More Spring Break

Tobin has had an imaginary friend for a few months now. His name is Wall-E and he goes everywhere with us...to run errands (Tobin always makes sure he's buckled in), to the grocery store (where he rides in the cart while Tobin walks), and in the bathtub (Tobin washes Wall-E himself). He's a constant companion and sometimes we are even graced with his friends, Eve and Cockroach. This week, Tobin's Oma (Matt's mom) brought over a remote control Wall-E. This is a picture of how I found Tobin watching Sesame Street one morning this week:

They have become fast friends, and Dog tags along, too, of course!

Also, this week, Tobin started t-ball at his sports class. Here are some pictures of his basketball lessons from a few weeks ago and baseball, too:

Yesterday, we were able to go to Tyler to visit Matt's dad. It was a nice visit and a beautiful day for a drive. Here's Matt with his brother and dad:

We're sad Spring Break is over. It was nice to get a lot of work done around the house this week. Our backyard is getting beautified by a new vegetable garden and Heidi's room is almost done. I'll post pictures of both when they're all finished. Happy Monday, everyone!

Spring Break fun

This is Matt's Spring Break week and we are having a great time with him home! Today, we decided to go to the Omni Theater in Fort Worth with some friends. Tobin got to see his first IMAX film and loved every second of it. It was called "Deep Sea" and throughout the show, he kept leaning over to tell me "It feels like we're swimming!" Here's Matt and Tobin with a T-Rex outside the theater:Afterwards, we went to the Botanical Gardens and had a fun time wandering around while enjoying the amazing Spring weather. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our time there:

Finally, we ended with a picnic lunch outside the Kimball Art Museum:

It was a perfect day...I can't wait to see what the rest of the week will hold!!

Showered and blessed

Last Saturday, I was given a most special and wonderful "pink" baby shower! I am amazed and blown away at the thought of friends and family surrounding us at such a precious time AND giving us gifts to prepare for our little one! When I got home and surveyed all of the thoughtful presents and adorable pink things, I wept with gratitude. It's no mystery that Matt and I live on a tight, but comfortable, budget (he is a teacher, and I do stay home, after all!). So, as I began putting away all of Heidi's new things and realized we need nothing, I felt a sense of peace and thankfulness that surpassed understanding. I feel such intense relief and joy knowing that God ALWAYS takes care of our needs...He is so faithful.

Thank you, friends, for surrounding us with thoughts, prayers, gifts, and encouraging words at this priceless time in our family's journey. We love you each so very much!!

Here are some pictures of the shower:

This was one of Tobin's favorite things I brought home. He says he's making sure Heidi will like the Bumbo when she comes. What a good big brother...already looking out for his little sister!

Week in Review

Here's how our week has been thus far. Tobin started his first sports class last Saturday. It's a "Sports Sampler" where 3 and 4 year olds get a couple of lessons each in soccer, t-ball, and basketball. We thought that this would be a good way to introduce Tobin to the world of competition and sports while teaching him a few basics about each game. To prepare him for his class, we got him some new shoes. This was a big deal since he only ever wants to wear Crocs. I buttered him up by telling him that his new shoes will help him run faster and jump higher...they'd be his super sports shoes. Now he doesn't want anything to do with his Crocs! Here he is stretching with daddy and sporting his new gear.

On Tuesday, Tobin got his first busted lip. He got in a tangle with the swing on his playground and unfortunately, the swing won. It was a bloody mess but not too much damage was done. I guess it could have been worse!Last night, we had a family fishing night. The weather was amazing and we couldn't pass up a night outside. Tobin LOVES fishing with his daddy and I enjoyed watching him learn a hobby that his daddy loves so much. Watch out, Greg Mattern...you've got fishing competition. Check out this catch:

And I'll close with an original song...written and performed by Tobin:

Heidi's room

Many friends have asked what we plan to do for Heidi's nursery. We were never really able to put together a full nursery for Tobin because when we had him, we were living in a 500 square foot apartment and his crib was in the corner of our tiny living room. So, needless to say, I'm pretty excited about putting together a special place for our little girl! We plan on putting her in our third bedroom and moving all of our computer/study stuff into our bedroom. Here is the bedding I have picked out and adore:
Also, I plan on duplicating these "flower balls" from Pottery Barn Kids to hang over her crib as a mobile:

A sweet, sweet friend of mine, Jena, sent me the most amazing handmade, hand-embroidered pillow a couple of weeks ago. I LOVE it and it goes perfectly with the reds/creams/whites I plan on decorating with. Thank you so, so, so very much, Jena!! Here's the pillow:And finally, I have started Heidi's quilt. I'm crazy about the colors and fabrics I found and hope this will be a special "lovey" for her. I'm filling it with lots of love and prayers as I make it! Here's the starting 9-patch pieces:Next, I'll start cutting these up to make a quilt that resembles this:And last but not least...a belly shot. This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago when I was around 27 weeks along. Yesterday, Tobin saw my belly and exclaimed "Wow, Mommy. Look at that big ol' Heidi!"

