christmas eve

here is presley on her second christmas eve. she got some dinosaur books from her cousin and she absolutely loves them!! she is wearing her dress that mimi got for her (after christmas last year- along with 8 others).this is my cousin lisa with davis. she is one of the few people that he lets hold him and not cry. if she would move to florida and live near me life would be so much better. for now i will just have to hear stories of snow and cold up in cincinnati while i tell her about sunshine and the warm days in florida:)
here is aunt rebekah with presley reading her a dinosaur that she got for christmas. i don't know what or how she became so infatuated with dinosaurs but she absolutely loves them. her grandma's sister got her a dinosaur apron with her name on it that i have to pry off her every time she goes to bed. 

busy season:)

so, i know i haven't posted in a while but needless to say i have been a bit overwhelmed with the whole two kid thing. as much as i am loving having a little boy, having very sleep is starting to take its toll. we are in memphis now and i am getting help with the monsters, yea!

yea except for the fact that no one really wants anything to do with davis since he has been either sick from the plane ride up here (ears) or sick from his stomach (i ate something he didn't agree with~ damn breast feeding). although we made it to auburn to see the graduation we missed the fancy dinner that night. at least i can relive the graduation on you tube (thanks mimi). 

davis is officially a fussy baby. not sure exactly how that got started but i didn't think he was before we got here. maybe he doesn't like the cold but if that's the case then i can't wait to get back to florida. presley is doing great. everyone loves her. rebekah is happy she talks now and pop and mimi are having a great time showing her new things.

tomorrow night is christmas eve and we will be spending it with family. i feel so blessed to have so many good friends that want to spend time with us while we are here. i hope i am able to make time for everyone.  well, off to feed the boy again. hope everyone is having a merry christmas!!

darn these cute kids

i have to say i thought this was going to be a lot harder than it has turned out so far. i know he is only 3 weeks old but i love being at home with both of my kids. they are so sweet and aside from the few "incidents" (presley trying to kick him in the head, choke him and yelling "be quiet" when he cries) everything is going swimmingly. here are my latest pics of the cutest kids ever:)

a look back

i was going through some old photo's and came upon these two of presley at the busch gardens doo wop show. it's amazing how much change she has gone through in less than a year. the one at the bottom is of presley at 7 months and the top one is of her at 15 months. 

the guys are different but the girl is the same. presley loves when they sing and dance and we always try to stop by and see them when we go there. can you tell which time brian got to dress her and which one i did? lol. 

i hope the same girl will be there this weekend when we take her again. my little chunky monkey is getting sooo big. i can't believe she has grown so much so fast. if the same girl is there this weekend we will try to get another pic and put it up too. i can't wait!!!

thanksgiving moments to share

brian and presley taking a bike ride on thanksgiving day. 

not too many people out but pres saw our neighbor on her bike and had to go for a ride on hers. as soon as davis is old enough to sit up he will get to ride up front and i guess she will get a seat on the back? not exactly sure how this two kids on the bike thing works just quite yet. 

cutest freakin smile ever!!!

here i am with davis. i know he is a little jaundice but am i really that pale? it's nice to be home with the baby and not be so full of fluid that i can barely open my eyes. here we are hanging out while brian took presley to the wiggles show. 

of course i had to get a picture of brother and sisterly love. well, baby crying and presley giving kisses and telling him it's ok. i can't wait til they're older and they see these pictures of themselves loving on each other. 

davis is chillin' on the couch~ he is such a cutie! i vaguely remember presley being this small and capturing these adorable moments. everyone always says time flies and to enjoy it now before they get too big. i have definitely tried to enjoy my time. it does go by some what fast. i think i am ready for the sleepless nights to go by a little faster though.

can you say "brian as a baby"

not a drop of nicole in any of this baby.  it's amazing how one kid can look totally like one parent and the other like the other parent. what the heck?

more pics to follow later of the new family. having a 2nd is definitely slowing me down a little bit.

not the eyes, nose or even lips. everything is brian even down to his dimple chin. dang. what about carrying him for the past 10 months? don't i get a nose or something? oh well, at least his daddy is a handsome man. so if he turns out anything like him he should only be so lucky.
big sis is doing well with him. she doesn't really care too much about what he is doing. she would rather watch the wonder pets or read a book. last night he slept for 6 hours and i am praying that that happens again tonight. i know i am foolish but can't a girl have her dreams?

introducing davis lee covey

DAVIS LEE COVEY

9 LBS 9 OZ

21 1/2 INCHES 

4:11 P.M.

i have to say that although he was is a big baby it was the easiest delivery ever! i only pushed for 20- 25 minutes (if that long) and before i knew it he was out. i don't know if i was in denial the whole time about it happening or what but i definitely didn't spend too much time being able to worry about it all like i did with presley. the pregnancy and so far the recovery have been much worse to deal with than the delivery which is so funny b/c that's what i always worried about. the delivery. the delivery is suppose to be so hard and hurt so much. forget it. piece of cake. the pregnancy with the weight gain, indigestion, sore back and nausea is way worse. unfortunately, for women who have not given birth, going through it is the only way to realize that. 
here is little brian as i like to call him b/c he looks just like his daddy's baby pictures. he has his dimple chin and so far sleeps as much as brian would like to:) he is already so different from his sister and i can't wait for them to meet each other tonight. pics of that may be up tomorrow?
here i am the morning of induction. i think i may have loaded these pictures on here backwards but oh well. i know it looks like  i am mostly belly but trust me there is a lot under there and around that you just don't see and that is ok. well, off to tend to my new son!! i just love saying that. thank you so much to everyone who has called and prayed for us for so long. it means the world to us to have such great friends and family.

my birthday flowers.

