Abigail's a Hammerhead

Abigail started swim lessons the spring of 2010, around 15mo old. We did basic lessons that summer and the following year. In January 2011, another swim establishment offered a deal too good to pass and Abigail started swimming there after she turned 3. In the beginning there was a lot of "tough love" but we decided swimming was/is a life skill and she needed to learn regardless of the tears occasionally shed. Secretly, I was thrilled not to be the bad guy in the water. After a good few lessons, she started to trust her swim coach more and really enjoy herself. Since Abigail wasn't in pre-school and I wasn't working, we had the luxury of attending more lessons throughout the week. She swam 3-5 times a week for almost two years. Over that time frame, she continued to progress in her swimming and continued to love it.

This year we decided to let Abigail try a summer swim team. We know lots of families who swim with this team or have swam with the team in the past, so we should be in for a good season. Abigail was thrilled she would be swimming again. Between my work schedule, her preschool schedule and this pregnancy it was a bit difficult coordinating activities for Abigail. September 2013 was her last month of lessons. Abigail was so cute at her first swim team practice, so anxious! She eagerly listened to all the high school coaches introduce themselves and listed pool rules like no running on the pool deck, no walking in flippers, no one in the water if a lifeguard isn't present. As you can see in the photo, other kids weren't nearly as interested or anxious! Swim team practice takes place Monday through Friday at 8am.

Abigail's first team suit!

To help volunteers keep track of the kids throughout the meets, we write on our swimmers. Their name and age go on their right shoulder blade. On their arm or leg we write the details of the events they are swimming. The 5-6yo girls events are 11, 23 and 45. Event 11 is individual freestyle, Event 23 is the freestyle relay and Event 45 is the individual backstroke.

Abigail ready to swim her first relay race; she is the second swimmer of the relay.

Abigail and Annabelle

Abigail really enjoyed her first year as a Smyrna Shark. It was fun watching her improve throughout the month and we look forward to her swimming again next year.

Preparing for Bean

Slowly but surely we started preparing for Bean's arrival. I found the cutest book for Abigail that my parents gave to her for her birthday. While we call it "The Bean Book", the book is titled Hello in There!: A Big Sister's Book of Waiting. This book couldn't be a more perfect fit for Abigail as it mentions sharing sharing the big sister's favorites (cupcakes and strawberries) to wondering if baby "will have straight hair like me?". Each page has a growing bump and a flap opening for you to peek in and see how big baby might be on each page.

March started consignment season. I have been on the committee for my MOPS group's consignment sale for the last few years. I thought my time serving was coming to an end as it's more and more difficult to find gently worn items for Abigail, but with Bean on the way my "need" list grew immensely! We acquired an amazing swing ($30), a bouncer seat, a boppy, Go-Pod Activity seat ($20) and some tiny clothes. While we chose to keep Bean's gender a surprise, I didn't want to buy gender neutral clothing…because Bean isn't gender neutral, Bean has a gender. I selected a few gowns and sleepers in newborn and 0-3mo sizes. Not knowing gender has restrained my shopping, which is really good! Abigail was so tiny she couldn't wear many of the gifted clothing our family and friends purchased for her, by the time she could fit into it the items were off season. Not long after I bit the bullet and purchased a couple cases of diapers. Our favorite with Abigail was Pampers Swaddlers, and she was so tiny (6lbs 2oz at birth) she wore the newborn size until she was 3mo old.

The biggest preparation was finding a larger vehicle for our to-be family of four (or five if you count Brewer!). My 2006 Jetta had been having transmission issues over the last year and the repairs would cost more than it was currently worth. It was a good vehicle for 8.5yrs but to fit two car seats AND a 60lb Brewer, our needs were bigger. Matt & I have had our eye on the Ford Flex for quite awhile. After lots and lots of searching we found exactly what we were looking for, at a great price, without having to settle on any features. Our Flex has three rows, seats six, with captain's chairs in the middle (this was a my top "want" feature knowing it would be easier moving around once two car seats were in. It's seems really fancy in comparison to Jetta's features, it SYNC's with my iPhone and has an automatic lift gate (so easy Abigail can do it!). The Flex has been with us since early May and we have really been enjoying it.

New family vehicle meant Bean needed a carseat! 

