My Boys

As most of you have probably heard, we are being blessed with another BOY! We are so excited to get another little boy to raise. It has been five years since I've had a baby boy in the house and as you all know, I am a sucker for baby boys. It will be quite different to have a spring/summer boy instead of a Christmas/winter boy.

The ultrasound went well. We were told that the baby has beautiful growth and everything looks just as it should. There is no sign whatsoever of the bleeding that I had earlier in the pregnancy. Our boy is just as healthy as he could be. And squirmy. She had a bit of a time getting measurements and pictures as he would not hold still for more than a second or two. During Adam's ultrasound he barely moved and sucked his thumb the whole time. Rowan was just as wiggly as this one. She had to try three times with Rowan to see that he was a boy. And Avril moved some but was more still. Now, out of all of them, rowan was my mellowest baby so I am hoping that this little wiggler follows suit. In temperment and size!

You may all be feeling bad for my only daughter but I assure you, she enjoys being the princess. And she has no trouble keeping up with the boys. I actually feel more sad for this little guy as he is younger than the next youngest boy by 5 1/2 years. But it has been a while for my family to have a boy so he is bound to be doted upon. And it is even on my side of the family. 5 grandaughters, 5 grandsons.

As for names, we haven't picked one yet. But we are leaning toward Rhett. Other names I like but Jay is not fond of are: Theron, Emery, & Vance. Jay likes Brandt but I don't like it enough for a first name. At this point, Rhett is the most liked by both of us.

I don't exactly know where we are going to put this baby. The bedrooms in our house are tiny and they are pretty much full right now. I am thinking that the older boys are going to get a new bunkbed. Their current bunkbed has a twin on top, double on bottom. We will most likely swap to a twin over twin and then buy a matching twin bed for the baby when he is old enough. A dresser also needs to be squeezed in there somewhere so some toys are going to have to go. Getting a new set of beds will mean a new set of bedding as well since double sheets will not work on a twin bed. Of course this is a couple of years down the road. In the beginning the baby will be in our room. This will be interesting as we usually move them to their own room at about a month old. This guy will have to stay for a few months. Hopefully he's a good sleeper! I would love ideas and suggestions on fitting three boys into one tiny room.

I am going to go through my baby boy stuff soon. I kept some basics but got rid of quite a bit when Avril was born. This way I can start compiling a list of what I need. A lot of it isn't going to fit during the right season anyway so no big loss. I got rid of a lot of the older boy stuff when I heard of a little guy that needed some clothes. Guess that just means I'll have to do some shopping!

People may wonder if  am disappointed that I am not getting another girl. I would be dishonest if I said that it didn't bother me that Avril won't have sisters as I had. But, no, I am not disappointed that I am having a boy. In fact, I couldn't be happier!

My baby boy is five.
How can it be?
When just a year ago yesterday,
He was still three.

A little about Rowan as he turns five:

Rowan is still a sweet, super-lovey boy. I think he will always be that way. His daddy is.
He still has sparkling blue eyes.
He still has dimples.
His smile still slays me. Every day.
He is mellow and sensitive yet energetic and loud all at once.
He is going through a weepy phase.
He knows all of his letters and their sounds.
He is extremely interested in numbers & asks questions about them constantly.
He loves to giggle & laugh.
He wants pirates really bad.
He has a phenominal imagination. One of the best I've seen. I think even better than mine.
He keeps telling me he wishes he could stay 4 for me.
He likes to draw.
He loves doing his school.
He crawls all over me if I sit and hugs my legs when I am standing.
He fights going outside but loves it once he's out there.
He loves being the "class clown". There is not a hint of stage fright in the boy.(he does not get that from my side of the family.)
Blue is his favorite color.
Fin & McQueen are his most played with toys.
He has moved on from his bear to a stuffed armadillo and a tater-tot shaped saber tooth.
He has a mild obsession with weapons. Especially the impaling type. Okay, it's not mild.
Cars, Cars 2, Chip & Dale, & Imaginext are his favorite movies.

For his birthday breakfast he requested cinnamon rolls.
For lunch, peanut butter & honey sandwhich with chips & applesauce.
For dinner, corndogs & broccoli.

Favorite snack: cheez-its & chocolate chips
Favorite drink: pop (??? I think he's only had it maybe 5 times in his life)
Favorite dinner: chicken & broccoli
Favorite cookie: The kind with chocolate chips all smashed up & cooked in there
Favorite place to go: Aunt Terah's
Best friend: Jude

Last night, tucking him into bed he told me he wanted to stay 4 forever because he didn't want to be a grownup. I asked why and he said, "Because grownups don't play." I explained that they just play with different kinds of games & toys. Like snowmobiles. He felt better after that. But it did inspire me to get down & just play with them more.

Rowan,

It is amazing to me that when a person has a baby that their love for that little being runs so deep, so immediately. But what amazes me more is how five years later, that love is deeper than they could have ever imagined it being on the day of their birth. My love for you grows every minute of every day.

And even when you grow up, you will still be my little blue-eyed, dimpled boy.

Happy birthday Mr. Rowster.

I love you.

Love,

Mommy

Not 10 on Not Tuesday

1) Well, Christmas is in full swing. Our decorations have been up for a week and about half of our gifts are bought. We are still completely stumped as to what to get Avril. So we may break our one gift under the tree rule for her. Of course I will probably just stuff everything into one box so it seems fair. In all honesty, we are spending twice as much on the boys. We still have a couple of people to buy for and I still have stocking stuffers to get.

2) My poor boy is drawing on his travel magna-doodle and pretending that he is playing a Nintendo DS game. This would probably make me want to cry if I didn't know that he and his older brother were each getting a DS Lite under the tree this year. I don't think I have ever been so excited about their Christmas gifts before. I know they are going to love it!

3) Rowan will be 5 years old in 6 days. Time flies. I ordered his birthday present yesterday and I am almost as excited about that as I am about the Christmas gift. This is what he is getting:                          

Plus an extra set of pirates. This boy has been asking for pirates and a pirate ship for quite some time now. I know he is going to love it. He may also be getting a new pair of Carhartts. Sadly, he must wait until after the New Year for his party. I think this may keep him busy though.

