Pregnancy Comparison...

This is me (almost) 33 weeks pregnant with Carter:

And this is me (almost) 35 weeks pregnant with Cooper:

Hello, Terrible/Terrific Two's

This little man officially turned 2 1/2 last month. I have heard about the "terrible two's" but thought, naively, that we might avoid them. Ha ha ha ha! Silly me :) This is, without question, the most exhausting and challenging stage of parenthood we've had since Carter was a newborn. That being said, it's also the most exciting and fascinating stage we've had yet! Here are a few highlights:

-The boy loves to talk. And talk and talk and talk. My mom thinks this is some form of hilarious payback/karma for how much I talked at this age too. She likes to remind me of how I wouldn't shut up the entire time she was in labor with my sister, Ashley. (I'm afraid that history might repeat itself in a few short weeks) Considering that Carter didn't really start talking until February of this year, I'd say he's making up for lost time.

He's extremely inquisitive and asks lots of questions. His favorite questions to ask when he hears ANY song are: "What are their names?" {the people singing} and "What they singing about?" And we aren't talking about Sesame Street songs... Have you ever tried to explain this to a 2 year old? Good thing I'm pretty creative :)

He also likes to ask me the name of every single toy he owns. He's not looking for an answer like, "That's a block" or "That's an airplane" .. he wants to know the NAME of the airplane. Like Bob or Fred or Larry. It's a bit ridiculous, but I really can't do anything but laugh since I was the little girl who also named every doll and stuffed animal I owned with a first, middle, AND last name. Ha!

Other funny things he's said recently:

{While crying because he didn't want to go to bed} "I don't like my big boy bed ANYMORE! I just like LIONS!!"

{At Sonic} Me: "Carter, do you like your milkshake?" Carter:"No, I just like lions"

{Walking out of Whole Foods}: "I just love you so much, mama!"

{At church when my dad called him on stage, Carter said right into the microphone}: "Hiii, Poppy!" As you can imagine, there was a collective, "Awww" by the audience. After we left the stage, he said to me, "Mama, I need a microphone!" Oh, Carter.

He LOVES to call me April. (In a very cute Southern accent, he draws out the "A" so it sounds like Aaaaapril) He often calls out from his room at night, "April! April! Come here, April!" One night he even said, "Jer and April! Come here, Jer and April!" It's honestly too cute for me to get upset about. I pick my battles these days.

-A few weeks ago, Carter decided he wanted to start potty training. I was planning on putting it off until after things were settled with Cooper, but he had other plans. The final straw for getting me to start was when he told his Sunday school teacher twice (the same day) that he had to go potty. We weren't working on potty training at all at this point, but you better believe I ordered a potty via Amazon the next day! I've heard that you'll "know" when they are ready .. and I took this as my sign. We have had pretty good success, in spite of my half-hearted attempts some days. I'd say he's about 75% of the way there.. not bad for a boy who isn't even 3.. and is pretty much training himself.

-We moved Carter to his big boy bed a few nights ago in order to put his crib in Cooper's room. Most days he says that he loves his big boy bed, but sleeping in it is still an issue. I have no further comments on his sleeping habits.. and only ask that you say a prayer for us over the next few months. I seriously have NO idea how we're going to manage Carter's lack of sleep with a newborn.

-As I mentioned before, Carter ADORES stuffed animals. If you knew me as a child, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that he has inherited this trait either. He has TONS of them.. both old and new.. and loves each and every one. He sleeps with them (when he actually sleeps), feeds them, makes them sing, reads them books, makes them cry and then rocks them.

-He also LOVES music. His current favorite (other than anything Sesame Street, which is still his total and complete obsession) is Taylor Swift. When he asks for her music it sounds more like, "Tay Sift!" He specifically loves the song, "Mean", to which he will belt out the chorus. He also is a pretty good dancer and will "shake his booty" to any beat. He did not inherit this from me. Or his dad.

-Words I would use to describe Carter at this age:

Inquisitive

Observant

Talkative

Funny

Smart

Energetic

Loving

Opinionated

Honeysuckle Giveaway

Honeysuckle, one of my favorite blogs, is having a giveaway!

Enter here and you could win some SUPER cute stuff! :)

Pinterest Love

Have you joined the awesomeness that is Pinterest? If not, you should! Check out Pinterest.com to see what all the fuss is about :)

I LOVE good quotes, so here are a few of my favs from my pinterest quote board:

*If you are interested in where these quotes came from, please visit my pinterest page and click on the individual pictures.. it will show you the original website.*

Phone Photo Dump

I don't know about you, but the picture album on my phone is filled with the randomness of our life. Here's a little glimpse:

A preview of the letters I made for Cooper's room

Going on a walk.. with the monkey

A birthday present from etsy. L.o.v.e.

