The Great Outdoors

Wow, what a babymoon! Jason and I took the long route to Eureka Springs, stopping first in Muskogee, Oklahoma for a quick work conference. It was totally worth the drive though. We had over 12 hours round trip of one-on-one time in the car, with the occasional NCAA commentator riding along.

After a few hours of curvy roads through rustic farmland, we arrived at the Ridge Top Resorts and Cabins in Eureka Springs. We stopped first at Mike and Debra's home (the owners) to pick up the key and chat a little while. They told us that our cabin has a possessed squirrel that has been gnawing away at the outside of the cabin for months. They said there is a bounty on his head and we would get a discount on rent if we were able to kill it! They told us about a big black bear they had seen roaming the property a few days before, but not to worry...

When we actually got to our cabin, it was totally dark, so of course every rustle in the woods sounded like a bear to me. I kept my pepper spray on hand, only to be made fun of by my sweet husband. Anyhow, we never did have an encounter with the bear, but Jason sure had a lot of fun teasing me about it. We did, however, hear that crazy squirrel now and again. He's apparently a super survivor, because they painted part of the cabin with some poisonous paint to try and kill the little booger, but to no avail!

The rest of the trip was pretty relaxing. We visited downtown Eureka Springs for half of a day. Its the oddest little town! It has sort of a hippie/old western feel to it. They had all of these nick-knack shops and they went on forever and ever! We ate breakfast at Local Flavor (we tried to eat at Mud Street, but sadly it was closed), and then we at lunch at this awesome hot dog place called The Big Dog. After walking, we had a 1:00 reservation to ride the tram tour around Eureka Springs. I think everyone on the tram was over 80, and having a very difficult time hearing the tour guide :)

Afterward, we took a quick trip to Lake Leatherwood where we planned to return to the next day, weather permitting (sadly, it did not permit). They had people out on paddle boats, kayaks, and canoes, a little beach, and lots of room to throw a Frisbee or fly a kite! On the lake, we noticed this sad little goose with one leg. We had a conversation about what may have happened to him. And then he woke up and another leg suddenly appeared! I thought only flamingos did that!

Over the next couple of days we visited the Thorncrown Chapel, Christ of the Ozarks, ate at the Pied Piper, Bubba's BBQ, and Ermilio's, grilled out at the cabin, took a quick trip to Branson, MO to see the New Shanghai Circus (pretty fab), traveled to Berryville for a pedicure (that's right, Jason got one too!), made use of the awesome indoor jacuzzi in our cabin, and got car sick. That about covers it for now!

On another quick note, we have a name for baby boy! Brady Quinn Carmichael (we nixed James for a middle name because I really don't like the nick name B.J.). Hopefully, in the next post, I'll be able to post photos of the nursery in progress!

Much love, Erin, Jason, and Brady :)

Make Like a Baby...

While I am still required to take it easy, I am finding easy things to do to stay productive and entertain myself. For example, today I finally finished researching and purchased our infant carrier/car seat online! It takes a lot of time when you are trying to consider safety, weight, comfort, and aesthetics! Anyhow, I can't wait to drive around with this little booger in my back seat. Other than just being adorable, it will be a constant reminder that we are about to have a kid move in with us!

Other than shopping online, I've been doing research for our "babymoon" that we plan to take in late March. We are going to head to Eureka Springs for several days and stay in a cabin near Beaver Lake. If you know of something we must-do or must-see, shoot me a message.

Anyhow, I have placed another physical reminder that a kiddo is about to arrive in our kitchen. Our bumbo! I'm fairly certain baby boy won't be able to use this for a while, but its super fun to look at. I'm kind of hoping for chubby legs to put in it :)

So talk about a serious, "Head Up, This Kid is Coming Soon" day. Jason and I took the all day Birthing Class at Baptist on Saturday. Lets just say they don't leave much to the imagination. I was grateful though, because they covered everything from where to park when you arrive, to how to install your car seat when you leave. They also gave us a tour of the hospital so we would know what to expect, and hopefully the daddy's-to-be won't get lost when they wheel us up there!

Days Gone By

I can't believe its been an entire week since my last post! The days have flown by now that I am not super glued to the recliner. I suppose if they had kept me on bed rest, I would have been boring everyone with crazy random things that happen around the house every day. For example, there is this the crazy bird outside our living room window that has spent every moment of daylight over the last two weeks ramming his head into the neighbor's window. No joke. He's driving me nuts. I see him in my periphery all day long, no matter where I sit in the house. Somebody has got to put him out of his misery...

In other news, baby boy seems to be doing very well! He's kicking and stretching all day and night long. We are fairly certain we are going to have a hyperactive little dude on our hands come June! ADHD anybody? At least he'll come by it honestly.

At this point he is supposed to be around 15 inches long, and 2.2 pounds. Speaking of which, I am growing and growing and also eating like a teenage boy! I'm not the only one who is having to deal with the changes that are going on. Lyddy is a lap cat if I've ever met one, and she is having trouble staying on this lap of mine. She has to hold on with one paw. She has also begun to notice slight movements on my tummy and seems curious. Pretty soon baby boy is going to be kicking her clean off my lap! Oh, and I've begun to hold Lyddy upside down to try and get her used to a future toddler. :D

Okay, now for an amazing invention that I had never heard of. Our friends Steve and Bennie sent me the cutest teddy bear (have heard of this invention) and something called a Wubbanub. It's a tiny little stuffed animal that has a pacifier sewn into its mouth. This allows Baby to keep the pacifier in his mouth all by himself! I can't wait to try it out! When you get a chance, look it up on google images and you will see all sorts of adorable newborn babies clinging to these guys. Not sure why I didn't think of this one!