Crazy, Beautiful Life

Decorating on a Budget for a Lifetime

2011-03-16T20:56:00.001-07:00

Decorating does not come naturally for me. As right-brained as I consider myself to be, I also have a lot of left-brain tendencies, and one of those comes out in the form of decorating. I want directions, formulas, how-tos, etc. to help me when choosing items and in their placement. My mom is completely opposite. She has a natural eye and can visualize pieces that I might look over or think of as ugly and she turns them into gold. (Her dining room was shown on the popular and wonderful Cote De Texas blog – hers is the one with the butlers tray that was reupholstered and then used as a coffee table). I’m always asking her for tips, and she passed some on, so I’ll pass them on to you! There’s a lot to take in, so I think I’ll do these in segments.

I’ve become so tired of all the decorating stuff in my house – it’s furniture and accessories that I picked 7-8 years ago – but we’re not in the house that we’ll stay in, and just don’t have the money to go all out, so I’m having to turn to decorating on a budget, which brings me to my first topic for this series of decorating tips – shopping at CRAIGSLIST. My mom is a craigslist master and she’s gotten me hooked! Here are her navigating tips on how to shop craigslist:

1. Where it starts – the search

Our favorite search topics are antiques, rustic, pine, primitive – so start there and take your time looking at what pops up. Being on a budget, I look at the price as well as the description and normally don’t look at anything over $200. I especially take a good look at anything under $100. We’ve found some of our most favorite pieces on craigslist!

2. Antiques

When looking for antiques, try to stay away from pieces that look like they were in your grandmother’s house (can’t you just picture what that looks like??) Choose pieces that will stand the test of time.

3. Use Craigslist to sell your stuff and make some money!

Everybody I’ve met through craigslist – whether purchasing from them, or vice-versa, has been supremely nice and down to earth. Still, can’t be too safe! If I’m selling, I’ll either meet the buyer in a popular spot, or have them come by the house when Matt’s home. If I’m doing the buying, I take along my mom or Matt to go pick it up.

4. Look Daily

Just like when shopping at bargain stores, you have to constantly be on the lookout to catch the good deals. It’s hit or miss, but when you get a hit, it can be a home-run. (Haha, felt pretty proud of myself for that little pun!)

Here are some of the furniture pieces that we’ve found on Craigslist.

We found this old bench for $150 and took it to an antique repair shop to fix one of the legs and that cost about $80. So, overall about $230, and the antique repair shop owner said it was a true antique and he would sell it for $800 and not take less than $700! Score! A bench can always find a home anywhere – right now this is in my entry way, but know this is something that I’ll always be able to find a place for. (My mom got me the pillow with an “N” monogrammed, and est. 2003 from an etsy shop)

Shabby Chic Coffee Table – a little too white when we bought it, so my mom painted over it, distressed it, and added a “trim” color. Perfect!

Here’s the coffee table in my family room – all budget items – turquoise lamp and pillows on love seat from TJ Maxx Homegoods, pillows on other couch, rug, and drapes from Ikea. Wanted an easy, inexpensive updated look for this room.

Old Pine chest for $70 – chests can be used anywhere and offer an abundance of storage!

My mom recently got this pine hanging piece and she plans to put white ironstone on it – this kind of thing would be a great place to put a “collection”

Gate leg table – a great type of table to own (as good as my mom is at decorating, she still has trouble with taking pictures, so it’s hard to see this from the sunlight) Bought for $50.

Oil Paintings – look for unique paintings that catch your eye, and that have the colors that you want to use

One of the best deal pieces – spool drawers that my mom bought for $5 (!!!!!!!!) and she uses it to hold her jewelry. ***I love how she uses interesting pieces for everyday storage – not your typical jewelry box***

Small rolltop desk – $40 – has on top of a side table

Another repurposing – just an old piece for $40 that she uses to hold books in the gameroom

Old Chest – $70, and my mom painted, distressed, and lightly stenciled.

This is one of my favorites because I love the primitive and chippy stuff, and I’m trying to convince my mom that I just need this from her! Not working. But, just a primitive table she uses as a nightstand in a guest room – multi-purpose type though – could be used for a desk, side table, or cut down the legs for a coffee table ($60)

Old New Orleans shutters, $25 each (could hang as a headboard, or just on a wall) – there’s something special about New Orleans shutters (per what my mom said)

Old wicker rocker that my mom then had reupholstered.

Whew!!!!! Did you make it to the end?? Hope you enjoyed!

Mischief Maker

2011-02-16T19:16:00.001-08:00

Being mischievous seems to come naturally to our 2nd born. He knows exactly what he’s NOT supposed to get into, so naturally that is exactly what he WANTS. One of his favorite “naughty” things is to take the CDs/DVDs out of their cases (which, if he scratched it and made it unworkable, a certain big brother would totally flip), so now when Jace grabs a CD and/or DVD, he takes it to a **super secret** hiding place to take the disc out and scratch it up to his content.

**Luckily his super secret hiding place is in full view of the No-Fun Mommy who promptly takes away the stash.

How to Survive Multiple Snowdays

2011-02-03T07:49:00.001-08:00

We've been experiencing some crazy weather and have been homebound pretty much this whole week. Schools everywhere are closed, activities closed, and moms everywhere are stuck inside with their children trying to keep them entertained. (What was it like years and years ago when there was no TV?!?!) Thank goodness we live in the 21st century and we have all the modern conveniences that can help us moms out who are just trying to SURVIVE on these days!!! I got some excellent ideas on Facebook on easy, fun activities to keep the little ones engaged (or at least busy!)

Our driveway

The street

We're in survival mode around here so there has been WAAAAY too much TV. Oh well, I don't think it's done any lasting damage. ;) But, even the TV can get a little old for my kids, so I had to have a back-up plan. Here are some of the things we’ve been doing to fill our long days of being stuck inside.

1. BAKE!!!! One of my favorite things to do and I feel that when we're iced in I have a good excuse to eat those baked goods. (I'll be posting 2 such delectables on my recipe blog.)

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2. Make a Fort and use flashlights, tunnels, toys, etc.

3. Make mini-marshmallow creations, and of course do some snacking.

(Reid actually just wanted to snack, so in my effort to show him how to connect the marshmallows, the creation you see was pretty much mine) :)

4. Do a "science experiment" - collect some ice blocks in a tupperware bowl, ask your child what he/she thinks will happen to the ice when we bring it inside to warmer air, let it sit, then they see that it melts, ask what they think will happen when you put it back outside, and check later to see that it has turned back to ice. (Rinse, Repeat)

5. Cut out shapes from different colored paper and have your child create a picture using the shapes. (We talked before about what kinds of pictures he could create)

6. Play drums on pots using wooden spoons. (naked, of course)

These are just a few things that we have done. Here's a long list of activities that can help provide some ideas of what to do on these days:

Paint,

Color with Markers,

Play Doh,

Color on Newspaper,

Finger paint with pudding in the tub,

Take uncooked rice and beans and put in a container with cars and cups in it,

Cheerio or Fruit Loop necklaces,

Shaving cream or cool whip in the tub,

Wash play cars in the sink,

"Snowball fight" with rolled up socks or cotton balls,

Indoor golf,

Hike through the house and play "I Spy,"

Look outside and play "I Spy" of what God made,

Snowflake crafts with coffee filters,

Indoor scavenger hunt,

Indoor bowling,

Create a small town using blocks, cars, trucks, and rooms in your house

Good luck! May you stay sane and not driven to drink!*

*Kidding, of course. We all love our little darlings and would spend every waking moment with them if we could. * ;)

Goal and Random Thoughts

2011-01-25T04:05:00.001-08:00

To be honest, blogs can stress me out. They just seem to take up time and effort whether that’s writing mine or reading others! Plus, I can sometimes read a blog and feel like I have no cool talents or that I’m the worst mom ever! So, I haven’t really been doing any “blogging.” Well, I have been reading some decorating blogs, which I love and hate at the same time. Love because I can see new ideas, hate because it makes me not like my decor and wish I had more money. But that will be a whole ‘nother post (upcoming: redecorating on a budget). Sooooo, to get to part of the title on my post, my goal is to blog more regularly. I love having the memories written down, the pictures documented, a place to vent on one of those days, and a place to express the times that fill me with joy. I don’t think I can even attempt to fill in those (many) months of not blogging, so I’ll just start from now. My hope is that anyone who would even read what I write would leave feeling encouraged, and not alone (know what I mean, as a mom? do you ever feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t, say, do a critical thinking preschool activity everyday with your kid(s)? Not to knock those moms who do that, but sometimes I wonder if it’s something I should be doing if I want to raise a productive, problem-solving member of society.) Oh well, my kids are learning plenty of problem-solving techniques through Sprout. I mean, it’s like “preschool on TV!” ;)

My boys:

Reid – a soon to be 4 year old – He is definitely his father’s son. He’s very black and white, a perfectionist who on the positive side wants things done right, but on the flip side, he gets very frustrated and doesn’t even try to do some things. Just wants me to do it so it will get done correctly – anybody have a child like that? How do you help them try stuff? He is also a complete left-brainer. L.O.V.E.S. numbers. In fact, that’s become a great consequence: “If you don’t obey Momma, I’m going to take away your Granddaddy numbers for the day!” Works every time. (oh, and all the sets of numbers have names: Granddaddy numbers, magnetic numbers, little numbers). I love watching his strengths develop. I pray that God will equip me (and Matt) with helping him pursue his strengths, and improve his weaknesses.

Jace - (almost) 18 months old – Loves to be where the action is- is this so typical 2nd child? Doesn’t want to miss a thing!!!! Although, my once laid back baby has become a master at fits, arching his back, and crying loudly if he doesn’t get his way. Already. I remember Reid not really going through the tantrums until closer to 2. Whereas Reid is our shy, people have to gain his trust before he lets his guard down little boy, Jace is our Mr. Good Time Charlie, doesn’t meet a stranger. So funny how our 2 boys are so COMPLETELY different from one another!

But, as much as I play referee, I’m so thankful that these boys have each other as brothers and I hope that their differences in personality only strengthen their bond.

My friend, Brittney, organized a focused prayer calendar that I think is such a good idea. My prayer this week is about our family’s plans. The verse is: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Prov. 19:21. So applicable to me. I love to plan out and dream about what the future holds (2 kids or 3? STILL the big debate in our house). But, I’m trying and praying to give that over to God. Not to say don't plan, but I’m not going to be anxious and worry about what might happen. The Lord’s purpose will prevail. Very comforting to think that I don’t have to worry or be anxious in order for something to happen.

Little Toot and his big brother

2010-09-08T12:59:00.001-07:00

No point in cleaning because I have a shadow (excuse me, make that 2 shadows!) who follow me around who think it’s their sole purpose to get everything that I’ve just put up, out!

Déjà Vu

2010-05-20T18:27:00.001-07:00

Jace was crawling around the kitchen, "exploring," which sparked a memory of Reid and this post so you know I had to pose Jace and it was just a bonus that he looked at me with an expression like his big brother did! I had to quickly take the picture because don't be fooled, Jace is not as steady standing there as he looks - one reach-into the drawer and he would have toppled into it!

Jace – 9 mos., 2010

Reid – 10 mos., 2008

Just.So.Close.

2010-04-09T11:27:00.001-07:00

Learning

crawl

hard work!

