My Middle Child

Trace will be 18 months old at the end of this week! I cannot believe how fast he is growing up. He has a little mean streak to him, but his kindness outweighs those bad moments any day. This morning we were getting ready to leave for school and he saw my camera. He pointed to it say “cheeeeese”. I hope my sweet little girl is a photogenic as her brothers!

Please notice that Trace is no longer wearing or sucking on a pacifier! About 2 weeks ago I asked his pre-school to not give it to him if they could avoid it. Well Sunday at church we lost it and I refused to buy more. He has gone 3 solid nights with no pacifier and no fight! Sometimes in this chaotic little world we live in something goes smoothly!

How handsome is this little face!

He has his snack for the car ride to school, too bad seconds before we left he dumped them all over my bedroom floor. Nice mess waiting for me when I get home today!

He is so serious! I love his little tan skin and almost blonde hair! Both boys are into getting their hair spiked in the mornings. I guess it’s just good practice for when sister gets here! I will get to do all kinds of fun stuff to her hair!!

27 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 27 Weeks

Size of baby: 14.5 inches long and weighs 2 lbs. She is the size of a a head of cauliflower.

Fun Fact: She is sleeping and waking in regular intervals, opening/closing her eyes & perhaps sucking her fingers!  

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 4lbs

Maternity Clothes: I am wearing a belly band for most of my pants & all regular shirts. In that weird phase where maternity clothes are too big, but regular clothes are getting snug

Gender: GIRL!
Movement: Yes she has been giving some pretty viscous kicks during the workday! I guess hearing Mommy on the phone all days gets a little irritating!

Food Cravings: I am overly conscious about what I am eating.

What I miss: Nothing really. I am getting better at being patient with the boys. My energy level is still very low.

Sleep: I'm sleeping ok…

Symptoms: I feel really good, just very tired. I have had a little bit of heart burn in the evenings. When I walk for long periods of time I get cramps, but no swelling so that’s awesome!

Best Moment this week: There are so many great moments this week! We are working with Trace to know that there is a baby in my tummy. Well he used to lift up my shirt and SLAP my belly, now he will blow strawberries on it. So CUTE! Trenton just loves to lay on my tummy and kisses his sister all the time.

What I am looking forward to: Peaceful weekends with baseball season being over!

Name Ideas: Peyton Ryleigh, Ryleigh Ann

I am having major skin issues. My skin is very dry and pale. I can’t seem to get my makeup balanced so I look like a scary ghost in the mornings. It’s all worth it for my sweet little angel girl!

Little League Night

On April 13, 2012 Clearbrook High School where Daddy coaches hosted Little League Night. This was Trenton’s first year to participate and it was so much fun. The kids got to go on the field for the National Anthem, received a free t-Shirt, Hotdog & Drink and got to run the bases after the game. We got to the game early so we could get our VIP seats in the batting cages and eat dinner. Our good friends the Brewers made it out with their kids and one of their teammates. Trenton’s friend Kaden from his t-ball team made it out too. Gene had almost 40 little leaguers show up! He does a really great job getting the word out to the community.

Trace hanging out before the game on the gator!

Trying to get a picture of Trace & Kaden on the gator was pretty difficult. This was the best I could get!

 

 

Blast from the past! Trenton & Brady around the same age on the same gator!!

Daddy and his boys!

The Little League guys all lines up to run on the field!

Trace was warming up with one of Daddy’s players! Gene’s players are so good to my boys and we are really lucky that they pay so much attention to them.

 

Getting ready to sing the National Anthem

Daddy showing Trenton to take off his hat and put it on his heart

Kind of blurry, but he looked so cute!

A wild and crazy group of boys who will be BFFs for years to come!

Brady, Trenton, Trace & Kaden

Baby Ducks

Saturday we headed to Gretchen’s house to enjoy crawfish and good company. They have this huge pond right across the street from her house and one of the Mama ducks had babies a couple of weeks ago. Trace being the animal lover that he is thought it was so exciting to feed the ducks. Big Brother got bit over Christmas break so he steered clear of the ducks (no matter how cute/small they were)

Trace was kind of unsure at first

Then he jumped right in. He kept throwing the potato chips. These poor ducks are going to have a weight problem!

