Fishing Trip

We went to John Chestnut Park to go fishing. It was the boy's first time fishing and we used their Toy Story fishing poles. Next time I think we will buy regular fishing poles. We were out there for about 4 hours. Andre caught a couple little fish and one bigger fish. We didn't keep any of them. AJ and Ronde had such a great time and we can't wait to do it again. It was so fun to see the boys casting and reeling. They looked like pro's.

Daddy is Home!!

Today started out with my glucose test and the kids needed to have blood work done. So we went to Quest Diagnostics early this morning to have it all done. After that, we rushed to the store to buy the ingredients of all the recipes I picked out for Andre's welcome home dinner. AJ wanted to help as much as possible so I let him pour the sugar into the sweet tea and stir.

We had braised short ribs, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli with cherry tomatoes, and apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream for dinner. I've never had braised short ribs before but they were SO GOOD!! Daddy came home right in time for dinner.After we dropped off the rental car that Andre drove down here in, we went for a long walk just like we always did when we lived in Hawaii. Once we got back, the boys did what they LOVE to do...play fighting with daddy. The boys are so sweet and loving to me but once they get around daddy, they are so rough!! Boys will be boys..

Week 25

Ronde has tried to be in every picture since I started taking my weekly pregnancy pictures. He finally won the battle..lol. He might be in every picture from now on.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 13.5 lbs gained
Maternity Clothes: Bought a new tank top and black capri length leggings

Sleep: Good but waking up with bloody noses is annoying

Best Moment this week: I bought a lot of things for Jamal like bottles, paci's, burp cloths, sleep positioner, baby blankets..etc...
Gender: It's a boy!! Jamal DeMarcus
Movement: Jamal has been getting stronger. His kicks have been pretty hard lately.

Food Craving: Coffee and chocolate.
What Are You Looking Forward To: 3D/4D ultrasound that I scheduled for June 23rd and Andre is coming home this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!

How Big is Baby: He is just under 2lbs and 14 inches long and can respond to noises from outside.

Symptoms: Bloody noses and mood swings :(

Lupus Walk

Yesterday morning, we had a big event planned. A big group of our friends were going to be walking in a charity event to raise money for the Lupus Foundation. Heather, Sonia, and I went shopping at Target to get matching purple shirts since that is the color for Lupus Awareness. Saturday morning, we all went out to breakfast at 7:30am to Christina's Cafe. Afterwards, we all met up at the Tropicana Field(Home of the Rays baseball team). We walked about 6 or 7 laps around the baseball field at our own pace. It was neat to be walking on the field that the Rays play on. The Lupus Foundation raised 30,000 that day! By the end of the day I was exhausted and swollen! The first time I've been swollen my whole pregnancy. I was on my feet all day because that night we went to a barbecue as well (and forgot to take pictures! Pregnancy brain!)Me, Heather, and Sonia (Best Friends since High School)

Week 24

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 24 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 13.5 lbs gained

Maternity Clothes: In desperate need of more maternity shorts or jeans. My hips must be spreading or something because my shorts have been feeling extra tight

Sleep: Has been great this week. I've been trying to go to bed by 10pm so I get at least 9 hours of sleep.

Best Moment this week: Hearing Jamal's heartbeat yesterday. 145 beats per minute

Gender: It's a boy!! Jamal DeMarcus

Movement: Jamal has been getting stronger. His kicks have been pretty hard lately.
Food Craving: Sweets but I'm trying to cut back!! I want to make sure I only gain a pound a week or less for the rest of my pregnancy.

What Are You Looking Forward To: 3D/4D ultrasound that I scheduled for June 23rd. I will be 28 weeks pregnant at that time. Only 4 weeks away!!
How Big is Baby: He is 12.5 inches long and weighs 1.5lbs

Symptoms: Lack of energy and bloody noses..I got them bad when I was pregnant with AJ and now it's starting with Jamal.

Random Pictures From Our Weekend

This was the first weekend that we had no plans. So we basically just relaxed around the house the whole time. This hasn't been a very exciting week because I have had no energy lately. I'm trying really hard to find something to put AJ into. He loved flag football and now that the season is over, he asks me everyday to play a new sport. He wants to play soccer but registration is over and the season has already began. I hope I can find something for him to do because he really needs to play with more kids besides his brother.