4) We are still unsure as to what we are getting Adam for his birthday. I am guessing it will be along the lines of Star Wars Legos or action figures. He may even get the set of movies if his dad can be talked into it. Jay balks but in reality, they are a lot cleaner than the majority of "kids" cartoons these days. He will also get the Carhartts. My kid can actually wear those things out.

5) My Christmas cards arrived today. I will be putting them in the mail tomorrow. The picture is not quite as crisp as I would prefer. Certainly not as crisp as it looked on my computer. But they are still pretty cute. Next year I will be more on top of my game and we will get Terah to do a family photo shoot in the fall. That way I can have them made up a little earlier and I won't have to take the pictures myself. I am still very excited about them though. And people might actually get them before Christmas!

6) I am feeling quite energetic these days. I am back to walking 5+ days a week and I feel so much better. I have also been watching what I eat more closely and it is amazing the difference I feel. I am not as tired & lethargic, I am not as grumpy, I am not as stressed. Of course this all most likely has to do with the fact that I am praying regularly more than it has to with the walking and eating better.
And the added bonus is feeling my little blessing moving & thumping around in there almost any time I am still. And when I bend over I usually get a good kick. I can feel this little one growing stronger each day.

7) Only 8 more days until THE ultrasound. Thankfully it is early in the morning. You all gotta make your guesses this week. You wanna know what I think? I think it is a boy. Way down deep in my gut I feel it is a boy. Of course, I really thought Terah was having a boy too.

8) Avril will be getting her birthday gift hopefully in January. Yeah, her birthday was in June. She was supposed to get a big-girl bed and bedding. She got most of the bedding but we have yet to get her the bed. Well, we hope to get it soon. We will need the crib for baby and I want her to be very used to her big-girl bed by then.

9) We have 21 weeks worth of school left for the year. And only 19 weeks before the first of May. And 4 of those weeks we will be on vacation. So that means 21 weeks worth of school in 15 weeks of time in order to finish before baby arrives. Yikes. Oh well, it's easier than doing it after baby is born. We may have to take it with us on our Colorado\Arizona trip. That way, Jay can help.(insert evil laughter)

10) Gettin really excited for my nieces to be born. It really could be any time now but for sure no longer than a month. Yay! I can hardly wait to see and hold them.

11) I don't know if I have ever mentioned how much I love the holidays before, but I do. It is my favorite time of year. And next week we have Christmas break and I plan on baking my heart out. So be looking for: fudge, homemade peppermint patties, chocolate-covered cherries, Christmas cookies, coconut balls, and quite possibly cathedral bars.

17 weeks

Baby:

baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.


Now I feel baby move usually every day! No big movements just little flutters and once in a while I feel a kick. Can't believe that in just 3 weeks I will be half way. Getting really anxious to find out whether this is a boy or girl. Mostly so I can start concentrating on names but also because I see things I would like to get but I can't because I don't know what I'm having. Not much longer. 20 days to be exact.

On the agenda for this week is:

*take Christmas pictures of the kids
*send out Christmas cards
*decorate for Christmas
*finish Christmas program(this will be done before anything else)
*prepare for Serina's baby shower
*get lots of school done
*start ordering Christmas gifts

Poor Adam has to double up in school the next couple of weeks. It gets a little overwhelming. I am actually considering not doubling up and just not taking a Christmas break. Maybe we could just double in one subjest until it's done and then double in another. I wouldn't even bother except that I really want to get the school year done before May. We have completed 12 weeks of school and that leaves 24 weeks yet to complete. May 11th(my due date) is 23 weeks from today. Ah!

15 Weeks

Baby:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

 Yay! Been into the second trimester for over a week now and I feel great! Also had another ultrasound yesterday and most of the blood/bleeding I had in the womb has gone now. Got to see "peanut" in there and as always, it was pretty awesome. It had it's little hand up by it's face and we got a cute picture of it's fingers. I get the strong feeling that baby is a boy every time I see it on the ultrasound but when I asked if the tech could tell she said no. Bummer. We do, however, get to find out what gender baby be on the 22nd of December. I was stoked, to say the least, that it would be before Christmas. So you guys gotta put in your guesses soon.  And although I will be equally excited over either, I really think my girl would benefit from not being the only one. So if you want to send a little prayer out for another girl, that would be appreciated. I'm just sayin...

Jay and Adam left to the east for 5 days and returned again on Wednesday night. To say that I am happy to have them home would be a gross understatement. For the first three days they were gone I would get the uncontrollable urge to weep every afternoon. The house was just so quiet.

For the next week I will be scrubbing and baking in preparation to host Thanksgiving. Jay's two sisters and one brother are coming. Sadly his parents and other brother and sister won't be able to make it. I am excited and overwhelmed all at once. I am sure whatever doesn't get done will only be noticed by me. Or I am the only one who would say anything about it anyway.

On that note, I'd better get going.

13 Weeks

Baby:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now.  Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Whew! Last weeek of the first trimester. Hard to believe it's gone so fast. Not that I'm complaining, I am already feeling so much better the last couple of weeks. Although yesterday I was plagued by unexplained nausea all day. It has become less frequent and I can actually keep my eyes open past 8:30 at night! Now comes the time for activity. I am feeling more confident that things are okay now so I am going to start walking again. Nothing too extreme, just 30 minutes of brisk walking a day. Have I mentioned how miserable I was with Avril because I didn't do this? Plus my raging appetite isn't going to be any help at all in the gaining department, it is bound and determined to make me completely miserable unless I feed it every couple of hours. Speaking of which, it is yelling at me now as I have not had breakfast.

I am so excited that we get to go to Costco tonight! We have been scraping the bottom of the barrel for a couple of weeks now. It is amazing how resourceful you can be when you don't have things at hand. Lunches for Jay are the hardest as he often can't take leftovers for lack of a place to rewarm them. I think he might actually throw up if he has to eat another pb&j sandwhich. Poor guy! I did send chili with him in a thermos yesterday. I think he was glad for that.

Not that we are broke. I don't want to give the wrong impression. We just had some expensive purchases/payments the last couple of months and are trying not to dip into savings too much. Plus we ran out of last year's beef and haven't come up with a plan to buy more. Been eating ground venison instead. And it usually doesn't bother me but this baby surely does not care for venison. As hungry as I've been, I'd pretty much rather not eat if venison is involved. I just can't seem to handle it while i'm pregnant. Silly hormones!

