Cox Family Pictures

During the Cox reunion Jerusha's friend took pictures for us which I don't have copies of yet. But I tried to get my own and a few extras here and there without any staging. This includes some good out takes and I just couldn't delete the duplicates. For some reason I missed Jerusha's family altogether.....not sure when that happened.

The story of Lance's life: always trying to entertain someone but Kimball got my genes in this regard. He's not easily amused by stupidity.

 Sorry Al, I had to keep this one :)

 Our family of 3.5 and me showing at 24 weeks

Play Date

When Bonnie and kids came home with Donna for a few weeks in July, I had Isom over for a play date with Kimball. I knew Bonnie needed sleep. Donna needed sleep. They both needed a break and Kimball needed someone to play with. Isom really didn't know what to do, all day. He really wasn't himself probably because he was with his strange cousin and in a new place and away from his mom. But Kimball loved it! The boys had lunch - peanut butter and jam sandwiches with homemade applesauce, followed by naps and playing in the pool outside. Isom wouldn't get in the pool at all and cried when I tried to put him in there. He borrowed some of Kimball's shorts for swimming and was totally intrigued by the drawstring on his shorts. That's all he needed, the drawstring. But it didn't stop Kimball from getting wet and playing by himself. 

Pip Squeaker

We finally got internet at our house! It seems completely lame to admit this but I am going to anyway - living without the internet isn't very fun. I checked facebook occasionally on my phone but that's it, I didn't want to have overage charges on my phone bill. And since the internet is the only way I can stay connected with friends and family right now, I miss the internet and didn't think I'd survive the week without it. The end of that ridiculous confession.

I will be updating the blog soon ish. I have no idea when soon ish is going to be. Could be tomorrow, could be next week, could be a month from now. I know I'm WAY behind in journaling a lot of things that I need to document but I'm also sick of living out of boxes and having my house in chaos. I can't live like that so I need to finish unpacking/organizing the house first.

Before I forget, I want to write a few things that Kimball has been saying. I LOVE THIS STAGE!!! It's SO much fun to see all the new things that he discovers and figures out everyday. He's learning more words and phrases all the time and it's so heavenly to actually communicate with him instead of guessing what he wants or needs.

• New words: out, more, eat, cheese, hello, bye, owie, snack, moon,
• New phrases: beep beep!, here we go, where did it go?, oh cute, what's that?

I love that he understands voice inflections and tones. It is the cutest little thing to hear his pip squeaking voice get so stinking high asking "whereo?" (where did it go) while having both hands in the air asking with uncertainty. So many things he says I wish I could get on video but I don't have a lot of time right now, so one day.

He understands pretty much anything we say. He throws away all of his own diapers, understand what it means when we say it's time to eat so he gets in his own chair, gets his shoes when I say it's time to go,  will most times pick up whatever I ask him to (he's still learning where everything goes in this house and adjusting to a new room). Again, it's heavenly to communicate instead of playing the guessing game!

Oh! And he's learned to give hugs!!! The best kind of hugs are little chubby baby arms squeezing surprisingly tight around your neck and just holding you. Melt my heart! We always end days with hugs and kisses and I love it!

LOVES His Shades

Weekly Recap: Picture Style

The perfect sized cart

 Fudgesicle on a hot summer day

 Mowing the lawn with Grandma Pettingill

 Sweeping off the patio and sidewalk - hope he doesn't get sunburned

As If The Goggles Weren't Enough

A Big Week Ahead

I just got home from the Cox reunion in Boise. Like everyone else, I'm exhausted! It was a fun few days and so great to see everyone, especially before we move. A few highlights that I loved:

• Going to Settlers Park in Meridian. Probably the best park I've ever seen with so much for kids to do and the best part is that it's free. If I lived in Boise I'd be there everyday with Kimball, he had such a blast!
• Getting the giggles after midnight playing games with Lance, Donna, and Jerusha
• The food! Mmmmmmm
• Adult bingo with lots of prizes
• Watching Isom and Kimball play together - they really got a kick out of each other and got along so well.
• Sing along hootenanny with Lance playing the ukulele

This is the last week we'll be in Twin. Here's my to do list:

• Reconcile and pay bills
• Finish a secretive project
• Go to my last OB appointment in Twin
• Pack up the rest of the house and load the truck
• Clean the house and sign closing papers

We are closing on the house Wednesday morning, I requested first thing in the morning. We are hoping it won't take longer than 30 minutes and then it's time to hit the road. If all goes as planned we will leave at 9am, take an hour driving break to eat lunch and let Kimball run and play, and arrive in Spokane about 7pm.

