Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Places for the Lorax Mustache

Dr. Seuss turned 108 this past Friday!!!  In celebration, Target hosted a special storytime in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday and to promote the upcoming release of "The Lorax" movie.  The Bascoms went to that while we were driving to Leesburg the day of David's surprise party last weekend, and they were nice enough to bring a goody bag back for Jackson!  It was a super cute re-usable bag full of coupons, snacks, crayons, and a stick-on yellow mustache just like the one the Lorax sports!  We had LOTS of fun with it around the house:

Mustache on helicopter

Mustache on front door

Mustache on Mommy's water bottle

Mustache amidst alphabet letters

Mustache on recycling can (how appropriate for the green Lorax story!)

Mustache on toy bin

Mustache on dump truck

Mustache on window

Mustache on Waxy Bear Doggy, Momo, AND Clifford!

Mustache on Daddy, Mommy, and Jackson :)

Check out other fun Top Ten Lists at Many Little Blessings!

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday: Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna, salad, strawberries, and Chocolate Bread Pudding
Monday: Breaded Toasted Ravioli with salad
Tuesday: Potato Soup with Rumford's Baking Powder Biscuits
Wednesday: Avocado Pasta with shrimp added
Thursday: Potato Soup leftovers with Crawfish Rolls
Friday: a sad night of leftovers
Saturday: Date Night :)

We really love having friends over for dinner, but as we've upped the frequency of dinner guests, I've realized I need to expand my go-to menus!  I usually used to make Pizza Bake and add sides.  This is the second time I've made the Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna and Chocolate Bread Pudding for company--it's such an easy and yummy combo :)  The Toasted Ravioli was yummy, but rather time intensive...  The Crawfish Rolls did not go quite as planned...we'll leave it at that.  We are fairly confident that they will be yummy when made with the correct ingredients ;)

Check out Menu Plan Monday for more yummy recipes!

The Belly Report: Cardio Check-ups All Around

We are currently 26 weeks pregnant!  Last week, Sammy was about the size of a rutabaga (13.5 inches long and about a pound and a half in weight).  A lot is going on cosmetically for Sammy: he is starting to get a bit chubbier and not so wrinkly and he is growing hair :)  This week, Sammy is about the size of an English hothouse cucumber!  (I remember this comparison cracking us up last time too!)  Sammy is well on his weigh to weighing two pounds and measures about 14 inches long.  I'm loving thinking about how Sammy can probably hear us all talking around him.  Jackson thinks it's neat when we remind him that his baby brother can hear the stories we read during the day :)  Most importantly, Sammy's body is working on preparing his lungs for life outside the womb.

Two Thursdays ago, my OB's office called to let me know my Vitamin D levels were still low, so now I'm taking 300 micrograms of Vitamin D instead of the original 100.  The nurse also asked if I had made an appointment to see my cardiologist to have a check-up yet.  I hadn't because Dr. Hibshman said scheduling the fetal echo was the most important order of business (and the clinic at the hospital could do that for us this time).  Plus, my cardiologist was on family medical leave for a couple of months.  Apparently the doctors decided they wanted me to go ahead and make an appointment for my own check-up.  I called my cardiologist's office, and not only was she back in the office, but they had an appointment for this past Monday!  That worked out well since Josh had the day off, so he stayed home with Jackson.  My appointment was at 8:30, but it was in Fairfax, so I left at 7:00 to give myself enough time.  I got there on time, but Dr. Lindsey was late due to a flat tire.  Part of me was happy to have time to sit and read my book ;)  I realized once they set me up in a room, however, that they had just scheduled me for a fetal echo since they knew I was pregnant!  Dr. Lindsey was great when she got there and explained she wanted to do her own fetal echo anyways, and she would see what she could do to squeeze me in to check me out too!  That was awesome because I would have hated to have driven out to the office and had Josh home with Jackson only to have to do it all again a different day to get my own check-up!  Sammy looks GREAT!  It was also confirmed, for the third time, that he is indeed a HE :)  His heart looks beautiful, but we will take him back for a check-up when he is a couple of weeks old just to make sure.  My echo looked great as well--that was especially good to hear since my body is pumping so much more blood while pregnant.  I think I finally got home around 12:30...  It was worth it to get two appointments knocked out and get such good reports :)

Sammy loves to hang out on my right side--pretty much has since I could feel him in there!  He still is moving ALL THE TIME--particularly at night when Josh and I relax and play Tetris Attack on Super Nintendo :)  Josh got to feel him go crazy the other night, and it was so fun!  I think I have felt Sammy's first set of hiccups, but I did forget a little bit what those felt like...

