Happy Birthday to Joely...

I just got back home after receiving a pedicure while my mom watched Parker--double blessing! It was so great and now my toes are a pretty red color...not that I can see them that well, but at least the nurses in surgery will be impressed with my attention to detail:) This was all actually Joel's idea. He bought me both the massage and pedicure gift certificates for Christmas, to be used before the baby comes. Isn't he awesome?

It is Joely's 29th birthday today and so it is my turn to brag a little bit about my great husband: He's my favorite person. He's my best friend. He is the perfect mix of being very sensitive and an athletic, manly guy. He thinks that I'm funny:) He knows how to treat a woman. He loves God. He forgives me. He loves his family. He loves MY family. He is a wonderful provider and supports me in my decision to stay home with our children. He is so darn smart. He's hot:) He thinks that I'm the best cook! He is really good at caring for his patients. This one deserves to be in bold: He's the most amazing Daddy. Seriously, I've never seen anyone be such a natural at this whole gig. And Parker thinks he's just the bomb!

I really could write so much more about this man that I'm so lucky to love, but I'll save it for just him!

Savoring the moment...

Joel is at work so it is just the two of us today. Sometimes, when Joel works on Saturday, both Parker and I get kind of down and lonely because everyone else is having family time and we're stuck here trying to figure out how to spend our day. Today has been a little different. We woke up to a cloudless sky and bright sunshine. We still have snow so everything in our park looks just beautiful. Parker's absolute favorite thing to do is to take walks outside--and it doesn't matter what the weather is like. He loves the outdoors and takes such joy in all things natural....dogs, pine cones, blue sky, ice on the road, dirty snow...which he tends to eat:)

I decided to venture out into the cold and take Parker on a leisurely walk. I haven't done this with him in what feels like months. I guess I've just been so worn out and the weather has been way too cold for Parker...and his mama! It turned out to be so fun. We probably didn't walk very far but we were gone for an hour! Parker stopped to talk to all of the neighbors, dogs, cats, trees, trucks...anything that would listen! And this time, I chose not to rush him along and I just let him discover and play. I found myself really savoring the moment. It was just the two of us and I know that these moments won't happen as often once we have two children. I love being with my little boy and spending time watching him grow and learn. What a blessing he is to me and so many others. Our little walk is one of those moments that I have treasured up in my heart for years to come. When things get crazy and I start feeling overwhelmed, it is wonderful to have memories like these to help me remember why I love being a mama.

A lesson from our Lazy Bones...

If you don't move, you might just get chubby!

We had our ultrasound yesterday and our appointment today to find out how our little baby is growing inside of me. As I mentioned before, the doctor was concerned that the baby was too small because I am measuring about 4 weeks behind. However, we have no reason to worry because we found that we actually have quite a chubby baby already. I was shocked to hear that the baby is already weighing in at 6lbs 14oz at 361/2 weeks! This means that in two weeks, we'll likely have an 8 lb baby born a week and a half early. Can't imagine what we could have if I went to 40 weeks! We got a few little peeks at our baby's face, but it was actually really hard to see anything because he/she is so crunched. The baby's face is literally smashed into my right hip bone and refused to move even a little bit. The tech did get a few distorted shots of the face and it was quite apparent that this baby has super chubby cheeks. According to the doctor, our little one also is carrying quite a bit of weight in the girth...I can relate right now:) The baby really did look cute, even with the nose smashed into something. All this time, I thought I was carrying this tiny baby. I'm so shocked, but we're so excited to meet our little bruiser! Two weeks from today....or less, if I have anything to say about it!

story in pictures...

My lovely blogging friend Jenn, over at Munchkin Land, wrote such a beautiful account of her daughter's birth...you really should check it out. She broke it up into sections and I was always just on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next installment. She articulated the process and her feelings so well that I actually felt like I was there! Anyway, she's inspired me to share a bit about the birth of Parker since we will soon be bombarded with thoughts and pictures of the new little baby. I don't feel like I have the energy or clarity of mind to write much about the day, but I'm going to post pictures. Okay, so I'm going to be really brave and show you pictures of me on that day that are not flattering...very, very brave.

