Lame Sense of Humor: Blame It On Genetics

I always find myself laughing hysterically at jokes others roll their eyes at. But I'm fine with that - because I know in most cases, my Dad would really appreciate the humor. See, a dorky sense of humor is an inherited trait - genetics and all. For example, I laughed about this doormat for a good 20 minutes, and I'd totally buy it for my Dad if I thought my Mom would let him put it out front:

I love it! The Wireless Catalog has lots of silly stuff that's right up my alley. For example, I'd love to buy this shirt for my "deep thinking" younger brother:

And this one for my big brother Chris, because, in the words of Karen Walker..."It's funny 'cause it's true.".

My only quibble with The Wireless Catalog is that you can't "borrow" their photos - hence, the lovely scanned photos...ah well.

Little Campers

Chris took the big kids camping on Friday night, and they had a blast! What's not to like? Unlimited marshmallows and sleeping in a tent?! Yes, please! Simon and I had a camp-out of our own - 12 hours straight in bed! Of course, he was up ever 3 hours to eat, but then right back to sleep. I'll take it! We've had 2 nights in a row of that business and are hoping it continues...

Saturday was spent de-campfiring the family - laundry, laundry, laundry. Maya and I had a "date" to Wal Mart and we went for a family drive in the afternoon, followed by breakfast for dinner at Jim's diner - yum!

Today was the Primary children's program at church, which is always fun. All of the kids were so cute, and I was so proud of Maya - she got right up and said her part and was singing all the songs. She even let me put curls in her hair!

Life with 3 is starting to feel more "normal". I'm going to try my best to get my act together here in the next couple of weeks. First up? Lots of laundry to catch up on, getting this house organized a little better, writing millions of thank-you notes, cooking my own meals...etc. I'm also hoping to get together with some friends this week and talk to some actual grown-ups! What a concept!

Hope you have a great week!

Instructions For Mom

Chris is taking Maya & Mason camping this weekend, and they're beyond excited. In fact, it's all they talk about. Maya has been hard at work making lists: packing list, food list, activity list, etc. Tonight she handed me these care instructions for Vida while she's gone. Apparently, I'm supposed to give Vida 3 food pellets in the morning and three at night. Pretty clear, huh? I love that girl.

"Him's My Boy" - And Other Things I'm Grateful For...

Today Mason joined me on the bed as I was yet again feeding Mr. Simon. Mason leaned in to kiss his brother just as Simon let out a big ol' burp - which pleased and cracked up Mason endlessly. "Him's my boy!", he exclaimed. How sweet is that? I know this transition has been a little tough on Mason - understandably so! But really, for the most part, he's doing really great. And I know as time passes, he'll be so grateful to have a brother to...you know, call his "boy"!

I've been continually adding to a "thank-you" card list over the past two weeks, and mercy me, it's getting really long! I was thinking about it today as I added "Michelle - loaf of bread" to the list: not a day has gone by since Simon was born that someone hasn't been added to the thank-you list. There have been dinners (have I mentioned?). Cakes. Flowers. Birthday gifts for me. Baby gifts for Simon. Sibling gifts for Maya & Mason. Treats. More dinners. Cards. E-mails. Phone calls. Blog & Facebook comments & encouragement (thank you!). Not to mention the fact that my sweet mother has been coming over every morning and spending half the day here. Feeding the big kids breakfast so I can sleep a little longer. Driving Maya to preschool. Holding the baby while I shower. Helping me with my errands. Calling to check up on us. She's been a HUGE help.

I feel so truly blessed to be surrounded by such a supportive, amazing group of people. My life feels just like an illustration of "bearing one another burdens" right now. Which not only makes me feel so grateful, it makes me want to be a better person. I can't wait to get back into the swing of things and start looking for opportunities to do some of the bearing of the burdens of others. But for right now, I'm just so grateful to have my load so lightened.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. (PS - you're probably on the "thank you" list. And someday, I'll even get all those cards written!)

Better Than Ever

Both my boys are looking bigger and better than ever. Simon is 1 1/2 weeks old and still sweet. He does have that one fussy time...in the middle of the night, of course. But considering his fussy consists mostly of grunting and twitching instead of screaming non-stop for hours on end, we hardly hold it against him!

Mason is growing into his position as big brother. He seems like he's doubled in size in the past 2 weeks, but I don't suppose that's possible. He loves 'da "bay-bay", he wants to see 'da bay-bay, hold 'da bay-bay, kiss 'da bay-bay. He's also a tad on the whiny and needy side, but just a tad. He's rolling with the punches, making a big transition - I'm proud of him!

Man, I do love my boys. {And my girl, too!}

A Little Birdie Told Me...