Anyway, I didn't want anyone to think that we are hurting for money, we are just trying to be careful. And tonight I plan on making a party of our shopping trip! =) Our freezer will be replenished by the end of the night! Yipeee!

You all have a good day and weekend.

12 Weeks

Baby:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

That's how baby is growing.
I think I've moved away from the fear of losing the baby but on to the fear of something being wrong with baby because of this clot. I didn't really ask if it would be harmful developmentally if my baby survived. I know, silly. God is the Maker of this baby and there will be no mistakes. But still I wonder...

I am feeling much better. A little more so each day I think. Less nausea. Less fatigue. It's great!

Still anxiously awaiting those first flutters that tell me, "I'm here!" That is the most exciting part of the first half. Speaking of the first half, it's only 8 weeks until I am halfway. Just before Christmas. And next week I will begin the second trimester. Yay! One-third of the way.

P.S. I really need help with a header for my blog! I am so clueless and I can't ever find one that I can customize well and that matches the background I chose. The header looks dumb the way it is.
HELP!

Nostalgia

: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition

1.

That's been my day. A day filled with nostalgia.

Basically, I've been a sentimental, weeping mess for a good portion of the afternoon.

You see, I had to go through this old desk we have. It's the one we've used since we got married. The one that I sat at browsing the web while Adam was slowly and steadily growing in my belly.

The one where I wrote little love notes to my hubby and lists of things I would need when we became parents or things we needed for our fridge any particular week.

The one where I sat with Adam on my lap and Rowan growing slowly and steadily in my belly.

Searching real estate listings praying that we could find something we might afford and be able to raise our two sweet boys in.

The desk that we moved into our newly purchased home to sit in the basement while we remodeled upstairs and lived in the driveway in a motorhome.

And has sat there since then, unused, untouched, and collecting dust.

For four-and-a-half years.

Yeah.

That desk.

The one filled with old letters and lists. With pictures of my baby boys.

And pictures of almost all of your babies too.

The ones that now have no trace whatsoever of the babies we knew back then.

I cleaned it out today so that my dear little brother can have it on Saturday.

Then his wife can bawl when she cleans it out six and a half years from now and remembers sitting at it with her baby growing.

2.

I found out that I am getting another niece sometime in March.

I strongly believe that this means I am having a boy.

(not really)

3.

Well, since I am choosing to believe the best, I will be having a baby in May.

This means I will have to rename my blog again.

4 P's in a Pod sounds kinda dumb.

I am drawing a blank.

I would love suggestions.

4.

Now that the desk is clean, I can focus on our pantry/store room in the basement.

I actually have a plan! I drew out how I want the shelves organized and everything.

Of course, someday it will be remodeled with painted walls, nice new shelves, and real flooring.

But for now I have an idea in mind that will make it nice, organized, and functional.

5.

Since I am on an organizing kick, next week I start upstairs.

6.

I have about 9 million Christmas projects that I want to try.

It will be so nice to have our school room complete so I have a spot I can do projects and not need to clean up for every meal and school.

Anyway, I don't know how to find the time to get everything done.

I want to simplify and do more at the same time.

7.

Speaking of Christmas, it's less than two months away.

Can you believe it?

Any good ideas for one "big" girl gift?

I think we are set on what to get the boys but I don't have any ideas for Avril.

I thought buying them one under the tree gift would make things easier.

I am actually finding it much more difficult.

8.

Jay and Adam leave for the east coast on the 12th of November.

That means that for the next two weeks we have to double up on our school lessons.

I can't get behind, I actually need to get ahead so we can finish up the year before baby arrives.

Sometimes school doesn't take more than a couple of hours.

Other days, we go all.day.long.

Depends on how much Adam resists.

9.

Revising our eating menu to exclude dairy again.

Of course Jay and I are fine but the kids are going to be enjoying almond milk and rice milk in their food.

I seem to notice a difference by cutting out even the lactose free stuff.

Grrrr.

It's worth it though.

10.

We still don't know what we are doing for Thanksgiving.

We are waiting to hear from Jay's family so we can decide whether or not

we will spend with my side or his.

Hopefully we will have an answer soon.

Update

I had an ultrasound this morning. It never ceases to amaze me how awesome it is to see those little babies moving around in there. Complete with a cute little profile, fingers, & toes.

 Hard to say whether or not we got good news. The good part is that "baby" has a strong heartbeat & is moving around & healthy overall. The tech said that's what we want to see. The part we don't want to see is the blood pocket/clot where the placenta attches to the uterine wall. There is a small area where the placenta was either torn or never attached to the uterus and a blood vessel ruptured. Hence the bleeding I had last week. The technician said that she has seen way worse ones than mine go on to have normal, healthy pregnancies and deliveries. She also said that she has seen some where she couldn't even tell where it was bleeding only to hear later that they had miscarried shortly after.

Ideally, this clot will absorb into my body and we will never hear from it or see it again. There also is a chance I could just pass it out. The concern is that it will rerupture or tear further from the uterine wall. If it tears too far, baby will not get the needed nutrients and it will result in a miscarriage.

I am to take it easy and really concentrate on staying hydrated and taking my vitamins. The goal is to give this tear/rupture time to heal completely. I was told that my regular 30 minute walk each day would be fine but have been begged by numerous relatives not to continue. I am not on bedrest just instructed to take it easy.

I will be going back in for another ultrasound on the 17th of November. They want to monitor the clot. I would really appreciate it if you all could remember us in prayer. I am a bit nervous about all this. They didn't say I was going to lose the baby but they didn't really reassure me either.

Another high note is that my official due date is May 11, 2012. So I am actually further along than I thought. Not by much but I'll take it. One more week until the second trimester. Yay!

10 weeks

Had quite the scare earlier this week. Thought we were losing "little peanut". Turned out to be a false alarm and we heard the heartbeat for the first time on Wednesday. Praise the Lord! I have an ultrasound this coming Wednesday just to double-check & make sure everything looks healthy. Excited to see my little one.

This week baby continues to grow & my morning sickness(which hits every night) seems to be getting better. The fatigue is starting to wear off a bit too although I do still seem to want a nap in the afternoon. I don't feel quite as foggy as I have the last few weeks.

