Midweek at McD's

Wednesday morning we woke up before the crack of dawn. Caleb had come to our bed at 1:30 am and I let him stay since Daddy wasn't there. Then Joshua came in extremely early, thinking he was going to curl up with me. They both wanted on Daddy's pillow, and while we snuggled for a little bit, it was fairly short-lived. Joshua went to preschool that morning, and Mamaw came after we got back home to watch Caleb so I could go into the school for parent/teacher conferences. Our Bean is doing GREAT, but I'll post about his progress separately.

When I came home, I visited with Mom (thanks for watching Caleb Luke!) until it was time to leave to pick up the Bean. Grandpa Georgia called and said he was going to grab pizza and take it to Jen's if we'd like to come over and join them for lunch. I said "Absolutely!" The boys had fun playing and eating lunch with their cousins, aunt and Grandpa. Then we came home for naps when it was time for Jen to take Emma to kindergarten.

That evening to keep busy while Daddy was away, we met my friend Becca and her children (Noah, age 5 who attends preschool at Calvary like the Bean but not in his class; Josiah, age 2, who is in Caleb's class for Study 'n Share; and Chloe, 8 months) at McDonald's on the Manheim Pike to eat dinner and play at their indoor playground.

We had a great time! Joshua said his favorites were "playing firetruck and putting out fires with hoses" along with going down the slide and playing air hockey with Noah.

As the boys played, us moms got to chat. Caleb loved shooting basketball. Noah had pulled up this chair (since the boys are too short to reach otherwise) and Caleb kept trying to shoot the ball.

Josiah's pants kept coming off, so eventually he just took them off. Then I think his big brother helped him take off his shirt inside the tubes and tunnels. Becca went up after the clothes and her almost-naked son to re-dress him while I held Chloe. We both giggled.

We left there when it was almost 8 pm, and I took the boys home and got them ready for bed. I took turns snuggling with them, singing songs and saying prayers. And, thankfully, they did well for me and went right to sleep. I felt blessed that we had survived another day without our beloved Daddy. Just as I left the boys room as they were nodding off, the phone rang and it was Daddy. One of his later meetings got canceled, so we had some time to chat. I was thrilled! It sounded like my day had gone better than his, even though he was in sunny FL and I was taking care of the boys back in the cold state of PA. Overall, Wednesday was a fun day. Joshua did wake me up overnight to go potty, but I was able to tuck him back in bed and they both slept relatively well, as did I since I hadn't slept much the night before. We actually all slept in until just after 7 am, which is a record for us!

While Daddy's Away, the Boys Will Play!

Our fun this week started on Monday when we met our friends Julie, Jude and Kate for breakfast at Oregon Dairy. They were able to seat us in the back room where the train comes round and round and we're not amongst all the older people who may not appreciate the squealing delight of little ones at the train. We've been praying for friends of ours Julie & Jim every night so Joshua kept saying we were seeing Julie, Jim and Kate. Then he would say "What's Julie's boy's name again?" So, I began to sing silly songs with Jude's name in them - we're going to enjoy some food with our little friend Jude, don't talk until after you've chewed, when you're playing with Jude. Eventually, he remembered. So cute! After enjoying the delicious pancakes and warm butter syrup, our friends came back to our house to play until lunch time.

Overnight Monday to Tuesday we got snow again. It was a rude awakening after such gorgeous weather the week before. Since Joshua had a delay, our Bible study was canceled once again. Bummer! My sister invited us over for lunch and to play after Joshua's preschool was done. She also agreed to watch Caleb for me that afternoon while I took Joshua to the dentist. I'll post about that visit another time since it's still a little upsetting to me - please pray for wisdom for us as parents and our little Bean and his teeth! Caleb enjoyed his time at Aunt Jen's even though it was his typical nap time. When we got home, the boys each took a much shorter-than-usual nap, but at least it was something!

That evening we met our friends Lisa & Isabella at the mall for dinner and a play date. Since Chris works evenings, they were free to hang out! The kids ate dinner from Burger King while I enjoyed some Chinese and Lisa grabbed Q'doba. The boys ate their entire dinner quickly as they were anxious to play. They had a blast running, jumping and climbing! I also saw some folks from preschool that I have passed in the halls but don't really know.

