Louisville, KY

She's not as innocent as she looks! Yes, it's been several days since we returned from Louisville, but I just haven't had it in me to write a long, and I mean LONG post. It takes such a long time to download all of the pics, plus think back and recap everything. But here goes... I hope you're in for some good laughs, because you will get them.

The pic above is Madison on her 1st plane ride. We woke up around 3:00am, and left the house at 4:30am to catch our flight at 6:00am in LR. We thought Madison would go back to sleep in the car on the way to LR, but SHE DIDN'T!

We had two flights Tuesday morning. The first flight was about 30 minutes long. Madison was a bit fussy on the plane. She sat in our lap, and moved around constantly. I think we pulled out every "trick" in our bags. It's a terrifying feeling to grab the last "trick," if you know what I mean. Thankfully, it was a short flight. The next flight had a very rough beginning and ending. We boarded the plane and waiting for it to take off. It's the waiting that gets you. We sat in row 1 with Airline Stewardess ANAL right in our faces. She spoke to Madison every time she passed her...you know the kind of conversation... that sweet, annoying baby talk. She was very strict and did not want Madison standing. I understand she needed to be in our lap, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do, right? To say the least, I was embarrassed from all of the fussy, screaming, and clawing, but we finally took off. And guess what? The little monster fell asleep for the entire ride. But, she woke up as we were landing. We repeated the whole episode of fussing, screaming, and clawing, but finally headed off of the plane.

Madison was dog tired by the time we got in our rental car, so guess what we decided to do? Visit a museum! Sounds like a terrific plan, right? NO! Oh, but, we did! We visited the Louisville Slugger Museum/Factory. We took a tour of the factory where they make the bats. Madison was AWFUL! She screamed and clawed the entire time. Thankfully, the factory was pretty noisy (and had no A/C), but I felt terrible for our group. They did not pay to listen to a fussy baby. I was so glad when the tour was finally over. I couldn't believe I had just paid to exhaust myself.

After the tour was over, we tried to take a picture in front of this cute little set up, but Madison wanted NOTHING to do with it. Can you tell?

Cheetos???

Okay, well, since the Cheetos didn't work, I'll try carrying you...

NO!!!

Exhausted yet? So were we!

Finally, we left the museum! Best decision of the day by far.

We ended our day with a great meal at The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was soo good. We took our DVD player in with us, and it kept Madison entertained during the entire meal. She was such a good girl. I know what you're probably thinking. A DVD player? Well, sometimes you've just gotta break the rules before she breaks YOU!

Wednesday we headed to the Louisville Zoo. It was a much better day! Madison loved the animals and did great. She actually stayed in her stroller most of the day.We left for lunch and came back and enjoyed their splash park. It was so fun, even for us parents.

I had a VERY hard time getting down on this slide, and an even harder time getting up.

Madison loved the petting zoo. She is soo not like her mother in this one area. She loves animals.

This was taken at the end of the day. Can you just hear her? "AHHHH!!!" (tense with toes pointed and back arched.)

Every girl needs a carousel ride with her daddy.

Would she like it? Um, not so sure.

Oh, it looks like we have a smile.

Can we go home now?

We ate at The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Oh My! One of my new favorite restaurants.

Their ketchup is to die for!

What are two girls to do with their free time? Head to Krispy Kreme for breakfast!

Madison is starting to learn to LOVE food like her mama!

We went to Churchill Downs horse track our last night there with Gabe's class. We got ticket's on the Millionaire's Row. It's an air conditioned room at the very top of the building. Apparently only millionaires can afford this seating during certain events of the year, but the night we attended, "normal" people could afford the seating. :) This was my first time to go to the horse races. And, it wasn't my thing. First of all, I do not understand how people figure out which horse they will bet on. There's a lot to it. Lots of numbers and stats. Second of all, if you're not going to drink and you're not going to bet, you really won't have any fun. It's actually quite boring. You go outside, watch a race, come inside, wait 30 more minutes, watch another race, and repeat. I saw pics of ladies wearing the big pretty hats and was really excited about seeing lots of well-dressed ladies. Not so much. I think I only saw 7 hats. However, on derby days the hat ladies do come out.

The crowd downstairs was a little rough for me. All you could smell was cigarette smoke and beer and it was soo hot. I thought my little pregnant self was going to pass out!

I did capture one darling hat, and this girl was enjoying all of the attention. I asked her to turn around so I could take a picture of her hat. She enjoyed it!