Baby:
Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.
He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.
If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.
In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Pretty amazing how fast they grow and develop. I just learned that "fetus" means "little one". I had never heard that before. Although the little one is growing quickly I am still anxious to feel it moving. That seems like a long way off. I'm sure time will fly by but I am feeling impatient. Thankfully I have a lot to keep me busy & distracted! Each one seems to go faster than the last. Well, until about 34 weeks anyway. Then I feel like I'll be pregnant in eternity. *smile* Oh well. Regardless of how quickly it goes I am determined to enjoy it. Jay says 4 is his limit and I tend to agree that it is mine as well. So, except for some unseen plan, this should be the last time I experience this. As sad as that sounds, I am feeling excited about moving into the next phase of life.

Anyhow, I really am enjoying it this time around! I don't feel extremely crabby as of yet and so far I have not gained much weight although my jeans are getting tight.  And there is a lot going on between now & May. Jay & Adam are taking a trip back east in November. Then we have Thanksgiving. After that it's the Christmas program, Rowan's birthday, Christmas, New Year, two new nieces, Adam's birthday, & then we get to find out whether we get another son or another daughter. It doesn't stop there! In February we go on our annual two week vacation to Colorado & Arizona. When we get home it will be the beginning of March and at the end of the month we get another niece or nephew(they think niece but are getting a second ultrasound to be sure) and then we have one month to wrap up school. At that time we will be into May & preparing for the arrival of our youngest. Phew! When I type it all out I kinda want to panic about the lack of time I've got! Guess that means I'd better get up & get something done. It's just Avril & Mommy today so we might run into town & do some grocery shopping.

Have a good week!

Oh! I am going to be getting a new mother board for my computer soon so I should have a million and one pictures to post very soon.

Blessings

Today I am grateful for the blessing of a little beating heart.
Heard for the first time by human ears. But heard since the beginning by our God.
For the blessing of a tiny bit of peace & an overwhelming sense of love.

Today I am grateful for the blessing of two sons.
Boys full of energy & life & laughter.
Full of curiosity.
For boys who say things like,"Mommy, I don't want my grandma crackers(grahm crackers) right now."
Or
"We're supposed to like God the most."
And
"Rowan thinks we're having a boy but I think we're having a girl. And I know one of us is right and it's ME!"

Today I am grateful for the blessing of a daughter.
A girly-girl who has to kiss & hug every family member before bed.
For a girl whose pants must entirely cover her shoelaces.
For the ball of energy who insists on bringing her entire kitchen collection to the coffee
table every.single.day.

Today I am grateful for the blessing of a God-fearing husband.
For the voice singing in the background & the helping hand whenever I am overwhelmed & exhausted.
For the opinions that drive me crazy but are usually right or at the very least sensible.
For the warm fire built by work-roughened hands.
For my partner in crime, and in life, and in rearing these lunatic kids.

Today I am grateful for the blessing of Truth revealed.
Revealed to me by a merciful Father, a loving Son, & a convicting Holy Spirit.

9 weeks

As of Saturday I am 9 weeks into my pregnancy. The nausea seems to only hit at night time now and my fatigue seems to be lifting the last few days. I have more energy which is really nice. I've been needing it.
And the good news is, Jay won't be starting work until 8:00 most mornings now so I will be able to walk before he leaves once again. It hadn't been getting light out early enough for me to do this anymore. The bad news is, Jay isn't starting work until 8:00 on most mornings now so he will be getting home even later in the evening. Bummer. I guess it's getting to be that time of year anyway.

Back to baby.
Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.


Hoping that doesn't mean I'm poised for rapid weight gain!=)

Still haven't been to the doctor but I am calling today. I know they will want me to take a pregnancy test before they set up an appointment but I like to call and give them a heads up and find out the best time to come in for the test. Not really looking forward to the whole routine but it will be exciting to hear baby's heartbeat(should be far enough along for that).

My other blessings are all sick. Just some nasty colds but they are, well, nasty. Snotty, coughing, grouchy, & overall ickiness. Poor kiddos.

Got some pears canned yesterday. Unfortunately I waited too long and ended up with only 6 quarts of bartletts. But we do have a ton of another kind that will be ready to can this week and although they aren't as good for just eating, they are good for canning. I think I'll get between 12 & 20 quarts of those. Not too bad.

We are also going to get cider pressed in the next couple of weekends. So if you've got any gallon jugs for us and feel inspired to come help pick, you might wind up with a few gallons of cider. Jay says we have a ton of apples and will end up with well over 50 gallons(honestly, I think he said like around 100, but I'm skeptical). Our first year we only had 27. The next year, they froze too early. And last year we didn't get apples at all. This year they are plentiful albeit, late. Too bad cider makes me horribly sick with awful stomach pains.
Still can't get this laptop to recognize my camera so I've gotta figure out how to get my pictures on here. I won't give up. Jay will have time to help me someday.
 
I'd better go make lunch. School is already out of the way for the day. WooHooo!

It's True

Yes, it's true, Jay and I are expecting our 4th little blessing.

I am just over 8 weeks along(I think). That puts my due date around the 19th of May. I have not been to the doctor as of yet but plan on going in soon. They don't usually want to see you before 8 weeks anyhow.

As far as symptoms go, this little one is making me the most queezy of the four. I also have been really wiped out but that might just be because I have so much more to do than I did with previous pregnancies. However, I don't feel too crabby yet. That's a bonus!

Even though I have been feeling a little green it has been random & I still have not actually gotten sick. It seems to be the worst at night and so I usually just go to bed & sleep it off. Not too bad really, compared to others.

I also feel like a 13-year-old girl with the sudden breakouts I am having on my face. Makes a girl feel glamorous with the nausea & spotted face but I guess it is always worth it in the end. It also makes me think it could be another girl as I didn't do that with the boys but I did with Avril. Of course every baby is different so I'm not getting my hopes up too much. Two boys & two girls seems pretty picture perfect. And, honestly, I am thrilled either way.

My biggest concern is weight gain. I put on a lot of weight with Avril and I really want to avoid that this time around. It is a little difficult when I start feeling sick if I don't eat and I have not had the time or energy to exercise much extra. Of course, laziness is my biggest adversary so I just need to push past it. This also relates to the size of the baby. My goal is to keep this child under a nine-pound birth weight. I am told I can help this by watching what I eat. I am skeptical though since with Adam I ended up weighing 10 lbs less after I had him than when I got pregnant and he still weighed 9 lbs 9 oz. But it's still worth a shot since it may mean weight loss for me regardless of the baby's weight. But if you all would pray for my diligence and self control in this area, I would appreciate it.

