We Are Expecting!

We came home and decorated our Christmas tree in celebration of our upcoming new arrival! Yes, we are expecting our third baby in April. Earlier that day we took the boys to the ultrasound and found out we are going to have a girl!!! I am very excited, and Paul is pleased as well. He kept calling the baby a her and has been asking for a sister. More importantly, everything looked healthy and normal with our little one.

This pregnancy has been more difficult in some ways, and better in others. I was sick for long time in the beginning, but it was at night and I could put the kids and myself to bed at the same time and sleep through it. That was nice. I was able to keep it quiet for longer too because I wasn't sick during the day and I wasn't showing (unusual for a third I know). All the unpleasant symptoms like smells, hips hurting, fatigue, cramps, etc. have been amplified this time around. Bummer. I have a bonus symptom too; I am so lucky. I itch all over all the time! On the bright side though, I am more than halfway done!

I love Christmas time.

I love my family, and we are excited about adding to it.

The boys love their trains.

Thanksgiving in Albuquerque

We went to Albuquerque, NM for Thanksgiving because it was middle ground for family. We were all able to travel about equal distance. The drive down was really windy and we got terrible gas mileage. The kids were good and we didn't have to stop much so we made good time though. We almost ran out of gas on the pass. We were in no-man's land. Exit after exit had signs that read "no services available," but we did sputter into a gas station eventually. Phew!

The house we rented had a play set in the backyard. One of those wooden ones with a two-story fort with a slide. There was a swing thingo that held two kids at a time facing back to back, like a two sided rocking horse. The kids loved it. The first day we were there Paul and Caleb were on it for a while laughing and having a good time, when I heard screaming. Caleb was hanging on to one side like he was falling off a horse, and every time it swung his head was hitting a 4X4 post that held the two-story fort. I went running across the yard and before I could get there the swing had gone back and forth a couple more times. It was sickening to watch and not be able to get there fast enough. Poor Caleb had a three open wounds. One on his temple, one next to his eye, and another along his jaw. It didn't take long for the bruising and swelling to follow. I felt so bad for him.

I have a problem. I am confessing...I can't keep track of important things like cameras and keys. I am constantly misplacing them. I am currently missing my car keys. They have been missing for a couple weeks now, and of course I couldn't find my camera while we were in New Mexico. It turned up the last night we were there. They appeared out of thin air; I swear. Hence, I don't have many pictures. All in all it was a relaxing vacation, and it is always fun to spend time with family.

Paul, Caleb, Maisy, Emmy

Halloween

We had fun preparing for Halloween, but Halloween itself was a bit of a disappointment for our family this year. We were sick. I don't have any pictures of trick-or-treating or their costumes. We sat at home puking and had to ignore our doorbell. It was very sad. We tried to go to a church trunk-or-treat, but ended up leaving with sick kids. Paul had a knight costume and Caleb a dragon.

We did have fun decorating pumpkins and going to a corn maze though beforehand.

Book Club....While Mom's Away

Dad does post something every once and a while. This is what the boys do while mom is away for the night to book club with all of the girls on their night out.

Caleb's Happy 2nd

This cake was pretty simple and Caleb loved it. He kept giggling that there was dirt on his cake. I love that he got a kick out of it. The dirt part is just chunks of unfrosted cake (I got the idea from a friend).

This is Caleb enjoying the truck's sound effects. He kept pushing the buttons on the top of it, and the best part was that he got to keep the tractor/truck afterwards.

This is Caleb's happy face that he got his own package of gum as a gift.

Happy Caleb

We took the boys to The Aquarium and we had a good time. While we were there I was reminded why we don't go there often. You don't get much for your money, and they nickel and dime you to death once you're inside. The kids loved the sharks though.

Caleb's Big Boy Bed

We moved Caleb out of the crib and into a regular bed. Caleb has been asking to sleep in Paul's bed for a while now, but I was worried how the naps would go if we moved him out of the crib. We had a trial run while we were in Baton Rouge. Caleb slept in a bed there, and did really well. So, when we got home we made the transition. It went surprisingly smooth, and the nap times are still intact. Hooray for nap times! Both of the kids are loving the change.

LSU Game

We traveled to Baton Rouge, LA to attend an LSU football game with Pat's dad. The sheer mass of people tailgating was overwhelming. We arrived 5 hours before the start of the game and still had to park 45 minutes away. Unfortunately, the game itself left something to be desired (1st, 2nd, 3rd down, kick the entire time.) The two touchdowns were made by special teams. I had a good time overall though, and the trip was really fun. The kids had a great time with grandpa's dog.

Grandpa and Caleb waiting for the game to start.

Inside the stadium.

Paul and Caleb following the dog around and playing fetch. That poor dog was worn out by time we left.

The kids visiting the nursing home to see grandma.

Doing the DC Tourist Thing

The sharp-shooter and I had our eyes on each other. Kind of creepy. We were stuck in rush hour traffic as we were driving passed the white house. Marine 1 flew over us and landed in the white house's backyard. There was a reception of people waiting. I assume it was the president that got off, but we were too far to tell who it was. It was pretty cool to watch though. The air traffic in the DC area in general is worth a mention also. There was a constant hum of huge helicopters and huge planes. It was almost unreal.

Paul posing in front of the Lincoln memorial with the Washington Monument in the background. We ate our lunch on a bench by the reflecting pool. Apparently it is a popular spot for people to exercise. It was constant. I felt like I was on the sideline of a race.

My mom and grandmother

Paul and Caleb trying out the pilot controls at the Air and Space Museum. Did you know that all the museums in downtown DC are free? We would have done more if the kids had let us.

