Big stuff

So I totally forgot to mention the momentous occasion.......drumroll, please......paci is gone forever (for Addie at least)!!! She had two that she affectionately named "blue" and "yellow." (smart girl because those were indeed their colors) Well, yellow got a little hole in it, so he sort of got tossed to the side for a while and blue became her best friend. Then, blue took a turn for the worst so she threw it away and said bye-bye to blue because it's broken. That was about two weeks ago. So she went back to yellow, simply dealing with the small hole. We knew it was only a matter of time before she tossed yellow aside again because of the lack of sucking power. At this point it was just something to chew on and hold in her mouth. Well, yellow gradually got worse and worse due to said chewing on and finally, Wednesday night, Addie walked over to the trash can and said bye bye to yellow. It was broken. Done deal. And by the way, I had refused to buy a new paci for a two-year-old, so we prepped for this time. Thanks to Barney, Addie found a yellow blanket in our big pile o' baby blankets and decided that this could be her friend (Baby Bop has a yellow blankie and there's a song about it on one of our videos). So, during the transition from two pacis to one to none, Addie became friends with yellow blankie. She now sleeps with it and ever since Wednesday night, has slept quite soundly without paci. (knock on wood) Naps are a different story, but I'd rather have a good night's sleep than worry about naps.

We also purchased blackout curtains for Addie's room since it faces the west and thus has sun shining in it until past bedtime. They came in pink--pretty bright--but look great, work great, and didn't cost us too much money. We got a cute curtain rod so now her room is starting to become her cute girl room.

Ethan during all this time is just watching the world go by. He's so precious and quite content to sit and play for a while. However, yesterday and today he has decided that he can roll around and get what he wants. He tries to get up on all fours and go after what he wants, so I anticipate crawling coming in the next month (Addie was 8.5 months when she finally crawled, so he's got a couple of weeks to tie her...don't worry, I know every child is different!).

What we learned recently...

...a huge tub of A&D lasts about 7 months.

...true friends really will do anything for you. (a huge thanks to Joy for rinsing out Ethan's clothes last night when he decided to have the hershey squirts at their house and needed to pretty much be hosed down. good thing they have a little boy as well, so Ethan was able to wear one of Dawson's onesies that was a few sizes too big, but worked nonetheless since I packed a great diaper bag with the exception of the one thing we needed most: a change of clothes.)

...Addison is pretty much at the age where a nice trip to the mall isn't so nice anymore.

...there are nice strangers out there who give you random coupons at The Children's Place, thereby saving you money while buying the kids' swimsuits.

...you really do need to watch what you do because you never know who's watching :) (case in point: Addie was crying the other day because she was tired and didn't know what she wanted and as I tried to calm her down and prepare her for naptime--not so easy--she suddenly stopped crying and started staring at the living room window where her little boyfriend from two doors down was standing and starting to talk to her. The windows were open and he decided to make himself at home and come on over. Weird, but funny. He's 4.)

I think I pretty much finished up what I wanted to say yesterday or whatever day I last blogged. :) Happy June!!!!! :)

Oh, and just because she's about the cutest little neice anyone could ever ask for, here's a pic of Ava. :) I love her and can't wait to see her again (hopefully in a few weeks if all goes well).

I have only a few minutes and not a lot of inspiration to write, so we'll see what happens. :)

Last weekend our church had it's 2nd annual family "potluck." I put that in quotes, because when you go to a church of over 2000 people, potluck takes on a whole new meaning. 3 lines to get food, rides and games cover part of the parking lot, lawn chairs and blankets everywhere. Kind of chaotic, but fun. And really, let's be honest, not everyone attends the potluck. For the most part, it was the same people we see at every church event. But we love our church family, and it was nice to fellowship with some of them. They had a couple of kiddie ride things. We learned that as of right now, Addison is not a ride person. We put her on the little airplanes (4 in a circle that lift slightly off the ground and circulate). They had to stop it shortly after starting and let her off because she freaked out. So our friends put their little 18 month old in Addie's seat to finish the ride (their other two kids were already on), and that little girl loved it. Then we thought we'd try the train. Everyone likes a train, right? I took Addie on the train at the zoo and she was fine (well, that was last September, a lot changes). We all rode the train together, thinking she'd be fine because she'd have mommy and daddy with her (Ethan was on my lap, Addie on Brad's). Nope, she was freaking out there, too. Brad was holding her tight saying, "you're fine, I've got you, we're almost done..." (we're talking about a little around the parking lot train ride) She held on to Brad so tight and finally calmed a little before it was over. At least when we got done, she said, "I rode the train!" And she was able to tell her grandma that she rode the train with a hint of a smile, so maybe she wasn't scarred for life. :) Ethan liked the train. He just rode around and sat on my lap like he had the life of a king (well, okay, so maybe he does). :)