I guess there is not a lot more information to be told as it is still early on. We will most likely be finding out the gender of the baby just after the new year. We will wait to discuss names until then. And yes, we are very excited!

I will keep everybody updated on baby's progress. Right now little blessing is about the size of a large raspberry & weighs 1 gram. External ears, baby teeth buds, optic nerve and eyelids are forming now. And baby moves its tiny arms & legs. How amazing.

HONEST

Okay girls, the pictures are on my camera. I am just too tired and too busy to figure out how to get them on the computer tonight. But I will.

Yes I will!

YES. I. WILL.

Honest.

LAAAAAAANCE!

Can I be invited to your blog? If I promise not to comment? ;)

Ten on Tuesday

1) Second week/day of co-op was today. I am really loving it and the kids are too. So fun to see them learning outside the box.

2) Autumn is upon us. All I can say is, "YESSSSSSS!" It is my favorite time of year outside of Christmas season.

3) Jay has the first 3 days of this week off. It's weird to just stay home when he has time off. We usually go on a trip somewhere. But he had to use up 3 days before the end of the month and there is a lot of work to be done before the really cold weather sets in.

4) We got unexpected company yesterday. A couple that Jay has known for some time & their 5 younger children. This was my first time meeting them and they seem to be a very nice family. They have been traveling the country visiting friends & family for the last month.

5) Adam is doing better each week in his taekwondo class. Sometimes he gets a little case of stage-fright and is embarrassed to try really hard but I think he is overcoming it slowly.

6) Our church Christmas program is going to be a re-enactment of It's a Wonderful Life. My sweetie is playing the lead role. He, of course, is not the least bit nervous but I think I'm nervous enough for the whole cast. And I don't even have a part!

7) This weekend is the women's retreat. We are going to the Western Pleasure Guest Ranch. I am very excited. Last year's was a blast & I have been looking forward to the next one since coming home for the last one. Not sure I care for spending the night away from the family it doesn't make since to drive back & forth. And the rest of it's too good to miss.

8) I have photos for my Photo-a-Day project. I don't have exact dates for all of them but I know what order they came in. I just have to have Jay show me how to get them off of my camera and on to his computer because it's way different than mine.

9) Ordered the kids some much needed fall and winter clothes this week. Is shopping for kids' clothes anyone else's favorite hobby? Unfortunately, I was not able to get everything they needed but I did get the most important items. Getting spendy as they get older. I can no longer find as good of deals on ebay and yard sales and such don't have very nice older kids stuff because they wear it out before they outgrow it. In a couple years Rowan will not be getting very many hand-me-downs as Adam is wearing out more clothes. And he is wearing out the expensive items too. Such as jeans and shoes & coats. Couldn't be just a t-shirt or something inexpensive. Oh well. That old cookie crumbles as it will.

10) Looking ahead to the Christmas season again. We have decided to re-org our Christmas celebration this year. The kids will be getting ONE gift each this year & a few stocking stuffers. Last year was a good eye-opener when we saw all of the gifts wrapped under the tree. I tend to get things on sale and stash them away. Then when the holiday comes around I see it all together. Ridiculous. Jay & I have also set a very small limit for one another. The goal is to be able to give more to people in need and have our children be a part of this. I would like to pick a charity or family to give to each week of December(Jay gets paid weekly) and have the kids help me choose and deliver/mail the gift. Just a work in progress at this point.

Taiter

While working on spelling words today Adam said,
"My remembery is hard."

So cute that I didn't ever want to forget.

Love that boy.

Thoughts

1) The "organize thoroughly" plan has turned into the "organize enough to breathe" plan. Since we are beginning the orchard work soon and we are starting school on the 12th I have decided to just clean and do basic organizing over the next week. My goal: to be done by Tuesday. Then I would have the rest of the week to get ready for school: lesson planning, ordering co-op supplies, menu planning, & so forth.

2) Even though I have not blogged as often as I would like, I am glad that I am blogging more often than I was. It feels refreshing somehow.

3) Mama Mondays has kinda turned out to be a flop. But I'm not giving up! It will just be more of an anything relating to mamas thing versus the "advice" thing. I discovered that when I would go to write out how we do a certain something, that the way I do it isn't really working for me. So I didn't feel qualified. I have gotten some really cool tips from other Mamas lately though. I've even put some of them into practice and it is helping a lot so far.

4) I have some cute pictures to post but my laptop is on the fritz and so I sent it to my IT guy. I'm bumming this computer off of Jay. But I will post those pics as soon as I get my computer back.

5) Our power(electrical) is freaking out on us again. It does this every August/September. We get big surges of power and appliances and lightbulbs start bursting and blowing out and the only way to stop it is to shut off the main breaker. Well, we may or may not have found the problem area. An electrician is coming tomorrow to try and fix it. Assuming that he's not digging my charcoaled corpse out of the rubble instead. But I don't think that's part of his job description. As to why it would only do this during this time of year, I have no idea. It's really weird.

6) Adam & Avril really need clothes for fall & winter. I have been eyeing some stuff for quite a while but just can't bring myself to spend the money. In the past I just always got everything on clearance the year before but since I failed to do that last year I feel like I'm playing catch-up. I have to buy things all at once and at a higher price. Plus Adam is getting harder to tell if something is going to fit him or not the next season let alone the next year. And in a couple of years Rowan will no longer be receiving Adam's hand-me-downs because Adam is destroying his clothes before he outgrows them. Lucky for me that clothes shopping for my kids is a favorite hobby of mine.

7) Hey! Do any of you have favorite healthy dinners that you cook? I bought a new cookbook and that is helping tremendously but I still need inspiration. I'm a baker, not a cook. I just have a hard time cooking with prepackaged stuff because it's so unhealthy and usually loaded with dairy products. But I get so boring when I am cooking from scratch. I tend to just do the easy and quick thing which adds up to about 7 different meals with my lack of creativity in the cooking department.

8) Any plans for the long weekend? We might go see Jay's brother in Washington but they may have other plans. Still waiting to hear from them. If not, we will probably work ourselves half to death with all of things that need to be done here. I do really want to do something fun as a family to say good-bye to the summer but I'm not sure what as of yet. We could always pic-nic and go fishing I suppose. The kids get a kick out of that.

