It's October.....is my baby sister coming?

This is what Madelynn asked me this morning as she learned for Disney Channel that it was October.  I have to admit, I am quite excited for it to be October also.  I have been waiting for this month to get here.  Granted my due date of October 28th is still quite a ways away.  So I had to inform Madelynn that is could be awhile still. 

The things she says crack me up.  I have few examples of conversations we have had lately. 

 This is our 1st football game of the season.  She had a blast, of course and kept yelling for the dad from the stands.  We told her he probably couldn't hear her so she said, "I will just yell louder."  I am sure the people around us appreciated that.

 Yes, this child is not normal.  This is her playing one day as I was cleaning the house.  She dressed herself.

It amazes me the things she can do herself and she is becoming quite the little manipulator.  One morning last week:

M: Dad, if you go get mom for me I will give you a fruit snack.

D: No, you go get her yourself.

M: Fine, you don't get a fruit snack.

 

 I know she looks like a sweet ballerina but that is not always the case.  The other night she wanted help picking up her toys, which I said I wouldn't because s

he got them out.  So she sang a little song while she cleaned up, "Mom, if you don't help me you don't get a snack.  You have to help me mom so you can get a fruit snack....."  The song went on but I informed her that I don't like fruit snacks so I didn't care if I got one.  Later that night while going to bed:

M: Mom, will you read me a book?

K: No, it is too late now.  We played for too long and it took you too long to pick up your toys.
M:  Well, if you would have helped me it would not have taken so long

K:  Well, I guess you better get started sooner tomorrow night

 

 These two have the best time together.  I love watching them play dolls together.  The rules are always so funny.

 But they don't always get along......

One morning she threw a fit because Bruce beat her to the bathroom to brush her teeth (we often race her to get her to do things.  No idea where she gets this competitive nature).  Bruce told her she can't always win and that sometimes others win.  Nothing worked.  She still threw a fit and wanted me.  He got her teeth brushed, which is hard to do when she is acting like this.  She came out to me pouting and said, "But I wanted to win."  Bruce gave up and said, "Then run faster next time!"

A couple of days later she beat him to the bathroom and replied, "Dad, I guess you should have run faster."

 Of course we had to stick our tongues out!

 

Keeping a little balance in life....football and tutus!  I love it.

 

One other story.  While playing "school" one night she kept saying parts of the pledge.

M: One nation under God.   God is in heaven Mom, that is why it is under God.

 

Pretty good idea.

Well, it is October and I hope to have news to share soon, but not too soon.  I would like to work a few more weeks.  Even though I am super tired and my back does not feel so great at the end of the day.  That is ok, I will make it a bit longer.

My version of Love...

I can't believe that Bruce and I have been married for 10 years.  We met and started "seeing" each other when I was 19.  I just turned 34....Wow, how times have changed.  When I first fell in love with him loved looked like long, romantic kisses and snuggling during the movies, paying two checks at Wagon Wheel so we could save $4 instead of just $2, making fish sticks and tater tots for dinner.  We finished college and began our careers as teachers and love began to look like phone calls in the morning and emails during the day, driving  just to spend the weekend together and then turning around to go home.  I love to look back at some of those emails I saved just to remember how simple life seemed.

 Then we got engaged and love looked like a handsome man standing at the end of a row of all of our family and friends.  It looked like trips together to Mexico, New York, Greece and many other places.  It was about just the two of us learning what it was like to live together and share each other's lives.  Love was good and we enjoyed our time together and our time apart.

 Then Madelynn came along and wow, how love changed.  I never knew how much I loved him until I saw him hold our little girl for the first time.  It was amazing.  Love was right there in our hospital room.  So love began to change again.  It looked like him holding her and watching football, changing diapers, and helping me feel good about my post-prego body, love looked like a big football player picking out little pink dresses for his tiny daughter.  A hug when I just missed my dad so much I couldn't breath.  Love was all around us....

