Alex and Miriam

Support a Mission Trip to Uganda AND Score an iPad

2011-03-02T13:57:00.002-06:00

My friend Elisa is going on a mission trip to Uganda in a few months and has thought up some clever ways to raise money for her trip. She's giving away an iPad and an iTouch (two separate drawings) and for each $20 donation, you get an entered for a chance to win. I PROMISE this is not a scam. I know Elisa well, and she was just at my house for lunch today. Don't miss a chance to get your hands on some fabulous Apple technology for $20! I'm hoping for the iPad myself!!!

Click here to go to her blog to read more or donate, or copy this into your browser http://hymanshouse.blogspot.com/2011/02/only-4-days-left.html

Well I Guess We Missed February!

2011-03-02T13:50:00.002-06:00

So I didn't get any posts up in February!! Just wait until I have four kids...maybe I'll have my once annual post. Life is feeling a bit better as we leave the winter months behind, everyone is healthy again (colds abounded in Jan. & Feb.), and I'm in my second trimester. If you missed the announcement on Facebook or through the grapevine, we are having a fourth GIRL! Silent pause as we all say a prayer for Alex.

I mean, I know we already have three girls, but the addition of a fourth brings all kinds of things to mind. The amount of HOT WATER and bathroom time that will be needed for four girls. Is it possible we will all have "that time of the month" together...heaven help us and Alex. Will they fight over boyfriends? We know they will fight over clothes!!! And let's not even get started on the weddings... Ah the excitement and fun of the future! Can't wait - I love the idea of having four girls.

Splish Splash

2011-01-10T09:33:00.005-06:00

Below are some photos my friend and talented photographer, Natalie Bearden took the other day. She even made the sweet bathing cap Stella is wearing - oh yeah and she is 9 months pregnant!!! I love how these turned out - capturing the simplest little expressions and their beautiful smooth baby skin. Check out Natalie's other work on her blog.

Natalie also has a little girl the same age as Addie and Mina. After we finished taking pictures, Kennedy jumped in the bath too! The first thing the girls said when I showed them the pictures was "Where's Kennedy?"

December

2010-12-30T12:45:00.002-06:00

The girls were introduced to hot cocoa during Alex's mom's visit. They are big fans! Even cuter is they refuse to call it hot chocolate, preferring the British/Zimbabwean pronunciation of hot cocoa.

This month we also helped the girls' beloved godfather, Dan, celebrate his 60th birthday. They helped arrange the candles on the cake!

Stella's first mobile Christmas has resulted in lots of opportunity for learning self-control! There were so many temptations - this one being the most enticing, esp. since she can climb up on the fireplace bench all by herself!

And a rare moment worth documenting, Addie sleeping the longest at nap time one afternoon this December. This NEVER happens. She is first to rise on all occasions and eager to wake everyone else up. This has resulted in creative sleeping arrangements that are ever in flux!

November

2010-12-30T12:31:00.002-06:00

My sister-in-law drove from Austin, Texas to Springfield, MO by herself with a two-year-old and nearly-one-year old twins!!! Now that is super woman status if I've ever see it. My brother didn't get same amount of time off work, so he flew in a few days later. They all stayed at our house which made for a fun flurry of activity while we did our best to keep six little bodies occupied and entertained!

Here's the mass of them watching cartoons with Uncle Andrew early in the morning!

We also braved the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day in spite of the 20 degree temps and icy drizzle. Everyone did well until about the last 10 minutes of the run/walk when there was unrelenting screaming from the Texas boys who had had enough of the frigid weather. Thankfully, donuts, bananas, and water were awaiting us in warm Expo center. Stella was semi-ticked herself and won't even look at the camera! : )

This was also the month were Stella finally found her walking legs. Miraculously one night after dinner, she got a glint in her eye and started circling the kitchen with a giggle - round and around in a loop until her bedtime. The next morning she briefly forgot her new found skill, but remember again at dinner time and the laps began! Alex has some great video of her looking so proud of herself.

October

2010-12-30T12:08:00.002-06:00

We had a party to celebrate Alex's newly minted citizenship. It was wonderful to have our house filled with friends and family! The guests were invited to bring Alex a gift under the theme, "something every American should have". There were many hilarious entries - including Spaghettio's, pork rinds, "Born in America" CD & record, etc.! In the picture Alex is cutting into a delicious apple pie our friend Danae gave Alex....yummm can still taste it now months later! We are saving a very special bottle of wine from my Aunt Mary for an occasion worthy of it's opening.

The new botanical gardens opened and is very near our house. I can see many future bike trips up the bike trail to circle the gardens and the lake nearby.

My little mouse - part of the Cinderella theme for Halloween.

Gogo - Alex's mom came for a month long visit at the end of October. It was so nice to have her to ourselves for weeks. She fits into the fabric of our day to day life seamlessly. We were are more than a little sad when she had to return to her "real-life" back home in Zimbabwe!

Stella's super cute little friend, Owen....Homecoming King and Queen of 2027? : )

October

2010-12-30T11:55:00.002-06:00

This girl can turn her charm on anywhere - even at the bottom of a closet wedged up against a bag of dirty laundry!

I came outside to check on the girls and I see Addie stretched out on the turtle sandbox like a model sunbathing - silly girl!! It was a beautiful fall day - not to hot and not to cold! Stella loves sliding down the plastic kiddie pool even without water. I'm guessing this is mostly because it is just the right size for her.

My friend Shannon and I took our oldest kiddos to Mount Vernon's Apple Butter Makin' Days. It was great day to be outside - cool with warm sun! The kids enjoyed hanging out together and enjoyed "fair food" - really who doesn't?!

Alex had a week long work trip in LA in mid-October. At the end of the week, I flew out (first time on an airplane in a LONG time) to meet him. We had a lovely weekend just wandering around and sleeping in! The girls were kept busy by grandparents, godparents, and a favorite babysitter.

Stella Stella Stella...broke her arm when she flew off the top of her sisters' bunk beds. No she can't climb up there, yes her mother put her up there to play (but thought the tent over the top would keep her contained), no the tent did not stay put as Stella stood up and started banging on it, yes her mother was supervising - a foot away changing her crib sheet....no her mother has not put her up there again! : ) She was a remarkable trooper through the whole thing - I only figured out it was broken when she won't pick up her sippy cup to drink at lunch time. She only had the cast on for two weeks since she is so little apparently her bones grow quickly.

September

2010-12-30T11:45:00.002-06:00

Zimbo no more - Alex became a US citizen in September. We drove up to Kansas City for his official swearing in. It was fun to see our driveway lined with flags in celebration upon our arrival!

Another hit this month was the discovery of S'mores. The girls loved this special treat thought up by Alex. We couldn't help but snicker when they started screaming because their marshmallows caught on fire! I guess they haven't developed a taste for a chargrilled marshmallow!!

Mina is always asking me to take her picture - perhaps it is because I was such a camera hound when she was a baby!

The girls now dress themselves with complete independence. There are many colorful and interesting results! Here is one particularly humorous example.

September

2010-12-30T11:38:00.002-06:00

Stella is determined to do everything the "big girls" do - even if it isn't completely age appropriate. It is amazing how less concerned you are the second time around about things like...say...your child eating paint! You can see the evidence all over her face! She thought she was such big stuff hanging with Addie and Mina creating artist masterpieces.

Here's a sweet moment after Saturday morning breakfast. Alex always makes pancakes, french toast, or some other deviation from our weekday norm of oatmeal/cereal. The girls love having something special...okay me too!

We frequent many outdoor festivals - always fun to see all the crafts, food, and music. This year's Cider Days was particularly HOT! Everyone was sweaty and a bit cranky. We did our best to distract with cotton candy and bounce houses...and beer for some! : )

Having a delicious cupcake before we hit the road home helped everyone brighten up a bit...that and sitting in the shade for a half hour.

Playing Catch Up - September

2010-12-30T11:28:00.002-06:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we drove the LONG drive to Austin, Texas to visit my brother and his family. We had a great time - the kids are really starting to "discover" their cousins. So many fun times together ahead of them!

My brother took me for a tour around the block in the kiddie's bike trailer - all my part to be supportive of his 30 day's of biking. Plus - the rear view photo makes a great image on my phone - cheerfully popping up every time he calls! : )

Sarah and I took the oldest three to petting zoo, where the animals terrified the kids and they found more amusement in the makeshift instruments and playground!

Here are my three sweeties in their summer dresses. They LOVE dresses and have lived in them all summer long. It made it very easy for them to dress themselves!

Stella is growing and changing so quickly. She is quickly leaving her babyhood behind and working hard to keep up with her sisters! She has learned that her flashy grin gets quite the response - therefore we see it frequently!

Just like her big sisters, Stella LOVES to swing. She could spend hours being pushed to and fro. Her sisters have figured out how to swing themselves and often let themselves into the backyard to do just that. This results in much protest from Stella since she is dependent on me to swing her and I'm not as available as she'd like!! : )

2010-10-15T06:01:00.001-05:00

2010-09-29T20:13:00.001-05:00

Summer Catch-Up

2010-08-23T15:03:00.003-05:00

It seems with all the activities of summer, it is so hard to keep up on the blog so here's a montage of the last few months. Above we are eating with our friends at Purple Burrito - a great cheap Mexican restaurant after church a few Sundays ago. Yummy fish tacos!!!

The fact that Andy's Frozen Custard is less than 1 minute from our house, definitely increases our frequency of eating custard! The girls LOVE it and beg to sit under this particular tree when they eat their custard. Ah sweet traditions!

Stella has a new love of sitting on furniture - it must make her feel like a "big girl". The problem, however, lies in the fact that she needs a chaperon while she is on furniture because she is likely to catapult herself off at any moment!

The girls also had a FABULOUS time going to a princess birthday party this summer. They got to wear their princess dresses and shoes, eat cake, wear crowns, and otherwise be treated by royalty. Who won't like that!

Stella has discovered pulling up and can't help herself. She's pulling up on furniture, people, pets, and even bathtubs. However, she gets a big talking to about pulling up in the bath. She has already once up ended herself and spent a few seconds unexpectedly submerged!!! She did not like it - but hasn't learned her lesson yet either!

This is what it looks like when we all get loaded in the car to go somewhere. This day we were going swimming. The girls were so excited - they LOVE swimming and insist on having floaties (the round donut ones) to splash around in. Loading them in the car is quite the undertaking, and I usually get pretty steamed up by the time everyone is buckled. The girls have taken to the habit of asking me, "Mommy, are you happy?" when they sense I'm about to blow. Which is then quickly followed by, "Do you need a hug and kiss...?" Ah sweet children...you know me a little too well!!!

The girls have started role-playing with their babies a bit more. The was one particularly cute moment where they were all dining together at the kiddie table. So sweet. And of course, ladies of high fashion always feed their babies while wearing their swimsuits...didn't you know?

Here the girls are wearing dresses sent by their Auntie Hayley. They love these dresses and wear them ASAP when they come out of the laundry. I had to make a rule that they could only be worn to church or parties since they were being worn 24/7 and Addie even wanted to make mud pies in them...

Lastly, Auntie Claudia & Uncle Jason came for the 4th of July. Stella and Zara got a chance to meet each other and share some slobber on some toys! : ) Stella was most interested in touching Zara's face. Zara was understandably concerned about Stella's curiosity and affectionate ways!

The Day Has Finally Arrived!

2010-08-23T14:56:00.002-05:00

The girls started preschool last Thursday - can we have a collective YEAHHHH! They have been asking to go to Papa's school since they could talk and the big day finally arrived. In some ways it feels like it took forever to arrive, and in other ways I can't believe they are old enough to go!

They were so excited for weeks, but as the day drew closer Addie started saying things like, "I don't like Papa's school, I don't want to go, I don't like my teacher, etc." She was definitely more unsure about this big event and took some additional coaxing, which is so funny because she is always the one to do something physically daring first - like soar off the top of the couch.

Mina, the social butterfly, was SUPER excited and ready to meet new friends and do new things! Stella was relieved to see she was not being left at school with the other two, and has reveled in all of the alone time. I thought she'd miss her sisters more - but she has adjusted just fine! We have quite a few sweet moments playing just the two of us.

Time Away

2010-08-20T10:15:00.002-05:00

Alex and I celebrated our birthdays in June with a trip to K.C. It was a short getaway - but it was fun to hang out with our good friends, Geoff and Danae. We rode rollercoasters at Worlds of Fun, stayed on the Plaza, ate at Lydia's (incredible food - a fave of G&D), and slept in!

I'm guessing Alex and Geoff's favorite part of the trip was the time we spent on the roof top of O'douds Irish Pub in the afternoon. It was such a treat to sit and relax and let time pass!

Danae and I snuck in some shopping before we met the guys on the rooftop.

Later that month, I went to Dallas with another girlfriend, Tina. We were so excited to leaving town without children we left Springfield at 6:00 am! Too bad we got a bit turned around and lost some time finding our final destination... : ) Above I'm eating Dallas' top rated hamburger and Kenny's Bar & Grill.