So here is the really, really short Reader's Digest version of Parker's birth day: I was in active labor for about 10 hours at home before we went into the hospital and found that I was only dilated to a 1. Needless to say, they sent me home with not much hope for having a baby that day! I went back in to the hospital about 8 hours later and was at a 6 and they admitted me. What a happy moment! For some odd reason, I tried to wait to get the epidural until I was over 8 cm dilated. Looking back, I would have gotten it a lot sooner. I loved the epidural! I quickly got to a 10 and after laboring for 27 hours or so, I began pushing. This was the part that really didn't go well. We tried everything for 3 hours to get Parker out, but he was so stuck! Finally, another OB came in and informed me that a baby was not coming out the natural way. I was later told that, unless my next baby was 4 1/2 lbs or under, I would not be able to push babies out! They quickly prepped me for a c-section and Parker was born soon after!

Whew! How did you like that? Just facts, no feelings:) Hopefully the pictures will fill in the gaps!

Laboring at home and faking a smile!

Post epidural with my ice chips:)

Joel, very serious during the surgery
Me being prepped for surgery...not faking a smile this time because I knew I would soon meet my baby!


The moment they told me that I was the mama of the sweetest little boy...

Parker David~7 lbs 0 oz.~21 inches
April 17, 2005~9:37 pm

Can't believe that I'll be holding another one in two weeks! We're getting excited and I'm pretty antsy to get this little one out of me. Thankfully, I had a one hour massage today(Joel gave me a gift certificate for one for Christmas)that rejuvenated me and gave me a little more juice to finish this one strong. We're hoping that maybe, just maybe, this one will come even a little earlier than planned!

pregnancy, baby, and not much else...

So... if you aren't interested in reading about the last weeks of this pregnancy or about babies, then I would stop right now and discontinue reading my blog until normalcy is established in my brain:) Totally kidding, but I just wanted to warn people about this condition of mine and that it isn't going to change anytime soon. I have 20 days or less left until I meet this little baby...whoa. Am I ready? Well, we have everything set up and have the major things we needed to purchase: a double stroller, a sling, a BundleMe, etc. But as far as emotionally being ready to have two kids? Nope...not at all, but this baby is coming whether I am ready or not!

I'm at that stage of pregnancy. You know, that stage....everything hurts from the extra weight I'm carrying around, I run into everything, I can think of nothing else but getting him/her out, I only want to eat cookies, I need Joel to help me tie my shoes, I am winded by climbing up our four stairs or taking a shower...it really is so glamorous.

I had my 36 week OB appointment today. I was quite excited for the appointment because I thought my doc would be able to tell me if I was progressing at all and that we'd be able to talk more about the surgery and such. However, the doctor was running about an hour and 40 minutes late. I was so frustrated because Joel had walked over from work to watch Parker and he will now have to work much later because of the time he took to spend at the OB office. And Parker was missing his nap...which is really never a good thing. Since the doctor was running late, I literally spent five minutes with him and we weren't able to talk about the things I wanted to. He actually is a great doctor and the only reason he is late all of the time is because he is so chatty with his patients. This time, though, I think he was realizing how late he was and he hurried through my appointment. Thankfully, my weight, blood pressure, and baby's heart rate are just fine. I have to go in twice next week because he scheduled me for an ultrasound since the baby is measuring about 4 weeks behind. I'm really not worried about it, though. Parker always measured behind and I've gained the exact same amount of weight and look about the same as I did with him and he was very healthy. As much as I look forward to seeing our little baby again on the ultrasound screen, I'm really not looking forward to the torture of having to resist looking for some gender give-aways! It is starting to make me crazy not knowing!

I have posted some more growing girth pictures and this time I've included a frontal view for fun! This may be the last time I post pictures of this expanding belly because I don't think we'll see much change from now on...so enjoy!

I think it is time to start guessing! What do you think...Boy/girl? Weight and length? Will the baby come earlier than the 7th? Any guesses on names? I'd love to say that whoever guesses the closest will be rewarded with something material but I'm sure I will have other things on my mind after the arrival....so how about a nice pat on the back?

You all are just too sweet to still be reading:) I promise, there will come a day when these sort of things aren't taking over my brain!

Bitter Cold

Just a little visual reminder of the warm weather we have to look forward to...a picture of Parker in his mini-pool last May! The scowl is deceiving; he ended up enjoying the water...I promise!