We played outside with the neighbors yesterday evening. The girls came over to see Addie, so I sent her out to play with them (they are around the ages of 10 and 13--built in babysitters!!) and I picked up the house and stuff, then Ethan and I decided to get some fresh air as well. So we went next door where the girls were all playing and sat on their front porch and talked to the neighbors. I say all of that because I love our neighbors. They are so great, we talk all the time and the girls absolutely love Addie and love playing with her. And of course, they love Ethan, too, but he's not so much able to play with them yet. So anyhow, we are outgrowing our house, but love our neighbors. They told us we weren't allowed to move, ever, and we'd just have to add on. So now we're taking up a collection so we can add on to our house and keep our amazing neighbors. ;) Let us know if you want to contribute! ;)

Alright, I think it's time to go get baby boy. Sorry there's not too much excitement that I wrote about, but at least I gave you something to read! :)

By the numbers

I'm intrigued with magazine pages and blogs and such that do a numbers thing. Must be the math teacher in me. So, here's my version for today...

90 8th graders
8 chaperones
2 busses
1 amusement park
8 hours of fun in the sun
85 cell phones

I was amazed at the number of middle schoolers who brought a cell phone on this day trip to an amusement park. I mean, it's obviously up to each individual family, but what did we do when we went on a school trip? You made it to the bus on time because no one could call you and tell you to get your booty back. Your parents were ready and waiting around the time you told them you'd be back. Occasionally one or two people would call from a rest stop phone on the way home and let the parents know how much longer we'd be and then those parents called the other parents and so on.

Yes, we chaperoned the 8th grade trip on Saturday and we actually had a really good time. The kids got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa--a win-win situation. :)

Guess I'm done with my numbers thing for now.

Ethan is 7.5 months! He's sitting up well, which makes him happier because he can play better and stuff. And it makes me happier because he can be a little more independent for periods of time.

Addie is almost 2. I know I've said this a bazillion times before, but I can't get over it. If you ask her how old she's gonna be, she says, "I'm gonna be two." So cute. She wants her birthday cake now. We've been to so many parties recently for birthdays, graduation, and a wedding, so she's becoming familiar with the celebration cake idea. :) She even started crying just a little bit ago because she couldn't have strawberry birthday cake (this after we went through every fruit I could think of at the moment and she settled on that). :)

Life is crazy around here. I am preparing to head back to work in the fall. We finally found childcare (something that stressed us out and almost caused me to go ahead and stay home again). Our new childcare provider is super nice, 5 minutes away, will have just a few kids so it will be small and personal-something we wanted, reasonably priced, and flexible and willing to work with our school schedules including delays, snow days, etc. I just hope our kids warm up to her as well as they have warmed up to the gals that watch them when I work out. Addie talks about those ladies like they're her best friends. She wakes up asking to go see "Kappy and Erin." I tried to talk them into starting a little daycare in our area, but that's not going to happen. :) By the way, I don't want anyone to think I'm opposed to being a stay-at-home mom. There are many factors that went in to the decision to go back to work vs. staying home. I'm excited to get back into teaching. It's something I'm passionate about and gifted in (not bragging, just recognizing the gifts God gave me). And I have a job that's been held for me for two years now. Anyway, I know my friends and family are supportive of my decisions, and I'm thankful for that.
There are other things going on with Brad and his job, but I'm not going to get into it right now. He's being transferred to another school, so if you want to pray for the direction his job takes, we would appreciate it. Stay tuned for further updates on this subject. :)

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of our gorgeous kids. They are such a blessing.

It's how you live

"Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won’t regret it
Lookin’ back from where you have been
‘Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live"
~chorus from Point of Grace song...for complete lyrics:http://www.lyrics-celebrities.anekatips.com/song-lyrics/how-you-live-turn-up-the-music-lyrics-point-of-grace

One of my best friends sang that song in church yesterday. I love this song. It's a great reminder of how to live your life. If you haven't heard it before, at least look up all the lyrics. So great!

