Summer Vacation 2013

It worked so well for us last year when we planned a last minute vacation to Phoenix that we decided to do it the same way again this year! We had been toying around with the idea of heading to a beach, and tossed everything from Cape Cod to the Cayman Islands or San Diego into the hat. In the end, we decided on Gulf Shores, AL and booked our rental about two weeks before we left (there had been a cancellation so we snagged a great place at a great price!). This allowed us to take a road trip instead of flying which made packing much, much easier since we could basically take whatever we wanted. Plus, my grandmas house is on the way so we were able to stay with her on our way there and way home.

The house we rented was a 3 bed/3 bath which is more room than our family of three (and a 1/2) needed, so we asked my parents and my sisters family if they'd like to join us. Unfortunately it was too late of notice for the Gadek's to join, but my parents and Aunt Patsy were able to come for the first half of the week! We actually left three days early to stay a night at my grandmas, and then spend the weekend in New Orleans before checking into the rental on Monday. It felt like our vacation kept going and going with all the little stops on the way and it was so fun!

My parents graciously offered to take Mason with them on the first leg of the trip to my grandmas on Friday morning since Sean was working and we couldn't leave until the afternoon. It was such a huge help to have the day to pack everything up and take Hazel out to my sister's, plus Sean and I enjoyed spending some alone time in the car together. My grandma and Uncle Philip had a delicious Cajun dinner ready for us when we arrived and Mason was in a great mood from partying with all the relatives and neighbors that had stopped by!

On our way to New Orleans the next day we stopped at one of our favorite poboy restaurants in Baton Rouge for lunch, Louisiana Bayou Bistro. Mason surprised us all by eating shrimp, oysters and crawfish - his 1/8th Cajun blood was coming out and I was so proud! Then we continued on to NOLA and after checking into the hotel, headed out to where else, Bourbon Street! Let me tell you, being pregnant and with my son and parents provided for a different experience than I'm used to on that street. I was actually pregnant with Mason the last time we were in NOLA so I haven't really been able to experience the city the way it should be for a while now. After walking around and taking everything in, we decided on century-old Pascal's Manale for dinner. My parents have been several times before and couldn't have recommended a more perfect restaurant! The barbecued shrimp was to die for and I heard the soft shell crab and raw oysters didn't disappoint either. On Sunday we rode the trolley from the edge of the French Quarter down beautiful St. Charles Ave. We got off where we could walk through one of the unique neighborhoods to Magazine Street where a bunch of neat shops and restaurants are. Since it was before noon on Sunday many of them were closed, which wasn't great especially since we got caught in a downpour. We made the most of it though and after grabbing a light lunch, took Mason back to the hotel for his nap. My parents and aunt stayed with him while Sean and I ventured back out. We explored several areas before finding ourselves back on Magazine Street for yummy Cajun appetizers, some store browsing and gelato. That evening we headed out for dinner at the delicious Mandina's, a restaurant with huge portions and a friendly atmosphere! Mason tried turtle soup here and asked for more! Monday morning we showered and packed, then headed to a neat grocery store near our hotel before hitting the road for AL.

Bourbon Street

A virgin hurricane for me and dinner at Pascal's Manale

Martinis and raw oysters at Pascal's Manale on the left, and navy polo/khaki short uniform for dinner at Mandina's on the right

This boy was fascinated with the trolley!

Once we arrived at our rental we did what you're supposed to do on a beach vacation: RELAX! We never planned more than two activities a day so that we could spend as much time as possible on the beach with Mason. Mason showed absolutely NO FEAR of the water and wanted to keep going further and further out in it. He loved going over the waves and under the water, and even wanted to try it all on his own but we drew the line there. It was definitely a work-out for us parents and we were always enticing him with things to bring him out of the water and back to the beach. My parents and Aunt Patsy were there for the first two nights and then it was just the three of us for the rest of the week. I let my mom and aunt take over the kitchen while they were there and enjoyed some delicious meals, including fresh (like alive when we bought them!) shrimp and crab, parmesan chicken wings and Sean's famous ribs. In addition to the great food we had some fun outings like a dolphin watching cruise that was also a pirate adventure for Mason, breakfast with pirates and princesses, dinner at the super fun and kid friendly Lulu's - an on the water restaurant with live music, boatloads of sand and sand toys, ropes course, tiki bar and gift shop, and a stop at Alligator Alley where we fed, held and viewed the 200+ gators! The vacation came and went too quickly, but we had a wonderful time and will definitely go back to this family-friendly destination in the years to come.