The things that are bound to happen when a spouse travels...

2010-07-25T09:11:00.007-05:00

At some stage during just about every trip that I go on for work, I get a call from Miriam telling me how much she hates it when I travel, most likely due to an unfortunate string of events that would probably not happen if we were both home. I guess this morning was payback time (Miriam is on a girl's trip in Dallas):

The morning thus far:

5:40am: Tinsley barking relentlessly to be let outside. Get up and let the dog out. Bring her back in 5 minutes later thinking all necessary bodily functions have been achieved...
6:30am: Tell two little mischievous girls to go back to bed since it's not yet 7:00am. They grudgingly comply. While making sure they do so, notice toothpaste on clothing but decide to ignore it...

7:25am: After a surprisingly long lie in, the twins finally get up and force me to do so as well. Walking past the bathroom, notice the particularly strong odor of dog excrement...love that little white dog!! Continue on to girls' bedroom only to discover that the entire tube of Princess toothpaste (purchased last night) as well as the (not so cheap) organic hand soap are now resident in the potty/all over the counter. Hmmm, what a fun morning...

7:30am: Decide to tackle the doggy doo-doo...you guessed it diarrhea!!
8:00am: After much cleaning, the girls disappear only to come back fully dressed in matching outfits...clever sausages!! Who could possibly stay mad at them?!!

8:08am: While writing this post, it got very quiet...the girls had found a pack of post-it notes which ended up pasted all over their bunk bed...Wow, dare I ask what next??!!

8:50am: Breakfast was relatively uneventful...until Mina squished Addie's fingers in the door while I was trying to get the dogs fed. While tending to injuries and disciplining, I notice Tinsley eating Belle's food...fortunately for her I only had a dish towel in my hand...

Got this picture during breakfast. I turn around from making tea to find Mina lounging and snacking on her toast...she is so her mother's daughter!

The question is...do I take this show on the road and go to church???

New Home - Sneak Peak

2010-07-17T14:32:00.002-05:00

Here's a sneak peak at our new home. It has been a decorating, organizing, and unpacking whirlwind around here. Things are falling into place - but we still have a few large projects to tackle before I'll let you see the whole house! Here are some vignettes to give you a taste. The above picture is my side of the double sink bathroom. Hallelujah - I've never been so happy to have my own sink and medicine cabinet!

A portion of our living room - Stella frequents the lower shelf and promptly removes all books from the shelf and spreads them about the house. It's a charming phase....really...

The view above the loo

The first thing you see when you are standing at our front door!

Next weekend, I'm off to Dallas to pick-up some of the remaining pieces of furniture for our new place. I've purchased things off Craigslist and Ebay and have the sellers holding them for me. Some Bertoia chairs (I can't wait! I think they are the most beautiful chair!) and an Eames era patio sofa for the sun porch. A girlfriend and I are making a girls weekend out of the trip and are going to shop and relax! I can't wait!!!

Birthday Dinner

2010-07-07T13:55:00.003-05:00

As many of you already know, Alex and I were born on the same day. One of much much (many years) earlier than the other... Here's some pictures from our trip to Red Robin to celebrate with the girls the day afterwards. On our actual birthday, the girls hung out with their favorite babysitter, and we had a day date flitting about town without any real agenda. It was lovely!

Stella has started the mimicking phase of babyhood. Here at the restaurant she saw Alex wipe his face with a napkin. She immediately picked one up and started wiping her face, then she'd put it down a have a big giggle and crack huge grin at us! What a character! : )

These two are becoming inseparable and it is really quite sweet. It has to be one of the best things about having twins. They play together all day long and come up with such games! Mina is usually the director, "Everybody over here, let's ...". Addie is usually the unruly pupil, "No! I wanna..." and off they go.

This is a picture of our table right before we left...

Stella's First Birthday

2010-07-07T13:42:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture Stella showing you that it is her 1st birthday! We had a very low-key celebration after dinner one night at my parent's house. After having 40+ people for the girls 1st birthday and them crying and hiding in their room, we decided something smaller would be better the second time around! Plus, we were days away from moving and the house was in boxes!!!

Little girl meets cake, feels suspicious, feeds to sister to insure its edible, and then mostly paints with the frosting! : )

Cousins

2010-07-07T13:32:00.003-05:00

With my brother and his family in town, we've been spending a lot of time at Nana and Papa's house together. It is action packed with six little bodies underfoot! I can't begin to imagine what it will be like when all six are mobile and running around.

We got to celebrate Stella's first birthday with her cousins and aunt and uncle. Here is her before picture. She always has such a bright smile ready for the camera!

It is funny how even in photos the girls personalities are apparent. Addie - "I'm really not into this, you're lucky you caught me sitting in this chair for 10 seconds, this is the only smile you're going to get so take it or leave it." Mina - "Do I look cuter posed here against the window, or would you like me over by the couch? Go ahead and take it again - that way you have a couple to pick from to ensure you caught my best side."

At one point, Addie and Sawyer were having some pre-dinner chips. If you can't read the bag, they are "Spicy Thai". They both would grimace and then have another one, both determined to show that they could eat spicy chips like the adults. Unfortunately, Sawyer was banned from further "Spicy Thai" demonstrations because although mentally he had the stamina, physically he broke out into red welts! : )

Jordan Valley

2010-07-07T10:36:00.002-05:00

My brother and sister-in-law have been on a whirlwind summer vacation. First they came to Springfield (11 hr. trip with two 6-month olds and a 2 year old), then off to Minnesota (another 10-11 hr. drive), then back down to St. Louis, and now back in Springfield before they return home to Texas. This picture is from their first stopover in Springfield. We took the kids to the zoo and then the next day to Jordan Valley park. The fountains are always a hit with the kids. They are nice and shallow and thankfully chlorinated. Here's Sarah with all three babies while we eat a picnic lunch.

Nana and Papa joined us at the fountains and it was a big hit with the kids. They especially LOVE to spray/squirt/and otherwise dampen Papa.

The girls are SO sweet to Stella. It's hard to believe Addie was biting Stella out a jealousy when we first brought her home. Now Stella's biggest worry is the girls fighting over her and incurring a casualty in the process!

Stella loved kicking her feet in the water, but wasn't thrilled with the idea with being completely submerged. Papa kept sneaking an extra spray or two in her direction. That Papa always causing a ruckus!

Catch-Up

2010-07-07T10:25:00.003-05:00

It appears I am playing catch-up again! The summer seems destine for busyness! The last few weeks we've had family rotating turns being in town, but before I get to any of that here are some cute pictures of our kids hanging around looking cute.

The above photos are a common sight (esp. lately with the move into the new house). The kids are waiting on dad to reinstall the car seats. They were of course removed to transport yet another craigslist steal, or stuff from the old rental, or stuff to the dumpster, or...you get the idea. Alex loves to discover that the car seats have been remove only once we gotten everything ready to leave the house, are running 5 minutes late, and it's hot and sweaty in the garage. : ) But, the good news is he's the golden boy and get those seats in lickety split and is still smiling!!!

Stella has discovered and the girls have rediscovered the joy of pulling things out of the lower cabinets. Mom has rediscovered what a pain it is to put it all away again and again and again.

Sleepy Stellie - who was fast asleep with her legs wedged out the crib bars. She only woke up as we took this picture!

Mysterious Mina

2010-06-02T14:52:00.004-05:00

Here's our sweet Mina. I often put Stella on a blanket outside with toys so she can watch her sisters whiz around the yard. Mina always ends up sitting down with Stella and entertaining her. It is incredibly sweet. Stella and Mina seem to look the most alike - only time will tell if their personalities are similar.

Mina's had two medical mysteries this past month. First, she told our babysitter that she swallowed a nickel - and when I heard I knew it was true because I remember someone giving her one two weeks before. So off to get an X-ray to make sure the "disappearing nickel" had past - and it had! She loved all the attention and the special ID bracelet she got at the hospital.

The second mystery started with a NASTY smell coming from her nose/mouth. We tried Listerine for breath, saline for cleaning the nose, water up her nose, blowing her nose, went to the doctor who thought it was reflux and were about to fill a prescription for a possible sinus infection. Then, today as we were getting ready to leave the house, I was helping blow her nose, and out came some of her lovey! She had torn a piece of the yarn off the knit bunny she sleeps with and had stuffed it up her nose. WHO KNOWS how long it had been up there! It started smelling about a month ago!!!! So hopefully no more medical surprises anytime soon.

I finally let the girls lay hands on the paper globe decorations I had made for the twins birthday party in April. I knew the inevitable would happen - utter destruction - but I was done with them and they had fun. Plus I didn't feel bad throwing away mutilated paper globes!

Mina is our "you do it" child! Such a contrast between her and Addie. She loves cuddles and almost requires them (guessing she'll have the love language of touch). She loves to be helped with anything (Alex would insert here - just like her Mom). She is fascinated with books and often sits quietly by herself paging through them. She's also watch as much TV as I would let her so we try not to encourage her couch potato side too much! She gives the BIGGEST hugs at bed time and loves to sit on your lap - especially when you have a book in your hand!

Addie Ka Dabby

2010-06-02T10:50:00.002-05:00

We recently hosted the weekly playgroup we attend, and a friend's child put on one of the girls' swimsuits to "dress-up". Ever since, they have been OBSESSED with swimsuits. Do we have a pool you ask? No (unless the little plastic one counts) Do we go to the pool often? Not really. But we do everything else in our swimsuits. Pictured above is one of Addie's favorite swimsuit activities. She'll put one on, and then run into my room to do "nastics" which is her version of gymnastics I guess! I'm actually loving this "dress-up" phase. They put the funniest clothing combos together and think they look stupendous. Very sweet. Now I just need to stock up their supply of dress up clothes!

Addie is our "do it by self" child. She loves figuring out new things that she can do independent of us. Here she is filling up the water table in the backyard. She requires no assistance in the bathroom, with her clothing, on her tricycle, barely lets me do her hair, wants to get everything in and out of the fridge alone, etc. There is definitely a struggle between enough and too much independence as she glides across the room with full glass of something on the way to the table. 50% of the time it ends up on the floor - but when she does make it, there is such a beam and an exclamation of, "I did by self!"

For as independent as Addie is, she is also so girly. She loves ruffles, pink, frills, accessories, skirts, and dress! Having little girls is so much fun. Often I envy their clothes and wish they came in my size - the colors and patterns are much more fun than grown-up fashions.

I love this little girl - she gives the biggest hugs and says, "I love you Mama" all the time...although sometimes it is right after she's been naughty.... : )

Stella on the Move

2010-06-02T10:40:00.002-05:00

Stella is scooting into all kinds of mischief these days. She hasn't mastered crawling yet, although we see lots of signs that it is coming soon. Mostly, she is pushing herself around backwards on her bum. This isn't her favorite means of transport because it takes her further away from what she wants. I'm doing my best to try and leave her be in some of these sticky predicaments so she'd be motivated to crawl...but what can I say...I'm a big softie...

Stella loves babydolls, esp. poking at their eyes. I love the progress of sweetness in these photos to all out eye jabbing! BUSTED! Keep all real babies at a safe distance please!

Here's Stellie contemplating life's great mysteries, like where are my sisters and why aren't they playing with me...

The before and after of her first mouthful of grass! : )

Working on mobility with a little encouragement from her sisters!

Stella is SUCH a sweet little girl. She's growing so fast and in less than a month will celebrate her first birthday. She brings us all so much JOY! She is in love with her sisters and they with her. I can't wait to see the dynamics once she is truly mobile and can really get into their stuff!

The "Before" of the NEW HOUSE

2010-06-02T10:32:00.004-05:00

Here are the "before" photos of the new rental house we are moving into in two weeks. TONS has changed already, and I've got big plans once we are actually inside of it!!! We got lots of latitude to improve/update the inside. These photos are filled with paneling and a house stuck in the not so cute past, but in a few short weeks this house isn't going to recognize itself. Stay tuned for the "after" pictures!

The yummy master bath...which will probably be the girls' bathroom. I'm more interested in the double sink main bath at the other end of the hall (can't wait to have my own sink!).

Don't you just love all the paneling - don't worry - for the most part now it has been removed. As we speak, beautiful wood floors are being installed and all of the walls have been given a fresh coat of paint.

Bottom right - the part I'm most excited about in this house - THE LAUNDRY ROOM! Yes, a whole room - so my delicates won't be air drying right next to my toaster and my sticky handed children!!!! I'm even going to sneak a daybed at the end for extra sleeping (or for a rowdy toddler who won't nap and wants to wake up her sister...). You are only seeing half of the laundry room, the other half is going to be a fabulous mudroom/landing spot for shoes and coats. I have an awesome 1960's 3-seater bench at the reupholster for this very spot!

Oh My...it is June

2010-06-02T10:09:00.003-05:00

How is it possible that it has been nearly TWO MONTHS since I've blogged! No wonder I've been getting concerned emails and pleas for updates...okay just a few...don't want you to think we are THAT popular.

