Dream come true and big changes for our Margie Poo!

The next two months are going to be momentous for the Weavers and especially Margo, who will be facing a lot of changes.

On an incredibly exciting note, I have decided to make a big career move and leave the work force to start my new career as a stay-at-home mom. For those who know me well, they know this is all I have ever really wanted in life. It is something I even wrote about in college, expressing my thoughts on the importance of being a stay-at-home mom in a persuasive paper that was not well received by the liberals of Southwestern University! That aside, I am getting to see my one and only real dream in life come true and I could not be more grateful. Motherhood suits me, I think it is what God made me for and to be able to devote myself 100% to my family means more to me than anything. There will be sacrifices involved, but I think the trade-off will be worth so much more than the extra income or freedom could ever be. I actually cannot wait to clean my own house because my maids have gotten worse and worse by the week and I especially cannot wait to devote more time to providing healthy meals for our family. I am hoping I will have the energy to start going to church again and enjoy the weekend with the family instead of doing laundry or grocery shopping.

So… on January 10^th I will say goodbye to the working world and Margo will also say goodbye to her little peers and teachers at our beloved day school, Grace Episcopal. With this change, we cannot afford to keep her in a full day program as much as I hate to say goodbye to the place that I trust and she has finally grown to love (after a one year adjustment period). The following Monday, Margo will start her new two-day Mother’s Day Out program at the wonderful little Methodist church around the corner. It is a true miracle that we were able to get Margo into the one and only slot that opened in the whole school, for her age group in January (the only slot that opened in a whole school year), which I think is a sign it was meant to be. I can even walk with David to take or pick her up, which will be fantastic!

I have mommy fears though… Will it take another year to adjust? Will she be bored because the program is shorter? Will she be bored as the oldest in the class? Will she be bored because she is so verbally advanced? I am clearly worried she will be bored. The curriculum in MDO is not as strong as her current school and she is not eligible for pre-school until next September because of her 9/10 birthday falling after 9/1. However, they have a separate music class with separate teachers which I know she will LOVE… or will she be scared of the new teachers? I will be packing her lunch. Will she give up on trying things since she is already so picky and is forced to try the hot lunches and healthy snacks at her current school? Will she survive the day with only a 1 or 1.5 hour nap?

All of these are big changes for a two year old, and especially our sensitive little girl considering this will take place ONLY three weeks before David will be born. Yes, that one snuck up on me! The pregnancy is going well and I am crossing my fingers it continues this way. If so, my doctor will deliver at 37.5 weeks which is less than two months away—yikes! I am so ill-prepared and I am so worried about making sure Margo’s little world will feel safe and secure and nurturing for her. Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled about David, but so sad at the same time that I will no longer be able to devote myself 100% to Margo. I have the mixed emotions of a pregnant mama. Margo is an exceptionally good and sweet, fun child… I am so worried this new baby is going to tarnish her special little spirit, but I know in my mind that is really silly. I know how important my siblings are to me and that the lifetime of benefit I am providing to both of them is immeasurable.  Not to mention that we are probably a bit off balance, doting obsessively a bit over our sweet girl. I know that David will eventually create a balance and harmony in both ours and Margo’s life that is needed to mature in a healthy way.

So… please keep all of us, and especially Margo, who has a hard time with change in your prayers in the coming months as we start a new journey as a family of four and the many changes that come along with that for her. More updates to come!!!  In the meantime, enjoy this precious video of her singing.  Maybe she will be the next Celine Dion--ha ha--and excuse the lull in the middle of the video, but watch to the end.

 

 

Margo's Big Girl Room in Full Bloom!

Margo’s big girl room was a lot of fun to put together and I really wanted to make it special for her, especially with a new little brother coming onto the scene soon. I was lucky enough to receive custom made twin beds with applique'd bows on the head and foot boards that were my nieces, as well as some beautiful custom made bedding that my sister literally never used on them. While I felt a bit challenged with colors that were not in the pink palette, I was so excited to have such beautiful and luxurious things to work with.

I wanted to find some art that would compliment the bedding and that would have a young, fun feel to it. “You are my Sunshine” being my signature song for Margo, I began my search within that theme and landed upon some precious pictures from my favorite, etsy.com, artist here. The artist customized them for me a bit and I think they look absolutely perfect, bright and fun with the bedding! Margo loves them too, especially the blue birdie.

Next on our project list was refinishing the dresser and mirror that goes back to my oldest sister’s childhood furniture. It is a great solid brand, Drexel Heritage, and I loved the curves and lines of it. I thought it would be a real shame to let it go to waste, but did not like the old finish with the painted on decorations, so the uncrafty and unhandy pair of us got to work. My mom had previously mentioned chalk paint to me and then I read about it on another blog. This is a product that claims to require no sanding, stripping, priming, etc… That is right down my alley and despite the extra cost of the paint, it was much more cost effective than paying a professional to refinish the furniture.