We've been experiencing quite a little cold snap and it is starting to get to me. If I wasn't going out of the house much before, I've really become a hermit now. I know we don't have it that bad, but I'm realizing that weather really makes a difference in your day to day activities when you have kids. I can't just take Parker on a walk in this type of weather--he'd freeze his little buns off. Even driving places feels unfair. According to some silly, new law, we're not allowed to warm up our cars in the city anymore, unless we're in them. I understand the reasoning, but this is just ridiculous...especially right now. I strapped Parker into his car seat yesterday to go to church and quickly realized why he was screaming; it was 1 degree outside! He screamed all the way to church and then cried for about 10 more minutes once we got inside because his hands were thawing out. Ugh.

And then...we got our electric/natural gas bill the other day....goodness gracious...it was just *astronomical*! I'm embarrassed to even say what it was. I really have no idea what we're doing wrong. We have 826 sq. feet of house that we live in right now...so really not that much to heat. We have great windows, I keep the blinds shut, we don't even heat our bedroom...what to do, what to do? I've even tried to keep the heat lower during the day but since Parker and I are home much of the day, I try to keep it fairly comfortable. Okay, so I admit that I'm a cold person and I really enjoy a warm house....but I don't think I'm extreme. Does anyone have any ideas? We really need help on this one!

And what about some ideas for indoor activities to do with Parker? We have a lot of fun most of the day until about 4pm and then he gets crazy because he has so much energy to burn! He really lost it yesterday and decided he needed to jump off a chair in the kitchen...head first! And his goose egg on the other side of his forehead was just going away--what a shame:)

meet our baby...ELMO :)

I think that this whole thing is starting to become real for Parker. It is for me....26 days and counting! Yesterday we were washing some equipment, getting everything ready for the baby. I was demonstrating to Joel how the straps were indeed in the car seat correctly. I just picked Parker's Elmo up and used him as a model. Parker went straight to his bedroom and picked up his beloved blankie and pacifier and proceeded to lay the blanket over Elmo and stick the paci in his mouth. In the above picture, he is kissing Elmo! All of this just shocked us because we truly didn't think Parker had any idea what all the fuss was about! Apparently, we've underestimated him again. He has been talking about babies quite frequently all of the sudden and wanting his Cabbage Patch doll with him. And when we talk about the new baby, he comes and lifts up my shirt to lay a big, fat, slobbery kiss on my tummy...which is sort of embarrassing in public:) I guess I thought that he was too young to care about the baby coming and that he wouldn't be interested yet in the nurturing aspect of being a big brother. I am pleasantly surprised and hope that this really means that this transition will be a good one!

the power of our words...

I just found this picture on my computer and I can't believe I never noticed it before! Apparently it was taken in the fall. The jacket Parker was wearing is now too small...how sad!

Yes, I have some thoughts about words today, but I must say two things right this minute because I feel so happy: My great husband just came home from grocery shopping for the week AND he brought me my favorite Jamba Juice...how amazing is that? What a blessing! And here is the next one...I am sitting here in my brand new down vest that I bought yesterday for $9.97 at The Gap. Never mind that I bought it for post-pregnancy in my normal size, or that I'm busting the seems and can barely breathe, OR that it is near 70 degrees in here.....I love it and I'm going to wear it even if I look a little roley poley:) Back to the real topic of my post...

I've been having some thoughts about how powerful words are and how they can touch the children in our lives. Around this time last year, I read a book called Children Are Wet Cement by Anne Ortlund. It is a book that was written the year I was born about how verbal affirmation can be a pivital force in raising children to be secure and loving adults. It is a quick read and, at times, quite old school, but it really encouraged me to be more intentional about affirmation and more aware of how I speak about and to my child in general. While reading, I noticed that a lot of the tactics that Ortlund wrote about were used by my parents while we were growing up. It was interesting to recognize how intentional they were with us.

I recently have picked up this book again because Parker now understands much of what we say and I really want to be very careful about the words I use. For the most part, I think Joel and I have done well in affirming Parker, but recently I think that I've failed him a little bit by the words I choose when I talk about him. I've caught myself making comments to other adults about how he is a picky eater or how he tires me out, hates shopping, is disobedient...you know, normal toddler stuff.

