Christmas Shopping

Is anyone else overwhelmed? Every time I think I'm done I remember something else.

We have everything for 5/8 nieces and nephews. Archer is done. Foster might need a few more things. I have stocking stuffers for my mom's and grandpa's but not for home.

I have half the presents for my grandpas. I just feel like there's too many things to buy and not enough money. lol

I'm definitely still working on shopping but it feels like the mountain of presents is rapidly growing.

December update

I'm updating on the status of our lives today. That's about all I have time for between family and photography.

Chance is still not working. Still looking, but in the mean time he's keeping busy at home. He's doing an excellent job taking care of the house, cooking, cleaning, and hobbying. He's taken up reloading.

Archer is doing great in school. He tries really hard to stay on green and be good. He's learning every day. He can spot letters he knows (a, c, k, p, r and a few others) and is always asking whose name starts with what letter or sound. He's almost 40 pounds and is 42.5 inches.

Foster is growing like a weed. He was 11 weeks Thursday. He's 14 lbs and 22 inches. He started wearing 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers at the end of October. He holds his head up and looks all over the place. We're still nursing and supplementing. He's definitely a comfort nurser and some days he refuses to take more than 2 oz so he can nurse instead.

And I'm still here too. I'm doing about 2 photo sessions a week on average, some weeks more, some weeks less. I'm tired a lot. lol He nurses most of the night.

Life is good. We're gearing up for Christmas with our elf Star, the tree is up, stockings are hung. Now I need to find a few spare moments to wrap some presents.

Have a TREAT on us

I talk a lot about Shutterfly, but that's because they are a company that I really love. Their products are great and the deals and specials are even better. People even message me to ask how to do things like create photo books, cards, etc. I really stand behind them. I've never had a single issue with them, and now they have a new brand of greeting cards called Treat.

These cards are for all occasions and really show who you are in the card, or who the recipient is. The coolest part is, you create the card and the send it for you.

If you're needing something a little more special than just a generic card, this is the place for you. Your holiday checklist just got easier. You can build and send a completely personalized from Treat for FREE. You can send a Thanksgiving or other Holiday hello, you can send a birthday card to grandma or show your shower hostesses your appreciation with one of these personalized cards. The best part, they are one of a kind AND you can add an optional gift card for an extra cost.

How do you do it? On Monday November 19th and Tuesday November 20th go to Treat and use the  special offers code (TREATBLOGR) to get one free (yes FREE) card, then share it on your blog, twitter, and facebook.

This is a special deal for you from me (and Shutterfly).

:) Enjoy

Thankful Day 16

Archer went to pre-kindergarten this year. I was ready for it, then I wasn't, some days I'm still not and wish he could stay home with me. I think he feels the same way. I think we both know it's better for him to spend time at school so we don't make each other crazy. :)

But today I had Thanksgiving dinner with him at school. Well, he ate (a little) and I sat with him. It was fun and I am so thankful for the chance to do that. Thankful for the time with him. It was so surreal to me to watch this little guy carrying his lunch tray in a cafeteria. I just knew he would need help or wouldn't remember what to do, but he did such a good job. I was proud and sad at the same time. He really didn't need my help.

He's going to get his own day, but really, I'm so thankful for the memories we made today.

Thankful Day 15

Last night I told Chance I was starving for hot wings and he immediately suggested I go to the store and get stuff to make them. Instead I suggested we have them for dinner tonight.

I had tried hot wings before, but they didn't play a major role in my life until Chance met his friend Jeremiah. It was a kind of fate thing I think. Chance didn't really have any friends and Jeremiah had just moved to Oklahoma with his girlfriend and found a construction job with Chance and my dad. They really clicked at work, and like usual I had to push Chance to have a friend. (He's not good at it, he knows it)

After we hung out for the first time, it was set. He and his girlfriend lived close enough that we could spend time with them fairly often. They were close to our age and she had a daughter so they weren't into partying like most people our age. We had a lot of fun. And some craziness.

But that was 2006 and six years later I still miss the good old days. I messaged Jeremiah the other night, first on how to make the hot sauce and then to tell him that we missed him. He came to visit this past winter and we visited him last spring. Maybe we'll get to go up this summer, doubtful but I'm not giving up hope. :)

So today, I'm feeling a little sentimental and am very thankful Chance met him and the fun times we had together. Thankful for friends.