***Crossing my fingers I don't get car sick on this very long drive and that Kimball will behave exceptionally well and won't fuss about sitting for so long!***

We don't have a house yet so we will be staying in a hotel hopefully no longer than two days. The duplexes/four plexes/apartments we have looked at don't have pictures online so I've made 3-4 appointments to look at the ones we really like as soon as we get there. I'm hoping once we look at them we can sign and move in on the same day.

Whew! A big week ahead of us and a lot of hoping and praying that everything will work out!

Darn Cute Baby Material!

The last few days I've been at mom's working on my baby blankets. I've been SO EXCITED about them! As a matter of fact I couldn't sleep a wink last night, my excitement just couldn't be contained. What was a pregnant woman who's obsessing over pastel baby girl blankets supposed to do? Exactly what you'd think: I got up and grabbed a frozen old fashion glazed donut from the freezer and browsed pinterest for a bit.

Lately

• Bonnie had her baby - Addison Brielle Cox, two weeks ago. She looks a lot like Kempton and I've forgotten how small newborns are. She's two pounds heavier than Kimball was and yet I don't remember Kimball ever being that tiny. Congrats Bonnie and Kemp!
• We finally have a move date! They finally found a replacement for Lance and his last work day in Twin is August 10th. He starts in Spokane on the 19th, giving us a week to finishing packing and cleaning, closing on the house, driving the nine hours, and finding a place to live. Yep, we don't know where we are going to live yet. Everything that we like online doesn't have pictures and I don't want to sign a lease without seeing a place first. What if it's been smoked in? Some things I could live with for 12 months but not stale smoke, especially with a newborn.
• I went to Joann's last week to pick up a spool of thread, that was it. I should have known better not to stroll the fabric aisles of flannel! I fell in love with LOTS of baby girl fabric and told myself not to go overboard. So I got enough fabric to make two blankets - one is a regular receiving blanket and the other is going to be a strip rag crib quilt. I've never made a rag quilt so I hope I'm not getting myself into something I can't handle. Good thing Mom is going to help me this week, I'm going to need lots of it! I've got to get these done before we move  because the sewing machine I have isn't working right. 
• Kimball is learning things left and right and I'm so loving this stage right now! He's learning a new word everyday, learned to shrug his shoulders, knows where his dirty diapers go, has started to sing, etc. I just love watching him because its fun to see him discover new things. 
• This weekend is the Cox reunion in Boise - should be fun. Next week is PACK and CLEAN all week long. We're getting down to the wire and I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

My Bebe

Last week was a good one. I tried catching up on sleep since the trip to Boise and ALL the worrying the few previous days before that trip really took a toll on me. Especially mentally and physically. I really tried to readjust myself back into the every day mom stuff and started to feel hopeful. After all, three of the four concerns were addressed and are no longer concerns. hurray!

For church we went to Michael Kezele's mission farewell which was awesome. After the meeting the same doctor came up to Lance and I to see how we were doing. I was impressed he'd go out of his way and ask that, it was thoughtful. Until I heard the rest of the words which completely ruined my day! He put doubt and fear back into my mind about those four concerns of the baby. He acted again like it was some huge emergency and that he was really worried for us, in a weird way.

I didn't like it at all. Just when I was getting my hope and peace of mind back and settling back into my normal routine life, he had to dash my dreams again! I was upset all day. I didn't talk about it or really let it out until Lance and I went to bed and then I just cried and cried. Lance stayed up and we talked for a while. I expressed all of my fears and doubts. I just bawled at the thought of losing this precious little girl and couldn't quit crying. I cried all night.

So now I have to somehow quell those doubts and concerns and hold onto the hope. I'm constantly on my knees begging for the Lord to intervene. I just love this little girl so much and want nothing more than to hold her and kiss her and see her face and cuddle with her.