9) Tomorrow we find out whether Beaux and Serina are having a boy or a girl. I think I am going to guess girboyl(gur-boi-ul). It sounds so fitting for them.
Honestly, I don't know what to guess. My instinct says girl but I am almost always wrong. And they seemed really happy. So that makes me think it's a boy. Gideon or Genevieve? Genevieve or Gideon? Who knows.

10) Anybody want a really awesome recipe? It's super yummy. I am making it for the dessert potluck tomorrow at Beaux's. It's Chocolate-Covered Cookie Dough Balls. They are very addicting.

Old School

Daddy found these toys in some of his stuff downstairs.
He played with these things many a day when he was a little boy.
Uncle Matt has some down there too.

(and if he doesn't ever come get them they may be confiscated. *wink*wink*)


Well, it was decided that it was time to pass them along.
I don't know if Chad had any of these, I assume he was too, huh-hmm, old?
I think these were toys of the 80's as Terah and I also had some when we were little.
The old-fashioned Little People toys.
We didn't have excavators. Although there was a tractor.
We had a farm, if I'm remembering right.
(Mom & Terah, you'll have to correct me. Being two or three is a little sketchy in my memory.)
Anyway, who better to pass them along to than the three name-bearers of the bunch?
There are 13 grandsons on the P side of the family.
Only three to carry on the name.
Two of them are mine.
And even though Jay is the youngest boy in his family and we were the last to start having kids, we somehow ended up with the first boy to carry on the name.
So, son, I really hope you enjoy your inheritance.
'Cuz it's all your gonna get!
Well, that and hopefully a son exactly like you someday.
The Bible calls them a heritage. I wonder if in the original language the word for "heritage" means "revenge"?
You know, "children are a heritage from the Lord"
could be
Children are revenge from the Lord.
You think?

Yeah, probably not.
The heritage is a little too sweet to be sweet revenge.


"Alright, you bad guy, I'm gonna git you." 

 "No, you're not! uh!pshh!guh.ooohuh."

 "I got 'im. Take him away!"

 "Where to, Boss?"

"Put 'im in the trash truck and throw 'im awaaay." 

 "Take 'im to the dump, driver!"

 "We're takin you someplace you're never gonna git out."

 "No! No! Please, I'm sorry. Nooooooo!"

"Heh. You're gonna die in the dump.Heh heh heh."

 "And stay there forever...."

I kinda hope my boys don't end up in law enforcement....

I'm just sayin is all.

Before Autumn

Okay, so I have been panicking because school is starting in just 4.5 weeks. I am fine with that and look forward to the routine that it brings but as a homeschooling mom, I would really like my house to be clean and organized beforehand. Four-and-a-half weeks. Is that enough time to deep clean my entire house? I mean really clean it. You know, move furniture around and get rid of everything we don't use or need and scrub baseboards and so on.

Sure, you might think that 4.5 weeks sounds like plenty of time. But here's the thing: I also have harvest time coming. Which means hours and days of picking, cleaning, pealing, slicing, juicing, and canning. Literally, days worth of this stuff. With three kids underfoot. True, they can help some. But still...

And I don't want to just clean either. I want to decorate and organize but simplify all at once.

I do not lack motivation, just inspiration.

Oh, how I admire our foremothers.


So here's what needs to be done before school:

• cleaning & organizing the house
• buy Avril's bed and bedding
• complete Avril's room
• finish the school room
• yard work (rock removal, weeding, mowing, etc.)
• canning supplies purchased
• first apples picked & something (maybe applesauce)
• lesson plans worked out
• calendar time for co-op planned out

That's my August to do list.

Here's September:

• start school
• start co-op
• pick plums
• juice plums
• make jelly
• pick pears
• peel, core, & slice pears
• can pears
• pick apples
• make applesauce
• take apples to be pressed
• fall yard work (last mowing, raking, putting up summer stuff, etc.)
• possibly paint the exterior of the house
• clean out 5th-wheel

Feel free to join me for any of the harvesting work. I may even send you home with stuff!

I would love organizing tips for bedrooms and kitchen. Cost-effective of course.

Little Mama

Avril really likes her new dolls. She got them for her birthday. She is a pretty good mommy too.She cuddles them, and feeds them fishies, and smooches on them when they cry.

Have I ever mentioned that I love having a daughter?

No, SERIOUSLY

Okay, so I keep saying it but I really mean it this time. I am back to blogging.

Wanna know why I really mean it this time? Because my kids have done and said so many things lately that I want to remember and can't. And because I don't take as many pictures when I don't blog. And I miss that.
So expect to see a lot more of me 'round these parts from now on.

I have some picture editing to do but hopefully tomorrow I will catch up on my photo-a-day and post a few here too. It shouldn't be too hard due to the fact that the boys are overnighting with their cousins tonight. Pretty weird with just us girls here. Although daddy should be home really soon.

See you later!

Be-lated

A belated Mama Monday post.

http://ht.ly/5EDjs

I cried when I read this. I cried because I know where my children have ranked so many times. I cried because it is not where they ought to rank. And I cried at the time that I have wasted, the days I have ignored them, the moments when I have shown them what I really think, and the fact that I do not want it to ever be that way again. I want to live the Gospel. To live it for God and His glory. And to live it for my childrens' sake, that they may know Him and know that what I teach them is not a lie.

With that, I will shut down my computer and show them where they really rank in the Kingdom.

Mama Monday

Disclaimer: I am not an organized, all together, with-it, sort of person. I am also not that kind of mother or wife. Most days I fumble through striving to do better than the day before. I am not an expert and most of what I do at our household is due to trial and error. This is the way it works best for us. Up to this point in our lives we have been a pretty unscheduled and non-routine sort of family. This makes our life hectic. So most of what is posted here on Mama Mondays will be our new way of doing things. A new method that we've implemated in order to bring, well, order to our family. Some of it will be tried and true and we've done it since becoming parents. All of it will be in hopes of glorifying our Lord and Saviour. None of it is perfect. I do not claim that our way is the right way or even that it is the best way, only that it is our way and it works for us. I cannot wait to hear your way.