although i was in the hospital for my birthday and extremely ill my awesome hubby sent me the most beautiful flowers for the event~ ta da:

my bday flowers smelled up my whole kitchen with the most wonderful flower smell. i love getting flowers! i know i should be one of those people who think they are a big waste and think getting a gift lasts much longer than flowers but i still love them! they are so thoughtful and look so pretty in my house. plus, who is going to keep the florists in business if i quit buying them or having reasons for brian to buy them for me? isn't the economy bad enough? i'm just trying to do my part.

the furry babies

here are the best pets (for the most part) ever! you can see all of my furry babies loving on each other and being so cuddly. allie is the one in the back, riley has the white face and jackson is the big guy getting all the love. 

two minutes after this picture was taken presley ran and jumped in the middle of them and ruined their sweet slumber. i haven't had the heart to tell them that a little brother is coming next week and will probably be much worse. i still can't believe we have 3 of these guys~ they are so good with presley and i don't think i could ever have another dog besides a boxer. i still have jackson' s dog woods 1st place trophy (which is pretty much worthless since i never kept up the training) but i am still so proud of what i know he can do. 

i think my favorite dog memory now is of them sleeping on the floor and pres will sit on their backs and call them horses. if you tell her they are dogs she just continues to sit on them and say neigh. it's so damn funny. well, we will see very soon how well they do with the new addition. i hope they take to him as well as they have taken to her. i love my furry kids.

so close

last night i so thought i was going into labor!!!

i was having "contractions" ( i put in parenthesis b/c they were mostly braxton hicks and not real ones) for 3 hours. my lower back started hurting just like it did when i was going into labor "for real" with presley and i decided if i still felt like that in a hour i would wake up brian and go to the hospital.

unfortunately, it stopped and i just layed there thinking: dang- so close! now, i am back to just being fat and chasing around presley all day and having brian help me up off the floor after playtime and reading books. 

this time next week our son will be here. ahhhh. 

did i mention i cleaned out the refrigerator and wiped all my cabinets down tonight too. nesting is a good sign of the end being near. tomorrow is the freezer, laundry and dusting all the picture frames. woo hoo!

Last week!!!

This is the beginning of the last week of being pregnant. dare i say maybe forever? that makes me sad just to think about but i know it could be a very real possibility. Over 3 years ago we started trying to have our daughter and it was exhausting. Too many fertility drugs, tests and unfortunately a miscarriage made it seem like we would never conceive. Now, not only do we have the smartest  and coolest daughter ever, we are being blessed with a son. Before having Presley i always said we would have as many  kids as we would be able to. (thanks fertility drugs for giving me those crazy thoughts) Now it feels like we have a perfect little family and one kid per each parent. Not to mention how hard it is to raise a family without your family around. Living out of state is really about to take it's toll. 

I am taking in each day and thinking about what it was like when i couldn't get pregnant and i thought i never would. I feel so blessed now and realize there was a much bigger plan for me that i didn't see. Only 8 more days and no more maternity pants, tums or pepcid. Only 8 more days of restful nights, eating ice cream every evening and only having 1 kid to chase after. 8 more days. 8 more days. 8 more days. i am soo excited to see presley meet her little brother and see how she does with him. we have so many toys for her from her baby brother so she will think of him kindly. 8 more days until she crawls into the swing and smothers him. :)

presley's favorite baby sitter!

i have to show off the world's greatest baby sitter: hannah! last weekend i was sooo sick and brian called hannah in the middle of the night to come over and and stay with presley while he took me to the hospital (no baby yet)~ i will worry about how fast she was driving later. here is hannah with pres and her new camera. a lot of the pics on our fb page are from shots she took that night with new toy.:)

presley adores hannah. when we came home from the hospital i was so worried that pres was going to be upset about not having me or brian there to be with her when she woke up or feed her breakfast or get her dressed. as brian turned down the street hannah and pdog were taking a morning walk. IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE CUTEST DAMN THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN! of course, pres didn't even care that we weren't there because she loves hannah so. 
this is hannah and her boyfriend john. he plays in the band with brian at church. presley is always asking for him as well as hannah. and then she makes this little guitar sign language thing with her hands. so damn cute!! i am so happy to have found such wonderful people to trust my daughter with while i am on a date, or even in the hospital. i love you guys!!

15 days!

that's right. only 15 days until i am scheduled to go in and have my family go from 6 to 7. (the extra 3 are the puppies. duh) i am trying to treasure every moment with just the 3 of us before our little man gets here. it's so difficult though when i feel tired and have the worst indigestion. brian has been "grounded" until then; as in no more over night flights for fear of me going into labor and he would miss the birth of his son. 

after this weekend, (my 2nd worst bday) where we spent the morning in the hospital getting me iv fluids for dehydration/contractions i think he is a little worried about going too far away. yea for us! we love having brian here, especially since he has traveled every week for the past 3 months. 

anyway, 15 more days, only 15 days... what will i be doing in 15 days??? having a baby!!!!

good times at the covey's

thought i would catch up on some presley pictures since over the next few months they will probably all be of her new little brother. so, here goes. here we are at toys r us picking up the world's largest play house from mimi and while we were waiting for them to bring it up from the back pres found this dinosaur (which she said over and over and over and over and over). so, we had to go and take a peek at it. the dinosaur is actually pretty cool. you can sit on top of him and hold on to a bar while he makes dino noises and eats leaves. his eyes open and close and his head moves. pres was okay with him while i was right next to her but as soon as i backed up to take her picture she freaked out thinking he was going to eat her? it was kind of sweet in a twisted way b/c she "needed" me and i have never really seen her be scared of something like that before. so, no we did not purchase the 300$ dino and take him home with us.

