It's a GIRL...maybe :)

Finnean has been insisting that Cozmo is a little "guurlll" or how ever he says girl in his sweet little voice.  I will ask him if he likes our boy name and he will say...NO! Cozmo is a girl!  He will then call her Cozmo _______.  It is so sweet.  Makes me love the little girl name even more.  I continue to think boy but he is starting to convince me that maybe he knows something that I don't know.  We will find out soon enough!

Baby Sprinkle

On June 18th, Kelcee and Stephanie threw a baby sprinkle for Cozmo and me.  It was perfect and so much fun.  The elegant, yet simple, bird-theme was gorgeous.  The afternoon was filled with laughter and good conversation.  Each guest brought a home-cooked meal for us to put in our freezer to eat when our little one comes!  The girls sprinkled us with gifts as well, super cute stuff that I am sure you will see on the blog in the future.  I am so thankful to have these wonderful women in my life that help me balance being a mom, wife and friend.  You are all amazing!

Stephanie, Courtney, Megan, Kelcee and Michelle
(this is not everyone...we just didn't a picture of all of us together!)

Beautiful table.
 It was a perfect setting for the intimate shower. 

Gorgeous hand-crafted place setting.

Beautiful!

Put a bird on it!

He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge.
Psalm 91:4

Giving Cozmo some love!

Showing off the custom swaddle blanket that everyone at the shower decorated.   Kelcee came up with this awesome art project for Cozmo.  Everyone put their hands on the blanket to cover him/her with their love.   

Me with my two amazing hostesses!  The shower was wonderful and absolutely beautiful! 
Thank you girls-much love to you!

Des Moines Arts Festival-2011

Finnean working on a picket fence post a community garden.  Very cool project for the little ones!

Adding a few more splashes.

:)

The smock was huge but made him look even cuter!

The middle one is his finished product.  Pretty good-we think we need to let him go to town on a canvas for some art in our house.

Playing with Daddy-I think he is happy. 

Cozmo!!! 
36 weeks down...4 to go!

This was just after Finnean went PEE in a public bathroom for the first time!!! He rocked it!! We were so excited!

Finnean's attempt at winking.  I am not really that good at it either and I was the one who was showing him how to wink ;)

This is Finnean showing me his teeth.  Silly boy!

Finnean hanging with one of his best pals, Matt. 

Looking sweet as ever.

Cheese!!

Just hanging around...

"Sleeping" in the kitchen...

Maybe not...just being cute.

Working on a mural with Daddy.

Check out Finnean's new big boy bike! Thanks Grandma!

He is super pumped about how fun it is and it has a little bell on it.  He will ding it when he is ready to go:)

Finnean the Potty Training Superhero

Check out this crazy outfit.  This is how we spent the last 4 days.  T-shirt, undies (Superhero or Buzz Lightyear) and socks of course.  Every Superhero needs socks.  I am thankful that we were instructed to just put undies on the little guy, as pants would add to my laundry load!

Silly boy!

Jerry looks less than impressed that Finnean wanted to snuggle with him :)

Happy Father's Day!!!

For Father's Day Finnean and I got Michael and his dad, Richard AKA Poppa, a round of golf in Pella.  Michael didn't know for the longest time what the surprise was...he squeezed it out of me the night before (kinda hard for me to get the golf clubs off of the wall in the garage being so pregnant).  Then he didn't know his dad was going to be there until about 40 minutes until we were ready to go...he tried to say let's just go another day.  We couldn't go another day because Lisa and Richard were meeting us in Pella!  So in the end it was kind of a surprise but I think they had a great time golfing together.  Lisa, Finnean and I had a great time exploring Pella and then meeting the boys for lunch.  It was a great way to celebrate Michael.  He does so much for us and is such an amazing Daddy to Finnean...we love you!!

Michael, Poppa, Finnean and Herky getting ready for the golf game.

Michael and Richard-they don't look anything alike, do they!?!

Happy Birthday Mommy!



Last week was my birthday and my boys sure do take care of me!  We had a great day together and this is the sweet birthday card that Finnean and Daddy made for me.  Goodness he is cute! 

Fun with Grandma Lisa

"I hold Grandma's hand!"
Last week Grandma Lisa was in DM and we went to lunch together.  Finnean loved spending time with her.

