Home Sweet Home

We are officially HOMEOWNERS!! As of Jay's birthday (December 29), we closed on our first home. We are so excited that the endless house search is finally over after a year and a half of real estate drama. We have purchased our first home, and we cannot wait to start making memories as a family of three (four in July!).

 

Happy Birthday, Jay! What a great present: a HOUSE!! Since our closing over-shadowed Jay's special day, we will be celebrating his birthday soon. :)

 

Tuttle exploring his backyard. He has so much room to roam around inside/outside his new home!

 

Today we had an overwhelming show of support from our friends as they helped empty our apartment and bring every last box and piece of furniture enter the new house. A huge THANK YOU to C.J., David, Justin, Kristin, Paul, Val, Jonathan, Stephanie, Ben, and Allison. We seriously could not have done the big move without them, especially since my pregnancy prevented me from being much help (definitely a perk of pregnancy-no lifting during a move!)

Connor mowing our new lawn! Thanks, Squirrel!

 

Even though the house is filled with piles and piles of stuff, I am already dreaming about decorating and projects. Below are a few "Before" pictures. Enjoy!

A HUGE thank you to our parents for all the advice, support, and never-ending love that led us to our dream house!

Happy New Year!!

Introducing Peanut!

We saw our first glimpse of "Peanut" today! Initially we were only supposed to hear the heartbeat, but since the doctor had trouble finding it (I had the same problem with Tuttle), we were able to get our first ultrasound. :)

My mom is convinced it looks like a GIRL!

Our due date still remains July 21, and we are so excited to be a family of FOUR in seven months!

Merry Christmas- Part II

After a whirlwind visit in Madison/Athens, we continued the celebration at my mom and stepdad's house in Marietta. Jay and I both enjoy how differently our families celebrate holidays. Since my extended family is much smaller, we have cozier and more intimate get-togethers compared to Jay's HUGE extended family with continuous noise and excitement. :)

We saved Tuttle's big gift for my parents' house, so we did not have to transport it to Madison only to bring it back again to Atlanta. I could not wait for our little boy to see it! It was his dream come true: HIS OWN TRAIN TABLE!!

This gift was so special for several reasons: My stepdad constructed a train table for Tuttle from scratch. He can literally make/fix anything perfectly! Also, the kids I nannied for two years passed down all their Thomas trains and train tracks. Their generosity toward Tuttle and me continues to amaze me. I love that family!! Thank you, Stella and Dylan!!

Caught in the Act!

After a yummy dinner of chili and turkey roll-ups, we headed to the living room to open gifts. Because my family is so small, we continue to buy gifts for everyone. I love this tradition since I LOVE finding the perfect gift for each person. It was also exciting to add Baby Gwen to the mix this year!

Beth, Robb, and Emily
 

Dave and Mom- SUCH a GREAT picture!
 

Anne and Tricia
 

The holiday season really flew by this year, but we made some great memories! :)

Merry Christmas- Part I

This was a Christmas to remember! We started out in Madison with Jay's parents and sister. Tuttle really feels at home at his Grandmommy and Granddaddy's house and is very specific about what he likes to do while he is there.

His current favorite pastime is riding around in Granddaddy's 1984 Chevrolet S-10 ("Baby Blue"), and he even gets to drive sometimes. The whole family, including the dog, got in on the action this time.

Tuttle enjoyed helping Grandmommy with her traditional pretzels. He helped eat most of them, as well.

Everyone enjoyed Granddaddy annual reading on Christmas Eve. He reads a collection of famous poems, The Night Before Christmas, and Jay reads the biblical Christmas story. I am honored to be part of this tradition. 

Soon after Tuttle went to bed, Santa Claus came and left way too many toys!

The next morning, Tuttle took inventory of his loot. Although he did not really "get" Santa this year, he really took an interest in his new toys and even opened up a few presents from the rest of the family. 

***Disclaimer: While all these pictures are of Tuttle, everyone else opened a TON of presents, but once a baby enters the picture, the focus and photo taking are all on them! :)

Since Toy Story is such a hit right now, Woody has proved to be Tuttle's favorite surprise!

 

Grandmommy and Granddaddy remembered to get Bella a present!

 

After naps for everyone, we headed to Athens to Granny's house to celebrate with Jay's extended family. I think 29 people made it! We participated in the annual White Elephant game. Jay ended up with hammers- a perfect gift for our new home! :)

Beautiful Brooke- One of my favorite family members!