Daddy's #1 Fan

This weekend, I had a taste of what it will be like to have the boys against the girls in this house in just a few short months. Tobin LOVES his daddy and thinks he hung the moon and the stars. I am used to coming in second place to this father/son relationship and, of course, think it's a gift to have a husband who sees the importance of developing this healthy bond. However, it stung a little to hear these words out of my son's mouth this weekend...

First, we were eating lunch yesterday when Tobin excused himself to use the restroom. He suddenly had a very serious face as he looked at me and said, "Mommy, don't eat my sandwich while I go potty." I assured him that his sandwich was safe, but this little guy didn't seem to trust me. He looked at Matt, held up his hand as if stopping traffic, and said "Daddy, protect my sandwich from Mommy. Don't let her eat it, please." It seems that he knows that at this stage in my pregnancy, I'm ravenous and want to eat anything within eyesight. Good thing his Daddy was there to "protect" his precious food. Geesh!

Then, this morning while Matt was getting ready for work, Tobin and I were talking to him about the week. Tobin suddenly says "Daddy, you smell good. Mommy, you smell like Cheerios."

Nothing like a toddler pointing out to a pregnant woman that she's eating too much and smells bad to make you feel a little more self-conscious about yourself!!

Happy Monday!

Tag...you're it

My good friend, Jana, tagged me this week. I always hope that I'll get tagged because I think it's so fun to learn more about your friends and come up with unique responses of your own. However, when I eventually get tagged, I tend to freeze up and put too much pressure on myself to fill out the survey! This time, it's an honesty tag where you list 10 honest things about yourself...here goes:

1. I have no gift in teaching and I have very little patience when it comes to teaching. For example, Tobin got the game of Chutes and Ladders for his birthday and since it was his first time to learn about rules in a board game, my patience did not outlast his desire to explore and play with the game. He wanted to play with the pieces, skip to the finish line, and ignore all of the rules. Me being a by-the-book kind of gal, found myself getting frustrated very quickly. I am not proud of this trait and it's something that I've only just discovered about myself since raising a toddler. I'm prayerful that I can overcome it though!

2. I am insecure without a good book to read. If I finish a book without having a backup to begin right away, I tend to throw myself into a panic until I have something that interests me again. Thank goodness the library is close by, well stocked, and has a drive through window!


3. Speaking of panic, I am an anxious person. However, I don't have anxiety over big things like death or illnesses in my family, it's over the little things. I work myself into a worry over things like how warmly I should dress Tobin for bed, which route will be most efficient when running errands, and writing creative blog entries!

4. I am a craft plagiariser. I don't have any creative ideas of my own. Anything I make, it's because I've seen it online, in a store, or in a book and think to myself "Hey...I can make that myself for half the cost."


5. I have a phone phobia. I don't like to call people or places to take care of business. I even get scared sometimes of making the initiative to call friends. It's silly, I know. My other biggest fears include thunderstorms and people touching my neck. I'm weird but being honest!

6. In college, I didn't know how to boil water. I had to ask my roommate how you know it's boiling as I was trying to make mac and cheese for the first time. I like to think I've come a very long way in the kitchen and I love that my sweet husband has been so patient with me as I continue to grow more adventurous with food.


7. I think I am either superstitious or OCD with certain things. A good example...in the shower, I have the same routine (wash hair, wash face, wash body). In my mind, I feel like if I were to mess this routine up, the rest of my day will be horrible!

8. I love tedious tasks such as paying bills, organizing files, writing resumes for friends, and cleaning house. Just don't ask me to take care of business over the phone (see #5).


9. When I get scared, I shiver. I shiver when I see creepy bugs, when there's loud thunder, or anything else that frightens me. I have noticed that Tobin does this, too.


10. I have an addiction to fabric. I have had to force myself to not buy fabric unless I have a specific project to use it on. Learning to sew has been tough on our budget but I'm managing this addiction well. Other things I'm addicted to: coffee, books, and storage totes.

I hope I haven't lost any friends over this list of ridiculously quirky things about myself! Now I'd LOVE to see a quirky and honest list from: Cheryl, Lesley, Jena, Jen Windle, Em Rozell, and Jenni Cribbs.