 As Madelynn has grown over the years, so has my love.  Love looks like a daddy holding his little girl's hand as we walk through the corn field or the parking lot.  Love looks like waking up early even though he is so tired just so he can spend 10 minutes playing, love looks like Friday night sitting on the couch watching Law and Order or Dateline or Disney channel even though she is in bed, love is getting to sleep in on Saturday morning because he got up with her or going to Wal-Mart by myself. 

Baby #2 is on the way and it amazes me how love is still changing all around me.  Just this morning he was walking around the house singing Doc McStuffins songs and I knew the exact episode that was on.  Love looks like a daddy playing castle on the floor or dress up with dolls, love looks like building presents for Madelynn, endlessly going through lists of baby names, love looks like helping me get her ready in the morning and sitting on the floor of her room as we pray as a family at night.  Love looks like a daddy dancing to silly songs in the middle of the living room.  Love looks like saving the last cold Diet Coke just for me.

This is not the love that you find in the story books or in romantic songs, but it is real, everyday love that makes me smile and cry and laugh.  Growing up I thought love was love.  Simple as that, but it is evolving with every step we take in life.  I am excited to see how love will change in the coming months and years.  I know that that love will always be there for me to count on.  It might not look like it did on dates when I was 20 but I know it will be strong and steady and always there to pick me up. 

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13

Alaska trip

We had such a great time in Alaska and I have not been able to get my computer to cooperate to get some pictures posted.  We drove to Colorado Springs and then flew out of Denver.  Madelynn was a champ on the plane and really loved meeting all the people around us.  I was nervous about how much she was talking but those around us seemed to enjoy her endless chatter and excitement about the plane ride.

We got to Fairbanks around midnight and it looked like it was about 5:00 in the evening there.  It was crazy.  I could not get over the 24 hours of daylight-thing.  It was so strange and cool to experience.  Madelynn didn't seem to have trouble sleeping - once they finally went to bed - but I didn't do quite as well. 

We did some amazing activities; a boat ride through Fairbanks and leaned about history of the area, gold dredging, going to Santa's house - which Madelynn loved, camping in Valdez, AK, seeing all kinds of wildlife and beautiful waterfalls.  But most importantly we got to spend time with the Stitts!  The girls miss seeing each other and had a great time together.  I love seeing them play together and pray they will always stay close no matter where Meghan and Sam live. 

Please remember the great time we had with this next statement-----I have NEVER been that hot in my life.  Yes, I was in Alaska but they were having a heatwave and I was 6 months pregnant.  Nothing is air conditioned there because, duh, it is usually not that hot.  I loved when we had to drive somewhere and I could sit in the air conditioner in the car.  We took the girls to a movie to enjoy some cool air.  Again, it was a great experience, but I was quite tired when we got back because I was not able to get much sleep.  Maybe next time I should go in the winter :)

What wonderful memories we built and I am thankful for an amazing time with my little sister.  I am so grateful that we are so close so matter how far away we are.  And just like any good trip, it was great to be home.  Madelynn was so excited to see her daddy!

***I thought I posted this a long time ago and just realized it was still in drafts.  Oops...

It's a girl...

On Madelynn's actual birthday we went to the doctor and found out we are having another girl.  Well, the tech felt very confident to say it was a girl, although she could not get a good view.  Madelynn is very excited to be a big sister and can't wait to teach her how to play.

After the appointment we went out with the grandparents to Chili's for lunch (we took Madelynn here on our way home from the hospital so we thought it was a good place to go for her birthday.

Here she is showing us how good she is at being 3.  It is amazing, it took very little practice.  Well, it had been a very long day already. 

Since finding out she was having a sister she has decided that we should name her Snow White so she can be Snow White's sister.  Seems logical.  I can't wait to see my girls together.  We are very excited and having fun getting ready for her arrival.

My little 3 Year-old

I really can't believe that Madelynn is 3.  I remember every little detail from that special day and can't believe how blessed our lives have been.  She is such an amazing kid.  She is kind, loving, fiesty, energetic, talkative, stubborn, and always makes us laugh.  The last 3 years have been better than I ever could have imagined.  Our life as the 3 of us is about to change and that is hard to imagine.  As we have gone through the changes we have in the last 3 1/2 years I am so thankful Madelynn will have a buddy in life for these situations she will face.  I could never have made it through with out my sisters and now she will have her own sister to give her that comfort and friendship.  A few words about age 3:

"Don't talk to strangers,

You must comprehend;

I give you a warning,

Not all grown-ups are friends

I teach you about manners

and when to be polite,

But I also enlighten you

When saying "no" is all right.