Thankful Day 14

I've talked a lot about my mom's family. That's mostly because I spent most of my time with them. My dad's mom lived in New Mexico until I was 9 or 10 and his siblings were all scattered too.

My dad's dad and my step-grandma were close and I have lots of memories in their cafe. Working there one summer was my very first job and it was actually really enjoyable. It felt good to do something productive and spend time with my family as well.

I also have lots of uncles on my dad's side as well. My dad's older brother has a son my age and so has always been pretty involved in my life. We went on our first real family vacation with them and I still laugh at the pictures.

Even though I spent a lot more time with my mom's family, I still love and appreciate my dad's family too. Today I'm thankful for them. Happy Birthday Uncle Rick!

Thankful Day 13

This is going to seem really silly, but today I'm thankful for Facebook. I warned you.

But all those cousins I talked about? Well only a few live nearby. The rest range from an hour away to 20 hours away, but I still am able to keep up with their lives, interact with them, and feel even a little bit of those old days because of Facebook. One cousin (who is like an uncle)'s ex wife is one of my biggest fans on facebook and I love her just as much now as I did as a child.

I also met this really awesome group of women when I was pregnant with Archer and I've been able to not only keep up with them, but develop a true friendship with so many of them. I don't question sharing my life with them because we have been friends for nearly 5 years now. I've met several and would love to meet all of them. I have constant companions, all I need is an internet connection.

So thanks Mark, for stealing the idea from those Winklevosses.

Thankful Day 12

As a result of all those aunts and uncles, I'm so very blessed with a huge extended family and lots of cousins.

I can remember having holidays at my Nanny and Poppy's house. There would be at least 25 people packed into this tiny house, but I never remember feeling like it was too small. It was home.

These cousins would pile in from all over the state and we would play for several days until everyone had to go to work. I will never forget Thanksgiving and Christmas with them.

So I'm thankful, not only for the memories but for the people and the love as well.

Thankful Day 11

Today I am thankful or the many aunts and uncles God has given me.

I grew up with amazing grandparents, but I also had their siblings as well. My Nanny had 4 brothers who were all like extra grandfathers and the two aunts I had were exactly the same. Recently the final of my Nanny's living sibling passed away and it was such bittersweet news. Sad because he was no longer here with us, but so glorious because he was reunited with his parents and siblings.

He was an amazing man, I've never met a single person who didn't love him deeply. He could always be counted on for an excellent story and a smile. And more than all of that, he married the sweetest woman a man could ask for. She cared for him to the very end, after 4 battles with cancer and I'm so blessed to have her in my life too.

These people set an amazing example for my mothers sisters. I grew up with two extra houses, I was always welcome, and accepted their invitations frequently. I even had my own key for years (until I lost it eek!).

So today, I'm so very thankful for my aunts and uncles.

Thankful Day 10

Today I'm thankful for my Nanny and Poppy. I grew up living a quarter mile from my grandparents and they have made a lasting impression on my life.

While my mom worked, I went to their house instead of day care. I was spoiled, taught manners and politeness, I learned how to read and write before school, l learned how to use a computer and I learned what unconditional love was.

I miss my Nanny so much. I'm sad that she can't be here to snuggle my babies, to listen to Archer's silly stories and just be a part of our lives. But I'm so grateful she taught me how to love and set the example for how I should treat my children. We sing her songs all the time and I know a part of her will always be with me.

Today is my Poppy's 73 birthday and I'm so grateful he's still with us. I'm grateful he's still healthy and able to spend his Sundays with us.

Thankful Day 9

Today,  as I help my husband prepare Thanksgiving dinner to share with his family I'm thankful for that which the pilgrims were thankful for, abundance. We don't have much right now, but we have so much more than many others and I wanted to take a moment to recognize that.

Archer tried to tell me the other day that he was just starving so I sat down with him and explained what starving really meant. I told him about little boys who go to bed with empty tummies because their mommy can't buy food for them and I think it nearly broke both of our hearts. I'm SO thankful that my boys have enough, more than enough, but enough. I cannot imagine sending them to bed hungry or seeing their hungry little faces all day.

Today I'm humbled at the thought and so thankful that my children are provided for and taken care of so that they don't have to know what it means to go without.

Give thanks, literally (Day 8)

I received an email from Shutterfly today asking me to promote their newest holiday card program and as soon as I saw what it was I didn't hesitate. This is an AMAZING idea and I urge everyone to participate!

What do you need to do? Follow this link to Shutterfly's facebook page and create a card saying THANKS to our troops.