Lunchtime:)

That same week we met Grandma in Pella and went to breakfast.  Check out this awesome Mickey Mouse pancake.  It was HUGE and Finnean did a number on it...it was really good!

Taking a break after that big pancake.

Run, run, run!!

Grandma helping Finnean work on the cannon.  Yes-there was a cannon in the park in Pella-he loved it!  Kept him entertained for a solid 40 minutes!

30 days...

I just noticed on the side of my blog that our "Countdown to Cozmo" is at 30 days!  O MY GOODNESS!!!  That does not seem like a very long time at all.  Early this week I also realized that in about a week we will be full-term by medical standards and as a friend reminded me this week that if you start going into labor they will not try to get you to stop, which also means we could really have a baby anytime!  We have been talking to Cozmo a lot that he needs to stay in there and cook a little longer.  I would be okay with July 18th.  That doesn't seem too far away and he would be 39 weeks!  His little movements have gotten less abrupt and more of a sliding around and shifting his whole body around, more alien like :)  Finnean was sitting on my lap yesterday and Cozmo was moving all around.  He thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen and couldn't stop laughing.  Just about melted my heart.  He also took all of his "friends (stuffed animals)" in his room and called them babies.  He would say "O that baby is crying, I 'll change the diaper" or "Mommy you pat that baby he is crying."  He made me swaddle all of his animals-pretty sweet little guy! 

As for Cozmo-we had a regular check up on Wednesday and everything is going great.  Doc had no concerns and all my questions continue to be normal!!  We start going every week until the little person is born!  It is absolutely craziness!  I am starting to feel a little more "ready."  Everyone keeps asking us if we are ready...I guess so!?!?   We had all the stuff for Finnean-so surely we can do it again!  I was really worried about getting a baby book (got it!), diapers (Michael finally let me buy some!!) and a double stroller so we are not trapped in the house (check! Thanks to Grandma and Poppa it arrived yesterday!!!).  So now we just need more diapers.  I remember going through them much more quickly than I ever thought!  I can't get over how tiny they are!!  Yesterday Finnean and I washed and folded all of the little newborn clothes we have.  O they are sooo tiny and smelled so good being washed in the baby detergent.  It took me back to when my Big Boy was soooo little.  I am still just a tad on the emotional side-makes we tear up just thinking about how big he is :)  Michael can attest to the crazy emotions, I am sure!!  We also cleaned out the closet in the kids' room, so there is room for little Cozmo stuff.  Michael got the pack and play set up so he has a place to sleep when he gets home from the hospital.  Next, I need to get the car seat washed up and we should be good to go!!  Stay tuned for more news on little Cozmo.  We have maternity pictures tomorrow...so excited!!

Potty Training!?!

You might think we are crazy to potty train Finnean before the baby gets here in about 4 1/2 weeks.  I think we are a little crazy too.  We had hoped to do it earlier in the Spring but it just didn't work out to have our schedule completely clear.  So we tackled it this week.  We are on day four of the Three Day Potty Training Method.  My goodness are we tired!  We have had some "accidents" but for the most part he has done great!  Today-I am not sure he even has a clue what we did for the last three days...but This Too Shall Pass AND if it doesn't I need to be checked into to a crazy house for moms.  So it has got to get better today-I am actually blogging to reflect on how awesome he has done this week and hopefully re-energize me with a little hope that he can do it!  He pees in the potty and he can tell you when he has to go and he has even gone poop in the potty (which for our friends it was a real struggle)!  Last night he even "tried" to go potty before bed and pee came out!  He gets so excited and so do we!  He is trying really hard to keep his "Superheros and Buzz Lightyears" dry while we are on this adventure.  He hasn't been outside since Monday-we are both getting a little crazy!  Tonight we are going to try our first outing!!  Wish us luck!!  I forgot to mention how stinkin' cute he looks in his big boy underwear!! 

Cozmo's Update

Growing, growing, growing! 
33 1/2 weeks down!
I have noticed that I look MUCH more tired in this picture than last one.  I sometimes forget that I am pregnant and try to do too much...so I am trying to take it easy!! 