I present my excuses for being delinquent:

1.) About a month ago, we discovered we'd be moving to a different rental house. This kicked off a whole new period of obsessing over new decor, possible furniture arrangements, selling current furniture on Craigslist, buying new furniture on CL (changing style all together for new house...), etc.

2.) I have been SLAMMED with graphic design jobs. I've had 8 design projects in the last 60 days. Normally I have about 1-2 a month, but lately I've been hopping with extra work. This is fun for me - but also sucks up all my extra free time (to prove my point, I just got two calls while writing this sentance regarding corrections to two of the eight projects)!

3.) Stella has been a runny nose, teething mess! She is still as sweet as can be, but wants me closer than close.

4.) It's WARM so we've been outside, on walks, to parks, with friends ALOT - leaving not as much time home in front of the computer!

Okay, so now that I've plead my case, here's the back log of photos from the last two months!!!

Stellie Bellie & Sisters

2010-04-12T21:13:00.004-05:00

The sweetest little girl in the world has decided she will only eat pears - by the pound. She's developed clever methods of extracting otherwise unwanted (food other than pears) nutritious bits from her mouth. She clamps her lips closed, she spits it out and recoils for effect, she picks it out with her fingers, she feeds it to dogs or toddlers (whoever is quickest), and then she throws the rest on the floor. But if she sees a pear out of the corner of her eye - perhaps on the cutting board near her highchair - she starts indicating her preference with a steely gaze of determination! Someday she'll eat something else right?

My dad used to sing to me, "Every party needs a pooper, that's why we invited you...party pooper...party pooper..." We had a wonderful birthday lunch with the girls at Red Robin. I wanted to get a b-day picture outside and clearly Addie was not in the mood...I could hear my dad singing. I actually think the picts are quite funny! : )

On the left you will see Stella's alter ego...

Some random pictures from around the house - including two of the bottom ones where A&M dumped a pile of books in Stella's crib and sat there reading until I discovered them. They thought they were so naughty! Silly girls!

Now that the weather is nice we spend TONS of time outside in our backyard. It's a happy end to everybody's day. Although Alex would prefer the girls stop throwing things over the fence for him to fetch...

Tried Stella's sun hat on to see if it fit - she thought it would do. : )

Addie & Mina's 3rd Birthday Eggstravaganza

2010-04-09T15:09:00.004-05:00

Here are the girls on their big day! We can't believe they are three already. They had a great time on their big day and kept saying, "It's MY birthday!" It is fun to be to an age where they actually get and can verbalize that it is a special day.

We tried to keep the food simple to minimize the crazy. PB & J sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, Annie's bunny crackers, strawberries, cupcakes, and rice krispie treats. Even with that simplicity, we were boiling eggs like mad, slapping on PB & J, and dunking newly frosted cupcakes into a vat of jelly beans just minutes before guests were arriving.

This was the BEST part! The kids were so excited!!! Due to some advice I had read online about an Easter theme birthday party, I assigned each kid a color of egg (and also wrote their name on that color) so all the kids would have a chance to find quite a few eggs. Thankfully, we also had a beautiful day - hunting with 16 children in our 1500 sq. ft. house would have been...madness!

The girls LOVED all their presents and were so excited to see what was in each brightly wrapped package. We've been playing new games, stamping, coloring, and keeping busy with their new acquisitions. These nightgowns were also one of their presents...they've been very popular...we've worn them every night...they need a wash!

Stella enjoyed all the extra holding and attention she received from her godparents and grandma. She could barely each lunch since there were so many busy bodies to watch running around!

Thanks so much to my friend, Angie, who took this picture of me and the girls. You always forget in the moment to take enough pictures. She sent me several of the ones you see on this post!

I LOVE this photo - I think I'm going to get it framed. This must be as we were announcing the Easter Egg Hunt. Jasmine was making a beeline for the gate so she didn't miss a minute of the action! : )

Spring Spring Spring!

2010-03-10T20:22:00.003-06:00

At last, Spring has arrived! We are loving having the windows and doors open. The girls seem to enjoy the fact that our sq. ft. is quadrupled when the weather is nice. We've been in the sandbox, playing catch, sidewalk chalking, going on walks, and hanging out at the park.

Our Parents As Teachers aid was here last week and brought dress up clothes. The girls LOVED putting on the dresses, heels, jewelry, and headbands. It makes me think I need to start a dress up clothes stash! The bottom right pict is the girls modeling the outfits that Granny Green sent for their Christmas present that they've been begging to wear since December.

And here are just some shots of us hanging out! I love my three little ladies - they may be a ton of work - but they also are a TON of fun.

Infractions

2010-03-10T20:05:00.004-06:00

Infraction #1

All was quiet...I should have been suspicious. I laid Stella down for a nap and realized I hadn't heard a peep from the girls in quite awhile. I heard some giggling in my bathroom and went to see what disaster awaited me! When I came in, both girls were naked (they were fully clothed last time I saw them). Addie was standing at attention while Mina was busy spraying her with the shower cleaner.... I didn't know whether to laugh hysterically or stare in horror. I put Addie straight in the shower - bonus that she was already naked. She wasn't very thrilled with the cold water!

Infraction #2

I unpacked a ton of spring/summer clothes since the weather has begun to get warmer. The girls get SO excited about new clothes and insisted on wearing summer pjs to bed. We warned them that they would be cold and they responded, "We want to be cold!" Then at 4 am, we awoke to the girls' bedroom light turning on. Addie had turned their bedroom light on so she could get a coat for her and Mina. Alex walked in to see them both laying in the beds with their coats on...and the light still on...oh and giggling! Great problem-solving...kind of...

Toddler Firing Squad

2010-02-19T14:05:00.003-06:00

Every time we go to MOPS, the girls are given a balloon to take home before they leave. Sounds sweet and innocent right? I've come to dread the balloons - first I have to get two toddlers, a baby, and two balloons safely out to the parking lot and in the car all by myself. Anyone who has buckled a toddler in who is holding a balloon knows how much fun just that part is....and that is not even mentioning balloons that stray in the parking lot - toddler screaming - mom trying not to separate the group so no one gets hit by a car but also trying to retrieve the balloon so the screaming will stop...I digress.

So when we get home with the balloons, the girls obsess about where their balloons are, who has touched them, try to go potty holding their balloons, try to get dressed holding their balloons, don't want their baby sister to slobber on the balloons, and so on. After about two days - I've had enough of the balloons and try to mentally will them to pop while the girls are playing with them so I can say, "Oh, bummer the balloon is all gone" as sympathetically as I can. They weren't popping...

Naptime came - there were no witnesses - I decided to quietly puncture the balloons and slowly let the air out and then feign ignorance when asked where the balloons went. All went as planned and hid the evidence in the trash can in my bathroom. The girls woke up from their naps and did not appear to notice the absence of the balloons.

Later that afternoon, the girls came walking out of my room with steely gazes.
Conversation as follows:

Mina: Who popped my balloon?!
Me: Oh, I don't know...
Mina: NO - who popped it?!
Me: I guess it just popped and now it is all gone....
Mina: Mommy, did you pop my balloon?
Me: (Pause...contemplate bold face lie...hang head in shame) Yes....I popped it...
Mina: Why....? (while making sad face)
Me: (How to I explain....) Because the balloon was all done.... (lame lame lame - but it seemed to work)

At this point the toddler firing squad seem satisfied and moved on to other explorations. I learned a valuable lesson...when popping balloons throw them away in the garbage in the garage! : )

The Circle of Craigslist

2010-02-16T22:30:00.004-06:00

I realized last night as I was reselling some kitchen chairs on Craigslist I had purchased on Craigslist - that there is a lot of stuff coming and going out of my house. If it isn't going to Goodwill, or a friends' house, then it is going to Craigslist (or sometimes Ebay). Whatever did I do before resale went online? Above is a picture of many of (but not all) of the things I have bought and sold. No better way to change things up than to sell something old and turn around and buy something new for very little on CL. Sometimes I just trade too - did this with cribs and strollers. I think the all time best CL was when Alex convinced me to post the gray rocks in a flower bed out in front of our house basically saying "Free rocks to whoever removes them" and amazingly someone did just that! What a great way to get around some back breaking labor?! Also, I'm so grateful for a husband who is amused rather than irritated at the rather breakneck speed that things move in and out of our house. He has mastered the art of agreeing with me that the current new furniture arrangement/acquisition is the best one yet!

Happiness is...

2010-02-15T19:40:00.002-06:00

...learning that when you bang two things together they make a noise! : )

Things We Do When It Won't STOP SNOWING

2010-02-15T16:44:00.003-06:00

Here's a sampling of some things we do when it won't stop snowing:

1.) Lay around in our sleeping bags - it's cold (esp. since Mom and Dad keep the house a balmy 68 degrees!)

2.) Do laundry - or just look cute while we look like we are doing laundry.

3.) And when things get desperate we paint, color, or pull out some other random craft to mix things up!

I'm in a serious need of some "it's warm enough to open the windows" weather. The house could use some fresh air. I can only rearrange the furniture so many times to try and create that "fresh feeling"! I also have spring cleaning type projects piling up around the house. There are LOADS of outgrown clothes in all of the girls' closets. There is misc. crap all over the garage - but who wants to be out there in this cold? There is lots of woodwork in the house that needs to be painted. And so on and so on. Plus I'd love to taking walks with the girls! Soon soon right?!

Snug as a Bug

2010-02-15T16:41:00.003-06:00

I was busy with the two other girls and though Addie was quietly playing in the office. At some point, I got curious/suspicious and tracked her down. She had gathered up pig, mouse, two pillows, and a blanket and made herself all cozy in Stella's crib. It was very sweet. Then when she got up, she covered up her stuffed animals, quietly shut the door, and then with a stern eye said, "Shhhh, they are sleeping!"

Tea For Three

2010-02-15T16:38:00.003-06:00

At Christmas time, the girls got far more presents than they could play with at once. I tucked some under the bed for a "Rainy Day" to be rediscovered at some point. Well, they were rediscovered this morning when the girls discovered the plastic tub under my bed! : ) Regardless, they were thrilled to be playing tea party. Even Stella got in on the action.

Billboard

2010-02-11T14:02:00.005-06:00

We posed for some photos for one of my mom's organizations called Operation Us. They will be used to market their events. They focus on providing relationship education to the community. Their theme for this year is "Get It Together" - encouraging couples to go together to the classes. I think Addie looks hilarious in this photo - she was not cooperating at all that day and this serious look was about all we could get from her - that or tantruming... : )

First Friends

2010-02-03T14:19:00.002-06:00

I suppose like many children with older siblings - most of play dates in our house are with the 2 year old crowd. Luckily for Stella - there are two other little ones her age in our group of friends! Stella and Marley are only a month apart in age and love to gaze at each other and smile. Owen is four months older and ever ready to show the girls how it is done. Before we know it, they will all be chasing each other around in full force like the 2 year olds!

(Love the photo with Stella blinded by the light - its almost like she's saying "I'm trying to SMILE but I'm nearly BLIND!!!!)

January's End

2010-01-29T21:07:00.004-06:00

My sweet little reader! Jasmine loves to sit and page through books. I can't wait until she can really read - I know she's going to get absorbed on a regular basis.

I was unpacking the next size up for Stella - when Addie decided to convince me that the 12 month clothes still fit her. Amazingly she could get the jacket zipped - but notice the 3/4 sleeves! Mina and Stella acted as a cheering squad.

I've had multiple graphic design projects this month - which has kept me busy and also kept me from blogging. Here's a moment where the girls decided they were going to get my attention one way or another!

Stella has become more and more fun each day. She is full of smiles, giggles, and curiosity. Notice the last picture in the sequence where she is showing her sassy side!

Here is the whole crew. I had them all dressed up to leave the house for some outing and seized the opportunity to take some group pictures. It was a challenge as always to get them all looking the same direction - but some fun results nonetheless!

I've rearranged the house yet again! It was bound to happen since it has been months since I've moved furniture from room to room. I love having things in a new place - a mental/visual refresh for me.

Merry Christmas from Craigslist

2010-01-03T16:34:00.004-06:00

Well - actually Merry Christmas from my sweet husband who gave me $$$ for Christmas so I could find just the right piece of furniture for our home office. I wanted something that I could sit on with all three girls and read books. I looked at chair and a halfs, sleeper sofas, normal sofas, etc. I've been so conditioned by craigslist prices that retail prices were a bit shocking!

However, I wanted something unique and cozy that I almost bit the bullet and bought my furniture new - until this purple gem came up on CL. I offered $150 less than it was listed for...they countered with $75 less...I said I would accept if they delivered (it was a 75 minute drive away one way). They agreed and delivered this afternoon!

Items we have purchased on CL thus far - living room couch & loveseat, Stella's crib, the girls armoire, our Honda Pilot, kitchen chairs, kitchen table, misc. baby items, and this list doesn't include the items I bought and then later resold! Thank you Alex and CL - love the couch and the deal!