I'm loving all things bird lately. These holiday salad plates would be a great complement to the red + silver holiday dishes I already have.

While browsing I also came across these. Ooh, lala! These would be the perfect replacement for the worn-out plain-white Ikea dishes that we've had forever. Cute!

Ratatouille Soup

I believe I've mentioned how very, very much I've been enjoying the lovely meals my lovely friends have been bringing in since Simon was born. Can I just say YUM?! There's been homemade bread, cookies, brownies, soups, tacos, gingerbread (!), stews, homemade honeybutter, pies...ooh, baby! It's all been delicious and so very, completely appreciated.

Chris especially appreciated the soup our friend Jen made for us - it was right up his alley and absolutely delicious. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from Jen - she's one of those super-together super-women who always amazes me with how easy she makes it all look - and she's Mama of five! Check out this delicious recipe for Ratatouille Soup here, and be sure to explore her food blog Yummy Fun when you have a moment - there's lots o' delicious looking stuff there!

Jane Austen Action Figure

I can feel myself about to go on a Jane Austen kick here soon, thanks to watching Bridget Jones on Lifetime the other day, I suppose. Oh, Colin Firth, how I love you. It won't be long before I'm busting out my Pride & Prejudice DVDs and adding Persuasion to my Netflix queue. And I so need this Jane action figure for some watch-along fun. And to help me with my "What would Jane do" moments.

To Brighten Your Day

I've been searching {Okay, casually searching...I'm laaaazy when it comes to home decor...} for a suitable light fixture in our dining-room-turned-playroom to replace the oh-so gaudy shiny gold fixture that has been there since we moved in almost 4 years ago. And at last, I think I've found it! Cute, right? Love the colors, love the concept.

Not sure I want to drop $300 for it, though. Curse you, Pottery Barn!

Baby (+Other) Randomness

• I hate the time change! It seriously takes a month to adjust every time we switch. And I hate that it's 5:30 and already dark.
• Simon is one good smelling baby. Oh, if I could bottle it up and sell it. Wait, sell it?! No way. Actually, I would keep it all for me.
• Mason is officially a giant. I knew that would happen, but was in denial. He seems SO HUGE!
• Chris is the best daddy & hubby ever. I am really not looking forward to letting him go to work tomorrow. I will probably be hanging on his leg sobbing as he tries to leave. But I suppose we have to get on with "real life" eventually...
• Some people are so thoughtful. When we got a package in the mail today from our friends John & Shirley addressed to Mason Cottam, I thought, "Good, looks like I'm not the only one who can't seem to call Simon by the correct name.". Turns out, it was for Mason - a little coloring set for him, congratulating him on becoming a big brother. How sweet is that? It was the first time someone had singled out just him in this whole process, and he was just so thrilled.
• My "big kids" are wild maniacs. One on one, they are sweet as can be, but they are quite the terrible twosome together. I'm hoping I can handle them and the baby all on my own...I have a feeling they will be ganging up on me.
  
• Having people bring me meals is the best part of having a baby besides the actual baby. Man oh man, my friends can cook! What a treat! I'm so very grateful for that help. Maya loves it, too. Every day she asks "Who's bringing us dinner tonight, Mommy?". Of course she's excited. It means she's not getting cereal or hot dogs for a change!
• I'm so happy that this election is almost over. I just can't stand all the negativity.
• QVC is a new Mama's best friend. I had forgotten all the hours I spent watching QVC when Mason was a newborn. And since I'm sidelined and unable to fulfill my weekly quota of window shopping, it really hits the spot. Plus, it provides just the right amount of light for nighttime feedings and you don't need the volume on to appreciate all of the really strange products there are out there.
  
• Simon checked out well at the doctor's yesterday. He's already up to 9 pounds, which made his Daddy proud. My kids are always impressive weight gainers. Knock on wood.
• I lost a friend to a long battle with breast cancer last week. Her funeral is Friday and she leaves behind a husband and 3 little girls. It's so hard to understand why things like that happen. It makes me want to squeeze my family a little tighter.
  
• It is my 31st birthday on Saturday. 31! Wow. No, I will not be celebrating with a big ol' bash this year! I figure Simon is gift enough. I can play it low key for once and make up for it next year.
  

Pee Pee Tee Pee

My favorite gal Natalie sent some Pee Pee Tee Pees for Baby Simon! These are so hilarious. And, oh, how many times we could have used these already! Simon has taken more than one bath in his own pee...and I'm sure it will happen again...and again...and again!

We're the proud owners of the striped tee pees.

Also available in ultra-manly camo...

...or my personal fave, Santa-style.

