Mommy and Emma's Fun Day :D

Well, I logged 16, 000 steps today on my fit bit, needless to say, it was sorta a busy day. Emma didn't wake me up until 7:30, so that was very nice! I quickly got myself and her ready, and I dropped her off at daycare by 8:00 am for breakfast.

I headed over to Sioux Falls Ford for an oil change, and of-course they discovered like 4 other things that needed to be done, so my $30 oil change turned into a $400 transaction. Fun times. And of course it took them like 3 hours to do all the work, so I walked over to the Empire Mall and did some shopping.

I found some new shoes for work and got a much-needed haircut and eyebrow wax. And then I spent a lot of time just walking around the mall and killing time. After my vehicle was finally ready, I went and picked up Emma and we headed to the zoo.

It was such a beautiful day today. It was sunny, calm, and about 78 degrees for the high, with very little humidity. It was a perfect day for a stroll through the zoo. Emma enjoyed it too. She rode in the wagon for a lot of the zoo, and she had fun just running around and looking at things.

After the zoo, Emma was hungry so we stopped at Burger King and split a meal. Emma mainly ate french fries, but I got her to eat at least a little chicken.

Finally, I brought her to Kids Night in the Park at McKennan Park. Basically, the Sioux Falls Park Department has games and inflatables along with prizes and candy for all the kids. They also had a kids band for entertainment. It was pretty fun. We were there pretty early and beat the crowd, and Emma had fun playing games-of course they were her own way and she didn't always understand the concept. But she loved the candy, and the prizes :) We did a few inflatables as well, but they got really crowded really fast so it didn't last long.

After about an hour, the crowds of kids and parents became too much for us, so we headed home. What a beautiful evening it was to spend in the park!!

We got home about 7:00 pm, and spent the next hour and a half with bath time and unwinding from the day. Emma finally sacked out at about 8:30, and I am not far away from sleeping either. I did a lot of walking and carrying around a toddler, I am beat. But I had a great day with Emma and couldn't ask for anything better than that :)

Checking out the penguins (again)

Wagon ride at the zoo

Yelling at the brown bear to "wake up"

Car rides with mommy

"Thrilled" to be at the park

Emma's painting of a heart

Bath time 

Playing Bathketball 

Weekend Guests

This past weekend flew by pretty fast, and I even had to work it! I had Friday off, so I kept Emma at home with me all day. We had a fun little day just the two of us. In the morning, we played outside and just hung around the house. I took Emma to my OB appointment at 11:30, and she thought it was pretty cool to see the doctor taking care of mommy and "baby". It was fun. She got a little restless towards the end of the appointment, but she did really well overall.

After the doctor, she was starving. So we got some lunch at Hy-Vee and then went home for a power nap. During her nap, my parents arrived and Emma was thrilled to see them when she woke up.

I had to work all weekend, and John left for Canada on Sunday morning, so my parents came to town to babysit Emma for the weekend. My mom bought Emma a power scooter, that she has been having an absolute blast on that thing.

We spent the afternoon visiting and enjoying the nice weather outside and then we ate out at Ruby Tuesday's for supper. We finally got Emma to calm down and go to bed around 9:00 pm and the rest of us visited for a while before turning in.

On Saturday, I worked all day, but my parents, John, and Emma had a fun day. They played and played and played. They went to the peach festival. They did some grocery shopping, and just generally had a casual day. When I got home from work, I had a delicious supper waiting for me. My parents brought fresh peas from the field, fresh green beans, and they bought some sweet corn along the way. We had all that, plus steaks for supper, and it was amazing :)

I worked Sunday again, and John left super early for Canada, so my parents had Emma to themselves for the day. They went to church, went to brunch, went to a park, and just played their little hearts out. They had supper waiting for me again when I got home. My mom also shampooed carpets, did laundry, and made a casserole for us for tonight. My parents can come babysit anytime :)

So, John is in Canada for the week. I am a single mom, juggling a toddler, a pregnancy, work, and keeping this house in some sort of working order. So far so good. But, it's only been two days :) Emma has been good so far, she was a little crabby tonight, but overall behaving very well and not making my life too difficult. And I've been feeling pretty good as far as the pregnancy goes, so not problems there either.

