My giraffe and growing girth:)

Okay...so I know that I promised to post pictures of the Parkster yesterday, but my sister was with us and we went shopping! And you know how shopping just poops you out? Well, my typing fingers didn't have the energy. Parker looooooved being a giraffe. He actually asked to have his costume on and he certainly thought he was so funny and cute! Our little party was a super fun time to spend with family and friends. We all ate so much! So here is my little giraffe...

I also wanted to add this picture of Parker and a sweet woman at the Alzheimer's home we went to visit. I think she believed that Parker was one of her own and took a liking to him. And I think that Parker may have given her a little gift of love because he thought she was pretty special, as well. He even gave her hugs and blew her kisses. Ohhhhh...I just love him.

You may wonder why I always take pictures of Parker in a sepia tone. Well, he has such light hair that his hair seems to glow and look like a halo in color pictures...anyway, just so you know...

I've had a few requests for a new picture of my growing girth. I agree that it is time to update because this is when I just pop out! What do you think? I think I may have gotten the "special treatment" at the grocery store the other day! I'm about 25 weeks now and when I compare pictures from the last time around, my belly looks exactly the same. Hmmmm....maybe another 7 lb baby? I hope so...

I couldn't figure out which one was better. Both are just so flattering...ha! They were both taken this morning but why does it seem one belly is bigger? Maybe the baby actually moved!

Works For Me Wednesday

This is a last minute post before I get ready for bed ... and don't you dare look at what time I'm posting this:)

Here is what works for me today: toothpaste as jewellery cleaner. I asked a jeweller once about how I could clean my wedding ring at home and he said that they actually use toothpaste at the store. So I just whip out an old toothbrush, apply some paste and gently scrub away. I have found that I can get my ring cleaner at home than if I ask someone to do it with their big machine. Make sure you put the stopper in the sink if you are working over it...I have had a few close calls!

Now I'm off to bed...enjoy your clean rings!

For more tips like this, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

halloween, elephants, and giraffes

Ohhhh...I'm just so excited for today! Today is Halloween, of course, and we are having our second annual Halloween party. Actually, it is just basically family coming over but I get to make my very special Pumpkin Chili and display my new table runner I made:) And...I get to dress up my boy as one of his favorite animals, a giraffe! Parker LOVES his costume and hugs and kisses it whenever we let him. I wonder if he'll like having it on? We're going Trick or Treating at a retirement home this morning and then we'll come home and get ready for our party.

Speaking of Halloween and the sometimes scary things that go along with it, Parker is suddenly afraid of everything! He's always been afraid of elephants. Elephants...even elephant's in books or Baby Einstein or the sound of elephants on his Raffi CD. But here is the strange part...this is Parker's favorite book:

I mean favorite. Favorite as in we read it maybe ten times a day....and it isn't a short little board book. Parker is waaaaay over those little kid reads:) This was one of my favorite books as a kid so it is actually pretty fun to read. And maybe it will help get Parker over his fear of these scary creatures.

Oh, and be prepared for plenty of pictures of my giraffe in the following days...I just might go overboard:)

The Half Birthday!

I realized that I missed an important post...Parker's 1/2 birthday:) I have been finding that the second year of life is going even faster than his first. Oh no! Here is my boy in pictures: First 3 pics are from the day after birth (middle one with Auntie Vicky) and 7 weeks. Second 3 are from 5 and 6 months and the third set is current, of course!

I just wanted to edit this to add that I don't even remember Parker looking like this first picture. Aaaahhhh...he is so beautiful and I regret missing this very brief stage:) It isn't because I have just forgotten that they can look this small but I seriously don't have any recollection of his second day! I was seriously loopy and was still repeating my sentences over and over. I think I had a strong reaction to one of the drugs. Good think we have tons of pictures...as you can see!!

I was on a little outing yesterday by myself and I went into Barnes and Noble and drank a decaf latte. I picked up a little book about mothers and sons and I remembered again why I love being my son's mama. One of the quotes said something like this...

*As a baby, your son will always be searching for your face. This will never change.*

I love this because I find it to be so true. While little boys are born to be little independent adventurers with all of their car sounds and filthy faces, Parker is always looking for my face for reassurance. I am so blessed.

~I must add that I now feel more excited to have a daughter someday...whether it be in a little over 3 months or down the road. Right now, I'm just enjoying my role as Parker's mama:)

Regrets anyone? No perfection here...

