name for our first born. If it was a boy, it would be Clayton Reid. If it was a girl, it would be Caroline Brooke. Therefore, when we found out that we were having a little boy, the name was already predetermined. That is not the case this go 'round....

I feel so terrible that we don't have a name for this little guy. We just can't seem to come to an agreement. I have an awful feeling that this poor child is going to be one of those "we'll know what to name him when we see him" babies. :)

The only person that is 100% sure of the baby's name is Clayton. He started calling the baby Hayden last week. He is pretty sure that should be his name. I have absolutely no idea where he came up with that. We don't know any Haydens and we never mentioned that as a choice. Every time that we make a suggestion he says, "Nope. His name is Baby Hayden." Wade & I both kinda like it as well. I just don't know if I can get past the thought of knowing that our 3 year-old named our second child....

Here is a list of options. Please feel free to leave a comment with your vote. We are also totally open to suggestions. Who knows - maybe there will be a prize involved. (How cool would it be to know that you named our baby!!! I promise that we will give you the credit.)

We both like:

Jacob - The current front runner.

Hayden

Jackson

Caleb

Wade Likes:

Carter (Carter Carpenter - how cruel is that?!?!?)

Cooper (Cooper Carpenter - not much better!)

Peyton (We'd have Peyton and Clayton. Is that okay? I think not.)

Toby (All I can think of is a golden retriever when I hear the name "Toby.")

Taylor (I like Taylor also, but Wade's cousin's name is Taylor.)

I Like:

Aiden

Ethan

Evan

Landon

Mason

Noah

Connor

Gavin

Spencer

Hudson

Sawyer

Andrew

Brock

Blake

Logan

I really don't think that we are going to come to an agreement on this one. Is it horrible to have our child's name come down to a game of rock, paper, scissors??? he he he

And, because I haven't posted any pictures in awhile, here is a picture of my little guy from today. Happy Memorial Day!

It's A....

First of all, our doctor's appointment went very well. Everything (heart, brain, abdomen, etc.) is healthy. Praise the Lord! I am so grateful that everything looks normal and that we should have a healthy newborn. Thanks so much for all of your prayers!

While we were in the sonogram room waiting for the doctor, Clayton said something so funny. He was sitting in Wade's lap and he leaned over to me. He said, "Mommy, I sure hope that doctor says that I am having a baby sister!" I said, "Well, if it is a baby brother, we will be excited, too. We're going to be happy no matter what." He said, "Yep, you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!" Nice to know that he has memorized the current montra in our house. :)

The doctor started the sonogram and immediately I saw a 4 chambered heart - YAY! Then he did all his measurements and continuously remarked about how all the measurements were normal. He said that the baby is 6 oz., which is right on target. Then he said, "And there is the sex. It's definitely a male!" I said, "Clayton, you're going to have a brother!" He smiled and we all left happy. A part of me, of course, really wanted a little girl. But, in actuality, I would have been a little sad if it was a girl. Wade had made it very clear that he was done having babies if this baby was a girl. I REALLY want to have three kids and can't imagine this being our last. So, now I am thankful that Clayton will get to have a baby brother and that I will (Lord willing) get to have three kiddos. I know that our family will be exactly what God has planned.

No, we haven't come up with a name. I sense a blog contest coming on.... ;) Start thinking of suggestions, people!

Pink or Blue???

Well, tomorrow is the BIG day. We have our 16 week sonogram with the perinatologist in the morning. He is going to do an in depth sono and measure all of the babies organs (heart, brain, kidneys, etc.). I am, in one word, terrified. I know that I shouldn't, but I can't help worrying that there could be something wrong. Given my history as a PICU nurse, I now realize what a blessing it is to have a healthy baby. Congenital heart anomaly, diaphragmatic hernia, polycystic kidneys, hydrocephalus, trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, trisomy any other number, omphalocele - these are all terms that I DO NOT want to hear tomorrow. I've seen families struggle to help their ill children, and I just pray that the Lord sees it fit to bless us with a healthy baby. I am absolutely petrified when I think about the possibilities of what could come out of that doctor's mouth tomorrow. If you get a chance, say a little prayer for us tomorrow at 9:15am. I'll try to post a full report tomorrow.

The only thing that has taken my mind off of the doom and gloom thoughts that I have is the possibility of finding out the sex of the baby tomorrow. The perinatologist told me at 12 weeks that he should be able to determine the gender at my 16 week appointment, and you better believe that I am going to hold him to it! I really, really, really think that it is another boy. Which would be great, of course. Wade and I layed in bed the other night and I rambled on for 10 minutes about all the pros of each gender. Here is the list that I came up with:

Boy Pros
* We already have TONS of boy stuff. I would love to be able to use all of those precious clothes that Clayton wore again. Plus, we would save a lot of money.
* Clayton would have a brother! It seems to me that same sex siblings tend to be closer (I know there are exceptions, of course). Also, I have never seen brothers interact first-hand. I have a sister, Wade has a sister, most of my girlfriends have sisters, etc. I think it would be fun to see two little boys grow up together.
* I would never have to deal with all the "joys" of raising an adolescent girl. I was SO horrible as a pre-teen/teenager. Oh my goodness - it makes me cringe to think about how awful I was to my mom. I can't imagine being on the receiving end of all those mood swings and hormones.
* I would get to remain the "Queen of my Castle." I sort of like that feeling of being the only girl in the house. Wade and Clayton are both so sweet to me and make a point of telling me that I look beautiful, etc. It sure would be hard to share that limelight with someone else. :)

Girl Pros
* Dresses, bows, tights, black patent leather Mary Janes, headbands, barrettes - need I say more? It would be sooo fun to dress a little girl. (It could be a very bad thing for my marriage, however. I can already hear the, "You spent how much on that?!?!?" coming from Wade.) I absolutely adore smocked dresses! My Mom made us several as children, which she saved (thank goodness). I would love to be able to dress my little girl in them as well.
* We already have a girl name, but can not seem to come to an agreement on a boy name. I could avoid buying a Baby Names book if the baby is a girl.
* Dance lessons, piano lessons, gymnastics, and ballet. These are all lessons that I took as a little girl. I was not particularly good at any of them, but there sure were some cute little costumes that went along. I'd like to think, also, that it made me a more cultured/well-rounded person. (For the record, I still remember all the ballet positions. Makes you feel better about your investment, huh Mom?)
* I would get to be the Mother of the Bride one day. How fun is that going to be?!?! To get to help plan another wedding - that would be awesome. I can imagine taking my little girl to pick out her wedding dress, flowers, photographer, etc. (As a side note, I just thought of another pro to having a boy: I wouldn't have to pay for a wedding. he he he)

After my rant about all the benefits of having a baby of each gender, I concluded by saying, "I just can't decide which one I would rather have. I want both!" Wade quickly responded, "Well, it is a good thing that you don't have to decide. The decision is already made!"

One thing is for sure, I will be content with whatever news we receive tomorrow. Whether the baby is "healthy" or has some sort of birth defect and whether the baby is a boy or a girl - I will be content. That is what I know.

(Side note: Clayton is pretty sure that the baby is a girl. He talks about his baby sister all the time. Whenever we see a baby girl at the grocery store, Clayton will say, "Mommy, I want you to have that baby!")

May I Have This Dance?

This afternoon we went to my cousin, Christopher's, wedding. Clayton actually sat through the whole thing and was very quiet. YAY! By the time that the reception rolled around, though, that boy was ready to dance! He said, "Mommy, do you want to dance with me?" I replied, "I look kinda silly when I dance, though." He said, "You don't look silly, Mom, you look great!" I still wasn't so keen on strutting my preggo self out there. So, Wade and I convinced him that he should ask this 20-something girl to dance with him. He walked out there and watched her for awhile (acting timid). After a minute or so, he tapped her on the leg and asked her to dance with him. She was so sweet and danced with him for two songs. The second one was the Cha-Cha slide (see the video below). When they finished dancing he pulled one of the red roses out of the vase on our table. He walked over and gave it to her - what a little Casanova!

Congrats Christopher and Tara!!!

Us with All my Aunts & Uncles
Becca, Me, and Aunt Ann
Clayton and His Date

Say Cheese!

You know how there are some things in life that you dread doing, but love the results when you are finished? Things that come to my mind are... school assignments, planting flowers, painting a room, cleaning, cooking, and taking your 3 year-old to get his picture made. :) I love having new portraits to hang up, but the process of having professional pictures made is such a pain! We had a disastrous experience back in February that resulted in me paying a $40 sitting fee and not buying a single picture. It took me 3 months to recover from that! So... I took Clayton today to a new place that my friend told me about. They did a really good job and took a ton of pictures (70 total!). I ended up buying a bazillion pictures for a really reasonable price. I will be passing out pictures to friends, family, and maybe even a few perfect strangers - seriously, we got that many! Clayton did a really good job and it wasn't nearly as painful of a process as I was prepared for.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there! I have to say that Mother's Day may be one of my favorite holidays! At church this morning everyone from the greeters to perfect strangers that I passed stopped me to smile and say, "Happy Mother's Day." It was so nice to get that recognition. :) My boys have done a lot for me this weekend, too. They washed my car, planted flowers in the flower bed, took me out to lunch, and Wade even folded a load of laundry. Clayton has given me TONS of hugs and kisses and has said "Happy Mudder's Day" about a million times. :) Man, this is the life! A girl could get spoiled really quickly with this type of behavior.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of my "moms" - both the mother that raised me and the mothers that I inherited through marriage. I am blessed with a wonderful, godly mother. She devoted so much of her life to my sister and I (something that I never fully appreciated until I became a mother myself). When I was in high school, my mom went back to teaching high school English. I think that it was originally out of necessity - I wanted to go to a private school and the teacher discount made it more affordable. As time went on, I think that my mom remembered how much she loved teaching. She got very involved in AP and SAT prep. In 2001 my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. After a bad exacerbation this past fall, she was forced to retire from teaching. Recently, the school that she was teaching at published an article about her in their school magazine. It was a really sweet article that made me so proud to be her daughter. I scanned the article as a JPEG below. If you click on it, you should be able to enlarge it enough to read it. I know that some of you are former students of my mom, and I thought that you may enjoy reading it.

