COUCH POTATO

Today marked the third rainy day in a row. And today Maddox fell in love with our couch - the one comfortable piece of furniture in the whole living room, according to Andrew. We love it, mustard stains and all. I wonder how people with kids have white couches? Ours is tan and it gets so dirty. Tonight Maddox added Oreos to the mix. When you have a toddler, you thank God for washable things (like couch slipcovers) and if you can't wash it...oh well, you get over it.

In one week alone Maddox broke both the bookshelf door and the hutch door. Just imagine all of the things that will break when Jude gets old enough to be a partner in crime!

Ah, well, I really don't care anymore.

I'd rather have a happy boy on my couch sharing an Oreo McFlurry with me any day. Tonight as I put him to bed he insisted we should sleep on the COUCH (pronounced "cow") over and over and over. It was too funny. He finally gave up, plopped a pillow on his tummy and escaped to dreamland.

By the way, my kitchen is DONE. And now it is onto cleaning the house and packing a suitcase because this little family of three (well, four) is coming to SC to celebrate the 4th!

Expect many happy pictures to follow :)

The Blur

This past weekend is a blur in my head. I know we went to a baby shower for Aaron and Erika. I remember delicious cupcakes, salsa and fun conversation. Then came Father's Day on Sunday. I remember standing outside in the hot Florida sun (the Florida sun is like the devil's butt in my opinion...insanely hot and wicked) and our car wouldn't crank. This was about the fifth time in 2 months so we finally had to break down, drop $180 (oh, it hurts) and get a new battery.

There we are on Father's Day. Maddox looks like a ball of joy, right? But really, he WAS in a good mood.

We went to Angler's for brunch but lunch looked so good we went with that instead. We enjoyed the company of some friends:

And that is the day Maddox decided he was no longer using a diaper. I took him to the potty at Angler's THREE times. Now holding a toddler over a public potty is awkward, but...what else can you do when they shout "peeee peeeee" over and over in a restaurant? Roll with it.

Ever since then he has used his "papa pants" aka his Toy Story underwear. He has only had three accidents. He loves the potty. I put him on it about 52 times a day, therefore guess where I spend half my day...?

In other news, I painted the kitchen a beautiful ocean-like color called "Maine Shores." I cursed a lot because...it is hard work painting over blood red. Never again, folks. But at least the red is GONE.

I started to write this post because I felt like complaining...about how Maddox woke up at 6 am and we had an awful day full of spills, nausea, tears and bruises. I said the lovely d* word a few times, it's true. Luckily Maddox did not repeat it. The best part about the day was that our neighbors finally cleaned up the one zillion beer cans that were falling out of their one million garbage bags next to our house. About time.

ANTS ANTS ANTS...not in my pants, but

...on my kitchen counter.
And let me tell you, those things gross me out. They are tiny, black and seem to multiply every 1/2 second. They were all headed for two destinations: the glass of juice in the sink...and the glass jar of candy on the counter. I think I have exterminated them. Well, for now. I am sure they will try to come back again one of these days. After all, this is Florida, where bugs run wild.

Before the ant catastrophe, the day was going great. I got a "coming home" outfit for Jude. Thank you Baby Gap! I just love babies in white.

I also got Mr. Maddox some adorable clothes for really cheap...can you beat an oh-so-cute shirt for just $1? Nope, and that's why I couldn't pass it up.

I have been procrastinating on the grocery store trip (it is a job with Maddox, let me tell you!) so we had Moe's for dinner. I finally tried their salads and am SOLD. No more burritos for me! Try the "Close Talker" and you will fall in love,too.

I don't care about calories anymore. That is what passing the midpoint in pregnancy does to you. You think, "I am blowing up, why stop now?" I had a doctor's appt. today and all is well. They said my next appt. will include an hour-long ultrasound. Wow. Not sure what we will be looking at for so long but it IS 3D, so maybe we will get a better idea of what this next little guy looks like.

If he's anything like his big brother, he'll be pretty stinkin' cute.

Fixing up the Nest...and Other Stuff

Lately, I have been doing a lot of those things called DIY projects, mostly for Jude's nursery. What started out as an empty powder blue room is now looking more and more baby-friendly...and fun. Now the other parts of my house are looking bad because the nursery is getting so cute. The "nesting" thing is a lot worse with this baby. I didn't get it with Maddox until the third trimester, but this time around...whoa.

Maddox got to feel Jude kick this morning. He laughed and said "heeey!" It's unusual that Jude moves that much (let's hope he will be laid back like his daddy! I already have my firecracker child) so that was a real treat.

I ventured to "Baby Bookworms" yesterday and thankfully Maddox didn't hit, bite or pinch anyone. It was Maddox's first trip to the library. He loved the singing and dancing part of the program, but he especially loved watching the other kids. He listened a little during storytime.

Then he wanted to wander...like the rest of the boys. There was a vacuum to check out, drawers to open, doors, outlets...and lots of hair. He wanted to touch EVERYONE's hair. And he almost did.

Hopefully the next Baby Bookworms will go as well!

Back in the Hottest Place on Earth (or so it feels)

We are back in Florida!

I must say, it feels kind of nice to be in my house again, surrounded by the things I love (now...onto tackling Jude's bare nursery!)  South Carolina was a blast, though, and the baby shower ended the whole trip perfectly. Baby Jude is a loved little boy, just like Mr. Maddox. Speaking of Mr. Maddox...he has been a mess. But that is how boys are...and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've learned you just have to let them run wild. That might mean him getting into all my pots, climbing on the coffee table, covering himself in dirt or getting soaked at this awesome thing called a splashpad (how else could we survive such a hot summer?).

CLICK THOSE HEELS!

There were many, many days in Florida when I wished I could pull a Dorothy: click my heels and be home!

Well, guess what? Here I am! Things are just as they were when I left...and that is very comforting.

I love morning coffee with Mom, antiquing trips, dessert at Ninny's, swimming in the big pool. I will always laugh at the thought of my first ride in Jody's Corvette...and getting 100% soaked while walking into Target (so soaked, Ninny had to buy a new outfit).  It really is sweet to be home. It would be complete if only Andrew were here instead of stuck at work in Florida!

The first half of my visit is almost behind me. But, there is still a lot ahead, including a very exciting baby shower for Mr. Jude.

There really is no place like home.