We left Madison at the hotel with a babysitter- she was the daughter of a PT in Gabe's class. If you get a chance, ask Gabe how much he paid her! HA!

Overall, we had a good time, but mama was worn plum out. It's a lot harder taking care of a baby in a hotel where all routines go out the window. The plane ride home was great. Madison was a champ.

These last few days she's been the sweetest little baby. She plays with her toys, and now gives kisses with the "smooch" sound. She is really turning into a little girl. And she is funny!

Dear Grandpa...

YOU'RE THE BEST!!!

Sunday night, we asked my dad to help unload a piece of boxed furniture out of the back of Gabe's truck. We really had no intention of him helping put the piece of furniture together, but that's what the night turned into. Your grandson thanks you, Grandpa!

It was Madison's bedtime when Grandma and Grandpa arrived, but she perked right up as soon as she saw them. Funny how that happens. She had fun climbing on the furniture box. We let her play for a bit and then took her into another room so the men could get to work. :)

Madison also enjoyed getting in the box...

Ta Dah! 2 1/2 hours later, this beauty was put together. Our baby boy's dresser/changing table combo. I was very pleased with the outcome. It's gorgeous and matching the crib well. Now, we just need to get a few decorations hung and get this baby on his way!

Thanks for all of your hard work, Gabe and Grandpa!

31 Weeks

Our baby boy now measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds. He moves constantly. Sometimes it's hard for me to concentrate on what is going on around me, because I'm just thinking about him moving in my belly. I'll feel his elbow or knee swipe across my belly and it's the neatest feeling.

I've been in the miserable stage for a month already now. I've had crazy back pain and the heat is no help at all! I think the increased back pain during this pregnancy is simply due to having a baby to take care up. I can't hold Madison for very long before I feel strain on my stomach and back. I'm so looking forward to not being pregnant anymore so I can hold Madison without hurting.

It's kind of hard to believe that we are in the last stages of this pregnancy. I know it will be crazy adding another baby to our family, but I really look forward to getting rid of the "belly." I remember feeling so good right after I had Madison. Instantly you just feel better, despite the other pains you feel. :) I loved sleeping on my stomach the night that I had her. It was pure bliss!

On another note, we just got home from Louisville, KY tonight. We had a great time, but are exhausted. It's hard work traveling with a baby and living in a hotel! I'll post all about it tomorrow...

31 Weeks at The Cheesecake Factory

YUM!!!

"I'm leavin'...on a jet plane...

We're heading out early, early tomorrow morning to catch a plane to Louisville, KY. I mentioned before that Gabe is working on his doctorate in Physical Therapy out of KY. Most of his work is online, but he also attends classes in KY four times throughout the year. This is class meeting #2. So...Madison and I decided to tag along this time. We're going to try to throw in a few fun things like...the zoo, the Louisville Slugger Museum, and Churchill Downs. (horse races) I would love to dress up sometime, like the upper class ladies do at the derby. It would be so fun! Big hats, suits, high heels...Sounds like fun, just not right now being 30 weeks pregnant.I'm a little nervous about this trip. Nervous about pretty much everything. It will be Madison's first time to fly on a plane. Thankfully each plane ride is just an 1 1/2 hours long or less. We will be taking the DVD player and she will be sitting on our lap. Pray that the plane ride goes smooth. I can only imagine...

We've also wondered how bedtime will go. She'll have a crib in our hotel room, but how will she go to sleep? She goes to sleep around 7-7:30, but we usually just put her in her crib and close the door. Hmm, not sure how it will all work out, but it should be interesting... Can't wait to find out how it all goes.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to an amazing Daddy! Madison sure does adore you. I hope today is a very special day for you. Just think, not too much longer and you'll be attending dance recitals and coaching soccer games! Get ready...

Happy Father's Day also to my dad and father-in-law. Gabe and I are both so fortunate to have been brought up in loving, Christian homes. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. Madison thinks you're both pretty great, too!

30 WEEKS!

I am 30 weeks along today! YAY! I've finally reached the thirties! D-Day sounds soo much closer now. Not too much longer until we meet our little one. Our baby boy is about 15.7 inches long now and weighs almost 3 pounds. I really feel like he'll come a little early because he already feels big! Maybe it's the back pain or maybe it's toting Madison around...who knows? Madison came 2 days earlier, so I've told Gabe that I think this little baby will come 4 days early. It seems like the second baby always comes a little sooner. We'll just have to wait and see!