Jackie, Luke, and Alice

 

Candy canes were a HUGE hit this year, and I LOVE this picture! :)

Christmas Family Photo 2011 (Next year there will be FOUR!)

Our Christmas celebrating did not stop there........

Tuttle's First Trip to the Movies

 Since school is out for the holidays, I have watched the kids that I nanny each week for longer periods of time, so I have planned fun field trips. The kids have so much built up energy this close to Christmas, so it was perfect to venture out of the house.

On Wednesday, we went to Leaping Lizards for the kids to jump and run around. It has also been VERY rainy this week, so it was a MUST to find a place with open space to play. Tuttle has really become a big boy and will climb into the jumpy houses and mazes by himself. He LOVES it! Plus, it provides LONG naps in the afternoon!!

On Thursday, I took the kids to see the new Chipmunks movie. Although Tuttle went to movies when he was an infant, this was his first official movie because he actually stayed awake and watched it. 

I was a little apprehensive about how it would go--would he sit still? would he get too tired so close to his naptime? would the movie keep his interest AT ALL?

It was an absolute SUCCESS!! :) 

He sat in his own seat munching on his popcorn. Next time, I may skip the previews because it adds about 30 minutes to the time that a toddler has to sit still, but we will definitely be back. :)

We arrived in Madison at Grandmommy and Granddaddy's last night to celebrate Christmas. It is such a luxury to be able to have so much help with Tuttle. I actually slept in until 9:45 this morning!

I cannot wait to see what Santa leaves under the tree tonight!

On the Mend

After five miserable days and nights, I think we are finally recovering from the double ear infection/nasty cough/runny nose/fever. I know Tuttle is relived that his sick days are behind him for now, and I am VERY happy to return to my own comfy bed and sleep through the night. I know in seven months I will be up with a new baby multiple times a night, but I can wait until then for more 3am wakeup calls. :)

***On a side note, Tuttle's new favorite pastime is locking himself inside of my room, his room, or the bathroom. This resulted in a frantic sleep-deprived momma running to the leasing office Friday for assistance to get him out while he sobbed on the other side of the door. Jay's lesson on how to unlock the door with his little tool set did not register with me during the episode.

 

We do not have any exciting weekend plans to report since Tuttle is still a little off his schedule and battling his awful cough, but I am happy to report we are seeing signs of a happy toddler once again. We did venture out today to eat at Chickfila, get our little boy a haircut for all his photo ops at Christmas, and pick up our weekly groceries. 

Yes, I let my son play with dangerous toys, including screwdrivers.

I think Jay and I need to go ahead and start a "Braces Fund." Unlike Jay who never wore braces, Tuttle takes after his crooked teeth momma!

Just what Daddy needed after a long week with a sick boy-SCOTCH!

 

Crossing my fingers that Tuttle is well enough to attend my girls' Christmas party tomorrow night! :)

Sick Little Boy

The last two day at the Thorne household have been pretty pitiful. Tuttle woke up from a nap 30 minutes before Supper Club on Sunday with a fever of 101 degrees, so Jay stayed home with him while I visited with my girlfriends for a little bit.

Sunday night was spent on the couch with Tuttle after many failed attempts to get him settled back in his crib. Monday we ventured to Costco for a smoothie and a collection of new DVDs to make a sick day at home more bearable. Tuttle showed your typicial signs of a winter cold: runny nose, cough, lack of energy.

After another night tossing and turning on the couch last night, I knew we needed to go to the doctor to check for ear infections. My intuition was correct unfortunately: DOUBLE EAR INFECTION! Ouch!!

Hopefully today was the worst of it because it was pretty miserable for both of us. With a combination of the antibiotics, a humidifier, and a whole lot of cuddling, I anticipate seeing a wild toddler back again very soon! :)

Jonathan and Stephanie's Engagement Party

I love that we get to celebrate so many weddings this year! Saturday night, we went to Jonathan and Stephanie's engagement party and had the BEST time! It was held at Heather's house in Decatur, and her house is ABSOLUTELY beautiful!

The Happy Couple

The Party Hosts

The hosts definitely know the way to a pregnant lady's heart. They offered a burrito bar complete with a huge pot of queso! Yummy!!

Jonathan and Stephanie have so many people that love them and cannot wait to celebrate their special day.

 My Handsome Hubby and Me

Side note: I chopped my hair off and am LOVING my new short style! It means no more ponytails. I actually have to fix it everyday! :)

Cheers to the Soon-to-Be Mr. and Mrs. Poole