2 more videos for the family :)

2010-04-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

It seems that videos are easier for me to upload and post than pictures. Although, I have so many pictures to post to the blog! AAGH!!! Oh well. Here's a video that I know family will enjoy. Reid is always singing. He also pretty much sings everything to the tune of "Heigh Ho the Derry-O" and just makes up different words to go with that song. Sometimes he even likes to narrate events to that tune. For example, "We're going to the store, we're going to the store, heigh-ho-the-derry-o, we're going to the store." So, the other night Reid was picking out which books he wanted to read, and he picked out this ABC book. He opened it and started to sing while pointing to the letters, which is what I do when I read him the book, so you know I had to get my video recorder and record him!

The other video is of Reid hopscotching. We go out and play chalk outside often when the weather is nice and while Jace is napping, and once when we were at the park Reid saw some little girls playing hopscotch, and ever since then he wants me to draw a hopscotch when we play chalk. At first, he would just run across the hopscotch, but the other day when we were out, he actually did hopscotch correctly. He's really turning into a little boy and leaving toddlerhood! Tear.

A Few of my Favorite Things

2010-02-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

I always love reading what other people just love and can't live without and I've been meaning to do a post about what I love, so here it is!

Ever since this girls' trip where we did the Sex and the City bus tour and made a stop at the store that housed the make-up brand used on the cast, I've been in love with pretty much everything I've tried from there! Here are a few items that I have that I just LOVE:

1. The Soy Face Cleanser - Oh my goodness, my FAVORITE ever cleanser! It even takes my mascara off!

2. The Sugar Blossom Hand treatment - my hands get so freakin' dry in the winter that I'm always looking for good hand lotion. This has been my hands down favorite!

3. The Brown Sugar Body Polish - this is an awesome exfoliator (when I actually take the time to exfoliate!)

4. The bronzing/blush powder - gives the perfect "sun tan" look without looking fake. I wear this year round to give my face some color!

This next item will only appeal to some of you, but boy are these important when you're breastfeeding! There's nothing like a good nursing bra. Can I get an amen?? I LOVE this one!

5. The Bravado Seamless

Mascara does wonders in opening up your eyes (which is especially important when you have small eyes like me!) and this particular one is like a miracle in a stick - it lengthens my lashes and makes them look ten times longer! You actually vibrate the wand while you apply!

6. Lancome Oscillating Mascara

Lately, I've been kicking it into overdrive to try and lose the last 5 pounds of pregnancy weight by being very mindful of what I'm eating. Here are 2 great food options that I eat pretty much everyday.

7. Emerald Cocoa Roast almonds - these are a great afternoon snack! They sell them in 100 calorie packs at Target, but if I get the can, I just measure out a serving size portion.

8. The Power Protein Breakfast - they sell these packs at Starbucks, but it's SO easy to make this yourself and save the bucks! This is what I eat for breakfast: Thomas Light 100 calorie English Muffin with peanut butter on it, a banana and a hard boiled egg. So filling!!

Probably my most favorite thing of all, baby's laughter. I was able to catch Jace having a good belly laugh on video!

A little update

2010-02-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here's the reason why I haven't been blogging: my pictures are taking up so much space on my computer that I don't want to add anymore for fear of a crash where I would lose everything. I'm sloooooowly saving my pictures to an external hard drive (and we are going to get a new computer because ours, being only 3 years old, is OUTDATED!), so I can continue blogging when I feel like I can upload more pictures.

But, here are some recent happenings around the Northcutt household:

Reid is enjoying this record setting snow fall we're having around here! On the other hand, I'm ready for some good ol' sunny, tank-top-wearin,' weather. However, this week has not been fun around here. On Tuesday, we took Jace to the doctor after an up-all-night-wanting-only-to-be-held night (can you tell I love to write phrases using the hyphen??) only to find out that he has RSV, an ear infection, and a sore throat!!! This crud has been AWFUL!!! Jace is definitely not acting like himself, and it is a long process of getting well. We took him back to the doctor yesterday because we thought he sounded worse, but the doctor said that he still sounded ok enough not to need breathing treatments. Thank the Lord. He also said that if he wasn't worse by today - Saturday- then he probably wouldn't get worse. Maybe we're finally on the road to getting better. We have no clue where he got it, although it could be from ANYWHERE, none of us have been sick, and Reid is just now getting a cold (he probably caught it from Jace). Is this the cycle that will now be our lives? One gets sick and then the other follows?? Did I mention how I hate being stuck inside? But, I am being comforted by the fact that everybody is stuck inside with this weather and we're not missing anything!

Jace is 6 months old! Wow. I remember when Reid was 6 months old thinking how BIG and OLD he was, and Jace still seems like my little newborn! And, who could forget the Spring Babies group 6 months birthday for all of our little spring babies?? I don't think we'll be having a 6 month birthday for Jace! We combined an RSV follow-up appt. with his 6 month appt. and here are his measurements:

Weight: 17 lbs. (40%)
Length: 26 3/4 (60%)

Here's a little difference between him and Reid- at this point Jace is a rolling machine - he rolls to get to something or somewhere. Reid was never really a roller. But, at 6 months Reid was sitting up pretty well where I could walk away and not be right there to catch him because he would still be sitting when I returned, and Jace can only sit up for a few minutes at a time before he topples backwards. We are planning on starting "real" solids as soon as he's back to normal and well; we've started rice and oatmeal cereal but are not super consistent with feeding him those. This sick thing has really messed up his sleeping at night, but on a normal night, he goes to bed between 7 and 7:30, and wakes up twice between then and 8:30 in the morning when he's ready to be awake. I'm so ready for the 12 hour nights with no waking up to eat!!!! At this point, Jace is not taking a bottle and it is so very frustrating!!! He only relies on his Momma to feed him which is very limiting in how long I can be gone. At least he doesn't just cry if he's given a bottle, he just doesn't eat and waits until he can nurse to eat. I can't believe 6 months has already come and gone! It feels like we were just heading into the hospital to have Jace, but on the other hand it feels like he has been a part of our family forever!!

Actually, here are a few updated pics of Jace for those of you who haven't seen him in awhile! Thanks, Cara, for taking such cute pics of my littlest man. (These were taken the day before the dreaded RSV diagnosis!)

Reid sings and Jace jumps

2010-02-02T19:07:00.001-08:00

Matt's mom gave me the coolest, easiest small camcorder for Christmas and I'm having so much fun with it! Here are a couple videos of the boys doing what they each love doing!

This is Reid singing a song that we guess he learned at mother's day out?!?! I love how he says, "fauver" for Father. I also love how he's smiling at the beginning because he thinks I'm taking a picture. The words are: God, our Father, God, our Father; We thank you, We thank you; For our many blessings, For our many blessings; Amen, Amen.

The one of Jace does not adequately portray his love of the jumping thing, but I just love how he's smiling at the beginning of the video. :)

NYE the Toddler Way

2010-01-11T13:19:00.001-08:00

Cara hosted the 2nd annual Countdown to Noon NYE party for all the tots! The countdown to “noon 2010” (although it was still 2009, but we’ll call it 2010) boasted a slightly larger group due to the addition of fun, new friends, and quite a few 2nd babies were born throughout the 2009 year! So, what fun to ring in the new year with new friends and new siblings! A funny sidenote – there were about 20 kids there and only 5 (or could have been 6) of them were girls! We have a very boy-heavy group. :) Thanks, Cara, for kicking off 2010 in such a fun, festive, friendly way!

Quinn, Reid, Tanner – These boys have been hanging out since they were 2 months old, and in the womb, respectively. (Reid and Quinn have March birthdays and Tanner is July)

Our attempt at a group shot, although, I don’t think I got everyone!

Christmas Day

2010-01-11T13:02:00.001-08:00

December Recap in Pictures, Part 1

2010-01-03T19:36:00.001-08:00

December was one heck of a busy month and I loved every minute of it! Next to my birthday month (yes, birthdays are a big deal for me and I like to celebrate the whole month), Christmastime is my favorite season! I’m always a little sad when Christmas is over (and soon after I’m so over the cold weather and so ready for spring/summer!!)

We had lots of parties – pajama parties for moms and kids, evening family parties, a 1st annual Stock Christmas party – complete with a Santa, we even had a Santa Baby party for all the littles under one!

November Recap in Pictures

2010-01-03T19:14:00.001-08:00

November must have been busy because these are pretty much the only pictures I took! Did not take pictures of Thanksgiving, or anything else, just playing outside!

October Picture Recap

2010-01-03T14:14:00.001-08:00

Halloween Playgroup

Going to a Pumpkin Patch

Halloween Night – Neighborhood Party and Trick or Treating

Proud Daddy – Warning: potty humor

2010-01-03T13:18:00.001-08:00

Matt and I walked into the room one day to find this:

Reid had pulled my diaper bag closer to his potty and grabbed the books out while he was doing his business – monkey see, monkey do! (Haha, am I totally embarrassing Matt with this confession or is it a guy thing to bring reading material into the restroom?) :)

4 months, Seeing Santa, and oh, what? Haven't blogged in a month?!?!

2009-12-14T11:44:00.001-08:00

I love having 2 kids - in fact, I'm ready for a third. But, I feel like there's no time for any of my "extra" activities! (i.e. Facebook and blogger) It really has been an easy transition, but I never realized just how much "time" (relatively speaking) I had when it was just Reid! And Jace is a super easy baby! (Well, and I've become addicted to the Words with Friends app on the iPhone and so any free time I have, I scrabble). I've been inspired, though, by Paige and her beautiful blog book. What a great memory preserver. So, I'm really going to try and catch up. For now, I'll do an easy mini-post.

Seriously cannot believe that Jace is 4 months old!!! We had his check-up last week, and all this time I've thought that Jace was the chunkster of the 2, but he actually weighs just over 2 ounces more than Reid did at this age (Jace - 15 lbs. Reid - almost 15 lbs. At 4 months of course, now he weighs about 30 lbs.). However, what makes Jace seem heftier is that Reid was almost 27 inches at 4 months and Jace is 25 1/2 inches. (Although, percentage wise, he's 50th for weight and 70% in height and the doctor thinks he's going to have a big growth spurt, so we'll see). Jace is definitely not a newborn anymore! He is quite the "talker" and he LOVES when people talk to him. I think he might be our social one. :) He was doing awesome at night (7-8 hours) but has recently gone back to 4-5 hours. But, I can't complain because he goes to bed around 7 or 7:30, and all I have to do is swaddle him and lay him down (still in the bassinet in our room). He's also an excellent napper and will take 2-3 hour naps in his bassinet...when we're home that is, if we're out, he sleeps in his carseat. We can't imagine our lives without him and he brings so much joy to our family. Here are 2 recent pictures of him:

We took Reid to see Santa at the Villages of Allen and surprisingly there were no tears and no fits. Reid loved it! He told Santa that he wants a train table for Christmas (currently in our attic waiting to be put together). I love how Reid is holding on to Santa's hands. We've had a fun, busy December (and it's only half-way over?!) but I'll hopefully get some more posts from October/November and first part of December.

Talented Friends

2009-11-12T14:22:00.001-08:00

I like to surround myself with talented friends to make up for my lack of talent. :) We were fortunate enough to have 2 separate newborn photo sessions with 2 friends who happen to be photographers. One of them is getting her business started, and the other is a good friend who is already established. I highly suggest either if you need any photos taken of your family!!

Summer’s Pictures (Click to see her website, Summer Photography)

Paula’s Pictures (website coming soon)

Go Check it Out!!

