Seven Quick Takes: November

1. Goodness, here we are at the end of November and the doorstep of Advent.  This Fall has been a whirlwind.  A good one albeit, but a whirlwind nevertheless.  I don't expect Spring to be any different, except maybe more whirlwind-ish.  I just love November.  It's magical.  Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays and the Advent season immensely, but there is something magical about the anticipation that November brings.  The one-of-a-kind sky (have you ever really looked at the November sky? There's just something so November-y about it.), the slanty light, the changing weather, the beautiful trees, the anticipatory waiting for holidays to come.  This book sums it up pretty perfectly for me.  Some day I'll purchase our own copy, but honestly I think I may love it more than the kids do, LOL.
2. Thanksgiving break was nice.  It was different this year, as I had inservice on Monday and Tuesday, but the kids had an awesome time at the sitter's and the rest of the week was a relaxing, enjoyable time with family and just hanging out around the house.  On Saturday, I believe I wore my pajamas until 4pm.  Then I changed into something equally pajama-ish to cut the boys' hair. And then I showered.  And put my pajamas back on.  Now that's the life!  Speaking of clothes (sort of), I ordered some more "maternity" clothes this past week from Old Navy while they were having 50% off.  I put maternity in quotes because none of them were actually specifically maternity items. I finally broke down and ordered some leggings (oh my word, no one told me how warm and comfortable leggings are, holy moly) and some dresses that I wouldn't wear non-pregnant because they'd look like too-short potato sacks on me, but they actually work great on me+baby belly with the leggings, so I think with what I ordered I may have just stretched my professional wardrobe up to baby-time (for the most part).  Hopefully.
3. I've set up a bunch of Christmas specials on the DVR.  All the usuals (Charlie Brown, The Grinch, Rudolph, etc. etc.) Even though some of them have already recorded, I told the kids they need to spread them out and wait until closer to Christmas to watch them.  We did watch Frosty and Frosty Returns yesterday.  Oh my word, Frosty Returns is horrible.  It is the epitome of low-budget, plot-less 1990's sequels.  I deleted it as soon as it was over (and wish I would have deleted it five minutes in).  For something new this year I am recording The Polar Express, which they've never seen.  Actually, I don't think I've ever seen it either.  I can't decide on Elf.  That is one of those movies that I laugh so hard at every year, and could seriously watch it over and over and not tire of it, just not quite sure if I'm ready for the kids to watch it yet (at almost 9, almost 7 and 4.5).  I am curious to hear others' thoughts on this, because IMHO, that one deserves the title "classic" (or at least modern-day classic) in my books, but I'm just having trouble gauging age-appropriateness (and I probably err on the side of caution more often in that department).  Gemma gets to go see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with her class at a local live theatre, so I have requested the book from the library to read (still debating whether to read to just her or all the kids).  I remember my mom reading this book to us every year (it seems like, maybe it wasn't that often) and just loving it.
4. I am getting wordy.  Here are some pictures from our first day of Thanksgiving break.  It was cold (really the first COLD cold day of the season) so we had hot-chocolate after school, and Kolbe  made us a turkey soup recipe (which interestingly enough had beef, not turkey in it. but it was delish never-the-less).
    
5.  I have hit (and passed) the halfway point of this pregnancy.  See aforementioned whirlwind.
   
6. Much to my dismay, the kids have inherited a ridiculously large collection of bottle caps.  So ridiculously large that they have been ordered to keep them in the garage.  I will say, they do keep them ridiculously entertained....
    
7. And here we are at Advent!  I always love the Advent season.  This year we will be using the book Welcome Baby Jesus at the breakfast table.  I've used this book two or three times before, and it was actually sent home from school to all families this year so it was definitely meant to be.  We will be using the same Jesse Tree as last year (which I loved, using a combo of the regular RSV and our Children's Bible) and while I haven't gone through our books and assigned one for each day like other years, we will definitely be doing a loose version of picture book a day again this year.  With the growing our home library has slowly done each year, and the addition of six more Christmas hardcovers from St. Nicholas here in a week-and-a-half, I only ended up requesting about a dozen-and-a-half Christmas books from the library this year!  So fun!!  Our wreath candles I ordered last year still have another year in them (at least).  No countdown/Advent activity chain this year.  Hopefully the kids don't mutiny...  What does Advent look like at your house?  Richest blessings of the season to all, and as we were reminded in today's Gospel, stay awake!  He is coming!!  For more SQT click here.  PAX!
   