Everyone has someone they know and care about in the military, but many in the military are away from their loved ones this holiday season. A great way to show your thanks and appreciation is to send them a card with kind words and a photo of your family.

I am so thankful for the freedoms in this great country and my thanks goes to the men and women serving it.

Thankful Day 7

Today I'm thankful for...

The hide button on facebook. Wow. People are just full of doom and gloom today. My mom and I thought it was a little funny that people were acting as though this was a scene from The Hunger Games.

There are some people who were truly saddened by President Obama's win, my friend the coal miner's wife, but for everyone else, it's going to be ok. It really isn't going to become a communist state. We'll survive.

Thankful Day 6

Today is election day! So many things to be thankful for, but today I'm thankful for the privilege of voting. In this country men and women are allowed to do something that so many world citizens are denied, choose those who lead us. We have the power to choose.

I'm thankful to all the women (and men) who risked their lives, families and reputations to get women the vote. I'm thankful for the minorities who fought to gain the right to vote and make this nation a better place to be.

I'm thankful that God chose America for me to live in, there's no place I'd rather be.

Thankful Day 5

Today I'm thankful for...SLEEP.  My goodness this baby of mine. He spoiled me in his first few weeks sleeping long periods of time at night but for the past two weeks he's been off and it's making mommy insane. And a little bit dumb. I don't do well on no sleep. :)

Today, when I was being a little grouchy, my husband sent me back to bed after taking the 4 year old to school. He let me sleep until I woke up on my own at 11:30. It was still only 8 hours of sleep, but it was amazing compared to the 4 I had been getting.

Thankful Day 4

Today, on my sister in law's 30th birthday (Happy Birthday!!) I'm thankful for having amazing in laws.

My husband and I have been married for 6.5 years and together for 11.5 total. We grew up together. His parents and siblings have never once treated me like anything other than family. I've never felt less than a daughter or sister when around them.

I hear others commenting about their terrible in laws but I can honestly say I have been blessed with a truly loving family and second set of parents. Thanks Iamses!

Thankful Day 3

I jokingly posted on facebook that nothing makes a woman want to kill her husband more than listening to him snore while she's up taking care of a baby. It's semi true. ;)

But in all honesty, today I'm so very thankful for my husband. He is my rock, my partner in life, love and parenting. We have been opposites from day one, but have grown to be each other's complement instead. He is my other half, my soulmate.

I'm thankful for what he does to provide for our family, both financially and emotionally. I'm thankful for the major sacrifices he makes to ensure we have what we need to survive. And I'm thankful for the little things he does every day to make sure I'm taken care of.

Thank you husband, in case you didn't realize it I appreciate you more than you know.

Our matching "soulmate" tattoo

Thankful Day 2

Today I am thankful for perspective. I've posted about my attitude and perspective more than once, hey this is MY blog after all. :) I consider myself and very open minded person. I roll with the punches and try to find the silver lining in everything. I try to find perspective in every situation.

It can be very difficult at times to see the silver lining or the lesson to be learned from a hard situation, but it's always there. I believe that God is teaching me something and I try to find out what that lesson might be. Even in the hardest of moments, I know that God won't put me through something I can't handle, it is HIS will and I just need to follow where he leads.

Thankful Day 1

I started out doing this on my Facebook page, but I think I'll move it to my blog instead. It allows me to elaborate a little more.

Today I'm thankful for waking up. It's so important to just be thankful for every day that we are given, the time we get with our families and the time they are given with us.

With the impending election coming up and all the bickering and bitterness between everyone, I would just like everyone to stop and be thankful for waking up today. You've been given one more day. It could be so much worse.

Winner

The winner of the $50 giveaway was comment number 25, Lorrie Weidenmaier! Congrats!

Big steps

I recently took a big step in my life.

I have loved photography since I was a little girl. Ask my mom, there are millions of pictures of our pets, random things in the yard, flowers, etc. I had a cheapie camera for a long time, I got an advantix (remember those?) for my birthday one year and for my 14th birthday I received a polaroid mini pic camera. I wasted a ton of film, most of which I'm sure is still at my mom's house waiting to be developed.

I went without a camera for many years and when I was in college Chance bought my first digital camera. I loved it. It renewed my love. Since that time I've upgraded twice (with a plan to upgrade in the next year or two) and now have a Nikon d5100. It takes great photos, which led to people asking me to do some portraits for them.

