Mikey and I had the opportunity (thanks to our wonderful parents) to take a weekend trip...just the two of us! My mom offered to watch the kids for a couple of nights so we could get away and relax for a bit. Um...YES PLEASE!!
We've been wanting to go to Charleston for-ev-er to visit some friends, Jessica and Ed. We had it all worked out...down to the departure time and all the restaurants and hot spots we wanted to hit. However, and very Unfortunately, the weather looked TERRIBLE for the weekend we had scheduled, AND Jessica and Ed had a pretty full schedule that weekend with work and a race they had already registered for. So...we decided the stars were not aligning and we'd save our trip to Charleston for better weather and more available time with our buddies.
Of course canceling the trip to Charleston was a bummer...but we still had to use the time without kids to our full advantage. We scoped the weather in the Southeast (and even checked some flights to a few spots) and it turned out that the rain was pretty much South Georgia and above, so we ended up setting our sites on Orlando. We did priceline on Wednesday night - left Thursday night - spent the night in Lake City - arrived in Orlando Friday morning and had a blast.
We honestly did nothing but lay by the pool and go out to eat, but it was fabulous. The weather was in the high 80s the entire time, and felt so good. We thought about the kids a ton (how can you not in Orlando, FL with Disney at every corner...not to mention our hotel was super-duper kid-friendly with an awesome toddler pool area). It was great and relaxing to only have to care for ourselves for the weekend.
My mom and Mikey's mom had been wanting to take the twins to the GA aquarium for a while now, and the timing worked out for them to go on the Friday we were gone. They took turns watching the kiddos during the day and had lots of fun with Grandma and Grandpa.
GOOD STUFF.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Peeing and Sleeping
Update from last week's post...
Parks continues to pee on the potty every day...and Marlee finally did for the first time on Wednesday night. I am thinking about ordering another potty so we can have one upstairs and one downstairs because there is zero chance that I will go up and down the stairs with both kids 20 times per day to use one potty.
Marlee is sleeping so great in the big girl bed. She is really impressing me. For the first couple of days I sang her to sleep...then I just sang to her until she was sleepy (which was really fast). The first couple times she chased me to the door, but I would watch her on the monitor and she would go right back to her bed and lay down. Now she just wimpers a little when I lean over to kiss her because she knows I am leaving...but she stays in her bed and is usually asleep in less than 2 minutes.
I'm at 27 weeks today. Baby boy is about 2 pounds...that's half of a newborn baby Marlee!! :)
Parks continues to pee on the potty every day...and Marlee finally did for the first time on Wednesday night. I am thinking about ordering another potty so we can have one upstairs and one downstairs because there is zero chance that I will go up and down the stairs with both kids 20 times per day to use one potty.
Marlee is sleeping so great in the big girl bed. She is really impressing me. For the first couple of days I sang her to sleep...then I just sang to her until she was sleepy (which was really fast). The first couple times she chased me to the door, but I would watch her on the monitor and she would go right back to her bed and lay down. Now she just wimpers a little when I lean over to kiss her because she knows I am leaving...but she stays in her bed and is usually asleep in less than 2 minutes.
I'm at 27 weeks today. Baby boy is about 2 pounds...that's half of a newborn baby Marlee!! :)
Friday, February 8, 2013
Big Milestone Day
Yesterday was a big day for Parks and Marlee:
Parks peed in the potty for the first time!!
I haven't been trying to potty train yet since we will have a newborn in about 3 months to keep us busy...and I don't want to put the work in now and then have the twins regress and have to re-train them later. However, I did buy a potty and let them sit on it to get used to it (usually at bath time). Parks peed right away and was so proud of himself, but not as proud as I was. :-) He did it again tonight at bath time. Woo-hoo.
Marlee escaped her crib...twice!!
Not so great. I went in to get them up from their nap yesterday, and she was walking around the room and throwing a bunch of stuffed animals in Parks' crib. I was so shocked. Then, I put them to bed last night and a few minutes later saw her walking around the room on the baby monitor. Needless to say, we did some rearranging and have moved Parks into his own room (still in a crib) and put a mattress on the floor for Marlee's "big girl bed." She actually took a really good nap on it today with no hiccups and I put her to bed a little while ago...we will see how tonight goes. I did have to sing her to sleep for her nap and bed time, but that should only last during this transition phase.
I am 26 weeks preggo today!!