It never ceases to amaze me how many parents simply dump their kids off there and let them alone while they shop. The rules clearly state that all children need to be supervised. Why don't parents fear their child getting kidnapped, taking off or getting into trouble? Typically, these kids are the worst behavior-wise, from my observation. UGH! Thankfully, our kiddos had fun with no injuries. It was nice time. We left around 7:30 so we could come home and get ready for bed.

Joshua asked me on the way home if I would be lonely. I asked what he meant, and he said I wouldn't have anyone to snuggle in my bed. I smiled. He was truly concerned that I was going to be sad. I told him I'd be alright. I took turns snuggling with them, and the Bean was upset that Daddy wasn't there, but he didn't give me a hard time. They both went right to sleep... only Caleb came over around 1:30 am and crawled into my bed. The rest of the night I got kicked from my youngest son inside the womb and my middle child on the outside. That was okay because I didn't really sleep all that well anyway. Pregnancy sure brings on the STRANGE dreams. Sometimes they're amusing while other times they're downright upsetting. Either way, we had a nice beginning to our week without Shawn, and our plans weren't finished yet!

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes...

I liked this song the moment I heard it. I think the words are so powerful. Enjoy!

Hair Cuts, Silly Games & Laughter

On Saturday night, we cut the boys hair finally. I told Daddy that was my main goal for the day, and he agreed to give it a try that evening. When I said that Joshua's still looked too long at the bottom, he let me try it for the first time, giving me the shortest clipper we have. My first shot I said "WHOOPS!" And, I'm glad that hair grows back in. I did get it a little too high for how short that area is, and it didn't blend too well. Shawn is glad I have a new appreciation for how difficult it is to cut hair on a moving target. Joshua went first and then it was Caleb's turn. Caleb did NOT want to stay still. Being still is right up there with torture for him. I said, guess how many fingers Joshua is holding up, and Joshua thought this game was a fantastic idea! He was already in the bathtub at this point, and he would hold up various fingers (although he kept coming back to the number ten so he could have them all up). Each time he would count out loud how many fingers he had to make sure he knew before asking us, so we always got the answer right. Then he would say with a very surprised voice "WOW! You guys are really good at this game." Shawn & I laughed and laughed. He is such a silly Bean!

After showering the boys, both Daddy & I each took a shower because we were all covered in hair. [I also cleaned the bathroom since it was a mess with hair from both boys!] On Sunday morning, Joshua came in before the crack of dawn and climbed into bed with us. Caleb wasn't too far behind him. As we laid there and chatted, Joshua looked down at Daddy's chest that he was snuggling on. He said "Daddy! You still have hair from me & Caleb all over you!" Haaaa!!! I laughed so hard. No, that's Daddy's hair. And Grandpa Georgia will tell you that it takes a real man to have hair on his chest. Haaa!!!

The other favorite game in our household these days is thinking of words that start with the letters of the alphabet. We'll start with "A" and Joshua will say "ape" while Caleb picks "apple." I love how Joshua praises us for picking a "GOOD WORD!" for the letter we're on. Joshua moves pretty quickly through the alphabet, so Caleb falls behind. He said "How about 'duckie?' That's a good word!" Which it was when we were on the letter 'D' but at that point we were already onto the letter 'T.' That said, the fact that he knows his letters and sounds at age 2 is already good; I don't expect him to keep up with a fast-paced word game. The other night we were driving in the car and playing, and we moved on from 'C' to 'D.' I said, "who's sitting next to me?" thinking that they would answer "Daddy!" Joshua instead replied, "Cow?" (which we had just said from the letter C). Haaa!!! Shawn & I chuckled. "No, silly, that's D-D-Daddy; we already finished letter C." And the boys laughed too. I love my little boys and this stage of life! I like every stage, though, honestly. Fun times!

Double the Weekend for Double the Fun

I realized in all the love of Valentine's Day that I never posted about last weekend. Friday night, the gals from our life group went out to Loxley's for dinner. All seven of us made it, and I had a nice time getting to know these women better.

On Saturday, we celebrated Ian's first birthday with his parents Suz and Greg. Caleb was still napping when it was time to leave for the party, so Shawn stayed home with him and I took the Bean. I think Joshua missed his brother. There were lots of babies, but no one his age to play with. Eventually he decided it looked like fun to play with some of the older kids there (her relatives). I suggested that he go up to these bigger kids and tell them his name and ask if he could play with them. It amazed me when he did - he went right up to an older kid (I'm going to guess he was 10ish) and said "My name's Joshua, can I play with you?"

