Destin 2011

Jack and I just got home from a week long stay in Destin, FL with Nana, Pops, Aunt Mea Mea, and Cade.  We were so sad that Allen couldn't be there with us, but he is going to take a little vacation with us to Smith Lake later this summer.

I was not surprised at all that my child loved the sand, but I was very surprised that he loved the water...maybe he did learn something at swim lessons a few months ago after all :)  Jack loved absolutely everything about the beach...the sand, the water, the boats, the airplanes, the people watching, and waving to everyone who walked by.

 We headed to Baytowne Warf in Sandestin our last night in town for a little food and fun.  Jack entertained EVERYONE with his dance moves while we listened to the band.

After a little dancing we headed over to the carousel which was a huge hit!

Jack became pretty attached to his Pops during this trip.  If Pops was around, he ignored everyone else!

I told my mom on the last morning there that I don't remember a time when I was ever so sandy and had such an even tan (from not getting to sit down, but rather being up chasing a busy 14 month old).  I realize that my beach days have completely changed from the laying out and reading to the up and chasing and playing, and it will stay that way for quite a few years.....and I wouldn't change it for the world!

No Kisses & All Done

Cheesy Grins, A Big Boy Haircut, and Other Stuff

Jack has perfected the "cheesy grin".  Anytime I pull out the camera and say "Jack,  CHEESE", this is what I get...

As you can see below, Jack's mullet quickly grew back :)  I was content to just let it keep growing, but of course Allen was all about him getting another haircut.  I became a very very brave women on Saturday morning and I put the boys in charge of haircuts while I stayed in bed.  Allen got Jack up and dressed and left the house before 7 am with instructions from this mama that he was only to have the mullet cut....no length off the top was to be touched!  He followed my directions and my little baby came home a BIG BOY!  It makes him look SO grown up, but it is pretty darn cute.  I think it's a little too short, but I know it grows fast and it will be nice and cool on his little neck for our upcoming beach trip. 

Mullet #2 - prior to haircut #2

Haircut #2 - Such a BIG BOY!

I didn't do a 13 month post, but I just  have to write a few fun things going on with Jack right now at 13 1/2 months old.

• Jack still isn't using many words to communicate, but he talks constantly in what we call Alien Speak and has hand gestures and lots of intonation while telling you something (or talking to himself).  He is still doing great signing and signs Eat, More, All Done, and we are working on Please.  He shakes his head No when we tell him no or when he doesn't want something.  He also shakes his head no if he is doing something he knows he isn't suppose to do :)

• Jack is such a boy and LOVES trucks, 4-wheelers and tractors.  He loves to sit in the drivers seat and "drive".  There is a house being built right next to ours and the tractors and dump trucks that were present for a week while they did dirt work provided MANY of hours of entertainment in this household.

• Jack's little walk gets faster and faster everyday.  He is beginning to climb on all things which makes this Mama very nervous!

• Mealtimes are becoming interesting at our house, because Jack wants no part in someone feeding him.  He is such a great eater, but will only eat if he can do it himself. We have been practicing with the spoon and fork for the past month, but things get pretty messy when we have things like oatmeal, yogurt, or mac and cheese.  He still loves fruit over anything else (especially blueberries)  and other favorites include cheese, pasta, baked sweet potatoes, peanut butter, and fig newtons.

• Jack is doing such a great job listening to and understanding directions.  I will ask him to go get a book, and he walks to his room and pulls a book of the bookshelf (or several....or all of them).  I tell him to put his shoes on so we can go outside and he walks to the door, picks up his shoes, and brings them to me.  And my favorite is when I tell Jack is it time for his nap, he walks to his room, points to the sound machine (that he likes to turn on by himself...I think I have an independent child), then walks to his crib to get his paci and bunny.