Seven really random, really quick takes

Twice in a month!  Bam!!

1. I have really been enjoying hot tea lately.  I am a coffee person (black, thanks) through and through, but I try to limit my caffeine a bit during pregnancy. Actually, it doesn't even sound good during the first trimester or so.  I've been back to drinking it the past several weeks, but I still enjoy me a cup of hot tea, especially on a crisp Autumn, slanty-lighted morning.  Mmmmmm.  I like spice teas, this is one of my favorites.  
2. I am in need of professional wear.  Again.  Sigh.  I laugh about updating my wardrobe this summer for work only to have none of the pants fit anymore.  With baggier tops being more the style I really haven't worn many maternity tops, and I used one of those band things with my pants for awhile but then I tried on a pair of actual maternity pants and realized how comfortable they are.  Problem is, I've never worked during a pregnancy so I have nothing professional.  I ordered a pair of pants from Old Navy in black that I like a bunch.  A whole bunch.  So I ordered them in gray and they were too short.  So I exchanged them for khaki.  And they were too short.  Sigh.  #longlegprobs.  And I don't do skirts so don't ask.  Believe me I've tried, I just can't.
3. I have my lesson plans almost done through Thanksgiving break!! Just a few holes to fill in here and there!  And then it's only 3ish weeks until Christmas break, and those plans will be easy because really?  Christmas time in an elementary music classroom?  What could be more fun and open for great lesson possibilities!!  After that my year will be well over half over since I'll only be working until early April-ish.  It's just flying by!! And I'm having so much fun in the classroom!  This has been a great setup for this year.
4. We were at Kohl's last week (I had to return some maternity pants that didn't work out) and the boys had some money burning a hole in their pockets apparently, so Kolbe picked out and bought Curious George and Clem Corduroy (see here).  They are pretty cute.  Kolbe has "flashlight Friday" each week at school where they get to bring a flashlight and stuffed animal and read quietly for awhile, so George made the trip with him this week.
5. Steak (and hot dogs) for dinner tonight after hubby found a super-good deal on some ribeyes at the grocery store a few weeks ago!!  Pork chili (it's our new fave, I use my white chicken chili recipe but we use chunked up pork butt instead of chicken, soooo good!) last night.  Up this week: shredded chicken tacos, shepherd's pie, leftovers and whatever.
6. St. Nicholas will be bringing some new (to us, I got some great deals on used hardcovers) Christmas books this year!!  The Night of Las Posadas, Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree, Millie in the Snow, The Christmas Day Kitten, Apple Tree Christmas and Can You See What I See: The Night Before Christmas were all worthy of a status greater than library checkout!!  Our home library is getting bigger than the stack I check out from the library now!  So exciting!!
7. APPLES!  We have enjoyed a variety of apples, apple crisps, apple books, apple experiments (thanks first grade) all kinds of apple things this Fall! Next up I told Kolbe we'd make applesauce after reading Applesauce Season.  Does anyone have a food-mill they'd loan me?
   

Seven Quick Takes...it's been awhile...

Well, it happened.  I went back to work and blogging went by the wayside.  I am not terribly bothered by this, but I would still like to have some semblance of record that we actually are alive and do things once in awhile, so alas it's time for an update.  Seven Quick Takes seemed the least intimidating... 