2009-11-05T15:29:00.001-08:00

My mom loves looking at design blogs and one of her favorites is www.cotedetexas.blogspot.com. She gets some great ideas and so she took an idea and applied it in her living room and sent pictures to the blog author, who posted it on her blog. Go check it out here!! My mom's living room is the one with the white slipcovered ottoman with the color theme of blue and white. As I was looking at this blog, I realized that I'm going to have to come back so I can get some design tips!

Lots of Reid and Jace Updates!

2009-10-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Check them out!!!

Introducing Our Newest Blessing

Just Another Day at the Office

Just Some Pictures

Howdy Y'all!!

Smiley Jace

The Best $40 Ever Spent!!

Introducing Our Newest Blessing...

2009-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of sending out announcements to family and friends, but had to share! Also, my talented friend, Cara designed the announcements - go check out her sweet little business!!!

Just Another Day at the Office

2009-10-25T13:17:00.001-07:00

Please notice what happens when you have boys and their thing does not point down in the diaper: the stomach pee. And, I’m in the habit of forgetting extra infant clothes, hence the no-pants-let-the-onesie-dry look.

Just some pictures

2009-10-25T13:08:00.001-07:00

Howdy, Y’all!

2009-10-25T13:04:00.001-07:00

We loaded our gear:

jogging stroller

baby bjorn

diaper bag containing: diaper, wipes, blanket, hooter hider, extra set of underwear, extra set of clothes, hand sanitizer

small camera

jackets

2 small boys

It’s like going on a trip to do something for a day! But, so worth it because we had so much fun at the State Fair. We ate corny dogs, a turkey leg, fried ice cream, lemonade, root beer, and of course funnel cake! Yummo – I love fair food! Reid was just tall enough for most of the rides, which he LOVED!! It was his first time on any sort of ride and I wasn’t sure how he’d react, but he wanted to ride everything he could! With what you pay at the fair, it is like going on vacation! ha! There was a group of us: my parents, Matt, me, the boys, and my aunt (who was the photographer of the day) and uncle. We can’t wait for next year! Although, I think we got off easy this year at the fair – can’t imagine what it’s going to cost us next year!!!

View Full Album

Smiley Jace

2009-10-25T12:26:00.001-07:00

The Best $40 Ever Spent!

2009-10-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Want to have a little more time to blog/facebook/email/play on the computer? Want to get out some of that seemingly endless toddler energy? Just call us White Trash because we have this in our family room! But, oh well, because this is also the perfect activity for rainy days!

Posing for the camera :)

Where do I start?!?!

2009-10-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blog updater!! Blogging has been put on the back burner but I'm going to update with pictures soon! I've also been a bad blog stalker - sorry I haven't left comments--I've pretty much just checked the updates on the side of my blog to see if there were any interesting/new/exciting news on anybody's blogs that I just had to read about!!

Anyway, we've been busy in the Northcutt household!!! Jace is growing like a weed!!! He's our little chunkster, compared to Reid. He's already about 2 pounds heavier than Reid was at this age and the same length! We just had his 2 month appointment and he weighs 12 pounds, 13 oz. and is 23 and a half inches long (75th for both). He has been the calmest, easiest baby!!!! And, he's so smiley - he loves to smile when people talk to him! So, there's hope for those of you who had a hard first one (which Reid was!!!!) He rarely fusses and if he does it's because he's either hungry or tired. I do wish he was sleeping longer at night, but at least he just eats and goes right back to sleep. It varies each night - some nights he wakes up every 4 hours, and then some nights he'll go 5-6 hours and then 4 after that. (During the day he pretty much eats every 3 hours). I'm still nursing and I love it! Although, I have about 10 pounds to lose that just won't come off - so frustrating!!!!

Reid is still doing really well in underwear - he is out of diapers and into big boy underwear all the time! However, I do pull-ups for nap and bedtime because I'm just not ready to tackle that battle (and plus, we have a child-proof door thing on his bedroom door so he can't get out to use the restroom.) And, we have done away with the paci!!!!! If I had known that it would not be a big deal, I would have done it long ago! He was just using it for sleep times, but the other day, I told him that we were going to do no more bobbies (what he calls his pacies) and that if he went without it at his nap he could have 3 M&Ms when he got up. Hasn't used it since! He has not even acted like he missses it - hasn't asked for it or anything. Yay!! Although, all these "big boy" changes means he's really growing up.

Whew!!! I have so many pictures to update with that it overwhelms me, but I will get to it! My next post will be about the best $40 ever spent.......

Potty Trained

2009-09-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Well, Reid is potty trained (I guess, when is it official?)! I began last Thursday (a little over a week ago) and since then he has had only 2 "full" accidents when he couldn't hold it in, and 1 super nasty poo accident where he couldn't make it to the potty fast enough. At least he finished in the potty and only a little escaped, but let me tell you, it's a wonder that I didn't throw up.

G-R-O-S-S!!!! Anyway, he's been to Mother's Day Out and we've been out and about a lot and he's worn his underwear and is telling us when he needs to go! Keeping to Reid fashion, he doesn't like for us to ask him if he needs to go, which is a little scary because we just have to rely on him to let us know. Luckily he does, but he sure doesn't go potty very often! We are doing pull-ups for nap and bedtime - don't really want to tackle that battle!!!

For the last 6/7/8 months Reid has been using the potty before bed and then get 1 M&M for pee and 2 for poo, so it wasn't like the potty was some foreign concept to him. I think it was so much easier when we actually started potty training because he was ready and used to the potty. I didn't read a book, I just looked online and combined a couple different methods. The morning we started, before nap, I set the kitchen timer for 30 minute increments and when the buzzer sounded he would have to use the potty. If he would go, he'd get M&Ms. I also gave him salty foods so he'd be thirsty and lemonade - a drink he loves - so he'd have to go more. After nap he started resisting going when I wanted him to and since I didn't want to make a big issue over it, I just had him tell me if he needed to go. Friday we stayed in and did pretty much the same thing but without the kitchen timer. Since then we've gone somewhere pretty much everyday and it's just getting him used to telling us and being able to hold it.

Practicing for a future career in underwear modeling :)

Making our way out of the House

2009-09-02T20:03:00.001-07:00

First, I just have to say that the Northcutt family is SO enjoying all the meals people have been bringing us!!! I look forward to the days that we have dinners! I’ve posted a couple new recipes on my blog… baked spaghetti, chicken enchiladas, and I’ve updated my banana bread recipe.

Two more boys in our little playgroup turned 2 – these boys are getting so big!!! What started as 3 friends starting a playgroup when 2 of us had infants and 1 of us was still pregnant has grown into 8 wild toddler boys! Porter and Chapman each had birthdays and we celebrated at each of their houses.

Now, with Reid, we really didn’t get him out until he was about 5 weeks (well, and plus it took that long for me to heal so I really couldn’t get out), but I’ve gotten Jace out quite a bit! I hope 2nd children have stronger immune systems!!! Gymnastics, the playgroup birthday parties, seeing friends, and going to lunch- I’m determined not to get cooped up in the house!!

Porter’s Birthday party: Jace was a week and a half old, but my mom kept him at the house and I took Reid. It worked out great for our first outing because Amy and I live in the same neighborhood. I didn’t take any pictures of all the boys playing but they had a BLAST!!

Chapman’s birthday party – it was a great day and Alli has the best backyard!!

What Jace did the entire time:

Two Weeks and Lots More Updates

2009-08-26T12:05:00.001-07:00

Jace had his 2 week appointment yesterday and everything is looking great! His stats:
weight: 8 lbs. 4 oz. (40%)

height: 21 and 1/4 (75%)

head: 14 and something (40%)

So, pretty much like Reid – average head and weight and a little above average in length/heighth. Jace is still a pretty easy baby – we are just crossing our fingers that this stays this way!!! Reid was, um, high maintenance, as an infant so we felt like we were due an easy, calm baby! He pretty much eats every 2-3 hours and at night he eats every 3 hours but will eat and then go right back to sleep. I don’t feel quite as zombie-ish as I did with Reid, but I am already ready for a good solid night’s sleep!!!! So, if you’ve called me in the last week or so and I haven’t gotten back to you, I will! The best time to return calls is during Reid’s nap and at that time of day, I’m so freakin’ exhausted that all I do is sit in our chair and do one of the following: read, sleep, watch TV. (Today I decided to update the blog). But, thanks for the calls, texts, messages – I will get back with you!

Also, huge news on the flies/bees home front - Reid is now going outside! If you read my post below, then you know that he was going through this extreme fear of flies and bees that was preventing him from even wanting to step foot outside! If he sees one, he still has a minor freak-out, but it is SO much better than a week ago.

My mom leaves tomorrow, and then I’ll be on my own!! I have to admit, I’m really nervous about how it’s all going to work – Jace seems to want to eat at the same time that Reid needs something – whether it’s waking up in the morning, lunch, nap, etc. so I need to figure out how to balance both boys’ needs!

Thank you so much for the prayers for my c-section recovery – I had my 2 week appointment with the doctor and she thinks the hematoma is gone! So, now I’m just recovering from a regular c/s (I saw this abbreviation written on one of my paperwork forms in the hospital and so now that’s how I like to write “c-section”) :) At 6 weeks I should be completely healed and will have clearance on everything! I’m really looking forward to getting back into working out. I got the P90x set for my birthday so I’m planning on doing that – I’ll let you know what I think!

Reid is outside in his favorite outfit – his birthday suit!

Lilly is so interested in Jace!

Reid just loves his baby brother and now loves to hold him!

Trying to Adjust

2009-08-18T17:41:00.001-07:00

Thank you for all the sweet comments even though I haven’t been commenting on anybody else’s blogs – I need a day to catch up on what everybody has been up to! We are just here at the house trying to adjust to having a newborn again! It actually has been pretty easy because my mom is here so I haven’t had to see what it will truly be like with 2. Reid loves his baby brother, but I can tell it’s been a difficult adjustment for him because he has been acting out, trying to get attention, throwing lots of fits over nothing, and then the biggest thing has been his new EXTREME fear of flies and bees!!! We don’t know what to do – he is so afraid of them that he will not go outside. Literally – he will not step a foot outdoors! He’s so scared that it’s even a battle trying to get him out of the car if we go somewhere! Nothing entices him – not the park, not the “little houses” that we like in Allen, not going outside for a popsicle, not going to get ice cream. I take Jace for his 2 week appointment next week and if it hasn’t gotten any better I’m going to ask the pedi. Has anybody gone through anything similar with your toddler??? How would you handle this?? We try not to make a big deal of it – while we don’t dismiss his fears, we also don’t let it control us (by that I mean if we have to go somewhere, he has to go with us and get out of the car).

Anyway, I’m getting a little bored at home – I am a homebody, but I also love to be out and about and I’m so ready to start doing that again!

I love comparison pictures too, Paige!!! Here are some of Reid (on left) and Jace – I can’t see a resemblance right now, but maybe as Jace gets older I’ll see who he looks like!

Other pics from around the house:

Lilly LOVES babies! Now, active toddlers? Not so much.

I love this picture! I still can’t believe I have 2 and they’re brothers!!!