Before

 We started with the clean piece of furniture and worked for a few hours a night. It took about a week to complete. We did two coats of Annie Sloan’s chalk paint that we purchased in New Braunfels with a free little tutorial from the sweet store owners. After the first coat, I was a bit panicked. The brush strokes were very obvious and I was not getting the smooth look that I wanted. I switched from Annie Sloan’s pricey brush to a regular wide natural bristle brush from Home Depot for the second coat. This was easier to use and gave the look I wanted, plus the second coat just made a big difference. The next step was distressing a little on the edges and cleaning things up before we put on the signature clear wax coating which seals everything in. I painted and Cary waxed because the wax is more toxic and requires more muscle to apply. Here, we ran into a snafu… you are supposed to use a soft, clean cloth to buff the wax until it is no longer tacky feeling. The shirt I gave Cary to use had lint on it, which got stuck in the wax. He tried to buff it out with no success, I freaked out and we decided to add another coat of paint. Too bad, I think it looked better before the third coat of paint, but it worked to cover the lint and Cary finished the project the next night with a lint free t-shirt!

After

 I would say that being seven months pregnant and sleep deprived from insomnia, this was a tough yet easy project at the same time. For the amount we spent on paint ($100), it turned out incredibly beautiful and I am really pleased! My family said it looked like a piece you could buy at Doodles or Nest and Cot for over a $1000. We will see how it holds up. I hope Annie Sloan’s chalk paint lives up to its name. I would definitely recommend it and use it again after this experience and I am proud of us for trying something new and challenging!

I also had Margo go and pick out a little Christmas tree for her room and she knew exactly what she wanted… the metallic aqua blue tree. We had a little argument over the star because she wanted a clashing bright green, but she settled on the silver one once I pointed it out among many others. She picked the silver skirt and then I left it in the car for her to forget. Margo’s GiGi got it all decorated for her before the unveiling of her big girl room! Needless to say, she loved everything and was very excited when we brought her in. She was looking all around at everything grinning from ear to ear! The transition to her big girl bed has been so easy and she is so proud of her vintage Sesame Street sheets and her new stuffed animals to accompany her in bed. One room down… now the nursery to go and I have my work cut out!! I hope our little sweetheart will enjoy her pretty room for many years to come!

What did our Margo Faye just say?

I wish I could write down every single clever or funny thing that Margo says. She is talking up a storm and just amazes me. She is starting to understand opposites, such as Margo is little, mommy is big and is so into “liking” everything. She will say over and over, “I like mommy, daddy, GiGi, grandpa, maw maw, grannie, blue, pink (then say every color), milk, water, snap peas” etc… The list goes on and on! She likes LOTS of things! So in the past few days I tried to write down some of the funny things she said that I can look back and remember.

 

• In response to lots of things, such as all of the acorns outside or all of her animals strewn out on the floor, “Holy Mackeral!"  GiGi is responsible for this one—I about fell out of my chair the 1^st time I heard it!
• Margo will pull her little chair and her play computer up to a table and say, “Margo checking email."
• Cary rarely even drinks beer, but she keeps pointing it out in the fridge and we tell her it is daddy’s. She said, “Margo like water. Daddy like beer.” Now if we ask her what daddy likes, she always says “beer”.
• When Cary dropped her off at school, she had brought a favorite dog with her. Cary told her they had to leave it in the car. She responded, “Daddy take care of Margo doggie?”
• Another like… “I like Margo. Margo like Margo.” Sweet girl!
• In reference to a penguin waddling in a book, she said “penguin dancing”. Cute!
• I guess being pregnant it is pretty obvious, but in my blue tank top the other day, she said, “Mama has blue boobies.” LOL!
• “Elmo so cute!”
• Sitting at the table at dinner, I told Margo to look at daddy’s hair which needed a cut badly. She said, “It’s crazy!” and then I said what about mama’s hair? She responded, “I like mommy’s hair”. Good response!
• After a visit to Lowes the other day and passing through the Christmas aisle, she keeps asking, “Go see Christmas?” I keep telling her that very soon she will see Christmas everywhere.
• "Mama's eyes are blue.  Daddy's eyes are brown.  Margo's eyes are brown like daddy."  Wow!
• Often times when I say no, like no we can't go to the park or no you cannot have a treat or no you cannot watch Elmo, she responds by saying, "We go to park morrow (tomorrow), Margo have snack morrow, Margo watch LaLa morrow."  If this prevents her from having a fit, I am all for it.  I love that she can convince herself she will get to do it all tomorrow!
• At school she was napping, woke up, sat up, said "Mama be here" while patting her heart and then laid back down and went back to sleep.  Anytime we are leaving her she does this, so sweet!
• Not sure why she was saying this, but "Mama okay.  Margo okay.  Everybody ok."