I've done my sister's family several times and with the rise of social media I've been asked by non family to do theirs as well. I decided that if so many people are asking me to take their photos, maybe I should consider doing it.

Last week, I took a leap of faith, designed my own logo and made a facebook page advertising myself. I'm not a professional, I have no actual training. I'm still learning, but to learn I need more people and sessions to gain practice. I offered a free session on my facebook page and got a really good response. I've had a few people ask for paid sessions.

I'm not really sure I'm ready for that, but I think a lower price point reflects that? I'm just not sure.

I know I'm ready to put myself out there and learn more. To get more experience and possibly make a business out of this.

Holidays and a Giveaway

Do you remember this post from last year? I'm usually really against skipping holidays or rather, getting ahead. I like Christmas, but I prefer that it start in December and not June.

However, here I am in October dreaming about dancing around the house with the kiddos listening to Christmas music, watching Harry Potter (which I now consider a Christmas movie since ABC family plays it non stop in December) and the Grinch and reading Christmas books. I'm ready to decorate the tree and wrap presents.

I'm ready to make Christmas Cards (click here to see Shutterfly's awesome holiday collection) and lovingly mail them out to friends and family. I'm really excited because for the third year in a row I will be ordering my cards from Shutterfly. They released them a few weeks ago and they are so pretty! They have traditional colors, modern colors, religious and holiday cards as well as cards for pets. I don't have any pets, but I really love the pet cards.

I usually choose a more modern color scheme. Last year I chose aqua and red and I found a similar one this year that I liked, but this one matches my blog so well I might choose it!

Blessed

Here's your chance to order cards from Shutterfly as well. Shutterfly has given me $50 to give to one reader to use on their website. You have to cover shipping and the offer cannot be combined with any other offers. (You can find sales and other promotions on their special offers page, I got a free photobook by checking there. I check often.)

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post saying whether or not you send holiday cards and if so, where do you get them from? 

You can get bonus entries for sharing this post on a social media platform (blog, facebook, twitter, etc) just leave one comment per entry. (One comment telling about the holiday cards, one comment for each social media share) The giveaway ends on October 24th, 2012. Winners will be chosen at random using random.org and will be notified by email, so please include your email address in your comments if you don't have it linked.

This post was sponsored by Shutterfly, but honestly, I would blog about their awesome services even without compensation! I just recently ordered some really awesome notepads and I always get my photo books from them.

Foster is here!! A Birth Story

Baby is here! 

I was dilated to a 4 at my Wednesday appointment so we scheduled my induction for the next day, Thursday September 13, at 5:30 am.They started my pitocin around 7am and broke my water around 9. The anesthesiologist came at 9:30 because he had a full schedule for the day so I got my epidural while dilated to a 5. Getting the epidural so early was a huge change from my labor with Archer. I was in pain as soon as they broke my water and stayed that way until noon or so when I was finally dilated enough to get an epidural. This time around I felt very little pain, just mild crampiness. The epi made me sleepy so I napped off and on all day. 

Around 2:45 the nurse checked my cervix and I was dilated to a 9.5. I told her I was starting to feel pain again so the anesthesiologist came back and gave me a bolus of meds so I was completely numb again. The doctor arrived at 3:30 and prepped the room. I pushed 4 times on my first contraction starting at 3:45. Then my doctor said something funny and I laughed and he slid down a little so the doctor said to laugh again and he started coming out on his own, so I basically pushed 4 times and he was out at 3:47pm. (We were racing with the girl in the room next door and won! lol) 

Baby's First Picture

Baby was 9 lbs, 3 oz; 21 inches long; 14.5 in head. He was BIG! But I knew he was going to be big.

We kept it quiet because we knew it was going to be a crazy day and weren't sure (obviously) how long it would take to be in a recovery room. It's a good thing too because we didn't get him back from the nursery until 9pm. I'm definitely not pleased with the nursery staff, to say the least.

Recovery has been awesome. I feel so much better, less physically exhausted, less sore, just better overall than I did with Archer. I only took 2 pain pills and a few motrin at the hospital. I've been taking a few more at home because my back is really stiff, but it's not painful. My stitches aren't super painful and I even left the dermaplast at the hospital lol.
 

I've been up and around since 2 hours after his birth and even cooked dinner yesterday. I'm impressed with how my body handled labor this time around. Other than the pain I'm down 17 lbs and can fit my pre-pregnancy jeans. 