Get 'em here. Thanks, Nat!

Cowboy Socks

My brother Chris and his family (okay, let's be honest here, my sister-in-law Tara picked these out, I'm sure!) sent the cutest li'l set of cowboy socks for baby Simon! How cute are these? Perfect for my little Texas baby!

Thanks, guys!

Big Sister

Maya absolutely adores Simon. She's such a great big sis. When she's not doting on Simon, she's helping me out by playing with Mason. She's been such a trooper with all the change and not getting all the attention she might like. I love that girl!

We are all tired but are enjoying our first few days with Mr. Simon. He's incredibly sweet. So snuggley. With yummy little feet and toes for kissing. He checked out nicely at the doctor's office today, hooray! We're just enjoying life, napping when we can and feeling lucky. Thanks for all your kind words! What a blessing to have so many people excited about our little guy. You guys are awesome...

Simon Christopher Cottam

Simon Christopher Cottam
Born Wednesday, October 29, 2008
at 5:59pm
8 pounds, 11 ounces
21 1/4 inches

Little Simon is here! The nurses were worried about him right off the bat because he just wasn't crying very enthusiastically when he came out. Further inspection showed a pnumothorax, so he was treated with oxygen for a few hours. After lots of poking and prodding, 2 x-rays, and talk of transferring him to the children's hospital, it was determined that he was doing okay. After 5 hours, I finally got to hold my baby!

Day two was uneventful, and we were so excited to go home Friday morning. Unfortunately, Mr. Simon was suddenly very jaundiced, so we weren't able to go home right away. Instead, we started to supplement his feedings with formula. At 5pm he was tested again and we were given the green light to head home!

Mason was so in love with Simon off the bat! I was amazed at how cute he was with him. "He's so TINY!", he would squeal. It was just adorable. (I still have no good photos of Maya & Simon - she's not much for cooperation in the photo department...)

Daddy is as in love with his boy as the rest of us are. Simon is about as sweet as they come so far. We are knocking on wood that it's not just a temporary state! :) He's absolutely wonderful.

Once the nurse told us we could leave, we were dressed and out the door in about 10 minutes! We didn't want to miss Halloween with the kiddos!

We made it home, fed Mr. Simon and Chris headed out with Maya and Mason for trick or treating. Maya made it to one house and wanted to come home. (She had been looking pretty pale beforehand...) She took a bath, threw up, climbed into bed and was asleep about 2 minutes later. Mason made it around to a few houses and then he was done for, too. So much for Halloween 2008! Well, luckily it comes around every year...

Today so far, Simon had his first at-home sponge bath, has wet at least 5 onesies, has napped and eaten like a champ, and has been mauled by his brother and sister. Good times!

So far, so good. We feel so blessed to have this little guy here with us. He's amazing.

Some Bunny To Play With

Yesterday was quite possibly the most exciting day of Maya's life so far. There was a bunny rabbit in our yard! A rather giant one, in my opinion. {Jackalope, perhaps??? Just kidding.} She had so much fun chasing it around and begged me to capture it so that we could keep it as a pet.

She tossed it a few baby carrots - and the bunny actually did eat them!

My favorite part was when she brought out a stuffed bunny rabbit friend for the bunny to play with. So cute.

After a while, the bunny hopped out of the yard, and we saw it in a neighbor's yard later that evening. I'm guessing it must be an escaped pet of someone around here. It sure provided some excitement for Miss Maya, who named her new friend "Ela" and is keeping her eyes peeled for a return visit...

Punk'ins

We got all the pumpkins carved and/or decorated tonight. Maya & Mason did theirs Mr/Mrs Potato Head Style, and Chris carved one up for the fam'...

Filled With Gratitude

Last night after our dinner out, Chris stayed behind to sign the check and I headed outside to get the valet going on our car. And parked right outside the restaurant was a horse and carriage, ready to take someone on a ride around the city. As I sat and waited, I started to reminisce about our wedding day. I wasn't, in fact, 12 years old, although these pictures tell a different story...{I was 20}. It rained all morning, but the sun came out just in time for us to take photos outside. After that, we had a big dinner reception with our family and friends. We left in a cloud of bubbles and rode away in a horse and carriage. It was definitely fairytale-like.

{Excuse my efforts at scrapbooking - they were remedial even then...}

And now, looking back over the last almost 10 1/2 years since then (ack!), it all seems a bit like a fairytale. Being married so young, we did things a little differently. Our college experience was far from the "typical" college experience. We lived in weird basement apartments. We were both food servers for quite a while - me at the Olive Garden and Chris at the Spaghetti Factory, so we were a garlicky couple! After we graduated, we both started into our careers. I'm glad I spent a couple of years working in my chosen field (marketing) because now, as a stay at home mom, I know I could get out there and get a good job, but I'm at home because I choose to be at home.

