A Smorgasbord Of Pictures From Pigeon Forge (And More!)

Since it’s been awhile since I’ve put up some pictures of the family, I’m just going to do a hodge podge of what’s been going on with us, Pigeon Forge to my second date night with Jackson. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Jackson was loving the indoor pool in Pigeon Forge!

Check out that cutie!

I love these boys!

One belly shot

Morning snow!!

Snowball fight with Daddy!

Raccoon tracks

Getting ready for snow tubing at Ober Gatlinburg!

Check out that 400 foot hill!

Riding the conveyor belt up…

Jackson said, “That was awesome!”

Getting ready to ice skate with Daddy!

This is fun!

Down they go!

Go carts with Daddy!

The condo living room

Kitchen

Cute fireplace

The best whirlpool tub ever!!!

Jackson’s swing set from Santa is finally finished!!!

So worth the wait!!!

Jackson and my bowling date

Could he be any cuter?

I’m one lucky Mama!

Hope y’all enjoyed the pictures. Have a great weekend!

Ask Amy Anything

I'm opening today up to another round of Ask Amy Anything. I was planning on blogging, but I'm too busy enjoying feeling the baby move around, and watching Jackson attempt to Shred with Jeremy. It's quite the entertainment for me.

So make my day and leave me a comment or question. I would love to hear from you!

20 Weeks! Halfway There!!!!

How Far Along: 20 weeks

Size of baby: 6 1/2 inches. The baby is the size of a canteloupe.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Officially still -2 lbs, but we go back to the doctor on Monday and I'm afraid to see the damage for the past few days.

Maternity Clothes: I have one pair of maternity jeans, and a few shirts that I'm wearing, but the rest is regular clothes.

Gender: We're having another little boy. We're pretty certain on the name, and we'll announce it soon. I'll give you a hint: the first name starts with an "A", and the last name is Wade!

Movement: I'm feeling movement all the time now and I love it!

Sleep: I’ve been sleeping really bad this week and I'm so tired.

Symptoms: Heartburn.

Cravings: Ruby red grapefruit.

What I Miss: Normal sleep patterns.

Best Moment this week: Going on our family trip to Pigeon Forge. We had such a good time!

What I am looking forward to: Our 4D ultrasound in March and getting another sweet peek at the baby.

Remember How I Told You That I Had Something Funny To Show You?

Right before Jackson came down with his stomach bug I told you that I had something funny to show you.

Remember?

Well, the other day I was at Wal-Mart and I spotted a guy that I just had to take a picture of.

Well, make that 3 pictures.

It all started back in the dairy section. I was minding my own business, searching for the perfect cinnamon rolls when out of the corner of my eye I saw him walk by.

Picture this…a grown man. Big pot belly. Bald head.

Nothing remarkable about that, right?

To get to the remarkable stuff, just close your eyes and picture the rest of him: Solid black hoodie, solid black Nike shoes, no socks, and to top it all off….solid black skin tight leggings.

Yes, you read that right. I found a grown man at Wal-Mart wearing leggings. It was a moment like no other in my life. The thing that made it even better was the fact that his hoodie had a University of Alabama logo on it! I’m just glad he wasn’t an Auburn fan, otherwise I never would have mentioned it!

Do you need proof? I’ve got it. Please pardon the blurry pictures. I was doing my best at not being spotted.

I can’t even stress to you at exactly how tight these pants were on him. It was like he was poured into the pants.

And y’all, I can think of a few reasons why men should not wear skin tight leggings. I’m just saying…

Back From Pigeon Forge

So I didn't mention anything about it because I didn't want to advertise to the entire Internet that our home would be unoccupied except for our fantastic house sitter Bailey, but we took a long weekend trip to Pigeon Forge, TN. The last time we went was when I was pregnant with Jackson and we decided to go again, this time with Jackson as our last sort of family vacation just the three of us. We had a fantastic time! We got about 1/2 inch of snow, stayed in a beautiful condo, went to Dixie Stampede, and spent almost a whole day at Ober Gatlinburg where Jeremy and Jackson went snow tubing and ice skating, and thoroughly enjoyed the indoor pool and hot tub at the condo. It was the perfect weekend, even if I'm going to be exhausted at work!

I'll post pictures tomorrow, as soon as I recover. Hope you have a great day!

Urine Luck Today

Please pardon the blog title. I just couldn't help myself!

We've been having some minor potty issues with Jackson lately, mostly because it seems as though he is too busy playing to take time to go to the potty. It gets quite frustrating because Jeremy and I both are constantly asking him if he needs to go, but he's always saying no. Then he has a minor leaky accident and he very quietly tries to change his own underwear.