Cozmo continues to rock his doctor's appointments.  We are going every two weeks (one more time) and then we will be weekly!! At our appointment on Wednesday the heartbeat was 150 beats per minute and everything checked out great.  It is crazy how quickly it has gone and how big Cozmo seems.  He has been doing some pretty sweet movements around 9-10 at night.  It is amazing how much we can feel him moving around and it almost grosses Michael out sometimes.  It is so fun to watch!  We just want to know what he is doing in there!!  He is up to about 4 pounds and 18 inches long!  So the next few weeks, there is some plumping up to do...hopefully not by me!  Sweets continue to be my favorite thing ever.   Only one late night craving for McDonald's chicken nuggets.  My vote has officially changed to Cozmo is a boy.  I had a dream last week that we were introducing him as our little boy name to everyone.  I also have a friend that is about a week behind and she is having a little girl, we look completely different.  Michael doesn't really have a thought if it is a boy or a girl, he says that I think about it way more than he does :)  He knows that it is one or the other!  Who knows...we have only a few more weeks until we find out!!  We are so excited and can't wait to meet our little person!!

Paci Update...

WHOOO!!! We are making great progress!!  Nighttime is not the issue he is doing great without fussing or giving us any grief.  Naptime is a little harder...which is harder on me :)  I believe on Monday I sent a text to Michael that went something along the lines of "Please, please stop and buy a paci on your way home from home.  He can have it until he is 16."  Needless to say, that was a moment of weakness...we will both make it, our naps are just getting cut short and that is hard on the pregnant, highly-emotional Mom!  Today he was back to a two hour nap...which is perfect!  I am so thankful for that!

Today he was helping me fold towels and he loves to lay on them fresh out of the dryer and he said he was going night-night but he needed his paci.  I said you don't have a paci remember and he said "O there it is!!"  He found a tiny wash cloth and put it up to his cheek and said..."there's my paci!"  What a silly boy-he obviously has not forgotten about it!

Swimming with Grady and Jace!

This picture just tugs at my heart strings.  In one look, he looks so old, heading off with his friends but then looking back and wondering...is it safe Mommy...should I go?  He is gaining such independence but thankfully still checks in with me to make sure things are safe...most of the time :)

Having fun!!

Our friends!!
Grady, Stephanie and Jace

So big!  It makes me smile that he wore the same trunks and shirt last summer...must have been a bit baggy.  They actually fit this year!

Splash!!
Finnean was pretty good a not splashing people because he did NOT like to be splashed.  Grady got him in the face one time and after that he spent a lot of time with his shoulders slumped and head down...I think it hurt his feelings and scared the heck out of him!  Not to mention the water was shockingly cold!!

:)

Getting a little more comfortable!

JETS!!
Two fighter jets kept flying around and Finnean loved it.  He would get so excited each time they flew by.  Grady said "airplane!!"  Finnean very sternly (a little sassy) that "Not airplanes!  It is a jet!!"  Stephanie put it well.  Finnean is very specific!

Drying off before we walked home!  They had so much fun!  Today Finnean keeps saying..."I go swimming yesterday with Grady."  I wish you could here it...he says yesterday, in the cutest little way!

Random pictures!

Here are a few pictures from Michael's phone.  As I posted these it appears that we go out to eat a lot.  We really are doing good with our out-to-eat budget, we just must take a lot of pictures when we are out and about...most of these are from the past month or so!  Enjoy!

Finnean making sure that Abby is making a dinosaur as requested at our fav place to eat after church is Drake Diner...so yummy!

Grrrr!  I am strong!

Boys looking good, on the way to church!

YUM!  Summer is here!  Finnean loved the corn on the cob that we had at Grandma and Poppa's house!

My little date...look at his arm up on my shoulder!

Mmmm...we love Culvers...mainly for the frozen custard that we get for FREE with our Scoopie meals.  Yes, we all get the kid's meal.  It is the perfect portion and we love a sweet treat!!

At The Manhattan for a lunch date with Daddy.  Probably the best sandwich place in Des Moines. 

DONUTS!  This boy loves donuts...wait.  Maybe it is that I can't get enough donuts right now (I blame Cozmo).

Waiting patiently for our table.

"We sharing Mom"

Cheeto hands!

Just hanging around!

Thumbs up for the Navy!  Thanks cousin Josh for serving our country!