Over Mother's Day weekend, we decided to get out of dodge. Matt & I wanted to go to Pigeon Forge but the midwife I saw the week before recommended I stay within two hours of my hospital. So instead we opted for a weekend in Chattanooga. We stayed up late and slept in (or tried to, noisy hotel guests). Abigail also enjoyed some time at the indoor pool. Over the weekend we checked out the Tennessee Aquarium and Rock City, we have done both before but Abigail was much younger then. It was really nice to getaway, relax and have some much needed down time - just the three of us. 

Friday, May 23rd was my last day of work until August 18th. While I have really enjoyed working at Starbucks, the last month or so started to get pretty rough. My growing belly wasn't really the most cooperative as we don't have a ton of space to work in, and me working drive-thru was a huge fail every time! I also had lots of guilt as all my energy was expended at work and I was worthless once I got home. Between my lack of energy and minimal stomach space come dinner time, I had no interest in quality meals. Easy sandwiches, cereal, take-out and ramen were usually at the top of our dinner list. The perk, no pun intended, of my maternity leave is that all of our amazing benefits will remain the same! Usually, as a final send off for a partner during their last shift, you end up with whipped cream in the face. I nicely reminded them I was still returning in a few months so instead my belly was given a whipped cream heart.

My parents came to visit over Memorial Day Weeekend, as we usually spend that weekend in Tampa with them. It was great spending time with them and having extra hands to knock out a few items off my extensive To Do List. My mom came with me to Kohl's, and it was obvious she has been having withdrawals not being able to shop for Bean. We selected going home outfits for Bean and I love the light aqua color in comparison to the traditional pinks and blues. The baby girl outfit is feminine and dainty while the boy onsie has tiny foxes, both very sweet. We also found Abigail a couple outfits to compliment for pictures in the same aqua color.

My parents brought up the family bassinet, which will be used bedside like it was for Abigail. We got the pack-n-play all set up as a diaper changing station downstairs. (Glad it was too complicated to sell at a consignment sale since we're finally needing it again 5yrs later.) We even found some extra goodies packed away nice and snug in the attic I thought I had passed along to other family members. It's been quite the challenge trying to figure out if I have everything we'll need for Bean. I have written and re-written lists, crossing off items we didn't use enough with Abigail to warrant having again (i.e.: diaper pail or wipe warmer). I have consulted with family members and friends with younger children, adding items that we didn't have with Abigail (i.e.: sound machine and video monitor). 

After shopping with my mom, I've started looking at more baby clothing. It hasn't helped that I haven't been working for the last two weeks to keep me exhausted and distracted. I'm just waiting, very impatiently, for Bean to arrive. Gymboree and GAP have some very cute baby clothing, I am loving the ocean prints and the color variety (again with the not traditional pink or blue). I may or may not have purchased a few things, and may need to return some things once Bean's gender is revealed…

While we wait, and wait and wait and wait, impatiently, Matt and I have continued to be productive around the house. With all of our travels visiting family, we normally don't get around to knocking out plenty of things that need to be done. Insert pregnancy travel ban…much is getting accomplished. Matt framed out the space for a little vegetable garden attempt. We decided to replace the toilets in our house (encouraged by old, breaking toilets and a rebate from the city). I've been staying more up to date on all Matt's business paperwork. You get the ideaThe house seems to be staying cleaner and getting more organized, which are both good since I'm sure we'll have a steady flow of visitors coming to meet Bean over the summer.

Abigail has been wonderfully loving and I cannot wait to see her in action as a big sister. She loves to give my belly hugs and tell me that hug is for Bean and this hug is for you. Abigail says she'll help with the readings and the feedings. Over time, I think we've convinced her into helping with some of the wet diapers. We shall see how that goes! We have also been practicing her reading skills with some of her "baby books", as she calls them. I think she has been the most fun coming up with possible names for Bean. Recommendations have ranged from Anna (Frozen) to Sha-sha, Helen and Alan, Julie and most recently Austin. Matt and I have really enjoyed her "Oooh! I have a name for Bean!" moments.

Photo comparison of Bean's growth, December 23rd and June 6th.

Tomorrow is Bean's official due date, June 9th, and I think we're as prepared as we're going to be!

runDisney as a Family

Can I just brag on these two a moment? These two brothers are my cousins, John and Stephen.