Oh yes, that boy of mine is a sneaky mess.

And if it's not bad enough that he's busy trying to sneak around the house changing his own britches, he's quite clever in his retorts when you ask him about his accidents.

Just the other day, Jackson "leaked" a little bit and Jeremy caught him changing his pants.

Jeremy: "Jackson, why did you not go to the potty?"
Jackson: "This was NOT my fault."
Jeremy: "Well then whose fault was it?"
Jackson: "It was my winky's fault!"
Jeremy: "Jackson, you control your winky."
Jackson: "I do NOT control my winky because I don't have a remote control for it!"

And then last night Jackson came up to me wearing his Superman cape and told me that he had to tell me a secret. I leaned in close...

Jackson: "Can you see if I'm wet?" (He was...just a dribble.)
Me: "Jackson, you know better than that. You should be going to the potty."

Then, in a moment of parental brilliance, I zeroed in on his Superman cape and said, "Superman doesn't have potty accidents."

Without missing a beat, Jackson replied, "Well, even Superman was a kid once!"

19 Weeks On The 19th!!!

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Size of baby: 6 inches. The baby is the size of a mango.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still -2 lbs!

Maternity Clothes: I have one pair of maternity jeans, and 1 shirt that I'm wearing, but the rest is regular clothes.

Gender: We're having another little boy. We're pretty certain on the name, and we'll announce it soon. I'll give you a hint: the first name starts with an "A", and the last name is Wade!

Movement: I'm feeling movement all the time now and I love it!

Sleep: I’ve been really tired this week and waking up constantly. Not.Fun.

Symptoms: Nothing this week.

Cravings: Still blueberries.

What I Miss: Normal sleep patterns.

Best Moment this week: Jeremy got to see baby "A" move the other day when I was laying down. I had been feeling him move a lot, and Jeremy happened to be looking right at my stomach when he kicked. It was great!

What I am looking forward to: Our 4D ultrasound in March and getting another sweet peek at the baby.

I Had The Best Of Intentions

I had these really funny pictures that I was going to share with you today but I'm afraid that you are going to have to wait.

It seems as though the stomach bug of 2011 has hit our house, and the first victim is Jackson. Keep your fingers crossed that the rest of us don't go down with this. When things calm back down, I'll catch up with you. Until then, I'll be spraying lysol and praying!

A Little Of This....

Jeremy had to work this weekend, so it was just me and the little man. We had a great time together, even if he did drive me bonkers at times! Saturday morning I took him to Krispy Kreme where I prayed that the "Hot Now" sign would be lit, and to my delight it was! Jackson loved watching the donuts get made, and I loved having a donut still so warm that it melted in my mouth! After our trip, I convinced Jackson to go check out baby stuff with me at Baby Depot and Toys R Us. He was fair at Baby Depot, but I definitely pushed my luck with Toys R Us.

I'm mostly looking at baby bedding and cribs right now, and let me tell you, it's tough. We have to get a new crib because the one we used with Jackson was a drop side crib, and those have all been recalled. So now I'm faced with finding a new crib, and bedding which is just about to overwhelm me. I've found a few that I like but I'm not quite ready to make my final decision.

Speaking of decisions, we are thisclose to announcing baby Wade's name. I'm not giving any hints yet, other than to say that it starts with an "A" which shouldn't come as a surprise considering that I asked for suggestions that started with "A" a few weeks back!

Also speaking of decisions, Jeremy has gotten a promotion at work! He is now the manager of one of the four funeral homes owned in this area by his corporation, and will start his new position a week from today. It was a hard decision to make for him, mostly just because neither of us are particularly good at stepping out of our comfort zones, but I know it was the right decision to make. I'm so proud of him!

Please continue to remember Jeremy's Papaw in your prayers. He is still in the hospital, and while he is doing better, he still has a long road ahead of him.

That's it for today. I'll catch up with y'all tomorrow!

My Date With A Much Younger Man

I went on a date last night with a much younger man. It wasn't much; just an afternoon matinee after work. He paid for the tickets (with my debit card), we ordered popcorn and a large coke, and just enjoyed spending time together with each other.

Jeremy called while we were out, and I had to tell my husband that I was on a date and that I would call him back later.

We had the theater all to ourselves, and for once he didn't get fussed at for talking too much during the movie, or being a wiggle worm. It was just the two of us, and we were able to laugh as loud as we wanted to, eat an entire bag of popcorn together, and sit in the best seats possible.