And it made me think of my dear Grandmother, who at 88 years old passed away almost two weeks ago. So sad, but it's also a reason to celebrate. She is in Heaven!!! Rejoicing, singing, laughing, dancing...ahhh... Grandma always said she prayed that she would go in her sleep without suffering and after 88 years of love and obedience to God, He granted her request. So why does that song make me think of her? It's the "it's how you live" part. She lived with so much love and wanted nothing more than for her entire family to know that love and pass it on. She mothered 8 children (the youngest only one year old when her husband died), and was most proud of being "Grandma" and "Great-Grandma." She was married to her one true love, and though he died something like 45 years ago, she never remarried because he was the man of her dreams, her one true love, so she didn't see the need to find anyone else. She had her family and her God. I could go on and on about this amazing woman I had the privelege of calling "Grandma" for 30 years. For now, I just know that I want to live with the love that she did. God's love. Feeling it, giving it, embracing it. Love!

As if a death in the family weren't enough, we got another round of illness in our family. Addie came down with a fever, which then turned in to a rash that covered her entire body. Thankfully, after 3 trips to the doctor and a blood test that came back perfectly normal, it was determined that she had an allergic reaction to the Amoxycillin she was taking for her ear and throat infection. It was a long week last week, but I'm glad we have an answer and now know to stay away from penicillins for Addison. She's all better now...and acting more herself. Which means repeating everything she hears (so watch your mouth if you're around our daughter! ;) ) and running around like crazy and wanting to "go out-tide" to play. One of my favoritist things to hear her say is "I go right back." And she holds up her little hand and her first finger as she says it. So stinkin cute. Then she goes and gets what she wants or does what she intended and does (usually) come right back.

Ethan is just so adorable. He got his crazy cough back, but he acts fine and doesn't have a fever or anything, so I'm not worried. One of these days the summer weather will hit and we'll be able to burn off these germs (since apparently freezing the germs didn't work). He can now sit surrounded by pillows (or the big curly body pillow I used while pregnant--if you're ever pregnant, invest in one of these pregnancy body pillows--fantastic!) and play with his toys, which is cool. And he likes his exersaucer for playing.

We got to see little Ava last weekend. Oh my goodness, she is so precious.

Since it was the day of Grandma's funeral, pictures were not exactly abundant. But my brother snapped a few of Ethan and Ava. He is two months older than her, but twice her size. :) It was cute to see them look at each other.

Thanks for reading! Gotta go. :)

Tag.Stuff.

So I've been "tagged" no less than 3 times already, so something inside of me is saying, just do it already. In case you don't know, I think the rules are something like saying 5-7 things (depending on whose version of tag you go by) random or weird things about yourself and then tagging other people. I'm not going to take the time to look up the real rules and all that jazz...but, here goes. (oh, and since this is our family blog, the facts are about all of us)

1. I'm a procrastinator (in case you haven't noticed).
2. Both of our kids were born with what we called their "special ear." Can't explain them well in words, but both kids are growing out of it or into it, depending how you look at it.
3. Brad wants to be famous. (I got his permission to make this public knowledge before sharing, so it's all good) :) In fact, I think he would be perfectly happy to be a Matt Lauer and get paid to talk all day and interview other famous people. (only we don't want to live in New York, so that could be a problem)
4. We are not big on cleaning. We definitely don't live in a pigsty. For the most part (with the huge exception of toys), we keep things picked up. It's just that we don't exactly dust and sweep and scrub the toilet and shower on a regular basis. I'm sure there are others of you out there, so please don't judge us. :) (and next time you're at our house, don't do a dust bunny inspection) :)
5. I fell into a fire hydrant, busted my cheek open and had five stitches in my cheek when I was 5 (ish). I still have the scar to show for it. I was racing my bike with a neighbor. I guess he must've won.
6. When I was 3 (ish), I had to have a cast on my arm because it got sprained or twisted or whatever in a wrestling match with someone who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent. ;)
7. Knowing what all happened to me and my brother and hearing Brad's stories sort of scares me when it comes to my own children. I know things are gonna happen and life goes on and God is in control of it all, but I still get nervous.