1. NEWS.  Big news!  The BABY kind of big news!!  WE HAVE A BABY ON THE WAY!!!!  (If you're friends with me in real life or on Facebook, which is probably most of you, you already know this.)  But yep, you read that right.  I went back to work and now we have a baby on the way.  Bwahahahaha.  But it's all so, SO SO good! God's hand was so obvious in the way my teaching job came about in the first place, I know this newest little one is just another part of His great plan.  Not mine.  Because slowly and surely, He is teaching me to quit planning ahead.
2. FALL PICTURES (see sidebar).  After a not-so-great experience last year with the pictures taken at school, we decided to just stick with Portrait Innovations exclusively for the kids' yearly professional pics (minus the sono shot.  obviously.)  I've always been pretty pleased with them and this year is no exception.  Gemma - 3rd Grade; Kolbe - 1st Grade; Clement - PreKinder; Baby - Coming This Spring!!!  We were going to do family pictures this Fall but now with being pregnant and the fact that they'd be out of date in six months, I'm up in the air.  I really don't want to do them in Spring because newborns change so quickly, but our most current one is 1.5 years old.  I don't know. Pictures stress me out...
   
3. PRESCHOOL. Three kids and this year is my first experience with preschool.  I had always sworn I would NEVER send a child to preschool.  I am learning that along with making long-term plans, I also need to eliminate the word "never" from my vocabulary.  Before the job even came about, I had the thought that Clem may benefit from a little more than he would be getting (being the only kid) at home this school year, but still wasn't thrilled about adding the expense of preschool to our budget.  When the job came about, and it overlapped nearly perfectly with the half-day, five-day-a-week preschool schedule at my school, it seemed like the obvious choice.  Clem's visit to the preschool room last spring was awful.  I bumped his head on a table when we were sitting down right after we got there, and he cried the whole time.  But I enrolled him anyways.  And all summer he seemed pretty stoked to be going to school like the big kids, but I was still a little nervous.  He went his first day and has never looked back.  Well, I take that back, he had one really rough day about 3 weeks in, but had no hesitation before that and has had none since.  And he doesn't just like it.  He LOVES it.  Talks about it ALL the time (which is new to me after a Gemma who maybe said two words about kindergarten the whole year, and Kolbe who says more but still not to the level that Clem shares). They do so much cool stuff...painting, cooking, play dough, shaving cream and salt letters...all the stuff that stresses me out at home because of the mess!  They sing and dance and go to recess and I think they've done like two worksheets the whole first 8 weeks.  We couldn't ask for a better setup. 
4. CONFERENCES. We had school conferences last week. The third graders had these little "Guess Who" things hung up in the hallway outside their room.  Didn't take long to nail Gemma's.  She was the only third grader whose favorite food was sushi.
5.  Good heavens, SEVEN?!  I seriously can't think of seven things to talk about right now.
6. PREGNANCY.  I'm 14 weeks this weekend.  This pregnancy has definitely been different.  The ickies didn't hit until like 8-9 weeks, and even then they weren't debilitating like I remember them being, (although I think working has helped keep my mind off of feeling yuck) they were still definitely there. The lack of/difference in "ick" was a little concerning at first (because I like to analyze every aspect of my life), but seeing that healthy babe on the sono screen was incredibly reassuring.  We're so excited!!!  Just the past week I've been feeling a little better, and less inclined to take a nap every waking moment, so that's been a plus.  And I haven't had too many food aversions (besides CheezIts, veggie dip, meatloaf and chicken tenders) but oh my have I had insanely intense cravings.  For the most random things (maybe because I like to watch foodie shows after the kids are in bed sometimes).  I still haven't gotten my Indian taco.  Sniff sniff.
7.  SATURDAY.  Saturday has taken on a glorious, amazing and magnificent meaning that it has never in my life possessed.  Between working and being pregnant, my Saturday mornings are like gold.  Sleep in. (Normally I find the idea of sleeping in repulsive, but this AM I didn't roll out of bed until 7:15.  SEVEN FIFTEEN!!!  That's like practically noon, people!)  Live in my jammies until, ahem, well, anyways...  Morning prayer.  Cup of hot tea (or coffee, which I have just again redeveloped a taste for after about a two month hiatus.  OHHHH coffee!!!!!)  Simple breakfast for the kids, or maybe a batch of waffles or something.  At our leisure.  Chores at my leisure.  Oh my word, I could write a whole book of Odes to Saturday Morning now. 