It wasn't about the movie, although it was really good. And it wasn't about getting to enjoy some popcorn dripping with butter, although that was really good too. It was more about spending some quality one-on-one time with a little boy that has stolen my heart, a little boy that I love more than life itself, and savoring the fact that he's only going to want to go on a date with Mommy for a few more years, until some other girl captures his attention.

But until then, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to continue to date this handsome young man for as long as he'll let me!

A Weekend In Pictures

This past weekend we went to visit Jeremy’s family in Hattiesburg, MS. We had a great time and really enjoyed our visit, even if we did have to leave really early on Sunday to beat the snow/ice/sleet back home. Enjoy the pics!

With Jackson getting to help build a ramp to the new storage room….

and ride his four-wheeler all by himself….

sometimes narrowly avoiding trees….

and build an awesome fire in the backyard….

getting hugs (and powder donuts) from Gigi….

and lawnmower rides with Papa…

Is it any wonder we got lots of smiles like this? I think not!

I enjoyed keeping the fire going…

and tried my best to keep Jackson from putting too much pine straw in!

I took way too many “pyro” pics.

We spent time with Ben and Lacey….

And roasted marshmallows, although Jackson was not a fan of that!

And we saw Jeremy’s Papaw, who Jackson just loves!

And then we made it home safely and the next night (after the ice storm) we enjoyed watching our Auburn Tigers win their 2nd National Championship! WARRRR EAGLE!!!

Please be in prayer for Jeremy’s Papaw. He was hospitalized yesterday, with what we think is a UTI and we would greatly appreciate your prayers for a full and speedy recovery for him.

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

18 Weeks!!!

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Size of baby: 5.6 inches. The baby is the size of a sweet potato.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still -2 lbs!

Maternity Clothes: I have one pair of maternity jeans, and 1 shirt that I'm wearing, but the rest is regular clothes.

Gender: We found out last Monday that we’re having another baby boy, and we’re so excited! We think we have a name nailed down, but we’re still thinking a little more about it, and we would love baby name suggestions that start with the letter "A".

Movement: I felt some strong kicks and a lot of wiggling during the BCS Championship Game. I guess our little man was just as excited as I was!

Sleep: I’ve been really tired this week, mostly because I'm waking up at all hours of the night. It's getting very old!

Symptoms: Nothing this week.

Cravings: This week its blueberries, and I can't get enough of them. It's getting ridiculous.

What I Miss: Normal sleep patterns.

Best Moment this week: We're still just so excited to be expecting another boy. We are so blessed!

What I am looking forward to: Our 4D ultrasound in March and getting another sweet peek at the baby.

Ask Amy Anything Answers

I got lots of great questions on last weeks edition of "Ask Amy Anything." Here go the answers!

Shelby Baker asked, "Natural birth or epidural? Vaginal or cesarean?"
I wish that I could at least pretend that I was open to the idea of having a natural birth, but I'm just not that good of a person! I would have the epidural hooked up now if I could, just so I don't have to face any potential pain. I remember being terrified of actually having the epidural put in, and my Mom saying, "Just wait until you feel those contractions!" I thought she was crazy, until I actually felt a contraction. From that point on I've firmly believed that epidurals are a gift from God!

And since I didn't have to have a C-section with Jackson, I'm hoping that I can have another regular delivery this time. My labor was only 6 hours with Jackson, so I'm crossing my fingers that I have another experience just like it.

Esther asked, "Do you have a favorite baby outfit from Jackson that you can't wait to put the new baby in? Aaannnddd, are you sharing names??????????
Jackson came home from the hospital in one of Jeremy's Feltman brothers outfits, so we might do that again. Also, I had a Pokey (from Gumby) shirt that was just the cutest little tee on Jackson, and I can't wait to pull that out again!

And yes, we will share the baby's name once we nail it down. We want to use something that starts with an "A", so if you have any suggestions we would love to hear them!

Trish asked, "Was going to ask about baby names, but I see in your last post that you and Jeremy are still deciding. Can't wait to hear! Just for kicks, what would you have named the baby if he had been a she?? Did you have a girl name narrowed down?"
Consider it Murphy's Law of Gender; we most definitely were more settled on a girls name than we are on a boys name right now. We had narrowed things down to Charlotte, Harper or Maegan, all with the middle name of Elizabeth. Charlotte and Harper because of how Southern they are, and Maegan after my grandmother's middle name, of Mae. Elizabeth is a big family name on both sides of the family, so that was a given.