When I registered to run 48.6mi as a St Jude Hero last year,  John immediately registered for all 48.6 too. I told him I registered for four races over the span of four days and for him to pick a race, well he sure did! If I remember correctly, John had never run an official race before registering for The Dopey Challenge.

Stephen joined our madness choosing to "only" run the final race, 26.2mi. Stephen has run a couple runDisney 5Ks with me but this was quite the upgrade in mileage for him too.

I was thrilled knowing not only did I have their support in my crazy endeavor but I would have them by my side, especially when I would be 18wks pregnant! Unfortunately, I got sick the week of the races and had to bail before the fourth and final race. I'm still a bit bitter about not getting to run, with John and Stephen for the marathon nor was I able to complete the challenge. I knew running while pregnant was going to be a feat in itself, but running while sick would not have been smart. I made the right decision for me.

John and Stephen trekked out for their 26.2mi without me. I was anxious for them, remembering my own feelings going into my first marathon only a year before. I was undertrained then, just as they were (I guess it runs in the family?). Somehow Matt and I missed them as we looked for friends in front of Cinderella's Castle. I followed their splits throughout the race and occasionally received a "we are still alive" text. We were there at the finish line when they crossed and I could not have been more proud!

I have decided to run again as a St Jude Hero for the 2015 WDW Marathon races. Because the event is only 6mo after Bean is set to arrive, I've chosen to be "conservative" with my mileage and will be running The Goofy Challenge. This challenge is over two days and will total 39.3mi (in comparison to the 48.6mi of The Dopey Challenge).

Today Stephen registered for the 2015 WDW Marathon! John is hoping his work schedule will allow him to register for The Goofy Challenge. These guys continue to amaze me. I look forward to running through the most magical place on earth with them in 2015!

St Jude Hero for Goofy Challenge

I have decided to run the Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World in January as a St. Jude Hero! This challenge consists of two races. The first is a half marathon on Saturday then a full marathon on Sunday, running a grand total of 39.3mi in two days.

While the 39.3 mileage may seem crazy to some, there are plenty of runDisney enthusiasts who have been running this race for the last nine years and 2015 will be the 10th Anniversary of the challenge. 

I was thrilled to run as a St Jude Hero for the Inagural Dopey Challenge in 2014. I was humbled by the outpouring of support by family and friends and exceeded my $2000 goal. Knowing I had the support of all of you, helped fuel my training in the months leading up to the races. What I did not expect, was to run The Dopey Challenge while 18wks pregnant! I found out I was pregnant the same week I met my fundraising goal. 

While my fundraising efforts for St Jude was a success, completing the Dopey Challenge was not. I got sick the week before the race and wasn't able to shake it. Many of you may know your medicine options are limited when pregnant. I finished the first three races in the challenge: 5K on Thursday, 10K on Friday and Half-Marathon on Saturday. It was Saturday afternoon I knew it was in my best interest not to attempt the 26.2mi on Sunday. I completely know it was the best decision for me, to not race on the final day (especially while pregnant). As a mom, I know it was a smart call, there is no way I should have run pregnant AND sick. But as a competitor, it hurts knowing I was trained but did not finish (DNF). I have unfinished business with this race.

Bean's due date is June 9th, and I have been looking forward to resuming my training after his/her arrival (and yes, after my recovery). We can only hope Bean will be as healthy and happy as his/her big sister, Abigail. The least I can do, as a mom with a healty child and a healthy baby on the way, is to help fundraise again for such a worthy organization. I love knowing St. Jude provides all the care needed to families with children battling cancer. No child is ever turned away! 

If you would like to donate to my 2015 St Jude Hero fundraising for runDisney's Goofy Challenge, please click HERE.

Bean Predictions

Family members and friends have been chiming in on whether they think Bean is a boy or a girl. Let's back up, the disapproval for deciding to keep Bean's gender a surprise until his/her arrival came first! While most are still not too pleased with our decision to keep this a surprise until Bean's BIRTHday, they have now moved on to gender guessing. Many have shared dates with me, which I have started calling "targets". Will Bean want to share his/her birthday or have a date all their own?



I'm anxious to see when Bean might arrive. I guess I am more anxious about the arrival (the when and how) than the reveal of Bean's gender. A healthy Bean is priority #1. Abigail will gain a little brother or little sister, and regardless of gender, Bean is already very loved.