• Jack LOVES being outside.  We are loving this weather and almost everyday we stroll, swing, walk up and down the sidewalk and pick up every rock Jack sees, play in the grass, blow bubbles, drive riding toys up and down the driveway, and pick Mama's flowers when she isn't looking :)

And a little paragraph about sweet baby Witt.  His arrival time is sneaking up on me and I am beginning to get a little panicked that I have done NOTHING to prepare for him.  We have moved Jack to the "big boy room" so the nursery is vacant and ready for a new crib and bedding, but I haven't done anything else.  Little Witt will be here in a little over 3 months so it is time to begin preparing!!!  Other than the crib and bedding, there is little we need (so nice having another boy close in age).  I just need to pull stuff out of the attic and organize.  I had my 24 week checkup last week and Witt's heartbeat sounded great, but I did fail my glucose screening (which was a total shock to me...I wasn't even worried about it).  I went back to the doctor this morning for the 3 hour glucose test and just barely passed it.  The good news is, I don't have to cut out all the sugar in my diet, but the reality is, my glucose level is borderline high so I need to be a little more careful with what I eat because it appears my hormones might be getting in the way of producing and or using the insulin I need to break down the sugar I take in.   With that said, no more Saturday morning donuts until Baby Witt is safely in my arms. A few weeks ago I noted that Witt seems a little more laid back "in utero" than Jack was.  I take back those words.  This little boy bounces all around my belly.  I think I'm going to have my hands full in 3 1/2 months :)

Paci & Bunny

Jack loves his paci and bunny.  He only gets them when he is in the bed or on a long car ride.  I broke the "breastfeeding mom's #1 rule" 13 months ago and gave Jack a paci the day we got home from the hospital.  It never hurt anything and we have always tried to keep the paci a "going to sleep" thing.  My original plan was to take it away when he turned 1, but after talking with his pediatrician, I have changed my mind on the issue (as well as MANY others) and am going to let him keep it a little longer...maybe even until he is 2...who knows :)  When I get him out of the bed I tell him to throw his paci in the bed, and he does just that...with lots of enthusiasm and never seems upset to not have it.  His bunny is a soft little lovey his great aunt Judy gave him before he was born.  He slowly became attached to it, but I now wonder if he could even sleep without it.  He LOVES bunny and we now have an extra that stays in the car for road trips while the original bunny stays in Jack's crib (you can't tell them apart and I wash both once a week so they smell the same).  Jack always puts bunny up to his face when he is tired....too too sweet :)

We had a tough day at our house yesterday with a big fall off the chair and a bruise on the head as well as a cut under his chin which happened earlier that morning.  Top that off with a very short nap and things just weren't going well for the little guy.  This Mama decided it was a day to break the rules and bunny and paci got to make a special appearance out of the bed and into the den while we snuggled and watched Baby Einstein for the rest of the afternoon.  Paci & Bunny can make everything better!

Lately...

We have been busy busy lately with lots of fun things going on!  Weekend before last, we ventured to the square for the Double Decker Arts Festival.  Jack was happy in his stroller for about 15 minutes, then wanted to walk.  I put Allen in charge and they walked all over the square.

This past weekend was my 10 year class reunion.  We started off the weekend with a picnic at the Kirk Academy playground.  Everyone brought their spouses and kids and we had a GREAT time!  Jack was worn out from watching and trying to catch up with the big boys :)

Kirk just added on to the playground with a new preschool area.  Jack had a blast playing on it.  Of course his Nana was there to slide down the big slide with him...That's what Nana's are for, right?

Saturday night was grownups only with a private party at First and Green.  We had a great crowd with 22 Class of 2001 classmates there plus significant others.  I think everyone had a GREAT time and we are already talking about a 15 year reunion!

Sunday morning, we woke up to a full house at the Moody home (Mama, Daddy, Meagan, Cade, Allen, Me, Jack and the dogs Mallie, Doc, and Cuba) and a major plumbing problem in the kitchen.  We took on the adventure and cooked homemade monkey bread for Mother's Day breakfast with no water or plumbing in the kitchen.  I think my poor mom was ready for everyone to leave so she could have her house back and her kitchen working again.  We snapped a quick family photo before leaving for church (even Witt is quite noticeable in this pic).