Sunday night was life group, and our babysitter Miranda watched the boys for us. Afterward we went on a "date." We also spent some time that evening looking at baby names. We're really struggling with this child! I'm seeing how much God renamed people in the Bible. Abram was renamed Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Jacob was renamed Israel, Hoshea was renamed Joshua and the list goes on and on. I'm hoping to get our son's name right the first time! Shawn & I disagree on names. We do have one name picked out that if we don't settle on another, we'll go with it. But, it's an awesome responsibility to name a child. Our baby is going to hear it the rest of his life, and we as parents are going to say it often as well! All that said, thus ended last weekend, and I already posted about the week in between.

The above picture was from Joshua's most recent swim lesson this past Thursday night. We tried to take Caleb along to see how he would do. And we got our answer - not well! He wanted to dive right into the water, too, without his swimsuit on (or our permission). So, I ended up taking him to the minivan so Daddy could watch Joshua's swim lesson. The next several times I'll go with the Bean and Caleb will have some one-on-one time with Daddy.

I already posted about Joshua's birthday on Friday. Saturday was an extremely windy day - with gusts up to 60-miles an hour, I heard. It was the most blistering awful wind, which was a rude awakening with how gorgeous the days previously had been. I was afraid our kids might blow away! We decided to go to the Manheim Township Public Library as a family. I was specifically looking for books on losing teeth, but I didn't find any good ones. I heard there was one about the Berenstain Bears going to the Dentist. But, it didn't show up when I looked at the electronic card catalog. I also heard there was one where one of Franklin's friends lost their teeth, and Franklin was asking all about it. But again, nothing came up in my search. I finally asked the librarian and she brought me back one on wiggling loose teeth. Since Joshua's were not lost in the typical fashion, the book would have made no sense to him. We left there a little bummed. But, we did check out a book on dinosaurs for Joshua.

Sunday we went to church as a family and heard a fantastic message on how God knit us together in the womb. We have to trust in the raw materials He created us with and be who we were meant to be - not trying to perfect who we're not or pretend like we're someone else. We can't become who God created us to be if we resent who God created us to be. While we can't use the "I was made that way" to sin, we do need to be ourselves and use our strengths and abilities if we want to live the full, abundant life God has planned for us. It really made me think. On the way home, the boys told me how much they enjoyed their classes and showed me the crafts they made. Joshua told me that he's going to tell EVERYONE about Jesus (their takeaway point from the lesson). I said "GREAT! What will you tell them about Jesus?" After thinking for a moment, he said "I don't know!" I realize we have some teaching to do! But, I love his enthusiasm! And it's great that he shares a room with his friends Kyler and Veda.

Sunday afternoon, we dropped the boys off at my Mom's house and went to Piero's for dinner where we met 14 of Shawn's extended family members to celebrate Grandma Good's birthday. As she put it, this is her 37th celebration of turning 30 (or something like that!). We enjoyed catching up with the family. When we picked up the boys, they also had new outfits for their bears that Mamaw had bought them (thanks so much!). We let the boys watch a video while we cleaned up the house and Shawn got prepared for his business trip this week. Thus ended another weekend at the Good household. :)

Happy 53-month birthday!

Happy 53-month birthday, Joshua Bean! When I think of all you've been through in less than four and a half years, my heart aches. Daddy & I have talked to God quite often about you! We want you to have a full, happy, healthy and awesome life. Haven't you been through enough already? But, I was reminded of two things this week. One, there are MANY moms out there who aren't as blessed as I am: I went to high school with a girl who buried her baby in December and our sermon on Sunday included parents who lost their teenagers in a car accident. I'm so glad that you, my Joshua, are alive and well, even though missing a couple teeth. Two, I'm reminded how God gave His Son Jesus for our sins. Jesus went through an awful lot as well. While He healed the sick, saved the lost and performed many miracles, He was also beaten, mocked and died on the cross at a young age in front of his mama. God loves you, Joshua. There's no doubt in my mind. And I need to continue to trust and have faith that all of these things will work together for your good.