Hospital Week

2009-08-16T15:18:00.001-07:00

It is so good to be out of a hospital bed! I may be moving slowly and adjusting to life with 2 – although since my mom’s here, it’s not too hard – but it is so nice to be back in our own environment. We spent 5 days in the hospital beginning Sunday when we went in just so they could put me on a heparin (blood thinner) IV. Monday morning began bright and early at 5:30 when the nurse took me back to the pre-surgical room. While in there they did all the preliminary stuff and then wheeled me back to the surgery room at 7:15. The anesthesiologist did the spinal (which I was so nervous about, but it wasn’t bad at all!)…it’s just the weirdest feeling because you can not move your legs! For some reason I was so worried that I wouldn’t be numb and would feel the scalpel and I remember mentioning that and the doctor said that she had already started with the c-section. So, luckily the medicine worked. :) Jace was born at 7:39 – he did not want to come out so the doctor was really pulling hard and the other doctor was pushing on my stomach to help push him out (resulting in a SUPER sore stomach for the next few days – just to add to the other pain!) He was 7 pounds, 10 ounces and 19 inches long (Reid was 6 pounds, 8 ounces and 19 inches). The rest of the week was spent beginning the healing process and loving on Jace! He seriously just would eat and sleep. He lost weight before my milk came in, but only about 7% of his birth weight, and by the time we left the hospital he had already gained back a few ounces, which meant that he only lost 4% total. He really took to nursing (we had to use lots of help from the lactation consultants with Reid), and he scored pretty much the lowest you can score with the jaundice checks. I can’t tell at all who he looks like – he was a pound heavier than Reid at birth so it’s hard to tell if it’s just because Jace is “fuller” than Reid was at this point. Reid came up to the hospital on Sunday and then Monday, and then Matt’s parents took him to Longview for a little vacation, which he loved.

One prayer request I have is that a small hematoma (which is a pooling of blood beneath the skin) formed in the same spot that it did with my last c-section (which was the un-fun part of healing – they had to open the wound up and bring in a wound vac to heal it) but this one is really small. The doctor is hoping that my body will just absorb it and we won’t have to do anything about it. Please pray that my body does that!

I posted the hospital pics on facebook, so I’m sorry that it’s a repeat if you’ve already seen FB, but there are some new ones after the album.

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Jace with his Aunt Coco and with Granna and Grandaddy

Going home – trying out his carseat for the first time

Some pictures of Jace in his “going home outfit”

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Last Northcutt Family of 3 Event

2009-08-13T18:41:00.001-07:00

*I posted some hospital pictures on my facebook page, so check that out if you want to see some pictures of our new baby boy! Otherwise, I’ll blog post them when we get home from the hospital.**

Babe’s Chicken…if you’ve never been, GO!!! The best “down home” meal ever. The original started out in Roanoke and only offered 2 main entrees – fried chicken or chicken fried steak. They’ve since opened up a few other restaurants in the area, and there’s one in Frisco. They have also added choices to their menu, but the premise is still the same –order your meat and then the sides are served family style. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, creamed corn and biscuits with honey – YUM! We went there a few days before Reid was born, and so we repeated the tradition this year the night before we had to go to the hospital. There were a few more to our group – Matt, me, Reid, Matt’s parents, my parents, my sisters and my grandparents – but the food was as delish as ever! One of those “heart-attack-on-a-plate” meals that you rarely have but when you do, it just hits the spot!

Daddy, Mommy and Reid Daddy, Reid, Nana, Mommy

Reid with Mommy, Aunt Coco, and Aunt Bibby

Reid and Aunt Coco doing the Hokey Pokey

Reid with Mimi; Reid with Granddaddy

Brittany, Me, Courtney

Last Week...Last Appointment!

2009-08-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

We've been staying so busy this week between trying to fit in all the last minute activities with Reid and friends, and trying to get everything ready for baby! It's like I feel a rush to get everything in that I can - we've gone to an indoor park with friends, storytime and carousel ride at the mall, lunch everyday...I think that's it. I had my last doctor appt. today, nothing new to report - she didn't even "check" me since I'm scheduled regardless for Monday, so I have no idea if I'm dilated or not. It was nice having my last weigh-in - even though I'm pregnant, I still dread those!!! We'll actually go in on Sunday morning and they'll start me on a blood thinner drip through IV, and then C-section is scheduled for Monday morning.

If you get a chance, please say a little prayer that the baby is healthy and ready to come out (they usually wait until 39 weeks for a scheduled c-section, but because of my situation we have to take him a little earlier), and also that the c-section recovery goes ok - to say that it was NOT FUN with Reid is a complete understatement (long story, but basically because of being on blood thinner, I developed a hematoma in the incision and so they had to do all this un-fun stuff in order for it to heal).

Here's a belly shot of 37/38 weeks:

Reid goes on his First Date

2009-07-30T15:31:00.001-07:00

My sister (Aunt 'Bibby') decided she wanted to take Reid on a little date with her to the Frisco Roughriders Baseball game. In my head I was really hoping that it would be as fun as she was thinking it would be but had very low expectations on how it would actually turn out - I just didn't think Reid would be able to have a long attention span at the game and that they would stay for an hour, tops, before he got antsy and ready to leave. HOWEVER, he LOVED it!!! He loved eating his hot dog, drinking his Sprite, and then having ice-cream AND a cookie for dessert (the joy of being an Aunt and not a Mom...you can allow that!!); he loved seeing the mascot, a Prairie Dog that they called a Bear out of convenience - but Reid didn't want it to get too close; loved climbing over his seat; loved watching the game from the bar; just loved being with his Aunt Bibby! Luckily one of Aunt Bibby’s friends went to the game who has a little girl who is 18 months…so it’s always nice to go with someone else with a toddler! They left during the 7th inning and Bibby had to tell him the game was over to get him to leave! He wasn't ready!!! Thanks, Aunt Bibby, for making Reid's first date a memorable one!!!!

People, we have a NAME!!!!

2009-07-29T19:55:00.001-07:00

I'm really bad at holding things in, so as soon as Matt and I committed to this name for Baby Boy #2, I had to post it!!! I'm so excited that we'll be welcoming ..................

Jace Ryan Northcutt

in 12 days!!!!!

Suggestions? Recommendations??

2009-07-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine who is having her baby a few days after me recently posted about what to wear in the hospital, and I'm wondering the same thing! I'd love to hear what you couldn't live without, what worked, what didn't, web sites, etc. With Reid, I was in the hospital for a week, and there's a chance I'll be there that long with this one and I don't want to wear the ratty hospital gowns ("gown" being used very loosely) the whole time! Looking back, I'm so embarrassed of how I looked when people came to visit - I think one of my hospital gowns even had a rip in a very inconspicuous spot - so I'm very sorry if I flashed anybody!

Also, I didn't use a sling with Reid, but have a feeling I will with this one. I know people out there are very passionate about what types of slings they love, and please, share the passion! I want a good sling, and one that won't be too hot since I'll be using it during the months of August, September, October, November...I don't know, how long do you use slings??

Thanks for the thoughts!!!

Also, I'm planning on updating my recipe blog...I know, it has been a LONG time!!!

Clean Teeth

2009-07-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Matt and I are very regular with our dentist trips - we follow the recommended twice-a-year cleanings. Reid has been seeing the dentist since October, just every few months or so because of this incident (click that to read about it), but we scheduled his first cleaning visit for yesterday. I figured, close to 2 1/2 is a good age to start. I went in with really low expectations - basically just a chance for Reid to see what it was all about. We talked about what to expect the whole car ride there (I always have to prepare him for anything new!), and he knew he was going for a "clean your teeth" and "brush your teeth" visit and he would get a "su-pwize" at the end. I cannot tell you how my expectations were just blown out of the water! He did so good! I was super surprised!!!! He layed in the chair (which I knew would be the first obstacle), touched the instruments when the hygienist was showing him the tools she would use before she began, didn't cry or say "no," opened his mouth wide for her to do what she needed, let her floss his teeth!...I mean, everything that I would have expected him to balk at, he didn't! So, now Reid is on the same twice-a-year schedule as us!!! The dentist did tell us that his teeth are pretty close together and so to start flossing (we're going to try doing this once a week) to avoid cavities, and to give out those fruit snacks sparingly since she sees a lot of kids get cavities from them.

On my way there, I realized I forgot my camera (and I thought I wouldn't be getting a lot of pictures because we wouldn't be there long), but luckily I had my phone! Sorry for the picture overload - I just couldn't get over how "big" he looked laying in the chair getting his teeth cleaned!

Waiting for the hygienist...Reid got to pick out a movie to watch and there were TV screens on the ceiling (he chose Thomas the Train)

The hygienist was great - she showed him all her tools that she would use and let him touch them

Waiting for her to start - he looks a little nervous!

She first counted all his teeth - 20 total

Then she flossed, polished and brushed his teeth!

Showing Mommy his clean, shiny teeth!

34 Weeks...Countdown on!

2009-07-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

34 Weeks and definitely feeling it!!! I forgot about this stage of pregnancy when I start feeling so ready for the baby! I'm starting to get a little uncomfortable - especially because the baby seems to be so high and it feels like I have hardly any lung capacity. Also, throughout this pregnancy I've had the worst heartburn and indigestion. Now, I've read about what to do with this - more, smaller meals, avoid "trigger" foods...too bad those "trigger" foods are the good stuff! So, I guess I'll just face the consequences of eating chocolate and fried food!

We had our perinatologist visit this week - they do the sonograms to make sure the baby is growing, etc. - and here's the rundown:

*Baby measuring in the 75% - he currently weighs 6 pounds!!!! (Now, that being said, the doctor said that it's not the most accurate because it's based on measurements).

*The baby has hair!

*Everything looks good - internal structures, organs, fluid, etc.

We're now at 4 1/2 weeks until August 10, which will be baby boy #2's birthday!!!!

Maybe Next Year?!?!

2009-07-07T14:13:00.001-07:00

I just knew that his would be the year that Reid would just LOVE and BE FASCINATED by fireworks! We went to Longview for the 4th, and planned 2 nights of going to see fireworks because we seriously thought the kids (Reid and his cousin who is 3 months older) would be totally into them! HA! They were much more interested in everything BUT the fireworks!! And, to make matters worse, there were technical difficulties both nights so the firework shows ended up starting late - we probably watched the first 5 minutes and then left! Oh well, I'm sure next year will be just fabulous (of course by then we'll have an almost 1 year old who will probably not give a rat's you-know-what about them!) :) Even though the fireworks didn't go as planned, the weekend was great - Reid is becoming more and more confident in the water and is loving it. My little guy - he's such a thinker and he has to get used to something and realize that he can do it before he feels confident with whatever the task may be. I have a feeling our 2nd will be our dare-devil and will be much more impulsive than Reid! But, it would be a boring world if everybody were the same!

I can’t believe it’s “July 4th” time! Being a teacher, I always thought of July 4th as the “hump” part of summer vacation (especially when we had to go back end of July!) And, now with #2 coming around when school would start, we’re definitely sliding down the summer break and it’s just around the corner!!!

Natalee (2 yrs. 7 mos.) Reid (2 yrs. 4 mos.) – I think sitting in their very own chairs, with their ring pops kept them busy for about 5-10 minutes

Sweet hugs!

Granddaddy kept them busy by playing a game

Playing in the bed of the truck also occupied some time…

Watching a few minutes worth of fireworks

The next day, we took Reid and Natalee to the Island on the lake where they played in the sand and lake

That night it was time for Round 2 of fireworks – we started off with a yummy dinner, followed by homemade ice-cream, and then outside to “watch” fireworks (they were supposed to start at 9:30 and by 10:00 when they were still having glitches, we called it a night!)

