Two and a Half

Collins turned 2 1/2 years old on the 21st! I took a picture of him standing against his growth chart. What you can't tell here is the tantrum that ensued when I took down said chart. It was like I had taken away every toy in the house.

Here are some recent sayings of my 2 1/2 year old this past month:

• While MawMaw was trying to change him one day she said, "Ooh! I see a booty crack!" He turned around real quick and asked, "Who cracked it?"
• Frequently wants to know: "What IS dat noise?" or "Who IS dat daddy?" (the men he sees at preschool are daddies, not men)
• On the way to school one morning I was telling him about how he's been to UA several times. I said, "Not every kid can say that, Collins." He asked, "It's rude?" 
• Doesn't end the blessing with "ottoman" any more :( Well, sometimes, but now it's on purpose.)
• When we're driving/riding, he watches the traffic lights and will say, "Peas don't turn red!" (or "ahh-doh" which is Collins for "yellow")
• Sitting at a red light one day he looked over at the car next to us and calmly said, "Hey woman."
• "I see Big Bull!" any time we see a bulldozer. Big Bull is a character in his Lightning McQueen book.
• Tells me pretty frequently: "I a man." I just say, "Okay."
• "I can't be comfy." Every time he lays his head on his pillow. Like right now. He's calling me "Mommy Tiff Lau-wen! I can't be comfy!"
• Last time he got a haircut there was a grandmother there with her two granddaughters. She happened to tell him her name was MawMaw. That was confusing for about five seconds, then he embraced it and started calling her MawMaw. 
• The real MawMaw taught him to say, "Boom-cha-co-la-ka!" when he bumps into something. The girls in the church nursery like that one :)
• Sings "Ring around the Moses!" Also a fan of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," "Happy Birthday," and other songs. He loves music and dances to music on tv.
• Pretends to be a doctor and a mailman. Any time he sits on a stool or bench he says he's a doctor. Has seen the real mailman twice and gets so excited! Thinks doctors have sharp tools because...I told him they do. May have been a mistake. But he was about to put a coin in his mouth; I had to use drama.
• One day I commented on the pretty flowers blooming and said it was almost time for Spring! He said, "Plant tomatoes?! Dat bunny come, bring surprises?!"
• He knows from his little Bible that Jesus died on a "toss" and that now He "Is alive! He feel better!" One day I said, "Yes! He rose!" Collins said, "I give it to you, Mommy." Took me a few minutes, but I figured out he was thinking of a flower :)
• "Oh my gwaycious!"
• Has told Jake and me, on two different occasions: "You're making me nervous."
• Asked Jake one morning, "What you doin' with dat belly?" Jake was surprised and said, "I don't know, son, just totin' it around I guess." 
• While praying for little Malley Jane McMullen to get better he said, "Help Malley Jane; dat white thing on her nose (breathing tube); and her heart beep." 
• I have started using the term "dilly dally" to describe his stalling. He uses it too, but not completely appropriately. Says, "I dilly dally in my room." Like it's a game or something.
• Speaking of games, the other day he was saying, "Duck, duck, duck, duck....RUN!"
• "Pan-ta-ry" for pantry
• "You member dat?!"
• We had to go to the bank last week and sign a million papers because we refinanced our house. Collins had to go too because he was staying home sick that day. He had a low grade fever that morning, but was all better by lunch time. He was in the room with us and the notary. He looked under the table at her feet and then at me. "Her got bare feet?" I glanced and said, "No, but you can see her toes." He looks back at the lady. Dead serious: "I wanna smell 'em." Oh my goodness...
• Collins and I had a picnic on our patio the other night after the church Easter egg hunt. I had some oranges I was eating and offered him one. He though for a minute then declined: "I have some at my office." 
• Pretends to have a wreck sometimes. I'll say, "Call the ambulance!" So he does: "am-ba-nance!!!!"
• "Who makin' dat racket?"
• Has 'schooled' Jake and me on the procedure for poo-pooing in the potty. Basically, if you poo-poo in the potty, you get an M&M. It's not an idea or a suggestion. It's the way it works.
• "I wanna see dat Eassie Bunny."
• "Et ME do it!" 
• "No! NnnnnO!" (tantrum talk)
• "Paddy fads" (lily pads)
• The other night when Scott and Ann were visiting we went to Outback. Collins was so good! The boy ate steak, broccoli, bread and butter, Bloomin' Onion, RAW ONION from my salad, and fruit. He has a great appetite! He also loves edamame. I've started sending it in his lunch box!
• I told him about my dream the other night. "You, MawMaw, PawPaw, and I went to the zoo. You and MawMaw went to see the monkeys. Y'all jumped off a big tree root and went high in the air, and I took a picture!" Since then, he's said "Tell about dat zoo" a lot!
• He gives the BEST hugs and kisses! He will smooch hard, but doesn't smack...it's a sweet kiss in the end :) Tells Jake he loves him "whole much" and me "with all my heart." 
• He is doing great without a pappus and in his big boy bed!