Ronde has really been into coloring lately. He wants to color at least twice a day and likes it when we color pages out of the coloring book together. How sweet. Ronde has such a great imagination and always tells me what he's drawing pictures of, for example, puppy dogs and dinosaurs.

Ronde likes to scoot around the carpet on his belly. When I ask him what he's doing, he says "I'm a snake!" It's too cute!!

AJ and Ronde both got new sunglasses. AJ chose "Cars" sunglasses and Ronde chose "Spiderman". AJ won't leave the house without them and even wears them the whole time we are at the playground. He is just growing up way too fast :(

AJ also had his first real cup of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows.

AJ always want to help me in the kitchen. He asked me if he could help me ice the cinnamon rolls and of coarse I said yes. Would you believe that the kids barely ate their cinnamon rolls? In fact, cried because they didn't want to eat. Kids, they are confusing human beings!

Show Us Your Life - My Children's Favorite Books

Today at Kellys Korner blog, everyone is sharing their favorite books and/or their children's favorite books. I am not much of a reader so I chose to share with you my kid's favorite books.

Their first favorite book is Maybe, My Baby. This has a lot of repetive phrases and also teaches body parts and animals. It's a good book to interact with your kids. For example "Maybe, my baby if I kiss your nose" Then I kiss their noses. They really enjoy this book! This is also the book that I caught AJ reading in a corner and could have swore he knew how to read.

This is when he was reading to himself in the corner :)

The next book is Monster Mess. The kids really get into this book and laugh the whole time. It has a lot of emphasis on noises and sounds. It's a very colorful book with great illustration. I hear AJ say sentences from this book just in everyday life. It's a great book.

The last book is Home Before Dark. It's about a girl who has a teddy bear that she takes everywhere with her until one day she accidentally dropped him at a park. The teddy bear has to find his way home to her before her bed time because he knows she would be upset without her teddy. Super cute!!

Books that I enjoy reading are cookbooks! Usually all southern cooking. I can look through them for hours yet not cook a thing from them..lol

Spring Portraits by Mommy

23 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 23 weeks
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I was suppose to find out today at my doctors appointment but it had to be rescheduled for Friday since my doctor was delivering a baby. I'm pretty sure I've gained at least 12 lbs by now.
Maternity Clothes: Bought 3 more maternity shirts from Ross. They are really cute!

Sleep: Good besides all the crazy dreams I keep having.
Best Moment this week: AJ got to feel the baby kick today!! I also found a blue and brown sit and stand stroller that will match Jamal's car seat perfectly!

Gender: It's a boy!! Jamal DeMarcus
Movement: Very active lately

Food Craving: Pineapple!! I could eat probably 10 whole pineapples a day and be in heaven!What I am looking forward to: My doctors appointment on Friday

How Big is Baby: He is 11 inches long and weighs about 1.1 lbs..the size of a small baby doll

Symptoms: I feel hungry all day

Our Morning Walk

This morning, we took a walk after breakfast. I always feel bad because AJ will ask to go for a walk during the middle of the day, and it is far too hot at that time. So I've decided that I will try to take the boys out every morning for a walk/ bike ride. I could use the extra exercise anyways. It was a beautiful morning and not too hot. We always have to stop at this little bridge and they look down into the water to see if there is any fish. They also love throwing little rocks into the water. By the time we got home, they were hungry for lunch!

Potty Training Update

Ronde has been potty training for the past 2 weeks. We have our excellent days and then there are days like today. He had 3 accidents because I'm trying to get him used to wearing underwear instead of running around my house naked. When he's naked (but with a shirt on) he uses the potty just fine. He also does great in public with a pull up on..I guess he thinks it's fun to see all the different looking bathrooms. Any hoo..today was the first day I had him in underwear all day. He is just so cute in his hand me down underwear..lol! That's kinda gross but hey... they are boys and probably wouldn't care if they had a choice anyways.

Doing the Robot

Ronde is so silly. This picture cracks me up. He was acting like a ninja or something with all kind of funny sound effects. I love him!

Early Mother's Day Dinner

Me and my baby boy

My mom and kids

My brother Josh, sister Kasey, and me

Me, my Grandma, and Mom

Uncle Josh and the boys