Take Two... Seriously, Son?!?!

Remember how I posted about Gavin's show and tell where he got to bring his mom and younger siblings to meet all his friends and they put on a show of all the songs they've been learning?  Remember how Gavin went bonkers and cried the entire time and refused to participate.  Well, there were two sessions of the show and tell that day.  We attended session 1 and session 2 began around 9:45am, which was when the first group of parents were ushered away.  Gavin's friend, Devin's mom, is the room mom so she stayed for the 2nd round.  She took pictures to show me how Gavin did with his show and tell.  NOTHING LIKE THE FIRST ROUND... Go figure.  At least he was happy, interested, participated, and we have pictures to prove he does know the songs and motions!!

It's so true what they say...

I'm on my third pregnancy and I always swore I would never be "that person" who doesn't put the same amount of effort into their later babies then they did with the first one.  WELLLLLL-- I may be eating my words on that one.  

It's not that I'm meaning to and in no way, shape, or form do I emotionally or mentally feel less into this baby as my previous kids, but geeezz... life comes at you and you're busy and before you know it... time has passed.

With Gavin and even Miles I stayed up to date with all the weekly pregnancy emails that were sent to my email, I'd look up websites for information, I'd read the book My Pregnancy Week By Week literally on the day that my weeks changed,  I'd NEVER miss taking my prenatal vitamins, I'd take a tummy picture every 4 weeks, I'd work on my child's baby book, etc, etc.  

With this pregnancy....  well...  hmm.  I don't think I'm doing as well as before.  I'm trying not to feel too guilty and realize that this isn't my first rodeo, but there's something inside my heart that makes me wonder how much this is going to continue into effect years down the road with little missy here.  I was the third child and sure, my baby book doesn't look like my brothers (I think SOME of the pages were written on) and I'm still okay with my life!  Haha.

I write all that to say that I'm going to start working on at least remembering I'm pregnant (it dawns on me when I go to get a soda out of the fridge or when I bend over and realize pee wants to come out (sorry, too personal, but it's happening and very early in the game I might add).  Yet, with all that being said, I do find myself wondering about my sweet Brooklyn and what she'll be like and who she'll become one day.  I'm already praying over the teenage years and our relationship and her relationship with Brooks and for her brothers to love her and protect her.  WOW-- it's kinda different with a girl and I never thought I'd say that.  

Things are going well with this pregnancy!  I'm 25 weeks today! WOO HOO and NO problems thus far! Praise Jesus!  I found myself at 21 weeks bracing myself incase something was to happen, guess it's all a mental thing, but things moved right along as smooth as can be.  I did the same thing with Miles pregnancy-- a little bit of worry and fear crept in at that same time, but all worked out.. Remember.  We've had several doctor's appointments in the past 2 months and Brooklyn is doing well.  She's measuring slightly big at this point and my doctor questioned the whole gestational diabetes thing (again)... UGH so I start that testing next week.  I feel great.  I move a little slowly, but it's not bad.  I'm actually not near as tired as I was and the Saudi heat doesn't and hasn't affected me at all.  I will say that my feet have already started swelling at times, which is new this early in my pregnancy, but whatever.  It's a part of my growing belly.  I'm taking progesterone injections again to help keep Brooklyn in my tummy longer so that's always fun on Sunday nights!  All I can think about when I'm crying like a baby because it hurts is Brooks' brother, Bran, and my one injection is NOTHING compared to what he faces every week.  So, I'm trying really hard to get over it!  

Gavin is excited about his baby sister.  When we talk about leaving the house to go somewhere and I tell him whether or not Miles is going to come with us (which always depends on if Delia is here) he wants to make sure baby Brooklyn is coming too!  Pretty stinkin cute if you ask me!  I'm grateful he cares about her already.  Gavin loves reminding me that my belly is big everyday, but also tells me I'm beautiful everyday!  I love that little guy!  

Brooks and I still haven't decided on a middle name for Brooklyn.  To be honest, I think we've talked about it twice and that's it.  See, just another thing to add to the list of baby #3's pregnancy not seeming like a big deal.  We will have to get on that name choosing thing pretty soon though!

