Pajama Party Explored

I had my 6 week appointment with the Dr on Tuesday afternoon. It was fairly routine until the end which gave me a not so ideal ending. I was able to have an ultrasound and see the baby and he's head down and kickin. He's a healthy kid with long legs and they guess he's weighing in around 4 lbs 2 oz. A little bit smaller than McKenna was at this point. The reason for the ultrasound was due to my measuring "small" (which is all relative right?) and so they wanted to check to make sure all was well. With the baby it is but like my pregnancy with McKenna my fluid is a little lower than they would like. I've been put on "bedrestishness" for a few days. This means I am not allowed to dance around, go to the grocery story or the park and to play it low and drink ALOT. It's a great excuse to be lazy so the girls and I have decided to make the most of it and so today we had a Pajama party. We sat on the floor and played dolls, had a puppy party, watched all sorts of shows and played dress up.

Then the girls got creative and turned the mirror into a slide...well until it started to come out of the frame and then that game was over.

I will be going back to the Dr's Thursday afternoon to see if there is any change. There are 3 possibilities here for the outcome. I will post Thursday afternoon and let you know the results, until then we are staying positive. John gave me a blessing tonight and besides my own personal efforts it is in the Lord's hands. I'd really like to keep this baby in me (despite the discomforts) another 3 weeks at least...until then...

Scholtz Farm-Pumpkin Patch Adventures

Yesterday we met my friend Ady and we headed to Scholtz Farm for a lil pumpkin fun. It was a lil cold but it all just added to the atmostphere. Over the last 4 years we've visited quite a few different pumpkin patches and I think Scholtz and Maris are pry my 2 favorite with lots of animals and fun stuff for the kids to do.

Fall is in the Air

Home Improvement continues as we just about have all the light fixtures bought and installed. There are a few I'm having a hard time finding but that's to be expected. John has been very patient through the process and has been putting up moulding when he can. It's looking great and I hope to have pictures soon. I am however still living out of boxes and pry will be for the next month or so. I can't complain as progress is being made, however this afternoon as I went down to what is known as my "scary basement" to find some food provisions I found something rather unsightly. I have mostly canned goods down there as I knew there was a mouse or 2 living down there and didn't really want to feed them. You know where this is going... I had hoped that through all the construction and such that the mouse/mice had fled for safety from the noise but today I found evidence of it's existence of it snooping around my food. I'm thinking this mouse must be a female because she found McKenna's Carnation instant breakfast and opened a few packets and helped herself. It's always the chocolate... Makes me mad and a little embarrassed to even be telling about it, but hopefully now that I know it's weekness I'll be able to "catch" per say this lil thief.

On a brighter note the sun has been shining the last few days and since McKenna doesn't have school on Wednesdays we took a trip to the Edgemont Park in Edgewood for a lil picnic yesterday. We were at this same park about 2 years ago (Same time of year) with John's sister Audrey and her family and I realized how much McKenna has grown up. I was pregnant then too... Ivan, John's nephew sent us a paper doll he drew named Stanley to take on a few adventures so he too went to the park.

Being adventurous going down backwards?
He also helped us make cupcakes this evening.

He didn't do a very good job at keeping Tyler out of the batter when I wasn't looking.

She did a great fake, "Oh no" but was all too proud

Time Goes On

Everytime I get on my blog I see the Babyticker...51 days is not too far away. My clothes continue to get tighter and I've had to switch sizes a time or two...but somehow the reality gets lost in the activities of the day. It isn't until I lay down at night or I look in a mirror or window as I walk by that reality settles in that I really am pregnant. Not only that but the day that this lil fella is born really is going to come. The nesting started as soon as I got home from Utah, and everyday I do a lil more to try and bring organization and order my house. Now if I could just somehow add a lil exercise or some kind of stretching in I think my body would like me a lot more lately.

3 kids, how do people do it? I think I should begin helping Tyler to adjust to my not being able to be there so much, by not carrying her so much or something. She grows up more and more on her own everyday so maybe I don't have to worry too much about it. McKenna on the otherhand I think is excited, but she still loves to be carried around too. Somehow it will all fall into place, not without a few bumps along the way but in 7 short weeks, this family of 4 will become a family of 5. :)

The Case of The Missing Diaper

If I don't write this down now I won't remember later...as is much of our lives these days. I believe it was Thursday night I was out visiting, leaving John to watch the girls. During the time I was gone I received a frantic phone call asking where the diapers were and something about Tyler taking her diaper off and he couldn't find it. It was one of those moments when all I could do was smile and laugh.