New Year's Eve

2010-01-03T13:45:00.005-06:00

We had a quiet evening with our friends the Hudsons on New Year's Eve. The girls made special NYE hats - but Sylvie decided the stickers looked better in her hair than on her hat! Stella wasn't too crazy about her hat either and wondered more about how it tasted. I'd have to guess that the girls favorite part of the evening was jumping on our bed before they were all tucked in (in separate rooms) so the adults could sit and relax together! You'd never know it from these pictures, but Addie woke up and vomited 5 times that same evening. It was was an event-filled night - and probably the latest Alex and I have stayed up in a LONG time!

Addie and Mina got their final Christmas present from Nana and Papa once we returned home. The first thing they wanted to know once they saw the wagon was, "Where is my drink?!" The wagon has built in cup holders which I guess naturally make one wonder where their beverage is! I'm looking forward to some warmer weather so we can try it outside.

Addie has been looking forward to snow for several months. I don't think she remembers it from last year, but we've read about it in books and seen it on TV. When she woke up to snow the other morning she wanted to go straight outside (before breakfast) and make a snowman! She only last a few minutes...the books & TV don't mention that snow is COLD!

Christmas Trip Part 2 - Austin, TX

2010-01-03T13:32:00.004-06:00

We left Dallas for Austin so that we could spend some time with my brother, Andrew, and sister-in-law Sarah, and their newborn twins (Jack & Finn) and nephew, Sawyer. Above, Alex and I are one set of godparents for Jack and Finn's baptism - they didn't make a peep - such mellow little boys! Back in the pews, all grandparents were on duty entertaining the three toddlers and Stella. There were no major meltdowns during the service. Only Addie had ants in her pants and went back and forth from pew to pew - but I'll take that to screaming or flailing in the aisle any day!

Here's the latest supermom - my sister-in-law, Sarah was very calm and collected while we were there. You'd never know that she was caring for two newborns and an almost 2 year old. Andrew and she definitely make a good team. There was one dicey moment when Andrew got sick and was throwing up, Sarah ran out to get "sick supplies" for Andrew, my dad was feeding the three toddlers dinner (pictured below), my mom was giving Jack a bottle, Alex was giving Finn a bottle, and I was nursing Stella. It was an all hands on deck moment!!!

The girls LOVED playing with the cousin, Sawyer. Seeing them have so much fun together definitely made us all wish the miles between us were fewer. I look forward to seeing all the nonsense they'll get up to together in the years to come!

Christmas Trip Part 1 - Dallas, TX

2010-01-03T13:21:00.005-06:00

Here is a picture of us all strapped into the car together on our trip to Texas for Christmas. All three girls deserve a GOLD STAR for travel - esp. Stella! They all surpassed my expectations. There was very little whining, fighting, screaming, etc. We would stop every three hours so I could nurse Stella - but otherwise we were on the road. We would stop at a McDonald's with an indoor playplace each time which helped run off some of the excess toddler energy! When I took the above photo of Stella I was craning back from the front passenger's seat and just after I snapped this I dropped the camera on top of Stella...I think you can see the impending doom in her eyes!

The girls really got the hang of opening presents this year - it was so fun to sit back and watch to see what toys peak their interest first. Stella enjoyed the wrapping paper the most...as do most babies!

Above we are all modeling/opening our Christmas presents from Africa. Ang (Alex's mom) was able to send them with his aunt who came to Dallas as well for Christmas. I now realize I took no photos of our Dallas family - the whole reason we were there! We spent Christmas with Claudia (Alex's cousin), Jason, & baby Zara - as well as Auntie Gilly (Alex's aunt). It was so nice to be with family and fun to be some place different. We loved meeting baby Zara - although she mostly slept! : )

First Haircuts

2010-01-03T13:16:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago, all three girls had their first haircuts. Addie and Mina had never had their haircut prior (I trimmed Addie's bangs once at home). Mina has TONS of hair - but we're still waiting for Addie's hair to grow in! Stella has already grown more hair than Addie... : ) We decided to go ahead and have Stella's hair cut as well...since she had a baby mullet and all! The girls thought it was pretty fun, especially when they realized there was a sucker at the end of it. Addie's "after" picture was blurry so just look at the following post for her new do - I call her Pixie now.

Home

2009-12-13T08:06:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures from last week when we were just hanging out at home. Stella was on my back in the mei tai while I was cooking. We've gotten alot better about staying put now that there are three under three. The idea of packing three little ones up for an outing....is just not that tempting. I do leave the house with all three girls to go to MOPs, a play group, and to the gym. However, I have yet to brave some place like Target with all three by myself - why invite the madness if you don't have to right?! All of this extra time at home has also led to more cooking which keeps everyone happy and fed!

The girls just got home this morning from a sleepover at Nana and Papa's house. It sounds like they had a great time. They did, however, convince their grandparents to get up at 5:30 am and have breakfast. That is 2 hours earlier than their normal wake time....maybe this will mean an extra long nap this afternoon...here's hoping!

I'm counting the days until Alex's Christmas break. We save a large portion of his vacation time every year so that he can take off all the days between Christmas and New Year's Eve so he gets a nice long break. It will be so nice to have him home for so many days. I can't WAIT to meet all these new babies that have entered our family in the last two weeks. First we'll go see Alex's cousin in Dallas and then on to meet my two new nephews in Austin. I look forward to the days when all the kids are old enough to run and play and have as much fun as Andrew (my brother) and I did with our cousins. I'm already guessing that the girls and Sawyer (my brother's oldest son) are going to have lots of fun playing together this year.

Well - a baby to feed and breakfast to eat!

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-09T10:28:00.004-06:00

We made gingerbread houses for the first time this year. The kids all thought it was HEAVEN. A table full of candy - with which they had full access to!!!! Needless to say they ate more than they stuck on their houses, but fun was had by all. We were afraid there might be some sick tummies in the middle of the night, but they surprised us and slept just fine.

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

2009-12-09T10:25:00.004-06:00

We started a new tradition this year - running a 5K on the morning of Thanksgiving. The girls think it is so EXCITING to get up early and get all bundled up. This was the second time I had run in nearly a year...so needless to say I was a bit out of practice and some walking was involved. The news said 5-6,000 people ran the Turkey Trot this year. It definitely felt like that many people participated. It never thinned out - we were dodging walkers left and right the entire race...which can be dicey when you're pushing (or I should say Alex was pushing) a triple stroller!

Best Parents (Grandparents) in the World

2009-12-05T19:55:00.003-06:00

We visited my parents tonight to help eat up left overs. I know I have said this a million times but my parents are just the best ever. We love to sit in their living room and talk away the hours. Addie and Jazz sang their Christmas program songs for Nana and Papa.

Baby Stella was on her best behavior and smiling for everyone. My dad even held Baby Stella for what seemed like hours. He in not the one to often hold babies but Stella has won his heart over.

Nana got to hold Stella for a few moments. We love their relax style with the children. What better grandparents could a child have. They are considering keeping the twin over night to give us a little break. Should be fun... I feel sorry for young families without grandparents like mine...

Here we are the tired parents catching a few moments of no kid time. They are you guessed it playing with my wonderful parents. Life is good. Merry Christmas... One should always be careful about leaving their blog up at their parents' house - It might get used...

Amy Pennington Family Photos

2009-11-09T16:52:00.007-06:00

We had our pictures taken by a local photographer, Amy Pennington, when the girls were just over a year old. Now that they are two and half - we decided it was time to do it again. I love that she'll come and photograph you in your home...makes life much easier!!!

(Apparently, this is the month of photos - first Amy's, then Nate's, and in a few weeks we'll be photographed by Randy Bacon as a family for one of my mom's projects).

Here are our photos from a few weekends ago with Amy -

Fall Photos

2009-11-09T16:44:00.002-06:00

And the photos are in! Here are the rest of the photos from our friend, Nate. (There were actually TONS more - but here's our favorites) I LOVE the photos of the girls playing in the leaves with their friend Quinn. I think I'm going to frame those together and put them in the girls' room.

Oh my! : ) I think it is hilarious that Addie's arms are straight down...haha

So sweet! Little kids holding hands are always adorable.

Mina has a real "thing" for Quinn - and asks to see him all the time.

Pure bliss - LOVE IT!

Stella Stella...what are we going to do with that hair?!?!

Stock Photography

2009-11-02T10:02:00.003-06:00

Our friend Nate (a professional photographer) asked us a couple of weeks ago if we'd be interested in posing for some stock photography shots in each for free pictures. Well - yeah!!! : ) The girls had a great time playing in the leaves and carrying around pumpkins. Nate said he'll eventually sell some of the photos we took to some magazines like Organic Gardening, Trail Runner, Hobby Farm Home, Urban Farm, Southern Living, and Midwest Living. So if you are a subscriber - who knows you may see us some day. Below are pictures he also took of our friends, the Smiths, who brought some testosterone to the event with their two little boys.

A GREEN Halloween

2009-11-01T10:04:00.006-06:00

The girls weren't old enough last year to really understand the concept of Halloween & dressing up. However, this year they totally got it and LOVED it! Their Auntie Hayley brought them princess dresses as a gift when she visited shortly after Stella arrived. They made the perfect Halloween costumes. They wore them four times this week alone! : ) Thanks Hails! Stella had a cute little black & orange tutu...but since she's in the mei tai in most of the pictures...you can't see it...but she was cute! The first Halloween outing was the Trunk or Treat at church. Then this week the girls wore their costumes on Monday to MOPS and Thursday to Parent's Day Out.

Then last night we went to a Halloween/birthday party. Alex and I got into the spirit of dressing up with some thrift store finds and green hair spray. The girls LOVED that we were Shrek and Fiona - they even nominated Belle to be the donkey and Tinsley to be the dragon. : ) Check out the picture of Alex double fisting it with two beers and a cookie! Okay...so maybe one was mine...and perhaps the cookie was too. In my defense, I took it away from Addie after she grabbed it off the tray - she already had had a cookie and a cupcake - and since she bit it I didn't want to put it back! We are still finding green paint in our ears & hair today...hopefully we'll get it all off before Alex goes back to work tomorrow...

Here are the girls digging into yet another sugary treat with Holton the birthday boy and Super Farrow, my friend and Holton's mom. Farrow made all the costumes for her family this year!!! Impressive, hey!

Here's another cute picture of Stella from the church event. She tends to get the shaft on the weekends with regards to naps, but she is such a good sport regardless and often takes a snooze in the mei tai.

These pictures are from my dad's birthday celebration last weekend. The girls are all about birthdays and want to know "how old are you?" It often is the last question we answer before bed every night. They also loved helping him open his presents - a magnetic dartboard calendar & a T-shirt.

We took these pictures while the girls slept one night. The transition to big girl beds was SO MUCH EASIER than I feared! They love their beds and generally stay put as long as we don't rev them up before bedtime. However, they do occasionally fall out of bed. It is happening less and less as they get the hang of staying put. On this night, Mina was hanging half over the edge of the bed! And in the bottom right picture, Addie has discovered that green chalk makes some attractive eyeshadow! : )

Stella is getting closer and closer to sleeping through the night and eating less frequently, which makes life so pleasant. We are just enjoying watching her get bigger and more interactive. She's grabbing things all the time - my face, shirt, her sisters, the dogs, toys. She loves kisses and laughing. I made some pear puree for the freezer yesterday (after I accidentally ordered 24 pears instead of 4 when I was online grocery shopping). Before we know it - she'll be eating it and all kinds of other foods. Watching her grow is such a sweet pleasure and one we realize we didn't always enjoy with the girls since we were new parents and they were A LOT more work! : )

One Very Full Day

2009-10-12T20:29:00.005-05:00

The morning began with Alex's alarm going off at 6 am - so wrong on a Saturday morning!! Once he was ready, he woke the girls up and we worked on getting them bundled up for their big outing with Daddy. Alex signed up to run the Sunshine Run - 5K as part of a team from work. They could barely move once we were done! Alex said they had a great time - and LOVED the cupcakes that were at the refreshment stand at the end of the race. And my second worst potty fear (pee pee in the carseat) occurred on the way home...ah...potty training... ; )

The next event on the day's agenda was a date for Alex and I. We went out to lunch at a local coffee shop called The Buzz and then to a Beer Tasting at Brown Derby International Wine Center. It was nice to have some adults only time and enjoy the beautiful weather.

From the beer tasting we raced home, paid the babysitter, and then welcomed our good friends the Zieglers into our home for a quick catch-up. They have recently returned from their vicarage on the east coast and are settled back in St. Louis as Mike finishes his schooling at the Seminary. (I stole this picture from their blog because we forgot to take one of our own!)

Then we rushed out the door and up the street to 2nd Saturdays at Redeemer. It's a new group my parents have started for parents of young children. We eat together as families and then the children go off to play and the adults have time to talk to one another and enjoy a brief program. This month's topic was Love, Money, & The Bottom Line.

And finally, we headed home, tucked all three munchkins in bed, and passed out on the couch into exhausted heaps!