21 Weeks

Show and Tell

Gavin has been in pre-school for a few weeks now and LOVING it.  He is so excited to go to school everyday, has a best friend, Devin who gets to hang out with, and truly has been learning a lot!  I got to spend 2 days doing Virtual School with him this past week and witnessed myself how much he's learning- I was amazed! I'll post about that next!  

So, since school started, every Wednesday Gavin has show and tell.  They've been bringing in items that represented their favorites (favorite toy, book, color, etc).  One day, they even got to wear their favorite outfit- so we put Gavin in an LSU jersey (he really wanted to wear his Batman costume, but I didn't know whether that was what the teacher wanted when she said favorite outfit).  

Anyways, this past week, for show and tell, was bring your mummy (his teacher is English) and little siblings to school.  It was really a cute idea.  The kids were putting on a skit, singing all their songs they've learned, which Gavin comes home everyday singing his favorite song from the day and pretty much sings ALL THE TIME!!  He was really excited about show and tell and couldn't wait for me to bring Miles to his school, not to mention, the day before, he invited Delia to come with us (which Delia use to be a preschool teacher so she was just beside herself to get to come see Gavin's school and all that he has been doing).  

So, picture this.  All the parents are sitting in chairs in one room and the kids enter into the classroom in a single filed line as quiet as can be.  All the kids are waving to their parents, smiling, giggling.  For a moment, Gavin was excited and smiled and then all of a sudden things changed.  He QUICKLY got very serious, the look on his face went from a smile to being sad.  He wouldn't look at me and this was how he looked-- almost terrified (picture 1).  His teacher immediately picked up on the change in his behavior and saw the look on his face, so she moved him next to Devin, his best buddy and this is what he did (picture 2). 

 

Just to give you an idea of what EVERY OTHER KID WAS DOING... and what Gavin was doing.  He would NOT look up at me.  And then it happened.  The room was completely quiet, like you could hear a pin drop, and all of a sudden Gavin let out this LOUD, MASSIVE, LONG scream and started crying.  Everyone jumped because they had no idea what was going on and didn't know if something happened.  Gavin still wouldn't look at me so I couldn't help him calm down while he was sitting on the rug with his classmates.  It took Devin's mom to get Gavin to look at her, to get him to look at me, and then his teacher went and got him and brought him to me.  I really wanted to see if he would calm down on his own, to give him a chance to work through God knows what issue that overcame him, and settle down, but that did not happen.  Gavin spent the majority of the program sitting on my lap and me calming him down.  Devin's mom and I and Delia tried and tried and tried to get Gavin to participate with his friends and show us the songs and movements that they were doing, but he wanted NOTHING to do with it.

I was shocked.  No part of Gavin's episode is like him.  I mean- don't get me wrong, he can be shy at times and needs time to warm up, but to go BALLISTIC for no apparent reason, just because I was at school.  Could.NOT.believe.it.

When the kids finished singing their songs and we watched Goldilocks and the 3 Little Bears play and Gavin was still in my lap, still crying, I told him I was going to leave so that he could go back to being with his friends.  He didn't want that at all. So, I made him go back to the carpet to finish their show and tell.  He was NOT happy about that, but we got him his juice cup, I pulled out a small Batman toy from my purse, and we moved him right by Devin and I sat in front on the floor for the end of their program.  Look how pathetic the look on his face was.  I really did feel bad for him.  My heart ached for whatever he was going through, but I was also determined to use this as a teachable moment.

 

After my threat to leave, Gavin stayed on the rug with his friends (even though he wasn't happy) and finished the program.  All the American kids stood up and showed on a map where they lived and told everyone they were from Texas!  Afterwards, Gavin seemed to do a little better.  He actually never perked up until it was snack time.  All the kids and parents were ushered into classroom #2 and there was movement and a change of environment so Gavin was completely over his little escapade and was himself again.  I got to enjoy watching him interact with all his classmates and see him being himself, again.  What a chaotic time snack time was!  It was cute though!