Abigail was induced 3 days before her projected due date so I wonder if I'll go into labor on my own. I definitely felt labor, albeit with it's medical start, but will it happen on it's own this time around? Since Abigail was delivered via emergency c-section, my OB has set a deadline of sorts for Bean. If Bean doesn't arrive before June 16, he/she will be removed surgically that morning at 10am. I am really not pleased with this deadline, as the thoughts of being inside the OR again make me panicky and fearful. So hopefully, it's a worst case scenario and Bean will arrive well before that!

Here are the many targets and dates when Bean could possibly arrive...

Week 37
May 19: Buddy (my uncle) and Sarah (my cousin-in-law)
May 20: Steve (Matt's uncle) and Emily (my college friend)
May 21
May 22: Brandi (my cousin)
May 23: Caleb (my cousin's son)
May 24
May 25

Week 38
May 26: Anita (my mom) and Conni (Sbux co-worker)
May 27
May 28
May 29: Richard (my grandfather)
May 30: Mati (my great-aunt) and Bill (my cousin)
May 31
June 1: Donnie and Sherry's Anniversary and Chad (Matt's cousin)

Week 39
June 2: Melissa (my cousin)
June 3
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7: Justin (Sbux co-worker)
June 8: Henry (my friend Jolene's almost 1 year old)

Week 40
June 9: DUE DATE, Cheryl (local friend)
June 10: Peter (family friend)
June 11: Katherine (my cousin), Chris (Matt's college friend), Summer (local friend)
June 12
June 13
June 14: Valerie (Matt's sister) and Amanda (local friend)
June 15: Julie (Matt's college friend)

Week 41
June 16: C-Section Date, Ryan (Sbux co-worker) and Frank (family friend)

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR YOURSELF

QUESTIONS:

-Do you have a target to add to my list?

-Any reason you voted the way you did?

Pregnant: Week 27

I had to pull up a chart to figure out exactly what pregnancy week I am on. To be quite honest, after 24 weeks I keep forgetting. Today is the beginning of my third trimester. What? Already? This pregnancy is really going fast. It still feels very surreal at times.

Weight gain: My last appointment was on February 27th; I had gained SIX pounds in the last 4wks. That scares me because I had such a hard time losing the 50+lbs I gained when I was pregnant with Abigail. I think I have gained 30lbs this pregnancy, but it's a guess since I didn't weigh myself regularly before I found out we were pregnant.

Maternity clothes: There practically isn't much option in this department, I feel huge. Depending on my shirts, some are maternity and some are not. Well, the tops that are not are my work shirts and I can get away with them being shorter than I'd like since they are covered by an apron anyway. All my pants and are maternity, except my INKnBURN shorts and capri pants (thanks to the amazing waistband design and fabric!). I really have enjoyed the more fitted option of maternity jeans in comparison to 5yrs ago, I feel way less frumpy. In January, I invested in maternity bras and even though I was sized properly, I outgrew them within a couple weeks. 

Stretch marks: I haven't noticed any new stretch marks. I am putting lotion on my belly at least twice a day, in hopes of no new stretch marks.

Sleep: I am sleeping fairly well, with all things considered. I do have to be asleep early most nights as I am usually scheduled to arrive at work anywhere from 4:45am to 6:30am. I enjoy reviewing my FitBit sleep recap to see how many bathroom visits occurred or how much I may have tossed and turned.

Best moment of lately: 1) At my appointment on February 27th, I had my gestational diabetes screening and they called the next day telling me I passed! I failed my one hour screening with Abigail so I was nervous going into this one. 2) The MOPS Consignment Sale was last week. Bean now has a swing, a bouncer seat and some clothes. 

Miss anything: When I got home from the consignment sale on Friday, I was spent. I really wanted a glass of wine. Honestly, if I wasn't opening an entire bottle just for one glass, I would have but I didn't want to waste the rest.

Movement: Bean is very active. I don't know what this baby is doing, but I'll feel a bump on opposite sides right after each other. O

Food cravings: None. I really haven't craved anything, other than just being very hungry at times. Throughout my second trimester.

Anything making you queasy or sick: None that I can think of. 

Have you started to show yet: So much so that everyone is making gender predictions on the shape of my bump.

Gender: Either a boy or a girl! It's funny, I had three girl dreams before we found out Abigail's gender (at 18wks). I haven't had any dreams for Bean. I have had a very similar pregnancy so that could mean Bean is another girl OR that it's just how my body handles pregnancy. With that said, Matt and I have not discussed names either!