Our dolphin watching cruise and pirate adventure. We actually saw quite a few dolphins (three of which were getting frisky, if you know what I mean), and they pulled a treasure chest from the ocean filled with treasure for all the pirates on board! It was such a cute and fun adventure for Mason.

Crabs straight from the ocean, to our kitchen sink, then to the pot of boiling water, and eventually in our bellies!

Mason posing with pirates and princesses at a breakfast & pirate treasure chest search.

Hanging 10 with Daddy, sitting in the huge chair with Mommy, then hitting exhaustion and having a little pirate pout.

You'd never notice how long the wait for a table is at Lulu's with all the fun activities going on!  

Beach time fun

Thoroughly enjoying the water and a sunset ice cream treat on the beach

This boy loves to jump off any ledge he can find!

Sean's alligator masterpiece

Alligator Alley

I regretfully cancelled our beach photographer because I didn't have any cute, beach-y maternity clothes. The guilt consumed me and I made everyone wake up early on our last day for some shots at sunrise. Obviously we got out there too late and the sun was in our eyes and shadows on our faces. Lesson learned - we'll leave it to the professionals next time!

I still love the photos though and the memories with them.

This one precious shot made the whole scenario worth it. I love absolutely every morsel of this beach cutie.

I'm already looking forward to our next summer vacation - next time as a family of four!

Entering the Home Stretch

I'm still working on our vacation blog post but keep pushing it off. We had a blast and the post is coming soon!

In about a week I will feel safe saying we're in the home stretch on the baby front. I'm scheduled to deliver five weeks from tomorrow (September 17), which sometimes feels like forever away and other times kind of puts me in a panic. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait for the baby to get here and for our life as a family of four to start, but I'm also enjoying every adventure with my curious, fun, happy 2.5 year old and want to soak up these moments alone with him while I have them. Plus, we're still preparing the house for a baby and need some time to get it all in line!

Despite the Texas heat, I'm feeling as good as can be expected at 34.5 weeks pregnant. I haven't had any swelling, sickness or pregnancy scares. I'm having what I'm thankful to call a "normal pregnancy". I do get completely exhausted in the middle of the day and again in the evenings, but these times fall during when Mason naps so there's a little reprieve.

I've never written about Mason's delivery on the blog. The abbreviated version is that my water broke at home the day after my due date, and 17 hours later I wasn't even dilated at one centimeter (you deliver when you're at a 10, which once you reach a 6, takes about an hour a centimeter). If 24 hours pass between the water breaking and the baby coming, the baby is at risk of infection and at the rate I was progressing, we would have definitely crossed that time period. Plus, every time I had a contraction his heart rate decreased, which could mean a number of problems (the only one I remember is that the umbilical cord could be wrapped around his neck). Although I originally wanted to do all I could to prevent having a c-section, it was clear that the best way to get Mason here safely was using that method, so we agreed to the doctors plan without hesitation. It took me a while to mentally get over it, but I have finally come to peace with it and am happy I live in a day of modern medicine where both Mason and I were guaranteed our health and safety.

This is why we've scheduled baby #2's delivery for a c-section on September 17, three days before my September 20 due date. We had to put a date on the calendar to ensure we could get my doctor, but choosing my baby's birthday is a huge source of anxiety for me so I may let that day come and go so I can go into labor on my own. It's a very difficult decision for me because I know the scheduled time is the safest time for ME to do it, and I would be 39.5 weeks pregnant (a compromise from my doctor - he wanted to do it at 39 weeks and I squeezed an extra four days out of him), which is completely full term and many women go into labor before then anyway (as I might, too). A little voice in my head tells me that the doctor knows best and to follow his orders, but the other side of me tells me the baby knows best and will come when he's ready. I'm stressing myself out just typing this!

Ok, enough about my worry. Here's an updated pregnancy survey and belly pics!

How far along: 34.5 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 20 pounds
Sleep: Could be worse, but not ideal. I wake up several times a night, struggle getting comfortable, and lately have a sweet, stinky-breathed red head coming to say good morning at 6:30 AM.
Best Moment This Week: Buying the carseat and double stroller! Oh, and my friend Dorrie had a baby. Holding that little girl gave me huge excitement. She is so sweet, small, and adorable!
Movement: All the time. He hiccups a lot, too. He kicks, rolls, and readjusts all day long, sometimes all at the same time. Today while listening to the heartbeat at the doctor, we heard a whoosh! sound which was a clear kick. Pretty cute.
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button: About half-in, half-out. Kind of funny looking to be honest. ;)
What I Miss: Sleeping in any position I want
What I am Looking Forward to: Painting the nursery this weekend. Sean will do it while Mason and I amuse ourselves out of the house. For those interested the main nursery colors are light gray and robin's egg blue, and the "theme" if you will is skyline.
Milestones: Babies born between 34 and 37 weeks with no other health problems generally do fine in the long run. Very reassuring!