But I must say, I wish it had been this easy the first time, I might not have waited so long. :) I told Chance that and he just looked at me like I was nuts, so I guess that's a no on any future tries. 

Kay Jewelry Review

A few weeks ago my sweet husband took me to the mall after one of my doctor's appointments and said, "Go pick out a ring." I never got an engagement ring since we weren't ever really engaged, just a wedding band at the wedding.

I was...shocked, overwhelmed, worried I'd choose wrong, you name it I thought of it. It was too scary for me to process at that moment. We ended up waiting to do some more research online first. Which, really didn't turn out all that well.

We ended up buying this ring from Kay (or this ring that's similar). It came in really quickly, the one thing I was impressed with. I opened the box and it was gorgeous. Sparkly and just beautiful.

The next day, I was taking a picture of it to send to my husband and noticed a crack or a scratch. I thought, surely not. I've only worn it for a few hours (3 tops), what could have happened?

I went to the Kay store at the mall to ask them what was going on. I get there and one person is at the front desk and one is at the back, each with a customer. I walk to the front desk to wait. Here I stand, 38 weeks pregnant and am not greeted. No eye contact, no hello, nothing. I stood there for 10 minutes without either employee recognizing that I'm there. I walked off.

When I got home I called customer service, the only advice I'm given, "Take it back to a store and reorder it online." (not carried in stores) Ok, not pleased with that choice, but it's better than nothing.

I make a special trip to a different mall to return it. We were greeted immediately by a very friendly employee who seems helpful and nice. Show her the ring, tell her we want to return it. She says ok, she'll go get a manager. And that's where it turned sour. The manager was immediately on the defensive. She explained (in a not so nice manner) that it wasn't a crack but a defect in the gem, which is what we paid for. Had we gotten a higher quality diamond instead of spending less money, we would have gotten a better diamond without this flaw. All true, but terrible bedside manner.

Needless to say, we returned the ring, did NOT order another and have tabled the matter for another time. I didn't say anything to anyone about this process because it seemed too good to be true, and it was. I wouldn't post it here if it weren't for wanting to get it out that the reason this product isn't sold in stores is because it's very low quality and people wouldn't buy it if they saw it first. I'm fairly certain of that.

After this experience I will never buy anything from Kay again. I think the website was a little misleading, unless you know about diamond quality and what kind of flaws are possible. I've had diamonds with small specks or flecks of dark color and that's what I assumed they meant, not this very visible crack-like issue. I think the first store I went to (Central Mall Lawton) had terrible customer service. I've worked in customer service, even if you're helping someone else, you make eye contact and say hello to someone standing 3 feet from you. I think the second store I went to (Penn Square Mall) was upset that they were getting such a large return early in the day and let that color their customer service, which was just as bad as the first store. She could have explained the situation politely without trying to belittle us. When working in customer service, if someone was making a return of a product they were unhappy with, my goal was to win them over so that they would either buy that day or return another day.

Can you see it? 

Fissure running across top of diamond, it was also visible from the sides and bottom

Bierocks

I recently came across this recipe on pinterest and since I love cabbage, sausage and biscuits I thought it was a must try.

I'll be completely honest, I won't tell anyone about this recipe out loud, because I'm still unsure of how to even say it. I was hesitant to post it because there are so many spellings and I don't want to do it wrong. But, what I have seen includes bierrocks, bierocks, bier rocks and runzas.

The recipe calls for dinner roll dough. I have no idea what that is, walmart didn't have roll dough, only biscuits so I used crescents. If you know what dinner roll dough is, use it. I also skipped several steps by using cole slaw mix, which is also what I use for egg rolls. Much easier. I also didn't use beef because I already had the sausage and was making a smaller batch than the original.

They turned out really tasty, though I'm sure I'm the only here who will eat them. Definitely something I will make again as they were quick and easy.


Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 pound pork sausage
1/2 bag slaw mix
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter, melted


Directions
Roll out dough to 1/4 inch in thickness, then cut into 5 inch squares.
In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until browned; make sure there is no remaining pink color. Stir in cabbage, onions and seasoning with meat (I added a little salt, not too much and pepper). Saute for about 20 minutes. Turn down heat to warm.
Fill each dough square with a tablespoon of meat filling. Seal dough by bringing the four corners up and then overlapping them. Place pastry upside down on a baking sheet; brush each roll with melted butter.


Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for for 10-15 minutes. 