Today was a beautiful day to celebrate my Bean's 53-month birthday. We spent the entire morning outside, and we have some windows open as the high today is supposed to be in the 60s. Joshua is convinced that winter is gone and spring has come. How I hope that that's the case as well! We will just enjoy each day that God gives us. In fact, I saw a sign on a church driving on route 23 the other day that says "Enjoy this day, compliments of God." I smiled. This is the day that the Lord has made! We will REJOICE and be GLAD in it! The boys always say this every morning, and I think it's a great reminder to us all. Joshua had a rough start to his morning yesterday, but our talk must have sunk in because the minute Daddy came home, the Bean informed him that he wasn't obeying mommy this morning but did much better this afternoon. It was true! That was our day! Today has been a good day. We've all gotten along well, and Joshua has been extremely helpful, calling himself "the bestest helper in the whole wide world." Yep, I agree!

As the boys were riding their little cozy coupes in the driveway, Joshua found a book in our garage for Caleb to carry. He said (and I quote), "Here Caleb, take this and save it for college." I cracked up! Since when did Joshua even know what college was? I laughed and laughed. He is such a silly boy! [Not sure how much a baby book will help Caleb in school, either.] In the meantime, Joshua also took a little watering can, two cow flashlights and a couple books for himself and stuck them all in the back of his little car. He is still quite the hoarder. He then asked me what I was hungry for, and I said "how about some cookies?" He replied "is that it?" Hmmm... it got me thinking. What sounded good was a cheeseburger sub and oatmeal raisin cookies. He said "I'll be right back!" and brought me the pretend variety. That's the low-calorie way of satisfying a craving! ;-)

The boys and I walked all around the neighborhood. Soon enough when we walk, Joshua won't ride in the stroller but will have to walk with me as baby will be in there!

They also played more in the dirt next to our house. I think when spring officially arrives, we'll have to plant some flowers there and let the boys help. I think they'd get a kick out of it. Hopefully some day they will enjoy the yard work and I won't have to do it!

Joshua is doing really well at preschool. Mrs. Dearborn said that he shared about his accident this past week during their time with a dentist who came to visit the classroom (one of the students' moms). He also LOVED some snakes that they had (I'm hoping the fake variety). Next week the reptile friends man goes to visit the school. Joshua enjoyed the presentation last year, so I know he'll like it again.

The evening of his birthday we went to our friend Chris & Lisa's house. We hadn't hung out with them since this summer, and Joshua & Caleb both had a blast playing with Isabella. It was nice to catch up with them again! Overall, it was a great day! Happy 53-month birthday, my little love!

I Am SO Sorry

One thing that Caleb has been saying lately is, "I am SO sorry." He says it with such conviction that it sounds like he's devastated for what he's done. His little innocent voice typically gets him out of the trouble he's in.

A Thump in the Night

Last night, we heard another thump and a whimper. I bolted out of bed and into the boys' room, my heart racing. "Not again!" I prayed. But, both boys were in their beds, even though Caleb was crying. I scooped him into my arms and asked what happened. He said he bumped the wall. I smiled, even though I felt bad that he hurt himself. We've been so concerned about them falling out of bed that we've been telling them to sleep closer to the wall side of their beds. This little guy rolled the opposite way of his brother and bumped his little head. But, it must not have been too hard because I snuggled with him for less than a few seconds until he was asleep again. Maybe I need to put helmets and masks on my kiddos overnight and not just for bike riding!

Da' Dentist

Last night was Joshua's follow-up appointment with the pediatric dentist. He was nervous to go, but he remembered the train table and toys there, and I finally convinced him it was a good plan. When we got to the waiting room, he found an etch-a-sketch and fell in love with it. How funny! I remember playing with those when I was little. Only, we couldn't remember (or figure out) how to erase it. He was quite the artist!

Then we were called back to the area where he got to play with the trains. Dr. Aaron Miller came in and talked to me then asked Joshua to climb up in the seat so he could take a look. As Joshua sat there, big tears welled up in his eyes, and he began to shake with fear. The doctor looked around a bit and then gave him a sticker. He noted that where Joshua's teeth weren't formed properly in the womb (in the back of his mouth) is now showing signs of decay. They had told me that was a probability ever since we first visited, but up until this point, it hadn't been an issue. He also noted there was another spot on the other side of his mouth that may have been damaged from the fall. But, with Joshua's anxiety level, he didn't want to do anything with either area for a month to give his mouth and body more time to heal.