We have had a low key week so far with lots of playtime with Jack's buddy, Wyatt.  Whatever happened to the days when these boys would just sit in their bouncy seats and stare at each other?  Now they wrestle for the chair :)

Last night while I was getting supper ready, Allen and Jack were outside doing boy stuff.  I looked out the window and saw this... Jack is now a huge fan of the sprinkler :)

Little man is always worn out at bedtime.  We moved him into his new big boy room a couple of weeks ago and he obviously isn't having any problems adjusting to his new room and bedding...sweet guy!

Easter Weekend 2011

We had a packed and wonderful Easter weekend with lots of good family time (and really good food...which is a priority on this pregnant girl's list).  Saturday morning, Jack attended his first Easter egg hunt with his Nana and Pops at their church.  He met the Easter Bunny and was not too fond of him (or her) at first.

After he escaped from the bunny's lap, he was intrigued, but kept a safe distance to point and wave at the bunny.

When the egg hunt began, Jack immediately spotted the slide and swing set, threw his basket down, forgot all about the eggs, and went sliding :)

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in Pops and Nana's front yard with Uncle Cade's old toys.

Saturday night, we had Easter dinner with CC, Big Daddy, Aunt Ray Ray, Uncle Kyle, Mimi, and Mr. Joe.  Mimi made this bunny cake especially for Jack...I was very impressed!

The Easter bunny found us and Jack was very excited about his Easter "happies"!!!

Sunday after church we headed to Ruleville for a little fun with the Hargett side of the family and of course Jack once again enjoyed being the center of attention (he is the only great grandchild....come on cousins, we need more babies!).  Jack had the best time playing with Aunt Mea Mea and Uncle Cade (and picking all of his great Grandmama's flowers).

Oh how things change in a year!  This year we had such a fun time hunting eggs with Jack and chasing him all over the place, but I can't help but remember what was in my Easter basket last year :)

2011 Boston Marathon

Allen survived (and did great!) his first Boston Marathon on Patriot's Day (3/18).  We dropped Jack off with his grandparents on Friday and headed to Jackson to spend the night with Jennie and Thomas who had SO GRACIOUSLY offered to take us to the airport at 5:00 am on Saturday.  Allen and I arrived in Boston at noon and hit the town!  Neither of us had ever been to Boston, so we tried to pack in as much sightseeing in the 2 days we were there.... all without getting the marathoners legs too tired to run his big race on Monday. Saturday night we headed to the north end of Boston and had the best Italian food we have ever eaten!  Then headed over to Mike's Pastry and had homemade cannoli....AMAZING!  Sunday, we slept in then headed downtown for some seafood at Legal Sea Food (pretty awesome) then just took in the city.  My favorite thing we did was the duck tour...learned lots of historical things about Boston (that I probably learned in US History in High School, but didn't remember any of it :)

We headed back to the hotel early evening and ordered Allen's traditional pre-race meal...Pizza.  Allen was up Monday morning at 4:45 am (eastern time) preparing for race day!  He said the whole experience was so very cool and he is already talking about  "next time".  Mid morning (the race didn't begin until 10) I headed downstairs and hung out in the hotel lobby watching the beginning of the race (which was a town away) on tv.  I was very excited to see none other than Allen Cravens begin his race and high five all the people around him as they crossed the start line :)  I then braved the "T" all by myself and luckily delivered myself safely downtown to mile 25.5 where I watched all the elite runners come in.  My favorite was watching the wheelchair racers....a young guy with down syndrome turned the corner and realized he was less than 1 mile from the finish line and broke down realizing he had done it.  I stood there and cried along with him as he wheeled past me...I can only imagine what this accomplishment meant for him and I was so proud for him!  The things I have seen at these marathons amaze me...In Chicago we watched a guy who was blind finish the race!  The crowd was amazing where I was cheering for every single person that came by and later Allen told me it was like that the ENTIRE 26.2 miles!  Here is the race clock coming by with the first 3 male elite runners coming in.  All three (including US runner, Ryan Hall) broke the world record for the day, but unfortunately it was not condsidered official because of "wind assist" throughout the race.