I have to admit that I really like watching and reading celebrity interviews... and I know that I'm not the only one:) It seems like we are often surprised at how human these famous people seem after hearing an interview with them. However, does it ever occur to you that most of them, when asked if they have any regrets about their past decisions, often say they wouldn't change a thing because all of their mistakes have made them who they are today (or something similar)? Sure, I believe that some of them like their lives and like who they have become but is there anything wrong with admitting mistakes? Is there anything wrong with having regrets in your life?

Like I said the other day, I'm really happy with where I am in my life right now. I do think that many of my decisions have made me who I am. But I will say that I certainly have regrets and have made a lot of mistakes. I'm human and I am just plain mean, dumb and sinful sometimes. My biggest regret is that as a result of my mistakes and bad decisions, I have hurt people--even those that I love the most. I have hurt people with my words and even more so by what I haven't said...the looks I've given...the judgements I've made. I regret all of these things. I don't want my bad decisions to be dirty little secrets that I brush under the rug because I think this can hurt others even more. I want to live a life of transparency and I admit that I'm not perfect...far from it.

This little rant of mine is not intended to be a blanket apology to all of those that I've hurt in my life; it is just one of my attempts at living my life honestly--like a hardwood floor:) And thank God for His forgiveness...

Happy to be...

moving forward, living my life today, in the moment...

...These are all things that I'm feeling lately. I feel like I've just recently started moving forward in life again. I'm experiencing my life again instead of watching it happen to me. I haven't really sorted out why I have felt so restless in past months and years and I've tried so hard not to desire to be in the past or in the future, but I just haven't been successful. *I was thinking the other day about how I haven't even cheated this year and listened to Christmas music yet. Sorta sounds silly but I think that it is telling. I don't want it to be Christmas time yet because I am enjoying the season we're in so much. In the same way, I don't wish that it was still summer. *I'm not wishing that Parker was a little younger or a little older--I love his age and I just wish I could freeze time. *I don't even wish that this little baby was here yet. I'm certainly looking forward to meeting the little one, but I'm really enjoying getting to know him/her right now. It is a special type of intimacy that mother's get to share with their unborn babies. I'm so thankful that I'm over the toughest part of pregnancy. Now I get to enjoy the wonderful, maternal feeling of carrying life while not carrying around a ton of weight. *I'm also excited again to be meeting new friends and cultivating relationships while just a few months ago, I didn't quite feel ready. *I'm really loving my home. I liked it before but now I feel like I can make it mine. I even took a picture of our garage and the leaves around it! I even love our garage:)

There are so many more things that I could list that I am feeling good about....and maybe I will later.

Here are a few pictures of the everyday life that I'm so happy about right now. Parker and I took another trip up north with MOM'S club for a hay ride, pumpkins, doughnuts, and apples. I think it was more fun for Parker than mom...it was so much work for me because I had to carry two children much of the time:) There is another picture of Parker at our park smiling because he was so proud of himself for going down the big slide. And the other picture is of our park that we live right by. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

What a little pumpkin...

Last week we went up north again to enjoy some fall fun. It is hard to imagine that this is the same place that we picked berries just over a month ago. The seasons have certainly changed! Now there are pumpkins and gourds all over the place! Parker had fun riding in the big wagon and we only told him to sit down on his bottom 10 or 15 times! We enjoyed the trip with my mom and my grandma...how special is that?! After going through a little maze and picking out pumpkins, we went to another farm to eat some yummy fall treats--including some pumpkin ice cream. I like pumpkin anything and I wait all year for the the flavor to come back into season. Today, some friends brought us pumpkin doughnuts...yum! Maybe this is not such a good time of the year to be pregnant...this baby may be huge because I'm enjoying so many treats:)

Growing Girth: Installment #3--almost 22 weeks!

It has been a while since I posted a picture of my growing girth. I feel like I've recently fallen off the wagon in the growth department. I never thought that I'd say this but sometimes I wish I had a more obvious pregnant belly--at least one that is more like the other bellies at this point in pregnancy. I just want the special treatment:) Today, I had one woman I know tell me that she was relieved that I was talking about the pregnancy because she thought I miscarried. And another woman at the dentist asked if something was wrong with the baby! Nope, just a well shaped uterus:) Anyway, I'll count my blessings now, because in a few months I will be wishing for this belly back! Sorry the picture is blurry...I took it of myself in the mirror!

p.s. you can see the changes from last time here...

