Trying to Keep Up...

Let's see...we've been very busy. 

T had to work a round of rough hours for the last few days.

We had missionaries stay with us during that time...which was super fun!!! 

Freelance is in FULL SWING! Brochures, year books, logos, newsletters, and a little stationery...It's funny how it ebbs and flows...I hope I can keep up!

Last night we made pizza for dinner...inspired by the pizza we enjoyed in Italy...so we made it a family affair and let everyone top their slices with broccoli, black olives, tomatoes, onions, pepperoni, and artichoke hearts...YUMMY!!! And then we slathered it with parmesan cheese. Delicious!

MW insisted I take her picture with her current favorite "special" doll. We snapped it and put her right back on the shelf.

Little man has been super whiny lately...WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH HIM????? Any suggestions? 

My man...aka..."Stud"

And T and I (mostly T) have been working on finishing a little project...he does so much BIG stuff himself. (Like lifting beams, etc.) Sometimes I don't know whether I want to chew him out or cheer him on...after all, he is a Super Hero! (After asking for my help, T commented that he keeps forgetting I am preg and that must be where all my energy & strength is going....ha!)

Night!

It's A........

Beautiful Spine...

Precious right foot...

 Darling Side Profile...

Hand on a cheek and an arm over an eye...

Fist on a forehead...

MIRACLE I can't wait to kiss all over!!!

IT'S A HEALTHY BABY!!! 

(based on the ultrasound findings...)

And we could not be HAPPIER! After seeing the ultrasound, MW is convinced it’s a boy…because baby doesn’t have any hair. We reminded her that she was born with little hair and her bro was born with a head full! Regardless, she’s certain it’s a boy and has declared his name is “Todd” and has suggested we consider “Bod” for his middle name. Hee, hee!

Seriously, we didn’t find out the gender…and we’re in the last half…I’ll be 21 weeks tomorrow! 

How cool is this??? The red and blue are indicators of the presence of all three "vessels" (2 arteries and a vein...If I understood correctly). Can you believe they can see all this stuff at 21 weeks?????



What an AMAZING real, live, heart-beating, hiccupping (yep, baby had the hiccups during the ultrasound), fist clenching, rolling around, living person. This is God knitting baby together in my womb…all ten fingers and all ten toes (we got to count them on the ultrasound). Absolutely amazing! 

I can't WAIT to meet you and hold you, little one!!!

Recap

"G"

Last week MW's class learned all about the letter G...and she came home sporting these super cool new "glasses"...

The Dawning of a New Era!

The kids sprawled out on the guest bed with the portable dvd player and watched Swiss Family Robinson for about thirty minutes...no interruptions...we just about didn't know what to do with ourselves!

Keeping it "Real"

I caught the kids playing in the water...and yes, this is our bathroom...it's been like this for over five years. A few years ago, after we saw Dave live, we taped that picture up to inspire...to encourage us that we don't have to "do it all" right now. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't really even notice it anymore...a lot of it either can't be seen in that picture, or isn't so notice-able such as...the broken light fixture, the wires hanging out of the wall, the broken and duct taped window, the hole in the wall where the broken medicine cabinet used to reside that's now covered with part of a sheet of plywood...the yellow tiles, that randomly transition to blue...the patch job on the sheet rock that is beyond repair in many places...We've decided until we can gut and do what we want to do, it's not so bad. :)

Secret Hide Outs and Playing...

My Christmas Present

I've been wanting to get this set of twelve graphic prints of Italy framed...they were put out by the Italian tourism board...and they are SO COOL! And since we made that trip to Italy (that we still haven't finished blogging about...) they are kind of special to me...so finally, I got them matted and framed and my precious husband spent an ENTIRE day hanging them and getting them PERFECT! (Now if only the framer hadn't punched holes in the backs of the paper that seals the frames...by stacking them back to back...and allowing the metal eye hooks to poke through...I'm going to have to take them all down and get him to fix them...) But man oh man...I loved the painting that was in there before...but this I really love! (this is probably my fav. room in the house!)

Before Italy...

After Italy...

V-Day

MW had a fun V-Day party. She spent hours writing out each child's name on their valentine...the little man always benefits greatly from these parties, as MW and all her friends "dump" what they don't want to eat on T3's stroller tray...this party he came away with lots of candy hearts, several grapes and cheese squares, and two ham sandwiches...he LOVES it! (and so do I...no lunch to fix!)

Valentine's Day Morning MW begged for her "valentines"...it was so much fun to see how excited she got! The little guy was totally unaware of the "why" - afterall, the candy was the point, right?...they both got new flannel sheets (Target...$10 per set...SCORE!) and made forts out of them for the rest of the day...FUN, FUN, FUN! (And I just got called upstairs by a frantic 4 year old who is convinced that all the brown polka dots on her sheets are bugs...must've been a dream...FABULOUS! I moved her to the guest bed...)