Now I'm supposed to tag some other people, but really, all my bloggin' friends have done this (or most of them have). So, if you haven't, consider doing it. :)

***

Quick updates, then I'm going to bed:
Addie is speaking in sentences. It's crazy. You can pretty much carry on a whole conversation with her. And she can identify most of the letters in the alphabet. And she used to call Ethan "eetee" until about 2 days ago when she decided she could say "ethan." I kinda miss the eetee. It was way cute.
Ethan is just the most adorable little boy ever. He's our giggler. I guess earlier tonight while I was at class, my dad was playing with him with a little toy and Dad said he kept laughing and laughing and had everyone else laughing because he was carrying on. Then, in typical baby fashion, he was done laughing all of the sudden. He's 6 months old, which is crazy. But that means he's oh so close to sitting up all by himself and that's exciting.

God Bless!

Happy March!

Normally, just saying "it's March" would be exciting...spring is just around the corner. Normally, we don't have a winter storm every other day through February and the first week of March. Oh well, hopefully spring will arrive soon. I need to get these windows opened up and get some fresh air in the house!

OK, so faithful readers, thanks for checking back. We are still here. I was recently inspired to update this blog by my dear friends who take the time to update theirs all the time. But no promises on how great of an update it will be.

Ethan is now 5 months old!! Woah! Time flies when you're having fun! :) Here's the good ol' monthly teddy bear picture. What a cute little man he is! Or should I say what a big little man he is! :) A little top heavy, I must say. All he has to do is tilt his head just a little bit while laying on his stomach and over he rolls. Too funny.
So now he's supposed to be eating cereal in addition to his formula. Um, is there a magic trick to getting a boy, who obviously loves to eat, to enjoy his cereal? Maybe he just needs more time, but let me tell ya, it is a chore! I remember Addie took a little while to get used to the whole cereal thing, but then she had no problem eating her little bowl of cereal and then partaking of her beverage. Ethan, on the other hand, will eat the cereal, but only if he has his bottle right there to drink in between bites. He flips out when you put him in the highchair (and it's even reclined and has the tray removed), arches his back so much that he could flip right out of the chair, and cries until he gets his bottle. And he won't even let the cereal go past his lips if he doesn't have the bottle in sight. Have we created a monster? Or should I just give him time? Seriously taking suggestions on this one!

Last month we enjoyed a visit to my brother's house to meet the newest member of the family, Ava. She is sooooo precious! I just love her and can't wait to hold her again. She is incredibly petite, something we're not so much familiar with around here. :) And the great news is that my brother took a new job and now we will only have to travel 2.5 hours to see them instead of 6 (and vice versa, bub!). Yippee!! So here are the 3 cousins (and no, that's not trick photography, it really is the size difference between the 3...Addie 20 months, Ava 2 months, Ethan 4 months).

And since Ethan got his very own picture at the beginning, Addie has to have one, too! :) She is such a cheeser!!! I took this picture when I got out the camera to capture Ethan and she looked at me and said, "cheese." How could I resist?
Now, she may be cute, but it's not all fun and games. She is definitely experiencing some of that "terrible 2" stuff. Crazy tantrums for no good reason and all that jazz. But, we work through them (or more importantly, she works through them as we carry on with life). :) We do have lots of fun, though. Addie makes us laugh a lot! She says and does the most hilarious things. Not so hilarious this morning when everything was "I don't want it." We think it is so cute when she says something and then says, "ok. cool." :)

The kids are just great. I take them with me when I go work out, and there's a childcare room where they watch the kids while you work out. Great for me, great for the kids, great for everyone. The ladies that work in the room are fabulous and love our kids. They get so excited when Addie and Ethan show up. Another little girl told her mom that she was going to the gym to see her friend Ethan who's a baby. Guess she likes Ethan! :)

Maybe I'll post again before another month passes by. Until then, give thanks to God for everything you have and for everyone in your life!

The past month

My apologies for not blogging at all for the past month (or so). It's just not easy finding time to get on the computer and accomplish something other than checking email. Unless it's 10:07 p.m. and Daddy took over baby Ethan duty so I could do my own thing. :)

I love my kids!!! How cute are they?! Very! As you can see, Ethan is getting good at picking his head up during tummy time. It always helps to have your own personal cheerleader! Addie loves her little brother. She gives him kisses and hugs all the time. If he has drool rolling out of his mouth, she grabs a burp rag and wipes his mouth. She sits down on or beside me and says, "hold baby." And when she's done holding baby, she simply gets up thereby sending baby rolling (don't worry, I'm the backup holder). And when she wants your undivided attention, she simply says "bouncy seat." as in, put baby in the bouncy seat, please, so you can play with me and only me. I love my kids!!!