Praying Parker

It has been so fun having Joel home with us this past month or so. Parker has become quite a Daddy's boy--which I think is just great because next month, I'll be the favorite! Parker has also become quite spiritual lately:) In all seriousness, I believe children have a unique relationship with our creator and are able to recognize God in all sorts of ways that adults have lost since childhood. As parents, we have this special opportunity to relive that wonder with our children--if we allow it. It has been interesting to see Parker try to imitate some of our daily practices.

• Praying- Parker likes to get us to pray with him all the time. We hold hands and bow our heads and after many, many prayers, we have to start to be creative and thank God for Parker's teeth or something like that because it seems like we've prayed for everything else (I know...totally not possible)! Parker peeks all the time but he tries really hard to focus on the prayer! He likes to say, "amen".
• Reading the bible- Parker will often drag Joel's bible over and ask over and over to be read to. Joel does and it makes me so proud. Even though Joel tells me that it is because Parker really wants the pen that is inside the bible, I choose to believe that Parker wants to hear the bible stories.
• Musical praise- We keep Parker with us during the first part of the church service so he can be a part of worshipping God through music. Parker gets into a sort of trance when the music starts and just doesn't snap out of it! He waves his hands in the air like a mad-man and plays air drum like none other. The head-bop is also something else. I love how free he feels to express himself...t is such a great reminder for me!
  

Our beloved Lazy Bones

I have been wanting to write for such a long time now, but I haven't found the right time. Joel has been home with Parker and me and for some reason, I have a harder time finding time to get online. Those boys keep me busy. I have a few things to write about but only enough time for one subject. Later I will tell you about Parker being smacked by a bully and my Mama Bear claws coming out and about our new small group at church. But now...I'm going to tell you about our newest baby and his or her new nickname: Lazy Bones.

We had our ultrasound yesterday and got to see for the very first time our beloved Lazy Bones. I know I've said this before, but Parker was such an excited little boy even before he was born. The kid never stopped moving around when we saw him on ultrasound. I thought we had a monkey in my tummy and, as it turned out, we did:) This baby never really changed positions during the 20-25 minutes that the probe was on my tummy. He or she is head down, as low as possible, and the head was cocked to one side. The tech was trying to get it to move around but the most we got out of the baby was a little toe wiggle or finger in the mouth. And these are actually movements that I felt... so it is clear that the baby never moves more than this! Since the baby didn't turn, we really didn't get a good idea of what the babe looks like. We got a few shots of the face straight on but those tend to look like scary Halloween faces. We did get a few profile shots but they weren't really clear. Our only conclusion was that the baby looks a bit like Parker--and we think that is a really good thing.

In reality, the fact that we didn't get to see what the baby looks like doesn't matter and actually makes me more excited for the birth. We did find out that baby is healthy and strong and measuring right on track. What wonderful news! And the fact that the baby is lazy doesn't bother me a bit because...well, you could just as well say that about me:)

Go Cougs...but please don't take me in the water!

Parker had his first swimming lesson yesterday and, as you can see from his face in this picture, he enjoyed it quite a lot! He was the only kid in the class that was upset but I attribute that to his little fall into the lake this summer:) It actually got better as the lesson went on and I think he might have smiled a couple of times. I'm just glad that he was with Daddy and not me--he might have persuaded me to take him out of the pool!
The day got much better, though, and Parker experienced his very first Cougar football game. We traveled to see Kelsey and joined her to watch her beloved Cougs. It was so fun! It was a close game and very intense. Parker learned how to root for the team and really joined in on the action. He ate the majority of our bag of kettle corn...see the above picture of Parker and Kels! Gotta give up good nutrition when you're at a game!

Some observations made on our trip...

Blogging has been on the back-burner lately as both Parker and Joel have experienced a terrible flu. One of the things that irritates me the most is when you tell someone you are sick and they immediately ask if is contagious. I always think that is so rude. However, I became that person this week as I was spraying Lysol all over and keeping my distance from my husband. After experience way too many weeks of morning sickness, I wasn't about to start puking again. There was really no way to stay away from Parker because I was the only one who could take care of him. And little kids have no concept of trying not to breathe in other's faces. So far, so good, though...we'll see.