Five Points Egg Hunt

I took Collins to the Easter egg hunt at our church last night. Jake had to be out of town, so he didn't get to go. We had a good time!

The church provided the eggs and waaay overestimated for the preschool age, so every child was allowed to find up to 60 eggs. Haha! They made it really difficult for them too:

Pointing out that this is Jesus.

I love this picture because I have mental images of him running like this. He is so cute when he runs!

Collins and Caroline

That hair in action!

"Choo Choo!"

The preschoolers hunted eggs in the Prayer Garden. Until yesterday, I didn't even know our church had a prayer garden. We have been going there about five years.

After the egg hunt the church provided snacks for everyone. Collins kept sticking his finger in the cupcakes on the tray, so he ended up getting three of them just to protect other people from his germs.

I love this picture of the kids playing with Miss Amber...Collins cracks me up with his love of pockets :)

Mall Fun

MawMaw and PawPaw came over on Saturday and we took Collins to the mall. I bought his Easter outfit that I have to exchange because I didn't make him try it on at the store, and he got to see the Easter Bunny! Collins wanted no part of touching him:

The looking at a distance thing was just fine with him. I have to say, the Easter Bunny looks a little creepy. I don't think I've ever seen one look non-creepy. People just shouldn't wear bunny suits as a general rule.

We went by the Bunny's station about three times so Collins could sit on the steps, wave, and tell me, "He can't talk."

Then we rode the choo-choo train!

Then we went home and he fought like heck not to take a nap. But, overall, it was a fun day :)

See Ya, Pappus!

On Sunday night Collins gave up his pappus (paci)! It kind of came out of nowhere. We'd been talking a little about how eventually pappus will get a hole in it--just like the red one did--and we'll have to throw it away. "Then you'll be a real big boy! And we'll get to buy a big boy toy!!"

Well, he stuck pappus in my mouth on Sunday night and I noticed there was a hole in it..a pretty big one. He confirmed my observation and declared, "I go throw it away." I said, "Are you sure? Because we can't buy a toy right now, all the stores are closed." That didn't matter. He marched right into the kitchen and threw that thing away like a champ. We made a huge deal about how proud we were that he was now a big boy! I jumped up and down in the kitchen and all.

Back in his room, I kissed him goodnight, tucked him in, and closed the door. As soon as the door closed:

"I want my pappus. Where's pappus?"

I went in and talked to him for a little while, then decided to just let him cry. Jake didn't like that idea. He thought Collins was feeling like he was being punished. So he went in and talked to him and prayed with him about it. How sweet is that? Jake told him he's now in the big boy club, just like Daddy and Poppa and PawPaw. Collins asked if other people didn't need a pappus, like Mommy, MawMaw, Grammy, Hank, Chloe Jean Belle (my parents' dog whose name gets added to often). After their talk, it was all okay. He did great without his pappus all night!

On Monday morning, he woke up and said, "I get a big boy toy?!" I said, "Yes! Today after preschool we'll go to the toy store!" It rained Monday morning. I guess to represent the mood ;) These are unrelated to pappus; just cute to Mommy:

I took off work an hour early. During the ride, I explained that he can pick any toy he wants, unless I say it's too expensive or too dangerous. Good thing I gave that disclaimer. Here's the first thing he went for:

The toys we saw before the big electric trucks or cars he'd say: "I don't like dat." or "Put dat down; dat's somebody else's."