Today we spent the day out on Lake Dardanelle. My parents are camping at the state park for the weekend. Madison spent the night with them in their camper last night and we spent most of the day in the sun. Whew! It was soo hot! I brought Madison in early to try to lay her down for a nap, but she wouldn't have it! She's sound asleep now for the night. She should sleep really good!

It's funny how the sun zaps every ounce of energy right out of you. I think I'll go to bed early tonight.

Punishment at the Patch

Fresh picked blueberries and blackberries...
Have you ever seen such blackberries? They were almost the size of your thumb!
Another glance...The picture just doesn't do them justice!

Deep down inside, I'm a country girl. I LOVE fresh, summer vegetables. I love to cook from scratch. I love to use old recipes from my mom and grandmothers. And I look forward to one day sharing it all with my kids.

Fresh, summer vegetables...I love to eat them and I love to can/freeze them to save them for winter days.

I remember...shucking corn as a child, cutting corn off the cob, blanching the corn, stirring the corn in pans placed in front of fans, and then scooping 2 cups of corn into quart-sized bags.

I remember...making pickles...but, before we made them we searched for small gardens in town in hopes of some little lady who might let us have some of her fresh dill.

I remember...blanching poke sallet, poke sallet, poke sallet. (In case you are not familiar with this food, it's a type of greens. Similar to turnip greens, but it grows wild. You have to boil it twice, then fry it with bacon and onion. One summer, we went and picked blueberries and they had poke sallet growing everywhere. We asked if we could pick some, and they said pick all you want. We had so much of it, that we washed it in the washing machine before we froze it.

I remember...canning tomatoes and being on the search for finding tomatoes for .50 a pound.

Canning is not really all that fun, but the end result is soo worth it.

I had planned to pick one more gallon of blueberries at Renee's Berry Garden this morning. However, they were picked out on Wednesday and declared their picking season CLOSED. So, I drove to Cox's Berry Farm in Clarksville. I have to say, Renee's garden is much cleaner and neater. Cox's farm was more like field...not toddler friendly. Dad kept Madison this morning and I picked my little heart out. Boy was it HOT! And, I mean HOT! I thought I was about to go into labor in those field. My back was killing me! Just as I was about to check out, I saw the lady's berries in front of my. Huge, enormous blackberries. I've never seen anything like it before. So, of course, I just had to go pick me some. The bushes were thorn less, but much messier than the blueberries. You had to step through a lot of brush. The lady in front of me shared the secret of picking blackberries with me. All of the huge black ones are on the bottom. You can't really see them unless you move the branches around. She was so right! I was sweating like crazy, pretty much soaking wet with sweat and my back was absolutely killing me. I had to keep standing up and leaning back to relieve my back, but I was having fun picking out the "best" blackberries.

Now it's time to get started on my blueberry and blackberry cobblers.

Babies & Biscuits

For some strange reason, blogger is not letting me download pics today...so, I guess I will have a post with no pictures. That's no fun. Edit: I went back and tried to edit my post, and guess what? I can now load pics. Sorry, Megon for stealing these pics off of your blog, but that's what happens when you're the photographer! Be sure and double-click on the black and white pic so you can see all of the "cuteness!" Megon loves to add in cute little tiaras and staches!

Madison and I had lunch at Cracker Barrel with some friends today...Lori and her baby, Cale, and Megon, and her baby, Bennett. The babies are all just weeks apart. Lori, Megon, and I used to have lunch dates occasionally while we were pregnant with them, back in the old days. Life sure has changed since the babies have come along!

The babies did pretty well. No meltdowns, so I say lunch was a success. Madison did extremely well for...Madison. I may just have to give her a few M & M's this afternoon for being a "good girl." It's so funny, she knows how to say "good girl." We always tell her she's a good girl when she takes her medicine and she started saying it.

After lunch, Madison and I ran a few errands to get Father's Day gifts and pick up a few other things. We got a few fresh tomatoes at Farmer Dan's stand. Our first tomatoes this summer! I literally thought I was going to melt in the heat. Errands are murder in the summer, and while pregnant!

Tomorrow morning I'm going to pick one more gallon of blueberries to freeze for cobblers. Half of my last batch molded because I had a few berries in the batch that were wet, so I've got to get a little more. I believe tomorrow is the last day of picking season at Renee's Berry Garden. It seems like it didn't last long.

Here's us from our last excursion...

Mmm...I can smell a blueberry cobbler in the near future.