T gave MW and I each flowers! He's so wonderful! (And NOTHING red!!!) He also gave us each a card and even drew a giant flower for MW...which she promptly colored... (she took the pic of her flowers and giraffe).

Goin' to the Chapel

Below you'll see MW and her "huband." She was very particular about how I take this shot...and the lack of a smile was most intentional.

And here is a pic of T and I...MW insisted we get married! She picked out the ring he gave me, as well as my attire. We "exchanged vows" while MW was the photographer...(and then a neighbor came to the door and I answered it without thinking...and yanked my veil off about twenty seconds too late...)

Chop Chop

It was time...mostly because she fought me on fixing it...I cut it in the front yard...and then let her cut the hair I had cut...and she had a BLAST!

(I'll post a better "after" pic later...)

A Career?

During Sparkle Night the older girls let MW carry their cameras around and take pictures (totally made me nervous!)...and she pleaded with me to let her take pics with our camera...finally, I gave in...and she has since taken close to 100 pictures...look out! You never know what she'll shoot...and she has decided she wants to be a photographer! This is so fun! She's learning how to change some of the simple settings...perhaps this summer we'll have a few lessons on shutter speed or aperture...

Happy Night! (or morning! It's 1:40am!)

The Deal

I am SO getting getting the best end of this deal. In fact, I asked T if he felt he was selling his birthright for a pot of stew. You see, the man came home from work tonight and told me he really needed to shave his head. (Two guys at work did it...and he just needs to.) I can't stand it when he shaves his head. (He takes a razor to it...like, really shaves his head.) The last time he did it was a few days after MW was born and quite frankly, I was furious. I don't think it's very becoming on the guy...I'm slightly partial to longer hair...and if he follows in either of his grandfathers' steps, he'll have plenty of opportunity in the future to have that shaved head look (partly because he says if his hair ever thins, he's going to shave it off). 

So...I've been wanting to get a dutch oven and after a friend sent me the link to this recipe for French Onion Soup...the dutch oven has very much become a "necessity." My birthday is at the end of March...I figured I'd ask for one then. 

So...tonight T says if I "let him shave his head" (like, with a good attitude) I'd have his blessing on going ahead and purchasing a dutch oven, rather than wait for my birthday. (As in, it doesn't count for a birthday present...)

He really wanted to shave it...I figured I could get a little more out of the deal...

So I bargained with him and, get this, in exchange for shaving his head ONCE...

1. I am heading out to buy whatever dutch oven strikes my fancy...TOMORROW!
2. The man did all the dinner dishes and completely cleaned the kitchen (I didn't even take my plate to the sink).
   
3. And here's the kicker...I thought I'd never see this day...He promised me he would forever say farewell to his uni-brow (meaning he will keep TWO separate eye brows 'til death do us part...and as I type this, I realize there is something endearing about his uni-brow...I suppose it has grown on me over the years...)

I think I'm coming out ahead. I see this as a short term sacrifice for the long term goal...heck, the uni-brow would've been good enough...but don't tell him I said that! 

PS: Sparkle night post later this week...

bling...bling!!!

Been busy getting ready for the BIG night...

Tonight is 

SPARKLE NIGHT!!!

Sad, Sad Day

The stimulus package passed...

get me a trash can...

I'm going to puke.

Love Letters

The last two mornings T has given me the most beautiful love letters that have filled my heart to overflowing and left me with a song and dance in my step...

I got the first one Wednesday morning at about 4:15am...and it went "swish, swish, swish..." followed by the intermittent sounds of "crsssshhhhh....crsssssshhhhh....crsssshhhhhh" - T had gotten up extra early and spent a solid 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, stopping, I believe, every ten minutes or so to do a round of push ups...do you know how loved that made me feel?!!

Yesterday morning I woke to find my toothbrush beside the sink with toothpaste already on it!!! A simple gesture, loaded with thoughtfulness...and that meant my man was thinking about me while brushing his own teeth! Which made me feel special!

And then I went in the kitchen and found my favorite mug atop the coffee machine...warming...waiting for a yummy cappuccino!

And then I opened the dishwasher, prepared to put away a very full load of clean dishes and this is what I found...

Completely emptied!!! (Unloading the dishes is one of those things I have to psych myself up to do...not exactly my favorite!)

And I felt SOOOOO loved by my man! I told MW, "Your daddy really loves me." And she said, "Yeah, God's been working in his heart." - ha!

Yesterday was a good day. I ran a million errands and did what felt like a hundred loads of laundry...and the kids played well...and when I went to pick up little man from MDO he ran the other way. That is a great feeling! (Seriously!)

Between "weddings" and "tea parties" and imaginary "pirate fights" and hunting for "tigers," we've been having lots of adventures!

Note the "wedding dinner" we enjoyed...the table was set by MW...

Poor thing...I made MW take the dress up off Scout as soon as I saw it...you can tell how much she was loving wearing it!