Josh has taken over bathtime and I'm counting down the days until I can wear flip-flops for good so I don't have to try to bend over to tie my shoes...

Flashback: Week 25
"A Trip"

February in Virginia AND Preschool Plans!!!

Not really relevant, but LOVE this picture of Jackson and Josh enjoying Cousin Amy's newest book Chopsticks!

I have not been very good at taking pictures, BUT we've been having a really fun last week or so!  The overall theme is how much we love winter in Virginia :)

Last Wednesday: We had a playdate with some new friends!  I met Sarah through my neighbor, Aimee, and she and I have been trying to get our boys to play for quite some time, but schedules kept getting in the way.  Her son's name is Jackson, which we all got a kick out of!  The boys had such a good time playing with cars and having lunch together :)

Last Thursday: This was the start of our streak of GORGEOUS weather!  I think it was in the 70s?  I opened the windows and got the house all clean!  Jackson and I got outside and took down our Valentine's and winter decorations and put up a St. Patrick's Day flag and window decals!  Spring, we are ready for you!  We met Rachel and her mom for lunch at Panera, and of course, Baby Levi was Jackson's date :)  He was so excited to see them, and he immediately started calling Rachel's mom Grandma!  LOL  He sure loves a grandparent :)  After a late nap, we spent the afternoon playing outside in the beautiful weather!

Last Friday:  Friday wasn't quite so nice, but we spent the morning running errands and crossing a few things off of my to-do list.

Saturday: We had the pleasure of helping Sarah surprise David for his 30th birthday!!!  The weather was definitely against us since Josh had planned to take Dave golfing to kill the morning/afternoon.  The driving range was out once the forecast showed cold temps AND crazy wind :/  Josh took his job very seriously and delivered the desired result for Sarah.  He and Dave stuck around the house playing with the kids while Sarah and I got out for a little "shopping at the outlet mall" (i.e. running last minute errands to Party City, Costco, Target, and Sarah's dad's house to pick up hidden beverages and snacks).  We came home to feed the kiddos and lay them down for naps while the guys left for lunch and bowling.  Josh cracked me up later when he told me he was taking his time and sitting down between each ball, and Dave sprang up right away to take his turns quickly!  Sarah got a text from Dave saying they were almost finished and on the way home about 4:00.  Josh texted me at the same time and told me to tell Sarah to ignore that text from Dave and they were going to play one more game and be right on time.  LOL  While the guys were gone, Sarah and I decorated, cleaned up toys, made some snacks, and tried not to be too nervous!  Everyone arrived right on time and we all waited in the backyard once the guys were on their way.  I wasn't sure how to interpret the look on Dave's face when he saw everyone, but Sarah said he was definitely surprised and might still be recovering!  The party was SO fun (as all Bascom parties are), and it was fun to celebrate David!

Sunday: Sunday morning started off a little rough due to my lovely hormones and accident after accident for me.  I was getting dinner ready to go in the Crock-Pot when I took a good slice out of my thumb with a large knife :(  I got that under control and off Jackson and I went to the grocery store.  Upon returning home I was taking apart some sodas and banged/cut my finger on the counter.  The third was less severe as it was only yogurt spilled on my sleeves, but it still got a big groan out of me!  We had our neighbors, the Walburgers, over for dinner, and Jackson loved having Ashely and Alyssa over!