I do have some things to write about regarding our trip. I have a few thoughts; some worth writing and some...maybe not:)

*Why do American women tend to wear bathing suits that are a few sizes too small for them? Just wondering. It seems as though a good 60-70% of women on our cruise decided that smaller was better when it came to their suit and I felt so bad for them. I really wanted to go and have a talk with them about how a well-fitting suit is so much more attractive. Of course, I didn't, and so I'm writing it here. Maybe it is on my mind because I am in a state of growth and very aware of the need to change sizes when needed.

*I don't like flying anymore. Well, it isn't exactly flying that I don't like--I'm not afraid and I used to like the rush of the airport that flying brings. I really just don't like being that close to people for an extended amount of time. We flew a red-eye flight and I was very sensitive to body odors and some extreme cases of bad breath. I also, for the first time, felt very nauseated with each take-off and landing...and we had many.

*My lips were not designed for the Bahamas. For those that know me, you know that I am well-endowed in the lip area:) While I didn't enjoy this feature when I was younger, I appreciate my lips now. But when I'm in sun for a good amount of time, my lips become so sun-burned (even with SPF 40)! And it isn't just a little sunburn. My lips were so fried on our cruise that they swelled up so big overnight that I had a hard time speaking the next morning. Then they went through a few day of intense peeling--very attractive! I guess my Norwegian heritage should have warned me that we fair ones are not meant to endure such strong sun!

*This trip was good for me. I don't think that I realized this, but I was a little burnt out before we left on our trip. I think I was just so tired of trying to keep everything together that I was beginning to be less of a mother, less of a wife, less of me. I had whole days where I didn't think about what I had to fix or what I had to do better. I realized for the first time in a long time what it was to be still and know that God is God and that I am not. How truly refreshing.

Joel and I also needed this extended time of being just us without Parker. I'm not sure if we had forgotten what it was like because it felt totally normal, but very special. We reconnected and reflected on the past few years and how we're so glad they're over! It was fun to be silly and without responsibilities. We went on dates, slept in, stayed up late...things that we don't do as often now. We want to do trips without kids much more often and certainly not take this long to take a trip without the next baby.

I also really needed this time away from Parker. I missed him but I also had fun doing things that I wanted to do instead of "mama" type of things. I came back refreshed with more patience, more of a sense of humor, more love for Parker, and more love of my role as his mama. I need to take more time for myself, by myself, in order to better appreciate my time with my child(ren). This is one of those things that I read and thought I understood prior to becoming a parent, but I haven't put it into action as much as needed. Parker has, all of the sudden, become cuter, funnier, smarter, and more amazing than ever--all since coming back and even with the flu!

There you have it; my deep thoughts from our cruising adventure! We highly recommend a cruise if you're in need of a no-stress, no-responsibilities, beautiful vacation--which we were!

We're back!

We're back from our cruise in the Bahamas and reunited with Parker! Of course, we had an amazing time together and everything went so smooth--including leaving Parker and his time with Gramma. I may reflect more later about some of our experiences, but for now I will give a quick rundown of some of the things we did:

slept in, read a few books including this one, went to lovely meals, sunbathed at the pool, worked out in the exercise facility, toured around Nassau, saw a couple productions in the theater on board, experienced a pool party with a buffet, drinks, dancing, ice carving, etc., snorkeled in Coco Kay, burnt our skin a bit on the amazing beach, met fun people at meals and on excursions, (Joel) went rock climbing, toured around Key West, went to the aquarium, went on another snorkeling excursion... this time 7 miles off the coast of Key West over a reef...and missed Parker just a little bit:)

Here are some of our pictures from our time together. If you look really close, you may see a few pictures of this growing girth-- lucky you!

We're off....almost!

We're heading off tonight to go cruising in the Bahamas! I'm so excited and pretty sad about leaving Parker. I know that he's going to be fine, but I've never spent this much time without him. We really intended on doing this type of thing sooner because we want to keep our marriage a priority and we also want to raise independent children. I thought we were doing so well when we went on a date without him when he was one month old:) However, here we are, a year and a half later and we're going on our first trip alone! I'm hoping that Parker is disobedient this afternoon so it is easier to leave him. I do know that this is going to be so fun...so good for our marriage...so good for me as a mother--and I think God is going to bless this time. I also think that Parker is going to have a blast with Grandma (thanks mom)! However, my nerves are still all over the place, so please pray that all will go well. Can't wait to tell you all about it and show you great pictures!

