Friday, October 19, 2012

Gentry's Farm

Last weekend, we hit up a family friend's farm in Franklin to let Eli run around and play! One of the things I miss most about Franklin is visiting all the local restaurants and places that are dear to our hearts and memories from growing up there. We met my mom bright and early for breakfast at Dotson's Restaurant, and then headed over to the farm for some Fall fun.
 
They sell pumpkins in the Fall, and lead field trips and summer camps throughout the rest of the year. I used to help with the field trips when I was in grad school, and love seeing this family! This farm is set up perfectly for younger kids- barns with mazes and slides, troughs full of corn activities, barns with play farmer's markets and tractors and trucks, animals, and hay rides to see the cows! Here's Eli crawling through the mole tunnel!


 
Eli is not too happy here b/c his daddy let him stick his teeny tiny precious finger in the cage and ole' Tom Turkey pecked him! His little finger was swollen and bleeding and Eli was a little traumatized for the rest of the day! He would run and cry from every chicken he saw getting close to him after that! Most of the pictures he has his hands behind his back b/c every animal would make him nervous!





 
I've known he's desperately needed another hair cut, but this picture confirmed it for me! I'm proud to say this poor little boy has since had a new hair cut, and looks a little less wild man these days!

 
Here is he with Mr. Jimmy, who finger-printed his little finger onto a sweet card to remember Eli's visit to the farm.
 
There's never enough time to do all the things we want in Franklin, but we are always so grateful to visit and make some new memories with our own baby!
 
P.S. We are planning another visit for Halloween (Matthew will be out of town) AND our NEPHEW Bennett is due in two weeks, so I am hoping Bennett decides to come when we are there visiting!! We are so excited to meet our sweet nephew and for all these boys in the family!!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

It's A....

It's..................................
 
 
 
 
 
 
...........................................
 
 
 
 
 
A.......................................
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
..........................................
 
 
 
 
 
 
'nother dirt-playin', truck-lovin, rowdy BOY!!
 
 
 
 
My mama intuition was totally wrong, let me just say, I am glad we don't get to pick the gender of our babies! God knows just who is made for our family and He hand-picked this sweet little boy for us!
 
 
 
We are so excited for two boys running around our house and Matthew can't wait to take two little boys fishing, hunting, and to sporting events. I am already planning a shared room and can't wait to pull out all of Eli's teeny tiny newborn clothes. Holidays will be so fun with Eli, this baby boy, and Bennett, Anthony and Kelci's little boy, running around together!
 
 
 
Thank you God for another sweet gift!


Thursday, October 4, 2012

Ch ch ch changes.

Hey Eli! Look over here!
 
 
What's that on your shirt?

 
Stick out that chest- let's make sure we can read it!

 
That's right- you're going to be a BIG brother!

 
Can you tell we're excited around here?! We have finally let ourselves start getting really excited- we're talking names, bedroom arrangements, how to best prepare Eli, etc.
 
Eli keeps saying it's a sister, but who knows? I certainly feel like this pregnancy has been different than Eli's- I am carrying differently ( and showing sooner), have been a lot sicker, different cravings, different heartbeat...although I know they say every single pregnancy is different, so we'll see. Honestly, we just don't care what the sex is! We would love a little girl at some point, but little boys are so. much. fun. and they love their mamas! Matth loves the idea of taking his little boys fishing and hunting, and we're just so thankful that God has given us this child!
 
I am finally feeling better, and today is the first day I haven't taken ANY nausea medicine, at almost 18 weeks. My body just doesn't handle pregnancy with grace. It just plumb falls apart! I get just about every symptom you can get, intense nausea and throwing up, exhaustion, sciatic nerve pain, stuffed up nose, crazy stubborn bowels, even carpal tunnel in my wrist! I truly go back and look at teeny tiny Eli pictures to remind myself how all those annoying symptoms don't matter one bit as soon as you hold that precious baby!
 
Even though I'm definitely showing sooner, I haven't gained any weight yet, mainly b/c I lost some due to all my throwing up and not eating, but if you looked at my belly, you would think I was 6 months pregnant! Poor totally absent stomach muscles just can't hold anything in!
 
The best part so far has been feeling little baby movements earlier this time- around 14 weeks I starting feeling little flips, like a little fish swimming around. They are getting to be little kicks here and there, and I feel this baby every day now- so much fun!
 
We have an appt. in about a week and a half to find out the gender- we're still not sure if we want to find out or not. Well, I wish we could not find out and have a big surprise, but I don't think the two of us can do it. We're weak and want to know now!
 
Eli isn't super excited yet, but he definitely can tell you there's a baby in my belly and it's a sister! We have a lot of big changes coming for him this season- potty training, big boy bed, sleeping through the night in his own bed (goodness gracious), a real official hair cut, and learning to have fun at school! Go ahead and send a prayer for this little homebody to embrace all this change and thrive with these new changes!!