Thankful

Well, the big day is practically upon us. Seems like it took forever to get here, and now that it IS here, I wonder if I'm ready. I wonder if you can ever really BE ready, though... the idea that when I leave here I will have 2 kids and when I return I will have 3 is just crazy. I remember the day that Jesse drove me to the hospital in NC to have Sadie, and the way I felt as we drove down the road... thinking, "Hey... I will never be the same after this. My life will have completely changed the next time I see that billboard, or that stoplight, or that farm." Boy, was I right. Same thing with Josie... nothing has been the same since. Now that there are going to be 3 of them, I know that life is going to do another drastic change for us. It makes me sad, in a way, because as hectic and crazy as life has been the past couple of years, I have had a really great time with my two girls. They are such a joy and a blessing to me, even though it can be tough sometimes. I wonder now if I've lived in the moment enough... if I've enjoyed every second quite as much as I could have - and I know that I haven't. The only consolation is that now, it will be me and my THREE girls. Although life will be changing for us drastically, what possible bad can come of having someone else to love? I remember feeling that way before Josie was born, too... like I was shorting Sadie out of time with me. But now, oh my gosh, I could never have imagined how much they would adore each other and take care of each other and play together and just be best friends. I never would have taken that away from either one of them. This new baby, hopefully, will just add to that family dimension... and Sadie and Josie constantly surprise me with their capacity to care and love - I pray that God will keep that sweet spirit about them as they grow and mature and learn to love their NEW baby. Same goes for me. I'm excited about meeting her... having a new little person with her own personality is truly the greatest miracle that there could be. It's so mind-boggling to think that from 2 people, God can create another totally different person, unique, individual, and also in His image. I am awed and amazed and humbled that He's given me this gift. Not just once, not twice, but now THREE times. It's so true that we can do nothing to deserve His gifts... I mean, what possible things could I have ever done to begin to make up for the joy and blessings that being a mother brings? Nothing. All I can do is be thankful.

The Bigmouth

Last weekend, Jesse took Sadie on her first ever fishing trip. She loaded up her pint-size fishing pole and tackle box (courtesy of Aunt Sarah for her birthday) and left with her Daddy, so excited that she could barely contain herself! She ended up catching 6 sunfish and 1 "Bigmouth Bass." Jesse said she did really well and he was proud of her for being patient and waiting for the fish to bite! How proud of herself was she? Well, the pictures speak for themselves.

Josie and I had fun Mommy-Josie morning... she picked out what she wanted for breakfast (bacon, all-colored cereal, and oranges) AND she got to watch whichever cartoon she wanted (Miss Spider's Sunnypatch Friends) on Noggin. After that, we headed out to the big Kids' Sale garage sale at the fairgrounds. She had a good old time playing with all the toys that were for sale, and she picked out (and paid for) a brand new Belle princess doll - a whopper of a deal at only $.75!

9 More Days... 9 More Days

I am so miserable that I do not know what to do with myself. Yesterday at church, I had a sudden and unexpected allergy attack - my nose completely stopped up, my eyes started watering, I started coughing and sneezing - you know the drill. It intensified into a major headache, a low grade fever, a sore throat, throwing up, 2 amputated hands, and - oh, wait. The hands were a separate symptom... I CANNOT FEEL MY EITHER ONE OF MY HANDS. Add all this to the ginormous bowling ball attached to my belly, and you have one stinking miserable mama. I did not sleep at all last night. Again. I ended up coughing my head off while simultaneously anointing myself with Vicks Vaporub and half-heartedly watching "Sahara" with John Wayne. Jesse said when I did fall into a fitful sleep (for about 30 minutes) I only made weird moaning sounds like a dying chicken.

What can this mean, I wonder? Maybe it means that it's time to get this kid outta me! Sigh.

On a brighter note, my mom gave me a baby shower yesterday at her house, with the help of my sister-in-law. It was fun, even though I was kind of zoned out on doctor-allowed allergy medication, ie: stuff that was not very helpful. She had tons of food, and family and friends came over to wish us well and bring me cute outfits, diapers, wipes, and a fabulous gift certificate for a massage. Can't wait to redeem that one!

15 Days Left

I'm getting excited about meeting the new baby... the girls and I watched their birth videos yesterday and I remembered meeting them for the first time - and now that I KNOW them, it's just interesting to look back and see them when they first came into the world. It makes me wonder what this little girl will be like... more like Sadie? more like Josie? Will I finally have a child that looks somewhat like me? (Jesse must have very dominant genes). Whoever she is, I can't wait until she's OUT of me... no more kicking and punching and rolling over in me... and IN my arms. Can't wait to hold her and snuggle her and smell her sweet new baby smell!

Oh... and maybe when I see her little face we might actually be able to come up with a name!

Mariachi Socks

The other night when we were "belly painting" the goldfish bowl on the new baby, the girls were all crazy and excited and hopping all around. They spilled the cup of water, spilled some paint, and wreaked general havoc until Jesse got irritated and snapped at them to "Stop being so goofy!!!" Sadie stopped what she was doing, looked at me, and said, "Well, SOMEBODY's in a crabby mood."

