Five on Friday

{one}
Probably the biggest and best thing about this week was getting our first ultrasound on Tuesday. He or She has a healthy heartbeat and all looks well thus far:

I was actually 8w5d on this day per my LMP, but baby measured 8w3d. Maybe got preggers later in my cycle? Anyway, I'm 9w1d today {they are still going to go by my LMP date for the due date}. May 15th can't come fast enough!

Oh, and as for that Ramzi method...my hunch is that it's a girl, but this pic is hard to tell. If placenta is on right, it's a boy, if it's on left, it's a girl {97.5% chance}. So looking at this, my placenta is actually at the top {of course}, but if I'm looking at where baby's stomach would be and where the cord would link to the placenta, I'm thinking it's upper left {so a girl}? What do you think? Guess I'll truly have to wait until our 20 week ultrasound in December.


{two}
We made it to the pumpkin patch on Sunday! Read the post here.

{three}
The weather was bit cooler and more "fall" this week. I got my cardigan in the mail that I ordered last week and I am excited to get into fall wear because I'm already showing a little {thanks to 3rd baby}, but I'm in that "is it a beer belly or a pregnant belly" phase and I really hate it. I just look fat to those who don't know! It will be nice to cover up more with scarves and sweaters. Give me another 4-5 weeks and I'll be 13-14 weeks but look more like 25 weeks. Trust me, that's how this uterus rolls. As long as I can lose it at the end, it's all good.

{four}
Thanks to the lovely Caycee, I ordered this sweater/dress. I think it will be great for bump and beyond though...love the colors!

{five}
Started getting some crazy ideas for what I'm going to do with myself once this baby comes. So far, Hubby and I have come to the realization that at my current pay, I'll have to leave my job because it makes absolutely no sense to pay daycare as it would pretty much eat up what I make a week with 2.5 kids' worth of daycare costs. I'm excited to stay home, though it may be a bit hard on us financially for a little while...but my thoughts this week have really leaned toward using some of that time to go back to school. I have an Associate's in Graphic Design, but I'd really love to get something more career-oriented. I've been thinking about Dental Hygiene, or maybe even just Business Administration. I really want to be able to get a better job when I re-enter the working world in a few years, so I think school is the way to go. I am also planning on using the time to FINALLY get my personal training certificate. I could possibly do some of that on the side while going to school and balancing motherhood! Anyway...these are just thoughts, but I'm excited for the opportunities this hiatus from work will allow and I plan on using the time to DO SOMETHING.

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Happy New {School} Year

Tanner goes back to school next Wednesday!

Something about a new school year sort of brings up the same emotions and motivation I get at New Year's time. It's similar for me in that by now I've usually gotten lax on some of my "resolutions" and in many areas of my life - be it meals, fitness, activity schedules, etc...and the school year starting anew gives me a chance to put a good system in place {hopefully one I can stick to!}

Here are some things I'm excited about for the new school year and some things I plan on doing:

1. Excited that my fitness routine will be so much easier to keep on schedule! The gym is directly across the street from Tanner's school, and since he has to be dropped off around 7:30, that leaves me plenty of time before my 9am work day starts to get a workout in every day. I literally have no excuse to not make it to the gym. I like that. BONUS: Tanner starts baseball on Tuesday and Thursday nights from September 17th to October 24th and his practices are at the Patriot's Point field. For those of you not familiar, that is right next to the base of this bridge which gives me the great opportunity to walk/jog it with Breckin in the stroller while Tanner does his baseball practice:

2. Meal Planning: Always like to get a little more creative with Tanner's school lunches than I am during the summertime. Last year, his lunches looked mostly like this {here's his lunch from the first day of school}:

Additionally, since I'm prepping his lunches, I'm also better about prepping my own snacks and lunch for work so I don't make bad decisions. As you know, I've made a goal of eating a lot more clean than I was, and I plan on sticking with it to meet my fitness goals.

3. I'd like to have more of a routine of sorts going when we get home after the school/work day. On the days Tanner doesn't have a sport/activity going on, I'd like to set aside time for chores and homework, then get a healthy dinner on the table {with a menu plan in place} and have some good quality play time before winding down with the bedtime routine. I also want to make it a goal to prepare all the things I need for the next day the night before {after kiddos are in bed}. It really makes a difference in our mornings...especially with my attitude...since I won't be rushing as much.

I'll be sharing how I plan on accomplishing these tasks, how I'm going to stay organized and of course giving you updates. My main goal is to truly find a system that works, that the family can get on board with and we won't get lazy with. I know there's gotta be such a system out there!

Are you excited for the new school year {if you have kids}? Do you feel like it's a time of renewal as well? What are some of your goals this {school} year? Any tips on staying organized? I'd love to hear from you...

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Kindergarten Rocks!

Tanner (and Mommy) made it through his first day of Kindergarten today! The morning was a little crazy and rushed, but we made it through a mess of traffic and people and managed not to be tardy on the first day! I decided to drop Breckin off at daycare first so I could have 100% attention on Tanner for his big day and the big [read: dreaded] drop-off. We walked to his classroom and he put his backpack in his cubby. I asked him if he remembered his assigned seat from orientation last week and he did! The teacher greeted us with a warm welcome and hug (I really like Ms. Powell, she seems like a great personality fit for Tanner). I took some pictures, and then gave him a big hug and kiss good-bye...he didn't seem scared...he didn't beg me to stay (which is great, though I sort of longed for him to at least pretend he wanted me to stay longer). He did say "I love you, Mommy" without being prompted by me saying it first and it melted my heart. My little boy is really a big boy now. All day I couldn't wait to pick him up and hear about his day. He told me about all of the songs they sang and the games they played. I was so glad to hear he loved it. :)

Here are some pics I took before I "let him go":

The Mascot is a Sea Turtle!