After the elite runners ran by, I made my way to the "pick up your marathoner" area.  I was sad I didn't get to actually see Allen run, but I wanted to be waiting for him as soon as he finished.  Allen had a GREAT race with a time of 3:21.  He felt great after the race and said that although it was the toughest course he has run, he had never felt better!  I am SO proud of him and he is already planning another Boston Marathon in his future...now he is just trying to talk me into running with him :)  Don't think so, buddy!  As soon as the race was over we headed to the hotel.  I had to check out before the marathon began, so Allen improvised and showered in the pool area...ha.  I told him there was no way I was sitting next to him on a plane without him getting a shower :)

We got to Grenada a little before 2:00 am and crashed!  Allen had been up for 22 hours and had run a marathon in that time...I don't see how he was still functioning!  At 7:00 Jack woke up to find Mama and Daddy there and he was beyond excited!  He definitely doesn't miss us when we are gone, but he sure does get excited when we get home!  Jack was spoiled rotten all weekend by all four grandparents!  He got to drive the tractor, the 4wheeler, the boat (not actually in the water though), the truck, and got to feed the horses.  I'm not sure he was ready to go home with us :)

Sorry it's so blurry, my mom took this picture of him with her phone...looks like he was having fun!

Congrats to my hubby for finishing this HUGE accomplishment!  And no, this does not mean you can begin training for Iron Man now!

20 weeks!!!

We are halfway there (I was 20 week on 3/15) and so far this pregnancy has FLOWN by!  It seemed to go so slow when I was pregnant with Jack, but it is going so fast this time around I worry I am not going to get everything done and ready for Baby Witt. 

Witt is now the length of a banana and is measuring ahead weighing in at 12 ounces....am I going to have a big baby this time around?  I  have been feeling him move around for a month now, but his Daddy just felt him for the first time last week.  Jack was much more active in utero at this point.  I am wondering if that means Baby Witt will be a little more laid back and less "busy" than his big brother :)  On the ultrasound, Witt was stretched out and relaxed.  I feel his feet all the time right at my belly button.  He is head down right now and looked pretty content, so maybe he won't try to flip over the next 20 weeks :)  We saw all his little organs and everything looked just perfect!  His heart rate was 142 (I think Jack's was always just a little faster).  AND, he is definitely still a boy :)

Everything about this pregnancy has been pretty different, but the biggest difference has been how fast I have grown...haha.  I think this probably has something to do with the fact that I was so sick with Jack and have only felt bad a handful of times this time around.  I didn't even look pregnant until I was almost 7 months pregnant with Jack.  Allen was looking through the blog book the other night and saw a picture of me at 31 weeks and said "That's what you look like now".  Not smart to say out loud, my dear :)  Yes, it is true, I have grown MUCH faster this time around, but I am hoping that doesn't mean I will grow MUCH bigger this time around :)  If so, that's ok...I am guessing chasing around a 17 month old while feeding and caring for a newborn will help me quickly lose this baby weight :)  Allen and I are just so thankful to get to be parents to TWO little boys and are excited to see what our future with them holds!

Baby Brother has a NAME!

I wasn't intending on keep Baby #2's name a secret, but it took us a little while to decide on the perfect name for 

our little guy and when we did, we wanted to keep it to ourselves for a few weeks to make sure we loved it.  And 

we do!  We are now ready to share.  

Baby Brother's name will be

Wittman Moody Cravens

"Witt" 

Allen has a great uncle whose name is Whitman and I love the name.  We are changing the spelling to make it our own :)  Moody is my maiden name.  It is so different this time around not only knowing that the baby is a boy, but also being able to call him by his name before he is here.  We can't wait for him to get here and to watch Jack and Witt grow up together!

*Note: I was going to wait and share his name tomorrow after the 20 week ultrasound...just to make certain Witt is for sure a boy :)  BUT, after looking at the sonogram pictures from 16 weeks, I was reminded at how very obvious it was that this little boy is a boy :)  If not, then I'll be back tomorrow to share our little girl's name. haha!

My Walking Little Man

Jack started "toying" with the idea of walking at about 11 months.  A few steps here and there, but only if his destination was close by.  The more confident he got, the more steps he took, but crawling was his primary mode of transportation until about 2 weeks ago.  One day, the week of his birthday, he woke up and just decided he would walk everywhere.  He shocked me!  He has been a 100% walker ever since (getting faster and faster every day)!