An excerpt from the book:

"When your Freddie or Charlie or Sue came into the world, he or she was pure potential. He had few limits. But after a brief period of admiring and cuddling, all too soon life settled down.
He bugged you by crying too much. He spit up, and he dirtied his pants, and he pulled things out of drawers; and before long it was easy to convey to him that he's an irritation, an inconvenience--a drag.Then think about the things that begin coming out of your mouth.
By the tone of your voice, then by the words, he catches the implications sooner than you expect. And earlier than you dream, he begins to get degrading impressions of himself."

I think this makes a lot of sense. If I say something about Parker enough, he might just start believing it. How sad! However, I also know that just as my words can be damaging, they can also be life-changing in a positive way.. I can tell people what a good boy he is (in front of him), or how affectionate, or athletic, or how he loves other people so well and he will remember these things and identify with these attributes. I remember that my parents always used to tell me from early on, how well I listened to other people and showed great empathy. I think this was intentional because as I grew up, I always worked hard at listening and empathizing because I knew that this was something my parents noted in me and thought was special. How powerful!

What do you guys think? What are your experiences in this area?

I also have some personal experience I want to share about how adults can unknowingly hurt a child's self-image by making comparisons or by focusing on physical attributes.....but this is getting way too wordy and lengthy, so I'll wait for another day. I'm going to just go now and enjoy my beverage, my well-stocked kitchen, and my lovely vest!

Three generations of women

My mom, my Grandma Dee, me, and possibly a 4th generation girl growing in my tummy!

This year my grandma is 75, my mom is 50, and I'm 25. We just recently figured out that this was a pretty cool thing. Even more cool...if this baby is a girl, then a quarter century down the road, we are looking at a family celebration of women at 100, 75, 50 and 25! (I totally just stole the words in italics straight from my parent's Christmas letter...but I know they won't press charges because they like me:) In any case, I just think this is a pretty special picture taken on Christmas Eve and I wanted to share.

New Year's Resolution

"You should own nothing that is not useful, beautiful, or loved."

This is a quote I found in an article titled Outta Here! in the January '07 issue of O...you know, The Oprah Magazine. I'm going to post it on my bulletin board so I remember my new year's resolution this year which is to simplify my life by getting rid of things I don't need.

I want to make room in my life for the things that I truly love. I also want to make time in my life for the people I love.

I think that this is possible by weeding out the things that don't matter. Usually I don't really make resolutions because I can never think of something tangible. However, this year I feel really motivated to get rid of the "stuff" in my life that doesn't meet the above criteria. I've written before about how we are trying to simplify and how living in a smaller house has caused us to rethink how we want to live in relation to our possessions. It really does take some work to change my mindset on how I decide what to get rid of and what to keep or purchase. I really like rules and so having criteria to follow really helps me. I'm so excited to see how I follow through this year and hopefully I will have some good things to write about next year at this time. I'm hoping that publishing this resolution on my blog will provide me with enough accountability to actually accomplish my goal...so remember this:)

Do you have a resolution you would like to share? How about any tips on how to accomplish my goal?

*By the way, I just received the the Oprah Magazine in the mail yesterday from an anonymous giver...was it you? I just wanted to let whoever it was know that I really appreciate it!

Growing Girth: Installment #6--33 weeks

I decided early on in this pregnancy that I wasn't going to start preparing for this baby to come (as far as supplies and setup and such) until after Christmas so I could make the end go faster by getting all of this stuff done. However, I realized a few days ago that I have 5 1/2 weeks until a new baby joins our family and the only thing I have really purchased or done to prepare was buy a box of special Q-Tips! You see, my life really is much like the construction of my gingerbread single wide:) What have I done? Now I'm panicking just a little bit. I pulled out all of Parker's newborn clothes last night to see what was still usable. Not much, to be honest! He was such a puker that most of the little clothes are stained beyond repair. How sad! Thankfully, I've had family members that are more aware of this coming change in our family than I have been. Many family members have given us gifts of clothes and supplies for this new one. I washed all of the gender neutral stuff last night and pulled one of the newborn onesies out and just gasped. Holy crap...do they really start out this small? Check this out...

And my hand really isn't that huge--the onesie is like the size of a Cabbage Patch Baby! Oh my goodness...things are really starting to settle in now:)

Speaking of size, this growing girth has started to get in my way just a bit. I actually consider waking Joel up in the middle of the night so he can help roll me over or get up to go the bathroom! I was trying to do Tae Bo most days of the week up until recently when I realized that it was tiring me out more than anything. Now I'm trying to get in three days a week and even that is pushing it! By the way, I do not allow anyone (except my husband) to watch me to this exercise because I move soooooo slow and awkwardly! Just try to imagine the high kicks and squats...never mind, don't:) So here it is, my growing girth...

