Great Night in Knoxville

Every two years my brother and I meet in Knoxville for the Bama/UT game. This year was the second time we have made it. Knoxville is a good half way point for Stu and me and it is a great time for the two of us to have some brotherly bonding. The trip last time was great. Anytime you go to a football game at an SEC venue and get to see your team play it is always fun. Plus, contrary to what most Alabama fans think, UT fans are very hospitable. However, last time Bama lost and so the trip was a bit of a downer. Not so this time. Knoxville became Tuscaloosa North that Saturday. We parked in a main parking lot on the main street that runs through campus and every car in our lot were Alabama fans. This helped us know pretty early in the day that things were going to be in our favor. We were not disappointed at any point in time that day. All in all, it was a very enjoyable time. I'm looking forward to going back in two years, hopefully having the same results.

This was our parking lot. 9 vehicles and all were Alabama fans. This was a good early sign.

I took this picture for my good friend Nick Roark. He is a UT fan and I've been a sympathetic shoulder for him to cry on this year. This gentlemen had these shirts made and let's just say they were in short supply. Seems he may have been a prophet.

This was the view from our seats. We sat beside some great UT fans. We could see all of the action.
This is a picture of the UT bands famous circle drill. The loudest cheers from the UT crowd all night were the boos for Fulmer when he was introduced before the game and the cheers for the band at halftime.
Final scoreboard shot. This capped the end to a great night.

Fun at the NC State Fair

We had a great time at the fair today! We met up with the Roarks and the Bugnars and all managed to stay together through all the craziness. We even got to hang out with the Williams for a little while too! It was COLD this year! Seriously, every year we have gone it has always been "too warm for the fair" as Blake says. This year, it was definitely not "too warm"! We were all wearing jeans and coats and I was still cold at times. The boys had a great time riding some rides. All Asher has talked about since last year was riding on the ferris wheel, but when it came time to ride, he decided that it was way too high for his liking! So he rode down the slide, on the old timey cars, and on a little bug ride. Bubbs joined in for the cars and bugs! Natey Nate stayed home this year with the boys favorite babysitter, Ashley, as he is still battling his croupy cold. Blake got his fried twinkie (I think he has had one every year since they were the new thing at the fair a few years back!) and I enjoyed my funnel cake and roasted ear of corn. We even managed to stay till it was dark which Asher thought was so cool.

Blake thinks he looks presidential in this shot

Asher was excited that he was "steering"

Ash sliding

Blake sliding... uhhh too much static!

ready for the bug ride

hang on tight Bubbs

Ash on the bugs (I was sad that they each wanted their own bug and didn't want to sit with each other!)

it looks like Caleb is eating the mission control rocket

yummy fair food

group shot... although not quite the whole group!

Our Little Pumpkins

Of course the year we actually make it to the pumpkin patch and we're not even dressed for the occasion... or any photographic moments! O well, the boys loved picking out their pumpkins which we have proudly displayed on our front steps. I think they're still intact although everytime the boys play outside they like to roll the pumpkins down the steps! We also found some fun gourds and had fun choosing which ones to get. Happy Fall!

Croup and Braxton Hicks Contractions

Well the title to this post pretty much says it all. Last night was a loooong night as Nate struggled all night with croup. It is the first time any of our boys have ever had croup and it is the one sickness that has always really scared me. So last night around 9:00ish he started to be really wrestless and would cry out every once in awhile in his sleep. We didn't really think too much about it until those cries were followed up with a sort of barking cough afterwards. Around 11:00 we finally went in and got him. Poor baby was feverish and having a hard time breathing. We got the humidifier transferred from Asher and Caleb's room (where it had been residing since last week when Caleb came down with the yuck) To be on the safe side we called in to our pediatricians' office to talk to the nurse on call. She actually listened to him breathe over the phone and told us we should probably take him in to the ER. He had been really worked up and crying right before we called though and we hadn't had the humidifier on him really at all yet, so we decided to wait a little while before we went to see if it wouldn't get any better with the humidifier. It actually improved alot rather quickly, so we decided to tough it out through the night and take him to the doctor first thing this morning. Of course I wasn't going to leave him alone, so we sat up with him in the rocking chair for most of the night. He did have about 2 hours that he slept in his bed while Blake camped out on the floor of his room.
And if all this wasn't enough excitement for one night, the entire time I sat up with Nate in my lap rocking him, I was having pretty consistent Braxton Hicks contractions. I knew they weren't the "real" ones, but they kept coming and they HURT! At 34 weeks I'm not supposed to be getting any of THAT action yet!
Blake took Nate in to the doctor first thing this morning and the doctor said he did indeed have croup, but that it wasn't really too bad. He sent him home with a prescription for a steroid medicine, instead of a steroid shot and he has been doing better today. He even took his nap this afternoon and of course has still been eating like a champ. He is down for tonight and I am just hoping and praying that it is an uneventful one!

