August 2010

We have had a very busy August including some fun day trips and lots of house projects and crossing things off the to-do list. I am finally feeling like we have most everything completed for our pending baby boy's arrival. His nursery is finished, clothes and diapers are put away and all the baby gear has been pulled out of storage. With only a few weeks to go, I am getting excited and also very nervous. Having a baby in the house again is going to be a lot of fun for all of us but also a lot of work. Kennedy has a packed schedule starting next week with preschool 2 days a week and a dance/gymnastics class on Fridays. Her birthday is also coming up the end of September and at this point I am hoping that baby boy Schutz does not decide to arrive on her birthday or within a few days of it. I have shared a birthday but would like for them to have their own special day :) I am definitely seeing a huge difference as we are approaching her 3rd birthday. She has such a delightful personality and is proving to be such a "big girl" these days. She has given up her nap which was definitely not my plan but so far is not unbearable. I think she is going to be a super big help with the baby and a wonderful big sister!

Here are some of the highlights from august (I have definitely not been very good about taking pics but here are some anyway)......

Cowgirl Kennedy

The fair

Go riders...go!

An autograph from Gainer her bff

My big girl

the nursery

July 2010

I can't believe July is over already. We haven't been up to that much but did find some time to go down to our good friends Russ and Laura's new beach house in Corolla. It is brand new and beautiful. The beach in Corolla is much more kid-friendly than Nags Head and Kennedy loved all the space to run on the sand and in the water without getting knocked over by waves. She also loved their private pool. Here are some pics from our trip and from hanging around at home.

The beach house and pool

exploring Corolla

The view!

Cooling off outside with her neighbor Steven

Dressing up Zoe and Zoe pleading with me to help

showing off the new rough rider flag

An autographed pic of Gainer in the mail-no way!

She was so excited :)

Our new ride

So if you haven't heard....we turned in our Honda Pilot Lease and got a minivan! It just made sense. I know a lot of people are hesitant to get a minivan b/c they think it isn't cool but let me reassure you that it is very cool. There is so much room, and it drives much smoother than the SUV. The automatic doors are awesome if you have kids and the fact that it is lower to the ground is great for getting kids or babies in and out. It just has so many neat features and makes life so much easier. I am amazed at how much I love it. And who are you kidding....if you are in your 30's with kids you are not cool anyway-trust me.

This weekend Derek decided spur of the moment to make a train for Kennedy. I am thinking he should have been some kind of engineer b/c when I came back downstairs I was amazed at what he had made. It even worked....Kennedy thought it was funny and now it is cluttering up the downstairs!

An update

So I have finally hit my third trimester and I am feeling good just really hot and tired. Richmond has been nearly 100 degrees for what seems like months and it is just too hot to be pregnant. We are slowly getting the nursery together and haven't made much progress on baby names at this point. Kennedy is getting really excited about being a big sister and keeps asking when baby brother is coming out. I haven't taken that many pics lately but will try to get some up soon.

I am amazed every day at what Kennedy can do as she gets close to three. She can use the computer and play games unassisted using the laptop mouse and everything. Pretty impressive since I didn't learn to use the computer until I was in high school. She loves to draw and her drawings actually resemble things at this point. If she is drawing a person it actually looks like a person! She loves puzzles and activity books with mazes and things like that. She is just becoming a self-sufficient person who can help around the house and follow instructions. She is creative and funny and full of energy. It is an exciting time and a bit sad at the same time. They grow up so fast and I find myself at times wanting her to stay little forever. I know the family dynamics are going to change and am trying to enjoy our time just the three of us before the craziness begins.

A funny video

We took this video last week of Kennedy and our cat Shadow. I thought it was really funny and what was amazing about it is that our cat actually played this game with Kennedy for like 30 minutes or more.

The beach

We headed out to the Outer Banks last week for a little vacation. The weather didn't cooperate at first but by the 3rd day we had wonderful weather. The water was cold but we went in b/c Kennedy insisted. It was a great vacation and so much fun to see Kennedy experience it for the first time (that she remembers anyway).

A Family Reunion

So a lot of people don't know this about me but I have a half-brother named Donnie who is older than me. I haven't seen him since I was probably in high school- we just seemed to have lost touch over the years. He has a daughter named Sam-my niece who I also haven't seen since I was a baby. But I got a message a few weeks ago on facebook from my big bro and we decided to meet up at his house for a long awaited reunion. He lives on a horse farm so I knew that Kennedy would also love it. So on our way to the beach we stopped for a visit. It was great to see Donnie and to meet his wife and his daughter Sam. Kennedy loved Sam and loved her boyfriend Curtis even more. She got to ride on a horse and play with some kittens. It was a great visit!