Monday: Josh had the day off, and he made sure he and Jackson took FULL advantage of it AND the BEAUTIFUL weather!  I had a doctor's appointment that took up most of the morning, but Josh used the time to take Jackson to the driving range for the first time!!!  Jackson was so excited to tell me when I got home that he hit golf balls all by himself :)  I wish I had pictures, but I know this will not be the last time this little outing happens ;)  After Jackson's nap, we all went outside for a walk and to play outside!  ALL of the neighbors were out, and Jackson had SUCH a good time!  The current popular activity is climbing up and sliding down the skateboard ramp one of our neighbors has set up out front.  Josh started playing basketball, and Jackson was excited to "play hoops" with Daddy!  We played for about 2 1/2 hours and then came in for dinner and a little "Monsters, Inc."

Tuesday: We headed to Manassas with my neighbor, Hallie, and her girls, Izzy and Mary.  Our destination was an amazing used bookstore!  I definitely want to go back when I have unlimited time and attention span :)  We did leave with a few good finds!  We rounded out the outing with lunch at Chik-fil-a--always yummy and fun!  The afternoon was spent playing outside again since it was still so nice out!

Wednesday: Today we headed to storytime at the library, which is usually a pretty big hit.  This was the second time two employees from PNC Bank came to read stories.  They did a great job again--today's theme was Dr. Seuss, and they read some funny stories!  There was a coloring activity at the end and a fun goody bag giveaway!  Jackson and I spent time doing puzzles and looking for new books to check-out.  He also got more stickers to add to his page for the Snuggle with a Book program.  It is a simple and short program the library is running this winter: for each day that you read 20 minutes with your child, they earn a sticker to put on their special page.  So easy and cheap, yet so exciting for a three-year old :)

The most exciting part of today, however, was the stop we made before storytime: PRESCHOOL REGISTRATION!!!  Jackson is officially registered for preschool for the fall!!!  I am ECSTATIC!!!  He will be attending Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Playschool Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9:30-12:30.  I started the preschool search a couple months ago and found a few in the area I liked.  This was the first one I visited, and I loved it immediately!  The biggest perk is it is only about 10 minutes from the house--SCORE!  Unfortunately, registration wasn't slated to begin until tomorrow!  That was later than the other preschools in the area, and I was nervous about them having a spot in the program we wanted.  I went in this morning to pick-up the forms (just so I could be prepared to hand them right over tomorrow morning), and the director let me write my check and turn everything in today :)  I am still breathing a HUGE sigh of relief, and am SOOO excited for Jackson's new adventure!    

 These pictures are from a week or so ago when the neighborhood kids (ranging in ages 2 1/2-12) had a parade taking their baby dolls for a walk!

 This then turned into "naptime" for all on the Wolfe's front porch :)

This was SO cute!  Jackson asked to go get Momo and laid him down for a nap with the girls' dolls.  I suggested he take Momo for a walk that night after dinner in his little stroller.  He LOVD it!  Then the other day we took a family walk with Pax, and Jackson asked to take Momo in the stroller again--he usually rides his bike, but he was so happy pushing Momo along :) 

The Belly Report: Almost 25 Weeks!

Of course the past couple of Sundays I have started the day with every intention of taking my weekly Belly Report picture on the actual day of the week when we move from one week to the next...and then I get distracted...  I took this week's picture yesterday, but am not getting it posted until today...  We are 24 1/2 weeks pregnant, and the weather was in the 70s yesterday!  Jackson and I celebrated by taking our update picture outside on the porch and hanging up some St. Patrick's Day decorations :)

This week, Sammy is about as long an ear of corn.  Sammy is supposedly just over a pound in weight and about a foot long!  According to Baby Center, Sammy's taste buds are continuing to develop and his lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree."  He's going to work on plumping up in the coming weeks, and his skin will become less translucent.

As I was looking back at the posts from my pregnancy with Jackson, I read a post about the first time I felt pregnant to the public!  LOL  This time hasn't felt as desperate with wanting the rest of the world to know I was pregnant, mostly because I started showing so much earlier, but I have noticed more people chatting to Jackson about the baby brother or sister he is getting soon (like when we are standing in line). That's pretty fun :)

Sammy is still moving around a ton, but it's hard to catch a good time for Josh to feel!  His kicks are really strong inside of my, but they don't translate on to the outside as well yet for him to feel him really reliably...