a few days ago we went for a walk around our block and one of the kids in the front of the neighborhood was playing with an umbrella. OF COURSE, we had to throw a fit and come home b/c she couldn't play with the little girl's umbrella all day so i found her this one in the laundry room. *notice there are no dogs around b/c she already scared the shit out of them by chasing them with it as soon as i showed her how to open it.
for the next hour we played "where is presley? peek a boo" while i made dinner. it really was a good time except for the running after the dogs thing. poor guys, i haven't told them i am bringing another one home next month. i wonder if allie will cry each time he does like she did with presley? 
i guess i will have to find her an umbrella more her size for christmas so she may be able to control it a little better. hopefully she won't chase the dogs anymore with it but i guess i have to start worrying about her poking her brother in the eye. maybe a new umbrella isn't such a good idea after all. maybe next year.....

presley at the pumpkin patch

this year at the pumpkin patch was so much more fun because presley was old enough to walk and say pumpkin (over and over again) and just really is now able to realize what pumpkins are. here are a few snapshots of us picking out our pumpkins and having a great time together on a gorgeous sunday afternoon. pics of what the pumpkins actually turned out to look like are to come...

stupid swing

this is the swing that we got for presley 2 years ago. i am not sure how many hours/days she spent in it but it was our saving grace so many times. now, it has been cleaned and pulled out of the attic for the next covey coming any day now.  you would think that since we just put it together less than 2 years ago we would remember how it went back together and yet here i am sitting and staring at all of these pieces wondering how they come together. this may be easier if i waited for my 18 month old to be asleep when i start this adventure. it's kind of difficult putting things together (doing dishes, folding clothes, making dinner, anyway....) while she is around. to be continued.....

bath time= fun time!

i know she is going to hate me when she is older and sees that i posted this picture of her on here but ISN'T SHE ADORABLE!! 

most nights presley gets her bath right after dinner because she has made such a mess. we don't dare even mention the word "bath" unless we are ready right then to go upstairs and start one. the freak out if we tell her to wait for a minute is insane! she loves bathtime:) (and well who wouldn't with all the toys she has in there to play with)

when she was born and for probably about the first 3 months or so (maybe even longer) she would scream and scream when she was in the bathtub, getting out of the bathtub and about 20 minutes after that for good measure. now, she races to the tub, is trying to jump in with her clothes on and rarely wants to get out before the water turns cold. my favorite part is after when i let her run around nakey for a minute or two and she ALWAYS pees. brian gets so upset and runs after her trying to clean her up and put a diaper on her. kill joy:)

whenever he gives her a bath though she usually ends up with some crazy shampoo hair do and he makes me run and get the camera, hence the picture above. 

hope you enjoy seeing the cutest kid ever as much as we do. did i mention she is the sweetest too?

cake lady

how freaking good does that look??? 

i absolutely love making cakes and cupcakes. i just can't decide if i like licking the bowl more than eating the finished product. what a problem to have:(

this cake was so easy to make and i was so excited to have it for dessert when brian got home from work. what you don't know is that after making this cake and leaving it in the middle of the counter, presley and i went to lowe's for something and when we got back found 1/2 of it licked off. you should have seen it!! i was so stunned i could barely get the bad words out of my mouth to express how upset i was. damn dogs! the thing to is that i had mail sitting around it and a few magazines and none of it was moved. not one piece! i still don't understand how they did that. 

so, we did the only next logical thing (don't even think i threw that cake away). we cut it in half and ate the part that was unscathed by the dogs. it was still delicious and i enjoyed every bite. ever since taking the wilton's cake decorating class back in the beginning of the year i think my dessert making has vastly improved and i love sharing my masterpieces. even though this one didn't leave the house we still enjoyed all it's yummy goodness. 

so much for brian's eternal diet. i have just a little bit longer to indulge myself in these sugary confections and i am going to enjoy every minute:). 

don't be scared!!

well, here ya go! this is me preggers at 35 weeks. i still have 5 more weeks to go if you can believe it.  hardly any of my maternity pants fit (which i don't quite understand if they are elastic~ shouldn't they fit any size?). also, my belly is hanging out of the bottom of most of my shirts. 

i think brian is starting to get worried about me. he is always asking:

 1. will i ever get back to my pre-maternity size?

2. will the stretch marks fade?

3. will this be the last baby?

i would feel bad for him but i don't know the answers to the questions either. i know i am tired of peeing on myself, constantly being hungry and having indigestion at the same time and i miss laying on my stomach to sleep. 

dealing with fertility for so long before presley was born though makes me grateful to even have these problems to deal with. i remember sitting in cordova "dirty dova" praying for these problems and worries. i am so grateful to even be able to carry our child (especially after having a miscarriage) but does that mean i can't have concerns now about what will happen or voice my struggles when presley is having a bad day?

 i hope things are able to go back to the way they were before (with my belly) and i know there is a lot of work ahead. no more fast food and chocolate donuts every day. i have even bought a bunch of fruit for the house b/c if presley sees me eating it then she wants it too. i will use presley as my focus when eating better. that should do the trick?????