Cooking, Cleaning, and Careening

2009-10-09T11:43:00.004-05:00

So - I didn't used to cook - EVER. I'd make scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, and there would end my culinary skills. Somehow though with the arrival of Stella, I'm now interested in food in a way I never have been. It could be all my cooking friends, the garden my dad planted in our backyard, a desire to eat healthy and lose baby weight, etc... The girls are quite interested in my afternoon activities as I get dinner ready for the evening. They helped me make stuffed peppers and recycled the cans.

Mina made my worst potty nightmare come true as well this week. My biggest fear was that while potty training they would pee on our bed. The girls watch Sesame Street on our bed every morning while I shower in the master bath. When I got out of the shower on this morning, Mina informed me she had, "Pee pee on the pillow..." Ah - imagine the relief I felt when I discovered it was Daddy's pillow! : ) In the picture, Mina is holding Daddy's freshly laundered pillow.

The girl also still have a love for pulling all the wipes out of a wipes box. We let them go to town because these wipes were completely dried out. They had a ball and even "washed" some windows!

Alex and I took Addie & Mina to Silver Dollar City with our friends Geoff & Danae and their two year old daughter, Sophie. Stella stayed with our good friend, Mary Magnus for the morning. The girls got to ride their first amusement park rides. On the first few rides they'd say halfway through the ride, "All done now!!! Get off!!!!" After they got the hang of it, they'd laugh and smile and wave their arms around. It was fun to get to see them experiencing something so completely new. Plus, all the stimulation must have really exhausted them because they took a three hour nap afterward!

September Highlights

2009-09-30T21:13:00.004-05:00

I put Stella in the Bumbo this morning to "just see" if she could sit up in it and be happy - and she was! I can't believe we are to this milestone already. Stella is about 3.5 months old now. I was having flashbacks to all the fun I had with the girls in the Bumbo seats. They'd sit on the bathroom counter and watch me do my hair, they'd take turns sitting on one on the changing pad while I changed the other one, etc. Stella seems to enjoy being able to sit up and look around.

This weekend we took the girls to another fall festival and bought pumpkins on the way home. We decided to paint rather than carve this year since sharp knives and toddlers do not mix! The girls LOVED IT! They were very proud of their final products that now proudly sit on the front porch.

Addie discovered a hole in Alex's shorts when he was cooking breakfast on Saturday morning. This shorts had put in their time and need to go to Goodwill or even just the trash, but Alex couldn't let them go. So when Addie started grabbing at the pocket with the hole - I cheered her on and she ripped away! Mina got jealous and wanted a pocket to rip as well - so we were finally able to say goodbye to these lovely threads....at last! : )

Here's one of Stella's sweet smiles caught on camera - she's giggling now and we are loving it. We are having trouble not tickling her to hear her charming giggle when we are suppose to be soothing her for bed or naptime...unfortunately it is not so sleep inducing!

A few weekends ago, Alex and I went out to dinner with friends to celebrate Danae's birthday. It was a fabulous adult evening and it was nice for all of us to get a break from the 2 and under crowd!

Addie and Mina have become inseparable playmates lately. They are coming up with new games to play together on a daily basis. Some sweet...some not so sweet. Today's game was one of them would lie down on the concrete step going outside and then the other would walk over the sister lying down (but of course stepping on her). They'd laugh and then it would get rough and someone would get mad...game over!

September Picts

2009-09-25T21:56:00.003-05:00

The girls need pictures of themselves for their cubbies at school (Parent's Day Out) so Alex took some of all of us together at the same time. Ah - I love my girls! They are looking so old these days. They are only 2.5 years old, but moving into 4T clothes for fall!!!

Not quite sure what started this underwear fashion show, but Addie and Mina both were making us laugh so hard we couldn't breath by tugging their underwear up as high as they could get them and walking through the house.

Stella's first boyfriend? This pict is from my friend, Nikki's birthday party. At one point, Bryse actually grabbed Stella's hand and held it for a little bit. Pretty forward for their first introduction! : )

At Some Points It Is All About Survival!

2009-09-25T21:12:00.003-05:00

Some of my friends say that I always seem so calm and collected - so go with the flow. Here are the details of a day from this past week that I was anything but collected! I'm hoping to not have a 24 hour period like this one any time soon!

8:00 pm - Tinsley poops in Stella's room (Disgusting)

11:00 pm - Tinsley wakes us up to go outside (Annoyed)

1:00 am - Tinsley wakes us up to go outside (Seriously Annoyed)

1-3:00 am - I can't fall back asleep and eventually go lay on the couch in the living room (Pissed)

3:30 am - Stella wakes up to eat (Relieved to have something to do since I'm awake anyways)

6:30 am - Stella wake up to eat (Bummed - hoping for more sleep)

7:00 am - Toddlers wake up to start their days (Ugh...the day starting already)

7:30 am - Alex leaves for work and Addie pees her pants in Stella's room (Not a good sign for the day)

11:00 -1:00 am - Host play group, referee toddler fights while trying to eat and talk to friends (Provides momentary distraction in a yucky day)

1:30 pm - Get Addie & Mina down for naps (Looks like the stars are aligning and all three kids will be asleep at once)

1:35 pm - Stella wakes up screaming (only been asleep for 30 minutes)

1:40 pm - Tinsley vomits in the office (Seriously!!!)

3:00 pm - Addie & Mina wake up (Not already)

3:15 pm - Addie poops in her pants (Great! They are potty trained and even go to the bathroom by themselves...where is this coming from!!!!)

3:30 pm - Addie spills a huge cup of hot tea all over herself and the floor just as I'm sitting down to nurse Stella and drink the tea (which was suppose to soothe my sanity - instead I lose it).

4:30 pm - Come out of Stella's room after putting her to sleep to find Addie eating Dessicant - the stuff in the paper packages in new shoe boxes that say DO NOT EAT! (At this point I'm so beyond reason I just stare at her in silent amazement and eventually tell her to go to her room so I can Google dessicant).

4:32 pm - Google dessicant and find out it is not toxic - just labeled do not eat because the package size is a choking hazard! Whew! (Ah, the things you learn...)

5:30 pm - Sit down to dinner with Alex & the girls - and they won't eat a bite (veggie tacos)

6:30 pm - Leave Alex with the girls to go to a friend's house to gather some sanity (Sweet relief)

8:30 pm - Return home to find that Stella has screamed most of the time I've been gone and has finally fallen asleep! (So glad I left when I did...may have really wanted to crawl in a dark hole if I had stayed).

Life got drastically better the next day - it was Thursday - Parent's Day Out. The girls happily went off to school and I left Stella with a babysitter and had my haircut. It never felt so luxurious to simply sit and have someone cut my hair and have adult conversation! Ah...the little things in life!

Where is the Time Going?!?!

2009-09-11T13:36:00.003-05:00

Here's Stella giving her best (almost) 3 month pose. I can't believe we are at the end of summer and Stella is only 3 months away from eating solid foods - crazy! I was feeling bad for her yesterday as the girls went off to Parent's Day Out and she and I went on errands. With the girls, I was a slave to their nap schedule (mostly out of a desire to have to happy babies - making less work for me)! However, as a mom of three - if an opportunity to get out of the house/get things done arises and doesn't involve me schleeping three children along - nap or not out I go! I had to wake Stella up from a nap to drop the girls off at PDO and again wake her when it was time to go to the gym later that afternoon. We are staying home all day today (with one outing this evening) in hopes to get give her some sense of routine...and of course she hardly wants to sleep at all now! : )

This is the typical scene whenever I put Stella on the play mat. She's immediately flanked by Sister #1 and Sister #2 who both usually push and boss each other around for the best position next to Stella on the mat. This usually ends up in Mom declaring a no toddlers on the play mat rule! The problem is Stella enjoys having them next to her - added entertainment - I'm just worried she's going to get squashed in the process.

The girls were riding their tricycles in the garage while I was busy with Stella. It got quiet for just a little too long and this is what I saw when I came out to check on them. They've been obsessed with this octopus since we hung it up in the garage. We hung it so we'd know how far to pull the car in in order to get the garage door closed. They'd tell us to "bang the applesauce" - translation "bang the octopus" when we'd pull into the garage. They'd ask us to lift them up so they could touch the octopus, and now it appears they've figured out how to get the octopus on their own. It was hilarious to watch their toddler aim 20+ strikes for every swat that actually made contact! Ah - but they were happily occupied for quite some time!!! The best part!

Milestones

2009-08-29T14:13:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was a weekend of milestones. Stella's belly button finally fell off after 2+ months!!! We couldn't wait to give her her first real bath and see what she thought. For the most part, she appeared to enjoy it! I love the first photo of her in the towel...I think she was a little cold. : ) The girls were a great peanut gallery - giving Daddy lots of advice on how to properly administer a bath. And of course, Stella's bath won't be complete without a Daddy hairstyle.

The next milestone was a transition from cribs to big girl beds on Saturday night. The girls had some friends over for a playdate the Thursday before - and two of the boys showed the girls how to climb in and out of their cribs. At first the girls were only climbing into their cribs, so we thought we were safe...that is until they climbed out on Saturday during nap time.

So while Nana and Papa took the girls on a excursion to a local farm/park, we took down the cribs and set-up the daybeds in their room. They were SO EXCITED to have big girl beds as you can see in the pictures. They haven't given us any trouble at bedtime and usually fall to sleep quickly. However, staying in the beds at nap time has required some stern talking, a few spankings, and occasionally a chaperone reading quietly in a chair in their room.

A few times this week we've hear loud thuds in the middle of the night. Each of the girls has managed to fall out of their bed in the middle of the night. We now strategically place a barrier of pillows between them and the edge and this usually does the trick! They have yet to figure out how to open the door to their room...but I'm sure it's coming...!

We had friends & my parents over for dinner on Saturday. My dad made his infamous homemade pizza crust and then everyone helped with the toppings. It was yummy pizza and perfect weather to sit outside.

Stella is becoming quite the chatterbox. She loves to hear herself coo and squawk. The girls love to chat back to her and we can't wait for her first giggles. I took her to her 2 month appointment on Friday and she is in the 75% for weight and 95% for height. The doctor said everything appears to be developmentally appropriate - which is always nice to hear.

We've made a lot of progress on potty training. At first we were only wearing big girl panties at home, but now we wear them everywhere but to bed. The girls have done awesome going to the potty at the YMCA, Parent's Day Out, etc. It is SO nice to have two less (rather large) diapers to change!

What's New

2009-08-19T19:11:00.005-05:00

We've been spending a lot of time at home lately - in part due to the potty training and also the not-so-newborn who no longer naps in her car seat and needs to be home to get a good sleep! We've been coming up with new ways to have fun. Finger painting in the bathtub, sprinkler in the yard, and dump out all the toys and hide in the shelves are new favorite activities.

Stella has been working on her chins and grins. Chins - meaning she's gaining weight and filling out. Grins - well that's self-explanatory...just hard to capture on film!

The girls have their first "big girl" tricycles which they love! Another favorite activity is to ride the tricycles in the garage. It is a perfect compromise for me - I move the car out and shut the garage door so the girls have room to ride, but I don't have to worry about having to haul everyone inside if Stella wakes up/needs to nurse/etc. With the door down, I know they are safe but they still have plenty of room to ride - or run in circles...also a favorite past time. They'll ride for a bit, and then Addie will say, "Mina, park it there" and point authoritatively until Mina parks her tricycle and then they chase each other in circles in the garage! Hey - wear yourself out girls - one can always hope for a longer nap!

Stella - sleeping peacefully in her bouncy seat!

"No Pee Pee in the Panties"

2009-08-05T21:21:00.002-05:00

Addie reminds me quite often these days, "No pee pee in the panties!" That's right Addie, we don't go pee pee in panties, in the sandbox, on the bath mat, on the kitchen bench, on the floor in general, etc...although most of these have happened since we are still learning! My biggest fear is pee pee on mama's bed...that has not happened and hopefully will not...

The potty training started pre-Stella even though I was fighting it knowing we'd most likely regress with the upheveal of a newborn in the house. Addie finally convinced me to start when at a bathtime one night a few months ago (no potty training had occurred yet - but we had set a potty chair in the bathroom). She was in the bath, go out, sat on the potty, pooped, took out the tray, dumped the contents in the toilet, flushed the toilet, put the tray back, and climbed back in the bath...all without a word to me...was just sitting on the bathroom counter speechless.

So at that point, I was like - fine, we'll try the potty training thing, but we are still wearing diapers! It was fine - not perfect but the girls did most of their major business on the potty. But as expected, it completely stopped when Stella arrived and the girls lost interest.

However, lately Addie has been asking every few days if she can wear underwear. I already have it, but have never shown the girls because I knew if Addie saw it she'd have to wear it - regardless if she was ready or not! I wasn't too excited about being on potty patrol while nursing a baby, etc. But she kept asking...so I decided to be funny/experimental when Daddy would be in charge!