Well, I suppose that's all.  Check out more Quick Takes from the Catholic Blogging World over at This Ain't the Lyceum.  Happy October, everyone!  The way my record has been, I'll probably see you again in November.  :-)

Food-for-Thought round-up (August 2)

There is no rhyme or reason to the order (or lack-thereof) this week.  Apologies.  They're still good articles.  

Bringing the Liturgy Back to the Real Vatican II - This article gave me real hope, something that sadly I feel at times I've lost in regards to the Sacred Liturgy.  Some quotes I liked:

Young people are going back now and studying both the texts of the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council with its serious texts on liturgical theology which remain valid also today. They’re studying the rites as they were celebrated, striving to understand the meaning and various elements of the rite and there’s a great enthusiasm for that and a great interest in it. All of it, I believe, is directed to a more intense experience of God’s presence with us through the sacred liturgy. That transcendent element was most sadly lost when the reform after the Council was, so to speak, side-tracked and manipulated for other purposes – that sense of transcendence of Christ’s action through the sacraments.

and especially

There’s no question in my mind that the abuses in the sacred liturgy, reduction of the sacred liturgy to some kind of human activity, is strictly correlated with a lot of moral corruption and with a levity in catechesis that has been shocking and has left generations of Catholics ill prepared to deal with the challenges of our time by addressing the Catholic faith to those challenges. You can see it in the whole gamut of Church life.

Finding Happiness Where You Least Expect It - What a powerful message.

If happiness cannot be found in material possessions, where can it be found? The answer is: we find happiness where we least expect it—in self-denial. This is not a piece of wisdom that is easily learned and lived, because it is so paradoxical. Who, without being told, would ever imagine that denying oneself would bring happiness? ...  Denial of self prepares us for disappointments from others: “Contradictions from others will hurt us less when we have first contradicted ourselves. The hand that is calloused will not pain as much as a soft hand, on catching a hard ball. Contradictions can even be assimilated and used for further taming of our own errant impulses.”

Age Appropriate Bedtimes for Kids - Liked this, and agreed mostly.  Was relieved to see that my kids are hitting about right for hours slept.  Bedtimes are a little later around here than what this suggested, especially for the baby (usually 8 give or take) but they will probably get earlier once school starts.  Although whew, it is hard with a hubby who works a little later and wanting to sit down and eat dinner all together.  And I just can't do staggered bedtimes at this point, besides with the baby, he goes to bed when he's ready to sleep which sometimes coincides with the big kids and sometimes is earlier or later.  Kolbe probably gets a little less sleep than he needs sometimes since he doesn't nap, but all in all I feel like my kids are generally well-rested.  

My husband is not my soul mate - This title really piqued my interest when I saw someone post in on Facebook, and she brings up some really good points Aaron and I have actually discussed before.  This whole idea that God has one person chosen for you and you magically end up with that person and fall in love and live happily ever after, etc. etc. blah blah, you know the story.  At the end of the day (especially a really rough one) sometimes you have to choose to love.  And sure, I look back and I see God's hand in every aspect of the road that led me to my vocation, absolutely! But this romanticized idea that it was all completely beyond my control and I have nothing more than the cosmos to thank for my husband falling in my lap.  Well...  She says it better, a few quotes I liked:

A husband is not only not a biblical promise, it is also not a specific element of God’s “plan for my life.” God’s plan is for us to be made more holy, more like Christ… not marry a certain person.

There is no biblical basis to indicate that God has one soul mate for you to find and marry. You could have a great marriage with any number of compatible people. There is no ONE PERSON for you. But once you marry someone, that person becomes your one person.