Getting to go to the show and tell allowed me to see lots of Gavin's work that he's done since the beginning of school and that hasn't been sent home!   I was quite impressed.  They've obviously, been busy in class.  Their theme since school started has been All About Me- hence all the body and face pictures.  Check out his full body picture-- this one is where they learned about head, shoulder's, knees, and toes.  One problem-- he doesn't have a nose!   This second picture is Gavin's ENTIRE body outlined where he got to lay on the ground and get traced and then he covered his body with "clothes" (he's the center one).  I love the third picture, where he colored his face.  This was done the second week of school -- he was just learning about coloring objects.  I love how his friend, Flavie, who's picture is below his is all nice and neat and looks good.  Please don't think at all that I'm comparing Gavin to other kids-- not at all-- I'm grateful he's enjoying school and having the opportunity to learn so many new things.  Not to mention, we're not looking for perfection, just that he's enjoying learning!!  I'm assuming the 4th picture was about Humpty Dumpty-- they have been learning about nursery rhymes.  

 

 



I'm so glad I took pictures of Gavin's work to be able to show Brooks.  This last set of pictures cracked us up!  We could not believe what we saw!!  If you notice in the left picture... the top, yellow car is Gavin's.  Check out all the cars that were hung up with Gavin's in the right picture (his is the one on the top right).  Notice, for some reason, Gavin's car is THE ONLY ONE where NONE of the parts are touching.  We have NO IDEA why he made his car like this, or why he is the ONLY one who seemed to not get the idea of how to make the car, but we are contributing it to his need for things to be in exact order- and in this case- not touching.  He seems to have a very precise, clear picture of things being just perfect, in line, in order, organized in certain ways (color, size, etc), so apparently, this car picture isn't any different.  We LOVE it!!

 

What a fun day show and tell turned out to be!  Wonder what the next school event we're invited to will be like! 

In between the afternoon and evening

After Delia leaves our house in the afternoons and before Daddy comes home from work between 6-7pm, we are always needing SOMETHING to do.  So, the other evening we went outside, turned the water hose on, and went to town.  Both our boys had a ball playing and goofing off.  Gavin washed his truck (a little glimpse into what one of his chores will be in about 10 years) and Miles... well, if he wasn't trying to take the water hose from his brother he was eating every leaf, spec, or mounds of dirt he could get his hands on!  

I'm so grateful for all of Delia's help.  It really has changed the dynamic around our house and I'm enjoying getting to be a mommy with my kids and giving them my undivided attention to have moments like these!  

Dubai: the City, the Malls, & the Attractions

While in Dubai, we wanted to check out all the attractions that Dubai is known for and get to experience as many things as possible around town.  The city of Dubai was amazing.  Everything was HUGE!  Everything was new.  Everything looked clean and was simply fabulous!

As I posted earlier, we stayed at the Atlantis, which is located on the Palm Island so everyday we traveled from our hotel to the city going through a tunnel and got to do lots of sight seeing!  

Check out this skyline.  It looked really hazy in the picture, but the sun was shining and the day was gorgeous.  

We went to two malls while we were in Dubai, mainly because of how much there was to do and see at the malls. We started at the Mall of Emirates where we had a quick breakfast and grabbed coffee at a Starbucks before heading to Ski Dubai.  Miles and I weren't allowed in, but Brooks and Gavin went and had a ball.  They went tubing, sledding, played in the snow and had a blast.  Brooks said he always dreamed about taking his family on a vacation and playing with his kids and he finally felt like was living that dream.  Ski Dubai was awesome and there was a ton of stuff for Gavin to get to do and enjoy.  You have a choice between the slopes pass (where you physically ski and get to go on the ski lifts) or the park pass that allows you to do everything else.  There definitely was enough for the boys to do.  Gavin even went sledding down a track BY HIMSELF.  Not sure I would have allowed it had I been there, but Brooks said Gavin wanted to do it, was excited, and loved it!  The suits were available for rent along with the boots.  We bought their hats and gloves at a nearby store to help keep them warm.  I love the idea that in 10 years Gavin can say that he got to go to Ski Dubai.