As I was cleaning the house yesterday, I realized how uncomfortable it is to pick up and then lay back down the bathroom rugs!  LOL  That is pretty brutal.  I also cannot comfortably sit in a chair with my legs crossed :(  And, I continue to count down the days until I can wear flip flops since tying my shoes gives me a bout of heartburn each time I bend over.  All of these are totally trivial, and I could not be happier to adjust my lifestyle and slow down for Sammy :)

Flashbacks:  Yay Daddy! 
Popcorn Sam!
On to the Next Phase!

Sticker Chart Success!

We have been SOOO lucky in the sleep department!!!  Jackson has more than his fair share of early wake-up stints, BUT since he was three months old, he has gone to bed consistently without too much intervention on our part.  I had gotten really used to that, however, and forgot how lucky we were when Jackson started taking forever to fall asleep at naptime and bedtime!  This included getting out of bed numerous times.  He got a cold right around the end of January, and it threw him for a loop!  Sheesh!  It was just a cold, but he was SO off!  He started waking up crazy early, in the middle of the night, and then taking forever to go to sleep at sleep times.  Once I knew he was healthy again, I decided to fix this new habit.  I know it is totally normal for toddlers to go through the loooong list of stall techniques, but we had totally skipped that, even with the transition to the Big Boy Bed, and I saw no reason to back-track.  I did a little research online, and came across an idea for Sleep Rules.  

I made a poster to hang by Jackson's bedroom, and listed the rules.

Jackson's Sleep Rules

#1: Stay in bed!

#2: Close your eyes!

#3: Stay very quiet!

#4: Go to sleep!

I attached a sticker chart so he could collect a sticker after each successful sleep.  I made a REALLY big deal about this when I showed it to him, and he was PUMPED about the "Toy Story" stickers, so he was ready to go!  It made a HUGE difference right away!  He didn't get out of bed once the first three sleep attempts.  Then it sort of transitioned to I would go in once, remind him that he wouldn't get a sticker if he didn't go right to sleep, and that was the end of it!  To me, a large part of parenting is understanding MY goal.  It wasn't super important to me to have Jackson actually stay in bed right away.  I just wanted to get away from the 45 minute routine after laying him down.  Going in once while I'm already upstairs doing something I'd do anyways is fine with me.  So, I consider the whole experiment a success :)

After Jackson got 10 stickers (five days worth of naps and bedtimes--Monday-Friday), I took him to Target to choose a new car!  He picked out a really cool pink Hot Wheels :)  I chose 10 because I figured that was enough days to really establish a new routine, it wasn't too many days where he would feel like he was never getting his reward, and had it end at a time where I knew our schedule would allow us to go right away to reward him!  

Jackson memorized the sleep rules almost right away, and still likes to repeat them before I lay him down :)

The Belly Report: Busy Boy!

Over the last two weeks, I have felt Sammy moving ALL the time! I LOVE feeling all of his movements, but it's hard to remember that at this point it's not really punches and kicks, but full-body flips!  He's still pretty small, and it's hard to not jump ahead to thinking I feel his big head, bum, or knees!

We are now in our 24th week of pregnancy, and I'm really feeling pretty good.  I am definitely bigger than I was at this point with Jackson, but that's ok!  Tying my shoes is getting trickier, as is zipping my winter coat...  Jackson still fits on my lap, and I absolutely LOVE when he snuggles up to me while we read stories and puts his hand on my belly :)  This past weekend Brodie Bascom was over with the rest of his fam, and Jackson was SO sweet with him!  I cannot wait to watch Jackson be a big brother to his very own baby brother!  I am quite nervous the cuteness will keep me in hormonal tears most of the time... :/

Last week, when Sammy was 22 weeks along, he was about the size of a spaghetti squash!  Sammy's features are continuing to develop and be more distinct.  At 23 weeks along, Sammy was the size of a mango.  Blood vessels are developing in his lungs to help him prepare for breathing.  Sammy also can hear a lot more sounds--I hope he enjoys his big brother's conversations during the day as much as I do ;)

Last week, pre-Super Bowl, we got the nursery all decorated!  There will certainly be pictures coming soon, but I LOVE walking by it each day and imagining the little boy that will come home to it in a few months :) :) :)

Flashbacks: Never Eaten This One...

Holy Mango!