I feel like I am 36 weeks, which doesn't bode well, but things have been going pretty well. This little guy gets very active in the evenings when I FINALLY sit down to relax. My feet ache when I am standing a lot during the day and the heartburn is awful at night (I usually wake up every hour at night with unbearable burning). I am starting a rx heartburn med today, so hopefully I can make it through the night tonight. Other than that, I can't complain much and have been so thankful to have all positive doctor reports so far. I do my glucose test in 2 weeks and after that I have to start my checkups every 2 weeks instead of 4 weeks. I feel like I am so busy that I haven't been spending as much time mentally preparing for our new addition, but once in a while it hits me and I am just so excited and grateful for this miracle of life. I love him already. Now...does anyone have a perfect name suggestion???
Parks peed in the potty for the first time!!
I haven't been trying to potty train yet since we will have a newborn in about 3 months to keep us busy...and I don't want to put the work in now and then have the twins regress and have to re-train them later. However, I did buy a potty and let them sit on it to get used to it (usually at bath time). Parks peed right away and was so proud of himself, but not as proud as I was. :-) He did it again tonight at bath time. Woo-hoo.
Marlee escaped her crib...twice!!
Not so great. I went in to get them up from their nap yesterday, and she was walking around the room and throwing a bunch of stuffed animals in Parks' crib. I was so shocked. Then, I put them to bed last night and a few minutes later saw her walking around the room on the baby monitor. Needless to say, we did some rearranging and have moved Parks into his own room (still in a crib) and put a mattress on the floor for Marlee's "big girl bed." She actually took a really good nap on it today with no hiccups and I put her to bed a little while ago...we will see how tonight goes. I did have to sing her to sleep for her nap and bed time, but that should only last during this transition phase.
I am 26 weeks preggo today!!
I feel like I am 36 weeks, which doesn't bode well, but things have been going pretty well. This little guy gets very active in the evenings when I FINALLY sit down to relax. My feet ache when I am standing a lot during the day and the heartburn is awful at night (I usually wake up every hour at night with unbearable burning). I am starting a rx heartburn med today, so hopefully I can make it through the night tonight. Other than that, I can't complain much and have been so thankful to have all positive doctor reports so far. I do my glucose test in 2 weeks and after that I have to start my checkups every 2 weeks instead of 4 weeks. I feel like I am so busy that I haven't been spending as much time mentally preparing for our new addition, but once in a while it hits me and I am just so excited and grateful for this miracle of life. I love him already. Now...does anyone have a perfect name suggestion???
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Quickly approaching TWO 2 years
Parks and Marlee will be 2 on March 12th. Insanity.
I have done a terrible job of documenting since they turned one. Luckily, I have a clever friend who posted each month on her daughter and I copied her idea during the first year.
Just wanted to put down a few favorite things to look back on:
MARLEE: 22 months
- straight, thin hair
- naps once per day around 1:30 - 3:30 or 4:30
- great night sleeper (8:30 pm - 8am)
- wears size 18-24 months clothes and has the best shoe selection of anyone I've ever known thanks to the jackpot garage sale we hit a while back (she has finally grown into a lot of it)
- talks and talks and talks and talks. she loves to identify every person and item in the room. everyone's names, shoes, coffee, turtle, golf cart, elmo...there is no way i could list every word she knows. she can flip through a book and point out every animal and item on the pages
- loves all 4 of her grandparents to peices
- loves feeding the dogs during meals (mommy does NOT love this)
- runs with her arms flailing out and stomps her feet really hard on each step
- plays a game with daddy where she closes her eyes and cracks up while daddy says "open your eyes, marlee"
- loves her big brother so much and constantly watches out for him. every time she gets a snack or a drink she says "parks? parks? parks?..." until you give her two and then she takes him one
- tells me every time she goes potty or "toots"...and is very proud each time
- enjoys school (Children's Morning Out) and Waumba and church
- likes to read, obsesses over "babies," says hi to every person we pass when we are out shopping or doing anything where we see strangers
- loves to count to five in english and spanish
- dang, so many more things, i will have to start writing these more often
PARKS: 22 months
- curly, gorgeous hair, and lots of it
- sleeps same as marlee
- 2T clothes
- actually...surprisingly...a much cleaner eater than marlee
- jumps off every peice of furniture in the house, and is really good at landing
- loves elmo, and any animated tv show/movie. will watch an entire disney movie without moving...or closing his mouth. favorites right now: Rio, Ratatouille, Ice Age and Lion King
- obsesses over daddy when he comes home from work
- loves books, going "bye-bye," giving high fives and daps, bath time and brushing his teeth
- when he says "please" it sounds like "meeeeese"
- sweetest boy
I love these kids. So Much. LOVE THEM.