Christmas was fun. And busy. And our house is still a mess due to all the new stuff we (and by we I mean the kids) got. I just love the above picture. I think Addie looks so big-girlish. She was so funny opening gifts. She would take one piece of wrapping paper off at a time and say "yeah" after each piece. She loves all of her new things. And the kids look great in their new clothes. Addie is growing so fast, we're going to need Christmas to come again in a month! :) Ethan slept on the couch Christmas day while everyone opened gifts. In fact, I think he slept during almost every Christmas gathering.

The cutest little boy in the whole wide world. That's our Ethan!! We took him in for one last checkup on his belly button since there's still a small round dot in the middle of it. Doc said it's just a little scar from his umbilical cord that, let me remind you, took 10.75 weeks to fall off. Praise the Lord!! Ethan is just doing so well! I love getting past the 3 month mark because they really start taking on more personality.

No promises on how often this will be updated. I am now taking graduate classes to get my Masters degree in school counseling. Yeah! But please keep checking as I hope to give you at least occasional updates on our family! Love to all!!

And It's Off!!!!!!!

Naturally, less than 12 hours before the big exam, Ethan lost his cord. :) Woohoo!! It only took 10.75 weeks (not even an exaggeration). We still went to our scheduled appointment this morning, though, just to make sure it looked okay and all was well. The surgeon went ahead and made one more checkup appointment in one month with things for us to watch for. But we can call and cancel if the belly button looks normal in one month. Praise the Lord!

And speaking of Praise the Lord....I'm sitting in the waiting room with Ethan at the pediatric surgeon's office. I'm there for a "persistent umbilical cord" (that had in fact fallen off before the appointment), but I'm looking around at a room full of people and kids of all ages wondering what the other children are there for. So I'm sort of listening to some people talk and finding out about babies with enlarged kidneys and other "private area" issues, seeing an older child with physical disabilities, knowing that some are also there for things like getting tonsils out. My point is...I am so blessed. I found myself thanking the Lord sooooo much for my wonderful, healthy children. And I must say one other thing I noticed as I looked around that room...parents who were perfectly composed, smiling in fact, taking care of their own wonderful children!

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for blessing us so. May You shine through us that others might be blessed. Amen.

Yippee!!!!

I am an aunt!!!!!! My brother and his wife had their baby this weekend...Ava Reece joined our family Saturday night. She's a tiny little thing, but I've only gotten to see a few pictures via cell phone so far. I can't wait to hold her!!! However, with them living about 5 1/2 hours away, and us with a toddler and an infant, I don't know when we'll be able to see them. Anyway...just wanted to share my excitement!!! Such a blessing from God!!!

Hooray for sleeping through the night!

Two nights in a row, Ethan has decided to sleep through the night. Woohoo!! I know there will still be nights when I'm up at odd hours, but I'll take any good nights I can get. :)

Update on Ethan, he's officially two months old and his cord is still attached. The pediatric surgeon is giving him a couple more weeks since he's otherwise healthy and then will look at it again and see if surgery is necessary.

I cannot get over the fact that it's December. I looked at something dated November 15 and I seriously had to take a minute to think through and figure out that it was a few weeks ago. It snowed overnight, enough so that several local schools actually closed.

And I leave you with a few cute pictures:

Someday I will hear about this from my daughter... :)

And how incredibly cute is this face?!

Gloomy day outside...

...makes cranky kids inside. :)

It has been one thing after another around here, so I thought I'd take a minute to update you all.

Addie developed a fever on Friday, woke up Saturday and was a little better, then suddenly Saturday afternoon her fever spiked. We were able to see a doctor on Sunday to find out that she had a double ear infection. So, she's taking a prescription and starting to feel better. But she's still a little fussy.

Ethan still has his cord. He is seven weeks old. This is abnormal. We saw the doctor on Monday for him and now have an appointment with a pediatric surgeon next Tuesday. Pray for the poor little guy. I'm sure everything's fine, but we need to have it all checked out.

Now the kiddos are waking up from naps and Ethan needs to eat and Addie wants "up" so it's time to go. :)

Do I have to have a title?

So much has been happening, and I always think to myself, "self, this would be something good to blog about." And then I don't have any time on the computer where a little someone isn't trying to press all the buttons or turn the computer off or...