Big boy bed...

Could my baby really be in a big boy bed already? I was sure that it was going to be a tough transition and I had prepared in advance for many sleepless nights of telling him that he couldn't sleep in his crib anymore. But again, he surprised us and as soon as Parker saw the cute little toddler bed, he got a huge grin on his face and climbed right in. I think parents generally underestimate their children on these sorts of things...they are so much more adaptable that we are!

We've had a few minor glitches, but nothing major. The first night, Parker woke up once and stood in the middle of his bedroom quite confused, until I told him the monkey was still in bed. He then climbed back in and drifted off:) I have a sneaking suspicion that he actually fell out of bed, but seriously, he's like 10 inches off the floor! And then last night, I went in and checked on him and his whole lower half of his body was hanging off of the bed with his feet dangling an inch above the floor! Parker is just so cute about his bed and this smooth transition makes me all the more confident that he'll welcome the new baby with another huge grin:) I will always be able to tell Parker that he was the baby that made us want more...he's such a good boy!

And by the way...these pictures are from nap time today. We really don't put him to bed fully clothed and while it is still light!

gingerbread dreams...

I'm so happy to be back to blogging! I've found that there are many reasons why I blog and some posts are for others to read and some are....well, honestly...for my sake and you all get to read my rants about life and my bragging about my little boy:) All that to say that I've missed my blogging routine over Christmas and I've especially missed interacting with all of you!

This Christmas season has been one of the best ever in a very long time! We spread out our celebrating with family over the entire month and we are so thankful for that decision. We had very little stress regarding the holiday and truly enjoyed spending time with all of our family members. For the first time, Joel and I (and Parker, of course) spent most of Christmas day as a family. We opened gifts, read books, ate, took naps and watched Christmas movies. Later in the evening we enjoyed a lovely dinner with some of Joel's extended family. No rushing around at all and the only stress I felt was when I realized that I needed to find homes for all of Parker's new toys...oh my, were people generous! Parker is in heaven with all of his new treasures:)

On Christmas Eve, Kelsey and I decided to construct gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, frosting, and candy. We've never done it before but I think we may have started a tradition! We had grand plans and I really thought that the project would be quite simple. I must preface this to say that Kelsey is a perfectionist and is really very good at most things that she tries. She also will follow a project through until she has everything perfect, pretty, and lovely. I am really not like this and, quite often, it really doesn't work out in my favor--including this occasion! Maybe this is why Kelsey was valedictorian in high school and I.....was not even close:) I also want to say that we may use different materials next year because we had some trouble--even Kelsey!

As Kelsey was constructing a roof for her rancher and landscaping her beautiful yard, I was throwing together my single-wide trailer. I started out with plans to make a cabin but I then realized how hard it was to put a roof together and thought a single-wide would be quite adequate. Here is Kelsey in action and a picture of her cute gingerbread rancher:

I thought she did a nice job. Keep in mind that we couldn't quite keep the walls from falling down because the frosting never dried. I feel like my humble abode was never really given a good chance to survive because I was laughing through most of the process...mostly because this is such a picture of how I operate:) My mom tells me that I should call my insurance company because it appears as though my home has weathered a storm!

Oh, how different siblings can be!

Attitude Adjustment

It occurred to me the other day that I needed an attitude adjustment. I kind of think that even my blog has been reflecting how tired and crabby I've been feeling (sorry!) and I realized that I have a choice in the matter. I'm always the one to tell other people that they have choices when it comes to these sorts of things, but sometimes it is tough to swallow your own medicine!

I have seven weeks left as a mom of one and I've made the decision to stop trying to do everything perfectly and to just enjoy my son right now. Now that I've made this decision, I feel much less overwhelmed and worn out. Instead of trying to keep up our normal routine, it is okay to slow down a bit and not go out and do some sort of activity every single day. These outings are really what tire me out and frustrate both of us. I don't want to remember these last couple of months before #2 arrives as being difficult and tiring. We're going to take it easy and just play up a storm, read tons of books, and sing silly songs right here at home...and I hope that Parker enjoys it as much as I do:)

Christmas Letter 2006

Note to self: Do not take a 20 month old to Azteca with friends when it is anywhere near bedtime. It is always fun to be with our friends but Parker was less than cooperative. My tricks were so not working. Maybe it is because I am dog-tired. I just spent the day shopping without Parker because my lovely sister came over to play with the little man. It was so fun to take my time looking without feeling like I was torturing my boy by putting him in a stroller. Parker likes shopping that much:) Anyway, it was great to spend some time by myself, but now I'm paying for it!