July Flashback

2009-07-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

I was uploading pics from my old camera onto the computer and came across this video which was taken on July 7 of 2008 - Reid was 16 mos. old and into the sign language as his main form of communication. What a change in just a year!!! Now, he is fully verbal, a good communicator with his words, and sign language is a thing of the past! (well, except when he really wants something he'll combine saying "peas" with the please sign!!!)

CU-RAZY Month of June!

2009-06-29T19:35:00.001-07:00

Why have I not been blogging, you ask?? The questions I ask myself are, why is Reid’s “big boy” room not even close to being finished – um, haven’t even started- why is the nursery not even close to being finished, and why doesn’t baby brother have a name yet??? We are 6 weeks out from welcoming our little guy, and I have had no chance to breathe in this month!!! Here’s what we’ve been up to and the answers to why these things are not done!!!

**We’ve been able to make a few playdates…the only pictures I took though are from Annie’s house where the boys had a picnic on the floor and then enjoyed some popsicles outside:

**Annie, Amy and I had a weekend trip to New York…

**Some of my sweet friends threw a super fabulous baby shower for me…I am seriously sick that I did not take many pictures!!!!

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**I’ve had LOTS of doctor appointments – I see my OB every 2 weeks, my “blood doctor” every 4 weeks, and the perinatologist every 4 weeks. Everything is looking great – this last month or so, the baby has been measuring a week ahead!!! He currently weighs about 4 1/2 – 5 pounds!!! He seriously moves ALL.THE.TIME. My little Reid moved at certain times of the day…this little dude moves all day, and during the night when I’m trying to sleep!!!!

**My sister organized a FUN 30th birthday party for me – we started out getting manis/pedis with some lunch food that my mom and sisters prepared, and then moved on to Hotel ZaZa for some pool time. After a LONG, GREAT afternoon spent poolside, we headed to dinner at Victor Tango’s off Knox Henderson. Following that was drinks, and of course, people watching, at the Ritz in Dallas. We spent the night at Hotel ZaZa and ate at a quaint cafe for breakfast the next morning. Thanks for making my 30th a memorable weekend!!!

Nail Salon: Top: Lucy, Summer, Courtney (sister), Me, Annie, Dena, Amy/ Bottom: Taylor, Carrie, Heather, Lindsey, Brittany (sister)

Hotel Zaza Pool: Me, Lindsey, Heather, Brittany, Carrie

Dinner:

Puttin’ on the Ritz – with a picture of the drink that I stuck to

**We also just got back from a vacation/work trip to Horseshoe Bay where we stayed at a friend’s lake house, and at the Marriot Resort. Our last getaway before Baby #2 arrives! Once again, I wish I had taken more pictures!! We were so fortunate that my parents came with us to help out with babysitting when we had work obligations (fun stuff for me, meetings for Matt), and Reid loved having his Mimi and Pop-Pop to himself for the whole week! The resort was a great family place (except the food was not that great) and there were lots of different places to go for activities! Matt and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on Sunday, June 28 – driving home from our trip!

At the lakehouse there was a set of drums that Reid LOVED! We debated putting them up because of how noisy they were, but there were no neighbors, and it kept him occupied!!!

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I love this picture because he is saying, “Ta-da!”

At the resort, there’s a beach area with a sectioned off piece of the lake that is knee-deep on toddlers – just Reid’s style!

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I tried to get some “mommy and me” pics

We also spent some time at the baby pool…

We’re off to Longview this weekend for July 4th, and then after that, no more traveling!!!

Whirlwind Weekend Getaway

2009-06-29T13:28:00.001-07:00

Annie, Amy and I had our spontaneous, quick, whirlwind of a weekend trip to New York. Amy, being the excellent photographer that she is, took all our pictures and completely captured the essence of our trip in photographs! Here’s a little of what went down:

We ate delicious food:

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and ate some more…

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We enjoyed our leisurely afternoon coffee breaks

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We shopped…

Amy took some fun preggo belly shots…

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And, we got on the Today show on Sunday morning!

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Multi-tasking

2009-06-10T12:11:00.001-07:00

Having a refreshing drink of milk while sliding!

**Going through blog funk...will be back soon with the goings on of the Northcutt household!**

Also, Annie (private blog), Amy and I are heading to New York this weekend for a spontaneous girls' trip!!! I know we'll have lots of pics to share!!

New Food Recipes!!

2009-05-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

I posted 3 new recipes on my food blog!!!! We tried out 2 new dinner recipes, Pulled Pork Burritos, and Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps, and then I posted the fabulous brownie recipe!

Hope you like these as much as we did!!!!

Also, I'm loving reading all of your name favorites!!!! We do not know what to do!!!! I'll keep you posted!!!!

Swistle It Up!

2009-05-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

I sent an email to Swistle Baby Names and thanks to Kinsey, I noticed they posted about it! So, please go over and leave a comment, or leave me a comment with what name(s) you like!!! We could really use the help!!! I want this little boy to have a name so we can start calling him something!!!!

Memorial Day Fun in the Sun

2009-05-26T14:05:00.001-07:00

Make sure to check out the new post below this one!

To me, there is no better way to spend Memorial Day than with family and friends, at the lake, and ending with a cook-out (this year, though, there was just family, no friends). We took Reid out on the boat for the first time this year and he loved it!!! We’re going to start trying to get out on the boat once a week as a family to really get him used to it, because Matt is so ready for our little man to start doing lake activities…ie. surfing, wake-boarding, tubing, etc. (although this Momma is giving a strict timeline on when Reid can begin doing said lake activities and no involvement before the age of 3!!). Matt goes every Friday, so he definitely gets full use of the boat! We just enjoyed being out in the sun on Monday, and Matt and my dad surfed in the wake of the boat – if you haven’t seen this, it’s pretty cool. They can weigh the boat with “fat sacs” to create a bigger wake, and they are literally surfing in the wake. After our fun in the sun, we headed back over to our house where Matt used his new Big Green Egg (an early anniversary gift to us…) to grill out hamburgers and my grandparents came over. Be on the look out for the Hands Down, Best Brownie Dessert Ever recipe to be posted on my food blog – I mean, it’s one of my 2 all-time favorite desserts that my mom makes!!! In fact, speaking of, it’s in my freezer right now and I think I’m due for an afternoon snack in the form of dessert……..

Already practicing driving the boat…seriously, I could eat his little body up!!!! Are ya’ll obsessed with your child’s body? Ok, that sounds really weird when I type it like that….maybe “obsessed with your child’s body” is the wrong phrase….

Watching Pop-Pop surf with Mimi

Daddy’s turn!

We were a little surprised that Reid wanted to put his feet in the water that was on the ledge on the back of the boat – he would usually be a little unsure of that, especially because it was cold – but he loved it!

Pop-Pop is so silly! Here he is posing with his injured shoulder (check out the bump on his left shoulder), and then pretending to be falling off the boat!

I love these next pictures!!!

Family pic…love these boys!!!

Reid is waving to a passing boat…

Daddy and Reid with their semi-matching O-Neil board shorts….walking with Mommy

After a nap, Reid was ready to slide on his swing set!!! (Notice anything funny behind the swing set? We have no fence right now!!!! The fence people came on Memorial Day and knocked down our fence, and they’ll be back to put in an even bigger, better fence – can’t wait!)

Sunshine and Summertime

2009-05-26T13:23:00.001-07:00

Even though it's not officially summertime, I think summer has definitely begun at the Northcutt household! We've been so busy over here getting our house updated and ready for Baby #2!! (Who is still nameless - we're debating Luke!!! I'd love name suggestions!!!) There's a new playset in our backyard, we are currently getting a better fence, we fixed up some landscape issues, and of course, we're trying to get rooms ready! These are all things on our summer to-do list! Summer is my favorite season (Christmas is a VERY close second), and so we are really trying to enjoy the sunshine and summer activities!

Here’s a picture story of what we’ve been up to:

We went to the Thursday night Summer concert at the Arboretum with some friends – Annie and Sutton went with us. Reid didn’t go to bed that night until 11 pm!!! Did he sleep in the next morning?? Of course not!!!!

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We had playgroup over at the house where the kids were able to break in the new playset. (I didn’t get very many pictures of the kids on the actual playset – I was too busy chatting!)

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I seriously love Reid’s little body! He has a long, skinny body, but he has muscle! So cute!!

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Reid is enjoying some bubbles and relaxing time outside. :)

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It hasn’t been all fun and games though, we put our little munchkin to work outside – doesn’t he look like he really helped us out with our landscape?!

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Reid, Porter, and Hudson are all doing a gymnastics class at ASI – go sign your child up right away!!! We have been 3 times (first was a trial class, and the other 2 have been our class). I love, love, love this class!!! It is perfect for our little monkeys!! It is so beneficial to them – they are learning how to follow directions, self control, body control, and fun “gymnast” moves!! I am so impressed with Reid’s skills – and Porter’s and Hudson’s! Can you tell how devoted I am?? We are planning on doing it for the summer, but I’m already hooked and don’t want him to stop! Let me know if you want more information!!!

Reid is showing off one of the things he has learned - a front roll! He can now do a “real” somersault versus the side roll. (I missed the “middle” part of the roll – and of course when you ask them to do it again, are they compliant??) :)

Lots of posts to do...

2009-05-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

Bleh - do you ever get that bleh blog feeling?? We've really been enjoying this warm weather with our new play set in the backyard, and with friends, and so there's lots to blog about, but everytime I get on the blog, I'm so unmotivated!!! We're still here and I'm hoping to blog tomorrow night about everything that we've been up to, so stay tuned!

Have a memorable Memorial Day! Our plans include a trip out to Lake Levon where Matt keeps ~~his~~ our boat, and a cook-out with the fam!

The Northcutt Family would like to extend our thanks and respect to all the veterans and current military persons who have contributed to making our country what it is.

Belly (er, sorry Summer!)** Pics

2009-05-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some almost-27 weeks belly pictures!!!

**This is in reference to Summer's funny Facebook status about hating the word, "belly" which prompted so many people to comment about which word they hated! I, of course, had to chime in with my least favorite word - PANTIES!!! Gag me!!! Why not just use the word, underwear? :)

And, to satisfy your curiosity on what my naked pregnant belly looks like, here you go. I know you want to click to make it bigger to closely examine so I'll just point out the obvious. Yes, I'm pasty white. Yes, when I'm pregnant I get veins that just really seem to be much bluer and purpler than normal. No, I did not get stretch marks with my first pregnancy with Reid, but you might see a stray one on my hips from adolescence. There.

Baker Girls Pic

2009-05-13T12:28:00.001-07:00

I came across this picture from Christmas this year and I realized that I meant to post it to give a shout out to most of my cousins from the Baker side. (In this picture we are missing 3 more cousins). Growing up was so much fun being so close to my extended family - especially because we are all girls!!! For every holiday or special event, we'd get together at my Nana and Papa's and seriously just PLAY. Our dads are all brothers (the other cousins are the kids of the dads' sister), and so we have family videos of the dads playing basketball AROUND all of us as babies/toddlers/young kids riding bikes, motorized cars, scooters, etc. This is why I am clueless when it comes to boy stuff - I'm used to girl stuff!!!! I am the oldest and the only one married, and so Reid is the first great-grandchild, and very outnumbered as a boy, which means he gets treated like a PRINCE. We'll see what the future holds for the other great-grandkids - will these girls have baby girls or baby boys??

The first and last year of all of us in our twenties :( I'm holding on for another month.