He tried to share his banana with the babies, but they preferred the chips

We were able to distract the Mama duck so I could grab one of the babies. Trace was trying to close his beak with his hands.

Mom of Boys

I am linking up on Kelly's Corner SUYL Friday’s! She is doing a series on Mom’s of all boys and I figured since I will fit in the category for a few more months I should share my experience! I love, love, love being a Mom to boys! I love to be outside and dig for worms (and other bugs). I love the sweet kisses and total admiration they have for me as their Mom.

Some of my “You know your a Mom of all Boys if” are:

• You have legos, hotwheels, nerf bullets and on several occassions SOCKS in your purse
• Pulling weeds in the flower bed turns into a game of “worm & snail hunting”
• Mud puddles never get old
• Shoes are optional
• You hear “I need a snack” every 5 minutes
• You carry a camo backpack/diaper bag of some sort
• A ball can provide endless hours of entertainment
• The words “I LOVE YOU MOMMY” melt your heart every time they say it
• All girls wearing a formal dress are Princesses
• When they fall they get back up and keep on going
• They think it’s fun that they get to go to school in the dark now (thanks to daylight savings time)

• Your living room can become a fort at any time
• Rainy days mean a lot of indoor adventures as Ninjas, Hunters or Star Wars characters
• Your clean house goes from sparkling to muddy in a matter of seconds
• You don’t mind slobbery, snotty kisses
• Relaxing on the living room floor is grounds for a wrestling match to break out at any time!
• A blanket will always become a super hero cape In July we will be welcoming a little princess to our house and our worlds will be turned upside down! Our house will be going from Baseballs to including Bows and I am looking forward to it!

Easter 2012

After an extremely busy weekend of celebrating birthdays we also got to celebrate Easter on Sunday. In the past I have done Easter baskets, but I have never really understood why we do it. It has no relation to the actual meaning of Easter so this year I opted against them. I don’t mind doing family egg hunts or even celebrating it at school, but we just want the boys (and baby girl) to understand the true meaning of Easter without the commercial Easter Bunny being the focus.

Gene’s buddies took him golfing for his 30th Birthday on Sunday so he skipped church and I thought he was going to miss my family Easter in Spring, but he made it!!

We snapped a quick family photo before the boys and I headed to church and Daddy to the golf course! 

After church the boys and I headed out to my sister Kym’s new house. She was super excited to host her first family event! Her house ended up being perfect and everyone had a great time. We had sandwiches, chips/dips, awesome desserts and of course the egg hunt!

Trace got to go first with Sophia because they are the smallest! Trace was like an old pro getting eggs and tossing them in his basket. He honestly thought they were balls and we all know his obsession with balls!

Running into the main part before the big kids got out there!

He looked so big and grown up.

Big brother got to jump in on the action!

Very proud of his eggs

Full basket!

Trace a little disappointed to find confetti poppers instead of candy..

 

Trace is still very scared of my Dad. I think it’s the hair because when he is clean cut Trace is fine!

Andrew with a full basket of eggs

Logan

Mandi enjoying swinging after all the egg action

Coby with Trace

This was so funny. I was trying to get a picture of Trace and Sophia. This was the best I could do

#1 Trace smiling

#2 Sophia smiling

Sweet cousins

My Dad and brother Chris

Mimi with Trace

Sophia enjoying a cupcake! She is not shy about the sweets like my boys are!

Birthday Boy and his little man!

Trace is really showing me how sweet & gentle he can be with babies. He kept kissing Sophia and sharing his snack. He is going to make a good big brother very soon.

 

Trying to get 13 kids to look at the camera and smile all at the same time is IMPOSSIBLE. I must of snapped this picture 20 times and this is the best I could get!

Trenton made this face in every picture!

Laurie and Celeste

Siblings shot!

I am 24.5 weeks pregnant with Baby Girl here! 

The Pena’s