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions started at 18wks, just like they did with Abigail's pregnancy. This time around, my Braxton Hicks are more intense than I remembered. Turns out they get more intense each pregnancy.

Belly button in or out: Neither. It's definitely not ideal, whatever it is. I guess I'm just glad it's not out.

Wedding rings on or off: Most of the time they are off. I do not like to wear my engagement band to work or to run, so that's been my new normal for quite a while. Recently my wedding band has been irritating my skin a bit, I hope this is due to the extended winter and nothing more.

Heartburn: I have occasional heartburn but believe I have narrowed it down to milk products (yogurt) and tea. I have loved the Teavana selection we're serving at Starbucks, but is usually ends very uncomfortably. I feel like I'm consuming way less Tums Smoothies this time around. 

Swelling: So far so good. I remember being so uncomfortable with Abigail in my third trimester, but I don't remember when it started. Hoping for no swelling in my feet and legs this time around!

Looking forward to: My next appointment is March 20th, then I'll start going in every two weeks (CRAZY!). Then at the end of the month we'll be visiting family in Florida during Abigail's Spring Break. This will be our last visit before Bean and we'll be celebrating our nephew's 2nd birthday!

So, do you have any gender predictions?

Marathon Maniac

First thing first, I did not plan to run back to back marathons. As part of my Dopey Challenge training, I wanted to feel Goofy miles before running Dopey miles. I registered to runDisney's Dopey Challenge in January 2014, this challenge consists of a total of 48.6 miles over the span of four days (5K, 10K, 13.1 and 26.2). To hold myself accountable in my training, a Goofy weekend presented itself locally and I made sure to register for the Silver Comet Half-Marathon on Saturday and the Atlanta Marathon on Sunday. This Goofy weekend would allow me to gauge my training up to this point and be able to tweak my training as necessary over November and December before the Dopey Challenge in January.

What I did not plan on, was my lack in training during my first couple months while working. It took a bit longer than I expected for life to become a new normal with me working part-time. Most days, I worked the opening shift at Starbucks at 4:45am which also meant my bedtime was much earlier. My training was not what I hoped it would be, and I was disappointed. 

In the weeks leading up to the race, I read somewhere that the Silver Comet race on Saturday wasn't just a half-marathon, there was a marathon option as well. The Silver Comet is known for being a flat and fast, and when I have run there for training runs in the past I always am pleased with my pace. Did I think running back to back marathons was possible for me? Not really. I didn't give it much thought.

In a huge surprise revelation, two weeks before my big race weekend, I got a big fat positive on a pregnancy stick. I will still say, "a huge surprise" is probably an understatement. I still wanted to run and race but I didn't know how being pregnant would factor into the mix. I was having similar first trimester pregnancy symptoms to my pregnancy with Abigail: I was easily fatigued, always hungry, my bladder was being squished and my bust seemed to double in size overnight.

After all my training up to this point, I knew I would be able to race while pregnant. I also knew there would be more potty stops and instead of my normal running fuel, I would need real food for my runs. I decided to change up my race plans. I decided I would run 26.2 on Saturday instead of 13.1. The flat course would be my best chance to have a good time to submit for the Dopey Challenge corral placement. The flat course would also be better to feel out my body, running while pregnant. Since the Silver Comet races were an out & back course, I felt confident that if I was not comfortable running the full distance, I could just turn around at the half turn around spot. 

Atlanta was hit with a cold snap during, it was 32* on October 26th. I had planned to wear my new InknBurn Skeleton Kit for Silver Comet, and I was excited to wear my first pair of InB arm sleeves. I had to layer my InB capris over running tights. In an emergency shopping trip in days before the race I found a running headband to keep my ears warm, running gloves and a long sleeve warm tech shirt to layer for Sunday's race. Since the weather went from barely warm to freezing, I had not trained in cold weather and it was slightly awkward running in the layers but I did manage to stay fairly warm, and most of all not have any chaffing issues from running with new items. 

