19 Months - 7/30/13

Weight/Length- Just about 29 pounds and 33 inches.

Eating- Same as before, still eating well, not a big fan of veggies. 

 

Sleep- Putting you to bed has become more difficult lately, instead of going right to sleep a lot of times you'll cry when I leave the room and need me to rub your back for a few minutes. We've also discovered if we veer from the normal bedtime routine you have a much harder time going to sleep.

Clothes- Still 18 and 24 months. 

 

Diapers- Size 5 both daytime and overnight.

Appearance- Still a blondie and you got your third haircut this month.

Personality- Still my sweet and rambunctious little boy. You are so curious and love to not only learn new things but show off what you've learned. We're amazed at how well you can follow directions and your memory is getting really good as well. You're definitely a little daredevil, always climbing and jumping. No fear. Also, you make us laugh constantly. Total comedian. 

Likes-
-You've become very attached to your ladybug pillow pet that you sleep with, you now also want it with you at all times even outside the crib.

-Watching School Bus videos and Baby Einstein videos on the iPad. It's the only thing that will keep you quiet for more than 5 minutes.

-You finally enjoy the pool and getting tossed around by daddy.

-Flinging yourself across us on the couch or floor.

-Doing your flashcards

-Pushing your lawn mower

-Bringing us shoes and insisting we put them on.

Milestones-

-Able to understand and follow almost all directions we give.
-Saying many more words including two phrase words.
-Can identify all body parts on yourself and us.
-Got your third haircut (screamed the whole time).
-First trip to Kings Dominion
-Can identify and say several animals including Bird, Cat, Dog, Cow, Pig, Owl

New words that you say regularly and in the right context:

-Nana (what you say when we ask you to say Grandma)
-Mike and Katie (our friend Bryan's kids that you play with)
-No No
-White dog (from the Brown Bear Book)
-Moc (what you call our dog Moxie)
-Shoe
-Not Nice (whenever you bump into something like a table you look at it and say "Not Nice" in a stern voice. So Cute!)
-Nose
-Owl
-Cracker

 

Well THAT happened fast

So yesterday I posted about our car shopping adventures from over the weekend. I mentioned that we had figured out what we wanted we just needed to find one that we could afford. Well for those of you that follow me on Instagram you know we did in fact find one yesterday and I now have a new car!!! Holy Shit!

Kristian ended up finding it online at a dealership about 5 minutes from my office. So he stopped by yesterday afternoon once he was done with work to check it out. After test driving it he called me and told me I had to come look at it, that it was perfect. So my very kind boss let me leave a little early so I could go check it out and it was in fact perfect.

I had already established financing through USAA which offered me the best rate compared to the dealerships and since I have excellent credit the rate I was offered actually made the car affordable. I had a max amount I wanted to spend per month on payments and we are just $1 below that amount! The whole process took about 2 hours and I got to drive home in a new (to me) car. I ended up leaving my car there which we'll pick up at some point today. We've decided to sell it ourselves on Craig's List because we know we can get more for it than if we had traded it in.

Sitting in the office waiting for the paperwork.

 

And here she is!

 

 

I feel like a Rap Star when I drive this.

 

A 2012 GMC Terrain. It only has 19K miles on it and it's fully loaded! Some of the fun features include:

Leather seats

Seat warmers

Remote start

(which will be AWESOME in the winter, so I don't have to get into a cold car)

Navigation System

Blue Tooth

Sunroof

Setup already for XM and Onstar if we want it.

Oh and the car beeps at me if I get too close to another car.

This car looks good on me.

I love all the buttons, though we're still figuring out what everything does.

Hunter's first ride in the new car. He seemed very confused at first but he's already started pointing to it saying "mama" which he did with my old car.

 

I know a lot of these features are pretty common in most cars nowadays but considering that when I bought my Corolla 8 years ago I was excited because it had a built in CD player this car is like driving a spaceship. I don't think Kristian or I really thought we could afford an SUV with all of these upgrades and I would have been fine without them but they sure are nice to have. I will just have to remind myself of them when I'm paying our new car payment each month and when I go to fill up at the gas station.