Here is our Christmas letter that we sent out last week (for those of you who may not have received it in the mail). I don't think I really have any new information in here than what I already have on the blog, but I thought it would be fun. Enjoy...

Dear friends & family, I love Christmastime for so many reasons and one of them is being able to reconnect with friends and family through Christmas cards and letters. This time, however, I am having a hard time figuring out how to articulate everything the year has held without getting too lengthy! This year has just been so full and we’d love to share some of it with you.

Parker continues to be a great joy in our lives and I feel so happy to be able to stay home with him. He’s almost 20 months old and, of course, keeps us on our toes with his endless energy and zest for life. Parker has such a sweet spirit and enjoys charming everyone with his smile, sense of humor, and loving nature. Besides the people he loves, Parker has some great passions in his life: the outdoors, music, animals, balls, automobiles, and books. He certainly is all boy and is just like his daddy in many ways, including his dislike for shopping!

One of our biggest life changes came this year in August when Joel graduated from UW Medicine’s Physician Assistant School. We spent the past 2 ½ years moving numerous times and experiencing the challenges that come along with one spouse in school full time! After graduating in August, Joel passed his boards in September, was hired by ******* Respiratory Consultants in October and started his new job at the beginning of November. Whew! Needless to say, we are thrilled to be done with this phase of life. I’m still trying to figure out a concise and understandable way to describe what Joel does everyday, but here it goes: Joel practices internal medicine at ****** ***** Medical Center with a pulmonary critical care group and outpatient pulmonary medicine on some afternoons. There, I did it. Does anyone understand what I just wrote? In any case, we’re just thankful that Joel was hired by a great employer and that he’s able to do what he loves—treat patients.

We became homeowners in May! We bought a lovely Cape Cod style bungalow right next to *****. We are still giddy with excitement and have loved the process of making this house our home. I must admit that we now believe that the house should have come with an owner’s manual; no one ever told us that you’re supposed to change the air filter in the furnace! Joel and I often talk about how wonderful it is to feel like we’re home and to be able to enjoy developing relationships within our neighborhood and church. Already, we feel like we’ve developed long-lasting friendships—what a true blessing!

We celebrated our 5th anniversary in September by going on a five day cruise to the Bahamas; our first trip without Parker (thanks to my mom)! We were able to relax and reconnect after the last few years of craziness. We also ate a lot and enjoyed many of the activities onboard and on shore, but mostly we just enjoyed being together without responsibilities!

We found out in June that we’re expecting our 2nd baby in February. It hasn’t been as easy of a pregnancy as I had with Parker, but we’re so excited to meet our new son or daughter! This baby, so far, is much different than Parker was in utero, so we’re expecting some changes around our house! The baby hardly moves so we lovingly refer to him or her as “Lazy Bones”! The c-section is scheduled for February 7th, so stay tuned to find out more about Baby ******* #2! If you’re interested, check out www.amy-ohmy.blogspot.com for more updates as we get closer to the big day.

In closing, we want to express how much we love you all and thank you for supporting us through another full year. We hope that you are enjoying the Christmas season by taking time to reflect on God’s gifts and spending time with those you love.

With love, Joel, Amy & Parker

change of plans...

We recently were informed that our new baby's birthday will not be the 6th of February, but now the 7th of February! I love that we were informed of such a momentous occasion:) The reason? Well, my OB is taking every Tuesday off this winter to go skiing and the 6th falls on a Tuesday...so no go, of course. The schedulers were sort of rolling their eyes at the idea of rescheduling all of the Doc's planned surgeries for the winter. Oh well. I actually prefer the 7th, anyway. 2.7.07. Sort of has a nice ring to it! Aaaahhhhh.....so excited!