A Bug's Life

So you must be thinking this is a precursor to the boys' Halloween costumes, but no, just some funny looking bug hats that our neighbors gave to the boys tonight while they were outside playing! Asher brought them in and was so excited to put one on Caleb. Caleb on the other hand, was NOT excited and instead terrified of the bug hat. It took some convincing and Daddy tying it on first, before Caleb relented to the bug being put on his head. Once he got it on though, he was loving it! I thought they looked too funny so I had to get their picture. Asher refers to himself as a green ant and Caleb as a red lady bug. Hmmmmm....

Post for Nana.... Asher's fall clothes

This post is especially for you mom! Here are the clothes we picked out for Asher from you and dad! Thought you would like to see how spiffed up he'll be this fall! Thanks so much. We love you!

Soccer Wrap- up

Today was Asher's last day of soccer. His "season" only lasted for three weeks with six practices/ games. Definitely too short. Just when it seemed like he was getting the hang of it, it's over. He had such a fun time and really learned alot. His coach was GREAT and overall it was such a positive experience! He's already excited about playing in the spring! He did score his first goal last week! (of course it was one fo the days I missed and one of the ones Blake was in charge of that he took all three boys to... see post below!) He was SO proud of himself! (We were too!) All the boys got little trophies for playing and I think it has quickly become one of his most prized possessions!

Myrtle Beach '08

Last weekend was what is turning into our annual girls getaway weekend. This year the Lauras and I met up at Myrtle Beach for two days of relaxing and of course shopping. (I think we did more shopping than relaxing!) We hit up all the outlets and found some great stuff. Asher made out! It never fails that when girls weekend rolls around I'm pregnant and can't really shop for myself so I have to shop for the boys instead. Asher was in dire need of clothes for fall though as he no longer is the recipient of any hand me downs. I finally found him some tennis shoes which I had been searching for the last couple of weeks and couldn't find any that I liked. So I was very excited about that! Of course we would have to pick the same week as the annual "Biker Week" which proved to be rather interesting! We really did spend some time on the beach (I promise!) but all the pictures I managed to get just weren't so great. So I will spare you! We ate out at some fun places, had our toes done, and best of all just got to do things at our own pace, not having to worry about babies, naps, schedules, etc. It was wonderful! Blake had his hands full at home with the boys while I was gone, but was wonderful about it. Let's just say Nate's stomach was "iffy" the whole time I was gone, he had to manage getting Asher to and from preschool both days, and to top it off had soccer for Asher BOTH days (since one day last week was rained out) and took all three boys both days! (I think all the other parents there felt really sorry for him or else thought he was CRAZY!) He managed though and everyone was alive when I got home. My floor was even vacuumed! Can't wait to do it again girls!

Laura T, me, and Laura H
after shopping excursion #1
pic from our weekend together last year in Charlotte

(yes, I was pregnant in this picture too.... about as far along as this year... do I look any different to you?)

31 Weeks

Today was my 31 week appointment... in and out. It was a quick one. Everything looked great. Baby's heat rate was in the 140's, weight gain was only 3 pounds this month. Basically my doctor said everything was pretty boring. Boring being a good thing! I did tell him that I feel like this baby is more gentle and docile than any of my boys were. It's still moving enough that there is no cause for concern, but it's movements are just so different. No punches or jabs yet! Dr. Henderson thought the baby was head down, but couldn't be completely sure. He did offer several times to just take me on back to have a look and see what this mystery baby was! How tempting was that for first thing in the morning! Which by the way, from our baby poll on the side of our blog, I must have many faithful friends to all be voting GIRL! Do you really think it's a girl or are you just giving me hope? I would love to hear comments so feel free to express what your vote was! I really can't believe this pregnancy has gone by so quickly. I looked at Blake this morning and said, "Do you realize that in two short months we are going to have FOUR kids!" He just gave me the look! We really are getting excited and can't wait to find out what God is going to bless us with!