And, "What is Jackson most excited about teaching/showing his "baby brother boy"? Have you decided how to decorate new baby boy's room? So excited for your family!"
Jackson is just thrilled about everything "boy" related. He is especially excited about showing the baby his karate moves, but he knows that he can't demonstrate his moves on the baby for a long, long time!

And right now I'm looking at lots of themes: frogs, animals, airplanes and lots more. There is so much to choose from, and its a tough decision!

Kellyn asked, "When do you want Jackson's borrowed items back so you can use them with Baby Wade? The swing is getting Luke in trouble as he keeps trying to pull up on it and had to get his first spanking the other night over the swing!!"
I have no where to put the stuff right now! How about letting me get my office cleaned out and ready for the baby, and then I'll get the stuff back! And Luke is entirely too cute to be getting spankings already! Just put the swing in your office, shut the door, and we'll get it back soon!

Candy asked, "I am far too ready to know a name! Hurry up! : ) Are you letting Jackson help pick a name since you named Kellyn? And are you using the same Giraffe/Jungle theme for this baby "whatever his name is" : )Ha-Ha!"
Part of the delay in announcing a name is that we have two first names we like, and two middle names we like, but we're still accepting nominations that start with the letter "A". One of the names was Jackson's suggestion, and right now it is still the front runner, but we're having a tougher time with the middle name.

And yes, Jackson definitely has a big say in the name because I don't feel as though I can tell him that he can't, especially considering that I insisted on naming Kellyn. He doesn't have the final say, yet, but his opinion is a BIG factor for us. I've had some people comment to me that Jackson's opinion shouldn't matter, but it does! He's the big brother, and I want to make sure that he feels as though he is a part of all the excitement. I want to start the sibling stuff on the right foot, and including him is definitely part of that for us.

And we won't use the exact same baby stuff, but I also haven't ruled out another giraffe/jungle room!

That's it for today! Thanks for the great questions!

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!

My Auburn Tigers ate some Duck tonight!!!!!

WAR EAGLE BABY!!!

WARRRRR EAGLE!!!

Tonight my beloved Auburn Tigers take on the Oregon Ducks in their first official National Championship game since 1957. I am so excited about the game tonight, and I can't wait to pull for my Tigers. My only problem? The ice storm that is hitting our area is threatening to make us lose power! I can't imagine how upset we're going to be if we make it all the way to a #1 bid in the BCS game only to not be able to watch the game because of some stupid ice! We have Monday off from work, so hopefully we will be able to enjoy the day (maybe see some snow!) and then get ready for the game tomorrow night. This is the first time (obviously) in my lifetime that my Tigers have made it this far (not counting those seasons that they were robbed!), and I am so excited for my team!

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for great game time weather, and that my Tigers play their hearts out tonight. Who's ready for some duck for dinner!!!

WARRRRR EAGLE!!!

Happy Birthday Amy!!!

Jeremy and I want to wish his sweet sister, Amy, a very Happy Birthday. Amy and Adam are expecting a little boy in March, and I know that they are going to be great parents. We so looking forward to having another sweet nephew to love on! I hope that Amy has a wonderful birthday, and we can't wait to see her again soon!

Happy Birthday Amy!!!!

A Golden Voice

This is such an great story of a homeless man, Ted Williams, with one amazing set of pipes. With the help of one video that went viral Ted has now gone from the streets to being the spokesperson for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Only in America can something like this happen!

Ask Amy Anything

I would like to thank the weather front that has been sitting over us for two days now for the massive headache that I can't seem to get rid of. And because of that, and the fact that I'm really tired from growing a new human, I just don't have the energy to do a new blog post today.

So, I'm opening today up to another round of "Ask Amy Anything." Now get busy asking me stuff, or I'm going to feel like an idiot for not having any comments!

And you definitely don't want a pregnant, hormonal woman feeling like an idiot, now do you?

So go ahead and get busy asking!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday and 17 Weeks!!!

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Size of baby: 5 inches. The baby is the size of an onion.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: -2 lbs. My doctor was really proud of  me for making it through Thanksgiving and Christmas with no weight gain. And truthfully, I’m pretty darn proud of myself for not gaining weight!

Maternity Clothes: Still in regular clothes.

Gender: We found out on Monday that we’re expecting another baby boy, and we’re so excited! We think we have a name nailed down, but we’re still thinking a little more about it.

Movement: I've felt movement a few times now, just some fluttering. I love it!

Sleep: I’ve been really tired this week, but I have a hard time winding down. Then I’m exhausted in the morning because I’m waking up way too early.