You discover responsibility,

You master a first chore;

You learn to put your toys away

That are left on the floor...

You personality blossoms

More and More each day;

I like who you are

And all that you say."

Madelynn's wonderful Minnie Mouse cake.  I have to say, it was not only cute, it tasted amazing!

Our little family...we are so blessed

Madelynn and her friends.  Wow, we really are lucky people.  They had such an amazing time and so did I.

A little pin the bow on Minnie

Madelynn and Kyros...they are so funny together.

Oh yes, and the inside had polka dots.  I have to say I was quite proud with the success.

The dress-up caddy Bruce made for Madelynn

Our Minnie Mouse toes to get in the theme

My little 3 year-old and all her Minnie dolls.  She is so cute!

Bruce said we were quite the 1950's family for her birthday this year.  I made her cake and dress and he made her dress.  It was really quite cute.
I know time goes so quickly so I am trying to savor every moment and remember that this is the last summer it will just be me and Madelynn.  We have a trip to Alaska planned and many trips to the pool.  Here's to the next amazing year with your sweet girl as we get to experience another wonderful stage in her life.

Crazy little princess

Our crazy little princess in the pink chair her daddy bought her.  How can she be so cute and make us so crazy at the same time.  It amazes me everyday the vocabulary she has and the things she remembers.  The other day I asked her to do something for me and she said, "Wait I have to finish this, it is really important to me."  I still love it that she uses "last day" for everything that happened in the past.  She has a great memory so it could be months ago she is talking about.  She loves Lunchables lately.  She has only had them a few times but she asks for one every time we go to the store.  She wanted one last night at the store and we got one but I told her she would have to wait to eat it.  She had already had dinner.  I told her she would have to wait until tomorrow, after she had gone to sleep.  So, sure enough, she woke up this morning came into the bathroom and said, "Mom, I took a nap.  Can I have my Lunchable now?"  So that is what she had for breakfast.  She loves to dress up right now.  I plan to make her a thing to store her dress up clothes in for her birthday.  Any suggestions for what to stock it with would be great!

Pregnancy so far

This was an email I sent to a few of you last week, but I had to share it here also because it is just too funny!
I had a bit of a crazy night. I couldn't sleep; totally not normal for me. I was up reading around 2:30 for about an hour and during that time a huge thunder storm started. Peanut, going crazy of course. All of a sudden Bruce was startled by it and came bursting out of the bedroom - crazy guy, it was just thunder. Then Madelynn started to cry. I thought she wanted to sleep with us but when we got her in there she cried, "I don't want to sleep like this!" - kind of funny. So we took her back to bed and she went right to sleep. I finally fell asleep around 4am only to have Madelynn walk in happy and talkative at 6am!!


So, I started the morning tired. Trying to get dressed, nothing really fits, running late. I put on a pair of maternity pants that were ok but just real big and bunchy in the front but I this point I had no choice.

So, I am finally at school, my throat hurts and I just don't feel that comfortable in my own clothes. I had to run to the bathroom real quick and that is were my day got better.....I realized that my pants would fit a whole lot better and I would look better if.,........I put my pants on THE CORRECT DIRECTION!!!! Yes, my pants were on backwards...
I hope this gives you a good laugh for the day. And if you are having a bad day you are probably already doing better than me because at least your clothes are probably facing the correct direction :)

Since this I have been wearing a lot more skirts becuse I don't have to worry about the direction they are facing. 

Jessica wanted a pic of how I have been growing, and here we are already sticking out there!  This pregnancy has been a little different so far that is forsure.  I have crazy dreams, awful congestion, and I am already sticking out.  I can't wait until June 12th when we get to find out what we are having.  Madelynn is so excited.  She things it's a girl but I think it's a boy.  I guess we will have to see....