Oldest to youngest: Me, Brittany, Natalie, Courtney, Brenna, Kristen, Mallory, Kinsey

Silly pic...

We heart Art! (and Mommy friends!!!)

2009-05-11T14:11:00.001-07:00

On Friday, about 20 moms and 20 toddlers met together at Kids ‘N’ Art for a super-sized play date with an art project! Let me just say that Kids N Art did a FABULOUS job of keeping 20 toddlers (plus a few infants!) entertained! First, the kids were able to play in a room with toys, musical instruments, etc. and then they moved into another room where they did their art project. I was surprised, but Reid was way into his art! He sat there and painted, glued, and loved doing his handprint. The art project was the perfect amount of time because right when Reid announced that he was “all done” it was time to go back in to the other room so the kids could play some more. Reid’s art project now hangs on our refrigerator and he is so proud of it!!!

I am so thankful to have so many Mommy friends in the area! Who knew that when Matt and I moved so far “north” (as we felt like we were doing) that it would be the absolute best move because I have made so many lifelong friends. I love how we can organize a playgroup and have so many people there! We’ve also started a Mom’s Night Out twice a month where we all get to actually have a full conversation! If any of you “Houston people” ever get the inkling, I know the perfect place for you to move and call home! ;)

New Posts!

2009-05-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

I think I'm all caught up!!! Click on the links or scroll down!

Art in the Square

Easter lunch at Chuy's

Menu for this week

Art in the Square

2009-05-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

I headed out to Southlake one Saturday and my parents, Reid, me, Annie and Sutton headed over to town square for their Art in the Square. We spent the morning at the kids' fun area - they had bouncy houses and a mini bungee jumping thing. Reid was intrigued by the bungee activity and kept wanting to do it even though I just knew he would freak out because they would have to strap him in, etc. BUT, he could not get his mind off of it, so we thought we'd let him try. Surprisingly, he was calm and ok when they were strapping him in the harness, but as soon as it was time for him to jump he wanted out! My dad even got in to see if he held Reid if it would be ok - nope! Wouldn't you know that as soon as we got him out of the harness and a few feet away from the bungee, he threw a fit because he wanted to do it again?!?! What is up with toddler minds?? We distracted him by taking him to the bouncy houses and he and Sutton had fun jumping together. After the jumping, we went to lunch and then had some ice cream. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday!!!

Reid and Pop Pop practicing for the bungee jumping...

Getting prepared for bungee jumping...

Not even Pop Pop can help now! He's just upset!

All better now that he can jump in the bounce house with Sutton!

Enjoying an "ice-ceem cone" with Mimi and Pop Pop

I love this face! Sutton's doing "sweet face" - an expression taught by his aunts!

Sitting in the kid golf cart that Park Place was advertising - I think Reid and Sutton want one of their own!

Annie, Sutton, Reid, Me

Easter lunch at Chuy's

2009-05-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt, Take 1: Lucy planned a super fun Easter egg hunt for all the tots the Saturday before Easter, but most of the kids and some parents got sick so it was cancelled.

Easter Egg Hunt, Take 2: She postponed it to the Saturday after Easter and wouldn't you know it, it was raining and wet! So, we improvised and instead had an Easter lunch at Chuy's Mexican restaurant. Even though there was no hunt involved, it was a fun lunch and all the kids and parents still had fun! They were all dressed in their Easter clothes and Lucy even had some cute treat bags for the kids!

The group at the table - Lucy even had festive balloons for each child!

Summer brought some leftover party activities from Blake's birthday - a cool sticker fun baseball sheet!

The Easter bags - aren't they cute?? Did I mention how impressed I am with Lucy's party planning skills??

Reid and Mommy - recognize our outfits?? ;)

Waiting on the bench

Sutton and Reid

Is it too early to work on posture?? :)

All the kiddos!

Baby Sutton, Blake, Hudson, Eleanor, Madeline, Wyatt, Big Sutton, Reid

Eleanor, Madeline, Wyatt, Sutton, Reid

I'm back with my Menu!!!

2009-05-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Our Menu for the week:

Sunday: Matt is grilling hamburgers and I'm making sweet potato fries
**I have the hardest time making sweet potato fries - I try something different everytime to make them crisp and not soggy. I have found that use just a little olive oil, bake at 425, cook for about 30-35 minutes, flip after 15 minutes, and then flip back again when there's just about 5 minutes left. Normally what happens is Matt and I throw out the complete burnt ones and fight over the good ones! Ha! If anybody has any good tips to making sweet potato fries, please pass along!!**

Monday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Tuesday: Bubble Pizza

Wednesday: Cream Cheese Crock Pot Chicken (I've revised this on my blog, slightly) I'll serve with noodles since we are having rice on Tuesday night. (I've also revised the Ritz Cracker Chicken recipe)

Thursday: Mom's Night Out!!!! Can't wait!!!!

Friday/Saturday - Not sure, but if I actually cook, I'll post the recipes and let you know!

Name Update

2009-04-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

**Before going on to names, I just have to say Thank You for the sweet comments about me and the yellow shirt!!! Um, be prepared to see me in pretty much the same clothes for awhile - especially that yellow shirt since y'all gave me a boost of confidence with your comments!!**

Well, I was totally thinking that the name poll would change Matt's mind about the name that I wanted for our next baby boy - Ryder has been my #1 pick and I just had a feeling that it would come in first on the poll, which it did! No such luck, Matt is still not a fan. Matt's favorite name is Nicholas and I do not want that. We are each adamently opposed to the other's name picks, so we've had to start from scratch! SOOOOO, a little background on the name that is the forerunner now - Reid was either going to be 'Reid' or 'Luke' and we went with Reid (obviously) and I said, "ok, our next one will be named Luke." BUT when we got pregnant Matt decided that he was off of Luke. However, we have come back to it because that is the only name that we can both agree on! I'm so excited because I really love this name! As of now, our next baby will be:

Luke Ryan Northcutt

Family Brunch

2009-04-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my cousin's 18th birthday with a delicious brunch at Brio and she played photographer and got some excellent family pictures!

My new favorite picture for a couple reasons - 1. He's smiling!!! Rarely do we get a picture of Reid smiling! 2. I love where his hands are - around both of us - priceless (although it is doing something funky to my hair...)!

I love my little man!

The group

The cousins - take note - Clay is one of the 2 boy cousins that are in the family. On both sides there are 15 girls and 2 boys. (Also, this is my 22 week belly)

Aunt Bibby and Aunt Coco with Reid - and his usual photo expression. I promise he's not a "glum" kid! :)

ALSO - if you know any single guys between the ages of 25 and 32 I know 2 lovely ladies who are single! ;)

Reid having fun at the restaurant - luckily we were in our own room!

Always loves playing outside! Here he is enjoying the fun game of run around the tree.

Running with Aunt Coco

Hair-cut and New Favorite Thing

2009-04-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

After growing Reid's hair out for the last few months, Matt and I have come to the conclusion that our little guy was just not cut out for the wild, long, unruly hair look. While I love his hair because it has a lot of texture to it and is thick, it would be so fun if it would just lay straight and flat so he could wear it long! Oh well. But, I do think his clean-cut look suits him!

Now that the weather has been pretty nice, we go on long short walks. Anybody with a toddler knows what I'm talking about when I say that!!! The distance can't be more than 1/4 - 1/2 a mile roundtrip, but the time it takes us, I could walk 3 miles on the treadmill or more in that time span! We walk through the little neighborhood trail and thanks to the teaching from my dad, Reid LOVES to stop and throw everything possible - sticks, leaves, rocks - into any little pool of water, preferably more than a puddle!

I took some pictures with my iPhone today while out on our long short walk! Note: Reid is NOT a fan of getting his hair-cut, so to keep him happy, he gets to have a sucker and today he had a blue one, which is why he has a blue mouth!

The best shot I could get of him while semi-looking at me!

New favorite activity:

Easter '09

2009-04-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

Our Easter weekend activities began on Saturday evening when I had the highest expectations that Reid would do absolutely fabulous at a photo shoot with a photographer in Frisco who was taking pictures of kids with baby chicks and a bunny. I just knew that Reid would love it and it would produce wonderful pictures!!!! Um, haven't I learned anything about high expectations with a two year old?!?! He was so excited on the way over there and couldn't wait to see the baby chicks, and once we got there, he wanted to hold them. I think we freaked him out a bit because he almost squeezed the baby chick to death and so we were all trying to pry his fingers off the chick! After that, he really didn't want to hold them, and pretty much didn't want to do anything we asked him to. I told the sweet girl that if only 1 picture came out I'd be happy and if none came out, I would completely understand. Oh well...maybe next year.

We went to church Sunday morning and then went over to my parents' house after Reid's nap where my mom prepared a huge, yummy dinner. The Mimi Easter bunny also visited and we ALL got baskets! We're never too old for Easter baskets! Then we headed outside for an egg hunt which Reid has just grown to LOVE - ever since the egg hunt at Cara's house where he realized that treats come in the eggs! (Although, now when he sees an Easter egg, he shakes it to see if there's anything in it...)

I can't believe how much Reid grows and changes each year, so I'm looking forward to next year really talking about and him beginning to understand the whole reason for Easter. Anybody have any recommendations for a good children's book that is a perfect illustration of this?

Reid's first Easter - '07, about 5 weeks old (not the greatest picture of him...oh well)

Easter '08, about 13 months old

Easter '09 - 2 yrs.

Playing in the sandbox...I just love his Easter outfit this year! Although, I must say that Matt is not fond of the sweater vest, so I'm not sure how much longer I can pull this off on Reid

Reid LOVES playing in the backyard at Mimi and Pop Pop's house!

Opening a gift from Nana and Papa (my grandparents) - a Berenstein Bear's Book! Those used to be my favorite!

Let the egg hunt begin...

Stopping to enjoy a treat before moving on

What is this?? You mean there are toys to be found on an Easter Egg Hunt??!!

Filling up his basket! Luckily he's the only one competing in this hunt - just think when he has cousins!!!

Aunt Bibby helping Reid

Enjoying some of his egg hunt treasures!

Too busy to even look up for a picture with Aunt Coco!

Reid's bounty! (I love his little face peeking over the table)

Also, I love his Easter basket! My mom found it at the cutest little toy shop in Southlake, The Owl's Nest

My Easter basket - my mom is the best at picking out clothes, accessories, shoes, etc. for us! She could seriously be my personal shopper. She bought me these fun maternity tops and cute Reef flip flops!

About to head home, although Reid is just wishing he could go back outside

Bailey, one of my parents' dogs, loves to jump on the chair and try to scavenger for food on the table - she's in heaven on holidays!

In Just 4 Short Months...

2009-04-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

We'll be a family of 4!!!! We received the paperwork in the mail the other day that we're set up for a C-section on Monday, August the 10th! How fun to know my next one's birthday! He and Reid will be 2 years, 5 months apart. I still feel like there's so much to get done before then! Here's what we're each doing to prepare for Baby - who is still nameless!!!!!!

MOMMY: Making lists about what needs to be done - anything accomplished? NOPE!!!

DADDY : Also talking about what needs to be done - mainly hiring a handy-man to come touch-up/fix-up a few things around the house. My response? We basically need to hire a husband for the day.

REID: Testing out the baby stuff to make sure that it's ready for Baby Brother.

PS.........There's a new post below about my new layout that I did either last night or this morning (is it awful that I just can't remember????) so make sure to check that out!!!!

Spring Blog Lift!