Hmmm....off to the next adventure!

Male & Female He Created Them...

My sister's baby shower was Saturday and it was great fun and beautiful and she received so many precious things for sweet Mary Thomas. I brought my camera with great intentions, but Katie had a friend snapping pics left and right, so I put my camera down and spent my time visiting...this is the only pic I have. I'm sure Katie will post on it at some point...(and hopefully send me some of her pics!)

I could EAT her UP in that bonnet! And how wonderful that she still considers it a great privilege to get to wear it! (T's great-grandmother made it for MW!)

The food at the shower was great...really, it was fabulous...just not er, um, later...but more on that to come...

Saturday night Mom treated me and T, and Katie and Matt to a fabulous dinner! She made dried beef wrapped chicken in a most yummy cream sauce…too good for words…fall off the bone delicious! Accompanied with a feta, pear, and walnut salad topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette…too good for words! And then she took all of us to see Riverdance…SO FUN!

And then came Sunday morning...we'd sort of all decided to play hooky and hang out at Mom's and enjoy one of her BIG breakfasts...she rolled out the red carpet...ham, eggs, muffins, biscuits, fresh coffee...it was amazing (though I struggled to eat the few bites I ate...thinking it must be a re-lapse of MS...little did I know).

While we were there I got a little sneak preview of what is to come at our house...the little man kept putting his head on my nephew, Baby B's, lap and saying, "I love you, baby!" It was pretty sweet!

Prior to this scene, MW wanted to help feed Baby B - that lasted about ten seconds...and then she wanted to hold him...which lasted about ten seconds...

Here's Baby B...not quite sure what to make of all of this...

Katie and I had to get a belly shot in there...and no, we did not intentionally coordinate...

(I'm 19 weeks, she's 32 weeks...)

MW desperately wanted "in."

Ok...so then came the ride home...which was horrendous...and then a terrible night...followed by pretty much two solid days of feeling like I'd been run over...(little did I know that nearly every other woman at the baby shower was experiencing the "love!") (Really, it's kind of funny at this point...there was something oddly comforting about learning that I wasn't the only one...that my sisters and mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law and several other women were um...sick, too...)

Ok, so I was worthless for two days...but I'd been super excited about getting to hear Robin Jones Gunn speak...she wrote a book series called The Christy Miller Series that had a profound impact on my life...I've been SO excited about hearing her speak...so I pulled myself together, caught a ride with some friends...and got to hear her speak! And got to hug her neck and get my picture taken with her and get her to sign a few books...SO FUN!!! (If you have pre-teen or teen girls or know any...these books are amazing! They are God honoring, clean, sweet stories of friendship and love...and the Gospel is packed in there...but in a subtle way...literally thousands of girls have written to Robin sharing that they came to Christ through this book series...YOU'VE GOT TO READ THEM!!!)

ROBIN JONES GUNN ROCKS!

So I came home and crashed...after gushing all to T...

And then came morning...and before you see the pictures of what greeted me - I want to point out the title of this post...obviously God created men and women differently...I could never do what T does...he's works in the Operations department in a Nuclear Power Plant...and actually holds a license to run the Nuclear Plant...yes, he is a stinkin' genius!!! 

(These are diagrams about nuclear power off the nrc's website...)

Ok...so then came morning...and this is what I found...and please keep in mind that Saturday my house was extremely orderly...with only a few stacks of dried, folded clothes to be taken to the children's rooms and put away...

(um, that's popcorn all over the floor...it doesn't show up too well in the pics...that's what they ate for dinner last night...the night before, it was frozen pizza...)

Ok, yep, a lot of that is mine...the glasses and magazines...MW set up a tea party for her babies beside the bed Sunday night...

little man had misplaced his sippie cup while T was in charge...I found it here...in the bathroom...(sorry if this pic offends anyone)

And my how God put a spirit of joy in my heart today as I laughed to myself thinking how very differently we're created and how thankful I am to be at home with the children, rather than at a nuclear plant...and how thankful T is to be at a nuclear plant, and not at home doing what I do ...the children did survive. In fact, they are just fine. 

MW did go to school without her coat and was sent inside off the playground because she was so cold...she missed ballet...and her manners class...and she didn't have her magazine picture that started with the letter of the week...she didn't turn in her letter folder with a parent signature and didn't get her sticker...she didn't turn in her book order form...but worse things have happened...

As I broached the morning, I prayed asking God to let the little man sleep until 9...at 8:40 I heard him in his crib and realized I hadn't made a dent in all that needed doing...and I asked God to please let him play contentedly in his crib until 10am...(which would be a miracle!) and guess what...God was so gracious! That little guy fell back asleep and a little after 10 I got him up and he was happy and talking to himself and Bo Bear...God is so sweet!

So here are a few random shots of our fun afternoon...

(Ok, the pic below is NOT what my child normally looks like...)

Happy Day to You!