Everything looked good otherwise, and he didn't recommend spacers for the front. He told us that we could put in fake teeth up front for a ton of money, and they would break if he ate anything too hard. They wouldn't really be helpful to save space and it would be solely for vanity purposes. He highly recommended against doing that because he said that our little buddy had been through enough. I agreed. If Joshua doesn't need them, why make him go through anything else? So, we go back to get the Bean checked out and hopefully fixed up during his spring break week of preschool in March.

After getting the Bean's stickers and answering a few more of my questions, the dentist escorted us out to where they normally give Joshua a prize for being there. But, the office ladies told us all to "COME QUICK!" to the front waiting room. We all ran out to watch their lizard (or really a bearded dragon) giving birth to eggs. I guess it's not giving birth if the eggs aren't fertilized, but either way, this thing was pushing out eggs like it was Easter! They told me that she had laid 18 eggs last week and I'm guessing there were already half a dozen in the tank with her at this point. I asked what they did with these eggs, and they said that they throw them away. She hides them all throughout her cage, and they have to dig through the sand to find them and discard them. YUCK! I asked why they don't get her a husband, and the doctor explained that these things are severely territorial and would fight with one another if they were forced to live in an aquarium together. But, it was cool to watch, and Joshua was enthralled. His dentist took a picture of the sight (they said she had never done it during office hours before - they usually just come in to find them there). Neat-o!

We went back and the office lady gave Joshua a prize (he picked a little frog out of the basket) and a cowboy boot silly band (the entire office is themed in cowboy stuff). Then we scheduled his next appointment and came home to tell Daddy about our visit. This year Caleb Luke will start going to the dentist, too. They grow up so fast!

"A Summer Day With Snow"

We have been experiencing some incredible weather this past week. Monday (Valentine's Day) was in the 50s. I took the boys for a walk, and Joshua said "isn't this like a summer day but with snow?" There is, in fact, still snow on the ground. But, it was a lovely day until it became windy during their nap time (in fact, our recycling bin blew away...DOH!). After our walk, I let the boys play in the garage. They had a great time drumming and riding their little cars, etc.

That night, Daddy got take-out from my favorite Chinese restaurant and chicken nuggets and fries for the boys. I spread out a big sheet in our good living room and lit candles all around. The boys LOVED the candlelit indoor picnic. Joshua still says how much fun it was. After we put our little lovies to bed, we continued with our tradition of watching a scary movie on Valentine's Day. This movie wasn't very scary, but it was about vampires. From what I hear, it's based on a series of novels.

Tuesday Joshua went to preschool, and Caleb enjoyed his time in his classroom as I went to Bible study. That night I made the Hawaiian Pizza Pasta Casserole for dinner. Yesterday Joshua had an extended day at preschool, trying to make up for some of the snow days. So, Daddy asked Caleb & I to join him for lunch. Our little guy was extremely confused at why we didn't pick up his big brother before eating lunch. He thought I had forgotten him, and he kept telling me over and over that it was time to get Joshua. So dear! Last night, Joshua had his follow-up dentist appointment, which I'll post about separately.

Today was another GORGEOUS day! According to the bank near Joshua's preschool, the temperature is 60 degrees even though they were calling for a high of 56. Either way, the sun is shining and it is lovely. Joshua asked if he could skip his coat, and I got our little zippies instead. I still got warm on our walk (after preschool). I let the boys play outside, and Joshua grabbed a shovel while Caleb grabbed a rake and they got lots of dirt everywhere. Part of me says "isn't it great that they can have fun and get muddy" while a bigger part of me goes "what were you thinking?!?! what a mess!!!" But, they were having a blast. They also drew lots of pictures on the driveway and had more fun in their little cars. They put chocolate milk in the gas tank. Not sure how far that will get them! Tonight the Bean has swim lessons again, and I'm looking forward to spending more time outside tomorrow. Thank you, Jesus, for this beautiful weather! Nothing lifts the spirits more than sunshine and SONshine!

The Love of My Life

I can't tell you how often I tell Shawn that I don't think he's "real" - he's simply too good to be true. I tell him that I'm onto how God put an angel on earth because no one else would be this amazing, and he's not really fooling me. He just smiles. But, then I read earlier this year as I'm going through the Bible again (in fact I read it twice) and I thought "AH-HA! I was right!" Genesis 6:4 says "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and also afterward - when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown."