About Addie...she is getting huge. OK, huge because we have a one month old to compare to. She picks up new words daily. This morning she decided to give "cloud" a try. Pretty cute. She says "eat" when she's ready to eat (or when there's a picture of food in a book or magazine or on TV) and "bite" when she wants more (which is all the time--she seriously does not have an off button on eating, so we have to cut her off, which results in more tears, but we deal). Yesterday she threw a book at Ethan - oops on her part - and then gave me that devilish I'm-too-cute-to-do-wrong look when I yelled no and took the book away. It hit Ethan on the head and he screamed. I think she's in for it when the boy gets a little older.

Addison loves to play with her shoes. She will sit in her room and play with her shoes (and empty her clothes out of the drawer) for, no kidding, 30 minutes. Another sign she's growing up. :) She doesn't say her S's - ever. So she wears an "ock" and "ooe" on her foot, wants her "packi" when she's tired, asks to go "uppee day-dah" (upsy daisy), and watches "Elmo and Ocar." I think here's another word she forgets the s, but I can't think of it right now. She's fascinated with herself and says "Addie" when she looks in the mirror or sees a picture of herself or when she hides behind the shower curtain and pops out. So cute. Goodness, I could probably go on and on about her and all that she does, but I guess I'll save something for next time I blog. ;)

About Ethan...he, too, is growing. Holy cow...the boy started out big and hasn't stopped. He is about ready to pop out of the feet of all his sleepers - that is, if he can stay in a sleeper outfit long enough without spitting up all over it or peeing through. Ah, the joys of infanthood. I had to change his sheet around 2 or 3 a.m. twice this week due to said peeing through. But he is oh so cute and absolutely precious. A momma's boy already (and as I told mom-in-law, Addie is a daddy's girl, so it's all good). Oh, and I almost forgot...little man's cord is still attached! 5 weeks into life and it's hanging on for dear life. The doctor is not worried as there are no signs of infection. If it's still on at 6 weeks, she will take a look and make sure all is well. I'm sure I will be letting everyone know when it finally falls off.

About Brad...well, nothing new. Still having a crazy, busy school year. He is such a great dad...and husband. He had to work extra late last night for P/T conferences, so I took the kids to my parents'. Grandma and Grandpa never pass up an opportunity to see the little ones! Anyhow, he got home before we did and I noticed that he washed bottles and sippy cups and a couple other odd jobs that needed taken care of for the kids.

About me...I'm just trying to catch sleep and a shower when I can. :) We're getting in a little more of a routine, so that's helping. I know the routine constantly changes, especially as Ethan grows and his feeding schedule changes and such. They started a mom's group at church, which will really get going in January, but we had sort of a kick-off introduction thing this week. Anyhow, it was a very encouraging time. It was just a bunch of moms, together without kids and husbands, being fed spiritually (and physically--great desserts!). We had a time of devotion, a speaker, some games, and good conversation. It was neat to be with other women who are at the same point in life, and some who have grown kids but are serving as mentors. So I'm excited about that. And last weekend I had a ladies night out while Brad enjoyed guys night (okay, I don't know if he really enjoyed freezing his buns off at a football game) and the kids enjoyed time with Grandma and Grandpa. The ladies and I had a great dinner, raced go-carts on an indoor track, and ended up at a coffee shop laughing hysterically while enjoying yummy drinks. It was a great evening, though I about feel asleep at the coffee shop (after laughing so hard I was crying). Thanks, ladies, for your time...I appreciated it! (and to my friends who couldn't make it, we'll do it again soon!!)

Thanks for reading. Love to all! :)

One month down

A full month has passed since Ethan came into the world. It's been an interesting time of learning and growing and adjusting.

So a typical day includes getting up to feed Ethan, finally putting him back down to get up again to feed Ethan, putting him in the bouncy seat to get Addison out of bed, getting her changed and dressed and hopefully fed breakfast before Ethan goes too crazy, hopefully getting a quick breakfast myself, change a diaper or two or five...and suddenly it's lunch time (for someone, anyhow)...then I look and notice it has been a while and baby girl is walking around with quite a large diaper which means she needs changed again before she pees through her pants (which, admittedly, has happened a few times since Ethan came home because we sometimes forget that she doesn't tell us when her diaper is full)...if it's a good day, I can get both kids to nap at the same time and then I can get a nap,too!...and then Brad comes home and before you know it, it's time for bed and we do it all over again.

thanks for putting up with the run-on sentence! :)

Ethan is crying...time to eat again...I'll leave you with a few pictures...

Introducing Ethan Ray!