Getting Spookie with our Little Cookie‏

Halloween this year was sooooo much fun! Margo loved it and was very proud of her Cookie Monster tutu.

We started out the celebration with a trip to her pediatrician’s office who is a genius and holds an annual “Flu Boo” each year. Margo had already had her flu shot, but I knew they were dressing up as Sesame Street characters so we had to check it out. We went with our friends, the Rays, who did need their vaccinations. The party aspect of it was a great distraction for the kids. Margo would not let Elmo (Dr. Wolens) hold her, but she was definitely intrigued and asked to go back for several days. It was a simple set-up, but they had food and goodie bags for the kids along with the entire staff dressed up—very fun and very cute! We have since found out that Margo won 3^rd place in their little costume contest and she received a little gift certificate and will be posted on their website. It made for a fun memory!

Waiting outside Dr. Wolen's office

Olivia and Margo in the exam room

The Saturday before Halloween we were very busy with an early morning trip to the JDRF walk. Although I couldn’t walk (per my OB), I knew it would be fun for Margo and it was good to donate to an important cause. She wore her costume along with her sunglasses (she was so distracted she kept them on) and I had three people come up to us requesting pictures because she was so cute! We checked out the kid’s activities, colored, attempted the bounce house (she was too scared), met a clown, got a balloon, ate a cookie, and so much more. She loved the music and was dancing so hard she fell down and skinned her knee. I was amazed at what a sophisticated operation is was and was glad to finally see what my bestie, Michelle, has been talking about all these years. We got hugs from the whole Ormsby clan and Margo desperately wanted to take home Carter’s super hero “car”.

At the JDRF Walk

That same Saturday we took our first trip to Dewberry Farms with my niece, Caroline, and I thought it was a great experience for both of them. The weather was beautiful and they both had sooooo much fun. Margo was able to participate in more than I expected. We slid down big roller slides together which she thought was so funny and my oh’ my how she loved the bouncy blobs. She laughed hysterically for a solid 30 minutes while jumping with Caroline, so I hope she will try a bounce house soon because I know she will love it! The highlight for Margo was the train ride—this is her favorite treat of the moment after our big train ride on her birthday and we have gone three times so far! We also did another little ride, played on the little playground and just ran around. Caroline rode the big giant slides, jumped in the hay and rode on some big swing thing that Cary spun too hard and knocked a large girl off of—oops. We did not even get to the animals or the pumpkin patch there was so much to do. I know we will be going back in future years for sure!

Riding the choo choo with Daddy!

Bouncing with Caroline!

Last but not least, was our Halloween night and trick-or-treating. As a mom, this was one of the most fun experiences I have had with Margo. She absolutely LOVED trick-or-treating and got sooooo into it! As tradition, even long before Margo was born, we went with my sister’s family and they were so good and helpful with Margo. At our first stop, she almost threw a fit because she wanted her one little candy. I convinced her to put it in her bucket, so we could get more and that when we found a sucker (her fave) she could have it. A few doors down, she got a sucker and then I think it clicked that she would get a treat at every single house. Margo ran, skipped and danced her way up and down two very long blocks in West University, which has the best trick-or-treating experience. All of the families are out, the houses are decorated so neat and it almost feels like an old school experience. She only started to get tired just before we were almost back to my sister’s and refused to be carried or ride in the stroller the whole time. This experience was pure and total excitement for her, I cannot even begin to describe how enthralled she was with it all. She filled her Elmo bucket to the brim and has been enjoying one small treat at dinner time ever since. Needless to say, she loves chocolate!

Margo and the cutest gypsy ever!

Her sweet cousins helping her trick-or-treat!

Look at all that candy!

She still wants to walk down the street to see “Draculi” as she calls the blow-up character and give the witch a five. I keep trying to explain to her that Halloween is over and it will be one whole year before we get to celebrate. Christmas is around the corner, so I can only imagine how the magic of the holidays is going to impact her little, impressionable self!

Over Half Way... Hooray!