When I was nearly 26, I became a Mama for the first time. Maya was a really challenging baby. And the transition to Mama-hood was really difficult for me. Slowly but surely, though, I adjusted. Mason came along when I was 28 and it was so much easier the second time around. In fact, I absolutely cannot imagine anything I'd rather be than a mother. I cannot imagine my world without these amazing little people in it. I feel so, so lucky and blessed.

And now {at age almost 31}, a few days from now, I get to become a Mama all over again. Not unlike the Grinch (he and I are alike in many ways...), my heart will grow three sizes and there will be another little person in this world that I love and adore as much I do Maya and Mason. It seems impossible, but having done this twice before, I know that it will happen. Sure, I'm nervous about having three kids (!). I'm dreading the night shift, the endless poopy diapers and laundry, the teething, having to be a mind-reader to figure out what the fussing is about. But I'm also filled with gratitude that we have a little blessing coming to our home.

Soon. 3 more days.

Dinoland!

I've been meaning to take the kids to Dinoland at Zilker Park ever since the exhibit opened a few months ago...and I just realized that it's now - or probably not at all, since the exhibit only runs a few more weeks. So after soccer (where Maya scored 1 goal - hooray!), we ventured over there. The hills almost killed me, but didn't send me into labor, so no worries! :) The displays were very cool and the kids LOVED it!

Things We're Guessing...

I'm the queen of guessing. I love to guess and I love to make everyone else guess. Of course, I can't make you guess, (Does anyone even still read this blog? I've really been slacking on it, haven't I?) but feel free to chime in if you want to...

1. What time will Baby Simon arrive? {Here are your clues: I was induced with Mason with the same check-in time of 5:30am and he was born at 3:38pm. I wasn't induced with Maya and I was in labor with her for 30 hours.}
2. How much will he weigh? {Clues: Maya was 7 pounds 13 ounces 3 days late; Mason was 9 pounds 8 ounces 1 week early.}
3. How long will he be? {Maya = 21 1/2 inches; Mason = 22 inches}
4. Hair? Yes or no? And what color? {Maya had LOTS of very dark hair; Mason had quite a bit of brown hair.}

We're supposed to be cleaning the house like crazy this weekend. I'm sure you can guess how much of that we'll actually get through...how come that nesting instinct never seems to kick in for me?! It would be very handy!

Anyway, guess along with us if you'd like! I'll give you the results in 4 short days! Ack!

Cramming It In

For the past 9 months, I've either been super sick, super busy, or it's been super hot. Usually, a combination of the three. And thus, not up for much in the fun department. And now that I'm down to 1 week until this baby is born, I'm feeling super guilty (surprise, surprise!) that my poor kids have had a really lame time of it lately. I didn't take them to the pool or the park hardly at all this summer. I've been too tired for "fun" outings. In fact, I haven't done much more than drag them along with me to Target and the grocery store. And now I'm realizing that in one week, we're going to be sidelined at home for a while with a new baby! So I've been feeling the urgency to get out and do some fun things with them...hence the trip to Six Flags and the pumpkin patch in the past week, I suppose.

So today I met up with a friend at Hoppin' House for a little bounce house fun. And I tried to let go of my inner control freak. The one that says "It's noon, we have to leave. It's time to eat lunch." The one that seems to think that the world will end if we're not home at 1:30 for Mason's nap. The one that is constantly pulling my kids out of their fun so that we can move along to what's next. And we stayed...and stayed. And they played and played. And had so much fun. Eventually, my friend ran out and got us all lunch...but that was after 1pm, waaaay after our designated lunch time. And guess what? They didn't starve. In fact, they didn't eat any better than they usually do (unfortunately). And then they played some more. And I didn't try to hurry them out of there. I just let them play. And eventually, to my surprise, they were ready to go. 3 1/2 hours of jumping, bouncing and climbing did eventually tire them out and they left willingly...no fits, no sadness. And we got home an hour after Mason's usual nap time. So he took a later nap. And it wasn't a big deal. Geez. Why do I always make it so hard? Am I really so rigid?

I'm hoping I can let go and be a little more like that once the baby comes. I've been such a scheduler in the past. And I know that won't change completely. Scheduling is just who I am - I need it, especially with a baby. But I'm hoping I can relax a little bit more with this little guy. Enjoy him a little bit more. Not stress out about every little detail. Realize how short-lived the sleepless nights are and not stress out about them. And I'm hoping I can be a good Mama to these other 2 little people. I don't do well without my sleep. I can be more than a little on the crabby side, I'm going to lie. And a little on the weepy side. Little babies just aren't my specialty. Hopefully I can make it all work.