Adventures in Car Shpping Part 1

We have been talking about getting a new car for a few months now, ever since Kristian sold his 4Runner a couple of months back. He has a truck for work that his boss bought him so we didn't really need his 4Runner, especially since it had 250K miles on it and was breaking down a lot. We knew however that eventually we would want to get another SUV so that we would have more room for family trips, something that would drive well in snow and that would be big enough for him to throw a deer in the back of on his hunting trips. Unfortunately my little Corolla doesn't work for those things.

So the plan is to trade in my Corolla for an SUV that I will use daily but that Kristian can use on the weekends when he goes hunting. We decided to go looking this past weekend to narrow down what we liked and didn't like. Initially I had my eye on a Toyota Highlander and he liked the Honda Pilots.  After looking around at Carmax we both decided we preferred the GMC Acadia. It had everything we wanted and looked really sleek. Surprisingly the pricing was also within our budget. We came close to getting it. The two things that stopped us were; 1. The gas mileage sucks and I have a long commute to work. We couldn't stomach what we would have to pay in gas and 2. Since we hadn't considered Acadia's before we wanted more time to research them. So we walked away.

We got home and looked online and discovered GMC makes a slightly smaller SUV call the Terrain. It's very similar to the Acadia but doesn't have the 3rd row seating (which we really don't need) and gets better gas mileage (though still not as good as my Corolla).

This is a GMC Terrain

 

We went to another dealership on Sunday to test out the Terrains and really liked them. The size is good, it's still very roomy with lots of storage without being "too big" and it has a lot of features we both want. We actually were looking at a new 2013 and again came close to buying it but they couldn't get the pricing where we needed, it was just slightly over budget and I felt like we needed more time to shop around for a better deal. Also, I should note that when we went shopping on Saturday my mom was watching Hunter but on Sunday we had to bring him with us, he did pretty well considering we were there for THREE hours but I definitely wouldn't recommend car shopping with a toddler. The saving grace was the playroom they had there.

 

So that's where we are at right now, we know we want the Terrain, we know what our budget is and how much we can put down it's just a matter of finding the right one for the right price. We have a few more dealerships to check out and our salesguy from Carmax is also on the hunt for us so we could have new car later this week. Honestly, we're not in a rush and frankly the thought of having car payments again after 3 years makes me a bit ill but it needs to happen eventually.

 

 



 

Five on Friday

I decided this week to join another link up that I've seen going around.

 

1. In exactly two weeks I will be here:

Cayman Islands!

 

I'm not looking forward to the actual traveling part, I hate flying, but I am looking forward to some nice relaxing time alone with my husband and being able to sleep in and not having to chase a toddler all over the place.

 

2. We are going to do some preliminary car shopping this weekend, to try to narrow down what we do and don't want. We are looking for a small-mid size SUV since my husband sold his 4-Runner. We need something bigger for weekend and family trips, something that works well in the snow and that my husband can use when he goes camping and hunting. Ideally we would get a hybrid to help with gas but that may be out of our price range. If anyone has any suggestions throw them my way. Right now we are interested in Honda Pilots and Toyota Highlanders.

 

3. As I mentioned on Wednesday I was obsessed with all things Royal baby. Well I must say I'm not a fan of his name. No offense to the other George's of the world but I just don't really like that name. It's such a stuffy, old man type name. I think Alexander would have worked better as the first name.

 

4. So many people are already talking excitedly about fall but here's the thing I kind of hate fall because it means I become a hunting widow. Kristian and I have already had many MANY discussions on how much he's going to be allowed to go hunting on the weekends. I'm not a fan of him being gone ALL day EVERY Saturday for 3 months. The weekend is our family time and I miss him when he's gone all day, not to mention it's exhausting doing the single parent thing every Saturday. I don't know how SAHM do it.

 

5. I've been actually considering getting a tattoo lately (I have none). I know what I want and where but there's the whole pain aspect of it. I went through a period a few years back when I really wanted one (a different one in a different spot) but I chickened out. Kristian wants another one so maybe if he goes I will too.

 

SWW

Happy Wednesday!

 

Linking up with Shannon for another So What Wednesday!