35

35......

only 35 more days until my due date. woo hooo!! i can't believe he is almost here and presley will no longer be our only child. she will never remember what it is like to have all of my attention and energy completely focused on her. she will have to share and watch over him like all good big sisters do.

i feel sorry for her but i know what it's like to have a sister and a brother and i wouldn't change that for anything.  

so, will she be the big sis that is nurturing and loving and gives constant kisses and hugs to her little brother or will she be the hitting over the head and throwing toys at him in his swing kind of sister? i am betting the latter. 

only a little over a month and i will have no more restful nights, consistent nap times each day and quiet times reading books with presley. however, i will be able to wear pants that have zippers, no more heartburn and i can tie my shoes without losing my breath. 

i will try to download a picture of the largest belly ever soon and post it on here. try not to gasp when you see it. you've been warned.:)

why so fast?

the picture at the top is of presley on her 1st birthday and the picture below that is of her at 17 months. when i look at them it looks like 2 completely different kids. it's amazing how much a difference only 5 months makes. she is so vocal now and picks up on everything. some times that's good and some times that's bad. 

her hair is so much longer now and goes back in pigtails so easily. i love having a little girl. (have i said that before?) i am getting really excited about her having a little brother soon. next month will come so soon. i love teaching her new words and she can figure out so much on her own now. parenting is so much easier at this stage it seems like~ or maybe it's just because i am getting a full night's rest and a nap every day. whatever it is~ i love it!

another fun filled day at busch gardens:)

here is brian and presley waiting for the critter castaway show to begin. she is so tired but i wanted brian to see it as much as her because she loves it so. we got to sit in the perfect spot~ right where the birds fly over your head and scare the crap out of you.

presley loved it of course~ the kid has no fear. 

doesn't my husband look like such a stud in this picture? i wish i could have gotten a picture of him freaking out over the bird flying right over his head. pres took a 3 hour nap after this adventure. i think we did too:) i don't know what we will do when her little brother gets here. i hope i am still able to take her out and have as much fun. 

don't wash cardboard!

i have washed money, loose change, golf pegs, business cards and even gum. but this was a first for me. my wonderful mother in law bought presley an anywhere chair for christmas last year and presley loves it. she sits in it every day. she eats and drinks and climbs all over it. it has her name on it. it is hers. any other kids that come over that sit in her chair are immediately removed by the princess herself.

so, being the great and powerful mom/wizard  that i am i thought it was time to wash it. i could only look at the stains for sooo long. anyway, i took out all the cushions from the chair and unzipped the zippers and coverings and put the chair cover in the wash with my cheer colorguard so it wouldn't fade. apparently, i didn't see a piece of cardboard that was in the back of the chair cover and this is what happens when you wash cardboard. 

ughh!!! imagine being 8 months pregnant and bending over for what seemed like an eternity getting all the pieces of cardboard out of the washing machine. it took me 3 more washes to get all of the pieces out finally. lesson learned. no more cardboard in the washing machine. i still have pieces stuck to some of brian's socks and our towels. let's just say it will be a long time before that chair gets washed again unless stains take over and well, at least the cardboard is gone already:)

happy birthday mom!

happy birthday mimi!!! hope you had a great birthday and are enjoying your time in destin. can't wait to see you here at the end of the week!

happy birthday to you. happy birthday to you. happy birthday mimi (mamuk, gammy) happy birthday to you:)

i can't wait to give you your birthday present when you get here:):):)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! 

you are way toooooo young to be a grandma!!!!

31 week shuffle

i am officially 31 weeks now and have started having braxton hicks contractions almost every day. i forget how hard your stomach gets during these and as i am experiencing them i am wondering: isn't it a little early for all of this? i don't remember having them with pdog until the 9th month. 

brian sees me holding onto my stomach and is convinced i should have my bag already packed for the hospital. 

i can't believe i am already here again. worrying about what to put into my hospital bag to have another baby. after years of crying and hormones and pills with trying to have presley i am finally getting to experience what it is like to do this without "medical intervention". i have to say~ there is something to fertility dr's. you get a lot more ultrasounds and get to see your baby more and if you complain of any ache or pain they bring you in and worry about you and yep, you get another ultrasound. with this pregnancy i got to see him only 3 times. so, of course right now i am trying to think of something like a sharp pain to lie about so i can get one more. they look so cute now~ they finally have most of their baby fat and you can get a much better picture. 

anyway, i only have 9 more weeks to go so i guess i will just wait it out. the 2nd pregnancy does go much faster than the 1st, especially when you are chasing the other one around so much.  now, all i can think about is the fact that i only have 9 more weeks until i have to start eating healthy and lose the baby (chocolate donut, mcdonald's and dr pepper) weight.  woo hoo! i always hear dieting at christmas time is fun:)

the joys of pregnancy at night

i know lots of people wonder what it's like to be pregnant. well, some do anyway. as far as being able to grow life, eat almost whatever i want and every one thinks i need help doing everything (which i do need help doing a lot more the bigger i get) it is great. not to many downsides of it all~ even the heartburn is controllable. 

the only part i seem to have the worst time with is sleeping. my nights are getting shorter and my belly and ass are getting bigger. not such a good combination. i go to bed as soon as presley does so that i don't waste any time not resting when she is. my life that use to be filled with staying up til 1 and going out every weekend is now a race to see how fast i can fall asleep as close to 9 as possible. brian always wins. bastard.

anyway, getting comfortable is one thing, there is the pajama situation: finding something that fits you well and doesn't pull or isn't too snug anywhere. then, the pillows. i  have all of them. poor brian has this small little brown pillow that he curls up with while i have the other 4 plus my body length pregnancy body pillow. love it! 

next is (which i always forget) when i lay down and the indigestion starts. so then i am propping myself up so the acid will go down and searching for my tums on my nightstand. inevitably i knock over my grape juice and brian or i am up cleaning up that mess so the stain doesn't settle in the rug. brian has been bringing plain water to bed lately so we can avoid this step:) 

after the pillows, prenatal vitamins, tums, clean up and pillows situated again i am ready for bed. what happens next is what i don't get. i am comfy, fed, hydrated and all "vitamined" up and then it happens. the hot flash. 

every freaking night during my last trimester this happens. so, i end up with no pillows, blankets and yes, sometimes  jammies are off. so much for all that preparation. did i mention that i also get up 2-3 times each night to go pee? even after all that i still do enjoy being pregnant~ when else can i get brian to get me mashed potatoes and gravy at 9 o'clock at night?