At the library- on a play date with Carter's friend, Addison

Jeremy took Carter to get an oil change on my car... haha

My handsome boy

Brother shirts from etsy!

A really bad attempt at taking my own belly shot

Don't ask. I have no idea what he was trying to do.

Enjoy a beautiful night outside

Coconuts the Kangaroo @ Whole Foods

Sometimes I wonder what my magazine subscriptions say about me...

Apparently, my husband has a side business that I didn't know about... I found these @ Whole Foods and if you know Jer, you know he LOVES Peanut Butter & Chocolate :)

Boston Cream Pie/Cake, anyone?

Another poor attempt at a belly shot

Easter egg hunt in the backyard

Bunny cake for Easter!

"I throwed dirt on daddy's hair, daddy's forehead, daddy's eyes, daddy's nose, daddy's mouth, & daddy's chin" -Carter

Painting

Palm Sunday

Our "new" dining room set. Thanks, craigslist!

The infamous rat from Petsmart. Carter was OBSESSSSED.

Our bonus room in the process of being painted.

Coloring at daddy's office.

At the park with Bella, Poppy, & Romeo

A braided bread loaf I made from scratch.

The shirt says it all.

Some of my finds at a recent consignment sale. Cute boy clothes are hard to come by, but I was pretty proud of these!

Trying on big boy underwear for the first time.

Meeting his cousin, Matthew, for the first time.

A Valentine's bear from Poppy.

Adorable even when he's sick and sleeping... <3

Need a Few Good Recipes?

Here are 3 new recipes I've tried this weekend. We have enjoyed each one and even though they are on the "light" side, my hubby loved them too!

{Click on each one to go to the page w/the recipe}

The Pioneer Woman's Spinach Salad

*I used turkey bacon since we don't eat pork and replaced the bacon grease in the dressing with extra-virgin olive oil. I also cut the recipe in half for the 2 of us.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta, Fresh Corn, and Blueberries

*I replaced the lemon with a lime and cut this recipe in half too.

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins

Muffins are one of my very favorite things to bake (and eat) and I've tried a TON of different recipes. These muffins are outstanding. You will not be disappointed!!

I hope you enjoy these recipes and savor the goodness that is in each one.

Happy Eating!

30 Weeks

Well, here we are. 30 weeks already? My "Baby Bump" app told me today that we have 68 days to go! Oh my! I'm getting more and more ready to meet this little man, but I am also fill with slight panic thinking of all the things we have left to do before he arrives.

Here's a run down of the latest progressions:

-I still have a decent amount of energy on most days. That being said, I usually collapse into bed each night.. utterly exhausted from the demands of pregnancy combined with taking care of the world's most active 2 year old :)

-Varicose veins. I didn't have these little boogers last time I was pregnant and not only are they unattractive, but they hurt.. a lot! I have a really bad vein on the back of my left thigh... it's twisted and bulging... and causes a lot of discomfort. Poor Jeremy has had to examine more times than he's cared to, but he never complains.

-As I've entered my 3rd trimester, my appetite has tapered off some. Really this means that I'm no longer eating like a starved animal, but just a normal, growing pregnant woman :) I'm hoping my weight gain reflects this change and also starts to taper off. As with Carter, I gained a huge chunk of weight in the 2nd trimester.

-We've been talking to Carter about having a baby brother and I think he understands the best that he can. He regularly lifts my shirt up and says that he needs to "wuv baby Coop." And last weekend, he brought some lotion over to me, lifted my shirt up, and said, "Baby Coop needs wotion." He's also fascinated with babies whenever we see them out in public or in the neighborhood. The other night he ran up to a family taking a walk and proceeded to hug and "wuv" the baby girl in the stroller. This makes me hopeful that he will love and adore his baby brother.

However, I also know how I acted as a 2 1/2 year old when my sister, Ashley, came along... and Carter is very much like me in some of those ways. I LOVED my sister, but was very jealous of the time and attention that she took away from me. Carter, like me, is already very demanding of my attention and I fully expect him to exhibit signs of jealously. He likes to be the center of attention (particularly around family) and baby Cooper may interrupt that just a bit. I am SO thankful we have so much family close by. Family that will dote on Carter and continue to make him feel special during this time.

-Most of all, we are continuing to pray for a healthy baby boy. I am praying for a smooth delivery and that God would continue to ordain each step of the way. Thanks for walking along side us on this journey.

-I hope to post some updated pictures soon! My phone is overflowing with random snapshots of our life :)