 

This week I'm saying So What if:

 

-I haven't posted in a week. Lots on my mind but no motivation to actually write about it right now.

 

-I was stalking Twitter Monday and Tuesday for updates on the royal baby. I know a lot of people don't care but I LOVE it. I think the royals are fascinating and I love babies so win/win.

 

-I was jealous of how good Kate looked one day after giving birth. Even a stylist couldn't have made me look good. I looked like I had been through a war and could hardly walk let alone wear heels. I guess that's one of the many reasons I'm not a Princess. Kristian thought they should have introduced the baby by lifting it in the air Lion King style.

 

-Watching all the Royal baby coverage hasn't helped my baby fever.

 

-Hunter screaming for 30 minutes last night at midnight DID help my baby fever.

 

-I want to brag about the fact that Hunter slept for over 12 hours, until 8:30am BOTH Saturday and Sunday morning. This NEVER happens. It's like he finally got the memo about what the weekends are. However, he paid us back last night with his screaming fit.

 

-I think Hunter said "oh shit" for the first time Sunday at the pool, after hearing his daddy say it. I just ignored it and didn't make a big deal out of it in hopes he'll forget it. Guess we need to really watch our language now.

 

-We're going car shopping this weekend even though we have no intention of actually buying a car right now. We need to start figuring out what we want at least.

 

-My husband tried to teach me how to "twerk" the other night making me realize he can do it better than I can. True Story.

 



SWW

Linking up again this week with Shannon for So What Wednesday!

 

So what if:

 

-When I found out my brother's wedding date (6/7/14) I immediately thought about when would be a good time to possibly get pregnant with a possible baby #2 in relation to the wedding. After all I wouldn't want to be 9 months pregnant at the wedding or dealing with first trimester nausea.

 

-Kristian is still on the "one and done" train yet I'm mentally trying to figure out the timing of baby #2. Guess we should get on the same page with that huh?

 

-I was really nervous when the President and VP of my company invited me to lunch alone with them last week. Turns out they wanted to offer me a promotion and a raise! So no need for nerves after all!

 

-I get RAGEY when I see photos of babies/toddlers not put in their carseats properly. Chest clips go on the chest not the belly! It's really not hard! Also, even though it may be legal to turn them forward facing at a year it doesn't mean it's safer, it's actually recommended and considered to be much safer to keep them rear-facing until 2. Unless there is a serious reason for it (like motion sickness), I don't see why you would turn them early? I try not to be judgey but I admit I do judge that. Sorry Not Sorry!

 

-I was annoyed last night when I found out the All Star game was on instead of So You Think You Can Dance.

 

-I'm constantly checking Twitter for updates on if the royal baby has been born yet. For the record I think it's a girl.

 

-I was actually really sad when I found out about Cory Monteith's death. I'm a fan of Glee and it's just so sad when these young people die needlessly because of drugs.

 

-I've been married for 3 years and still watch wedding shows (my husband does not understand this).



Our day at Kings Dominion

This past Saturday we took our first family trip to Kings Dominion which is about 1 1/2 hours South of where we live.  To be honest I haven't been to KD since I was a young kid and Kristian hadn't been since he was a teenager. I don't do roller coasters.

The reason we went was because it was a company outing with my job. We all met there at 10:30am when the park opened and eventually all split up so that everyone could do their own thing but we all met up for lunch together at 1:30. Hunter was the youngest child of the group and still a bit too small for even the kiddie rides, you have to be 36" and he's only 33". So Kristian and I pushed him around the park in his stroller and spent a lot of time in the carnival games section where Kristian won Hunter a few new stuffed animals.

Even though we didn't go on any rides (which I was fine with since as I mentioned I don't do roller coasters) we still had a good time walking around and people watching. Some of the people at Kings Dominion make the people at Walmart look classy. Just sayin.

We left after lunch because we were tired and had seen everything we wanted to see. Some of my coworkers stayed until the park closed at 10pm! Hunter slept the whole 2 hour ride home and then slept from 8pm - 8am (he never sleeps that late on weekends) so I guess he was worn out!

Waiting outside the park for my coworkers.