On to my second mom, Wade's mother, Marsha. I am blessed to have a great mother-in-law! First of all, Marsha raised a WONDERFUL son that I feel so honored to be married to. From the time that we got married, she has been the kind of mother-in-law that would never dream of "intruding" or giving her opinions. She is always there, though, when we have a question or ask for her advice. I know that she would do anything that we needed for her to do. She also retired in the fall and has taken up golf and quilting. She has gotten quite good at both over the past 6 months. She has been so great about watching Clayton for us when we went to San Diego and several other times when we just needed a break. I couldn't have asked for a better mother-in-law.

I am also blessed with two of the world's sweetest grandmothers. Both of my grandmothers passed away when I was a child. I have some great memories of them, but I have always longed for more time with them. God gave me two new grandmothers when Wade and I got married. The are both awesome! Wade's Grandmom is really fun and has a sassy side that I just love. She helped me A LOT with Clayton when I was working. She would watch him for me whenever I needed her. For that, I will be eternally grateful! Wade's Mamaw is this super sweet little lady that is extremely loving. She is a wonderful cook and feeds every person that walks in her door. She can throw together a meal on a moments notice. I adore her as well.

Well, that's my tribute to all the moms in my life. I hope to be half the mother to Clayton that they have all been to me.

"Cheers to a Hot Summer Day!"

The temperature is rising and, although it may not be officially summer, I declare it to be so. :) Today we busted out the blow up pool and filled it with water. Clayton was beside himself with anticipation as the water level rose. I got him a popsicle to tide him over until his first dip. He was a happy camper! I got myself a popsicle as well (who can resist a freezer pop?). Before I knew it Clayton tapped his popsicle against mine and said, "Cheers to a hot summer day!" I was crying with laughter!

He "swam," splashed, and had a good 'ole time in the water. I finally coaxed him out with the promise of going to his first Ranger game. Needless to say, he ran inside! We fought traffic all the way to the game, but it was totally worth it. Clayton LOVED it! We had gotten free "nosebleed" section tickets from our newspaper subscription, so we figured that it would be a good trial to see if Clayton would do okay. Much to my surprise, he did really well. We made it all the way to the 8th inning! He had gotten a real baseball outfit for his birthday - complete with XS baseball pants, a real baseball shirt, and belt. He looked soooo cute in it (thanks Kimi and Joe)! I seriously almost cried when I saw him dressed in his baseball duds. My mind fast forwarded through tee ball, Little League, and, before I knew it, I was imagining him playing college ball. It was all that I could do to hold it together. These pregnancy hormones are no joke! He said all night, "Mommy, I'm not Clayton. I'm a real baseball player."

We had a fun evening and the Rangers ended up winning 4-0. YAY!!! Bring on the summer fun!



Showing off his muscles in the pool. What a stud!

Is he precious or what!?!?! Where did my little boy go??

Theological Questions from a 3 year old

Clayton has reached that age where kids start asking questions constantly. Our days are filled with, "But why does...?" and "How does...?" I try to answer his questions as best as I can. So far, most of his questions are pretty easy. Lately, however, he has been asking LOTS of questions about God. Here are a few of our recent conversations...

Clayton: Mommy where does God live?

Me: Well... (silently praying that I am not going to give him the wrong answer and turn him off to Christianity forever - no pressure there!) God lives in heaven, and in our hearts, and everywhere, really.

C: Does he live in the rainbow?

M: No, not exactly...

C: Does God walk?

M: He doesn't have to, he just is everywhere.

C: Does He talk?

M: He talks, but you can't hear him with your ears. You have to listen with your heart.

C: Is God a boy or a girl?

M: Hmmm... I'm not sure.

C: Is Jesus a boy or a girl?

M: Jesus was a boy.

C: Okay.

Fast forward to dinner that night.

Clayton: Mommy, I'm going to heaven tomorrow.

Me: No, baby, you won't go to heaven until you are a really old man.

C: How do you get to heaven?

Wade: (snickering) Are you asking me or Mommy?

C: Mommy.

(Thanks Wade for stepping up to the plate!)

M: Well, when you get older you can ask Jesus to come and live in your heart and to forgive you of all of your sins. You can ask him to help you to be more like him and to change your life. Then when your heart stops beating, you will go to heaven.

C: When Jesus comes to live in my heart, I am going to take Him to my room and show Him all my guys (a.k.a. his stuffed animals).

M: (realizing that I probably went to deep for a 3 year old) Sounds good, honey.

I knew that all of these questions were going to come one day, but I figured I would have some time to research how to answer then on an age-appropriate level. Guess that I thought wrong... :)

Here is a video of Clayton saying some Bible verses that we have been working on. He just sounds so sweet saying them that I just had to capture them on video. Enjoy!