And a little side note: Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece, Audrey. She's one today! Parker is such a fan of little Audrey...he even knows how to say her name (Dawdry). Cousin love already!

blackberries and the fair

Of course...more pictures to share! We've done a lot of fun things lately. To celebrate my dad's 51'st birthday, we went up north to take a drive and we ended up picking blackberries. Parker was not dressed for the occasion but he certainly dug right in! He was literally eating the (unripe) berries off of the vine. He was just in heaven! When he realized that Grandpa had perfectly ripe berries in his basket, he found an easier way to get the good stuff. He was covered in blackberries and, then later, dirt--because a little boy must sit down in a dirt pile on every occasion possible!

To celebrate my parent's 30th anniversary, they invited us to go to the fair! We saw all the animals, ate the very healthy fair food, and enjoyed watching Parker boogy to the fair music coming from all directions. Parker can't help but dance when he hears music. He would just stop in the middle of the walkway and begin to really feel the music. My mom actually has some great pictures of this happening. Being a little kid must be so fun!

Growing Girth: Installment #2--17 weeks

I wasn't going to do this until Tuesday or Wednesday because I already posted today, but my friend Jenn posted her cute belly and now I want to! Jenn looks super cute and I don't look that cute, yet. Anyway, it is worth sharing because it is fun to see the changes. I've chosen to spare you my head, once again.

Any guesses, Aleah?

Some more pictures from last weekend...

We also were able to go to my cousin's wedding with my family. It was one of those times that I totally forgot (or avoided) taking pictures. Do you ever just want to enjoy an event without having to remember to take pictures? This was one of those times. I did, however, get a great picture of Audrey's baby with Parker's Hummer. I love how my little boy is so into cars and boy things and Audrey loves her baby and girly things. As the wedding was going on, Parker started to say, "mama, dada, mama, dada"--repeatedly...and Audrey was continually quacking, so Andi and Joel took the kids to a nearby field to keep the peace:) They left baby and hummer to enjoy the wedding. I thought that was very nice of them. We also were able to get a very nice family picture. Kelsey looks really, really tall! Of course, it was a very fun evening and we all enjoyed spending time with one another.

Some graduation pictures...

Joel and some of his classmates at the ceremony


Joel and his brother and sisters at his graduation party


Celebrating Joel's graduation...



Parker and two of his cousins at the graduation...they were so well behaved.

Just wanted to post a few pictures of all of the celebrating we enjoyed last weekend! I have so many more, but I'm getting impatient with my 'puter. It was so nice to have some closure and celebrate all that Joel has accomplished. Joel's sister hosted a great party the night after the graduation where we were able to spend time with family. It was such fun! It was unique in that we got to spend time with both sides of our family. Thank you to all of our family for making it such a special weekend!

Thursday Thirteen: September 7

13 things I should really blog about but I just haven't gotten to yet...because I'm a slacker!

1. My lasagna recipe...yummy!
2. Joel's graduation and all of the festivities surrounding this blessed event
3. My 17 week OB appointment
4. The book I'm reading
5. Another growing girth photo
6. Our anniversary
7. Our upcoming cruise to the Bahamas
8. Without Parker :)...:(
9. The pacifier debate
10. My parents 30th anniversary!
11. Parker's love of his cousins
12. A list of thirteen reasons why I would love a certain family to live here
13. Anything Parker related because he is oh so lovely...

For more Thursday Thirteen lists, visit ThursdayThirteen.com

For Daddy...

My husband graduates from PA school on Thursday and we're so proud of him! We've had some tough spots in these last few years, but I think we've done pretty well considering all the challenges we've had. You know, challenges like having a baby, moving three times, living with family members, buying a house, expecting baby number two, no income, lots of bills, applying for PA jobs...And on top of all of that, Joel has managed to do very well in school and secure himself a great job. Amazing! We will also be celebrating our fifth anniversary on September 1st! What a big, big week for our family! We miss you, Joely! We can't wait to see you very soon...

Wanna see my tummy?

You all get an insider's view into this lovely little world of pregnancy. I thought that I would share a picture of my belly every now and then to keep you updated on how my girth is expanding. Don't worry, you will never see a bare tummy. Yucky:) So, here it is...the headless, 15 weeks pregnant tummy. I have to say, though, that the bump looks bigger in person. Maybe I was flexing? You'll just have to come see me to find out how much bigger! More to come- oh yeah!

I'm a winner!!