I have done a terrible job of documenting since they turned one. Luckily, I have a clever friend who posted each month on her daughter and I copied her idea during the first year.
Just wanted to put down a few favorite things to look back on:
MARLEE: 22 months
- straight, thin hair
- naps once per day around 1:30 - 3:30 or 4:30
- great night sleeper (8:30 pm - 8am)
- wears size 18-24 months clothes and has the best shoe selection of anyone I've ever known thanks to the jackpot garage sale we hit a while back (she has finally grown into a lot of it)
- talks and talks and talks and talks. she loves to identify every person and item in the room. everyone's names, shoes, coffee, turtle, golf cart, elmo...there is no way i could list every word she knows. she can flip through a book and point out every animal and item on the pages
- loves all 4 of her grandparents to peices
- loves feeding the dogs during meals (mommy does NOT love this)
- runs with her arms flailing out and stomps her feet really hard on each step
- plays a game with daddy where she closes her eyes and cracks up while daddy says "open your eyes, marlee"
- loves her big brother so much and constantly watches out for him. every time she gets a snack or a drink she says "parks? parks? parks?..." until you give her two and then she takes him one
- tells me every time she goes potty or "toots"...and is very proud each time
- enjoys school (Children's Morning Out) and Waumba and church
- likes to read, obsesses over "babies," says hi to every person we pass when we are out shopping or doing anything where we see strangers
- loves to count to five in english and spanish
- dang, so many more things, i will have to start writing these more often
PARKS: 22 months
- curly, gorgeous hair, and lots of it
- sleeps same as marlee
- 2T clothes
- actually...surprisingly...a much cleaner eater than marlee
- jumps off every peice of furniture in the house, and is really good at landing
- loves elmo, and any animated tv show/movie. will watch an entire disney movie without moving...or closing his mouth. favorites right now: Rio, Ratatouille, Ice Age and Lion King
- obsesses over daddy when he comes home from work
- loves books, going "bye-bye," giving high fives and daps, bath time and brushing his teeth
- when he says "please" it sounds like "meeeeese"
- sweetest boy
I love these kids. So Much. LOVE THEM.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Christmas 2012
Ahhhh, Christmas. How I love thee.
What a wonderful time of year. We had a great time this year, made lots of wonderful memories and...as usual...it went by way too fast. There is something about having family visitors come in from out of town that really ramps up the "specialness" of the holiday. Erin, Taylor and Cousin Jack came down for Christmas Eve, and Aunt Libby's two sons, Jeremiah (Indiana) and Nathan (California), came to town along with Nate's family...Dawn, Juniper and Zeraphin.
Here's some highlights:
ORNAMENT EXCHANGE: Every year, a group of girls I went to high school with get together and we have dinner and do a little ornament exchange. It's so fun to see everybody and reminisce on our high school days. They are all such fun, and we had a great night at Lindsay's house eating and laughing.
SICK: I guess this should really be listed as a "lowlight," but whatevs. My mom got sick the week before Christmas, and Marlee and I picked it up on Christmas Eve-Eve and by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we were both lucky to be awake for more than 2 hours at a time. We planned to go to Christmas Eve service at Catalyst Church, but we were so miserable we just couldn't get out...and didn't want to spread our germs.
CHRISTMAS EVE: We spent the evening with Mikey's family...Mike, Debbie, Erin, Taylor, Jack, Mamaw, Papaw, Mikey, Kacy, Parks & Marlee...plus lots of doggies of course. We had fun eating our traditional meal of barbecue sandwiches, macaroni and cheese and baked beans. Yummy! Then gave out our gifts for each other and watched the kids run around. When I started feeling my heart beat in my eyeballs we left to go to bed...but it really was a fun evening. Loved hanging out with the fam!
CHRISTMAS DAY: Santa Claus came to our house!!!! We woke up around 8 and came downstairs to find some presents left from Santa for Parks and Marlee. They were kinda in to it...and mostly confused. It was fun watching them though. Patrick spent the night at my parents house so we all shared the experience. Breakfast, stocking and lots of gift un-wrapping...followed by relaxing and eating all day. Libby's family came over around 1 and we played cards, ate a huge meal and hung out. Great Christmas Day!