Besides the extremely unusual cold weather, I really enjoyed the Silver Comet Marathon. The first couple miles were a bit rough. The course was packed with all the runners and all paces starting together. I stopped to use the potties as necessary. I ate my granola bars and other snacks, and made sure to drink plenty of water at each water stop. After the half-marathon turn around point, the course thinned out a lot. There were only 123 racers completing the full marathon distance. I loved the beautiful fall colors and the time to myself (I hadn't been on a long run in a while). I kept my pace and 3:1 intervals steady, I felt good. It was an added perk I got so many compliments on my skeleton gear since it was the weekend right before Halloween. I finished 26.2 in 05:23:12! I was pleased to set a new PR, especially since this was only my 2nd marathon and I ran it completely solo.

Immediately upon finishing I went to Atlantic Station to pick-up my bib for the Atlanta Marathon. I should have stretched more before getting in the car, and immediately after I got out of the car. I was undecided what, if anything, I would race the next day. In addition to the full 26.2 distance there were 10 Mile and 5K options. I decided to sign up for the 6hr pace group, they would be running 1:1 intervals (run 1 minute then walk 1 minute). I spent the remainder of the day relaxing and thinking about what I might the next day. I did not want to get injured. I did not want to jeopardize my pregnancy.

I woke up and rolled out of bed to see how I was feeling. I was surprised I felt alright. I had minimal soreness but nothing serious. After lots of internal debate, I decided I wanted to at least try to run the full. I'm stubborn and determined, and I didn't want to wonder "what if" if I didn't at least try. I layered back up for yet another cold morning and made my way to the race.

I found the pace group quickly and we all chatted a bit before the race began. I was impressed with some folks running their first marathon as late-in-life runners. I was equally impressed with the pace group leaders and a few others, who were part of Marathon Maniacs, upon hearing how many marathons they have run. I was very excited about this course, it's like a tour of Atlanta. The race started and the intervals were very easy. It seemed as soon as we got in a good running stride it was already time to walk again. 

As the miles went on I noticed an ache here or there but nothing too bothersome. I really enjoyed the course, and I was surprised with all the wonderful volunteers! Organizations apply to "Adopt a Mile" and if they are selected, they receive a donation from The Atlanta Track Club for volunteering their time during the race. The volunteers weren't only in charge of passing out water, they all had cheer stations too! Some organizations had themes or were dressed up (with Halloween around the corner) an they also posted inspirational signs throughout their mile. I was blown away by the amount of time I was told THANK YOU by volunteers because I was running a marathon.

The race had it's ups and downs, literally. It's a hilly course but I am glad I decided to run and am glad I raced smart with the 6hr pace group. The pace group leaders were wonderful and we had nice conversations throughout the race, which helped pass the time and the miles. My official finish time for The Atlanta Marathon was 05:57:46. 

I still cannot believe I ran back to back marathons, especially being 8wks pregnant! After finishing these miles, 52.4mi in 36hrs, I felt very confident in my training and I knew I would be able to complete runDisney's Dopey Challenge in January (46.8mi in 4 days). 

Another added perk, I was able to join Marathon Manaics. I ran my first marathon in January and immediately said I didn't know if I would ever run another marathon, and if I did it would have to be a repeat at Disney. I cannot believe I ran another marathon, let alone two! This is only the beginning of my marathon journey. I am already looking forward to running The Atlanta Marathon again in October 2014, it will be my first marathon after our June baby arrives.

Maniac #7823

**This blog post was written on February 12, 2014.**

Hillcrest Apple Orchards

For the last 4yrs, we have been making the day trip up to North Georgia to go apple picking. Our preferred orchard is Hillcrest Orchards near Ellijay. We were recommended to Hilcrest by some friends and return year after year. There are plenty of options for apple picking in this area, many which also have additional activities like Hillcrest but we love giving this family owned and operated orchard our continued patronage. Admission is a flat fee per person and you can choose to purchase a bag to pick your own apples as well. Honestly, this may not be the cheapest (especially if you have a large family) but continue reading and you'll understand why it's become one of our favorite fall traditions.

   

Throughout the farm, there are a bunch of tractors for you to climb aboard, pretend to drive and use at photo opportunities. The tractors are all different ages and in a variety of conditions, and we have fun exploring the tractors.