Forty Weeks

I've made it to 40 weeks. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

My next doctor's appointment isn't until Thursday, which I'm pretty upset about since my due date is tomorrow. I wasn't begging or complaining last week, but now I'm done. Baby is full term, big enough, lungs and brain are healthy; get him out! I'm far enough progressed that risk of c-section is low, so I'm definitely put out with my doctor's decision to make me wait four days to even come back for an appointment to discuss an induction.

I'm blessed that Chance has time at home that we weren't expecting, but still. I am so uncomfortable, with a ton of pressure down low and my entire abdomen aching from the weight of the baby.

I will miss the loving, sweet, fun parts of being pregnant, but never the last weeks. I would much rather be holding my 8 pound baby in my arms than my tummy.

Nursery!

Before you ask, I'm still pregnant. Yes, I'm ready to have the baby. No, I haven't yet, obviously if you can see me (which I realize you cannot at the moment). Yes, he's stubborn. Yes, I'm tired of being pregnant. Thanks for reminding me. 

Whew, felt good to get that out. There's nothing quite like the local fair to bring out questions such as these. I'm sure people just don't know what to say and I'm sure I've asked similar (annoying) questions, but still. It's lame when they're being asked of you. 

BUT, that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is to share the nursery pictures with you! It's about 90% finished and as good as it's going to get for the time being! 

(The little brown dresser came with the house (meaning it belonged to someone in my family, since it's a family house). I'm eventually going to refinish it, but I don't have the energy right now and I needed a lamp table. This was in Archer's room under his bed until now.) 

Two weeks out

Chance works two weeks at a time away, something I've avoided posting directly here, just because, but it's relevant to this post, so I needed to say it.

He just left for two weeks, and my due date is 13 days away (September 10). He will be home the night before, but we're hoping he makes it and I don't go into labor on my own. I'm not looking forward to being induced (for atypical reasons) but his time at home will be limited otherwise, so I'm going to if necessary.

But the two weeks I want to talk about right now are the ones that just passed. He came home for his days off two weeks ago, and it occurred to me that we had two weeks left in our current way of life. We had two weeks left as parents of one. It's strange to put such quantitative measures on life, but we knew once he went back to work, it would be different the next time he came back.

Life is so strange when lived in two week increments. You spend a few days getting reaquainted with each others bad habits, you spend a few days resting, and then you cram 30 days worth of dr appointments, errands, dinners with friends, birthdays, holidays, etc into 12 if you're lucky.

Then when he goes back to work, I spend at least a day recouperating. Just sitting immobile on the couch watching tv and tanking up on water like a camel. (haha)

So now, in no more than two weeks we will be parents of two. We will have a newborn. I think it's safe to say I'm getting anxious.

4th Birthday and Questions

Today was Archer's 4th Birthday!! He kept saying, I'm still the birthday boy. He didn't quite understand that his party was Friday and his birthday was today, but it was cute that he was hanging on to his birthday all weekend. I like having a birthday week too, so can't say that I blame him. :) 

His teacher sets it up so that their birthday is their assigned snack day, so we took cupcakes and juice. I didn't get one of him looking, but here he is at school! 

We had his party on Friday, but today we had a little celebration at home, just us. When he came in from school he was surprised with his presents. 

Then we had lasagna for dinner, not his request but something he always eats well. And since his candle blowing at his party didn't really work out (too windy), we did it again at home and sang happy birthday. He loves being sang happy birthday to. :)

When it was bed time Mommy read him 4 of his new books, snuggled, and sent him to snuggle with Daddy since he leaves tomorrow for work. But just before bed, I asked these birthday questions. I found these after his 3rd birthday but I asked them this winter so that we would have something to compare to this birthday. It is so neat to see the difference just a few months made in his answers. 

1. What is your favorite color? Red, blue
2. What is your favorite toy? The dragon and the knights
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples
4. What is your favorite tv show? Pocoyo
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Raviolis
6. What is your favorite outfit? Batman
7. What is your favorite game? Hide n Go Seek
8. What is your favorite snack? Grapes
9. What is your favorite animal? My sheep (when asked for a "real animal" he said, A real sheep)
10. What is your favorite song? Imma Be
11. What is your favorite book? Batman
12. Who is your best friend? Rysen (Brysen)
13. What is your favorite cereal? The one with marshmallows in
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Slide, play in my sandbox too
15. What is your favorite drink? Tea
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Georgie
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Cake
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Superman
21. Who is your favorite superhero? Batman

Happy Birthday to my big boy! Mommy loves you so much. :)