Catching up

These pictures are from my phone so the quality is not the best. 

Jeff worked all weekend getting this thing put up. The boys are loving it!

Tomorrow is our 7 year anniversary! We have been pretty consistent with date nights every week, so I thought we could do something together as a family. We are planning on going to Crystal Cave in Spring Valley. I will write up a separate post later.

The boys are doing fairly well with the transition to sharing a room. (And I am too!) Please don't think that I am a horrible, mean, demented mom for doing this. Charlie was getting out of his bed over and over and over and over!!! It just wasn't working. So, I tried locking the doors to our bedroom and to the bathroom. So far it's working! I do explain to them every night that our doors our locked because it's bedtime for us too. Charlie will get out of his bed and knock on our door a little and talk to us a little, and maybe scream and bother Joey a little. I tell him through the door that it's bedtime and he needs to get back to bed. After about 10 minutes or so..it works!!! Some mornings Charlie thinks that the door are still locked so he sits in the hallway and cries a little!

On Tuesday I am going in for my first appointment with a midwife. I will get to hear the baby's heartbeat! I can't wait!

Fond of my belly

According to my calculations I am now at 12 weeks of this pregnancy. Is this a magic number? Well, it symbolizes the end of the first trimester. Although I have heard that the end of first trimester is 13 weeks. I am going to stick with what I know! The end of the first trimester also brings relief from "morning sickness". I hope to feel much better soon!

For the first time during this pregnancy I have become fond of my belly. I was wearing a cute new comfortable flowy dress and I looked in the mirror and pulled the dress tight around my belly. Awwww...I said to myself.

Until tonight I have felt bloated, huge, uncomfortable, yucky, queasy, and tired. I felt a little better today! A little more energetic. God does know that I need that energy to play with Joey and Charlie and to keep up with this house.

I read this verse a little while ago and I think it is a good fit for today and for what is to come!

1 Corinthians 2: 9

However it is written "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

It's Summer!

Here are some family pictures we took about a month ago when the tulips were in bloom! Now the tulips are done, the poppy's are done, and I am waiting patiently for the crazy daisy's! The roses are in bloom now too! We have just a few apples and pears and tons of cherries.  This weekend Jeff is setting up our new swingset play area! I never thought we would want one because we live to close a playground, but it was just a dream I had recently. Call it nesting or baby love, but I just imagined the kids playing on it and all 3 swings full of singing little monkeys. Will post pictures of the swingset soon!

Blessing Number 3: The most awesome due date, December 31st, 2010

Joey is so exctied about this baby. He keeps asking "is the baby warm ?" "is the baby tired?" He is already so concerned for his little sibling. Charlie doesn't really seem to care too much. Although since I have been babysitting a 6 month old-he has been very interested in babies. He is always going to other baby car seats and talking to them, rocking them, and trying to get the baby to take a nuk. He also asks if he can hold babies too. It is the cutest!!!

Blessing Number 3: Due Date, December 31st, 2010

This due date is awesome in so many ways.

1. We don't know if this baby will be born this year or next year.
2. Perhaps we will have another Janurary Birthday (To go with the other 6 that we celebrate)
3. What color will be next for my mothers ring? (So far we have Garnet for Joey and Citrine for Charlie) Will it be Blue Topaz or another Garnet?
4. Will we have a baby bundled up under the Christmas tree? The best Christmas present ever!
5. We might be ringing in the new year in the hospital!
6. Blessing number 3 may be the last baby born in 2010.
7. Blessing number 3 may be the first baby born in 2011.
8. We could have 3 consecutive birthday months to celebrate. Nov., Dec., Jan.
9. We found out early enough to annouce the pregnancy on Mother's Day. (We annouced Joey's on Fathers Day)
10. If it is a boy he can wear hand me downs and it will be appropriate for the seasons!
11. Many of my new year resolutions are already in place.
a. nurse baby.
b. change about a thousand diapers.
c. give baby a bath.
d. go on walks with baby.
e. I could go on and on...you get the idea!