Ethan Ray entered our world last week...weighing 9 lb 6 oz and measuring 22 in long. Woah!! (yes, I'm doing fine:) ) He is so precious! So far he's a pretty good sleeper, with the exception of a fidgety/fussy time that unfortunately happens at bedtime and lasts until about 1 or 2 in the morning. This makes Daddy quite tired as he takes that fussy shift, lets Mommy get at least a few hours of rest, and then attempts to get his few hours of rest before getting up and going to work the next day.

"So, what's Addie think?"

I think I hear this question at least once a day. :) She is doing well. She is so very curious, and if she were a pinch older, I'm sure she would be a great helper! She really likes to look at him, and touch, though we're working on touching "nice." So now she'll go up and pat him and say "ni." (still working on the "ce" ending) :) Yesterday morning was pretty cute. As soon as she got up, she came out to the living room, walked up to his bassinet and said, "hi baby." She won't say his name, but calls him "baby" and sometimes even "baby boy." She also loves giving him kisses.

Yesterday was our first adventure out of the house to get Ethan's first check-up at the doctor. My mom took the day off to help me out (by the way, thanks to everyone who has given so much time to helping us in so many ways!), and between the two of us, we managed to get the family circus out of the house and to the doctor on time!! It's definitely different having two kids to get ready, and especially when they are both in diapers. The diaper bag was already full with Addie stuff, now we're adding more. I definitely learned it will be a while before I can master taking both kids somewhere without assistance. :)

Who knows when I'll be able to blog next, but wanted to share a few pictures of Ethan. We are all doing well and we so appreciate everything all of our wonderful friends and family have done for us! We are so blessed!

Countdown

I'm sneaking in a few moments to blog while I actually have a sleeping daughter and I myself am not sleeping. Lately she has been taking great naps, allowing me at least 45 minutes to 1.5 hours of rest while she sleeps. This would definitely be the bonus to not teaching during the ninth month of pregnancy! :)

Addie now points to my belly and says, "baby," and sometimes tries to hit my belly. So we're practicing being nice and rubbing my belly. I wonder how she's going to act when "baby" is actually another being living under our roof. I don't even bother to really worry about it because I figure somehow it will all work out.

So baby should be here within the next two weeks. Last week's checkup revealed my being dilated almost 2cm already and the doctor saying there's a really good chance we're going to have a birthday in the next few weeks. Now a full week has passed, so we'll see what kind of news tomorrow's appointment brings. I'm excited to know that the end of pregnancy is in sight and we'll be holding another precious child of God soon. It's just weird not knowing when it's going to happen. We are definitely more laid back this time...we don't even have the crib or pack n play/bassinet up yet (which takes all of two minutes to put up, so no worries).

Please pray, if you would, for a safe delivery of a healthy baby. And pray for Addison as her only child world is about to be turned upside down. :) Thanks! :)

Things I Learned Yesterday

Making a real cheesecake (yes, REAL, not the no-bake jello kind) is time-consuming, not to mention difficult with a stubborn 15-month-old.

When a recipe calls for the egg whites and sugar to be beaten "to a stiff peak," plan for half a day to make that happen.

The smallest adult at taco night can down SEVEN tacos before most of us even made our first taco.

It is possible for Addison to take a two-hour nap. A blessing from God on a day when I needed a nap and so slept for the first hour of hers. (by the way, Addie is so not a good napper...I can count on one hand the number of times she's slept that long for a nap)

**

I guess that's all I remember learning yesterday. :) I will add, though, how awesome it is to have quite possibly the best parents in the whole wide world, and how wonderful it is to be able to share my parents with my good friends for great times like taco night (forgot my camera, so I'll have to wait for Jenn's pictures).

Just more Addie news :)

As I'm searching for the perfect picture to post, I am realizing how few times the camera has been out in the past month or two. Oops...and baby 2 isn't even here. We literally have hundreds of pictures of Addie's first year of life, and then after her birthday it drops off considerably. Hope I remember to get the camera out for the next baby. :)

So Addison is walking like a champ and has a huge vocabulary for her age (in our opinion :)). She's started repeated things we say and do...her newest phrase started yesterday: "I know." So she doesn't always say it at the appropriate time, but it cracks us up. We pray with her at meals and most of the time she says "Amen" when we're done. It's adorable.

There are just so many cute things that I could brag on forever, but I'll limit myself. It's just so awesome how a little child can bring such a huge smile to those around her. There is nothing like the sound of my daughter's laughter. Whether genuine or forced, it's just too cool. And the way she says "peeboo" for peekaboo and how she'll say "dog" and "duck" but when we say cat, she says, "meow" ...

