Weekends Away

Lily and I have been road warriors the past three weekends!  While I generally prefer to stay home (because lets face it, weekends of the last five years of my life have been spent out of town), the time away was wonderful...lots of visiting with family and friends :)

To start off our visiting, we headed to Birmingham...shocker I know ;)  We had two main reasons for the visit-- one, to attend Mama Chelle's (my grandmother) church homecoming and luncheon; two, to meet and love on sweet Brock Caldwell!  While I didn't get any pictures from the homecoming (I really wish I would've videoed my child dominating the good ole country cooking), I did capture this sweetness...

     

  There is nothing better than newborn snuggles!  I also enjoyed some quality time with Ashley (Brock's mama and a dear friend)....I have to say, motherhood suits her very well.  All in all, Lily did great with her new friend.  She was very curious and kept trying to touch his face.  I'm thankful we have several more months before welcoming Stone...I'm praying she will understand directions a little better by then :)

We returned home on a Tuesday SO happy to see Mr. S and Tyde!  We miss our boys when we are gone :)  

Our stay at home wasn't long though, we were back in the car on Friday morning in route to Augusta.  Bebe joined along for a trip to visit the Massey's.  Lily got LOTS of lovin' all weekend from her older cousins- Gehrig, Greer & Garner :)  We enjoyed attending Uncle Bryce's football game on Friday night, a long walk on the riverfront Saturday, lots of football watching, playing, church and yummy food throughout the weekend.  Not to mention, we headed home with a truck full of blessings for Stone and Lily!

Lucky for us, Slade joined us for our last weekend away :)  We headed back to Birmingham for the always fabulous House on Haunted Hill extravaganza!  My friend Jobie knows how to throw one heck of a party...her decorations, food, drinks do not disappoint.  As if she couldn't top previous parties, she added an ice luge this year...it was a hit!  It was a wonderful night spent catching up with friends and enjoying some adult-only time with Mr. S :)

On Saturday morning, we headed down to Tuscaloosa!  I think we were all over the moon excited to spend the day in one of our favorite towns.  We did not make it to any game days last year, so we were long overdue for some tailgating fun.  Not to mention, super excited to introduce priss pot to a place with so many wonderful memories for both of us.  

The Lichters joined us for the trip...could these kids be any cuter?!!?

We made a stop by the Phi Mu house!  It was so much fun to walk through, see my old room, reminisce about the "good ole days" :) 

   

We also did a little tailgating on the Quad :)

Throw in some Big Bad Wolf BBQ nachos (I couldn't pass those up!), a trip to the Locker Room and visiting with friends and you've got yourself some happy campers :)  We headed back to Birmingham just as the game started.  

It was a perfect first trip to Tuscaloosa as a family of three (almost four)!

I'm so thankful for this fun season of life and for the time to enjoy it!  

   

Lillian Pace- 10 Months

Dear Lily,
You have hit the DOUBLE DIGITS!!!  How is this possible?!?!

We are two months away from you turning one, and I just can't get over it.  I know these next 60+ days will fly by, and in a blink we'll be telling your age in years, instead of months...insert tears from the pregnant mama!  I can't get over how quickly you are growing and changing.

This month has been a blur!  It seems we've been non-stop and, sweet girl, you've been a trooper!  We've done some traveling to Birmingham, started gearing up for the holiday season with a trip to the pumpkin patch, had some play dates with new friends, watched lots of football and you've been a huge help with our new home search ;)  Seriously, you are the most flexible baby!  You go with the flow and are always happy.

You've been out of school and staying home with me for the last month, and I have to say, we both love it :)  It is such a blessing and joy and be with you everyday, watching you experience so many firsts.  This month you took your first steps with your walker, decided Tyde was your best friend, started giving open mouthed kisses on command (melt my heart!), added to your vocabulary, moved to a big girl carseat, cut your first tooth (and since added a second)...so many fun changes :)  

See my teeth?!?!

You're all over the place and are rarely still.  You love to crawl, pull up and just recently started cruising more and more.  We've had a couple big busts that come with learning to stand and walk, but overall it hasn't been too bad.  I catch myself telling you "careful" all the time, and just recently you've started repeating it after me---so smart :)

Lily, you are quite the chatterbox- you are constantly talking!  The amount of words added to your vocab this month has nearly doubled.  We added "uh-oh", "hey", "up", "careful", "ball", "bye"....but still no mama :( 

This month you've grown super attached to blankets...well really anything you can hold on to and chew on.  I think it is partially due to teething, but I also think you just love to snuggle!  I've been limiting the paci and blankets to nap and bed times and car rides.  It is so sweet to see you love on your blanks and other toys.

Your sleep schedule hasn't changed at all this month...praise the Lord!  You are a rock star sleeper :)  Two naps a day- morning and afternoon, ranging from one to two and half hours, and then twelve to fourteen hours at night.