I thought this was funny but I got the real story when I got home:
When I had left the girls were quietly watching 'Curious George' on the couch with a snack and John was out in the garage putting some finishing paint on the trim or a door or something. He told me when he got back in the house the girls were gone. Apparently McKenna has learned to unlock the front door and they had decided to go outside. John went out and told them to get back inside, and McKenna obediently said, "ok" and then told Tyler to go in. After getting the girls inside McKenna declared she had to go potty and both girls ran for the bathroom, but as they went in McKenna decided to shut the door. (She did this once last week going and cleaning up all by herself, it was such a good day!) I'm not sure where John had gone during this time, I think back out to the garage but when he came back in Tyler was running around without a diaper-one of her favorite things to do, although she can't usually get it off when her pants are on. John looked around and couldn't find the diaper, hence the phone call. Then they had gone outside to play.

As John and I were brushing & flossing our teeth I went to throw my floss away and found Tyler's missing diaper. Apparently McKenna had helped Tyler take her pants off so she could sit on the potty and had thrown her diaper away for her. When I was leaving I'd asked McKenna to help take care of Tyler, there was the evidence of how seriously she took that request. Such a little Mom she's become.

I know I've complicated this story as I do most of them, but the whole story cracks me up.

Pretty in Pink

This what you do in Washington in the Fall...usually while you wait for the bus

Bring on the Rain!

Routine update

Postings have kind of slowed down for us as we have begun settling into a routine with the girls. It also means that I don't find life nearly as exciting with big "news" to report. I don't really mind as life is becoming really quite comfortable. Just trying to get things in order and try and enjoy the last couple of months before Jr comes and makes life a little more exciting.

One thing that has been going on is that as we continue to potty train McKenna, Tyler has taken a real interest in what's going on. When McKenna declares she needs to go "potty" it becomes a race between the girls to see who can get there first and get their pants down. I'm not really planning on anything coming out of it but should Tyler choose to become potty trained I wouldn't complain.

McKenna continues to love going to school and even getting on the bus. I finally remembered to get my camera out and take a couple of pictures. She has a different bus driver everyday that picks her up, but that hasn't phased her at all. Tyler on the other hand bawls as the bus takes off with McKenna on it, screaming "no bus."

McKenna often falls asleep on the bus on her drive home, Debbi, her afternoon bus driver said often she falls asleep before they even pull out of the parking lot. She was so not ready to give up that afternoon nap, and on Wednesdays and weekends she still gets to take one. She was so tired yesterday that she asked to go to sleep before it was time for both her nap and her bedtime. They were in bed by 8 and she slept until 8:30 this morning. I admit by 8 I was starting to get nervous that something was wrong as she never sleeps past 7:30

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Happy Birthday!

Now that I have a camera that will record sound I was excited to share this fun little video, but over the past week it's not been working out for me to well, So I'm trying out the YouTube way:

Hope this works:

Happy Birthday & Anniversary!

Happy 34th Birthday John! With my traveling and the house in mayhem I wondered how we were going to make this a special day for John. My family helped a lot with the gifts (thanks for taking me shopping with you Mom so he would have stuff!) and the phone calls, text messages. It was fun to have him home for the day, we opened gifts first thing in the morning, and had birthday cake Late last night.

The girls actually broke into the cake a lil early...as I was out of the room at the time.

The middle of the day is kind of a blur, besides the doors that were being painted we decided to take a "quick" trip down to the Old Cannery, a furniture store a mile down the road. The last time we were there we didn't find anything of interest and so my expectations were quite low-but we actually found my square kitchen table with 8 chairs (might even be able to invite friends over to eat after all this-look for your invitation :D) and our black leather furniture-which is our 5 year anniversary gifts to one another.