And I'm not just excited to meet the little one. I'm also looking forward to having my food to myself! I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to make myself look normal and healthy. The circles under my eyes are just plain scary and I look pale and run-down. No pregnancy glow here! My friend Julie recently sent me a picture of herself of when she was in her 3rd trimester with her second baby. Now, she looked like she was glowing! I wonder how she did that...? Julie, how did you do that? I'm about ready to give up on the makeup to make myself look presentable--it just isn't working. Any suggestions?

Over the mountains and through the woods...

We just arrived back home yesterday after a 6 day trip to the other side of the state to celebrate Christmas with many of our family members. As much as I'd like to be a "fly by the seat of my pants" sort of girl...I'm just not, and this is especially true when it comes to traveling. I stress the week before a trip about what to bring and I create lists so I don't forget anything. And then, once we are actually on the trip, I remain uptight because I have a hard time living out of a suitcase and having my belongings all over the place. I'm working on it though because Joel and I really love to travel and see new places.

Anyway, that was a long explanation about something that I wasn't really planning on writing about. Sooooo.... we had a wonderful time celebrating and spending time with our very special family. I'm amazed that we've been so blessed with such kind and generous family members on both sides. We exchanged gifts with everyone and this was the first time that Parker really got into opening gifts. And boy, did he get into it! Now he thinks every package he sees is his and starts ripping open the paper! We'll have to work on this part, but it was very exciting watching his eyes light up as he opened his new toys! Not only are these new toys fun for Parker, but for mama as well...because new toys=more entertainment for these cold winter days=less hanging on mom's leg begging to go outside:) Any other mama out there know what I mean?

One of the best parts of the trip was watching Parker interact with his great cousins. Sean and Mattison are quite a bit older than Parker, but I'm so impressed that they will take the time to play with and love on him. I can tell that Parker loves them both and really admires them. We were also able to spend time with my brother, his wife, and their little girl. Audrey and Parker are around the same age and they are just so cute together. Parker likes to show off with his jumps and spins and thinks Audrey is absolutely hilarious and Audrey likes to give Parker lots of kisses--which Parker accepts with a grin:)

Oh, I almost forgot the not-so-great part...I got sick! Nothing like being sick away from home! Thankfully, it didn't last long and I'm feeling much better. However, if you are a friend that maybe should have heard from me while we were over in your area, now you know why you didn't. This was one of those little bugs that I certainly didn't want to share....:)

Growing Girth: Installment #5--30 weeks

So...my OB agreed with me and I will have this baby in my arms two months from yesterday! February 6th at 7:30 am. How strange is it that I already know my baby's birthday and the time of day he/she will be born, AND the names we have picked out? I'm glad that this isn't our first because I really liked everything being a surprise last time. This time, I'm okay with it because I've prepared. After the scheduler called me with the time of the surgery, I was relieved that we hadn't found out the gender again. There are so many great things about both ways--finding out the gender ahead of time or not. There have been times when I've gone back and forth. In fact, we're not entirely sure what we'll do with a third. However, for us...this time...we're really enjoying the whole process of trusting God to prepare our hearts for that moment when the baby's gender is announced. I was telling Jenn that it is sort of like a little test of faith for me! I'm so excited!

I'm getting large. I'm about 30 weeks now so I guess it is about that time when everything sorta starts moving fast! Found out yesterday that there is a reason that I'm so tired, I look like a zombie, and my lips are tingly...I'm anemic again and actually thrilled to find out so I can start taking iron to boost my levels back up. Parker will enjoy some more action around here, as well:)

Here is my lovely belly:) Large. I like it, though. I'm actually carrying a little higher than with Parker and look less like I have a spare tire around my waist....which is a good thing!

*okay...so I have just edited this to admit, again, how crazy I've become. I originally posted the second photo and then started to become embarrassed at how posey I looked and took another picture of me posing different. Then, I realized that this picture looked worse because I truly look like a zombie with no lip-gloss or anything. So THEN, I decided to chop off the head part and post a headless belly picture. And I've decided to keep up the "posey" picture to represent how ridiculous I've become. Oh my....*

Tradition

Traditions are sort of funny little things. I read once that children really long for family traditions (whether they know it or not) and it doesn't matter what they are; they just produce a feeling of inclusiveness. I consider Joel and I to still be newly married and we're especially new with having children and being responsible for starting traditions for our little family. We're still trying to figure things out. But the thing is, you can't force traditions; they just happen...you know? We'll probably look back on these early years and try to remember when our silly or special traditions started.