This is profoundly unromantic advice. We love to hear of people who “just can’t help who they love,” or people who “fall in love,” or “find the one person meant for them.”  Even within the Christian circle, we love to talk about how God “had someone” for someone else for all of time. But what happens to these people when the unstoppable and uncontrollable force that prompted them to start loving, lets them stop loving, or love someone else?   What happens is a world where most marriages end in divorce, and even those that don’t are often unhappy.  My marriage is not based on a set of choices over which I had no control. It is based on a daily choice to love this man, this husband that I chose out of many people that I could have chosen to love (in theory, don’t imagine that many others were lined up and knocking at the door). He is not some illusive soul mate, not some divine fullfulment, not some perfect step on the rigorously laid out but of so secret “Plan for My Life.”

 Seriously though, I think I've quoted about three-quarters of the article.  Just go read it.

How I Avoided and Got Rid of GBS - I was GBS+ with my third pregnancy, and after seriously weighing the risks/benefits, we ended up going ahead and doing a round of IV antibiotics before Clem was born (they actually only had time to get one round in, I guess two 4 hours apart is preferable).  I was not thrilled about doing this, for my gut or his, but it seemed to be the best decision for us at the time.  At any rate though, several of these protocols are things we already do so I am definitely interested in trying to avoid being GBS+ next go around (no that is not in any way shape or form an announcement), as once you are positive your chance of being positive with subsequent pregnancies is pretty good.   I think I would scale back on the Vitamin C by about 1000mg (as per hubby's recommendation), but I think it's worth a try.

15 things You Should Give Up To Be a Happy Parent - This was just a good reminder.

What Pope Francis Really Said About Gays - Sigh.  The media.  

Kate used no painkillers during birth - I really didn't want to get sucked in.  I tried so hard to turn the other way.  But alas...I've only read two articles though, so I only just got a little sucked in.  But this was great!  Props, Kate!

First Steps: A Stay-at-home Mother Faces Letting Go - **Sniff**  Oh Gemma. This made me tear up a little as we approach the beginning of the school years for Gemma.  We are ready for this step, I am confident, but I still feel emotional about it.  Oh life.  I liked this the best:

It all snuck up on me but here we are. After four and a half years of holding her close, it is time to slowly begin to let go. A bittersweet process that will last the rest of our lives.  I hope that she never forgets the love and the fun and the magic in our first four years together...even if the details grow fuzzy in time.

 I don't know this blogger, but this post definitely struck a chord with me right about now.

One month

These pictures were taken exactly a month apart.  Seriously, almost to the hour.  My MIL offered to take the first one, as she thought it would be nice to have a picture of me with Gemma and Kolbe before "baby" was born.  Little did we know we would meet baby Clem less than 9 hours after the photo was taken.  I was leaving my inlaws' house on the 10th of August at about the same time in the evening and looking at my monkies children hanging off the tree and realized the timing, so we snapped another pic in the same spot a month later.  Amazing how much things can change in just a short month's time!!

Baby is here!

Our sweet baby boy arrived this past Wednesday!  Clement Paul was born on July 11 at 1:58 AM, weighing 8lbs 6.5oz and 19 inches long.  I had an inkling I might be in labor that evening, but honestly still wasn't sure.  I even painted my toenails around 9pm!  We called my mom to come over with our sleeping children around 11pm, and I still wasn't even sure if they'd keep me if we went in.  I need to learn that when I'm in denial, that's a sure sign it's the real thing.  We got to the BirthCare Center at midnight, and he was born just two hours later.  It was intense but good, I am so blest.  We were able to go home that evening and are slowly but surely settling into life as a family of five.  Here are some pics of our sweet little guy...we love him sooooo much!!

Our family of FIVE!

Meeting brother and sis for the first time!

She is captivated by him!

Brand new baby boy

Dressed and ready to head home

First day at home

Sis and bro

BROTHERS!!!!

Cute cloth diapers . . . and a sleepy little smile!!

Two days old, awake and alert

Small successes XLIX

1.  Knocked off most of the rest of my "pre-baby list": haircuts, kids picture taken, waxed legs, toenails painted...  You know, the important stuff!  I've also begun packing a bag to take to the birth center.  Considering the fact that I was madly throwing things into my duffel bag about an hour-and-a-half before Kolbe was born, I figure this is good.  I also got our diapers and NB gender neutral clothes out, washed and ready.

