Potty Training...

...started this morning at the Cook Casa.

Whew ... what a morning it has been.
It's about 1:15 as I type this and we JUST NOW went to the potty for the first time ... in an actual potty.
So far we've had 5 accidents ... hopefully each day gets a bit better.

Sure would be nice if we could get this whooped! Wish us luck!

Happy Memorial Day

We spent a few days of this weekend at the lake -- we did lots of lazing around, swimming, some boat riding and eating! It was a fun-filled two days, but this mama is super tired! We came back last night and have spent the day just hanging out -- it's been a pretty perfect weekend. :-) Lila fell asleep in the car on the way back about 6:45 and we put her straight to bed ... slept till 7 this morning. To say she was tired is an understatement! Here are some pictures from our weekend. Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day!
Lila and Karlee eating their PB&Js on the boat ride.

Daddy and Lila
This girl is a lake girl for sure!
Learning a new song ... she's sung "Five Little Monkeys" all weekend!
Nothing like a nap on the boat!I braved a boat ride Saturday -- the water was too rough Sunday for me. Two days shy of 35 weeks!! Me and my girl ... soaking up her last days as an only child!

Lake Days Have Arrived!

We enjoyed our first lake day of the summer. It was so nice to go and relax and enjoy a fun day with family. Aunt Casey even got to go with us -- we were so glad that she was here! We had fun, but boy was it hot ... and the water was freezing so it was kind of hard to get any relief. We did enjoy a good boat ride ... looking forward to Memorial Day!
Lila braved the water with her daddy

Riding the paddle boat with cousin Raleigh

Sweet Girl .. enjoying the sunGranny -- don't know how this sweet lady didn't sweat to death! 90 degrees and in her sweat suit and wool slippers...Loving on cousin Madelyn

Daddy got some much desired fishing in...

Aunt Casey --- so glad you came!!

Swimming with Pop

Our biggest accomplishment was Lila jumping off the side of the pier to Pop and Josh. She didn't do it without holding onto a hand, but she LOVED it and jumped about 50 times!

4 days till summer vacation!! 6 weeks till Clare is due to arrive!!
AHHH! Can't wait!

Lila and 'Emme'

Totally BFFs

Back to School

This picture was taken right before Lila and I sent Joshua back to school ... yes, Josh has gone back to college.
He is going for a two year degree. Friday night, Lila and I stocked him up on paper, pens and pencils...can't go back to school unprepared. We came in this afternoon to him gathering up his supplies at the kitchen table.
Now is a hectic time in life ... a 2 1/2 year old and a baby on the way and both of us with full-time jobs outside the house, but we're determined to manage and get him graduated! He really went back and forth on whether or not to do this, and I'm really proud of him for deciding to go for it.
Ask Lila what Daddy's up to these days ... "He's at sttooolll."

Good luck! We're behind you 100%!

BTW ... does she look like him or what?? Lila Cook is her daddy made-over ... in more ways than one!

Touch-a-Truck

We headed to downtown Opelika for Touch-a-Truck this morning. Touch-a-Truck is where all sorts of vehicles are set up, like concrete trucks, fire trucks, police cars, even a helicopter, are set up and the kiddos are allowed crawl all in and out, blow the horns, pretend to drive, etc. We talked about it all week, and Lila sounded pretty excited to go see the trucks and make the horns go "beep, beep" as she says. We got there though, and I'm pretty sure the LOUDNESS of all the horns was intimidating for her. The only truck she got in was a Beehive truck, and that was just because we knew Chip.

Victory Designs was open and letting kids be a part of the process in making their own shirts. They showed Lila how to put the ink on the shirt and then how it goes through this big machine to set. Pretty neat ... think she was more interested in this than the trucks!!

Towers

Lila got some wooden letter blocks and wooden building blocks for Christmas this past year. They've been sitting in a basket for most of the last 5 months, but here lately, she's been all about building with them. She loves building "towers" as she calls them and making them as high as she can...then they'll come crashing down. It's so funny to hear her say, "Ooh, man, me tower fall down!" Then, she'll look at one of us and say, "You wanna do it again??" She's got a pretty steady hand, and some of her towers get pretty tall.

Happy Mother's Day!

We made what was probably our final trek to Madison pre-Clare this weekend for Mother's Day. It was a quick but nice weekend at home ... a place that I love. :) So thankful to have been able to spend Mother's Day with my mama ... I love her to pieces and hope that I am half the mama to Lila and Clare that she was/is to my sister and me.

Exremely thankful that this is the little girl that made me a mama. There are no words to describe the love I have for this child. She's a definite pistol, but the sweetest, smartest, most talkative and endearing child ever. I can't wait to see her as a big sister --- she's gonna eat Clare up (once she gets used to her ;). I am definitely going to do all that I can to enjoy the next 8 weeks with my little girl. Life is changing quick...soon there will be two little girls!!
Thank you, Lila for making me one lucky mommy!!

A special Happy Mother's Day to Mimi and Granny too -- we love you and missed you so much today!! Hope your Mother's Day was fantastic!!

Shower for Clare

My wonderful teacher girlfriends threw a diaper and wipes shower this past week for Clarebear. Thanks to Carver, we now have TONS of diapers and wipes for our soon-to-be-here bambino!

Lila was able to make an appearance and she was a great help in opening up all the wrapped diaper boxes. She was more than happy to oblige actually.

No jealousy issues either over a bunch of presents that weren't hers....she hung out in my classroom most of the time with Aunt Casey!

And just for posterity's sake...I'm not much of a belly picture taker, but I did realize that if I didn't take one then this pregnancy was totally gonna slip by me without any documentation. All of the pictures of me are from the waist up ... so anyway, this was taken a couple of weeks ago when I was 30 weeks. I'll be 32 tomorrow...time sure is flying!