January 2012

A few weeks ago, we made a small get-away to Jackson Hole. Reason? I saw a good deal on Groupon. Nevermind that we went to Texas in the hottest month and Jackson in the coldest. That's how we like it... apparently.

We stayed at the Lexington, 2 blocks from the main square. It was definitely nice as far as (affordable) hotels go. The best part? A stuffed wolf on the bed Covey immediately named "Doggy Dog" and loved completely.

The POOL! Covey was so excited for this! Leading up to the trip he kept saying "We're going to Jackson Hole and gonna swim in the POOL!" It was nice because we were always the only ones in there. Covey loved going from the hot pool to the cold pool. Matt was so good and would switch pools with him whenever he wanted. I, sitting on the sidelines with just my feet in the hot one, thought they were crazy. Covey's favorite thing to do was jump from the ledge into Matt's arms in the cold pool over and over and over.

Our second day there, we went to the Elk Refuge Center for a horse drawn carriage ride to see the elk up close and personal. (If you're not going skiing, there's not much to do there.)

Handing the "Cowboy" our tickets.

There wasn't enough snow for the carriages, so we rode in these wagons. They were super bumpy but still fun.

Matt made a good impression on our tour guide who is an Aggie Alum.

We tried to go tubing but the only place with enough snow was at the ski resort and it was much too expensive. We ended up at a park just playing in the snow. Covey mostly ate the snow while me and Matt threw snowballs at him. But the real joke was on us... we left our camcorder there! We think we must have. After we got home and unpacked... no camcorder to be found. I called the hotel, nothing. I called the city's Park and Rec department, nothing. Oh, it just makes you sick thinking that someone is watching all your home movies.. of Covey on Christmas and everything and you won't have them. It's a total bummer.

But can that get this kid down? No way. He got to bring home Doggy Dog! ($25 later, but he loves him so much, it was worth it really.)

Covey's been very into his stuffed animals lately, or his "friends" as he calls them and sometimes even his "brothers". He has to bring them all downstairs every morning, then all back up for nap, back down when he wakes up and all back up at night. ...I'm wondering how long that can go on for. But it can be super cute. He sometimes has school for them. Gives them each a book and a crayon and we teach them the ABC's, counting, shapes and tell them stories. This day he brought in the chairs for them and they were on the bus. Then he had to give them their lunch on the bus.

The fact that he's just sportin' underpants in these pictures is the only documentation that he was potty training. (I took pics on my phone but can't get them to send to my email.) Anyway, when we got back from Jackson, we spent 4 hard core days in his room potty training with a sticker chart and prizes and balloons and Elmo's Potty Time and a timer and accidents. Then we slowly moved downstairs and he was doing really good... but then on Day 7 he had 4 accidents while my mom watched him. But after that? Nothing! No accidents! And about a week after that, he was the one telling us he had to go! It really wasn't that bad. And it's so fun now to have him going on the potty and not changing diapers! We're so darn proud of him. And for those of you aware of his problems with going "number 2" (pardon my language) the potty has solved that too! Hallelujah.

The night my mom watched him was so I could go to Matt's "White Coat Ceremony" at school. Everyone was dressed up and they had hors'dourves and speakers and then presented them with their first white PA coats. (Again, pics of this on phone :( )I was surprised by my strong feelings at seeing him in that coat, I was so super proud! He's started his clinicals and goes each Friday where his PA Preceptor just threw him right in there and had him start doing exams the second he got there. Yikes! But hopefully he'll be a better PA because of it.

Covey with his stethoscope, just like Dad's, on his first day off to clinicals.

Last weekend we went up to Mantua for Matt's dad, Terry's retirement party.

They had a hot dog roast and then "roasted" Terry. Matt was the MC and did such a great job. He kept his jokes a secret and so it was fun for me to laugh along with everyone else. Those paintings along the wall were done by Terry throughout the years for his seminary/institute classrooms. (pretty impressive)

Finally! We got snow! Covey and Matt decided to forgo the usual snowman for a pretty sweet fort.

Ah these two are so cute! And thank goodness for Dads!

As for the pregnancy, things are good! I think. I'm going to a new Dr this time and they sure do the bare minimum there. I'm used to getting ultrasounds and tests done and finding out how big he is every visit, but here it's just listen to the hearbeat, "do you feel him move?", ok bye! So, it's weird. But, he does move a ton. More than Covey did, I think. No hiccups yet. Maybe that didn't start til later on with Covey, but he had them all the time. I did start feeling some Braxton Hicks (I guess!) yesterday and today in my back, so that might mean I'll have my contractions there again like last time. I'll be 27 weeks this weekend so it's really flying by! I can't wait to have him here and be holding a teeny tiny baby all day again!