Alex agreed to watch all three girls while I got some alone time last Saturday morning for a few hours. I was terrified to do the switch to panties on my own, so I figured Alex could share some of the joy of toilet training. We got out the undies - the girls were SO EXCITED - and we've been wearing them ever since. We still do diapers for naps, bedtime, and trips away from home (another fear is a potty accident in the carseat...yuck!). The underwear may just have been the secret weapon because they love picking out which pair to wear and always want to go to the potty after sleeping or getting home so they can switch out their diaper for panties. So we are officially in the big wide world of potty training and hoping we're not here for too long... : )

Stella Stella, the Shoe Clinic, & MORE TWINS!

2009-08-02T13:18:00.003-05:00

Sweet Stella continues to be such a pleasure! She's been smiling (not on camera yet - but we'll keep trying) and cooing. The girls love to coo back and we all see if we can eek yet another grin out of her. She's being to become a bit more predictable in her waking and eating which is nice for all involved!

Stella was having a rough (crabby) night last week so we tried the washer/dryer trick and she was out like a light. Addie also loved the noise of the laundry room!

This is the "shoe clinic". Here's how the game is played.

• I tell them to get their shoes on.
• Mina says, "Ad - help Mina."
• Addie runs and gets the stool and says, "Mina - sit here."
• And then Mina leisurely reclines while Addie puts her shoes on for her.

Can you tell which one likes to have things done for her and who prefers to do it "All by self!"

And the BIG NEWS of the week is....I'm going to be an aunt of twins! My brother, Andrew, and his wife, Sarah, went for their routine 20 week ultrasound on Friday and discovered that there were not one, but TWO babies in there!!! I didn't believe him at first when he told me...I don't think he believed it at first either. What are the odds that both my brother and I would both have twins! They are not finding out gender and don't know if the twins are fraternal or identical. Sarah was due around Christmas...but maybe they'll arrive a bit sooner now? Alex and I are SO EXCITED for them!! Send them a congrats if you haven't already.

Full Weekend

2009-07-19T21:02:00.002-05:00

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend and spend lots of time outside. On Saturday morning we went out for breakfast and to the park to play. After nap time, Alex took the girls back to the park to swim. Then, that evening we had the Stevensons over for dinner. Their two children and our two (minus Stella) had a great time playing outside. Tina introduced us to a new medium - sidewalk paint! It was a BIG HIT and gave the adults lots of uninterrupted talk time.

Addie loved the paint and only got upset when she realized that it stung when she painted her multiple scraps on her knees!

Mina calmly sat and painted and contemplated.

Drew painted a lion and was a great big brother to all the girls!

Claire was clearly enjoying herself as well!

Here's some sweet photos of Stella. She is filling out like crazy! Although we are still 3 weeks out from her next doctor's appointment, I'm so curious to see how much weight she has already gained!

Our first attempt at watercolors. The girls were so excited to each have their own paint trays and kept telling me which colors they were painting, "I'm painting blue, Mom, I'm painting red, Mom"...and on it went since toddlers like to repeat and repeat and repeat!

The girls finished out the weekend with some swimming at a friend's neighborhood pool and then everyone came back to our house for dinner. We are loving how independent the girls are becoming - able to play for quite some time on their own with friends, eat unassisted, etc.

All in all it was a great weekend! Stella continues to give us lots and lots of sleep, only waking up once a night. We feel like life is very "doable" right now...and are amazed regularly that we feel this way since we have a newborn and two 2 year olds!

Happier With Three

2009-07-16T15:39:00.004-05:00

I was telling Alex last night how I'm enjoying being a stay at home mom of three children WAY more than being a SAM of two children. Perhaps it was because the girls were getting to the point where they wanted me to entertain them frequently and they were easy enough that I had plenty of free time to feel guilty if I didn't oblige them! However, now with Stella joining the mix - the girls are learning to play a bit more independently and I have LOTS more to keep me busy and free from boredom!!!

I know I'm sure I'll be wishing for boredom soon enough... I think because I'm more pressed for time, I'm enjoying each moment a bit more. The bits of time I have to solely focus on the girls or Stella or myself or talking with Alex, etc. I guess all of this is in keeping with the fact that I tend to get more done when I have more to do...I'm one of those people who needs a deadline and tends to relax if there are only a few things on the to-do-list and not accomplish much of anything!!

Here's pictures of some of the produce from the garden my Dad planted for us. The girls had fun picking the vegetables...but eating them...not so much! We had the green beans for dinner last night and plan to have BLTs tonight.

Bath time with bubbles as requested by Mina & Addie.

The girls were dying to lay in Stella crib and watch the mobile one day while she was napping in the bassinet in my room - I finally caved. They have grown & changed SO MUCH in the two years since they were babies laying under the same mobile!

And yes...no pictures of Stella this time...she's such a sleeper that she's usually tucked away somewhere snoozing when all of the action is happening!

Family of Five

2009-07-07T18:16:00.004-05:00

Someone asked Alex and I recently if we felt like a family of five yet...and strangely we don't. Perhaps it is because Stella is such an easy baby or the girls feel like one combined SUPER child...but I'm sure soon enough we'll realize we are a family of five bodies sharing space!!!

Sweet Stella sleeping in Mina's arms.

Addie working on her baby care...impressed? She also breastfeeds her baby...

All five of us on a walk at the local Nature Center - it was a fabulous time thanks to my mei tai from my friend Lindsey.

And our two new LARGE strollers...perhaps they will make us realize we are a family of five. We just got the Triple Jogger off of craigslist today. The girls wanted to go for a ride as soon as they saw it in the garage...and they were quite annoyed that Stella was too little to occupy her designated seat! We are going to have quite the biceps after pushing around 70+ lbs of children!

Family & the 4th

2009-07-05T11:59:00.004-05:00

Alex's family joined us for the 4th of July weekend. It has been a long time since we've all been together in the same place - actually it was when Addie & Mina were baptized! We decided on a low-key baptism at 10 on Saturday morning, rather than one on Sunday morning during a church service. I'm sure the girls were disappointed that they didn't get a chance to perform for the congregation...but it was nice for Alex and I not to worry about their whereabouts during the baptism!

Auntie Hayley was the first to arrive on Thursday afternoon. She managed to arrange a work trip to Kansas City and then drove down to Springfield at the end of her work trip. The girls didn't take long at all to warm up - clearly from the picture! This was one of many times when both girls were in Auntie Hails lap simultaneously.

Alex and I had a good laugh when Hails said it was "good to be in the country." We don't think of Springfield as country...but the big city for Missouri. Hails is currently living in New York City...so I guess Springfield is a bit more country... : )

Auntie Claudia & Uncle Jason arrived at noon on Friday and although the girls love Clauds - Jason was the BIG HIT, especially with Mina. All weekend long we heard, "Jason do it, Jason kiss it, where did Jason go?" Thankfully, both Clauds & Jason have a big heart for busy toddlers! Clauds is expecting, and we can't wait to find out the end of this month what they will be having so the shopping can begin!

Alex with sweet baby Stella - one of the rare moments that I let him hold her...we both are anxious to soak up baby snuggling time since we now know how fast this phase will go!

Auntie Hayley arrived with two glitter filled dresses from the Disney store. The girls had the biggest grins and paraded around the house in their pretty princess dresses!

Ang, Alex's mom, hit a home run with the girls by buying them their first tent! They love zipping themselves inside or having adults come inside their tent...which can be quite interesting since the tent is pretty small!

Clauds and Jason helped the girls with their patriotic spirit on the 4th. They got hats, and flags, and glow rings, and saw their first fireworks. They were petrified and asked to go inside immediately...so it was a brief introduction! They like the fireworks much better from the safety of the car as we drove them home from my parents house later that night.

Stella Says Hi!

2009-06-23T21:33:00.002-05:00

Thought this was a cute picture - looks like she is waving! Stella actually gave me her first kiss today. I was burping her and she started rooting (looking to nurse with her mouth open like a baby bird). She rooted right across my face and gave me a wide open mouth kiss...funny and sweet!

Home Sweet Home

2009-06-20T09:50:00.003-05:00

We were released early from the hospital yesterday. It was strange to be home after only a 48 hour stay!! We were there much longer with the girls, but apparently I was doing well enough to be discharged and the rooms were filling up (lots of babies to be born this weekend!). The girls thought there little sister was pretty cool. They both wanted to excessively rock the carseat and pat her "pretty hair". We've definitely had an increase in "testing" behavior - which I guess is normal for such a big change in their and our lives...we're all practicing our patience on limited amounts of sleep...dangerous combo! : )

Here's Stella settled into her carseat - looks so LITTLE!

And some sweet sleeping photos. So far - she just SLEEPS and SLEEPS. She only gets made when you change her diaper or dally on her feedings!

Stella Eden Green Has Arrived!

2009-06-17T12:01:00.003-05:00

The medical staff's first comment upon seeing her was, "She's got bangs!" Stella is taking after her mother and sister, Jasmine with some thick dark locks!

Miriam and Stella hanging out together in the recovery room - both feeling pretty good!

Checking out our new addition in the OR.

So I was SO off on Stella's weight prediction. I thought for sure that she'd outweigh the twins since she had the womb all to herself & got an additional 2 weeks lodging. Nope! She weighed in at 7 lbs. 9 oz. She may look like Jasmine, but we think she has some of Addie's fiesty nature. She was kicking and screaming for quite some time after entering the world.

We are all well - currently enjoying the peace and quiet of our hospital room...hoping to move to private room soon.

Swimming with Girlfriends

2009-06-08T09:45:00.002-05:00

The Bump & Bob

2009-05-29T14:32:00.003-05:00

For everyone who requested either a picture of my new haircut or of 36 week pregnant belly - here you go!

And a bonus picture of Addie raiding my closest this morning for shoes!

Pre-Baby To-Do List

2009-05-26T14:38:00.003-05:00

There are so many things to do before Baby Stella arrives!!! Three weeks left to go and we're slowly checking some things off the list.

The girls "helped" Alex clean the bathrooms this weekend. They sprayed water & wiped like pros - they love to get in on whatever we are doing!

And then, of course, we all need to fuel up and make sure we have plenty of energy in reserve for the newborn madness.

We've practiced our best sister kissing so we can give the new baby only our best smooches!

And then...well...we got distracted! Here's some pictures of Addie thinking she is "the coolest" because she put my socks on "all by herself"!! They also wanted to put on the bloomers to one of their dress sets even though the dresses were dirty. Sometimes there is no reasoning with two year old - so on the bloomers went! : )

I've been slowly checking projects off the list. Alex has been awesome - getting some much needed painting done (since I'm on painting restriction - although I am concerned that he wants to buy himself a paint sprayer for his birthday...perhaps it has gone to far...). I've wrapped up two freelance graphic design projects and have one yet to go, one more large listing for Ebay, some clients to transition, kitchen floor to tile (to be done by professionals...just need to vacate house), diapers to buy, etc.!

We are so excited to meet Baby Stella!!! I'm so curious to see how big she is - remember the girls were 7 lb 12 oz and 6 lb 11 oz at 37 weeks. Stella will be 39 weeks and have the womb all to herself! I also have no idea if she'll be a blonde or brunette or maybe surprise us all with red hair!!

I also need to post about the potty-training that has been happening at the Green house. I know...I agree...I'm crazy to even be thinking those thoughts with a newborn coming in just three weeks - but once you hear what Miss Addison did you'll see why I was finally guilted into it!! Hopefully I'll get that post up soon - otherwise we'll try to post new baby pictures from the hospital in just a few weeks!

Happy Friday!

2009-05-01T17:16:00.003-05:00

I was taking a break one day when Alex got home from work, but clearly the girls thought I needed some extra toddler TLC and won't separate from me!

Practicing our response to, "How big is Addie/Mina?"

This photo is from this morning - I was looking for a way to fill some time on a rainy slow Friday. What is more fun than making cookies and eating them? (We'll just forget about the multiple time outs for fighting/stirring with our hands/etc.) : )!

Sun, Water, Sand

2009-04-18T08:37:00.003-05:00

We have been loving the warm weather and spending lots of time on our back patio! The girls are having even more fun in their little cars this summer since they are a bit bigger and stronger and better able to steer. Mina couldn't quite comprehend why she couldn't squeeze the big ball into her lap in the car...funny girl!

This is the girls' FAVORITE outdoor activity. They love to splash, throw, dunk, etc. in this table. They ask to play with it everyday, but we've only had a few days warm enough to fill it up!

My dad joined our two cement patios last weekend with a row of cement pavers and sand for grout. The girls are like magnets to the sand. After a long series of timeouts and other disciplinary efforts, I surrendered. Play in the sand, what do I care...they are occupied, happy, relatively out of trouble...I've picked my battles and this isn't one of them! : ) Maybe they'll get a real sandbox at some point, but for now have a ball in the filler sand!

Fun & Games

2009-04-12T21:36:00.002-05:00

The girls got two packages recently from Aunt Sarah and Uncle Andrew in Texas. Above is a picture of the girls exploring their second package for Easter. It was so much fun to open the package and watch their reactions - they were SO excited. They loved the eggs filled with hair things and all the foam Easter stickers. We spent the next hour learning how to peel the sticker backs off and sticking them to paper. Thanks for the fun activity Texas Bakers!