Symptoms: Nothing this week.

Cravings: Still fruit. It’s all fruit, all the time.

What I Miss: Absolutely nothing.

Best Moment this week: Finding out that we’re expecting another baby boy. I had been so nervous, but I couldn’t be happier knowing that I’m going to be the Mama to two boys! Jackson had the sweetest reaction to the news, and I was so glad that we decided to take him to the appointment with us. It was so worth it!

What I am looking forward to: Our 4D ultrasound in March and getting another sweet peek at the baby.

Baby Wade Is A.....

We are so excited to announce that Jackson is going to have a baby brother!

The baby is measuring at 7 ounces, and is about 5 inches long right now, with a heartrate of 150. When we started the ultrasound our tech, Barbara, was doing a general scan, and I spotted his little manhood right away! I said, "Is that a...." and she said, "Yup, it looks like Jackson is going to have a baby brother!" Jackson's first words were, "I'm so excited! I've always wanted a baby brother!"

We are so excited about having two little boys. I will post a video of Jackson tomorrow. Thank you so much for your prayers. We have truly been blessed!

Today Is "The" Day: Boy Or Girl?

We find out today if our new baby is a boy or a girl, and I'm so nervous that I can hardly stand it. I don't think I was like this at all with Jackson. When I was pregnant with him, I just knew that he was a girl. We had a name picked out, I was seeing visions of pink and purple everywhere, and when the ultrasound tech said, "It's a boy!", I was in shock. To tell you the whole truth, I was a little bit disappointed for about 3 seconds. I just didn't know anything about boys and couldn't help but wonder to myself what in the world I would do with a boy.

Now I know, and I adore baby boys. Jackson has been the best thing that ever could have happened to us, and I know that the whole mother/son connection is a very real thing.

So now I'm in a place where everything I know about parenting could potentially be thrown to the wind with just a few words, and I'm just not sure what to do with myself. I have LOVED having a son, more than I knew could be humanly possibly, and I'm just so nervous about what we will find out today. I wish that I was one of those people that says, "I just want a healthy baby" and be done with it. And of course I want a healthy baby, that's a given. I just know that I'm going to be a nervous wreck while we wait for the results. I was asked several times at church yesterday, "What would I pick if I could?" Without hesitation, my answer was a boy. I have most everything that I need for a boy, and having a boy is all I know. I'm a creature of habit; why would I want to shake things up? That being said, I know God has a sense of humor, so I'm trying not to get myself all hung up one way or another.

Part of my nervousness is because Jackson is still pretty adamant that he only wants a baby brother. He will be going to the appointment with us, and I think that I'm just terrified that he's going to be disappointed (and show his hiney) if we hear that it's a girl. We're trying to tell him as much as possible that we don't get to pick whether we are having a boy or a girl, but I still don't think he gets it. So maybe that's what is bothering me; I know Jackson will eventually be fine with a boy or a girl, because he doesn't have any other choice, but that doesn't make it any easier to face his potential, initial, disappointment.

And the other part of my nervousness is that I know that Jeremy and I only want to have two kids, so if this is a boy, any dream I have a little girl dressed in a pink tutu at a ballerina recital is over, and that's also hard for me to think about.

So in reality, I'm a pregnant, hormonal mess, and I can't make my mind up either way. I know that God has a plan for our family, and whatever we end up getting, we will be so blessed to have another life to join our family. We are so excited about welcoming a new baby, and I can't wait to see what an amazing big brother Jackson is going to be.

Will I have two t-ball and football players in my future, or will I be mixing in ballet recitals and tea parties with a little girl? I guess we'll find out soon enough! Stay tuned!

Welcome To 2011!!!

I'm sitting here in shock that today marks the beginning of a new year, one that will have us welcoming a new baby into our family. Where did 2010 go? It seems so funny to me that just a year ago I said that one of my New Year's resolutions was a secret; well, it was a secret that all of you figured out. We wanted to have another baby. The timing wasn't exactly what I wanted; I wanted to have 2 kids, 4 years apart, and be finished having children by the time I was thirty. Well, God had other plans. With my 30th birthday quickly approaching I said that I would either get pregnant in September, or get a tattoo for my birthday. We ended up getting pregnant just a few days before I turned 30, so obviously that tattoo has been put on hold!

I'm so excited about this new year, welcoming a baby and watching Jackson become a big brother. Life is so good, and I pray that God blesses each and every one of you, just as much as he has blessed us!

Happy New Year!!!