father/daughter moment

when presley was born i thought she would always be my little girl, my baby, she would always want me. she would cry a lot when brian would hold her b/c i was the refrigerator and i gave her food and was with her all day long and she was so use to me and we had our daily routine. i miss a lot of those days but 16 months later she has officially turned into "daddy's little girl". she will pick up a phone and pretend to call him during the day. when he comes home she calls for him as if he is this magical being who makes everything better. (which i guess he does)

will she ever come back to me besides when she is hurt or needs food? even though i no longer breast feed i am still the refrigerator/ pantry. i get called upon mostly to feed her and read a book or two. 

however, seeing her want to do everything he does (see picture), even if she doesn't know what she is really doing is the sweetest thing. i wonder if he realizes how much she follows him around and copies his actions and words. good thing i am having another baby in november so i will get that love again for a while. then i will have to prepare myself for him to grow up and want to be just like his father. at least that's a good thing to be:)

ms toddler usa

here she is getting ready for her big debut at the aquarium. she is too cool in her shades. what a diva.  then here she is strutting her stuff in the bikini contest. of course she took top honors in the interview since she knew where her head, shoulders, knees and toes were. it's official my kid has more bathing suits than i do. but, with all her traveling and photo opportunities they are needed. if you need an autograph just email me with your address and i can send one to you. :)

what it's like being married to brian covey

not that anyone is curious but if you are wondering what it's like to be married to the brian covey here ya go:

if there is a raffle contest at work/fair/neighborhood whatever~ brian will win it

he can call the insurance company and get a live person immediately

if there is a parking lot full of cars brian can drive up to the front and there will be someone pulling out or there will just happen to be 1 open space left and he will get it

true story: we went to the magic kingdom and were standing in line to buy tickets. 2 kids tapped us on the shoulder and said they had free tickets left over from some friends who couldn't make it that day. that's right~ we got in free!

if there is a bill or extra fee charged for some reason to our bank account~ he can always get it waived or taken off and usually an apology or refund. that's right~ he can actually get money back. no, i don't know how he does it.

no, it's not hard being married to someone who always has luck on their side. my sister is the same way. it is frustrating watching this happen all the time but i am happy for them in a sick, twisted i wish something jacked up would happen just once but not really b/c i am happy for them kind of way. 

i have learned that he is the one to call insurance companies, drive to an amusement park, grocery store or target, and he has to put his business card in the fish bowl to win a free lunch~ not me~ but him. good times.

1st magic kingdom ride

brian's brother and sister in law came to orlando for some work stuff with their daughter emma and we got to sneak off to the magic kingdom for some fun together. here is presley's 1st ride in the famous tea cups! i didn't ride b/c i was the stroller bitch and being so pregnant didn't want to get sick. i forgot how fast they go so it was probably better i didn't ride but the girls and fam loved it. if it wasn't for the hour wait to get onto almost every ride the magic kingdom would have been a lot more fun. i think i will stick to my tampa grounds with my vip passes to anything good/ worth going to. although, seeing presley's face when she saw a "cup" bigger than she is was so much fun! 

such a hard life:)

here is a picture of brian and presley in the lazy river at the ritz carlton in orlando from labor day. this is a shallow portion of the pool where kids can play and we don't have to chase them down since the water is shallow. 

even though it was labor day weekend it wasn't very crowded which was nice and pres had the run of the pool. although, she pretty much has the run of wherever she goes. i can't wait to take her back again one day with her little brother. 

i wonder how many days she spends around water. it's so hard being us:)

labor day diary

what a busy weekend! it's so nice to be home today and take a deep breath and just spend the day without going, going, going. saturday brian got his windows tinted, i got my pigs (toes) done (yea!) and he played in the band that night at church while i took care of the kiddos in the nursery. 

sunday was fun too. brian played in the band that morning and we came home from church, packed up the precious angel and headed to orlando. even though gustav didn't make much of a splash he certainly made the road trip interesting with all the wind trying to blow us off the road. i hate to say it but i am so glad my man was driving. 

we spent the afternoon at the ritz carlton in the lazy river behind the hotel. presley said the word swimming about 100 times on the way to the pool. the ups and downs of your kid finally talking is very interesting. you want them to talk so bad and then when they do they say the same freakin word over and over and over and over. arrgghh.

sunday night we got to see the fireworks and took a trip over to downtown disney. i don't think i ever did as much as she does before the age of 2. i hope she doesn't get too use to it b/c the next baby is going to slow me down a bit. 

monday we were in the pool until lunch, we hit the road to arrive home around 2:30. presley (are you sitting down?) slept from 3 until 6:45. i know right- love it!!!! after she got up we went the cory and lindsey's to celebrate the end of labor day/ lindsey and stephanie's september birthday's. good times but we were totally worn out. 

so happy to have such good friends to spend time with. even happier that my husband took pto today and got his whole "to do" list done. woo hoo!

she's growing up

this picture looks so daunting. it's actually a very cool part of the water area in busch gardens (where else) that has a fountain and water flowing through it. she is stepping on a "dino egg"  and  no longer wants me to hold her hand in it anymore:(. i just really like the picture because presley looks like such a big girl about to step into a really scary place that she actually has no fear of jumping/hopping or running through now. my big girl. growing up so fast. it took me almost 20 minutes to get her hair up into those uneven pigtails. only for her to pull them out 10 times before we even got to the park.