Josie decided to wear her white and pink sparkly cowboy - excuse me, cowGIRL - boots to Sam's Club the other night (they LOVE Sam's Club... don't ask me why. I think it has something to do with Icees and Hot Dogs and Free Samples). She refused to pull her pants legs down on top of the boots, so we ended up stuffing them down inside of the boots, at which point she said, "Hey! I look like the Mariachi Band!"

Sadie, who was also supposed to be getting ready to go to Sam's Club at this time, said, "I am a grown-up. I am bigger than Josie, and I go to meetings (?) and so I am a grown-up. Hey! I am grown up now and I can take care of myself. Now, Mommy, will you please help me put on my socks?"

Last night, Josie and I had special Mommy-Josie time, and she got to take a bath all by herself. She thinks that's the best thing ever... which I guess makes sense when you've spent most of your life being forced to always take a bath with your big sister! Then we read 6 books (ending up with her old favorite, Goodnight Moon) and snuggled in the rocking chair. She said that she will still be my baby even when I have another baby. But she will also be the big sister! Tonight, we had special Mommy-Sadie time, and we just sat in the rocking chair and talked and read "Gulliver Mickey." She said that she wasn't worried about the new baby coming... she wants it to sleep in the bed with her when it gets big enough. She also said that she thinks God gave her to me first because she is such a good helper. :) I think she's probably right.

Something Fishy's Going On...

Told You

We have a new song in my iPod (yes, Jesse finally got me my very own tiny green iPod - I love it! It looks like a little pack of chewing gum!) called "Whatever Happened to the Dinosaurs? No One Really Knows." After listening to it on the way home today, Sadie said, "I think I know what happened to the dinosaurs, Mommy. I think they're all still here... they're just INVISIBLE." I said, "Well, you know what? That is just as good an explanation as any other one I've ever heard. You might be right... but nobody really knows." She said, "Well, YOU know NOW! I just TOLD YOU!"

Josie is getting funnier every day. Her voice keeps getting deeper and deeper, especially when she's trying to act "serious." For instance, when she says, "I don't want to." She insists on putting her shoes on the wrong feet EVERY TIME, because she insists "I like it that way." She's also trying to be a really good helper for me lately, saying things like, "Oh yes, Mommy, I will do that for you RIGHT NOW." I love it!

What time is it?

It's wake-up time

It's snuggle-time in bed with Mommy

It's cartoon-time

Time for breakfast

Time to get dressed

Time to do chores

Is it time for school?

Is it time for a juice box?

Is it time for stories in the special reading chair?

It's lunch-time

It's play-time

It's nap-time

Time to find Snoopy

Time to look for your Blank

Time to snuggle in and close your eyes

Is it time for Daddy to come home?

Is it time for us to help Mommy with supper?

Is it time to clean-up?

It's time to eat

It's time to pray

It's time to wrestle with Daddy

Time to get in the bath-tub

Time to wrap up like a baby

Time to be a nudie-butt... time for PJ's

Is it time for Bible stories?

Is it time to brush our teeth?

Is it time for bed already?

It's time for lullabyes

It's time for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

It's time for prayers

Time to give kisses and hugs

Time to say, "Don't let the bedbugs bite"

Time to dream sweet dreams

But not time to grow up... not yet.

Cheers and Jeers

Last night Josie was drinking "tea" with Grandma and Aunt Sarah when she decided that she wanted more milk in her tea. She said, "I need more milk!" Grandma said, "What do you say when you need something to drink?" I'm pretty sure that Grandma meant "please," but Josie held up her teacup and said, "Cheers!" Aunt Sarah is taking the credit for this one. :)

Today after church I took the girls to ride these little mini-trains in a near-by park. As we were waiting in line, they were running around in a meadow, picking flowers and chasing butterflies. As I watched, suddenly Sadie's skirt fell completely off and landed around her ankles. The look on her face was priceless... and I couldn't stop laughing as she limped over to me with one hand holding her skirt up. THEN, (she had one of those days) we were playing outside and she kicked a ball, causing her Croc shoe to fly up, up, up into the air - falling back down and bopping her square on the head. Thank goodness they're made of lightweight plastic!

Only 26 more days to go for me and the new baby (we still have no name)... I look like a CARTOON. I gained only in my belly this time, and only about 18 pounds so far. Usually, I gain all over and I'm up to about 35 pounds by now. Of course, I was sick the whole time with this one too... all this leads me to believe that it's a boy, but the doctor is 99% sure it's another girl. I guess there's just one way to find out, though, right?

Hmphh

So, in the grand old tradition of the dipstick who asked me, "You used to be a teenager a long time ago, right?" my very own husband said to me the other night (keep in mind that I am now 9 months pregnant and extremely huge and irritable)... the conversation was something like, "I feel like the baby is dropping further and further... like I might go into labor at any time with this one!" and HE said, "Well, you're older and in worse shape than you were with the first two." Hmphh.