  

 

We ate at PF Chang's for lunch, which was delicious. Check out the HUGE fountains inside the middle of the mall!

 We spent our afternoon walking around the mall, doing a little shopping, and then stopped at another coffee house while the boys took naps in the stroller before heading off to another mall, The Dubai Mall.  We planned our time at the Dubai Mall to be when we were going to the Burj Khalifa.  

One of the BEST parts of our trip to Dubai was visiting the Burj Khalifa.  It is currently THE tallest building in the world and was a neat, neat experience to have as a family.  I'll be completely honest.  Our trip to the Burj did NOT start off well, at all.  We had NO IDEA where we were going, but knew from the time our taxi dropped us off, we had 10 minutes to make our time slot, which we pre-purchased tickets ahead of time.   We basically ran around the entire side of the building to make it to the front doors-- only problem is... they don't exactly let you walk up to the front door and go inside.  So, we then had to walk ALL the way, around the other side of the building to find the tourist entrance.  Keep in mind, Brooks was WEARING Miles on him with the Bjorn carrier and was pushing Gavin in our BIG stroller.  I was trying my best to keep up with them wearing wedges and being pregnant, in the heat.  It wasn't a fun beginning to our evening, but eventually, we made it where we were suppose to be- 40 minutes late-- soaking wet (literally), and a little frazzled, not to mention someone was very put out.  Thankfully, the door attendants felt bad for us and allowed us in.  From that point on-- everything worked out beautifully and we went on the tour of the building.

We went up this building!  Pretty cool!  

Outside the Burj Khalifa they have water fountains in the water that are similar to the Bellagio's water shows in Las Vegas.  We booked our tickets for the BK to be around sunset so we could catch the fountain show in the evening.  It was put to music and AMAZING!!

We got to enjoy these water shows a lot that evening.  There are a ton of restaurants out on the water so we stopped at California Pizza Kitchen (I know, another US chain restaurant, but we were starving, had already had a tough evening, and were just desperate for some good food, versus searching for local food and then risking not liking the meal) and sat outside on the patio and enjoyed our dinner while listening to the music and watching the lights.

The next morning, we decided to go back to the Dubai Mall and actually do a little shopping.  Plus, we needed time to kill before heading to the airport.  We also saw a Pot Belly Restaurant that Brooks really wanted to eat at for lunch so we spent mid day at the Dubai Mall.  These malls really don't disappoint.  There is a ton of shopping and tons of attractions to see.  Just like these water falls that were inside.  Pretty Cool!  (From the picture, you can tell, Gavin was about done at that point)

Dubai: Traveling, the Atlantis & Everything that goes with the Atlantis

A few weeks ago, Brooks and I were talking about how it's really sad that come next August, we will have lived in the Middle East for 2 years, and will have yet to take a real vacation (because of having babies).  Don't get me wrong, we've been going on "vacations", but they've always been to the USA.  We were fortunate last Fall to make 2 trips to Bahrain before not being allowed to travel to that country, so at least we've been having SOME fun!

For some reason, Brooks' boss was willing to let him take a 3 day weekend so we jumped on it!  Within 5 days, we booked a hotel, plane tickets, and a few attractions (more on that in the next post) and were on our way.  Thankfully, flights to Dubai were NO BIG DEAL so we left KSA around 7pm and arrived in Dubai around 11pm!  Easy Peasy!  The kids did AWESOME--- okay so we DID get a glimpse of what to expect with Miles being a lap baby when we fly home in November, but he wasn't THAT bad.  We heard from a lot of people that you could find taxi's that held car seats in them, so we opted to NOT bring ours, and rely on what's provided in Dubai.  It worked out leaving the airport.  Miles got to sit facing forward for the first time, but poor baby, he was asleep within 5 minutes of the car ride to our hotel so I'm not too sure what he actually enjoyed seeing.  Gavin lasted 10 minutes.  They were both exhausted.  I'm thinking by now it was almost midnight in our taxi.  Brooks and I were mesmerized with all the sights and lights and how big everything was!  We got a lady taxi (which are the ones with car seats) and we had the sweetest driver.  She told us about every single place we passed and explained what everything was, gave suggestions on places to eat at, places to see, etc.  