Today was a good day. I got Emma to daycare and myself to work on time, so that was a good start. The work day flew by pretty quick, and then I picked Emma up and we headed to the park because it's absolutely gorgeous outside! Emma had fun. We had hot dish for supper (thanks mom!) and then played outside again for a while.

Right now, Emma is finally sleeping, after fighting it for a while. So, I thought I would catch up on some blogging while watching some Breaking Bad. I have tomorrow off, and haven't quite decided what I am doing. I need to get my oil changed, buy new shoes for work, and do some grocery shopping, so Emma may go to daycare for a few hours at least.

So, overall things are being handled just fine at home with just me and Emma and I look forward to some more fun adventures this week!!

Emma having fun in the Inflatables at the Peach Festival 

Me and my buddy :D

Having fun at the park 

Halfway to meeting Baby #2

I am finally 20 weeks pregnant (actually 21 weeks tomorrow) and I am super excited to be halfway done. It is just not quite as fun being pregnant the second time around. Am I excited to meet Nelson Baby #2? You betcha. I am very much looking forward to the end result, I just am not reveling in the pregnant thing like I did the first time around.

When I was pregnant with Emma, I was reading 3 different pregnancy books at one time, excited to buy maternity clothes, touching my stomach and being in awe of being pregnant constantly.

This time around, things are a little different. I still really enjoy feeling baby move, and boy is she/he really moving around a lot lately!!! I was very excited to have my ultrasound done last week, at get the first peek at baby. And we decided to not find out what we are having, so that will be a fun surprise on delivery day :) I am not just loving being pregnant every day though. It's tough to sleep, I pee all the time, and it is sorta miserable on these hot, humid days. Also, chasing and carrying a toddler around is a little more difficult to say the least.

Emma has been really cute about the pregnancy lately. I'm not sure she fully understands, but at least 5 times a day, she rubs my tummy and says "baby". And sometimes if I am holding her, she touches my boob and says "baby". Haha, so the concept maybe isn't quite completely there. But I think she will be a great big sister, and it will be exciting to see her adapt to a new role in the family.

But, as much as I am complaining, the pregnancy is going really well. No problems, no major complaints. Baby looked happy and healthy on the ultrasound. And we are most definitely looking forward to expanding our family to 4 come December.

On a separate note, I had yesterday off, so in the afternoon I took Emma to Sertoma Park, and we had a blast. It wasn't very busy at all, so Emma enjoyed exploring all the different playgrounds at her own speed. And she discovered how fun teeter totters are!!

Today, John went to Fargo for work and he doesn't come back until tomorrow afternoon, so Emma and I had a fun evening to ourselves, and she pooped out at 8:30pm with no complaints. Guess she was wore out :)

Tomorrow, my parents are coming to town to watch Emma all weekend while I work, and John leaves for Canada. I think they are pretty excited to spend some time alone with Emma. Tomorrow, I at least get to hang out with them a little bit and show them where some parks and pools are so they can take Emma over the weekend.

So, that's what's new around here. We are enjoying the heck out of summer, but I can't believe it's almost over! How is it almost August already? At least that means we are closer to December :) :)

Jazz Fest 2014

This past weekend was another busy one. Friday night, John and I finally had the first campfire of the summer. It only took us until about the end of the July. It was a little windy, and wasn't the ideal weather conditions, but it was still nice. I made a smore, and we just enjoyed each other's company, while Emma slept away.

On Saturday, we went to the Farmer's Market and shopped around. After that, we let Emma play on the playground right by the Farmer's Market and she had a blast running around with the other kids. After the park, we went to the Washington Pavillion for lunch, and then we spent some time in the Science Museum. I'm not sure who had more fun, John or Emma.