Abigail has always loved to jump, and she always has to take at least one turn on the big jumping pillow. Depending on the crowd there can be a wait but it never is too long. Depending on the staff  "policing" the jumping pillow, there can be older kids (almost my height) allowed to jump, which makes it difficult for the younger ones. During our trip this month, the crowds were very light in comparison to previous years (I think we got lucky this year because we went opening weekend). Abigail decided she was going to use the jumping pillow for a little gymnastic practice, she would run and do a cartwheel or round-off. It was so fun watching her, especially Matt since he doesn't get to see her in action during gymnastic class. Although Abigail paid attention to the other few children also jumping, and never flipped too close, we ended up getting a bit of a scolding from the staff that Abigail shouldn't be flipping. We decided it'd be hard for Abigail to completely understand so we took that opportunity to move to another activity.

   

There are two separate tracks for kids, both young and old, to pedal tricycles. It's slightly chaotic on the younger track because all the kids seem to go different speeds, but it doesn't matter. The youngest kids usually need some help as the trikes are a bit larger than what you might have at home. Parents usually hop on the track to help steer/push the younger kids, and keep them out of way of the older and faster riders. I personally recommend the parent with the most protective shoes to help out, as you might be run into or run over on this preschool track. For the older kids, there are super-sized trikes which we have never road. These larger trikes have a higher weight limit and even adults will take turns riding around the larger track. This larger track is located further away from the entrance, but is next to a corn maze and small playground so all age groups can be entertained in this vicinity simultaneously. Very close to this area is also a bungee jumpee station for children and pony rides, both for an additional fee. If I remember correctly, we have only done the bungee once and the pony ride once.

For the first couple years, we did not visit the petting zoo. I do not remember if this was intentional or not. Even though it's an extra $3 per person to visit the animals in the petting zoo, we do it now because Abigail loves all the little animals. Last year I distinctly remember how excited she was to hold a baby chick. This year, she raved about holding a kitty. You can buy feed from a gumball dispenser for a quarter and the baby goats love to eat directly from your hand. They will even follow you a bit if they think you still might have food. Abigail got to see bunnies and more chicks but my favorite this year was the three day old cow. The cow did not look at all like a "baby", but was wobbly on new legs and seemed a little unsettled until laying down, absolutely precious!

Abigail really enjoys the "big slides" down the hill. Before the 2013 season, a second slide was added to the hill allowing the children a shorter wait before getting to slide down again. This new second slide actually is a partial tunnel and Abigail would scream really loud on the way down, I think her voice must have echoed a bit on the way down. She always runs up the hill numerous times before we can persuade her to the next activity.

When you arrive, some activities will have specific times listed for the day so be sure to make a mental note or jot those down. The pig races are usually held at least twice on Saturday, and it's a must for us to watch. The orchard is fairly large and you do a lot of walking (avoid bringing strollers unless you have something all-terrain), so it's nice to get off your feet and rest in the shade before the races and if you plan properly you can enjoy an apple fritter and/or an apple slushie while you wait for the races to begin! The pig races also incorporate audience participation with the first race always having adults race in some fashion. The kids then get to participate during each of the 3 pig races. Five children are selected each race, each child gets to tell the crowd their name and where they are from, and each child is assigned a pig to cheer for during the race. The child whose pig won gets a little trophy to take home as a souvenir. Part of the fun each year is being introduced to the pigs, they all have the best names! Each year the names have celebrity resemblance to a few in current mainstream media. Two fun names from this year were Pig-cess Kate and Justin Timber-link. In 2012 a water feature was added so in the third and final race, the race course is detoured into a couple above ground "lakes" and the pigs jump and swim and made their way to the finish line. To entice these little piggies to race, the winner gets an Oreo cookie!

Throughout the day there is also live entertainment on the Hillcrest Barn Stage, which is now completely covered unlike our photo from a previous year's visit. You can take a break in the shade from all the activities to enjoy some clogging or country bands while eating some yummy food. This year the menu included hamburgers, chicken on a stick, fried cheese, french fries, fresh squeezed lemonade, deep fried Oreo cookies and much more. There is even an on site bakery cooking up fresh apple cider doughnuts, mini apple pies and apple fritters!

Hillcrest has become a favorite fall activity for us and as long as we're living in the Atlanta area, we will continue visiting and making memories! I am so excited we were able to visit before Fall officially started. There is always so much fun to partake during Fall and I look forward to the 2013 season ahead!

QUESTIONS:
-Have you ever been apple picking?
-Do you have any fall traditions you do with your family annually?