We shall see...7 days from now. Yikes.

Fall Boots

I like the idea of a nice, flat, good for every day wear-type boot for fall and winter. These would do the job nicely. Now, if I could just find a pair of "skinnier" jeans that i can squeeze my thighs into...that is where we run into problems.

And I will have to order a size up. I do believe this pregnancy has officially moved me up into the 9 1/2 shoe bracket. One more baby and I'll be sportin' a solid 10! Who knew having babies made your feet grow?

1 Week To Go...

{Whatcha got under there?!}

Oh my. That's 9 months pregnant, folks!

{Get the print here. Of the poster, not of me. What, you wanted one of me? You're so silly...}

Pumpkin Patch 2008

The pumpkin patch outing is one of my favorite yearly traditions. {And it came to mind that we're coming up on several of my annual favorites...pumpkin patch! Thanksgiving parade! Christmas parade of lights! Ahh, I love this time of year!} Chris captured some cute shots this year, and we got some LOVELY pumpkins, saw the "scary guys" in the haunted barn and conquered the hay maze over...and over...and over!

The kids move too fast thru the hay maze to get an clear shot - thank goodness for creative editing, right?

This might be THE ONLY photo in our collection where both Maya & Mason are looking at the camera! It's a miracle!

Those faces! Oh, I love those faces!

Should I even comment on that round face o' mine? Oh, mercy. Make it go away!

Love the shot of Masey's squinty smile and crazy teeth. And Maya dragging Mason along behind her. Oh, and there's me with a belly as big as a pun'kin! That's almost 9 months pregnant Natalie, folks!

Becoming A "Witch House"

Chris & the kids put out the Halloween decor after Maya's soccer game this weekend. We don't go hog wild, although this year there are A LOT of spider webs, lots o' plastic spiders and one huge, nasty hairy spider...nice! Every time we pull up, I'll say, "ooh, look at that scary house" and Mason will say "No, it not scary, it a witch house.". And of course, there's an ongoing battle about whether they're "cobwebs" or "spider webs". "No, Mason, they're COB WEBS!" "No, it a spider web, Maya." I can't convince them that it's okay to agree to disagree...or that they could BOTH be right. Fun times.

Getting His Nap On

I never know how I'll find Mason when I go in to wake him up from his nap. Half the time he conks out right on the floor. On this day, he had all his cars set up on the bed, and open book, and a nice cozy spot on top of his blankie and under Scooby's paw...

And how does he respond to me taking pics of him while he sleeps? By rolling over and conking out for another half hour. I love that about him...

Conversation Cups

These conversation cups would be so fun for a party! Of course, it could be equally fun (and less expensive) to create your own with styrofoam cups and some colorful Sharpies...

{Buy them here.}

I've pigged out on this dip many times at parties and showers, and I figured it had to be simple...but this simple?! This is one to add to the rotation - simple and delicious!

Crab Cocktail Dip

Spread 1 pound of softened cream cheese in a 5-by-9-inch baking dish. Layer with 1 cup of cocktail sauce and 1 pound of lump crab meat. Sprinkle chopped chives on top and serve with crackers.

{From Every Day with Rachael Ray}

Archiquest Building Blocks

Second on my list only to playing with Cars is building with blocks. I love love love playing blocks with my kiddos. And I'd really, really love to splurge on this gorgeous set of wooden blocks for the family. Aren't they gorgeous?! Oh my my, the things we could build.

Get them here.

Baby Shoes

I just realized that I'm going to need a new James Avery silhouette to add to my collection when Baby Simon arrives! So, I don't actually need baby shoes, too, but aren't they cute? This looks like something a Grandma would love...

So, am I alone in sporting the Mama jewelry from time to time? I'm not the only one, right?

Anthro Bargain

Note to family: this bargain at Anthropologie is totally on my birthday wish list. Isn't it lovely?

Oleaster Cardigan - $29.95

More Things I Don't REALLY Need...

I feel like I have everything under the sun (plus more) for this baby. But that's not stopping me from wanting a pretty new cover for my Boppy pillow. Check these out - in every fabric under the sun - from Lollipopdesigns. So lovely!

I'm also really digging their shopping cart covers. I had "the one", the hideous one that everyone who had a baby 5 years ago probably had/has, too. It's functional. But so not attractive. These on the other hand come in all the same pretty fabrics pictured above.

Oh, what will they think of next?! Wait, don't tell me. Because I probably don't need it, but I'll for sure want it!

Oooh, The Cuteness