Emma took a good 2 hour nap after all the activity and in the late afternoon, Jim and Barb came and picked up Emma for the evening. John and I headed to Jazz Fest. It was really fun. It was a beautiful evening with good music and great company. We ran into Steve and Melanie at Jazz Fest, so we sat with them and enjoyed the show. We saw Hank Williams Jr, who is apparently pretty famous. I don't really know him, but he was entertaining. It was a nice evening to ourselves and we enjoyed having a little less responsibility for one evening.

Sunday, we went to church without a toddler, which was amazing. I forgot how easy church can be without a 2 year old to contain. We had a nice breakfast at IHOP, and then Jim and Barb brought Emma back into town. It was pretty hot and humid out, so John and I took Emma swimming. We all had a pretty good time in the pool.

Yesterday, I got off work at 3:00pm and Emma and I had the afternoon to play. It was very hot and humid, so we spent some time in the kiddie pool and the sandbox. It wasn't too long before Emma had some rosy cheeks going on, so we spent the rest of the evening in the basement playing.

It was a great, busy weekend. I am working call tonight, and then Emma and I may hit up Wild Water West on Wednesday, which will be fun :)

Hope everyone is enjoying the heat and humidity!!!

Cheering on daddy at his softball game :)

Our first fire of the Summer 

Playground fun

Date night at Jazz Fest

Having fun on a hot afternoon

Passed out in the high chair

Sutton Family Gathering

This last weekend was a busy one again, but it was pretty fun. I was on-call all night for the whole weekend, and Friday was an awful night. I didn't get home until 5:20am. So after some sleep, I spent the day hanging out with John and Emma. It was a beautiful day, and we spent most of the day outside playing in the sandbox and all the outdoor toys.

Luckily, Saturday night went a lot better at work. We went in to finish up one case, and we were in and out in 45 minutes. Then we stayed home the rest of the night.

Sunday was a fun day. We went to Brookings to see some of John's family, who live in New York City. So, Matt and Elizabeth (who live in NYC) have 5 girls, Andy and Emily (who live in Kansas) have one daughter, and then you add Emma to the mix, and there were 7 little girls under the age of 9 running around and playing.  It was pretty fun, and it was nice to visit and catch up with everyone.

All the sutton cousins

Emma and Daddy

After some lunch, and some more visiting, it was time to head back home. Once we were home, we all took about an hour nap, we were beat from being in the sun all day and chasing all those girls around all afternoon!!

Once we were all refreshed, we ate supper, then played in the backyard for a while. Emma was super-charged after her power nap. 

Outdoor fun

Drinking from a hose :)

We didn't get Emma settled down and to bed until around 10:00 pm. Whoops. We hit the hay shortly after that. And I got to stay home and sleep all night, so that was fabulous. 

We had a great family weekend :)

Park Date :)

I have been pretty busy at work lately, picking up extra shifts because we have been really short on staff this summer. So, it's been incredibly busy at work, and I have been working extra, so I really try to take advantage of my days off.

Yesterday, I had a day off finally (well, once I tested off my PALS course), so Emma and I had some fun at the park. Emma is such a fun little bundle of energy these days, and she just loved exploring everything at the park.

We also have a goal this summer to bring Emma to all of the Sioux Falls parks. I don't think we are even halfway through, so we will see if that happens or not.

Emma has been super happy and playful these last couple weeks, it has been so much fun! The only thing is when it's time to go inside for the evening or time for bed, Emma throws a huge fit. I know it's just a phase these little tykes go through, but it can make for a frustrating end to the day.

On a separate note, today I am 19 weeks pregnant with Baby Nelson #2. I am almost halfway there, which sounds amazing!!! We have our ultrasound on Tuesday morning, and we are actually thinking of not finding out the baby's gender. I don't know for sure if I can do it, but it would be kinda fun to not know until he/she is delivered. It's going to make picking out names even more difficult though.