Only God know what day this baby will come into our world!!!

Big boy bed for a big boy

We are in the first week of transitioning Charlie into a big boy bed! We were able to have Great Grandma Lee's bed-as she has now been in a medical bed. Thanks Great Grandma Lee and Mamie! To get both Joey and Charlie excited, I purchased rocket ship themed bedding for both the boys. So cute!!!



Charlie knows his freedom to roam now! The first night it took about 1 1/2 hours to finally get them sleeping. I read them books, sang songs, said prayers, tucked them in multiple times, and snuggled with them. Joey is always the one who falls asleep first! I tell Charlie-shhhh...Joey is sleeping now, so you need to be quiet and I tuck him in one more time and close the door. He then sings to himself, counts, or plays with his little rocketship until he falls asleep.

One night at about 12:30 am, Joey screamed super loud in his sleep! This woke up poor little Charlie and he started to cry. Thankfully all it took was for me to comfort him a little and he was back to sleep.

Another night as I was listening in on them I heard Joey say "Charlie I will read you a book, what book would you like me to read" and chitter chatter... Then Jeff went to check on them and Joey was fast asleep while Charlie was sitting next to him in Joey's bed crying! So Jeff tucked Charlie into his own bed.

I just love it when they interact together on their own, and actually get along! It is so cute how Joey talks to Charlie about sleeping in his big boy bed. I have noticed a difference in their relationship now. They are closer to each other. They joke around more..there is a lot more laughter!

One night at the supper table, it was Joey's turn to talk. We usually talk about what our favorite part of the day was. Joey said "I like it that Charlie is sleeping in my room now, because I love him." Um...MELT MY
HEART!!!

Of course this process isn't without some frustrations. Tonight Charlie is sleeping in his crib because he just wouldn't settle down! I put him is crib and Joey was asleep within 5 minutes, and Charlie was asleep in about 10.

We will try it again next week! We are going to Turtle Lake this weekend-so that will be a totally different bedtime routine!

Blessing Number 3

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

you formed me in my mother's womb.

I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I'd even lived one day.

Psalm 139; 13-16 (The Message)

I just love these verses. I think it is just so cool to think about God shaping an unformed body. Planning out every minute and every breath. Scuplting an amazing creation from nothing. God is the most talented artist I know! And to apply this to the baby growing right now. God has prepared all the days of his/her life. What an amazing surprise to look forward to.God is watching this baby grow, he is there for him/her from the beginning!

We are at about the 7 week mark right now. Just think. The baby's tiny heart is beating it's first beats right about now!!! God is there. bah bum, bah bum, bah bum, bah bum.


We have been trying for baby number 3 for about 5 months. For Joey, it took about 8 months and Charlie about 6. This time I used an application on my Droid phone to keep track of dates. (Called My Days) I started tracking in November. So every month I would take a test at about the time I thought I would get positive results.  Sometimes I get a little excited and take a test early. On April 20th I took the test and it was positive! This is amazing because it was 5 days earlier than most tests will have a valid result. It was the target brand home pregrancy test-cheap and accurate!

Some cool things about finding out so early:

1. I can cut down on my caffine intake. I normally drink 2.5 cups of coffee a day. Last month I weakend my coffee by mixing decaf in.

2. I can stop drinking my occasional beer or wine.

3. If I do feel tired-I don't have to feel guilty for taking a nap. One of the few symtoms I have had so far is being a little more tired than usual.

4. If I feel hungry I can eat more without feeling guilty. I have been sticking to the ZONE diet as much as possbile...with just a few cheats. For one 2 day hunger streak I ate Zone snacks and meals all day, and finally after supper I would feel full. I was even craving breakfast foods all day one day!

5. I can daydream and think about names and guess the sex of the baby.

6. So far I have also felt a little bit of pre-nesting. Getting the house organized, cleaning more that usual. (Which really isn't much)

7. When I babysit 6 month baby friend, I can imigine what it will be like next June!

8. We were able to announce the pregnancy on Mother's Day!

Cuties

Just some pictures this time!