He 'rode' in every one of the big cars/trucks, and I have to say he looked pretty cute in that Mini Cooper. Then he spotted a tricycle. And I was glad I had brought him to Toys R Us on a Monday at 4pm so it wasn't crowded. He took off.

Finally, we settled on a set of three Army trucks. See how pumped he was about these compared to the other toys?

As an extra surprise, I took him to McDonald's for dinner. He LOVED that of course! We had an accident in the parking lot because I failed to take him to the bathroom at Toys R Us. Silly Mama. So, we changed in the car. Then went to the bathroom for me. Then started eating. Then went to the bathroom for Collins. Then finished eating. A little tiring!

Monday night I reiterated how proud I was of him being a big boy about not needing pappus. Jake was out of town Monday night, so I had to tackle the pappus withdrawals alone. And there were, indeed, withdrawals. At first, it was all good. Then the door closed. I went in once to remind him of his new status, then stayed out while this ensued:

"Mommy? Mommy! Mommy Tiff!! I want my pappus. Mommy Tiff Doodin! Mommy David? Mommy!! Tiffany! Tiffany! Tiff-fa-NY!! Open dat door!! Dat white one! OPEN-IN IT!"

Then it got quiet and he went to sleep. Whew. Tuesday and Wednesday nights were better. He cries and yells and wants "one more hug/kiss/sleep in your bed," but it stops after about 10 minutes. He came out of his room last night and Jake walked him back in and talked to him. Hopefully, he'll get better about staying put.

It's hard to give up your pappus! But he's doing a great job. And we have an official big boy!

15 Weeks/Baby Goodin Update!

Yesterday marked the 15th week of my pregnancy! It is going by really quickly. I can't believe I'm already in the second trimester.

The 'cheesiness' has subsided a good bit, so I'm glad not to feel nauseated so much any more. Overall, I am feeling really well! I've moved into more maternity clothes; actually went on Monday and bought a couple of more pieces. And finally found my old maternity clothes! Jake saw them in a bag...all together...when he went back in the attic. Told him so!

I am trying really hard to sleep on my side now. Pretty much to no avail. I always flip over. I bought a Boppy Body Pillow because I couldn't have survived without it last time. It has helped some, but I am just a back sleeper...all there is to it.

I am hungry all. the. time. I eat chips every morning around 8:30 or 9. This is after my breakfast, of course. Then I have fruit, chocolate, etc. throughout the day. I love ice cream and last night had plain Lay's dipped in mustard for a snack. That was a favorite last time, too. My co-worker, Amy, gets invited to lunch dates even more than normal now, but she usually doesn't get to choose the place. Luckily, I still like good restaurants :)

I'm expecting to feel little flutters or taps in there any day now! Last time it was around 20 weeks when I started to feel Collins, but everyone says you can feel the second one sooner. I hope so...I love that feeling!

Amy took a picture of me yesterday to mark the 15th week:

Oh! And on Monday when I went to Motherhood to buy that dress, some pants, and leggings, look where I parked:

I was pumped! I never got the opportunity to take advantage of a 'Reserved for Expectant Mothers' sign last time! I even felt a little guilty since I'm not showing all that much yet (to strangers). So I tried to stick my tummy out a little while I was walking up to the mall ;)

One day last week Jake called me at work and told me to walk downstairs to the parking lot. He delivered a piece of strawberry cake from Newk's...one of my favorite desserts! Sweet hubby!

We found out yesterday afternoon that we'll have a spot for the baby at preschool if we want it! It will be open in August. The bad part is that we have to start paying in August, even though he/she won't attend until late October-ish. Oh well, that's the rule. We'll deal with it. It's kind of sad thinking this baby won't get to stay at Nana Wilda's house. Really sad, actually. But I can't imagine going two different places every morning, especially mornings when Jake is out of town. This opening happened so effortlessly that I'm taking it as a sign that we're doing the right thing. If it doesn't work out for some reason, God will take care of that too...just like He did last time! 

My next appointment is on Monday, the 11th, but there will be no ultrasound. I suppose we'll find out the gender of Baby Goodin sometime in April. I am so ready to know! Collins still thinks I'm having a "baby Mack." Boy or girl, he wants to name the child Mack. He usually says he's having a sister, but I just don't know if I believe him. This morning when I got in his bed to wake him up he said, "You got a baby in you tummy?" I said, "I do!" He said, "I be careful with you." Sweet :)  And helpful :) haha

Looking Sharp on Sunday/Preschool Update

My handsome man didn't cry at all when I dropped him off at church nursery last weekend! He said, "Bye-bye Mommy." I was so proud!