We stayed here.  At the Atlantis.  It was breathe taking.  Brooks and I were so glad we booked our stay at this hotel.  It was VERY kid friendly, with water parks, indoor aquariums, shopping stores, restaurants and more.  We basically could have stayed at the Atlantis the entire trip and would have been enjoyed every moment.

Although, by the time we made it to our hotel room, it was almost 1am and everyone felt like this... except for Miles (can you see his head peaking over the bed?)  Gavin was passed out in the stroller- you know he's tired if he slept in the stroller.  Pretty sure he hasn't done that since he was Miles age.  

This was in the entry way, lobby area of our hotel.  AMAZING.  GORGEOUS. BEAUTIFUL.

Our first day in Dubai, we decided to stay at our hotel and enjoy all it had to offer.  We wanted to relax,  not be rushed, and do whatever we wanted without the pressure of having to be somewhere at a specific time.  We slept late, ordered room service for breakfast, put on our bathing suits and went out to the water park.  Before we made it to the water park, we got to pass the HUGE walls of the aquarium that's in our hotel and see all the creatures-- sharks, stingrays, and lots of fish.    Gavin was in awe!!!











At the water park, we found the kiddie area and Gavin went to town.  He and Brooks ran up and down this huge tower playing with every piece of equipment, gadget, and toy.  If it was there, they did it.

After a while, we went and checked out the rest of the park and had some fun as a family rafting in the lazy river and even went down several rapids-- with Miles, which we later found out we weren't allowed on them with an infant.  Brooks got to have some fun and did grown up rides.  One of his rides actually went through a tunnel through the aquarium.  The boys and I waited outside this area to watch for Brooks.  When he finally came through Gavin could not understand what his Daddy was doing and was VERY worried that the sharks were going to get him.  Can you see Brooks on the tube in the background?  

Here's Brooks going down the BIG slide they had.  He's just as big of a kid himself!

We went back to the kiddie zone and let the boys play some more.  It was HOT outside.  We had to stay in the water a majority of the time.  Gavin was such a big boy playing with everything and going down the slides by himself!  Miles had fun crawling in the water.

We grabbed lunch at one of the water park's restaurants so we wouldn't have to get out of our bathing suits.  As soon as we finished eating, we went right back to playing in the water!  

After a long nap and showers, we got dinner at one of the restaurants inside the Atlantis.  It was really cool.  It was buffet style, but every section was a different nationality of food.  You could choose ANYTHING.  It made our dinner very easy and everyone was pleased!  Gavin even found gummy bears on the dessert table.    Brooks got to get a massage after our dinner, which he was ecstatic about.  Too bad they didn't have anyone to do prenatal massages.  Oh well.

The Atlantis had an aquarium called the Lost Chambers inside and we had unlimited, free access to it, anytime we wanted.  We visited it several times and it was really neat watching ALL the different animals, even at different parts of the day.  One time, there were divers cleaning the aquariums, so that fascinated Gavin to see people inside with the sharks.  The aquarium had some cool architecture pieces throughout the exhibit and Gavin had to sit on them all.    One of Gavin's favorite parts of the aquarium was seeing the jelly fish.  He was so intrigued by them.

 We had a blast at our hotel and were so thankful that we stayed at the Atlantis and took in the water park, aquarium, and restaurants.  The next time we go, which, yes, we want to go back-- we're planning on doing the dolphin cove and the beach area.

So, I'm just putting these pictures in here to give you an idea of what our traveling was like day to day.  Okay, so don't judge us, but when we couldn't find lady taxi's, which, sadly, was quite often, we had to let Gavin sit between us buckled in a seat belt, while Brooks always wore Miles strapped to him with the baby carrier.  We simply said a prayer every time for the Lord to protect us and HE did!