Omaha Trip 2013

Last week, instead of Daddy Phillip just going to Omaha for meetings alone... Callie, myself and my mother decided to take a road trip with him!  It had been over a year since she had gotten to see her Great Grammie and Grandfather Faith and with them being just 3 1/2 hours away... we decided why not make the trip!  My mother came as a "nanny" to watch Callie during a business dinner that I attended with Phillip on Tuesday night... it was such a fun trip and I'm so glad we were able to go!

 

Here's a few photos from our trip!

 

 

We arrived to Omaha on Monday night... and on Tuesday, after some room service breakfast :), we headed out to the Children's Museum.  It was SOO fun!

Mommy even played with Bitty... for a little bit!

This whole farm section was hilarious!!!  Callie could pick corn!  Just like Daddy! (Well... sort of... but Phillip did get his first official load of corn yesterday... so that means Fall Harvest has hit Salina!)

And her helped check Gee out in the grocery store...

And then her made Gee sit down in the little house while she cooked Gee dinner with all of her yummy groceries...

And her even talked Gee into a Carousel ride!

And the fact that you could milk the rubber utters on the cow left me cracking up... Callie just kept saying "it no work Mommy!"

Then... while the boys attended more meetings on Wednesday... the girls got to go out on a lunch date!  Callie was very happy to see Great Grammie Mona, who is Grammie Woo's Mommy!

 The girls out to lunch!  (Gee took the photo, of course)... and after we ate the delicious meal... Great Grammie Mona got to feel her newest Great Grandbaby kick!  Little Man Van Court was so happy to have such a yummy lunch that he was wiggling all around!

 And a trip to Omaha isn't complete without sweet kisses from Great Grammie...

The Group!  Callie being a bug... she was so excited to see Daddy!

Great Grammie spoiled both of her Great Van Court babies... giving the Little Man the softest, most handsome blue blanket that will be perfect for bringing him home from the hospital in chilly November... she was right, after all... Callie's old pink blankets simply won't do for the little man!

And Bitty got a new book!  Her loves her book!  And Mommy loves it because it reminds her of beautiful Naples, Florida... it's absolutely my paradise and Grammie gave it to Callie to remind her of that paradise that we've all gotten to share.

 

We had a fabulous time in Omaha... and of course, a special thanks to Gee for sharing a hotel room with Bitty and keeping me company while Phillip had a full couple of days of meetings... Mother's only request is to go somewhere a little more exciting for her next "nanny" job :).

 

Love, Licks, Kisses & Kicks from all of us!



A Duck Emergency

So as anyone that has ever previously read this blog before knows... Duck or Duck Duck Goose is a pretty important character in our lives.  We can't leave the house without him, don't you dare think about putting Callie to bed without him nestled in her tiny hands, and if her little world falls apart he is the one she wants to make things better.  So, when Duck's nipple (I know, it seems so strange, just continue reading and it will make sense... I promise!) broke... Callie was very distraught.  I could tell it was going to happen, the silicone pacifier nipple attached to Duck's beak was showing quite a bit of wear, not because Callie sucks on it... but because she rubs it in between her fingers as a sort of comfort thing for herself.  But when the nipple finally gave out... poor Callie just cried and pouted over how Duck was "broke".  Of course, this character that I chose for her before she was born (not having any idea as to whether or not she would actually take to it!) has been long since discontinued and purchasing another on the Internet, or anywhere for that matter, is... impossible (trust me... I've spent many nap times searching the web for another one!).

Luckily... when Duck finally gave out... we were with Gee (my mother).  The ever talented, creative, home-EC professional woman she is took on the challenge of repairing Duck.  I had promised Callie that Gee would fix Duck and Gee wasted no time disassembling his beak and replacing the nipple.  Perhaps she wouldn't admit it to just anyone... but she brought him to Callie just before bed one night, with beads of sweat on her brow... saying that it may have been one of the most nerve wracking procedures she'd done to date.  She was worried about not being able to reassemble him to Callie's liking... but, as amazing as Gee is, she came though.  Callie took one look at Duck Duck Goose, hugged him, and said "Duck all better now!"  Whew!  What a blessing my mother is!  And now... we are all living just happily ever after with Duck.


The broken removed nipple

As Callie complained "It not wooork mama!!"