My Silly Sweetie

Looks So Grown Up

Outside the Classroom

Ms. Powell & Tanner

His Seat for the Year!

My Studious Little Man

It's Becoming More and More Real...

Today, Tanner and I went and bought all of the school supplies on his list, along with a new backpack.

Yep. My first-born is officially ready for Kindergarten.

It's exciting and scary for me at the same time. I am glad he will be going to such a great environment and learning all sorts of new things and making new friends. I am excited to see his first art project he brings home from school and help him with his first homework assignment. I hope he thrives in school and learns to love it.

It's scary for me because I still see him as my "baby"...it's so hard for me to picture him finding his way to his class each day and making his way to the daycare bus for after-school care all without my help. It's also scary because I'm one of those moms who pays too much attention to the bad news out there about kidnappings and bullying. Both of which have haunted me in my nightmares these past few weeks (I'm a real mess!) It's so hard to let go and allow him to enter the world of self-sufficiency. Not imagining how he will get through each day without needing to hold my hand. All I can hope for is that I've raised a boy that will make smart decisions, have self-confidence and socialize well.

Goodness, I sound like I'm sending him off to college.

Ugh, don't even get me started.

Countdown to Kindergarten: 17 days...

It's Official: He's a Big Boy

I'm taking Tanner to register for Kindergarten today! [insert Mommy sobbing here] I can't believe it. Come fall I will have a "school-aged" kid...I knew this day would come, but I didn't think it would feel so soon...it seems like it's all gone by so fast. My little baby boy is now a big boy, officially. It's so exciting, but so sad at the same time. I know he'll love it and do wonderfully. I can't wait to hear him talk about all he learns and the new friends he makes. I can't wait for him to bring home his first homework assignment! It's going to be yet another adventure to embark upon in this mommy life of mine.

Active Kid, Happy Kid?

Writer's Workshop Prompt: It has been said that kids these days are pushed into too many extra-curricular activities and are not given the freedom to play, be bored and to use their imaginations. Is this true?

When I was younger, my mother made sure my brothers and I dabbled in a bit of everything. During the course of my childhood, I participated in extracurricular activites such as dance, gymnastics, yearbook staff, tennis, softball, basketball, swim lessons, church group...I'm sure there are many more, but thanks to selective memory, I only remember those few. I suppose my mom just wanted us to be active, get socialized and maybe even possibly find our talent or niche. Because by the time we reached middle school, we were pretty much left to make the decision of one or two things that we wanted to participate in - I think the idea of driving three kids back and forth from each of our different activities proved to be a daunting task.

I personally don't think that my mom's signing us up for a vast array of activities was a bad thing. And we did A LOT of different activites. However, I don't remember never having been able to be bored and use my imagination. I'm also quite the artist, as are both of my brothers. And who can be an artist without being creative and imaginitive?

I also believe that persuading your children to take part in extracurricular activities makes them less likely to get involved in "recreational" activities, if you know what I mean...and also the added perk of knowing that your kid has to maintain a certain grade point average to participate in certain activities they might love.

When it came to choosing the activity I wanted to continue to participate in, I chose dancing. I loved how it made me feel, and I greatly credit my 20+ years of dancing experience with helping me to have a desire to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle today. It was also an outlet for my artistic creativity, as I loved choreographing - and always created my own solo performances for competitions and recitals.

While I can't say I completely kept out of trouble during my teenage years, I know that I could have been a lot worse off. Even though I went to high school parties and *gasp* drank alcohol and smoked the occasional joint, I managed to graduate high school with a 3.8 GPA, go to college and now I manage a household, have a loving relationship with my husband, and care for the two best things in my life: Tanner and Breckin. All in all, I didn't do too badly.

Being bored and imaginitive is completely wonderful for toddlers - that is how they learn, but I don't think it's OK for a 12-yr old to sit in their room bored and end up doing something mischievous. My Tanner is a wonderful little artist. He is perfectly happy coloring all day - he doesn't even use coloring books anymore, all he wants is a pile of blank paper and he can go on for hours. He is always so excited about and proud of his "masterpieces". I can't even remember what color my refrigerator is because I haven't seen it in years. He is 5 now, so I try to pull him away from drawing from time to time to go outside and get some fresh air, run around and play. We also enroll him in beginner recreational sports. He was an only child for so long and we like to get him socialized with kids his own age. Even though he has a brother now, he won't be able to really talk and play with him for a while. I absolutely intend on letting Tanner try a little bit of everything - and hopefully around his middle school years, he will have found his talent or niche, or just something he is happy doing. Last season he played soccer...this season we are signing him up for baseball. He also LOVES swimming and Jake and I truly believe he has a talent in that - maybe he'll be on a swim team someday. We aren't going to force him continue to do anything he doesn't enjoy...but we do feel it is our job as parents to introduce him to as many of the the activities out there that we can, so he can hopefully truly discover something he loves. I don't see anything unhealthy about that. And hey, if in the end, all he wants to do is draw and paint, then so be it.