Cleaning House

 Keeping the house clean is one of my biggest challenges since becoming a mommy. Before Adam was born I would clean my entire house in a day and it would stay clean for about a week. Yep, besides the every day stuff like dishes and laundry, I cleaned once a week. That's it. Well, times have changed. I can no longer clean my entire house in just one day. And I can no longer keep it that way for a week.

For the first years of parenting I would do most of my housework during nap or after bedtime. But now that I have 3 kiddos who are quite capable of destroying a house in a matter of minutes and two of which do not nap on most days, I can no longer do all of my cleaning while they are asleep. So I have kind of just gotten lazy about it.

Most days our house is a bomb. I won't lie. It's a complete pigsty. I mean, I wouldn't eat here if it weren't my own family's mess! The biggest reason it's this way is because I never had a plan or a routine for cleaning. I just did what needed to be done the most and for a while I still tried cleaning it all in one day. Ha! It's also because I feel so overwhelmed that I just throw my hands in the air and say, "Ah, forget it!"

So I bought a book called Large Family Logistics. The author has nine children and lives on a farm. She suggests embracing the way of our foremothers and doing one cleaning chore per day. For example: Monday is Kitchen Day; Tuesday is Laundry Day, Wednesday is Office Day, etc. If you've ever read The Little House on the Prairie series you'll know that this is also the way that the Ingalls girls did it. I was quite intrigued by the idea only I quickly realized that it wouldn't work for me because she still has one day for cleaning the entire house. I can never manage to get it all done in one day. So I adopted her idea and twiqued it. I decided that I would do one room a day(some days it's two rooms). That way I still have time for the everyday stuff and I can really clean the room, not just surface clean.

I have only just started doing things this way so it has not been fine-tuned, it's more of a rough draft.

Here is my cleaning routine:

Monday- kitchen & dining room
               This is also the day I do baking because it doesn't make since to mess it all up
                with baking another day.

Tuesday- bathroom & master bedroom

Wednesday- laundry room & stairway/downstairs rooms

Thursday- kids' bedrooms

Friday- bathroom & living room

Saturday- Outside work

I also do my every day chores as needed: dishes, sweeping, meals, etc.

I try to wash one load of laundry a day.

Friday is also our town day. I will soon be writing up a menu plan to help this go smoothly.

I have just recently really started involving the kids in my housework. They dust, unload/load the dishwasher, vacuum, fold towels, take clothes to the bedrooms, and they do most of the picking up of toys.

Ultimately my goal is to have all of the cleaning done by lunch and then the rest of the day can be used for other things. But when school starts this will be a little harder.

That's the way we do it. How do you do it?

A Lot

Wow.

Almost a month since I last posted. I have to admit that I have lost some of my motivation to write anything or to take pictures for either of my blogs. This is greatly due to the fact that most of my friends have abandoned me for Facebook which I do not take part in. It would probably be a dangerous place for me. If for no other reason than that I would be online even more than I am now.

Another reason is that there seems to be so much going on these days. Just not enough time to fit everything in.

Lots of exciting things have been going on though.

Last week Jay was on vacation so we loaded up the 5th-wheel and the truck & headed to the Oregon coast. Well, we got as far as CDA, spent the entire day at the transmission shop, were out $115 dollars, and headed home with the problem unresolved. So we camped locally for a couple of days and then pretty much just lazed about the rest of the week. Bummer. If I knew we were going to stay home for vacation I would have preferred to get some major projects done but the kiddos had their hearts set on camping. We just couldn't let them down.

Tonight Adam is at Grami & Grampa's house with Camden. And I have two little guests. Their names are Jude & Gwyneth. They are currently giggling their hearts out with Rowan & Avril while scarfing a late dinner of Papa Murphey's.

My daughter has gone through the entire day peeing on the potty. She pooed in her diaper and she wet it at nap but other than that she has not gone in her diaper today at all. The really exciting part is that this is the first day I have even tried potty training her. YAY! Tomorrow we try no diaper. I am a bit nervous.

Jay is participating in leading worship every evening this week at teen camp. He is enjoying it but we miss him.

Have you all heard of Erin Cobb(http://erincobb.com/ThePigBear/)? She's an amazing photographer in Alabama and I love looking at her pictures and reading her family blog. I have been reading it for about three years now and when I first started she did a series of posts called Mama Mondays. It was just a post each Monday about how she did a certain motherly duty. Anything from lunches to getting the kids to help with chores. I loved it. She also had friends buddy post about how they did the same thing. Each week was different and I gleaned a lot of ideas from it.

Well, I am going to start my own Mama Mondays. Each week I will pick a certain topic about mothering or household duties that we all have to do and tell you how we do it around my home. If you would like to participate you can tell how you do it in the comments section or post on your own blog and I will put a link to yours at the end of my post. If there is a particular topic you would like to cover let me know. I love sharing this kind of stuff because it really helps me to fine-tune the way I run my household. I am not an organized wife/mother but I am striving to improve. I have things that I have been changing lately that work quite well and others that are in desperate need of improvement. I think this a good way for "iron to sharpen iron".  Check out Erin's blog to see what I am talking about. I will cover many of the same topics that she did but have a few new ones of my own.

I am also excited to say that we should be starting on the school room next week or shortly thereafter. Considering we have about eight weeks until school starts, I am very hopeful that it will be finished by then. It is going to be big in the way of keeping things organized around here. No more books and boxes piled in our bedroom!

Speaking of school, I just ordered our new curriculum yesterday. I'll post about it when it arrives. I am very excited. I love getting new books and such.

The next two weeks I have the priveledge of teaching the Toddler Class at church. This week it's about ants and what the Bible has to say about them. I am most excited about this. Next week, stick bugs and walking with God.

I am very excited about getting back into blogging. I hope you all join me!

Remember...

my sweet baby?

Avril, you are full of life. I see so much of your daddy in you. You are ready to take life by the horns.

Looking back, I sometimes miss the baby you were. But as I have said before, I love the girl you have become and look ahead to the woman you will be someday. You are the answer to many prayers.

 You are my daughter. The one I longed for. The one I dreamed about.

I hope you always know what a blessing you are to me.

Happy Birthday Miss Moo.

Mommy loves you.

My Girl

 I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.
When it's cold outside I've got the month of May.
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl

Talkin' 'bout my girl.