I cannot believe baby boy Weaver will be here in four months or less, as I am predicting. It is sneaking up on us fast, which I find a bit stressful, but also a relief at the same time. To say that I have not enjoyed being pregnant this time around is an understatement. I was expecting a big reprieve from all the yuckies associated with pregnancy in the 1^st trimester, but that hasn’t really been my luck. The nausea is pretty much gone, but has been replaced by terrible reflux. I cannot bend over or lay flat at night without my food coming up and it burns like fire. Tums don’t really help, but I am still chewing them like crazy. I am still soooo tired, probably from a mixture of pregnancy and insomnia. My skin is a wreck and I have breakouts like crazy! Baby is sitting incredibly low in my belly, smacking me in the bladder constantly and requiring upwards of 15-20 bathroom breaks a day! Last but not least, a new symptom has arrived… this time I am having terrible lower back pain and cramping in my lower abdomen, all a source of this baby sitting so low in my uterus. It feels like constant pulling and aching and I have a hard time being on my feet too long, it kills to go on a walk, etc… Not to mention, as my belly is growing, my daily injections are getting more painful and I am bruising more.



22 weeks preggers and growing!

Geez, enough with the complaining! J Hard part aside, we are very excited for baby boy’s arrival and have picked a beautiful, classic name for our sweet boy… David Victor. David was one of the only names we could come up with when I was pregnant with Margo that we both agreed upon. That made it an easy choice for us this time, plus David is an amazing figure in the Bible, his name has beautiful meaning and not to mention, Dave Matthews is one of my idols! As Cary says, it is not trendy, it is very gender specific and the name David could always pass for a lawyer or CEO. Victor was chosen to honor both Cary (his middle name) and his late Grandfather, a family name that is strong and representative of one of the best men I ever knew. The meaning… Beloved Conqueror. I am pretty sure our little David will be beloved and hopefully will be a winner and conqueror of life’s many obstacles!

 

At my 20 week scan, we saw definite boy parts which was a relief and David looks fantastic! He is developing beautifully and weighed in at 13 oz. which is perfectly average. I can feel him moving a lot, although I am pretty sure he is going to be more mellow than Margo… he sleeps a lot more that she did in the womb and hopefully will more than she does now. We are busy planning his nursery and I am trying to use some pieces we have now, so I have narrowed a color scheme down to navy and white with green and aqua accents. I found an elephant picture I loved a while back, so we will be incorporating elephants as well. I have already purchased and received lots of new baby boy clothes and am receiving lovely hand-me-downs from two family members.

See two legs and a surprise in between!

Our beautiful boy!

Lots of changes are upon us in the coming New Year. The next few months will be busy with holidays, room transitions and lots of preparation. Please pray that David continues to develop in a healthy way and that I can get some relief from this pregnancy hell I have been in. I know in a few short months, it will all be so worth it!

Lazy Afternoons on our Babymoon!

To say that I have the most generous, thoughtful sisters on earth is an understatement! Knowing that Cary and I had not been on a real vacation alone together since our honeymoon, they graciously gifted us with a trip of our choice! In the early planning stages, we talked about going to Mexico and even tossed around a trip to the mountains, but when my body decided to be fertile myrtle, I knew I wanted nothing more than to sit on the beach--the perfect babymoon! You can’t get much more beautiful than the Emerald Coast and although we had been there with our family before, it was an easy choice. We wanted some place that we could get to quickly, was safe and most importantly, relaxing. The details were left up to my sisters and our trip was very much a big surprise!

The night before we were supposed to leave, disaster struck! Margo started vomiting at midnight and was sick all night long. I held her all night not sleeping even five minutes, let her throw-up all over me and prayed this was the short lived virus that had been going around. The last time she got sick was 5 am and although she had had a few bouts of diarrhea, she was eating and happy with no fever, so we made the decision to go ahead and leave her. I even went so far as to call the doctor for advice and make sure we were not being irresponsible parents for leaving Margo. Despite missing us, she did great for my sister throughout our trip, but did infect my sweet niece with her nasty bug and left my poor sister with a few leaky diaper messes to clean up. This was our first stomach bug and it was awful… I hope we don’t have many of those!

Back to our trip… It was AMAZING, relaxing, rejuvenating and wonderful across the board. The morning we dropped off Margo, my sister had a sweet little gift bag for us with directions and instructions on where we were going with several generous little gifts included. Destination… Rosemary Beach, and we were exhausted from a rough night but beyond excited! I had been shopping in Rosemary Beach before, but had forgotten how beautiful and romantic it was with the amazing little streets, beautiful architecture, landscaping, white beaches and more! Our little carriage house was so perfect! It was decorated so beautifully, I wish I could have taken all of the contents home with me. The bed was so comfy, the shower was wonderful and it was the best location. The main house was beach front right next to a walkover, so we could go out the door, through the court yard and were on the beach in a matter of a minute. We didn’t even need to really pack a bag with our awesome umbrella covered chairs that awaited us each day!