Now, I'm not saying that Shawn is perfect because only Jesus Himself was perfect. But even the little flaws that Shawn have make him all the more likeable. He can't see well without his glasses; I often don't catch everything with my hearing. We say that we are each others' eyes and ears. He is so patient, so generous, so loving and full of grace. I just can't get over how such an incredible man would even think of marrying someone like me. There are many days that it just boggles my mind. But, I am thankful! If God did provide one of his own sons, then I'm grateful to the Giver for this amazing gift.

Shawn & I realized last night that this is our 12th Valentine's Day spent as a couple. In the words of our sons "that's a lot!" But, here's to hoping there's 12,000 more before Jesus takes us home. I am thrilled to be in love this Valentine's Day with the most amazing man I've ever met. Here are the flowers that were delivered to me at lunch time today:

Below are a couple songs that have been on the radio lately (or within the past year) that I've enjoyed and remind me of Shawn. The first one, I'll admit, wasn't my favorite the first time I heard it. But, it's grown on me. I especially like the bridge, and I put the words to it below the youtube video. The second song I liked the minute I heard it, and not because I think Shawn needs to do a better job but on the contrary - I think he does a great job as being head of the household and taking care of me and the boys. We are blessed. Enjoy them both! Happy Valentine's Day!

Dancing in the Minefields by Andrew Peterson


Bridge:
So when I lose my way, find me
When I lose loves chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith
to the end of all my days
when I forget my name, remind me


Lead Me by Sanctus Real

Save the Date

On Thursday, February 10, I had another check-up at the OBGYN for our third son. It was also Joshua's preschool Valentine's Day party, so when I dropped him off at school, I also helped him find the names of each child in the class and match them with the Valentines we had bought (they were cute - little 'Cars' themed valentines with a pencil that we attached). Joshua wrote his name on every single valentine, and I noticed at the end when his hand got tired, he simply switched to his right hand and he wrote just as well with it as he did the left. Strange! But I guess it's actually normal.

Once we were done handing out valentines (and Joshua was THRILLED to have the party at preschool and bring home all the little valentines and candy), Caleb & I rushed to the doctor's office. I arrived five minutes early and they took me right back... only to wait a full hour before seeing a doctor. At the half hour mark, the nurse came in and apologized, letting me know that Dr. Conslato had surgery that morning but they expected her back any minute. After another half hour went by, the nurse came back in and told me that Dr. Jones would come see me since Dr. Conslato still hadn't arrived. Dr. Jones was very apologetic and sweet, and I understand that that's part of going to a small office. If someone has an emergency, everyone else gets bumped. Thankfully, Caleb was an angel the entire time! Even the nurse commented on how good he was (since her desk was right outside our door). He really was well-behaved, and we had fun playing even though it's a TINY room.

Dr. Jones said my blood pressure and weight look good, and the baby's heartbeat sounds good. She told me that she has three sons and is thrilled with her family. I smiled. We are excited for our next boy as well. She gave me the lab paperwork to get my glucose test done and then told me to go see Loretta to schedule my c-section. We waited for a couple minutes, and then we went into the nurse/office manager's office. She gave me the date of Friday, June 3, for my c-section. I requested Dr. Conslato who had delivered my first two boys, and she said she didn't know which doctor would be on the schedule that day. If Dr. Conslato wasn't working, we could push back the c-section to the following Tuesday, but we could decide that based on the schedule. She made a note of my request. Now I'm praying that the doctor is scheduled for that day! Please pray with me! Also pray that we can find folks to watch our other boys while Shawn's helping me in the hospital. With a c-section, I can barely move, and I remember with Caleb it was vital that he was there to change the baby's diapers and hand him to me to get fed until I was able to function. I'm praying that will all fall into place as well. I am excited that our little guy will arrive two days before my birthday if all goes as planned!

By the way, the picture above is 'borrowed' from facebook of one of my friend's newborns. I saw it and thought "how precious!" I can't believe we'll soon be meeting our little guy. Here's the baby's development the last couple weeks:

WEEK 22
Fetal Development: The baby is probably close to a pound and very thin but very developed. The eyelids and eyebrows are now formed, and the brain begins rapid growth. If your baby is a boy, his testes have begun their descent from the pelvis to the scrotum. Maternal Changes: Your uterus is nearly an inch above your navel. You'll probably be gaining weight more steadily now as your baby continues to fill out. The extra weight may begin to take its toll on your back. Wear low heeled shoes (flat shoes can strain your back as much as high heeled shoes) and avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time. When you sit, use a footstool to raise your knees higher than your hips.