 A repaired Duck

What a fabulous job Gee did!  Thanks Gee!

Oh, Hello 3rd Trimester!

 

We've got 10 weeks to go until we meet our little man... and still SOOO much to do!  We haven't chosen a name yet (shocking, I realize this!) and haven't yet started a nursery!  I suppose two married procrastinators could be the easiest explanation for why nothing is done.  Oh well... there's still time :) (and if there isn't, then that's what family is for, right?)

 

So I feel enormous this time... (I'm certain most pregnant women do) and after a routine 28 week Ultrasound... I now know why... Phillip's son is HUGE!  His head alone measured in the 96% (keep in mind that an average sized head would be 50%)... so while I'm grateful he is a healthy growing boy... I'm also quite happy that he is not my first baby!  Phillip weighed in at 7 lbs 11 oz 3 weeks early... so who knows what we're in for with this big guy!

 

Along with our routine Ultrasound, we had a 4D Ultrasound done... which was simply AMAZING!  We got to see exactly what our little man looks like!  And it's incredible how much the technology has changed in just 2 1/2 years (since Callie's 3D ultrasound).  Some of you on the mass texting list received the images by phone... but I'll post a couple here too!

 

In other good news, I am much healthier with this pregnancy, too.  After having lab work done, my blood sugar results came back within normal range and I'm not anemic (as I was with Callie) and I'm gaining weight appropriately (as evidenced by my huge tummy and the frequent comments and looks of awe from strangers when I tell them I still have 2 months to go).  Callie will just forever be our Bitty Baby... and now we're about to experience a Tank of a child.

 

28 weeks Pregnant

Left Image: with Callie      Right Image: Current Pregnancy

 

 

Little Man Van Court... 28 weeks Gestation... snoozing with his eyes closed... the uneven surface of his face is just a result of the amniotic fluid around him.

 

After several responses... he has the nose and lips of his big sister Callie (my mother and Auntie Stef) and the chin of his father (Grammie Lou).

 

 

One of our first baby gifts... from the Graber's!!!  Mandi got a new toy (an embroidery machine) and made us the ADORABLE weenie dog burp cloth and bib... and also made us receiving blankets with matching burp clothes!  In none other than Batman (who Callie thinks is totally awesome) and Superman material (Phillip's TRUE favorite super hero).  Thank you Mandi... because of you, and Auntie Erin... perhaps this little man won't be clothed in all pink, after all!

 

 

 

And a very special thank you to Auntie Erin for sharing all of Mav's baby clothes with us!!!  Because of her... we literally need nothing to clothe a boy!  Please excuse the garbage bags... she had them so neatly organized into plastic tubs... but in order to get it all back to Salina, along with everything we had already taken to Cheyenne it was the only way to make it all fit in the back of the trusty ol Ravy!

 

 

And yes everyone... it's officially... Bitty has her "Big Girl Bed"... if you haven't already gotten to hear all about it!  She's quite proud and LOVES that it's Green (her very favorite color!).  Daddy even recently finished the trundle bed portion... so now it's all ready for her first sleepover with Auntie Pup in a couple of weeks!

 

(My baby looks so tiny in her Big bed!)

And a sad day for us... the last Post/Van Court playdate.  Some of you may know that Seth Post (one of Phillip's groomsmen) had been running the Minneapolis, Kansas Scoular elevator... but had an opportunity that he couldn't pass up come along, so now he'll be running a brand new "shuttle loading" elevator out of Falls City, Nebraska.  The two little babies got along so well and had so much fun together... we're hoping to be able to meet up with them a couple of times throughout this fall when they're in Manhattan cheering on the Wildcat's for football games.  One of our favorite things to do is to wear all KU apparel when playing... and getting Baby Alex to sport it too :)

 

Neither of us probably would've stayed around Salina forever... it would have been inevitable that one of us would have had to move... I just wish we could have had longer together!  I'll miss having the babies play together!



 

 

And I'll share just a couple more photos today... it's rare that we get a photo with all 3 of us in it... but we got one!  It was on our Chicago trip to visit the McCann's... we spent a Saturday afternoon at a Children's Museum where I'm not sure if Daddy or Callie had more fun!

 

 

 

Love, Kisses, Licks and (much stronger!) baby Kicks!