This was the coolest frozen yogurt place I have ever been to. FroZenYo. I wish denver had one.

So you pick up a bowl and put as many flavors as you want in, and then you go to the toppings buffet. You pay by the ounce. It was delicious, cool, and surprisingly inexpensive! A must for anyone visiting DC.

Of course the kids loved it.

And I can't forget to mention the highlight of the entire trip, the Boise State vs. VA Tech football game. It was a blast! GO Broncos! I have never seen so many drunk people in my life.

Visiting Great Grandma in DC

Our trip to visit my grandmother in DC was mostly put into motion because she's not able to do yard and house work anymore. I went out to help my mom and my Uncle Dee do some clean up. Our main focus was the yard. We did do a little playing while we were there too.

Backyard before

After

A benefit of having a house that my kids loved.

The mosquitoes were absolutely awful. We were covered with bites. Caleb had 17 just on his face. The kids had a difficult time sleeping unless they were dosed with Benadryl. My mom and Uncle Dee got poison ivy on top of the mosquitoes. I am glad the kids sidestepped that one.

We went to a farm and the kids got to feed chickens, ducks, and pigs. They had good time with all the farm animals.

Camping with Grandpa

Pat's dad came to visit in July and to help us move. We had some good times. We went camping and we had the place to ourselves. Well, we had to share it with some cows, but other than that... Camping mid-week is definitely the way to go if you can swing it.

Beautiful country

Caleb had so much fun playing in the dirt. Man was he dirty. Paul, on the other hand, went through an entire package of baby wipes trying to stay dirt-free.

Much needed daddy time.


So the camera was lost for a while. I had unpacked all the boxes from the move, and still no camera. The only place I hadn't looked was in the camping gear, and our most recent camping trip was the last time I remembered having it. I waited to look there as a last resort because we have a lot of camping gear. I did find it there eventually in my hiking Camelbak though. I found it just in time for our trip to Virginia. Yeah!

We Moved!

We are all moved into our new place. We didn't move far, just a couple of miles, but a move is a move and short moves take just as much packing and effort as across state moves. I am glad it is pretty much over with. I love our new place! We doubled our square feet, and it has proven itself life altering. It is amazing what space can do for my well-being. The kids will go downstairs and play while I do something, anything else. There are a few negatives about the place, but the positives outweigh by a long shot. When we went to pick the keys up to the place it was mid afternoon and I made a comment about how hot the house was. The owner replied, "Yeah, this is about as cool as it gets midday in the summertime." WHAT? Yeah, there is no A/C. SURPRISE! I guess I forgot to ask about that one. That will soon be remedied. Anyone know about good window unit A/C's?

This summer has been crazy busy. Things are starting to wind down a bit now; maybe I should schedule some things...just kidding. I think I need a little down time actually. Just enough time to go to Wash DC in a couple weeks. I am really excited to take my kiddos to Virginia to meet family they've never seen.

I have a bunch a photos, but I haven't been able to find the camera since we moved in. It's either in a box or someone put it away really well.

Playing with Dad

Second Child Syndrome

So, I am the typical parent where the second child's picture is taken a fracture of the amount the first child's was taken. So I have been trying to take more pictures. I still don't like Vista, and it is a huge deterrent for me to update the blog. Well, enough of the excuses. Here are a few pictures...

Going for a little hike. The kids love to get outside with dad. We have some trails not too far from our place.

Lately Paul has been making faces whenever I try to take his picture. It makes it difficult to get good ones, but he sure is a fun kid.

Paul and his new picture face.

We took grandma to a baseball game and saw the July 4th fireworks. It was a great show.

Cheese!

This is Caleb asking to go outside even though it was raining. "Maybe if I make the most desperate face I possibly can she'll give in and say yes."

Look at that sweet face!

Paul's new found love, baseball. Thanks to The Sandlot he has also picked up on some bad language. Say good-bye to that show for a very long time. :(

Birthday Boy

Paul had his fourth birthday. A couple weeks ago I asked him what kind of cake he wanted and he replied, "a bird cake with a fox on it." HUH? I couldn't determine if this was something he saw walking by a bakery in a grocery store or if it was from his imagination. So I took him to a bakery and let him flip through the cake binder. He wanted every cake he saw, naturally. No bird cake in the binder though. He was stuck on a Tinker Bell cake (heaven help me I'm thinking) until he saw Spiderman (my saving grace). Spiderman it is, and the cake was so easily duplicated that I decided to do it myself. TA DAH!

Spiderman party with sticky hands, silly string, and rubber spiders. The kids were happy, and Paul had a blast. After all the kids left the party Paul was complaining that he was cold. The only times that happens is when he's sick. Sure enough he ran a fever for the next few days. Poor kid sat on the couch not feeling well on his birthday. At least he had a good time at the party.

Red Handed

I found Caleb hiding with a nearly empty bag of chocolate chips. The little sneak retired to that little spot several times during the day with his blanket and bear. I thought it was rather cute until I realized the real reason why he was hiding there. He's a sly one.

Some other tidbits on Caleb recently is that he is finally saying daddy "deedee" and mommy "meemee." He was saying mama before, but finally figured out daddy and then mimicked the sound for mom. It is so endearing to hear your own child start speaking.

Caleb likes to stick things in his ears. He has a fetish. The other day he had dryer lint stuffed into both ears. Nothing has gone in that can't come out yet, thank heavens. His favorite things to put in his ears are long skinny objects like crayons, Q-tips, and bobby pins. I open my bobby pins with my mouth and I can think of very few things that taste worse than ear wax.