Celebration Water Park

Our HOA decided that this year they would give out key cards instead of a pass code for the pool gate in our community. I thought this was a good idea, however, they have been really bad about getting the cards out to people, so we don't have ours yet. I'm quite irritated about this because I had planned on spending a large part of the summer at the pool, and I also really NEED a tan for Ashlee's wedding. I read an article that spray tan is not recommended during pregnancy, so I need to do it the natural, slower way.

I have also noticed Maddie has been getting a little bored with her toys and crafts so I have been trying to think of things to do outside of the house to get her moving around to replace preschool now that we are out for the summer. Enter Celebration Park. I remembered that Celebration Park in Allen has a water spray area during the summer, so we decided to try that out today. Maddie wasn't really into splash parks in the past, but I thought we would try it out this year. Ashlee, Maddie and I took our Chick-fil-a lunch and sat under a tree for a pick-nick and she was SO excited to get into the water. When she was done eating it took her a while to warm up to the sprinkles, so, Ashlee went out with her to show her it was ok while I finished up my lunch. It took her the whole hour we were there to finally stand under one of the water sprayers, and she will avoid at any cost getting her face wet. After we were there for a while, she started to play with other kids and not minding so much that she was wet. It was a fun afternoon. We might just make it a weekly visit.   

21 week belly 

20 Weeks

This week marks my 20th week of pregnancy. I didn't really start feeling like myself again till about 16 weeks. I think that's one of the biggest differences between this one and Maddie's. I'm also showing bigger sooner then I did with Maddie, but I hear that's normal. Especially since I have a short torso,  I stretched out big time with Maddie. She had no where else to go, poor thing, so its like with this pregnancy, my body just said "yea, we've done this already, I'm not even going to try to hold it in."

Yesterday we had our 20th week appointment with the ultrasound and we were really excited to finally find out what we were having, but also importantly make sure that everything was ok. Which it was. It was so neat to see how much the ultrasound can see. We even got a small 3D image which was really cool to see. I told the technician that I appreciated that she waited until the end of the appointment to tell us the gender because with Maddie, the technician told us she was a girl first thing. I was so excited to know what she was, that for the rest of the appointment, all I heard him say was blah blah blah, looks good, blah blah blah. This time I was able to pay attention to all the details and everything she was saying about this baby. In the end of the appointment, she typed the words on her monitor "no doubt a girl" and that's how we found out, so that was a lot of fun. We got a print out of all the pictures (with Maddie we got a recorded tape of the appointment which was cool, but, who has a VCR anymore?) for her baby book and I'm excited to finally begin planning. I have no idea how people can wait until the birth to find out.

After our appointment Brian and I headed to Party-City to get last minute things for our Gender-reveal Party. We decided to have a get together and tell everyone at once what we were having. We decided to invite our families and our small group, kind of as a last small group get-together before summer.

My reveal idea was to have everyone gather around and let Maddie open a small box with the color appropriate confetti and ribbon. Once she opened the box, she and everyone would know together. I wanted Maddie to be at our ultrasound appointment, but then, I just knew it would slip somehow. It was hard enough for Brian and I to keep it in for that short period of time.

I did a "What's it going to BEE" theme with yellow and black table decorations and I just told everyone to come over after dinner for desert. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad we chose to do that.

Baby and I are doing great and I'm ready for the week count down to get bellow 20 weeks now that I'm half way there.

The table decor. I did have a really pretty punch bowl for the punch, but we had last minute disaster with the spickett, so I had to improvise. 

Before the reveal, I took a tally of who thought it was a boy or girl. 

Maddie about to open her box.

 The reveal!

Everyone was excited.

Afterwards, Brylee and Maddie had a great time with the confetti. Silly girls. 

Maddie's End of Year Program

This past weekend was a very busy one. First, on Thursday, Maddie had her end-of-year program at preschool. This year the Theme was Sesame Street and the 3's classes were dressed as Cookie Monster. SO. CUTE! They sang "C is for Cookie and that's enough for me". They also sang "My God is So Big", then they sang a hilarious song in Spanish about different animals and the sound they make. It was adorable and Maddie loved the stage. We went out to eat afterwards at Cheddar's and Maddie fell asleep on my mom's lap before dinner was over. We even managed to get her all the way in bed without barely waking her up the whole time. That has never happened.

Walking on stage

Maddie is the first one on the left on the first riser. 

She wanted to have her picture taken with Ernie. 

GOOD JOB MADDIE!

 Friday, we packed up and left for Arlington/Fort Worth as soon as Brian came home from work for Ashlee's TCU graduation. Brian, Maddie and I were staying at my grandparents house in Arlington. As soon as we got there, we left Maddie at the house to play with one of her cousins before going to bed, and Brian and I met up with my parents, Corey and Rachel, Ashlee and Michael and Michael's parents who flew in from California at P.F. Chang's downtown Fort Worth. Dinner was awesome and it was fun to be able to be out late (with something to do) with other adults and no kiddo. (momma needs a break sometimes.) 

Saturday we got up early and headed to TCU to watch Ashlee walk across the stage. Maddie did better then I though she would for having to sit for 2 hours. After that, we had lunch at Mi Cocina down town, then Brian, Maddie and I headed back to Arlington for a nap. My parents and Corey attended Rachel's Graduation ceremony at 3:00 with Rachel's family. We were sad for the girls not being able to graduate at the same time, but...that's just how it was. 

For diner, my mom made a reservation for a party room at i Fratilli's in Colleyville for all of Ashlee's family and friends and Rachel's family and friends. It was also kind of like a pre-wedding get together. 

We drove home after dinner stuffed and tired, but we had a fun weekend.