I've got so much honey the bees envy me.
I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees.
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl

Talkin' 'bout my girl.

I don't need no money, fortune, or fame.
I've got all the riches baby one mom can claim.
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl

Talkin' 'bout my girl.

She's two.

Is it possible?

Ten on Tuesday

1) I once again am able to count the children in my house on only one hand. It is refreshing. But also kinda boring.

2) As long as I train my kiddos properly now, I must say that having teenagers is going to be awesome! They are capable of so much! ;)

3) On that note, my oldest completed kindergarten almost two weeks ago. Waaaaaaaaaaaaa! He is just getting so big. All three of them are growing too fast. *sniffle*

4) There is a lot of work to be done around here now that it is "summer". A lot of outside stuff. And a  lot of inside stuff. I am so enjoying/looking forward to enjoying the long, warm, sunny days of summer. I really do hope they show up sometime...then maybe some of this stuff will get done.

5) I have quite a few pictures for my photo-a-day from the month of May. Trouble is, I can't remember all of the exact dates for them. However, I do plan on getting them up on the blog this week. Then maybe I really will keep better track for the second half of the year.

6) Is anyone else spooked out that we are already half way back to the Christmas season? I can't believe how much faster each year seems to go. I always start getting on a Christmas kick around August. Maybe I'll actually do something about it this year.

7) I am loving Bible study on Tuesday mornings. I think that I really have been needing something like this for a while. I think it will help keep me accountable to praying and being in the Word. It hits the spot.

8) I have a dentist appointment in the morning. Fillings. Blah. I am sure I'll feel better in the long run but it always seems like such a waste of time. I sit there thinking about all the other stuff I could have been doing instead. Like eating. And rotting my teeth out some more. =}

9) It's time for me to plan a birthday party for Avril. I really want to do a Mad Hatter Tea Party but I think I should wait until next year when she will enjoy it more. I guess this year will probably be pretty generic. I always try to do a fun cake for the kids' birthdays but I just don't have any good ideas for her this year. Any one else seen something cute and girly? I was considering A Wizard of Oz type theme that I saw online but I just don't know. Maybe she'll get a sheet cake.

10) Now that my niece and nephews have gone home, it's potty-training week. I am hoping that girls really are easier than boys. Judging by the way she reacted to sitting on the potty the other night, I don't think I am going to be so lucky. The boys were both trained shortly after their 3rd birthday. I was really rooting for Avril to be trained long before she turns three. But we shall see. I am considering the cold turkey method. Where you just stop putting diapers on them and let the --um--chips--fall where they may.(is that even the right saying?) But that's all I'm doing so far, just considering.

I do that a lot. And I say maybe a lot too. It's the authentic procrastinators way.

Lonely

I think Blogland is a little dreary these days. Seems most of us are slacking in the blog department. If it's for the same reason I am, it's probably a good thing. Husband. Kids. Meals. Housework. Bible reading. Projects. Company. And other things of that sort.

I made a commitment a few weeks back to stay off of the computer more. I even computer "fasted" for a whole week. While my sister was in Uganda, no less. Not an easy task. But I did it and you know what? It has been easier for me to stay off of it since then.  A quick look at blogs here and there. Check my email. Search the web briefly for something. And that's about it. Of course today has been an exception. I was Ebaying, okay! And the weather is starting to get me down. It is almost May, right? Time for Sunshine!

Anyway, I have decided that on most days I will not get online until nap time or bed time and I am trying to stay off while Jay is here with me. Now, if he so chooses to spend his evenings outside or working on his various projects, then the computer and time on it is free game, Baby! =) But it really is the least I can do to shut it off and pay attention when he is actually in here with me. He is my husband afterall.

Today is one of those rare occasions that all three of my lovely children are napping. Poor Adam was up until approximately 12:45 am and true to form, he woke up around 7 am. So he is napping with the others and I have decided that I have some pictures that need tending to. I should be posting a bundle of them on the other blog today, if you're interested. Hoping to catch up through April and start fresh for May. Then I am going to try my hardest to stay on top of it so I can have a book or two made at the end of the year.

Speaking of blog books...

 How do you all do it? With my photo-a-day I was thinking from January 1-December 31 for each book. But would it be better to go from Christmas to Christmas each year so that I can have them made up as a gift for my family each Christmas instead of waiting until after the new year? You know, start the 1st of December and go through November of the following year. That sort of thing.

And for this blog, should I do all of the text posts as well or just the ones with pictures? Should I divide them and do one of each child per year and then different ones of the whole family or just a combined family book? What size would you all recommend? Let me know what you think. I need advice. I have a pretty good idea that I'll do a family one and one of each child to give on their birthdays but I am open to any new ideas you might have, so comment away, please.

My Husband

It's official, we have been married for 8 years today. I think back over the last 8 years and so much has changed yet so much remains the same. My husband was wonderful that first day of our marriage and he is wonderful still. So I thought I would do a post here to honor him. Here is a list of all the things my husband is and isn't.

1) My husband is loving. My husband isn't a push over.
2) My husband is kind. My husband isn't tactful.
3) My husband is romantic. My husband isn't Edward from Twilight.
4) My husband is a hero. My husband isn't Superman.
5) My husband is a big eater. My husband isn't a BIG eater.
6) My husband is a germ-a-phobe. My husband isn't Lyle.
7) My husband is a brother. My husband isn't my brother.
8) My husband is animated. My husband isn't a cartoon.
9) My husband is funny. My husband isn't silly.
10) My husband is musical. My husband isn't fond of musicals.
11) My husband is frugal. My husband isn't stingy.
12) My husband is short. My husband isn't short-winded.
13) My husband is stubborn. My husband isn't a jack-___.(don't judge me. It's in the Bible!)
14) My husband is confident. My husband isn't arrogant.
15) My husband is mine. My husband isn't anyone else's.

And for that, I am truly blessed. And eternally grateful.

My husband is loved. My husband isn't coddled. =)

Happy Anniversary, My husband.
I love you!

Ten!

I completely forgot to post that, as of Friday, April 1, 2011, Jay and I have been together for 10 years.

Yes, we started dating on April Fools Day. I think it's somewhat fitting.

And no, two years of dating, almost eight years of marriage, and three kids later, we were not joking.

We were serious.                              Most of the time.

Just so there isn't any doubt.