Time for the Big Leagues

One of the benefits of having a baseball stadium in the same city is the different events it hosts. The Mets have their spring training here and then the triple A St. Lucie Mets play there too. Last week the Port St Lucie Little League was honored at one of the games. They started the evening off by going on the ball field during the National Anthem. Then the got free admission to the game.
Play ball!

Easter Weekend 2011

We drove up to Mimi & Granddaddy's house for the Easter weekend. Hottie was able to take the afternoon off so we got up there around 2:00 on Friday.

Friday evening's Good Friday serviceSaturday morning we headed to Alachua for the city's Easter Egg Hunt. They gave each kid an Easter basket. As we waited for the children to be divided into age groups...Iphone entertainment! Mom & Dad went with Ry while Hottie and I went with Jayden. Some of the eggs in Jayden's age group had numbers on them. They were considered the prize eggs. Jayden found two and was able to pick out two prizes. At first he picked out a shooter gun and a ring pop but then decided to put the shooter gun back and get another ring pop...for his brother! That kid has such a compassionate heart!
After naps, we colored eggs. I have concluded that with 3 boys, egg coloring will last a total of 7.2 seconds before it's onto the next activity...flying kites!

The family on Easter morning. Unfortunately Michelle couldn't come because of her black out dates at the Marriott.

Happy Easter!

C.L.S

Thank you to my loyal commenters about our little Cooper! (Even my mom made an appearance.)

I was tempted to give the background on our name decision and Tara just gave me the extra incentive I needed.

But first I have to start with the first...

Back in 2004, I liked the name Aiden. It had become very popular due to the show Sex and the City. But I wanted something a little different. We ended up with Jayden after cycling through the alphabet and added the "y" for masculinity.
We settled on Cato (my maiden name) because we wanted a significant middle name and because I love the nickname Jay-cee (Aunt Laurie gets credit for that one!).

Shortly after Jayden, I knew if we had another boy I wanted something that started with Ry. I love the nickname Ry-Ry. For most of my pregnancy we were wavering between Ryerson and Ryland.
When deciding on a middle name (again looking for something significant) we decided on Francis. Francis is Hottie's dad's name. It became undeniable once Hottie predicted Ry being born on 4/7, he's father's birthday too. (I did have Ry on 4/7, 17 days early!)

Well when you combine Ryerson with Francis and Soich you're almost bound to curse the poor kid with a lisp! Not REALLY but it did sway us to go with Ryland :).

#3. I've mentioned that we had a girls name (Adderlyn Katheryn) picked out and some of my favorite for boys; Colson, Braxton, and Keaston. Hottie was dead set against all of them. (More so than any of the other names we contemplated for Jay & Ry. He particularly thought Colson sounded like Coleslaw. Lol)

The one name he kept coming back to was Cooper. I really like Cooper but wanted something that ended in the "n" sound.

I also don't love Cooper Lee . It's not enough syllables. Guess I have a thing for 4 (jay-den-ca-to & ry-land-fran-cis).

Lee is not only my middle name but is also my mom and Hotties mom's middle name. It is also my maternal grandfather's name and my-favorite-cousin-named-Nick's middle name. Significant enough for ya?
When I approached Hottie with adding 'son' to Cooper (Borrowing it from Colson) he agreed!

4 syllables? Coop-er-son-lee. Check!
Ends in the 'n' sound? Check!
Hottie agreed? Check!
Different first initial than the other 2? Check! I didn't want 2 with the same (ie Jayden and Jackson) and not the other.
Stayed away from A & B initials? Check! You have to be careful with the last name Soich! ( ie A*S or BS)
Both boys like it? Check!

And there you have it! Everything that went into coming up with Cooperson Lee Soich. It's a big decision but ultimately when it feels "right", it is perfect!

It's all in the name...

26 week survey, well...sort of

So I had hoped to get a 6 month survey posted but didn't. I took this picture at 25 weeks (thanks to scholarship night at school) but here I am writing this post at 26 weeks! Ahh...so is my life!

How far along? @ picture 25 weeks 4 days.

Size of baby? 14 inches long and weighs over 1.7 lbs.

Total weight gain/loss? Going to the doctors on Thursday for my sugar test. I feel like I've gained at least 8 pounds!

Maternity clothes? Been there doing that!

Gender? Boy! And we have a name. (I want to make that its own post.)

Movement? All.the.time. I've gotten to the point now that if I haven't felt him for a while I start to worry.

What I miss? Just being able to move about easily. By the end of the day I'm like the little old lady who takes minutes to stand up and get going.

Sleep? Pretty Good. Last week was FCAT week at school so it was very stressful and hectic. I was at work before 6:30 and didn't get home until after 6:00. Surprisingly that just made me sleep less. I get up to pee usually twice a night.

Symptoms? What don't I have?

• My pregnancy mask is in full effect. I guess my sensitivity to hormones and the Florida sun (even though I wear Zinc oxide on my face EVERY day) can't compete with those darkening spots. I seem to have it most prevently on my chin. Lovely!


• My arms have gotten shorter. Ok maybe my belly has just gotten bigger. The other day I opened the door and bumped right into my belly. Oops, guess I forgot that it was there.


• My lower back/tail bone gets so easily tight/sore. If I could/would walk or swim everyday I think I could keep it limber.


• My belly looks/feels twice as big by the end of the day.


• I have the dropsies.
  

I can't believe I only have 14 weeks left. Even less if I consider my last two pregnancies (25 days early and 17 days early). I'm still rooting for 7-11-11 (12 days early!)

Birthday 'Weekend' Part 4

I guess it's only fitting to end the 4th birthday with a 4th birthday celebration!

On Ry's actual birthday we celebrated with cupcakes and balloons at his school. The theme? Why Mickey of course! Thanks mom for making all the cupcakes. Ry and his friend Alyssa. She has a 'bubble' in her mouth. Several times a year I measure the boys on their growth charts. It usually ends up being birthdays, half-birthdays, first day of school, and last day of school. It's so interesting to see how different they are in height. Jayden was almost TWO INCHES taller than Ry at his 4th birthday!

Happy 4th Birthday Ry!

4 Years =1460 days =35,040 hours =

2,102,400 minutes =126,144,000 seconds!

Happy Birthday Ryland Francis Soich! You have been the perfect addition to our family. You are so excited to be a big brother and I know you will make a great one!

Ryland's birthday posts from 2008 & 2009

Today is also special because it would have been Grandpa Bub's (Hottie's Dad) 68th birthday!