We have a funny thing we do every year that we didn't plan on becoming a tradition....but of course, I think it is going to stick. Joel and I aren't perfectionists on most things, which I like. However, it has sort of become a badge of pride for us during the Christmas season when everyone else is struggling to find that perfect tree and have a perfect experience in the process. While I wouldn't have a problem with going to cut down a tree, I've never really cared enough and this year this was especially the case with me 7 months pregnant, Parker freezing his little buns off in 20 degree weather and Joel, who really doesn't care:) This year we went to a lot right beside Dairy Queen with lovely Nobles. The lot came highly recommended by my sister because she was so impressed with the cute guys in the carhartt pants last year....ha!

So here is our tradition and it really makes no sense at all: we try to pick out the tree in the least amount of time without looking at all angles and then when we get it home and in a stand, I try to get the lights and decorations on in the least amount of time, as well. I know, you're totally jealous of our tradition. You should try it...you might like it:)

When we got to the lot we asked where the shorter trees were hiding and then looked at about three different trees for about three minutes, we picked the one with the least amount of defects, paid for it and left. I think the entire trip from the time we left home was about 25 minutes! Nice. The lights and ornaments were a piece of cake. Everything was so quick and then we got to sit back and enjoy our work without stress! We always crack up because our tradition is sort of silly but it is so fun and no one is stressed out! So maybe we don't appear to have the "perfect" experience, but it is our experience and our tradition and I hope that it continues with even more fun as our kids get older. I can just imagine all of us running through a DQ parking lot, slipping on the ice, in order to find the tree in a faster time than last year!

Of course, we both have traditions from our childhood that we are carrying on, but I think it is important for a family to have their own, as well. We do special movies, music, new pajamas, a new ornament, a new book, and certain timing of gifts in addition to the tree race. It is so fun, isn't it? Please share some of your silly holiday traditions and maybe we can pick up some new ones!

And I just had to add this picture because it totally represents my day yesterday... and I can share an everyday-type of tradition that we have: Parker and I often share a little bag of popcorn when he isn't feeling well, but yesterday he swiped the bag and took it to his bedroom. This is what happens when a toddler eats popcorn by himself:)

ABC Meme

Thank you to Jenn for tagging me for this ABC meme. So fun!

A - Available/Single?
Not at all. I've been taken for about 7 years:)
B - Best Friend?
My husband and sister, Kelsey
C- Cake or Pie?
Usually cake, but I love pumpkin pie with tons of whipped cream
D - Drink Of Choice?
Coffee and water
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday?
My 'puter or my Sonicare
F - Favorite Color?
I used to know the answer to this...hmmm maybe the color of my house...sage green?
G - Gummy Bears or Worms?
Both, but they must be sour!
H - Hometown?
Eastern Washington
I - Indulgence?
An outing by myself!
J - January or February?
February – same as Jenn..our new baby is coming in that bitter-cold month!
K - Kids & Their Names?
Parker, 20 months and another on the way. We don't know the gender and we're not telling names!
L - Life Is Incomplete Without?
Jesus and my family
M - Marriage Date?
September 1, 2001
N- Number Of Siblings?
2 siblings- One older brother, Erik (husband to AndiMae) and a younger sister, Kelsey
O - Oranges or Apples?
Apples
P - Phobias/Fears?
Rodents or anything remotely small and furry that can crawl up on your face. I'm actually thinking about blogging about this subject because I have become obsessed!
Q - Favorite Quote?
I have a new one everyday, it seems. Here is one that I love...
"Our children should know that they are our greatest delight!"
R - Reason to Smile?
Moments like this:

S - Season?
Fall
T - Tag Three People?
Andi, Kelsey, Aleah....and Gina, wanna play?
U - Unknown Fact about Me?
I used to want to be a veterinarian but now I'm afraid of most animals
V - Vegetable you don't like?
Well, I've turned into a non-vegetable lover this pregnancy so they all sound gross. Well, I will eat carrots and lettuce.
W - Worst Habit?
Not finishing a project I start
X - X-rays You've Had?
Yeah...on my head
Y - Your Favorite Food?
Pizza. I could eat it every single day.
Z - Zodiac Sign?
Taurus, but I don't really know what it means!