Technical Difficulties and Vacation Pics

Well due to some extenuating circumstances, my "blog vacation" went a little longer than expected. We returned from Florida late Thursday night, but I wasn't able to get my computer back until Saturday. It was once again getting fixed because a small child (this time my own) had once again removed the majority of the keys.

SO I finally got my computer back and Sunday sat down to blog and catch up on every Internet thing I had missed during the last week. Before getting started, I left the computer unattended for two minutes to make a phone call, and when I returned...
&%$#!#$%%^^&^%$#$%%%^$$%$%$##@#@#$%%^

Disaster (small child) had struck AGAIN.

What followed was a total nervous breakdown by me and genuinely terrified cries by the small child who saw FIRE in her mama's eyes.

However, I am happy to now report that I am typing on my BRAND NEW DESKTOP COMPUTER, purchased yesterday. It has much more durable keys that.....(drum roll please).... easily SNAP back into place! Hopefully my blogging can continue now without interruption.

ANYWAY, yall want to see pictures from the beach right? Here they are. We went with my mom, dad and sister. Except for my poor sis being sick the whole time, we all had a great time. The weather was perfect. I highly recommend going in May!

Eden had a great time. She was a little scared of the ocean water, but she had fun playing in the sand, and she LOVED the pool.

She took a good long nap on the beach every day. I think she thought the waves were relaxing!

We also had such a nice place to stay. The view from our 14th floor condo was amazing!

We definitely made some lasting memories. There's nothing like your child's first trip to the beach. Can't wait to do it again with the next one!

VACAY

Just wanted to let you all know that we're leaving for Florida tomorrow so the blog will be post-less for the next week! I fully intend to vacation from the Internet, along with everything else. A full post with all the beachy details and adorable pics of the cutest baby out there will follow.

Don't be too jealous.

credit: FloridaFlorida.org

Adios!

Change Is A Comin'

Today, I had my first doctor's visit, and they confirmed that I am PREGNANT. (I tend to have doubts until a doc tells me for sure.) I am approximately 7 weeks and due Jan. 4.

We are so excited. I really think Eden is going to love being a big sister and having a little baby to love on. And I am truly excited about touching, cuddling and smelling another sweet newborn.

But at the same time, it's a little overwhelming to think of all that needs to be done before he/she arrives. (More on that later. There's big, gigantic things to be done.)

But the biggest, (duh), is COMING UP WITH A NEW BLOG NAME!

The comment section is now officially open to suggestions. Let me have 'em!

Eden Knows the Alphabet

I can't help it. I have to show off another of my daughter's new skills because it amazes me and should you too. At 18 1/2 months old, Eden already knew all her letters except three! She usually mistakes F for P, J for Q and X for K. But that's understandable, right? Anyway, this video does NOT do her skills justice, but it's the best I've gotten captured. Repeat Disclaimer: this is probably one of her worst performances (but of course the only time I had the camera). But it's still pretty darn good!

GAME CHANGER

Well, I have big, exciting, life-changing news to share with you all today! ............................................................................................................................................
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........ I'm PREGNANT!!...................................................................
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........................................................................And it's TWINS!!!!!
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Ok, that last part is TOTALLY a joke!! At least I hope so, anyway.

But the first part is TRUE!!!!

Eden is going to be a big sister!

We're pretty pumped around here.

Oh, and can I just say that this comment on my last post just made me laugh?

Savannah, you must be prophetic!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Discipline is a Doozie

Before I became a mom, I watched little kids scream and cry and make a scene in Wal-Mart because they didn't get the water gun they wanted... and I swore my kids would never be like that.

I, of course, would be a much more stern, in-control mother, whose kids were well behaved in public because they knew if they weren't.... they would deal with The Almighty Spanking. (Just spank that kid, woman!)

But then... I became a mom.

And that sweet, innocent newborn became an independent, personality-filled toddler.

One who, let me tell you, LAUGHS at spankings.

Lately, I have really been struggling with how to discipline Eden. She is 19 months old, and most of the time, she is a sweetheart. But, oh, there is that blessed rebellious streak in her (and most toddlers, probably) that just wants to see how much she can get away with.

One of her favorite "No No's" is climbing on top of the coffee table. She knows it's wrong, but she still does it CONSTANTLY. The other day, after I had gotten her down and told her "No!" about three times... she did it again. I knelt down to her level, looked her in the eye (I watch "Supernanny" sometimes), sternly said "No Eden!," and swatted her little leg! (Sorry, Supernanny)

Do you want to know what Eden did? ...Cry? Bawl? Melt down?

Um, no.

She said, "Hi Mama!" then smiled and gave me a big hug.

Excuse me?

I'm at a loss with this discipline thing.

Another thing Eden is always getting in trouble for is throwing her food on the floor during mealtime. I know this is a common behavior among toddlers, but I still haven't figured out how to deal with it.

She thinks it is just sooo funny to throw her food and waste it or, usually, to throw it to Barnaby (the dog).

But the best worst part? While she's doing this unapproved behavior, she yells, "NOOO!!!!" because she knows it is wrong.

Actual photo of the word "NO" coming out of her mouth.

Ugh.

I try everything I can think of. I swat her hands and her legs, and she quite literally laughs. I have even left red marks on her (which made me feel like the worst. mom. ever.), and she still thought it was funny.

We've even tried "time-out." There is no way Eden would stay put in any chair or corner, so a couple of times my husband has put Eden in her crib and told her she was in "time-out." ...Her response?

Playing and laughter.

We fail.

(It's obviously just a matter of time til she throws that fit for a water gun in Wal-Mart.)

What I'm Loving Wednesday (and an announcement)

Happy Wednesday to ya!

First of all, I'm Loving that I got to spend the entire day on Saturday out on the town with my little girl.

We went to the March of Dimes' March for Babies in the morning...

And after a lunch at Chick-Fil-A, we went to "help" out at Arkansas YES! (an event that the company I work for was putting on) (except we didn't do much in the way of volunteering, cause I was, ya know, chasing a toddler to and fro)

She really did have fun running around all over War Memorial Stadium, but as you can see, she did NOT have fun when I made her stand still (or when I put the leash on her, but that's another whole story I'll share with you later).

Moving on! I'm Loving these Barbecue Chicken Legs that I made yesterday because I am still (and will probably forever be) on a Pioneer Woman Cooking Kick. Yummmm. (oh, and the lonesome one without sauce was Eden's...)

And I'm Loving this video of Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art." Isn't it awesome to know that no matter what comes our way (tornadoes, floods, family problems), God is great. He is in control. And we have the hope of one day going home to be with Him! This video almost brought me to tears.

And now, I have a rather sad announcement to make...

Today will be my last What I'm Loving Wednesday. But don't worry, I have other, more exciting things in store. If you're visiting from the WILW link-up, please become a follower and come back! Like I said... there are even more exciting things to come. So stay tuned!

And Happy Wednesday! :-)