Oh, and the second picture up top is included because she loves book. We read so many books (or a few books over and over) throughout the day. I just hope she always like books. :) It's so cute when she brings a book over and tries to sit on your lap and listen. OK, so it's cute and sometimes admittedly annoying because you're thinking, "we just read that book 18 times...and it's the most boring book we own." But alas, we read the book, or make something up if we're really bored with the book. :) By the way, I highly recommend Sandra Boyton books. :)

Thanks to those of you who keep checking in to see if we've finally updated the blog. It won't be long before I'm hopefully posting pictures of another beautiful baby! :)

Thoughts

I'm so thankful that I am surrounded by amazing Christian friends and family. The joy, hope, and love found in Christ shows in the lives of those I am close to.

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I'm learning how to ask for help. I like to think I can do it all, but with a 14-month old who is practically running everywhere and talking up a storm and a baby coming in about six weeks, I realize I need to learn how to accept the willingness of others to help.

On that note, thank you to my grandparents who love staying with Addie for a little while so I can go to doctor's appointments. :)

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It's getting late (okay, "late" in my world!), so my mind is becoming mush. Here's to hoping I can blog tomorrow and show off some pictures of our little girl who can show you her belly button, head, ears, nose, toes, fingers...can say so many words that it's almost scary when she opens her mouth...but enough braggin' on my girl for now. :)

Smile...forgive others as Christ forgives you...be thankful for what you have and who you have...

Walking!!

This is going to be a very quick post. No pictures, either. My apologies. Anyhow...

I thought you would all like to know that Addie bug is offiicially walking. She gets more brave every day, and is beginning to navigate twists and turns through the house better and better. It is absolutely precious. Last night she decided to try out walking on cement. That made for nervous parents, but it's part of life. She did fine...when she fell down she just said, "oh." :) I'm sure she'd love to show off her new skills to all who want to watch.

Yes, this means the chase is on for us. But, it's a good exercise program, and helps out on my back since I'm already carrying one baby constantly. :)

All is well for us. We're staying busy...visiting with great friends like the Frye's and David's, checking out the zoo (pictures aren't downloaded yet), enjoying time with family, and relaxing. Enjoy every moment of every day! :)

a ONEderful year

Yep--our little cheeser is one year old! And she's letting the world know she's a big girl now! :)

So the picture above is about as messy as it got. I don't think Addie's a big fan of chocolate cake or something. She like the icing okay, but didn't care for the cake when Brad finally smashed her hand into it. She was being very ladylike. Pretty cute. However, she did like eating her Uncle BJ's ice cream after she decided she'd had enough cake.

Speaking of Uncle BJ...I just have to say I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!! Woohoo!!!!!!!! (btw...he gave me official permission to say that on my blog!) My brother and his wife are due at the end of December!! I am so excited!!! I guess technically I am an aunt of three already, but this one will be the first on my side of the family. Yippee!!! It will be so fun having our children so close is age....now we just have to work on the distance thing. :)

Everything is going really well. "Doyer" is moving a lot...s/he is a kickboxer already. (p.s. "doyer" is the name we say referring to our unborn child...it's just a funny joke for us....so when I say doyer, it's babyR#2) :) We had an ultrasound last week and the tech lady moved down just long enough to show us "yep, two legs" and right back up to the "safe zone" so we wouldn't find out what we are having. But while on the screen, we saw doyer moving all over the place and actually reaching with his/her mouth and finally finding his/her thumb to suck. Sooooo cute.

Addie is growing so fast. She's incredibly close to walking, but is being stubborn about letting go. She loves the outdoors and gets bored inside. She's been "swimming" a few times in both our association kiddie pool and her baby pool at grandma and grandpa's house. The kiddie pool in our association is so convenient, so I took her one day while Brad was golfing (imagine that). Anyhow...that's where I discovered that our little girl can climb. We don't have stairs so I never thought about it, but when at the pool, she turned around, climbed right up the step of the kiddie pool and on out to the open. Which meant she was then headed straight for the big pool. When meant one unhappy little girl when I had to scoop her up to change direction because I would've freaked out if she got to close to the big pool.

So much has been going on lately and I tried to just hit some of the highlights since it's been a while since posting. We'll try to post more throughout the summer (you'd think it would be easier with Brad home, but it's actually harder...hmmm....).

Enjoy the sunshine...we've had a plethora of it this summer!