Taken on our last day in Gulf Shores, AL

One of the bigger 2-week belly differences I've had

Sean's Birthday, 4th of July, & Mom and Dad R Visit

We had a lot going on over the past week and a half! Sean's birthday was on July 2, so the Saturday before we held a cook-out at our house for our friends and their kids. It was fun breaking in our new patio and all the kids seemed to enjoy themselves with the water activities we had set out.

I forgot to get action shots of the kiddos, but here are some of the mommas (and Hawkins!)

Dads on duty

Splashing in his "pool"!

Aftermath of the water and other outdoor activities

Summer picnic with Hutcheson, Jeff and Ashleigh!

Thomas and John Andrews!

Perfect way to break in the new grill!

On Sean's actual birthday, Mason and I put together a big breakfast for him before he headed off for work. Then Mason and I hung out before I took him to my parents house. He napped there and had a jam-packed afternoon of car washing, playing in the creek, sno-cones, and other summer fun before spending the night there. Having the afternoon off gave me time to get some errands and house cleaning done before Sean's parents arrived the next day. That evening, Sean and I had a date night at Patrizio's. The weather was beautiful and we were actually able to sit on the patio. The rest of the diners had the same idea - hardly anyone dined inside that night! It was a wonderful evening out alone with my hubby.

I guess this is the best picture we can expect the valet guy to take!

Sean's parents came in on the 3rd and we had a wonderful visit with them through Monday. Mason changes so much from month-to-month and they were shocked at his vocabulary and improved fine and motor skills! We spent a lot of time relaxing at home, enjoyed a busy 4th of July, some shopping and dining, swimming, and another cook-out to celebrate Sean's birthday with our families (I'm just realizing he had three birthday celebrations - not too shabby!). Our dinners at home are always one of my favorite parts of visiting with Sean's parents. They start with appetizers and drinks on the patio, followed by a delicious meal, and then interesting post-dinner conversation and drinks. Apparently Mason picked up on how fun these meals are as we'd spot him watching us when he was supposed to be asleep!

On the 4th of July we started the morning by attending our neighborhood parade. We've been in this house for nine years and this was embarrassingly the first time we've attended! It won't be the last though. Almost everyone participates in the parade, and there are very little people in their yards watching it go by. Mason got to ride the train for the parade, and it ended in a cul-de-sac with sno-cones, more train rides, a balloon artist, tons of food, hula hoop contests, sack races and door prizes! It reminded me of a small town 4th and we'll definitely participate from now on. After Mason's nap that afternoon we headed out to my parents house for a fun cook-out with festive drinks, food and dessert. Then we all packed up to go watch fireworks in Richardson. I'm not sure if Mason has ever been up that late but the amazement in his eyes made it all worth it!

Hazel looking patriotic

Riding the train in the parade!

Happy 4th!

Eating a sno-cone and rollin' in a firetruck with Zion sippin' a Capri Sun

The beautiful spread at my parents cook-out. I mean, look at that flag cake! A work of art by Aunt Patsy!

Patriotic fun!

Absolute amazement at the fireworks

As I mentioned, we had a family birthday get-together for Sean the Saturday after his birthday. We are so blessed to have such a fun and loving family that gets along so well. My brother Doug is in Austria guest conducting for work, so he was unable to attend, but otherwise it was a great time.

Sitting around the bar after a round of Sean's vodka, raspberry-lemonade, and muddled strawberry concoction!

Water fun with Madison, Hazel's ridge, and a fruit tart for Sean's birthday dessert. Again, hats off to Aunt Patsy for this one!

Mason was asking all day yesterday where Grandma and Grandad went and I know he's anxiously awaiting the next time he sees them. He's been taking rockstar naps the past two days to catch up on all the fun he's been having (which explains all the recent blog posts)!

Hope everyone had a Happy 4th! Happy Birthday, Sean!

Baby Update - 29.5 weeks

Just because I haven't blogged much about this pregnancy doesn't mean it isn't just as exciting to us as it was when I was pregnant with Mason! Finding time to sit at the computer for an extended stretch has been difficult to come by lately, but it's about time I share some of our love for this baby!

Overall I am feeling great. If I've had a particularly active day, I'll get RLS in the evenings which can get pretty uncomfortable, but laying down usually helps. In certain positions I'll get a shooting pain in my tailbone area that prevents me from moving for a few seconds. This is not fun at all but is really my only complaint!