Hunter trying his first soft serve ice cream cone.

In front of the carousel

I dig this guy. A Lot.

One of the many roller coasters I would never go on.

Trying to win his boy a new toy.

Hunter was slightly terrified of the Chick-fil-A cow.

Hunter was too fascinated by the fountains to look at the camera.

Slightly sweaty but having fun.

It was a successful first trip.

Hunter loves the new Scooby that daddy won for him. It's the same size he is.

18 Month Stats

Since I never get around to updating Hunters baby book in a timely manner I wanted to make sure I recorded his 18 month stats somewhere before I forgot them.

He had his 18 month checkup last Thursday (about 2 weeks late). Once again he was fine until we got back to the exam room and he freaked out. He cried whenever a nurse or the doctor was in the room. The only time he wasn't crying was when it was just me and Kristian with him and we had to keep feeding him puffs to calm him down.

After his exam but before the shots, he just finished eating some puffs which is the only reason he was smiling.

 

Once again he got a totally clean bill of health. The doctor said he is developing right on track and looks nice and healthy. He also confirmed that Hunter now has all his teeth except for his 2 year molars. He got one shot and other than his annual flu shot he won't need anymore until he's 5.

 

Weight 28.62 pounds - (84th percentile)

Height- 33 inches (76th percentile)

Head- 52.5cms (97th percentile)

 

In three months he's gained a pound and grown 2 inches. I was surprised he didn't weigh more but he's so active now and not eating as much as he used too so I shouldn't be surprised he hasn't gained much weight. He's still a big boy though. I'm glad he grew 2 inches, since he hadn't grown much between 12 and 15 months.

If I had a Million Dollars

I saw this linkup on Holly's blog and since this is something Kristian and I discuss a LOT I thought it would be fun to play along. We do actually play the lottery on a somewhat regular basis, after all you can't win if you don't play! Now the below is based off of winning a LOT of money, like $10 million or more.

 

 

1. The obvious- pay off debts, especially the black cloud that follows me around known as my student loan.

 

2. Once debts are paid off we would have fun- either buy or build our dream home by some body of water where Kristian could fish on a daily basis.

 

3. Buy a second, small cabin on a lot of land where Kristian could hunt.

 

4. Each buy a brand new car/SUV

 

5. Have another kid- Kristian said if we won the lottery we could have as many as I wanted because we could afford nannies to help!

 

6. Boob job. Hunter literally sucked the life out of mine.

 

7. I would pay for my brothers honeymoon as a wedding gift (which is what he did for me).

 

8. Buy my mom a new condo close to us so she could spend more time with her favorite grandson.

 

9. Give some money to various friends and family.

 

10. Oh and quit our jobs :)



4th of July 2013

This year, for the 5th year in a row, we headed down to my in-laws beach house in the Northern Neck of Virginia to celebrate 4th of July. Hunter and I hadn't been down for a visit in a year and obviously he doesn't remember the beach house from last year so this was like a brand new experience for him.

We got down early Thursday morning and came back mid-day on Saturday. Hunter did well on the 2 hour drive both ways, sleeping for most of the trip. He had a blast running laps around their one-level beach house, playing out on the fenced in deck area and digging around in the sand, not to mention getting to spend time with his grandparents, aunt, uncle and older cousin...oh and 6 dogs! 

Unlike last year, he slept fine through the night, however he refused to go to sleep unless someone was in the bedroom with him, but once he was asleep he was fine. They don't have a crib down there and he's too big for the pak n play so instead we took a crib mattress that my MIL got from a neighbor and put it between the two full beds in one of the bedrooms. This kept him somewhat contained and prevented him from rolling off the mattress. Since he refused to sleep unless someone was in the room with him it made for some late nights and staying up quite a bit past his bedtime until one of us was ready for bed. But he really didn't even act tired, I guess the beach house it more fun than going to bed.

He was able to stay up for the fireworks on Thursday and surprisingly did very well. He only cried, very briefly, twice when he was caught off guard but other than that he sat quietly watching everything in my lap.

He was definitely a fan of the beach house and it's going to be a lot of fun watching him there as he grows up.