CALLAWAY: Libby got us all a great day on the Callaway Gardens "Fantasy of Lights" show, so we all went one evening. It just so happened to be the COLDEST night of the year and we rode the trolley. Once we got on the trolley with our blankets it was fine, but standing in line was the coldest I have been in a few years (last year's ski trip included). Parks, Juniper and Zeraphin absolutely LOVED the lights. Marlee was really mellow and I kept thinking she was asleep, but she was watching with us. I really enjoyed it too...I hope we can go back next year!
ATLANTA: Nate, Dawn and Jeremiah really wanted to see Atlanta, so Patrick scheduled a night for us to go to the Sweetwater Brewery and then to dinner. We ended up at Tijuana Garage in Five Points and had a LOT of laughs. After dinner, drinks (for the non-preggos) and B-I-N-G-O, we headed home...or so I thought. Nate convinced me to stop at Hangar 74 in Peachtree City for a "night cap." This turned into karaoke, line dancing, and MORE than just a night cap. I was tired, but the laughs would've been worth it if the place hadn't allowed smoking. It smelled like a giant ashtray and I HATE the smell of smoke. Other than that, it was a fun and exhausting evening.
NYE: We went to a dinner at Crossfit Newnan at 6....then the kids were in bed by 8...Mikey and I by 9:15. My kind of New Year's!!
Some pics of the holidays:
Hmm...can't figure out how to link them. These will be added asap.
What a wonderful time of year. We had a great time this year, made lots of wonderful memories and...as usual...it went by way too fast. There is something about having family visitors come in from out of town that really ramps up the "specialness" of the holiday. Erin, Taylor and Cousin Jack came down for Christmas Eve, and Aunt Libby's two sons, Jeremiah (Indiana) and Nathan (California), came to town along with Nate's family...Dawn, Juniper and Zeraphin.
Here's some highlights:
ORNAMENT EXCHANGE: Every year, a group of girls I went to high school with get together and we have dinner and do a little ornament exchange. It's so fun to see everybody and reminisce on our high school days. They are all such fun, and we had a great night at Lindsay's house eating and laughing.
SICK: I guess this should really be listed as a "lowlight," but whatevs. My mom got sick the week before Christmas, and Marlee and I picked it up on Christmas Eve-Eve and by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we were both lucky to be awake for more than 2 hours at a time. We planned to go to Christmas Eve service at Catalyst Church, but we were so miserable we just couldn't get out...and didn't want to spread our germs.
CHRISTMAS EVE: We spent the evening with Mikey's family...Mike, Debbie, Erin, Taylor, Jack, Mamaw, Papaw, Mikey, Kacy, Parks & Marlee...plus lots of doggies of course. We had fun eating our traditional meal of barbecue sandwiches, macaroni and cheese and baked beans. Yummy! Then gave out our gifts for each other and watched the kids run around. When I started feeling my heart beat in my eyeballs we left to go to bed...but it really was a fun evening. Loved hanging out with the fam!
CHRISTMAS DAY: Santa Claus came to our house!!!! We woke up around 8 and came downstairs to find some presents left from Santa for Parks and Marlee. They were kinda in to it...and mostly confused. It was fun watching them though. Patrick spent the night at my parents house so we all shared the experience. Breakfast, stocking and lots of gift un-wrapping...followed by relaxing and eating all day. Libby's family came over around 1 and we played cards, ate a huge meal and hung out. Great Christmas Day!
CALLAWAY: Libby got us all a great day on the Callaway Gardens "Fantasy of Lights" show, so we all went one evening. It just so happened to be the COLDEST night of the year and we rode the trolley. Once we got on the trolley with our blankets it was fine, but standing in line was the coldest I have been in a few years (last year's ski trip included). Parks, Juniper and Zeraphin absolutely LOVED the lights. Marlee was really mellow and I kept thinking she was asleep, but she was watching with us. I really enjoyed it too...I hope we can go back next year!