About a week into your tenth month, you started dominating finger foods :)  And there has been no looking back!  You eat everything we eat, which has been so nice.  I love to watch you grab food by the handful, shovel it into your mouth, suck your fingers when you really like what you're eating...it is so entertaining and MESSY!  This month you tried chicken, turkey, waffles, oranges, Cherrios (which you are addicted to---you yelled for them when you saw the box in Costco last week!), pizza, french fries, a chocolate chip cookie, chicken n dressing...lucky for us, you love most everything!  

You're still drinking three bottles a day, but we've increased them to 8 ounces, which seems to suit you just fine :)

Miss Personality is your new nickname, as this month you've shown you have plenty of it!  I'm convinced you are a born leader...already bossing leading your toys and Tyde daily.  You are headstrong, loving, sweet, gentle, vibrant and full of life.  

Well, that is it for this month Lily-bug!  Once again, you've been the sunshine to our days...constantly keeping us laughing and in awe of the gift that He provided to us.  I pray you always have that big smile on your face, that twinkle in your eyes, that sweet and sassy personality!
We love you sweet girl :)

Half Way There- Round 2

Y'all, this pregnancy is flying by!  Like in a blink we've gone from the shock of expecting again to being past the halfway point...insane.  It is pretty clear why life seems to be passing so rapidly---we've had A LOT going on.  Just in the past 3 weeks, I've transitioned jobs (fyi- I've never loved a job more than spending every minute with Lil P), we've put our house on the market and went under contract within one week, which brought about house hunting, AND we had the all important and fun gender reveal ultrasound...I told you, crazy.busy.  All of this has left very little time for me to rest and relax, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  We are in the process of making changes to have life work as a family of four and I couldn't be more excited! :)

Now that you all are semi caught up on life, how about a little mama/baby catch-up?!?!  As mentioned above, we had the gender ultrasound last week and confirmed found out baby #2 is a BOY :)  This was no shock to me, as I've known #2 was a boy from the get go...just something about a mother's intuition.   

So with the news, comes a name :)  We have chosen to name our new bundle...

 Stone Osborne Sellers  

There is no significance around "Stone"--just a name we both liked.  We knew we wanted an "s" name, so that Mr. S and his first son would have the same initials--SOS :)  We also wanted a name that was strong and solid.  "Osborne" is a passed down family name.  Mr. S, his dad, and his granddad all had/have this as their middle name...pretty cool, huh?!?!  I love that we can now call him by his name!  I've been talking to Lily about Stone more and more, in hopes she will start to understand her new role as big sister :)  All I can say is that we are over the moon excited to be welcoming a baby boy into our family.   

How Far Along? 20 weeks, 1 day-CRAZINESS I tell you
Size of the Wee One? A banana...about 7 inches long and weighs about 10.5 ounces
Maternity Clothes? Unfortunately, yes. Much sooner than with Lily.  Jeans are a necessity these days so the maternity ones have made there way back into the normal rotation. However, I had forgotten how comfortable and forgiving they are...seriously I don't know why us ladies don't adopt these into our everyday wardrobe!  I am still using most of my normal clothes up top and dresses are still working fine too.  However, most days you'll find me in my new "uniform"--workout clothes...throw on some pants, a loose fitting tank and sports bra, and a jacket and I am good to go :)
Weight Gain? This is ALWAYS my least favorite part. As of right now, I am up 8-9 pounds. About the same as with Lily.  I am making a conscious effort to be active 4-5 days a week.  Trying to stay in shape because I know it will pay off in the long run!
Stretch Marks? No, however I haven't been as psycho about lotions and potions this time around.
Gender? A baby boy!!!  Bring on the balls, cars, and action figures :)
Sleep? Pretty good.  I go to bed around 10:30 PM and wake up at 7AM.  I usually have an hour to enjoy my 1 cup of coffee each day before Lily is ready to rise and shine.
Cravings? Red meat, pizza, fruit, cereal, hot peppers, green olives, bagels
What I Miss? A game day cocktail!  Football season has arrived and this is the second season in a row that I can't enjoy a yellowhammer or two...I plan to make up for it next year :)
Symptoms? Tiredness...I rarely feel rested.  Puffiness, congestion and did I mention I'm always tired??!??!
Belly Button? In
Best Moment? Finding out #2 is a boy!  I'm so happy for our family (in particular Mr. S)...I know he loves his little girl with all his heart, but I'm so excited to see him take on the role as a boy dad.  He is going to be the best :) I can just picture him and Stone out throwing football, playing golf, fishing...seriously such a special moment finding out we will have a sweet baby boy come February! :)  Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I hear boys LOVE their mama's!

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him."

                                                              1 Samuel 1:27

So Proud Of....

 HERSELF! :)

That face kills me!
I'm so thankful to be home, enjoying these special times with my mini.

*And don't judge--you all know you've used a laundry basket a time or two for instant entertainment!*