With that said, today is my anniversary, 5 years. Is that a long time? I guess it depends on what your comparing it to-If we were miserable I think it might have been a long 5 years, but most of the time I think we are just trying to find time to spend with one another. Needless to say the time has flown and so much has happened. I was thinking last night as I was getting ready for bed how my life would be different if I John and I had never married. The obvious would be I wouldn't be in Washington, have my 2 beautiful girls or this lil boy that will be hopefully joining us soon, oh what a different life I would be living. I know I've been very blessed by this wonderful Man who shows me more Love than I could ever imagine from anyone. The 3-1/2 weeks while in Utah was actually so much harder to be away from him than I thought it was going to be, I just missed him so much. His smile, his laugh, his kisses...the way he plays with the girls and takes care of them and even watching him as he works and interacts with others. He teaches and uplifts me in so many ways and truly is wonderful. I really couldn't imagine being with anyone else, that there could be anyone more perfect for me than he is! Happy Anniversary John & I LOVE YOU!

2003

Rantings of a Mad Woman/McKenna Starts School

I should put a warning label on this post as it might be viewed at ranting and ravings of a mad woman, because that's how I felt yesterday. It started out like most everyday, girls slept in a little later than usual but they have both dropped a nap and have been pretty tired so it didn't seem too out of place. After they woke up and diapers were changed (someday that won't be plural anymore) I was taking the diapers out to the trash when I opened the door to the carport and as I looked down, something caught my eye. I was so unprepared for the reality of what sat before me as I don't have any pets that I know of...but there it was a mouse head. No body, just the head...I'll spare you the details as I'm trying to forget. I think I should've taken it as a sign for how the rest of the day would go.

How is this for the best bedhead ever? That's my Ragamuffin!
The shining light of my day was my friend Ady who called and wanted to come visit, bringing with her Hot Chocolate and a slice of pumpkin both from Starbucks. It was so good to see her, and although a nice chat between friends was what we were hoping to get out of the visit my kids had other plans. McKenna spent most of the morning in her room because she's struggling with the concept of sharing and then although given the option to leave she stayed screaming, crying, and throwing a tantrum (aka toys, shoes, blankets whatever she could get her hands on). We haven't been through this in over a month and I have to admit I haven't missed it.

AFter Ady left we had lunch and got McKenna ready for school and her first day on the bus. She actually started school on Monday-I dropped Tyler off at a friends and then I took her to Daffodil and met her teacher Christen Robinson. I was pleasantly surprised at McKenna's excitement to be going to school and it never disapated. Even when I told her I was leaving she gave me a hug and then waved good-bye and never gave it a 2nd thought. It was AWESOME! Anyway as we waited for the bus the time passed and at 10 minutes before class was to start I realized that the bus wasn't coming. Still in my pajamas I threw the kids in the car, grabbed my sunglasses because it's like a mask and no one will know who I am and we headed to school. Luckily one of the teachers assistants was outside to take McKenna in, never thought to ask why, was just happy we didn't have to walk through the school.



By the time John got home, which was really quite early my nerves and patience were shot. I feel bad for my family and Braden who had come over to help because "witch" is the only thing I can think of to describe my behavior. The only thing I can say is there's hope because "tomorrow is another day."

House Renovation update

The girls and I got home last night and found the house painted and the hardwood floors in and I have to tell you right off, it's beautiful. I was a little bit nervous not sure what I"d think as I walked into my house to find it wasn't my house at all. McKenna said it best as we walked in, she exclaimed very excitedly, "a new house! where's my scooter". The girl has priorities but both her and Tyler love it almost as much as I do. Not only did my kitchen have a beautiful floor and paint, but new appliances. They were almost as pretty as the rest of the house. I love the new arrangement of our floor plan as the main floor just feels roomier. n

Mike hard at work!

It's light and a little shaggy and is perfect!

First meal in the new kitchen as a family: Microwave Lasagna with elegant paperware. Lots of fun!

John Update

Quick update on John: He went to see the Hand Specialist today. He was there for quite a while, guess his thumb didn't look to good. His words being: "Like a hot dog that had exploded in the microwave." Nice huh? Anyway they cleaned and re-wrapped it and then he goes back on Thursday to get it checked. Won't know for 3 weeks if he'll need a pin or not, gotta give it time to heal on it's own. Progress continues as we have great friends who have all volunteered to keep things going so there is some space to live in when the girls and I get home on Saturday.

Home Renovation-Picture Progress

Grandpa in action

Sunset from kitchen window, what a view

New windows

Just missing my kitchen sink

Men at work

Kitchen with walls

Family room with walls