2009-04-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you SOOOOO MUCH, Tiffany, for my fabulous blog lift!!!!! I'm so glad I have creative, computer-savvy friends!!!! I really appreciate the time you took to give me a fun new look!

Happy Easter everyone!

Also, Tiffany added a "Follower" button on my sidebar so I'd love it if you would join us and "follow my blog!!!" Thanks!

Reid and his ABCs

2009-04-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

First off, Reid is NOT a singer, much to my dismay!! While he LOVES songs - his CDs, anybody singing, radio, etc., he does not like to participate. So, this is why I love this video because I actually captured him participating with me and semi-singing his ABCs!

Reid's Toy Recommendation

2009-04-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Aunt CoCo for finding this fun new toy for Reid! He's enjoying it - and mommy likes that it's "educational!" :)

Oops - I hate when the camera focuses on something in the background without my intention!

Menu Slacking

2009-04-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

I've totally been slacking in the food/preparing a menu for the week department! Last week, I bought 2 meals to make and ended up having to make them this week because we didn't eat them last week! BUT, I put a new recipe on the food blog that I can't wait to try! It's from a friend and I think it might just please my picky-if I'm going to eat chicken it must be good- husband. Check it out here!

20 Weeks

2009-04-02T12:03:00.001-07:00

Wow! Halfway there - although, we're actually a little more than halfway there!!! Baby Northcutt #2 will make his debut on Monday, August 10 or Tuesday, August 11!!!! We will do a C-section one of those mornings...I'm hoping for the 10th because for some reason that seems like an easier birthday to remember, a nice even number. I had my 20 week appointment with the doctor and everything looks good - the baby is measuring in the 66th percentile so an average size baby.

And, for your viewing pleasure (ha!!!!), here are some self-taken 20 week belly shots. I took them this morning on my way out the door to the gym, so I definitely did not include my face!!! One of the pictures is taken without a flash and that's why it's a funny color. I still don't feel like I look obviously pregnant - even though it looks more like a bump in these pictures - I still feel like I'm in that awkward, "is she or isn't she?" phases!!! ARGH!!! So ready for people to just know I'm pregnant and not be wondering if it's just a weight gain!!!

OH, please excuse my messy room! The bed is not made and pillows are everywhere!

When a 2 Year Old Doesn't Get His Way...

2009-04-01T13:35:00.001-07:00

Please don't judge me for taking pictures of my child throwing a tantrum - really, I'm sympathetic to the fact that he's genuinely mad that I won't let him have a cracker even though he barely touched his dinner that HE had chosen....but I figure, you either get mad or it's funny and I always choose sense of humor! :)

There's No Better Day than a Day Spent with Friends!!

2009-03-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a kid's dream come true - we had 3 two year old birthday parties! Reid was in absolute heaven getting to play, eat cake and other birthday party food, and see his friends!! We started the day at sweet Blake's baseball themed party. Summer had it at their neighborhood clubhouse and it was perfect! It was all decorated in baseball theme: the tables' centerpiece was a glass bowl filled with peanuts and then balloons coming out (I wish I had taken a picture because it was so creative and looked great!), and the food was classic - hot dogs, chips and queso, and snacks. Can't get any more American than that! Sadly we had to leave before trying any cake, but it looked DELICIOUS!!!

The kids playing

The Sweet Spooner Fam - Happy Birthday Blake!!

The cake table

We left straight from there and went to cutie-pie Quinn's Alphabet themed party. Brittney had the party at their church's youth warehouse and it was decorated to the max - there were stations set up for different letters of the alphabet: T is for trains and there was train stuff for the kids to play with, M is for movie with a movie playing, B is for bounce house and there was a bounce house, you get the idea. We did eat cake here and it was yummy! Reid had a cupcake, or should I say the icing on the cupcake - yuck!!! I'm definitely a cake person and not an icing person - although I like a touch of icing, just not straight up! We left from there and went home so Reid could take a nap before our final party to go.

One of the stations

Cake table

Another station, playing the movie that Reid recognized because it's the Preschool Prep, Letters video that he loves!

Precious Porter playing with the bubbles!

Reid chowing down on the ICING! I could just cringe...

Reid and some of his buddies:

Not sure what he and Landon are up to, but their look to each other looks conspiratorial!

Throwing balls with the birthday boy. Happy Birthday, Quinn!

Playing with Tanner

I had to wake him a little over an hour after putting him down, and he was ok in the beginning, but then had a COMPLETE MELT DOWN - the whole nine yards when I tried to put a new diaper on!!! Matt and I could do nothing to console him, and we felt sorry for him because I know he was on sugar and fun overload and just didn't have enough sleep, but I knew once we were at the party, he would perk right up. After about 30 minutes of hysterics, we were able to get him dressed and head out. We were a little late to precious Wyatt's birthday party, but once Reid saw his friends and toys, he was fine! And, when he finally went outside, he saw the best part - a petting zoo with lots of cute baby animals! He LOVED it and wouldn't leave - there were baby rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, a duck, and a 2 week old pig (who had to go back in its crate because it was getting a little cold). We stayed there for awhile because all 3 of us were having fun talking to friends and hanging out.

Reid lovin' on some sweet animals

Wyatt's birthday cake - fits the theme!

Happy Birthday, Wyatt!

You would have thought after this incredibly busy and exhausting day Reid would have been completely wiped out, but when we got home that evening he was still wanting to play! I was the one who was completely wiped out! But, we had one of the most fun days ever and are so thankful that we've been able to see these boys grow from newborns to big two year olds!!! I just have this mental picture, 16 or so years from now, all of us dropping our boys off at Penland for their freshman year at Baylor!!!!

A Man's Throne...

2009-03-29T13:18:00.001-07:00

All he needs is a little reading material....

Boys and their Treats

2009-03-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Cara, who at 38 weeks pregnant, hosted a SUPER FUN Easter playgroup on Monday afternoon! We had to do a repeat of last year's Easter picture, and get the boys in just their jeans and this year, Brittney had the best idea of adding colorful lollipops! Thanks, Brittney! The pictures turned out better than I could have hoped! I'm just trying to decide which ones to frame and where I want to put it! Cara did an awesome job at editing!!! We really missed Amy and Porter and hope that he's feeling better. After our picture, Cara had a Easter Egg hunt planned outside! Reid was more into the small basketball goal, but once he realized there were such yummy treats as cheerios and fruit snacks in the eggs, he was a lot more into the hunt! Cara, I hope I'm getting as much done as you when I'm 9 months pregnant!!!! Thanks for a fun afternoon!!!

There seriously is nothing better than little boys, shirtless, in their jeans! Add the lollipops and you get classic! Also, just in case you're wondering how we get them to sit there, let me paint the scene from their eyes: lots of mommies singing Itsy Bitsy Spider (the song that we've found works) while doing the hand motions...works like a charm!

A "behind the scenes" shot :)

Off to hunt Easter Eggs!

Here's one!

And another...but, I must not let go of this ball!

Trying so hard to open the egg!

Success!

Taking an egg hunting break

I'm telling you, Reid loves to climb! He's got great balance and control of his body and so he's able to do it by himself...but, I'm always right there behind him just in case!!!

Is there a little baby in there too?? :)

As if Cara didn't do enough, she made these little Easter Eggs and had a little treat bag for the boys!!! Seriously, how does she do it???

Monday: Baked Chicken strips that I didn't make last week, with Kraft mac and cheese (yum!), and salad

Tuesday: Spaghetti with the hidden butternut squash - I made this veggie a couple months ago and froze sections and used the last part tonight! It has lasted 4-5 meals! I'm going to definitely do this everytime I cook spaghetti

Wednesday: Store-bought Rotisserie chicken, sweet potato fries, broccoli

Thursday: Not sure yet...maybe on our own

Friday: take out

Hudson's Donut Bash!

2009-03-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

On Monday morning Reid and I headed over to Hudson's house for his 2nd birthday donut party. This was one of the cutest birthday party ideas around! The kids all wore their pajamas and played in Hudson's playroom, ate donuts, drank juice and milk, and then we all headed outside for a group pic. Of course, once the group pictures come back, there will be one less kid in it- Reid wanted nothing to do with taking a picture and ran off to play elsewhere. Sigh. I also got to meet a blogger friend - Hollie and her 2 year old, Kylie! So sweet! I hope I get to hang out with them again!

Happy Birthday, Hudson! And, another spring baby had their 2nd birthday on Monday - Happy Birthday, Blake! We can't wait to celebrate yours this weekend!!! This is the month of birthdays for us!

The Birthday Boy

Reid L-O-V-E-S donuts! I didn't let him eat 2 like on his birthday, but he certainly could have! I tell you, this boy inherited the Baker sweet tooth! (Matt is NOT a fan of sweets - must be nice)

The "donut" birthday cake - isn't this so creative??!!!

Reid and Luke (Hudson's cousin) checking out the bugs

This was the invitation - is it not the CUTEST?!?!

front:

back:

Name Options - Please Vote!!!!

2009-03-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've added a poll to the side of the 4 baby names - 2 are my picks and 2 are Matt's picks. I want to see what the general consensus is, and I hope it swings my way!!! So, please please vote with what name you like the best! Also, I really want it to go well with "Reid" so think of that when you're deciding. Thanks for your help!!!!

Choices in no particular order:

Ryder Matthew Northcutt

Nicholas Ryan Northcutt

Carson Matthew Northcutt

Jax Ryan Northcutt

Our Big Sono Appt!!

2009-03-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

We had a sonogram today with the perinatologist and they went ahead and did the whole body scan, measurements, etc. What a relief, everything looks great! The baby is measuring right on schedule, all the organs, body parts, etc. are in place and everything looks normal! Oh, and it's definitely a BOY! So, now that I've got complete comfirmation Matt and I can work on names (we have none that we agree on - we each have some we like, but the other person doesn't!), get the nursery ready - we're moving Reid into the other room and we're keeping the nursery pretty much the same, and just start thinking "boy" again! I go again in 5 weeks for another sono. I'm loving getting to see the baby so much!!!

Flying HIGH!!

2009-03-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Today was the perfect day for our boys' playgroup to meet for a little outdoor fun. The perfect place? DFW airplane observation area and then lunch at the Rainforest Cafe! The boys LOVED being outside, seeing the big airplanes landing, being able to run up and down the grassy hills, and just plain enjoying the nice weather! Afterward, we loaded up and headed to Rainforest Cafe in Grapevine Mills mall. We got there at 11:00 hoping to beat the crowd and be in and out because we all know the length of a toddler's attention span. Well, there was definitely not a crowd, but our waiter TOOK FOREVER doing everything so we were still there for an hour and a half!! It seriously took all my energy to keep Reid from having an all out fit - although he did have to apologize a couple times to Dena who was sitting next to him for throwing his sippy cup and having it land on or around her! Even though I have really noticed a difference in behavior since Reid turned two, that still won't stop us from going out and having fun with our friends!!!

Ready for Spring!!!

2009-03-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

We are ready for spring!! When Matt gets home in the evening, Reid loves to go outside and "play balls" with Dada (after we eat dinner). He has a new favorite game that's a great work-out for Dada and Mama has an excuse as to why she can't participate! Matt throws Reid up in the air and he throws a ball at the same time - you'll see a picture to see what I mean. :) The only hard part about it staying light outside later is that Reid's bedtime is getting later!!! It's so hard to come inside when it feels just great outside!

I have a new post below this with details from Reid's 2 year visit, so make sure to scroll down for that!