i have a lot of hopes and dreams for you pres. i am a big admirer of you so far and can tell you are going to be a fun kid to be around later on. i hope you have no fear later on in life like you have no fear now. fearless. that's my pdog:)

my little dragon

here is presley in the land of the dragons at busch gardens. we had such a good time today. the critter castaway show was so much fun and pres actually sat completely still in my lap for 30 minutes! that's right- 30 whole minutes! there were birds, dogs, cats, a skunk, porcupine, a stork and emu's. she was in heaven. of course, we had to play in the water and play on the slides. she even got to go on her first ride. she cried when it was time to get out b/c she wasn't ready to go. after 4 1/2 hours of fun she was done and on the way out we even got to catch a glimpse of  the doo wop concert. i know what you're thinking- BORING! but as a mom- it was one of the best days ever. i can't wait to go back next week and do it all again. ( next time with sneakers instead of flip flops. my ankle is still hurting from all that walking)

skee ball presley style

i didn't even know you were allowed to stand on the ramp part of the skee ball game. presley had so much fun throwing the balls into the rings. i guess when you are this cute and only 15 months it's hard to tell you no. i had to put this picture up b/c she and brian had so much fun playing and won so many tickets - it was so much fun. as much as i don't like chuck e cheese for the germs, bad food, over priced games and well has anyone seen the csi miami where the kid gets killed in the bathroom from a pedophile at one of these places? we still had a good time. brian met joey dorsey from the memphis tigers and presley kicked his kid in the head. like i said- good times.....

our 1st hurricane

after all the hype "fay" has turned out to be extremely disappointing. it was to be our first real hurricane and now it is on the other side of florida. darn.

last night we went to the grocery store and spent over 300$ in our hurricane preparation- i have to say, i have never seen a grocery store almost out of water and end caps full of batteries and flashlights. it is good to know that everyone was getting prepared and was as worried as we were.

so here we are today awaiting the storm. it is one of the most beautiful days ever here. the only thing that sucks is that everything is closed. the schools, the library, everything. so, we are off to the park to enjoy our non-hurricane beautiful day. presley has just taken down 11 pancakes and a banana and is running back and forth between brian's office and the dining room. her hair is almost long enough to be completely in pigtails and i love it. she is so freakin cute! i can't wait for nap time:)

i pledge allegiance to my candy cravings

these are the latest cravings of the longest pregnancy ever. the first trimester was chic fil a ice cream cones, the 2nd trimester was (and still is) anything with grape flavoring. no, not healthy grapes- grape flavoring such as grape jolly ranchers, kool aid or fun dip- yummy yummy!

i am now nearing the last and final trimester and have started craving sugary snacks. i love starbursts, jolly ranchers and the love of my life- now and laters! i don't remember all of these different cravings with presley's pregnancy but i do remember having rhinitis and not being able to leave the house without kleenex for at least 6 months. good times. why can't i crave milk and cheese like angelina- oh yea, i am lactose intolerant. dang.

is it just me or are my candies sitting on my counter look like the united states of america?

soccer every day at the covey's

if you have a husband that played soccer most of his life it is inevitable that your kid will also have soccer balls and such around while growing up. presley loves her "mini" soccer ball and she can even kick it around the house. it is so cute to see her and brian "playing" soccer at this age. 

the other pic is of brian's 31st birthday cake that i made and everyone loved. it was so yummy to eat. it didn't take long for it to be devoured. next my poor son is also doomed to hopefully have a soccer affinity. maybe i will push him towards gymnastics or even tennis just so that i am not sitting at soccer games for the 20 years. i still don't understand off sides and i don't think i ever will.

tn vs fl

just got in last night from our trip back to memphis. it was so good to see family and friends but i have to say every time we go back to visit i miss our home in florida more and more. i would love to have regular date nights and be able to have lunch with all of my friends whenever or even go to lunch with my mom on a weekly basis but there is something to living on your own when you are married and have kids. 

you can't rely on everyone to help you out for everything- you have to do so much more on your own. which if you know me- i hate doing any thing by myself. we enjoy our schedule each day and activities planned with other mom's now. i love being at home with my daughter each day even though she knows all of my tricks and i think she is getting a little bored with me. not to mention- there are a ton of things to do here with a toddler that just are not in memphis. i feel so bad for my girlfriends back home that all they get excited about is going to a small water park and playground 4 times a week. they sound so bored and are literally at home almost every day with their tots. kill me now. there is no way i could do that. 

so, as much as i miss my family  and friends there really is a special something something about living far away. i still thank God for unlimited long distance, skype and parents that love to drive 14 hours to come visit every 3 months or so. well, we are off to the beach......

my new e! shows

i have to say that i enjoyed pam's girl on the loose show. no matter  how much i think she exploits women the girl is still gorgeous. you have to appreciate someone in their 40's that can still do a back walk over. 

however, sunset tan is lacking in just about every aspect except over edited drama. who gets a tattoo with someone's name that they have just broken up with? i will unfortunately keep watching and hating this show. can janelle please stop telling erin to break up with her volleyball playing new boyfriend? how hard can it be to manage a freakin tanning salon?

what's a fat pregnant girl to do?

I got the axe today. 

I was told by my obgyn today to lay off the fast food and start an exercise program. i am now severely depressed. which really sucks because when i am depressed i eat. i eat chocolate, fun dip, mcdonald's- you name it. why is it that when you get depressed you don't want to exercise? i can honestly never say that when i feel down i want to go for a jog. now, my dear sweet, psychotic husband- he would totally do that. which is why he is all muscles and i am wearing pants with an elastic waist. bastard.

now, what am i going to do? you can't really go on a diet at 6 months pregnant and i am either too tired or too lazy to go for a walk. not to mention living in sunny florida during the hurricane season totally sucks. it rains pretty much every day. 

i so don't want to join the gym. people just look at you funny when you are really pregnant and on the elliptical. and you can't really pick a fight with the stupid bitches next to you when you are doing every thing you can to hang on so you don't fall off the damn machine. woe is me. what a world.... what a world...

dog owner woes

things i never thought i would say:

" jack- get the giraffe out of your mouth!"