We got laughing so hard last Saturday. Someone started acting silly at a meal (can't remember who started it) and then we all took turns doing our impressions of what "acting crazy/silly" looked like. The girls' impressions were so cute, but Daddy's was by far the favorite. The girls are getting so verbal and interactive - we laugh together often and are really enjoying this stage.

Always a favorite activity - reading books together on the couch!

Turning Two in Twos

2009-04-12T21:24:00.004-05:00

The girls turned 2 years old last Thursday. We had a special breakfast with Daddy before he went to work. Mina was a bit more in the birthday spirit. Apparently, Addie wasn't quite ready to have her picture taken!

Unwrapping gifts has become a lot more fun now that the girls are a bit older and can really rip into the paper themselves. We gave them tambourines and maracas on the morning of their birthday and they were HUGE hits!

We had their birthday party this past weekend. We are SO grateful that it happened to be the only nice day of the weekend! The day before and the day after were raining and cold, but Saturday was warm & sunny. We invited lots of little ones over to come play outside and fill up on sugar! Above is a picture of Addie and Papa getting the patio ready just in time.

The girls had a GREAT time at their party. Their Parent's Day Out teacher let us borrow some multi-colored rice that we used in their water table outside (too cold for water). All of the kids loved scooping the rice.

Happy Birthday Addie & Mina~!

More Camera Please

2009-04-01T18:08:00.002-05:00

My parents stopped by last week on their way back into town from a Spring Break road trip. The girls were thrilled to see them. My dad brought in his camera and took some candid shots of the girls. After a minute or so break from their modeling session - Jasmine looks at my dad, flashes her brightest grin, and says "more camera, please!" Oh...no...

We started a Love & Logic (parenting class) last night. My parents are teaching it - which always brings out amusing stories sourced from Andrew & I's childhood. Thankfully, this particular class is aimed at young children - and everyone in the class has a 2 or 3 year old - so we can all relate! Our homework was to come up with an empathic but brain dead response to whining/arguing. Need less to say, I've said the phrase, "How sad" 50+ times today. I'm really hoping for some good tools to end bedtime battles and reduce tantrums!

The Rocks

2009-03-29T19:56:00.002-05:00

The rocks (see previous post) are gone! A family of 7 came by this afternoon and shoveled all the yucky gray rocks out of our front flower bed and into the back of their truck! I thought there was no way anyone would seriously come take these things away for free. Alex suggested I post them on craigslist...hoping to avoid all the heavy lifting...and he was RIGHT! Now we've just got bare dirt and some bush roots to pull! So - if you want something gone and don't want to haul it away - post it on craigslist in the free section...you just never know!

Happy Birthday Week!

2009-03-29T14:29:00.004-05:00

We took the girls for their free birthday lunch at Red Robin today (if you register online they send both kids and adults free food certificates). The girls LOVED it. They got balloons, a free kids meal, a sundae to share, and a birthday song. The girls didn't know what to think of the four adults singing and clapping "Happy Birthday"! Apparently though they caught the birthday spirit, because they bounced and giggled and caused general mayhem in the cribs for about 30 minutes before going to sleep at naptime!

The girls are saying more and more words and stringing them together into mini sentances. We are always amused! Here Addie is telling her stuffed animals to "sit down and eat breffast". Alex gets up earlier than I do to get ready for work, Addie is usually next (Alex gets her up) and then she comes and finds me in bed. She's become quite insistent in the mornings. Here are some samplings of what she says to me first thing:

"Light on!"
"Mommy, out (off bed)" - said while peeling the covers back
"Mommy, eat breffast"
"Mommy, pants on!" - I sleep in a t-shirt
and on the sweet mornings - "Mommy, huggg..."

We have a fun week ahead! The girls turn 2 on Thursday, but I don't think we are "officially celebrating" until the Saturday before Easter...still working on the plans for that. We just know it won't be as grand an affair as last year...we sort of traumatized the girls with all the people! We also have MOPS, Parent's Day Out, Mommy Prayer Group, PDO at my dad's school, and nice weather to boot!

Taking the Plunge

2009-03-26T13:56:00.003-05:00

We've been busy doing a few things around the rental house. Here are some pictures of Addie and Alex moving a shelf into the pantry. (And some of Mina jumping on a trampoline at a birthday party last weekend!)

Last January, we sold one of our two cars in an effort to get a jump start on paying off our $10,000+ in credit card debt. The year we spent with just one car flew by - and we didn't really even notice. I think the worst day with one car was the day we sold it - I had a sinking dread feeling in the pit of my stomach...but I hardly noticed after a few days. The girls and I actually missed taking Alex to and from work when we purchased a second car in January this year. Before we knew it, we'd paid off the $10,000 credit card debt & a $3,000 car loan.

As many of you know, we sold our house in September last year because we wanted to move closer to Alex's work...thinking maybe he could bike sometimes. There was nothing on the market that we wanted to buy by the time we had to close and vacate so we moved into a rental house. We were thinking we'd be here 2-3 months tops...and then it was longer and longer. We pay 1/3 of what our mortgage was in rent. Then we decided we'd pay cash for our next vehicle - so we stayed a bit longer until we could re-save money for a down payment...which we now have.

And then we realized that we were truly in denial about our other remaining debt...student loans. My student loans to be exact - from graduate school...ugh! Alex calculated that if we paid off the $29,000 we owe in 2-3 years, we'll pay $1,000 in interest. If we continue to make the minimum monthly payments, we'll pay $14,000 in interest...ugh again.

Every fiber of my being wants my own house, actually my "dream house" to be exact...but waste $14,000 knowingly....grrr. It took Alex several days of patience as I got MAD at even the suggestion that we stay in this rental house and pay the low rent so we could pay of the loan. Then slowly I came around. So that's the big news...we're staying here - we are taking on debt challenge #2 and paying off my student loans as fast as we can. We're going to throw every extra bit of money we have at them (tax returns, bonus checks, unexpected income, etc.) until they are GONE! Then we're going to throw a big party and celebrate being truly debt free!!

So this resolution is going to bring the rental house up yet another notch - because we're going to be focusing all our organizing/decorating/improving efforts on this house. One of the first things to go will be this "flower bed" of rocks in front that has the roots of three dead bushes. We are removing it one shovel at a time...although a guy on craigslist said he wants to come get the rock...we'll see if he actually shows up! There are cabinets to be painted, other landscaping to be improved, carpet to remove in the kitchen...a pregnant lady has to nest...even if it is in a rental house!

Springgggg!

2009-03-19T13:34:00.002-05:00

Here's a "Mary & Martha" moment from this week. Addie was busy helping me make cookies and wash dishes. I hadn't seen Mina for a few minutes so I went looking for her. She was sitting in her room in the chair "reading" - quite content to be all by herself.

The girls have discovered the love of sunglasses. They put them on, take them off, laugh at each other in between, try them upside down, push them back on their heads like headbands, etc. We can't believe how "big" they are getting! We're definitely loving all the big girl stuff they are figuring out how to do - like climb into and out of the car, sit at the table, wash their hands, pick up, hold hands with each other and friends, etc.!

I realized I hadn't taken any sweet sleeping photos since the girls were babies - so here's one from yesterday when they nodded off on the way home from playing outside at a friend's house. The girls are sleeping like logs at naptime and bedtime because we play play play outside in the sun since the weather has been so nice. (The photo with Alex is from last Saturday when they all watched some cartoons together - so sweet!)

Yesterday the girls and I took the dogs to Springfield's new dog park with my friend, Farrow and her son Holton. It was SO FUN! I loved seeing Belle (Tinsley was scared and glued to my leg) run and play with all the other dogs. The girls had a good time exploring with their friend Holton while the dogs got rid of some excess energy.

Then & Now

2009-02-28T09:09:00.002-06:00

This was then (25 weeks pregnant with the twins) -

This is now (23 weeks pregnant with just one baby!) -

Some of my girlfriends have been requesting photos of this pregnancy so - here you go! I definitely look smaller. That didn't surprise me as much as the fact that I definitely look OLDER!!! I'm not one who freaks out much about aging - just figure it is a natural progression, but I didn't expect such a difference in just 3 years! I guess that is what the 24/7 care of two small children can do to you. I've been plucking the random white hair from my head...knowing it is a matter of time before I'll have to make the "to dye or not to dye" decision! : )

The weight gain on the pregnancy has been hilarious! With the girls I gained 65 lbs total. So far with this one I gained 2-3 lbs the first weigh-in, then lost 2-3 lbs last weigh-in, and then yesterday at my most recent doctor's appointment I gained 14 POUNDS! My doctor said she wasn't worried about it and I guess I'm not either as long as I don't gain that much for every future visit! Perhaps purchasing the Ben & Jerry's that was on sale has contributed...

This morning we're off to a puppet show at an open house at my dad's school. It is SNOWING right now - so it will be nice to get out of the house with the girls. Did I mention it was 65 degrees on Wednesday & Thursday??

Oh Mina...!

2009-02-25T21:11:00.004-06:00

Mina's fever abated today, but luck (or coordination) just wasn't on her side! Since it was so beautiful, we went to the park to play with friends this afternoon. Jasmine couldn't decide if she wanted to be in or out of her swing, so she kept switching back and forth. At one point, she left her swing and walked behind her sister's swing that was in motion at FULL SPEED. Mina was knocked flat on her back with a bloody nose. You can see some of the carnage on her shirt! I'm afraid she's probably destined for more of this in the years to come...inheriting my sense of coordination!

Here's a funny set of pictures from last Saturday. Alex made fruit smoothies for breakfast and Addie REALLY liked hers. She didn't like, however, when we wanted to take a picture of her MESSY face. She actually threw a fit and hid from us until we put the camera down. This is one child who is very concerned about being clean. As you can imagine, she had to remind us all about the blood on Mina's shirt today, repeating her mantra of "messy, sister messy, messy..."

Any Day But Tuesday

2009-02-24T22:00:00.003-06:00

I am grateful that my children have rarely been sick this winter, but I could see some of the BIG ICKY coming our way last night. Jasmine was getting warmer and crankier as the night progressed. I had a feeling she'd wake up with a full fledged fever, but I HOPED it wouldn't really happen! Tuesday is the one day I am child free for 4 glorious hours while the girls are at Parent's Day Out.

She woke up with a fever - so one down. Then I realized I couldn't take Addie because pick up time would be in the middle of Jasmine's nap (who can nap forever - esp. when she's sick). So we began our "whiny clingy cooped up in the house yet another day" morning.

I decided at the conclusion of Sesame Street that I needed a shower for my sanity and since I hadn't washed my hair in two days! I put them in the bedroom with me with toys (per normal) while I showered in the master bath. Interruption #1 to my shower was a screaming match over who got to sit in the rocking chair - I turned the chair upside down so no one could rock. Interruption #2 - Jasmine screaming, I get out of the shower again to find my feverish child with blood dripping from her mouth, all over her pajamas, and on the carpet. She's somehow busted her lip...on who knows what! So I'm dripping wet with conditioner in my hair trying to soothe her, control the blood flow, etc. I eventually get her to a mild roar, hop back in the shower to quickly rinse out the conditioner, and then back to clean up Mina, the blood, etc. So much for restoring my sanity!

I get the girls settled with yet another round of toys in the back bedroom while I madly try to finish up some Ebay auctions that need to get listed!! The girls eventually wander back to the living room and are miraculously entertaining themselves without whining or fighting. I know this means they are probably doing something they shouldn't - but I decided I'd rather enjoy those 10 minutes of peace and clean up whatever mess they made! I think I made the right choice - a few shredded magazines was worth the price!

Happy Early 30th Birthday to Myself!

2009-02-20T12:50:00.003-06:00

I've been wanting to celebrate my 30th birthday (which is actually June 28th) a bit early this year, since baby #3 will arrive within days of that date! I thought it would be fun to take a trip so...

Mid-March, my mom and I will be driving to St. Louis to board an Amtrak train to Chicago.

When we arrive we'll take one of these from Union Station to our hotel.

The Blackstone.

And rest our heads in our room until the next morning.

Then we will get up early and take another taxi to Harpo Studios where we'll watch one of Oprah's live shows (airs at 9 am in Chicago)! (Thanks Cassie!!!)

I think it's going to be a trip to remember. Now just cross your fingers that the show isn't something depressing - my mom and I see enough of that as therapists! I'll let you know closer to the date when you can look for us - I'm guessing since it is a live show it will air the same day.

The Dressed and the Undressed

2009-02-08T15:33:00.002-06:00

I burst out laughing when my dad stopped by last week in this get-up! Apparently there was a 2 for 1 sale on corduroy pants at JCPenney's and he thought it would be funny to own these outrageously orange pants. My mom helped him pick out a matching orange shirt and tie and then he thought he'd really tie the outfit together with a green vest my brother had given him for Christmas. Isn't he stunning! He was telling us later that night that people out in public had difficulty keeping a straight face around him...I wonder why...! One never knows when this outfit will make an appearance again...perhaps Halloween?