I have The Blog Of The Day for my post, No Faking! I can't believe I got an award...I feel honored! And all this time, I've been embarrassed about writing it in the first place. Looks like it has now got me a place of honor. I better get caught up on blogging now:)

Thank you for the award and the nominations!

~Amy

Daring to Dream...

My little sister has started her very own blog and so....look out people, this is going to be good:) You should head over to Kelsey's place when you have time. I'm sure you'll soon love her like so many of us do!

Daring to Dream

Thursday Thirteen: August 24

Thirteen reasons I'm excited for the fall season:)

Okay...so I know that my last post was slightly related to the change of seasons, but now I can't get it off of my mind. Maybe if I write out a list, I can relax a bit and enjoy the end of summer while we have it!

1. The colors! The foliage around here is just amazing! I hope to go on some small family trips to explore the beauty.
2. The coziness of lighting candles and snuggling up with a blanket
3. Pumpkin Patches
4. Cooking: Almost everything I like to make is best suited for the fall and winter (see below)
5. We'll be that much closer to meeting our new baby! So here is the way I see it...we'll have the lovliness of fall, the joy of the Christmas season, and then BABY!
6. Local apples at farmer's markets and stores
7. Making lots and lots of applesauce. I have a (not so) secret ingredient in my recipe: raw sugar!
8. Our upcoming Halloween party with family and friends
9. Dressing Parker up in a super-cute costume...
10. Which I might just make by myself
11. Wearing sweaters and real shoes (instead of Chaco's and flip-flops!)
12. Jumping in leaves with Joel and Parker
13. Husband will start his first PA job on Oct. 1 and then we'll get a paycheck! I could make a whole list of things that will be great about this. Maybe next time...:)

For more lists like this, please visit Thursday Thirteen!

Tomato Soupa!

I am starting to feel the change of seasons and I'm getting excited for fall! Actually, it is still really hot here, but you know how you can feel things change when school starts for students and people start staying home more instead of vacationing? In past years, I haven't been quite ready for fall to come, but I think that living in a hotter climate has made me very ready for it! So, in honor of the end of August and the upcoming days of coziness to come, we have a very yummy tomato soup recipe from Everyday Food.

• 4 Tbls. real butter
• 2 Tbls. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbls. tomato paste
• 2 springs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans (28 oz each) whole peeled tomatoes in juice (the recipe says you can use the kind with basil already added but I like to be in control of my own herbs and spices. I add my own basil, oregano, and garlic to tase)

What to do... 1. In a 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat; add oil and onion, season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste, cook one minute

2. To saucepan, add thyme, broth, and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with your fingers. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, 30 minutes. (Remove thyme sprigs before blending.)

3. Working in several batches, puree half (or more!) of the soup in a conventional blender until smooth; return to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. (Make sure you hold a hand towel tightly over the blender to prevent the pressure from popping the top off when blending.) Serve immediately, or let cool to room temperature before dividing among airtight containers (leaving 1 inch of space at the top and freezing.)

notes: I believe this soup is best when you let the tomatoes rule; don't go overboard on the herbs and spices. This recipe makes a ton of soup so cutting the recipe in half would be fine for a small family. Enjoy!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things that I want to say at this very second...

1. I woke up nauseated today
2. So I'm sorta grumpy
3. I have the stupidest can opener in the world (Is "stupidest" a word?) Oh, and it took me ten minutes yesterday to open two cans. Ridiculous.
4. I feel really embarrassed about my post about my floor. I think I made people feel nervous to come to my house. Totally not my intention:( Should I erase it?
5. This list is going to get more positive in just a second. I promise.
6. My sister comes home in...let's see...30 hours or so:)))
7. I love making soup and I think it is the best thing I make.
8. I have a great tomato soup recipe...do you want to see it?
9. I'm really excited because Parker and I kind of got on a new schedule yesterday (finally!)
10. I feel big right now.
11. But that is okay, right? I'm pregnant for goodness sakes!
12. I bought this at Motherhood Maternity and I feel so much better!
13. So now I can wear my regular jeans and shirts and, really...what could be better?

If you would like to read more lists like this, visit Thursday Thirteen!

Family Fun...

The first picture is of Audrey and Parker looking quite angelic in Grandma and Grandpa's wagon. Could they be any cuter? The next is the action shot of the very next second: Parker falling off the wagon and Audrey with a suspicious hand on his back! She didn't mean to push and Parker forgave her very fast:) Oh, cousins...