"babe- did you see how big his poop was?"

" stop peeing on the stroller riley!"

" allie quit licking jack's balls"

" jackson- stop peeing on the stroller, sorry riley"

" who peed on the topiary?"

"who ate my prenatal vitamins?"

" how did they get to the cookies on top of the stove?"

" why does his toxic pee keep killing our plants?"

mo teeth

everyone warned me about the 15 month molars. i was like "no way is it going to interrupt presley's sleeping habits". those are the words of a 1st time nieve as shit mom. 

not only are any of us sleeping - no one even mentioned the diarrhea and occasional throw up that comes along with major molar teething. i thought she was getting 8 new teeth at once but it's really just 4 b/c the size of those things are huge. 

i do feel really bad for her due to the pain and suffering she is going through. i don't really remember getting my molars and being too traumatized over it but hey- anything can happen.

more importantly, what about my pain and suffering. no more 2-3 hour naps during the day. i am lucky if i barely get her to sleep for a full hour. no more laying down at 9 or even 8:45 some nights and falling right asleep. now it's a full 30 minutes (at least) of whining, talking to herself or mumbling every time she goes in that crib. kill me now. i miss her naps. i miss her sweet self saying "lub you" before passing out. i want my baby back!!!

i am so tired from worrying about her teeth, diarrhea and random throwing up that i have googled the crap out of every ailment a kid can have. (which i am surprised we have all made it this far with as many things out there that you can contract)

we go to the dr on thursday for the dreaded mmr/ 15 month old shots. i will grill that poor lady then i guess. until then, pray that what comes out of that beautiful child is not nearly as disgusting as what i cleaned up tonight. i don't think i can handle that again.

lone rider

is it as sad as it sounds that i sing to blue's clues and the laurie berkner band when my child is not around? yea, i thought it did. being a sahm i go everywhere with her so every time i get in the car i sort of go on auto pilot and turn on the dvd player (thank you grandma traci) and listen to her tunes. which are far better to listen to than her screaming and crying that use to happen before the all glorious dvd player arrived. 

if it wasn't for vh1 on saturday mornings i would never know any new music or artists (which i know is sad that is all the normal music i listen to but hey- it's not forever). now i can't wait for her to watch an actual movie- the little mermaid, nemo and whatever else has adult comedy but is filmed as a cartoon. however, if you ever listen to elmo closely there are lots of humorous undertones that my husband and i still giggle over. i.e. those noodles are real swingers! (you have to watch it to understand). so, here is to me riding alone in the car next time and not singing to elmo but actually turning on the radio. 

design this star

i am watching the next to last episode of design star and i never usually call in for a show but i would totally call in for jennifer right now. i thought she did a much better job than matt. brian would be so good at this show. even though he isn't a "professional" designer he would totally rock the challenges. he has decorated the majority of every house we have lived in and even if i don't like it when he picks it out or buys it- i love it like a month later and am really glad we got it. 

anyway, can't wait til next sunday when we find out the winner. then i can pay more attention to my other shows. i wonder if i will still have time to keep track of my "reality" shows once my little man gets here. if i get any bigger i probably pop open and he will just crawl out on his own. ok that sounded strange but it's kind of late and i have eaten a lot of sugar tonight. by the way, it's my first time to try pepcid and i am really excited about not waking up choking on acid in the middle of the night. woo hoo!

manic friday

moldy monday. alright, it's really friday but does it really matter when you are a stay at home mom? i can never keep the days straight and have just recently figured out that i am double booked on monday for a mom's group and a picture appointment for presley.  i say moldy monday b/c monday's are the days where everything happens; whether strange, wonderful, busy or eventful. monday is when people start their week. but, if you are a stay at home mom it's different. friday is the beginning of my week. today especially b/c anything weird that could happen has.  here is what has happened before noon: my daughter threw up in her bed (has never happened before), my husband put a light bulb in his pants pocket- which i washed and found glass all in my dryer, did i mention that my entire laundry room smells like mold b/c my husband leaves his sweaty running clothes in there and i haven't done the laundry in 48 hrs, i had over 50 emails to check (i usually only have like 12- maybe 23 on a busy day), the toilet is broken and i got a call from the credit card company to see about recent activity (which always freaks me out). 

tonight though- brian comes home from work early and then i have time to get a pedicure tomorrow??? and a fun filled weekend of church, putting out mulch and getting ready for a birthday party next weekend. (b/c if you have a child you know that shopping for presents or party favors- not something i recommend) so, today is my busy day to make sure that everything is ready for a smooth and fun weekend with the family. oh yea, and i am out of dog food. 

i am so sad

i just found out that presley's first kiss- jake- and his family are moving to texas in september. what the crap? i thought it was difficult selling a house right now.??? they didn't have theirs on the market for a month and got an offer. so, off they go i guess. who will we go to the aquarium, zoo or busch gardens with? gymboree will never be the same:(

nada mucho

*update: the dogs are doing great. they are eating the leftover ravioli's from presley's lunch as i am writing this. riley has stress incontinence and is peeing all over the house randomly. allie is able to go back under the bed and sleep (even though brian has been out of town so everyone has been in the bed with me) note to self- clean sheets before he gets home tonight:)

Next week is my darling husband's birthday. the old man will be 31! we are going home to memphis for a few days to see friends and family. i think he may be getting a new driver to play golf with and we are having a few friends over to the house that night for dinner and to hang out. i have been working on a scrapbook gift for a while now but can't seem to get it finished. it may have to be given at a later time. 

it has the 31 things i love most about him. which should be easy but when you start writing them out- it takes a while. anyway, i am off to research the mmr shot that presley is suppose to be getting next week but i think i am going to put it off until she is at least 2. this is the worst part of being a mom- worrying about vaccines. being a mom i want her to have them but being a nurse i know that they give most of them too early. 