So, anyway, that's what's new around here. I am just chilling before another call shift. I work call for the next three nights (boo!) but hopefully they aren't too bad because Hot Harley Nights is this weekend and we have a Brookings trip planned for Sunday to see some of John's Family that lives out of state.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend :)

The Avett Brothers

About a month ago, John found out that the Avett Brothers were going to be playing at Saturday in the Park in Sioux City, Iowa. John has been an Avett Brothers fan for years, and he got me into them probably about 5 years ago. I really like them too, and know a lot of their songs, so we thought, what the heck, we should go.

Saturday in the park is a free event, so basically all we had to do was show up with lawn chairs and we were able to see a really good show-for free!

We dropped off Emma at Jim and Barb's in mid-afternoon, and then we did some things around the house and left around 6pm. There were so many people at the park, it was ridiculous. It was a fun, energetic crowd, and the show was really lively as well.

The weather could not have been any better either. So, basically we had a really good time. The Avett Brother's did not disappoint us. We stayed for the entire show, and the fireworks at the end. It was a nice little adult date :)

We got home around 12:30 am, and Emma spent the night out at Jim and Barb's since we knew it would be a late night. So, right now, she is still out at the farm, and the house seems really quiet and empty. I miss my little girl.

However, John and I have a list of to-dos to get done before she comes back home. It's 100x easier to clean the house and do some of these tasks without a toddler following behind making messes again or whining for attention. So, I better go get workin'.

My vacation officially ends tomorrow, but it was a great 10 days and I look forward to a little bit of a routine again. So maybe work isn't so bad... :)

John and I at the Avett Brothers

Happy 4th of July :)

Another fourth of July has come and gone, and it was a busy one! We started off the fourth by going to the Sioux Falls Fourth of July Parade. It was a pretty lack luster parade, but Emma sure thought it was pretty cool, and enjoyed seeing all the floats. We really didn't even get any candy, but that's ok, Emma doesn't need the extra sugar :)

Enjoying the parade

Sleeping after all the parade excitement 

After the parade, we headed to Falls Park because the mayor was hosting a picnic for the first 5000 guests, so we had a pork sandwich, chips, water, and ice cream for free in the park. Emma passed out in her stroller for this part, which was good because we had to stand in line for a while. 

Once we finally got our food, we headed home and John headed to the farm, while I stayed behind to try to get Emma to take a decent nap. I was unsuccessful, so I packed up and headed out soon after. 

Emma had a blast out on the farm. She was just on the move the entire time, we switched off who was in charge of keeping up with her, just so we could keep up with her. 

The Fourth was pretty much what it always was-the boys shot clay pigeons, we had a beanbag tournament, grlled-out, visited, and of course shot off fireworks. 

Emma just kinda got into everything, and there was a kiddie pool set up, so she had fun in the water. I had to change her outfit three times!

We also took a lot of family photos since almost the entire family was there this year. It was nice to see everybody and catch up with them. 

Emma was not a fan of the fireworks. Once the big, loud ones started going off, she wanted to be picked up, and cuddled right into our shoulders. Poor girl. We took her inside during this part, and then I left shortly after with her because it was like 10:30pm, and poor girl was way behind on sleep. She passed out in the car before I even left the driveway. 

Emma loves to play in the water!

Abby and Emma thought it was awesome to crawl into Buzz's kennel over and over again

All three girls playing so nice together

Emma checking out the "baby", hopefully this is a good sign of things to come :)

Peg and Emma putting on lotion

Wagon rides

John, Jeff, and Grandma Nelson

It was a great fourth of July, and it was fun to see Emma get into the festivities this year. It's too bad she doesn't appreciate the fireworks, but maybe next year...

Hope everyone had a fun, safe, Fourth of July!!!