We spent the weekend with family up at my parent's place. We had so much fun just relaxing with the family and watching the two little ones play with one another. The only bummer: Kelsey couldn't be with us this time. She is, of course, off on her summer adventure! We were able to spend time with my brother and his little family, who live across the state. We sure wish we could see them more often. Parker especially misses little Audrey. He would get pretty sad when she would go to bed and then didn't understand why she had to leave to go home. They have such different personalities but they really got along well.

No Faking

So... I've come to the conclusion that you just cannot fake a clean, hardwood floor. Our floor in our house is almost completely a dark Oak (except for the kitchen and bathroom). It is really beautiful and one of the reasons we fell in love with our little treasure in the first place. I like being able to know that my floor is really clean. With carpet, you never really know what is underneath all of that cushy lovliness, do you? I mean, it might feel good but are you always in the presence of filth?! If my floor looks clean, it really is. I like being authentic:) It is a lot of work but really worth the battle. I sweep constantly and mop all the time but there always seems to be a lonely crumb here and there.

A little sidenote: I feel really blessed when people take off their shoes before coming into my house. How respectful! I can't help but feel panic when I see dirty shoes leaving a mess. Anyway...back to the real subject.

As I was mopping last night, I was thinking about how it is easier to be authentic as a person, when we have less to cover up with...kind of like carpet over a hardwood floor. Joel and I are in the process of trying to simplify our life. We intentionally bought a small home with the hope of living a "smaller" life with less material things. So many people have made comments about this being our starter home when, in reality, we hope to stay here for a very long time. We are trying not to be swept up in the trend of buying more and more and moving up and up. What is the point? I think that if we got on that track, we might end up cluttering our lives with so many "things" that we may have a much harder time being our authentic selves...a harder time being the people God intended us to be. I want to live my life like a hardwood floor. If it is messy, I want that to be clear to those who know me well. If my life is looking good, I also want that to be apparent. I don't want to have the option of faking it...kinda like my floor! It is a lot of work but certainly worth the battle.

By the way, if you come into our house and don't feel comfortable taking off your shoes, I will really be okay with that:) Honest.

Fun at the lake

Parker had fun with Daddy and with Winston at the lake on Sunday. What a nice, relaxing day! How do you like Parker's hot bathing suit?!

Baby on my mind...

I've got serious baby-brain right now. I keep thinking about this little one...how big it is right now, if it is a boy or girl, what we should name him/her. So many thoughts and still so much time!! We've found a girl name that we really love and we have had a boy name but now we're not so sure. It was totally the other way around with Parker! So, needless to say, I do a bit of searching online about my current favorite subject.

I really like the Social Security Administration website. You can see what the most popular baby names were for a specific year and even search for a specific name to see what it ranked for a span of years. Very interesting. I find myself searching friend's names, just out of curiousity! I don't really care if our baby has a sorta popular name...just not in the top 20 or something...and certainly not made-up:) I also frequent this fetal development site that I found when pregnant with Parker. It is so interesting to see how the baby grows and mom's body changes. I think it is funny to see how the intestines have to move out of the way!!

Anyway, this is what I do in my spare time and I thought I'd share these great sites!

Five Ingredient Friday

Pizza Friday

Joel and I used to always make pizza together on Friday every week. This tradition is slowly coming back into play after about a year hiatus as we were moving from place to place and didn't have our beloved pizza stone!

We make our dough in our breadmaker on the dough/pasta setting. This 1.5 lb crust actually has 6 ingredients but we just won't count the water as one:)

7-8 oz of water
1/2 tea. coarse salt
2 Tbl. olive oil (or canola oil for a flakier crust)
2 Tbl. honey (this is my secret ingredient!)
3 cups flour
1.5 tea. active dry yeast

Combine all ingredients into bread pan. Select Dough/Pasta setting. Press Start/Stop. When the unit signals and the display reads 0, press Start/Stop and remove dough.

Spread a few Tbl. of cornmeal onto a pizza stone or pizza pan. Pat dough into pan and let stand for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread desired sauce and garnishes on top and bake 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Here is a little extra tip for making some excellent pizza sauce:

1 can tomato sauce (I think 12 oz or so)
1 little can tomato paste
1 Tbl. Italian seasoning
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 tea. sugar
1/2 tea. salt

Combine all ingredients together and then simmer on low for about 10 minutes. This makes enough sauce for two pizzas.