I continue to have my thyroid and blood antibody monitored monthly and they are posing no risk to the pregnancy. My glucose screen was last week and my levels looked great, which means I do not have gestational diabetes (it's a standard test done in all pregnancies). I am now going for OB check-ups every two weeks.

My final sonogram was performed last Friday, when I was 29 weeks. Sean's parents were in town and were able to attend, as well as my parents, my Aunt Patsy, and of course, Sean. People rotated in and out of the lobby to watch Mason. The baby has progressed perfectly and on Friday was estimated to weigh 2 lbs, 12 oz. According to my Baby Center updates, he's about the size of a butternut squash! The perinatologist surprised us at the end of our visit and turned the 3D image on and caught a beautiful picture of our little boys face. He looks just like Mason to me!

His nursery is slowly but surely coming along. Thankfully we can use all of Mason's furniture, but are switching out the bedding, paint, accessories, and other things to make it special for our new love. I will post pictures when it's complete. At the rate we're moving though, that might be the day before I deliver!

Here's a little pregnancy survey I found online that I thought I'd fill out:

How far along: 29.5 weeks
Total Weight Gain: About 12 pounds
Sleep: It takes me a few minutes to get in position for the night, but once I do I'm great! I get up about once a night to use the restroom.
Best Moment This Week: Several times the baby has made huge movements while Mason was in my lap. Mason's eyes will get big, he'll gasp and then ask "what's that, Mommy?" 
Movement: All the time! Others can see and feel him moving as well. I absolutely love the sensation and thinking about what he's doing in there.
Gender: Still a boy. Confirmed that fact last Friday!
Labor Signs: None, thank goodness! This baby can cook as long as he wants to!
Belly Button: Still in.
What I Miss: Stereotypically, alcohol. A nice summer-y drink would be so great on the patio. I've snuck several sips of wine and beer though. :)
What I am Looking Forward to: Finalizing a name! We have several that we like and we won't keep it a secret once we decide.
Milestones: I'm officially in the third trimester! His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain.

Here is a picture of me at 28.5 weeks before Sean and I went to dinner for Sean's birthday. And then there's a picture of a picture of our last sonogram. Such a cutie if I do say so myself!

Weekend in Mississippi

A couple of weekends ago, my mom, Mason, my niece Madison, and I took a road trip to Yazoo City, MS to visit my Aunt Patsy and to go blackberry picking. We picked Mason up from summer camp on a Friday afternoon and drove the straight six hours with only one or two stops. Both kids did great in the car, and Madison was a life-saver when it came to keeping Mason entertained.

Aunt Patsy is the best cook and baker I've ever been around and she thoroughly spoiled us in the kitchen this weekend! Everything was made from scratch, including the cheese, ice cream, and bread. When she makes goat cheese, she uses milk from a goat down the road. It doesn't get more fresh than that! She taught Madison and I how to make mozzarella, and let Mason and Madison help her with the ice cream. Every meal was delicious, including her famous desserts.

We timed our visit with opening blackberry weekend for nearby Locust Grove Berry Farm. We were some of the first visitors to pick berries from them this year and it was a thrill! And don't you know we had homemade blackberry cobbler that night. Yum!

We had a couple of other outings, but mostly hung out around her beautiful home and enjoyed each others company. She lives near a train track and Mason LOVED running outside to see it drive by every time he heard it. One notable activity was our tour of the Yazoo City cemetery, which is to this day still segregated into sections of black, white, Catholic and Jewish and holds a mass grave of unknown Confederate soliders. The "Witch of Yazoo City" is also buried here. Click here to read the spooky tale!

After a delicious and relaxing weekend, we headed home mid-morning on Monday. Our trip was timed perfectly to stop in Monroe, LA for lunch and visit the Duck Dynasty headquarters! Sean and I love that show and it was exciting to see where they work and where a lot of the show is filmed.

Thanks for a wonderful weekend, Aunt Patsy!

Sleeping on the road trip with his headphones and dump truck!

Berry picking!

This was half our loot!

Aunt Patsy, Madison and my mom

Successful morning!

Aunt Patsy's beautiful home

Her flowers are incredible!

I may have overpacked his trucks just a little...

Madison taking us on a spin in the Polaris!

Mason and I shared the king bed in the guest room. He looks so small in there alone!

The grave of The Witch of Yazoo City

Walking to see the train with Mimi (Aunt Patsy)

So glad we made time to stop at the Duck Commander Headquarters!