And then the undressed. My Parents as Teachers educator said the girls should be starting to be able to dress and undress themselves...and I think I have been secretly inhibiting this skill. Seriously, who wants their child to be able to remove clothing whenever they want. My real fear is that they will remove clothing and then diapers and have one of the poop smearing episodes I've heard other parents tell about. But alas, I've given in and started teaching them how to undress... : ) We've also started washing our hands using a stool at the sink and putting their own toys away. The other skill they should be working on is brushing their own teeth...we're lucky if we get them brushed! I guess the first step will be getting them their own toothbrushes! Well, I'm off to look for some 3T jeans at a local resale shop - the girls are saying ouch when I button their 2T pants - seriously 3T and they are not even 2 years old yet!

sNOw bunnies

2009-01-31T18:23:00.004-06:00

We got a lot of ice and snow this week. It was the first time this winter that the ground was truly covered in snow. After much apprehension, I finally decided a "good mother" would take her children out in the snow to play even though she didn't want to hassle with all the snow gear, get cold and wet herself, and risk falling on her pregnant bottom! I'm glad I did it because it turned out to be more successful than I thought. The girls by no means loved the snow - but they were definitely curious. They would say "mess, mess" when the snow would get on their shoes and pants, but thought it was HILARIOUS when I made snowballs and threw them at them! They'd chant "more, more, more" until I'd make another ball and throw it their way.

Today it warmed up to just over 50 degrees - even though it didn't melt the snow it did make playing outside much more fun! Plus - it was the first time in a while that we've had nice weather on the weekend so Alex could join us. The girls got all kinds of special Daddy treatment - shoulder rides, throws into the air, and lots of swinging!

When I was cooking earlier this week, the girls were begging for the lemon I was squeezing into a recipe....and so they got it! They didn't want it long and said, "Trash?" and promptly threw the lemons away.

And lastly, here's a picture from tonight as Alex cooked with the girls. They LOVED being his helpers and handing him spices!

Snow Day Chores

2009-01-28T07:27:00.002-06:00

Okay...so it looks like they are washing the dishes...but really they are just playing in sink of soapy warm water while I make dinner! I hadn't tried this form of entertainment before, but my mom said that Andrew and I would spend hours at an extra sink in the kitchen playing in water... and as it turns out the girls were equally mesmerized - lucky me! Today is another day full of snow with just about everything canceled. So who knows what creative entertainment we may have to invent...

Entertainment for Two

2009-01-25T18:02:00.002-06:00

We enjoyed the one nice day this week with lots of outside time! The girls rediscovered sidewalk chalk which we haven't seen since the fall. They went to town on the back patio and were SO EXCITED...and didn't even try to eat the chalk this time. : )

And then there are less organized forms of play! We bought these plastic storage containers to help organize the girls mound of clothes for the next baby. The containers have provided hours of entertainment today. I couldn't resist taking a picture when the inevitable happened - Mina fell out of the container but rebounded with a smile and climbed right back in!

The House of Estrogen

2009-01-21T17:56:00.004-06:00

.

....also known as "The House of Pain" to Alex as he thinks about all the simultaneous menstruation, dating, weddings, clothes shopping, bathroom monopolizing, etc.! As you may have guessed our next baby is going to be another girl. I'm thrilled to have a house of little women (although I'm sure I'll have days where even the estro-madness gets to me). Now I can start all the nesting, organizing, etc. to get ready for baby #3!

How to Traumatize Your Children

2009-01-14T14:16:00.002-06:00

Step 1: Throw milk up in the air so it neatly splatters over child(ren) and the table.
Step 2: Sit back and wait for their reaction.

So the klutziness of pregnancy has arrived. I was giving the girls a quick drink of milk before I changed their clothes. I was about to hand Addie her cup when (who knows what happened) and it went out of my hands, up into the air, and landed everywhere! The girls stared screaming and I was laughing hysterically! I'm not sure if they thought they were going to get in trouble or what. At the end of it all, they just looked bewildered!

Here's a picture of our girls looking cute and grown up - just before we head out the door for a play date yesterday morning.

Here's is a more successful eating event than posted above. The girls have been sans highchairs for about a week now and loving it. They take some reminding to stay seated at their little table, but it is so much nicer to have their bulky chairs gone! (Of course, there will be a highchair returning soon for the next little one...but we won't think about that yet...). I was trying to get a picture of Addie feeding Jasmine in the bottom right picture, but by the time I got the camera Mina had had enough! Addie was dunking her banana in applesauce and giving her sister bites.

More Cookies Please

2009-01-07T17:20:00.003-06:00

I did my first baking with the girls yesterday morning. They LOVED it - especially dumping in the eggs!

Scary Baby Part 3

2009-01-02T14:25:00.002-06:00

I had a routine OB appointment today and Alex was able to go since my Dad could watch the girls. I wanted him to be able to hear the heartbeat since he hadn't heard it yet. My doctor comes in, gels up my stomach, and hears nothing.....we wait....still no heartbeat.... My doctor looks concerned and goes to see if the ultrasound tech is available. She comes back and starts telling us about our options if this is a miscarriage. We are in disbelief - thought at 14 weeks we'd be clear of miscarriage concerns. Finally the US tech is free. We go in - and there's a heartbeat! Yeah! Apparently the placenta is anterior which means it is between the baby and my belly which makes it hard to hear the baby's heartbeat until it gets bigger. Whew...yet again!

Scary Part #1 - little spotting at 8 weeks - ultrasound confirms all is well
Scary Part #2 - significant spotting at 12 weeks - hear baby's heartbeat with the doppler
Scary Part #3 - can't hear heartbeat at 14 weeks (today) - ultrasound confirms all is well

The good part is we got a hint at what the baby's gender may be...but we're not telling! : ) That is until we know for sure on the 21st of this month.

Christmas Catch-Up

2008-12-30T08:41:00.002-06:00

My parents came over to our house for Christmas morning. The girls got two large gifts this year. Nana & Papa gave them this awesome table and chairs. The girls LOVE having something their size to play on, eat at, and in general act like BIG STUFF! In the top right picture, my mom was having tea with the girls. It is hilarious to watch them hold their little cups with the side handles and drink like adults!

Alex and I got the girls a kitchen for Christmas. They love opening and closing all the doors, banging on their pots and pans from their godparents, and pretending to eat all their wood food and condiments from Alex's parents! I got the kitchen half-off at a local toy store. The owner said the grill side was broken so she'd sell it for half. I called KidKraft (the company who makes this Grill N' Bake kitchen) and they sent me a new grill portion for free. Probably the best costumer service I've encountered all year!

Here's some cute photos of Addie. Clockwise from top left, she loves wearing my shoes; she insisted I take her picture one morning and with that silly grin how could I resist; my dad was fixing a light fixture and the girls thought it was endless fun to run under the ladder; and lastly Addie giving her cousin Sawyer a hug.

Here's a picture of my nephew Sawyer! It is amazing how much he has changed since we saw him this summer. He has started taking some of his first steps over Christmas and it was so fun to get to watch! We were trying to predict who would be the trouble makers and who would be the informant down the road. Andrew (my brother) predicts that Addie and Sawyer will find the mischief, and Jasmine will come tell the adults!

Alex has had all kinds of extra time to play with the girls while on vacation. Here he's trying to entertain them to give me some time to finish a freelance graphic design project I was working on. The weather was beautiful yesterday, so we also got a chance to play outside and take a walk.

And lastly, some more Daddy hair styles from bath time last night!

Ebay Can Be SCARY

2008-12-22T07:58:00.002-06:00

As most of you probably know, I sell used women's clothing for various friends and family members on Ebay. I sell a variety of things - but one category sells way better than I would have guessed. Lingerie.... It didn't seem disturbing before yesterday. I completely understand why someone would by a used Victoria Secret bra off of Ebay for 1/4 of the $40 price tag you'd pay new. But...why would there be a bidding war for the above used underwear that ended with a male buyer paying 4X the retail value? Actually, don't think about it too long because you might come up with some of the same frightening conclusions I did...

Needless to say, I will not be putting my real return address on this package.

Shellacked Bread

2008-12-21T11:56:00.005-06:00

My new acquisition from this weekend.

I've been at White Elephant war with my Uncle Alan for several years. The war continued this weekend. Here's a little background!

Year #1 -
The first Christmas after Alex and I got married, we went to the Haas (my mom's side) family Christmas party. We play bingo every year and get "wonderful prizes" selected by that year's host. I got a shellacked hot dog bun that had flowers and other lovely things glued to it. It had been an actual Christmas gift to my Uncle Alan and his wife from a now ex-daughter-in-law. I was practically escorted out of the house when it was time to leave because they wanted to make sure I didn't leave my lovely present behind! However, the bread conveniently fit into their mailbox that was at the end of a long drive not visible from their house! : )

Year #2 -
Uncle Alan got my Aunt Louise (that year's host) to wrap up the bread and wait until I won to give it just to me. We were pregnant at that time with the girls, so I thought the "special gift" was baby clothes, etc...ah no...it was that darn piece of bread again! And - I couldn't leave it in the mailbox because it wasn't Alan's house.

Year #3 -
We didn't attend the party because the girls were still under 1 and it was in St. Louis this year - too long of a drive with little ones!

Year #4 -
I had saved the bread for two years waiting to return it to its rightful owner! We brainstormed on the way up how I could get Alan stuck with it! We thought the best scenario was to hide it somewhere in the house since Alan & Maria were hosting again. My mom suggested hanging the gift bag on the shower head in their bedroom...but we couldn't figure out how to get upstairs without raising suspicion. However, the perfect opportunity arose when Maria suggested I change the girls' diapers upstairs on their bed - yes!

So I thought I was safe - since I had the bread and hid it! Wrong! They thought that I'd misplaced the bread, so they made a special LARGER loaf themselves, rigged the bingo game by writing down all the numbers on my card, and gave me an extra special gift...my mom got a nice candle! : )

Alan tried to find the bread I hid before we left - but ah ha - to no avail! I just wish I could have seen his face when he went to take a shower this morning...!

Chillin' Indoors...Because its SO COLD Outside!

2008-12-21T11:12:00.007-06:00

Here's some photos of the girls chillin' in their pjs. Since the weather has gotten colder, the trips out off the house have lessened - meaning we don't make it out of our pajamas some days! Who wouldn't want to hang out in polar fleece all day?! I think the picture of Mina sitting back with her cup in her chair is so funny! She is watching Sesame Street and apparently quite enjoying herself.

Addie: Check this out, Jasmine, there is a button on my stomach!

Addie: Want help finding yours? I'm an expert at belly buttons since I touch mine all day long and show it undiscerning to all who will look. (We actually had to put bandaids over Addie's belly button for awhile because it was so red and irritated from all her poking and prodding of it!)

Jasmine: Anyone want to see?

This was an unexpected hilarious picture. I was trying to capture some pictures of my mom playing with the girls and the girls were so hyper it was hard to get them to stop bouncing on the bed! They were playing with my headbands and generally being silly! Addie always makes a fish face when she kisses now....I guess it is an upgrade from the open mouth kisses of a few months ago! : )

I'm am counting the days until Alex's Christmas break begins - I can't wait to have 11 straight days in a row with him! We've got so many fun things planned - movies, cookie baking, time with family, a game night, New Year's Eve with friends, and lots of rest! My main present from Alex is going to be labor (labor & delivery in July...I wish!). He's going to be painting our bedroom and some of our bedroom furniture. If I have my wits about me, I'll try and take a before and after picture!

Whew!

2008-12-19T13:03:00.002-06:00

On Wednesday night, Alex and I went to bed thinking I was at the beginning of a miscarriage. I had one previous to the arrival of the girls, so I was familiar with some of the signs. The first time we went to the ER and that was not a pleasant experience - so we decided this time to just go to bed and see what happens - always keeping the ER as a "if we have to" option.

When I woke up around 1 a.m. - there was no bleeding - not even any signs that there had been bleeding when we went to bed. At this point, I didn't know what to think. We called my O.B. first thing in the morning and they fit me in. I heard the heartbeat of the baby and was told that everything looked okay. So we are incredibly grateful and relieved! We feel completely blessed to still have Baby #3 still alive and growing - Praise God!

12 weeks

2008-12-15T13:30:00.004-06:00

This Wednesday marks me being 12 weeks pregnant with our third child!!! I'm SO ready for the morning sickness to cease and move into the more comfortable second trimester. Our third baby is schedule to arrive July 1st.

If we decided to go the all natural route - this baby could continue the generational tradition of birthday sharing. If he/she arrived just a few days earlier it would land on my birthday also known as Alex's birthday also known as Alex's mom Ang's birthday...wouldn't that be special! : )

We are definitely going to find out what we are having in a little over a month. If it's a boy - I can start getting rid of the ton of baby girl clothes we've been storing and if it is a girl I can get better organized and not have 0-12 month clothing in one HUGE bin!

So for any of you who were told "Mumms the word" feel free to now spread the news! : )