ATLANTA: Nate, Dawn and Jeremiah really wanted to see Atlanta, so Patrick scheduled a night for us to go to the Sweetwater Brewery and then to dinner. We ended up at Tijuana Garage in Five Points and had a LOT of laughs. After dinner, drinks (for the non-preggos) and B-I-N-G-O, we headed home...or so I thought. Nate convinced me to stop at Hangar 74 in Peachtree City for a "night cap." This turned into karaoke, line dancing, and MORE than just a night cap. I was tired, but the laughs would've been worth it if the place hadn't allowed smoking. It smelled like a giant ashtray and I HATE the smell of smoke. Other than that, it was a fun and exhausting evening.
NYE: We went to a dinner at Crossfit Newnan at 6....then the kids were in bed by 8...Mikey and I by 9:15. My kind of New Year's!!
Some pics of the holidays:
Hmm...can't figure out how to link them. These will be added asap.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
A Legend Forever in Time
August 12, 2012 was a very sad day for the Richardson family. Debbie's Dad (Mikey's Grandpa) passed away after a sudden, vicious attack on his immune system from a nasty virus.
Jim Thiel was truly one of the most incredible men I've ever had the privilege of knowing and spending time with. He is a family man through-and-through and cherished his wife, Marion, like I want to cherish my husband. He is the definition of a patriot, serving his country through war as a belly-gunner on 50 successful missions (unheard of!) and loved this country every day of his life.
I delayed writing this post because I know there are no words I could type that would come close to doing justice to a description of Grandpa Jim. He was everybody's hero. He was selfless, volunteering more than anyone I know (without paying attention to his age or status). As I looked through some pictures I have of him, I was struck with the BEAUTY that I could not find a single picture of him without his wife by his side. They were inseparable, and while I know his faith in our heavenly Father has taken him to paradise, I ache for Grandma Mar as she discovers a whole new world: one without Grandpa Jim.
The summer of 2010, while I was pregnant, Mikey and I made a trip to St. John, IN to visit them. I now cherish those memories even more. While there, we shopped, dined, toured, etc. and we couldn't step foot outside the house without people waving us down to say hello and ask how Jim and Marion were doing. Even the police officers and store clerks knew them personally. People we'd never met knew all about our expecting twins and our Peachtree City golf carts. I was shocked how "popular" they were...they run that town!!
Grandpa Jim was so full of life. He was always the ring leader when the family got together...making everybody (including strangers) laugh until they cried. His jokes were the best...and I will never forget the time he got everybody kicked out of the Oktoberfest celebration for dancing on the table...at 84 years old!!
Grandpa Jim will never be forgotten, and the imprint he left on this earth will carry on and on and on.
We miss you and love you Grandpa Jim!!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
BABY DAY!!
July 25th was a very big day. Two of the most anticipated babies in our lives were born this day.
Early that morning, our great friends Tony and Claire met their precious baby girl, Harper Kate Stravelakis. She was born with a head full of dark hair and a healthy appetite. She was just over 9 pounds....bless her momma!!!
Mikey, Debbie and I got to swing by the hospital a few hours after she was born to meet her. She was gorgeous and so calm and content...a trait she has carried with her for her first few months of life!!
Later that day, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Erin and Taylor, met their handsome and sweet baby boy, John Reece Ward. He goes by "Jack" and he couldn't be cuter. He was also big and healthy, weighing in right at 9 pounds...bless his momma too!!!
Mikey, Mike, Debbie and I all got to go stop by and visit this little fella too. You can't tell from my pictures, but he has the CUTEST little creases in his forehead that make it look like he is really inquisitive. What an incredible day full of blessing galore!
Welcome to the world, Harper and Jack! We love you both.
Early that morning, our great friends Tony and Claire met their precious baby girl, Harper Kate Stravelakis. She was born with a head full of dark hair and a healthy appetite. She was just over 9 pounds....bless her momma!!!
Mikey, Debbie and I got to swing by the hospital a few hours after she was born to meet her. She was gorgeous and so calm and content...a trait she has carried with her for her first few months of life!!
Later that day, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Erin and Taylor, met their handsome and sweet baby boy, John Reece Ward. He goes by "Jack" and he couldn't be cuter. He was also big and healthy, weighing in right at 9 pounds...bless his momma too!!!
Mikey, Mike, Debbie and I all got to go stop by and visit this little fella too. You can't tell from my pictures, but he has the CUTEST little creases in his forehead that make it look like he is really inquisitive. What an incredible day full of blessing galore!
Welcome to the world, Harper and Jack! We love you both.
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