Sunday: Matt's grilling steaks - yum!, baked potatoes, veggie salad - bagged lettuce with added veggies

Monday: Bible Study begins and we're going to eat dinner for our first one at either Brio or Cheesecake Factory - Double Yum!!!!

Tuesday: Lasagna Toss (I have never tried this recipe, so I don't want to vouch for it! I'll let you know what we think. It's from Kraft, and I usually like their recipes.

Wednesday: Baked Chicken strips, low fat creamy parmesan mashed potatoes (another new Kraft recipe), green beans

Thursday: Black Bean chicken, good rice, broccoli

Friday: BBQ

2 Year Check-up

2009-03-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Reid's 2 year check-up was Friday at 2:30....now, that time might mean nothing to you, but to us it was right smack dab in the middle of nap time. When I made the appointment, Matt wanted me to make it as late as was available and that was the latest. I thought to myself, this is a bad idea to have him miss his nap...but of course, kept the appointment. I learned something: never. schedule. an. appointment. during. nap.!!!!! He cried while we were trying to talk to the doctor and finally I remembered that they had suckers and so got him one and that helped tremendously and we were good to go! (He fell asleep on the way home so he got a little nap in...it was early bedtime that night!) Here are Reid's 2 year stats, and the questions I had for the doctor as well as answers (I know I always like to see what other people are asking and what their doctors say!):

Weight: 27 pounds (42%)
Height: 36" (85%)
Head: 19 1/8 (45%)

Questions I had:
1. Whole or 2% milk? Switch to 2%.

2. Paci - not really a question, just told the doctor that at some point between ages 2 and 3 we are planning on getting rid of "bobby" for good!

3. Switching to big boy bed - do we have a consequence if he gets out of the bed? (I've been meaning to update, but so far - knock on wood - climbing out of the crib has only been a one-time performance, so we've held off on switching him to a bed) The doctor said they did, but here's what I'm thinking we will do...I really don't care if he ends up sleeping on the floor, so we'll make it to where he can't get out of his room, but after that, we won't discipline if he gets out of bed. We'll also make sure that there's nothing in his room that he can pull down, etc.

4. Dinner - Reid is a picky eater and we finally have breakfast and lunch down, but he still only eats the Lil' Entrees that Gerber makes for dinner and I want him to eat what I make. So, I asked the doctor when I can enforce this and he said that they did around 30 months. Reid has about 6 months until the Crackdown begins! At that point, I haven't decided if I'm going to make him eat what we eat, no question, or do the 3 bite rule and if he doesn't like it he can have something else. Thoughts on this??

5. Now the big question: POTTY TRAINING!!! For the last few weeks Reid has become increasingly more interested in going pee pee in the potty. He's been going pee pee in the big potty, and then getting 2 M&Ms when he does go, so yesterday at Target I decided it was time to buy his own potty and get some big boy underwear. Since doing that, he's wanted to go pee pee a lot! Today he was trying so hard to go, because he knows he doesn't get M&Ms unless he does something, and then said, "poo poo" and out came the teensiest, tiniest bit of poo! Well, we still made a big deal about it. So, my question is to all you seasoned potty trainers - what did you do at this point? Did you start the full fledged potty training?

Who??? ME?!?!?!

2009-03-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! I've never won a blogging award - are you sure you got the right person?? Thanks Cara!! :)

The Rules: List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 people.

7 things that I love...

1. My 2 boys, of course!

2. Family!

3. Playgroups, friends, and meeting new friends!!!

4. Chocolate, specifically, brownies and the kind of cake where the center oozes out....YUM!!!

5. Girls' Nights

6. Sun/warm weather/beach - all three!!!

7. Reading

Without further ado, I present the Kreativ Blogger award to.....(also, I did not do any private blogs because that would take the fun out of people checking theirs out, although there are lots of private blogs that I love to read! I also left off blogs who I think have won some kind of creative blog award before too, because I'm sure they don't want to keep passing awards along!)

My sweet friend Kara because her personality really comes out of her blog when you read it, and that's somebody who is so genuine, always happy, and a great friend! (and maybe she'll do a new post soon!!!!)

Leslie, a girl who can do it all! We miss this fun family since they've moved away from Dallas(and, Leslie, forgive me, but I'm not sure if your blog is private because it never requires me to sign in...) You'll love reading stories about her 3 boys!!!

Amy, my good friend who lives down the street. She's always coming up with fun activities for the boys, her pictures are fantastic, and I love just talking with her!

Dena whose genuine personality also shines through her blog! She shares some funny Hudson stories!

Alli, who is one of the sweetest people I've ever met, and her son, Chapman is just as sweet!! Not only is it interesting to read "Chapman stories" but the "Alli and David" stories are also fun!

Mandy, another good friend! She is a down to earth and laid back mama and has some cute stories about her sweet little Abby!

Ashley, another good friend who moved away and so I love getting to stay updated on her precious girls (and the family!) through her blog!

Reid's Two Year Old Weekend Extravaganza!

2009-03-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

Warning: LONG post ahead with lots of pictures!

Update: I took the video out because it was really slowing the scrolling down on the blog for me!

Reid was greeted on his birthday morning by Matt and I walking into his room holding a butterfly balloon. Matt had gone the night before to the store to find this because I told him how whenever Reid saw these big butterfly balloons in the grocery stores he wanted them so badly! Of course, the only color Matt could find was pink, so you can imagine how thrilled he was to buy that for his little boy! However, I told Matt to be comforted by the fact that when Reid played with the balloon, it was all boy. No cuddling, simply knocking the balloon down. :) Here's a video of us greeting him...there's an awkward moment on the video when I say, "Reid", huge pause because I was about to say, want to go get some donuts? but then thought twice because once he heard that he would be ready to go then and we still had to go get ready so I improvised by saying, "happy birthday!"

After we all 3 were ready, Matt and I took Reid to eat probably one of his most favorite foods at the moment: donuts! Personally, I like the donuts at this little place in Allen called Max's Donuts, but we thought Reid would like the Krispy Kreme atmosphere. He LOVED it! He ate 2 whole donuts - the sugar effect lasted the whole day, he was wound up!!

After our yummy, sugar-filled breakfast, Matt went to work and Reid and I met Amy and Porter at the park by our houses. Amy and Porter gave Reid a special cookie for a birthday treat! (But, I was a mean Momma and only let him have a few bites because of his sugar intake already for the day!)

Reid loves climbing up this ladder!

Reid and Porter saying good-bye by giving high-fives

Having an important "man to man" conversation...

Both showing me some dirt treasures

That evening Matt went out with some college friends and not wanting to be alone on a Friday night, I met up with Cara and Landon, Annie and Sutton, and Katie and Cole for some Willow Bend fun. We met at the play area and normally this is the perfect time for me to sit and talk with my friends! However, wouldn't you know it, today was the day Reid discovered the little electronic cars just outside of the play area so my time was spent supervising him! Luckily he was perfectly happy playing in the car without me having to actually put coins in the slot and turn it on. After playing we all headed over to a nice, relaxing dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, or so we hoped it would be!!! Our little munchkins decided to put on a little performance and provide some natural birth control for the other patrons! I think my blood pressure shot up because of the stressful situation. I do have to say though, Sutton was the perfect little angel, just sitting in his high chair and enjoying his meal....oh I wish Reid had emulated his behavior! Oh well, that's what being a mommy is about, right? Those moments that are "growth experiences..."

Landon and Reid

Reid's birthday party was the following day at Little Gym in McKinney, and I would totally recommend this place!!!! They did such a great job with the little ones and did everything - set up, served the pizza and cake, and cleaned up. We loved getting to celebrate Reid's birthday with our friends and missed our friends who either live out of town (Lohrdings), or couldn't be there for some reason! I think all the kids had a great time and it was perfect because they were all around the same age so nobody got hurt and the activities were geared towards a younger age.

Some of the structured play times

Loved the parachute!

Luckily Sutton was there to make sure the equipment wasn't faulty! The knobs are working fine!

Sweet Chapman, love that hair!

The basketball goal is always a hit!

A new way to cross beams?

Jumping with his buddy, Quinn

Daddy providing a "spot"

I love this picture because check out Miss Madeline's expression - it's like, "nice try boys, but I'm not impressed"

Reid just was going the whole time!

Sutton and Madeline

I think this bounce thing was the hit of the evening! The kids loved it! Then, they added bubbles and the kids were just going crazy!!!

Precious Landon loved the bubbles!

Reid and Wyatt checking out something

Maggie, Porter, and Madeline stayed on as long as they could! They're deflating the bounce thing and these three just sat so still and patiently! Maybe they were secretly hoping they could bounce some more. :)

Thirsty boy after all that playing!

The Thomas the Train birthday cake

The kiddie tables - I absolutely love seeing little ones sitting like big kids!

Yum! Enjoying some Capri Sun and pizza!

I had to hold Reid back when the cake was brought out because he was trying to bite into the whole cake! I was surprised because it was so un-Reid!

This is what he was trying to do, so I let him do it with his slice. :)

After the party, the family came back to our house and Reid opened his gifts. He got some really fun things and he's been enjoying playing with some new toys! Thanks everyone for making this a super special birthday for Reid and us!!

Crazy, Beautiful Life

Decorating on a Budget for a Lifetime

Mischief Maker

How to Survive Multiple Snowdays

Goal and Random Thoughts

Little Toot and his big brother

Déjà Vu

Just.So.Close.

2 more videos for the family :)

A Few of my Favorite Things

A little update

Reid sings and Jace jumps

NYE the Toddler Way

Christmas Day

December Recap in Pictures, Part 1

November Recap in Pictures

October Picture Recap

Proud Daddy – Warning: potty humor

4 months, Seeing Santa, and oh, what? Haven't blogged in a month?!?!

Talented Friends

Go Check it Out!!

Lots of Reid and Jace Updates!

Introducing Our Newest Blessing...

Just Another Day at the Office

Just some pictures

Howdy, Y’all!

Smiley Jace

The Best $40 Ever Spent!

Where do I start?!?!

Potty Trained

Making our way out of the House

Two Weeks and Lots More Updates

Trying to Adjust

Hospital Week

Last Northcutt Family of 3 Event

Last Week...Last Appointment!

Reid goes on his First Date

People, we have a NAME!!!!

Suggestions? Recommendations??

Clean Teeth

34 Weeks...Countdown on!

Maybe Next Year?!?!

July Flashback

CU-RAZY Month of June!

Whirlwind Weekend Getaway

Multi-tasking

New Food Recipes!!

Swistle It Up!

Memorial Day Fun in the Sun

Sunshine and Summertime

Lots of posts to do...

Belly (er, sorry Summer!)** Pics

Baker Girls Pic

We *heart* Art! (and Mommy friends!!!)

New Posts!

Art in the Square

Easter lunch at Chuy's

I'm back with my Menu!!!

Name Update

Family Brunch

Hair-cut and New Favorite Thing

Easter '09

In Just 4 Short Months...

Spring Blog Lift!

Reid and his ABCs

Reid's Toy Recommendation

Menu Slacking

20 Weeks

When a 2 Year Old Doesn't Get His Way...

There's No Better Day than a Day Spent with Friends!!

A Man's Throne...

Boys and their Treats

Menu

Hudson's Donut Bash!

Name Options - Please Vote!!!!

Our Big Sono Appt!!

Flying HIGH!!

Ready for Spring!!!

Menu

2 Year Check-up

We heart Art! (and Mommy friends!!!)