Simply Sara

Me: "So Lucas, is Frog your friend?" (no response) Me: "Who are your friends, Lucas?" (again, no response) Me: "How about Peyton and Lauren?" Lucas (nodding head): "Pate Laur" Me: "And Gardner and Andrew?" Lucas: "Gard Andrw" Me: "Who else is your friend Lucas?" (long pause) Lucas: "Daddy!" Me: "Aww!! Anyone else?" Lucas: "Jesus!" Me: "That's awesome buddy!!" Lucas: "aw-zum!"

So here it is, my first "official" belly shot! Wow, at only 15 weeks, I look to be about 6 months pregnant! I guess it's true that you show a lot faster with the second one!

Lucas and I had a blast creating a heart-shaped creature complete with hands and feet! After I traced Lucas's feet, he asked me to take my shoes off so he could do the same for me! I love the look on Lucas's face in this picture! Total cheese! "I wuff you daddy!"

As you can see, it was really cold driving through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. We were so excited to see snow on the ground and ice everywhere! Check out the mountainside waterfalls completely frozen! Breakfast 9 a.m. the first morning of our stay. Can you tell from our blurry eyes and half-hearted smiles that we are not morning people? (At least not on vacation!!) The food was "gourmet" and served on fancy china - another reason for our half-hearted smiles. I seem to have gotten a lot smaller during this trip to the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum.

Over the past couple weeks, Lucas decided to test his new found strength and jump out of his crib! One large bump on the head and lots of crocodile tears later, Matt and I decided that it was time for a "big boy bed". Back when we first purchased our crib, we bought one that will convert from a crib to a toddler bed to a full bed. My plan had been to by pass the toddler bed and put Lucas straight into a double. However, our plans are on hold right now as we are trying to figure out when and where we are going to move. With the new baby on the way and Matt's business growing, it's time to find a larger home. 1200 square feet is not a lot of space when you put in two adults, two children, a dog and a growing home business that operates out of our kitchen. We are still getting all the details together, but there are lots of home projects to be done before we can put out that exciting "For Sale by Owner" in our front yard. The past three nights in his "big ...

From swollen, angry gums, to fits of frustration and pain acted out on the floor, Lucas's two year molars are finally making their appearance. At almost two and a half, I had began to wonder if he simply didn't have that last set of molars, but then someone reminded me that Lucas has always been a late bloomer, especially when it comes to his teeth. And crawling and walking. Lucas likes to do things in his own time, and I have learned many times that when I push him, and push him too hard, that rebellious two-year old nature will rear up, ready for any and every battle. So I try not to push too much. For his sake, I do hope that he will out grow this "late-bloomer"ness or else his pre-teen years and teens are going to be peppered with heartache. Say a prayer for my little guy, will you? Jumping subjects entirely, because I'm a woman and I can do that, this weekend I have come to accept a side of me that has been hidden for many years and only raises itself during ...

We did it! Matt and I (finally) had our first weekend away from Lucas! And I don't think he even missed us! After spending two weeks searching Bed and Breakfast Online , we finally decided upon the Foxtrot , a cozy chalet nestled in the mountains surrounding Gatlinburg, TN. It was our first time staying at a B&B, and since we're not "formal, stuffy, antique" kind of people, I was hoping the Foxtrot would meet our needs of a beautiful, relaxing home with all the special amenities. Well it did, sort of. Our room was wonderful, and the innkeepers went to great lengths to make our stay special - turn down service at night, chocolates on the bed, unlimited teas and coffee, access to their library, and the best hot chocolate ever! Unfortunately, my never-ending morning sickness led to nights of insomnia which led to Matt sleeping in the closet then in the jacuzzi bathtub (wow, that was a funny sight)! Definitely not the relaxing weekend we were hoping for! The time toge...