The neat architecture--every house is different!

We did not have the best weather, but our time on the beach was wonderful and I found the best seashells ever! I think Cary thought I was nuts spending all that time hunting seashells with my preggo belly sticking out and my ridiculous cleavage staring down at everyone! The shells were just too good to ignore and I found a few that were like something you could buy in a store! I can’t wait to clean-up my little collection and put it in a pretty dish as a memory. I went to bed early being the lame-o pregnant girl I am and woke up early for walks on the beach. I loved spending the afternoons resting on the beach and then taking all the time in the world to shower and get ready. I sure did miss Margo, but the break was so refreshing and peaceful!

19 Weeks Pregnant= One hot mama!

 



Cary swimming!

Still in love after 11 beautiful years!

Day One Seashells

My sweet sisters also gifted us with gift certificates to several yummy restaurants! We ate so many amazing things, fresh seafood and decadent desserts, I thought I was going to pop everyday! Good thing I have a great excuse in eating for two. Our favorite restaurants were a little tapas and chocolate place called La Crema that was exotic and fun to try. Our food was incredible, but OMG the chocolate desserts were beyond my imagination! We had a hot molten cake with a peanut butter center and warm chocolate cookies with an amazing espresso cream in the middle. I wish I could go back right now just talking about it! Our last night was also at a tiny little place called George’s at Alys Beach that we had heard a couple raving about on the beach and boy were they right! I had the surf and turf with an expertly cooked and seasoned filet, fried lobster tails and a perfect crab cake! There was not one meal on our trip we didn’t thoroughly enjoy from fried shrimp and cheesy grits to the nachos and pizza we ordered in for the Texas game on Saturday night. I had a beautifully grilled grouper, a fried green tomato BLT to die for and an amazing raspberry, almond tart among many other things. Can you tell I appreciate good food???

We enjoyed shopping at our leisure, reading our books and I think Cary loved watching football without me nagging him to turn it off. Most of all, we enjoyed each other and getting to talk without interruption or being too exhausted to talk at all. We woke up slowly in the morning and enjoyed coffee together, we had long walks up and down the beach and just really soaked in the moment. It is easy to get lost in the shuffle of life and kids, especially where marriage is concerned, so this little trip and break was wonderful for us. The fabulous accommodations, beaches, food and shopping were all over the top, but the gift my sisters gave us in our time together and the ability to forget about it all and relax was absolutely invaluable! We are blessed beyond measure and there are no words that could ever thank them enough for their thoughtfulness and generosity.

A trip to the beach with my little peach!‏

Back in August (yes, I am that behind), my mom rented a little beach house in Galveston and I was so excited to give the beach another shot with Margo! Last Thanksgiving we went to Florida and to say Margo hated the beach was an understatement! She could not stand to have one grain of sand on her body! This time was much more successful and fun!

First of all, the beach house had a huge covered area with a warm shower, toys, a swing and such, which was great for playing! We had several rain storms and I think playing in the rain was the highlight of her little trip. She would dance, jump around and sing for a solid hour in the rain—her energy is boundless! It tickled me so much and I loved watching her experience something new. I think a rain coat and galoshes will be on the Christmas list, although I think she actually enjoys getting wet!

The first day at the beach was a failure. Once again, Margo hated the sand and while she was fascinated with the water, she refused to get her feet anywhere near the ground. I actually pulled my back trying to wrangle her around and suffered for it the rest of the trip. I was so disappointed. That night, I was brainstorming and thought of water shoes—why not try. We stopped at a little local grocery in Galveston and sure enough they had perfectly sized pink water shoes that she seemed excited about when she tried them on! My mom also realized that we had a Dora book about the beach and she was wearing water shoes, so of course we made a big deal about it.

The next day when we ventured out to the beach, she refused to walk to the water in her shoes. Then, Grannie decided to just take her and sit in the ocean whether she liked it or not and it only took her a few minutes to realize that it was awesome! She loved the waves splashing on her and as time passed got more and more brave. By the end of our beach visit that day, she was running and splashing in the water elated like I had never seen her before. Her innocence and excitement over the magic of the ocean was so heartwarming!

I am so glad Margo was given the experience and gift of the beach—one of my favorite places on earth! We also had fun at the aquarium and another fun day at the beach where Margo was equally as excited to play in the surf until she fell face first into the water. I would call the little trip a true blessing and a breakthrough for our sweet, cautious girl who now asks about the “ocean” every day. She now says, “ocean far away”, which is the explanation we keep giving her. Until next year, my love… we promise to take you back!