*We actually cooked our pizza on the grill a few weeks ago and we loved it!

For more five ingredient recipes, visit Overwhelmed With Joy...

This baby is real!

Since Parker is currently eating Cherrios off of the floor (his new favorite hobby), I have time to give a quick update on our first OB appointment we had yesterday. Can't believe I just admitted that my son was eating off of the floor. I know most people are fine with this but it is different when you put it in writing! Parker has been enjoying eating his snacks in his little red chair (thanks grandma!) and then dumps his cup of snacks on the floor and crunches them with his feet. I think I should get the mother of the year award for this one:)

Anyway, back to the OB appointment. I love the place and all the workers so far. They all loved Parker and asked us to bring him back next time. They made everything so easy and I was able to pick the Doc that will be with us through the pregnancy. He is much like the Doc that delivered Parker. He's an outdoorsy guy...in his 50's...a grandpa...and GOOFY! Just perfect! We did the usual stuff that becomes routine at OB checks. They checked my weight, blood pressure, talked to me about symptoms and what to expect this month, etc.

The best part of the visit was getting to hear the heartbeat! It was much different that when we heard Parker's HB for the first time. When trying to find Parker's HB for the first time, all they had to do was put the doppler right on my tummy and, bam, there he was! His HB was unusually fast (high 170's to 180's) everytime because he was always moving. We always heard his little arms and legs swishing around. The doctor would always ask what I was feeding the little squirt. And the boy is still moving...he never stops. This new baby, however, is a little more relaxed I think. It took a little while for the nurse to find the bean and then when she did, the HB was 162 and we didn't hear much movement. Parker's heart was never in this range...it sort of shocked me! Maybe this baby actually sleeps or maybe he/she is shy and didn't want to be heard? I'm already comparing my kids...this could be a bad sign. It was so wonderful to hear my new baby's heartbeat. I feel more attached and reality has really sunk in about having a new baby. I'm really looking forward to it. Having an infant around the house seems so easy now and I think Parker will be a great big brother. I can't wait until the next appointment!

More camping...

Check out Aleah's post about our camping experience. She has more pictures and more details about our trip....and she has a beautiful, not so little family:)

Here is a pic that Aleah sent of Joel and Parker. Aren't my boys good looking?

Poop!

How do you get a human poop stain off of a carpet? Need tips now!!

I changed Parker's diaper on the floor after his nap and didn't know he had a blowout. Now we have smeared poop on our light colored rug.....what to do...what do do?

Splatter paint thoughts...

Sometimes I cannot figure out what I want to write about because I have so many little things running through my head. Here are a few...

~I found this picture of Parker on our camera this morning. Joel must have taken it when I was in the shower. Parker thinks he is so cool in his shades and my hat!

~I'm tired of eating. I never thought I'd say that but I am so hungry and everything sounds gross. Well, not everything. I'd really like to eat a box of maple bars but I.will.not.eat.those.things:) If I told you everything I ate yesterday, you would be amazed.

~You know what is better than a totally helpless baby that needs to be cuddled all the time? An independent little one who chooses to be cuddled. Parenting gets better and better everyday.

~Joel and I have decided that responsibility sometimes stinks. I'm sure you will all agree...

~I'm learning that I have an easier time forgiving people who hurt me than forgiving people who hurt those that I love. It is an ugly thing that I'm trying to work on.

~Parker got three shots yesterday and it was a very traumatic experience for both of us. He is at the age that he is old enough to remember what happens in that office but young enough to not understand that it will be over very soon. He cried the entire appointment leading up to the shots. The nurses were arguing about how to administer the shot while I was pinning Parker down and he was having a panic attack. Whatever happened to the cartoon bandaids and lollipops? They could have made him feel a ton more comfortable. We will not be going back to that office again. Can you tell that my mama bear claws are coming out as I write? We did find out that he's growing and developing very well. Parker is still a little squirt...which really surprises me because I think he looks totally normal.

~Gina and I have made a goal that we will both try to make it a point to recognize other children's character before their appearance. So before telling a little one that her dress is cute, tell her that she is a very kind person or that she shares very well. It actually is harder than it sounds. I challenge you all to try to do the same...

~I have my first OB appointment tomorrow and I'm really hoping to hear the heartbeat. I remember when we first heard Parker's little heart. It is something that I'll never forget.