Disney Junior Doc McStuffins Tour

I was super excited when social media was all a buzz about Disney Junior's Doc McStuffins tour last month. I made a mental note of the event date still unsure of our plans for the day. Sometime this week I decided I would definitely take Abigail. She absolutely loves Doc McStuffins, and it is a free event. Free events have their PROs and CONs. I knew we had to get their early to make sure our wait wasn't going to be too long. Due to some GPS complications, we arrived a bit after 9am but did find excellent metered parking next to Centennial Olympic Park. It was a bit awkward finding the end of the line but once we did, it moved fairly smoothly and we got our bracelets assigning us with an 11am appointment with The Doc Mobile. Our friends found us shortly after and visiting and chatting made the time pass quicker than we had expected.

While we waited in a Disney attraction style line, keeping everyone in their correct lines, we were greeted by numerous women doctors. These doctors are all members of The Artemis Medical Society which is "a group of women physicians of color joining together in common purpose to create and promote an environment in medicine where [they] can come together to support and learn from each other across all medical specialties." The Artemis Medical Society was actually chartered in June 2012, inspired by Disney Junior's release of Doc McStuffins in March of the same year. The twelve women who founded the organization "saw a reflection of themselves in the "Doc McStuffins" character". We were able to chat with a few doctors as we waited in line, meeting a couple OBGYNs, a few Pediatricians and a Family Practice Physician. The organization itself now has more than 3000 members, at least throughout the United States (but could probably be worldwide, I just did not find that information on their website). It was great these women took the time, out of their already busy schedules, to be available at this Doc Mobile tour. The children really enjoyed chatting with and asking questions as we waited, and it really helped pass the time. In addition to chatting, The Artemis Society also passed out paper stethoscopes to all the children.

Once it was finally our turn, strollers were parked "valet style" because there wouldn't be room to maneuver them through the different stations. First, the kids were introduced to the new Doc McStuffins App, which the kids were able to test out. It was a bit of a free for all, and some kids hogged the iPads while others were slightly shoved through the area. The next area was a fun sing and dance along with the Radio Disney group. They sang fun songs from Doc McStuffins and quizzed the kids about Doc McStuffins trivia. The third portion was large foam blocks where kids could build train track style, then roll a ball down but there wasn't actually enough room to really play with these. The kids were then fitted with lab coats and allowed to enter the Doc Mobile, which had lots of stations for the children to perform check-ups with the toys they brought. Abigail was hoping her bear, McArthur, could get his sweater repaired (the side seam of the sweater is ripped) but all the play in the Doc Mobile was pretend and not actual repairs, so he'll have to visit with one of Abigail's grandmothers for mending sometime in the future.

Once we were through the Doc Mobile, there was a water play station (that was lacking in water). Kids could get a bucket of water and dump it into a funnel, then the water would pour through different attached tubes. Honestly, I was a bit confused as no one explained what this was all about then Abigail was given a cute Doc water bottle, making me feel like our time at that station was over. Abigail and her friends found their way to kid size picnic tables where they each got a placemat and stickers to encourage healthy eating. At this point I was looking to see how we would get in line to meet Doc next, and I was told there was a completely separate line to meet Doc McStuffins "IF" we wanted.

Well of course my Disney loving, character obsessed child wanted to meet Doc! We proceeded to another line where we waited for about 20 minutes until being told we were in the 2pm section of the line, it was only 12:30. At this point I got a bit frustrated, we had waited (corralled) for two hours only to feel rushed through the Doc Mobile stations in 10-15 minutes and then we were expected to wait for another 2hrs. I guess, ideally, once you had your scheduled appointment time (color coded bracelet) visitors could have waited to meet Doc before their appointment, but that information was not at all shared with us. Abigail was invited to a 3pm birthday party, and celebrating a friend's birthday is/was more important than this chance to meet Doc. Hopefully, we'll get to meet her during our November trip to Walt Disney World.

Overall, Abigail and her friends enjoyed their morning but it left me a bit disappointed. If the Doc Mobile is coming to a city near you, I highly recommend arriving early, expect crowds and some waiting, and ask lots of questions so you know when and where the excitement is happening so you can wait as little as possible. For the complete DocMobile Tour details CLICK HERE. The DocMobile will be heading to Washington D.C, Los Angeles and Pheonix to finish out the tour.

QUESTIONS:
-Do you attend large free events like this?
-Did you visit the Doc Mobile or plan to when it comes to your city?