2.  Did I mention the kids' pictures?  I think they turned out really sweet if I do say so myself, and I got a heckuva deal as I took them separately two separate weeks at Portrait Innovations.  Yay for good timing with their "promotional periods".   

       

3.  I have reached (and passed) the magical "full-term" milestone in this pregnancy.  I hope (for baby's sake) and guess (from previous experience) that it will still be another week or two...but really it could be anytime now.  Wow!  Where has the time gone?!  Prayers for a safe, healthy delivery for me and babe would be greatly appreciated. 

Join in the Small Successes fun each Thursday over at CatholicMom.

My babies

3/4's there!!

Hard to believe this baby will likely be here in around two months' time!!

Family update - April 2012

When I said quarterly I wasn't kidding.  The kids are constantly growing and changing, here are a few things they've been up to and into of late:

GEMMA (4yrs 3months)

• She has quite the imagination.  She'll spend hours with her pretend friends (Hen, Duck, Owl, Cat, Schroeder, Hoots and Bee) and a pile of random household items.  She'll play on the deck with a bucket and a tape measure and a bunch of leaves.  Or in the living room with pillows and plastic eggs and buttons.  If I'm lucky and he's acquiescent, Kolbe will often join in and they really have lots of fun together.  As badly as they can fight (and oooohhhhh sometimes it's bad), they can be very good friends as well.  I am so glad they have each other.
• She makes up songs (and dances all over the house to them) about anything and everything. 
• She has recently given up her nap.  For several months she had been "napping" but not sleeping, and one day she was just playing so nicely on her own (while Kolbe napped) that I just didn't bother to put her down for her nap.  And she kind of liked that.  A lot.  So much that she is pretty adamant about not taking a nap now.  Occasionally I'll make her lie down for a bit, but for the most part she just plays on her own, or we work together on workbooks (we like these as well) or other learning activities that require some one-on-one time.  It's been a nice change.
• She likes making picnics with her toy food in the basement, and is quite elaborate with her table setting.
• She's getting pretty good with scissors (we're currently going through this book), and her drawings are growing more and more intricate all the time.  Kid art is so great.  The front of our fridge is never dull.
• Ohhhh the drama.  Every little cut, scrape, hangnail, etc. has become a big deal recently.  A verrrry biiiiig deeeaaallllll.  Her tantrums can be pretty dramatic as well.  Whew!  Heaven help this mama.
• Gemma is in the 99th %ile for her height at 44.5 inches.  She weighs 36.5 lbs.

KOLBE (2yrs 3months)

• His speech has been improving by leaps and bounds.  Still nowhere close to where Gemma was at this age (or probably where most kids are at 2 1/4 yrs) but he's progressing.  He's using more new words every day and starting to form small sentences when communicating.  Some of his "catch phrases"... He is very polite, "peas" is added to almost every request, quickly followed by a "shoont-yoo mammy" (or daddy or whomever) when said request is fulfilled.  It's so cute.  When he wants something it's "ahhshumpeas" (I want some please), which he will repeat over and over very quickly, getting more demanding the more times he says it.  Aaron and I are so amused by this we've started saying it as well.  "Ball hiiiiiiiigh", when he wants to go out on the driveway and play ball with daddy.  He likes it when daddy throws the ball up high in the air.  And when making the Sign of the Cross or blessing himself he says, "Fah-ver, Ahmen."  He pronounces his name "Babby" (short a, as in apple), and will often emphatically state "Babby do, Babby DO," when he wants to do something on his own.  Which is pretty often.
• He seems to be a natural athlete.  He throws and catches well (for a two-year-old), loves to shoot baskets and is trying his darndest to learn how to dribble.
• He has really started to enjoy being read to, and will absolutely pitch a fit if he doesn't get the three stories of his choosing before bed.  Dah-er Seuss and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb are all-time faves, and he likes to pick a few of his own books out at the library now each week.
• Strong will.  This kid has grown a strong will since turning two.  And mind of his own.  Wow.  I was hoping maybe it would just be Gemma.  Oh well, I'm sure it will serve him well some day, if it doesn't drive me to insanity first.
• He loves doing whatever big sis is doing. 
• He has actually slept through the night, in his own bed, several times in the past month.  Not too regularly, but he's done it nonetheless!  And his nights have really gotten so much better, he often doesn't crawl in bed with us until 5:30 or 6:00 AM.  It works.  We'll see how things go once he starts sharing a room with Gemma (on the "to do"  list here in the near future) and even more so once baby arrives... 
• He recently cut his first 2yr molar.  I'm hoping the others are not too far behind and we can get this teething thing out of the way with him.  Before it's time to do it again with the baby.  Oh teething. 
• Kolbe weighs 29 lbs.