t/v addict

here is my t.v. rundown for the week:

 living lohan's and denise richards. mama lohan has more botox in her face than an entire dermatologist office in hollywood. as for denise i think she has gotten some what of a bad wrap. charlie is a drug addict and just b/c his family is famous he gets away with way more than he should.

jon and kate + 8- love them so much. kate is such a bitch but i would definitely be too if i had 8 kids every day. the kids are so intoxicating and i am not a stalker but would love to meet them one day.

tori and dean- what is dean going to do this week to piss off tori? how much money is tori going to spend on something else she doesn't need. no, she won't call her mother this week either.

brian isn't here so i don't have to watch the american gladiators or nashville star:)

wipeout and i survived a japanese game show come on tuesday- wipeout is so freaking funny. those people act like they have no idea how stupid they look. i so want to get brian on that show.

law and order on wednesday. mccoy is awesome in charge and i hope he will be there next season as well.

project runway is also on wednesday at a new earlier time so i have to tivo that so i can watch it after presley goes to bed. 

last comic standing on thursday- which i have to tivo and watch on friday's so i don't have to hear bill bellamy tell bad jokes. 

friday is usually netflix night or we are out somewhere. 

if these shows are not on my t.v. then it is blues clues, the wonder pets or the wiggles. yes, i am a t.v. aholic and i love it. between the seinfeld, king of queen and according to jim reruns- my day goes by pretty fast. now, i am on a great schedule and some hoity toity executives are about to change it all up for the fall lineup. i understand new shows and definitely the need for grey's anatomy and entourage (september) to come back but why do they have to mess with the rerun schedules? don't they know stay at home mom's cling to those things?

stitches out tomorrow

the dogs are getting their stitches out tomorrow. my vet is not able to make a house call (like my spoiled cousin lisa's vet) but they did say they would come out to the car to help me get everyone out and in the vet's office. everyone's stitches look great- no redness or swelling anywhere. riley has started to do the "sit down" pee which is kind of annoying so i will have to address that tomorrow as well. allie has two bumps that i found on her but brian and i have decided not to put her through anymore surgeries b/c well, where would it end? allie is also not the type of dog who bounces back easily from that either. as long as no one is acting sick and  stays in good spirits we will just take it day by day. 

allie will be so happy we can remove the barricades from beside the bed so she can crawl back underneath at night. maybe jackson will start sleeping on brian's side again so i won't smell as many farts or hear him snoring so loudly at night anymore:). that would be fantastic! all in all, riley and allie have done very well and we even took them to the park this past saturday so they could get a little exercise. needless to say they passed out when they got home. it may have been one of their longest naps ever:)

off to the vet tomorrow- hope everything goes ok- i am positive it will but i like to worry anyway.

taking chances

i am sure this all stems from my crazy pregnancy brian BUT i still have to get it out of my system so that i won't worry or think about this stuff anymore.

i have been noticing a lot lately that more and more people are looking for love. if you're not looking for someone to go on a date with, marry or be with for a relationship then you are most likely already in one and still looking for it there. what everyone hates to talk about is that even after you find that "someone" there is no guarantee that they are yours forever. even on a daily basis i watch my married friends look for more love and attention from their spouses. people get so caught up in little things, work and errands that it seems as though we forget to pay attention to the one we were looking for for so long. my friends that are dating are constantly miserable: breaking up, worrying about their significant other or are such a ball of nerves about a new relationship i can't stand to be around them b/c that's all they ever want to talk about. little do they know that it doesn't get any easier after the ceremony. i am 30, pregnant and married to the best man out there. i truly believe that. i know my husband loves me and i know i need to show him more each day that i love him too. 

so here is where my mind goes: how do we know that who we are with is who we are suppose to be with? i watch our friends get together and break apart (married and single) like it's nothing. how do people treat each other's hearts with such disregard? from the 1st instant that you think this may not be the person for you- why don't you leave? why do you stay and get attached and get even more hurt in the long run? i don't get it. it seems as though everyone wants to fall in love- everyone. i hope once you find that someone you show them how much you love them as much as possible and never take them for granted because watching some of my single friends crave something as wonderful as i have- it makes me realize how lucky i am. 

pups are getting better

my favorite furry babies had their surgery this past thursday and the first day was definitely the worst. they were all drugged out from anesthesia and pain pills. it was so sad- they had to stay away from jackson so he couldn't lick their stitches (which i don't think they minded very much but he was going bananas wanting to love on them). i am trying not to put the cones on their heads b/c they absolutely hate them and it will just draw attention to presley to come and mess with them. so far so good. i will keep them off as long as possible. 

i have to say allie is the one that got the worst of it. the vet found an extra cancer spot on her front leg and took that off during the surgery as well. i know she wants to be loved on but i feel like every time i touch her i am going to hurt her. i did find another bump on her last night too and i am going to have to ask the vet about it on their check up visit. not to mention a "hole" i found on riley next to her stitches on her leg- it looks gross- i won't describe it. what the hell have i done to my dogs? i feel so bad for them. i know they are feeling better now but i also know they just don't understand the reason why this has all been done. i don't think i will put them through this again. i don't see how people put their dogs through chemo and radiation. they are dogs- all they know is that they don't feel good. well, i am off to give out morning antibiotics, pain meds and treats. we may even attempt a walk around the block today- wish us luck!

my big girl

this is presley at the zoo~ they have a place where you can feed the goats and play in a water park area. she loves, loves, loves the goats and as long as she doesn't get water in her eyes she loves the water park too. she looks like such a big girl in these pics and i am not use to it at all. next week she will be wearing heels and trying to sneak out. that will be something i will never be ready for.