He has cried at preschool this week, but NOT TODAY! He told me he wasn't going to (but he says that a lot), and I told him I was proud and happy when he doesn't cry. I said it was just like church; no need to cry because he knows I'm coming right back. Then we'll go to church tonight and see Katie and Meri Davis, etc., etc.

I fully expected tears again this morning, but he was so big! He kissed and hugged me, then got down, grabbed my leg, kissed it, and said, "bye-bye." Mrs. Anna was holding him, praising him, and he was grinning from ear to ear when I left!

Anna told me just last night that his personality has been coming out more lately. He is talking a lot and acting silly. All that is normal to us, but apparently he hasn't been doing that as much at school. I'm so glad he's finally starting to feel more comfortable! Even if the tears continue (I'm sure they will), at least he's acting more relaxed once he's there. Yay!

Here's a picture Anna sent this morning:

Another Crazy Hair Day?!

Last Friday I picked up Collins from preschool and his afternoon teacher, Miss "E-bev-eff" (Elizabeth), showed me this pic:

She played with his and another boy's hair. This would have been much easier to do for the original crazy hair day, but I have to say...my boy is looking a little like a girl here.

This was the day they celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday, so he wore pajamas to school and got to eat green eggs and ham. I think I would have puked just seeing green eggs.

Big Boy Bed!

Last weekend I decided to annoy ask Jake to go back into the attic and bring down the twin bed. My plan was to put it in the guest room (we now have no guest bed, so bring your air mattress if you come for a visit!) and let Collins gradually get used to the idea of a big boy room. That way if it wasn't a smooth transition he could still use the crib.

We were shocked at how easily he transitioned! He wanted to nap in his new bed Daddy 'made' (Jake put down some slats of wood since we're not using the box spring right now). He napped in it for his nap on Saturday and Sunday, and has slept in it every night as well. Zero problems at this point. I thought for sure he'd try to escape, but so far he's not been adventurous at all.

Since this was supposed to be a slow thing, I didn't even have sheets for the child until the day of when we made a trip to Target. Still no comforter, but it's on the way. And I've been talking to my grad assistant about making an upholstered headboard since he's in scenic design (theatre) and does that kind of stuff all the time. (Surprise, Jake!)

We are going with a sports theme, but it's not why you think. The main reason is because I have wanted to replace that stinking 'baseball fan' ceiling fan since we first moved into the house, but never got around to it. So now we're embracing it. Jake wants to get wall decals from FatHead.com for him. He wants him to have a Spiderman, an Alabama something or other, and a baseball player. Umm, probably not. It still has to be Mama approved!

I didn't realize that last Thursday night was my last time to rock Collins and put him in his crib :( My tummy hurt Friday night so that was Jake's last time. I know, I know...being in a big boy bed is a good thing. It was just so fast!

I also cried one night when I realized I can't remember the last time I put Collins on the changing table to change his diaper. Again, a good problem; I get it. It's just that he was in pull-ups for about two weeks then switched to big boy underwear. The pappus is the last thing we have that makes him a baby!!!

Wow, so much growing up in such a short amount of time. But God is good; it is actually perfect timing with another one on the way. I will still get my fill of diapers, cribs, and pacifiers :)

Do You See It?

I've mentioned before that Collins sometimes sees things artistically when he looks at ordinary objects. I finally remembered to document some of these things. Do you see them?!

That's one of two dogs in the head board. (Look at it upside down.)

The other dog...

The fish on the fan blade.

Kind of fun, huh?!

Mississippi Trip

We took a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to "Mis-si-sap-i" a couple of weekends ago and got to see Granny, Granddaddy, and Maw!

Got to eat at Long's! Collins ate his fish and then mine. And the hush puppies.

Granddaddy had already gotten up, so he missed the photo shoot.

Church at Mont Rose! Collins sat out for about 15 minutes and 'helped preach.' Every time Doug pointed at him he said, "Amen"!