Aaron is doing well.  The nice, early spring has given him a chance to (for the most part) revive the yard after last summer's horribleness, and he has plans to refinish the deck in the coming months.  Next time I do an update there will probably be a third child (outside utero) on whom to update!!  For now, baby is doing well as is mama, although it is beginning to be more and more obvious that I've hit the third trimester.  Time really is flying!!  We are set with cloth diapers and other baby supplies, and I feel like I have enough boy or girl clothes (even though this baby is "off-season") to get us started, so we really are ready.  Just trying to mentally prepare myself for labor and delivery now.  I know it's still several months off, but those thoughts are definitely beginning to creep into my mind.  Like I said, time flies.  I recently did my first sewing project for the baby -- a light-weight receiving blanket -- so I'll end with a picture of that.

Halfway there

Hard to believe I'm halfway thru this pregnancy.  Seriously, where does the time go??  It is really going quickly this third time around.  Thought I'd share a recent pic of the babe and me.

Yes, you read that right

In case you didn't catch the subtlety of #10 in my previous post... yes, baby number three is on the way at our house!!  His or her arrival is expected sometime in early July.  We are all very excited!!  I am thankfully past the "yucky" part of the pregnancy and happy to be in the second trimester.  God is Good.

Kolbe James

Sweet baby Kolbe James joined our family on Saturday, January 16 at 3:06 PM. He weighed 8lbs 1oz and was 20 3/4 inches long. He was born at the Birthcare Center, just 45 short minutes after our arrival. Didn't necessarily plan on cutting it that close, but it was wonderful none-the-less. I was able to labor at home for the most part, and once we arrived at the birthing center things (obviously) progressed very quickly. Didn't even have time to fill out the necessary admin paperwork before his big arrival!! It was an amazing experience and I feel so blessed! We are now a happy family of four!
Gemma was QUITE taken with her little brother.
My big guy, snuggled up in his ducky jammies and ready to head home!!
My parents arrived at our house with Gemma soon after we got home. She walked up to the door with my dad, held out her hands and said, "I hold baby Kolbe." I told her it would be a very good idea for her to sit down to hold him... so she marched back to the baby room, climbed up in the rocking chair, held her hands out and started singing "Rock-a-bye Baby". And she didn't want to give him up anytime soon!
I am already so proud of her, and while I know it will definitely be a transition for all of us (wow, when was the last time I was up at this hour?!) I know it will be wonderful.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

What Gemma does while I'm in the showder

***WARNING: This post may contain pictures of certain unmentionables that belong to yours truly...however they are NOT being WORN by yours truly in said pictures. You have been warned. It was just too amusing not to post.***

Since she moved to her big-girl room, Gemma's bedtime has moved a bit later. And since I have become rather bigly pregnant, Aaron has taken over bath time for Gemma-goo (which really is a whole other post in and of itself). ANYWAYS, I have gotten into the habit of taking my "showder" (as Gemma calls it) in our bathroom while daddy bathes her in the hall bathroom, instead of taking it after she's in bed like I used to (for the longest time she called the tub/shower in our room "daddy's showder", I think she thought he was the only one who used it). Some evenings they finish before I do...some evenings they start after I do. And thus a new tradition has been born. I don't even think I need to caption these, and I couldn't decide which ones to post, which ones to leave out, and in what order they belonged, so without further ado...
Hope this made you smile. I still chuckle every time I look at these.