WEEK 23
Fetal Development: If born now, your baby has a chance for survival Let's hope, however, that the baby stays put for several more weeks!Your baby weighs about a pound now! The body is becoming better proportioned each day, and the bones of the middle ear begin to harden. Maternal Changes: If you're having some wild mood swingsdon't fret. They're normal even if they don't feel normal. Try to be good to yourself when you're feeling blue.Your baby still has room to move around so you're probably feeling kicks, jabs, flips and flops. You may even see your abdomen move. Your uterus is about 1 1/2 inches above your belly button.

WEEK 24
The baby gains about 6 ounces this week as the body begins to fill out. This weight is in muscle, bone mass and the growing organs and tissues. The weight could top 1 1/3 pounds by the end of the week. Maternal Changes: Between weeks 24 and 28, your care provider may order a glucose tolerance test to determine if you have gestational diabetes. Your uterus is 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the navel

Build a Bear

For Valentine's Day, I thought it would be neat to take the boys to the mall and let them each build their own teddy bear. I looked for a coupon online and asked if Grandma would like to join us, and she agreed. It was nice to have an extra pair of hands with the two boys. :) The first thing we did was pick out the bear shell. Joshua immediately grabbed a dark brown bear that had the tag "Bearemy" on it, and Caleb picked out the lighter bear with the name "Coconut" on it that you can see in the above picture.

Then they asked us if we'd like to add sounds to the bears. You can record your own sound, and I'm a sucker for the kids' voices. While the add-on cost almost as much as the entire bear, I have heard them the rest of the day so I think the kids enjoy them. We took our little sound buttons and went to the back room where the boys each said into their own button "I love you." It's so cute to listen to.

I have to say that the boys were pretty excited to get their teddy bears done. Joshua went first as we headed up to the woman to stuff his bear. This picture on the right is fuzzy but I loved his smile in it. It's so good to see him smiling!




The woman asked Joshua which paw he wanted his sound to go into, and he picked the left hand. When it was Caleb's turn, he picked the same hand. Then she put the sound in and told Joshua to step onto this pedal to stuff the bear while she worked the machine. He LOVED it! Caleb intently watched as the gal worked on Joshua's bear.

Here's Caleb taking his turn with the stuffing machine. I love how in the picture below he's pointing to himself, saying "my turn." The woman asked them both to spell their names so that she could write it on the bear's tags. They each gave her their names and the letters that spell their names.

After she stuffed the bear, she asked each boy to hug their bear to see if he felt "too hard, too soft or just right" and both boys agreed that their bears were just right.

Then she asked them to pick out a heart from the bin. She said to rub it in their hands to make it warm, jump up and down to get the heart pumping, put it on their forehead to give it wisdom and kiss it to give it love. Here's Caleb picking out his heart.

While Joshua did all the activities, Caleb went over and stuffed it inside the bear all by himself.

After the heart was inside, she stitched the bear up.

Caleb kept smiling and saying cheese for the camera, so I had to take a few more pictures before we went to the next station:

The next area you go to is the bath tub, where you use little brushes to "fluff" your bear and "clean" him. The boys enjoyed scrubbing their new little friends:

After that, we went to the 'dressing room' where the boys each picked out an outfit, which Mamaw bought for them (thanks, Mom!). The first thing we saw was the big boy undies, which she picked up for them.

Then I asked to make sure it was okay to take off the tags, which they said was fine as long as we brought them up at the end. So, we cut off the tags and dressed the bears. Joshua picked out a fireman outfit and Caleb wanted the soccer outfit. Mamaw helped dress Joshua's 'Bearemy' and I helped dress Caleb's 'Coconut.'

After we were done at the dressing area, we went to the computers to create the bears' birth certificates. You enter your name and what you want to name the bears. Since we had been calling them by the store names, both boys wanted to keep the names as is. So, we agreed.

Joshua insisted he needed a new fire truck to go with his fireman bear, so Mamaw agreed to stop at the toy store on the way out and bought Joshua a fire truck and Caleb Luke a little school bus to go with their bears. The boxes (almost resembling dog houses to me) were a little too big for the boys to carry, but they've enjoyed playing with them since we got home.

We showed Coconut & Bearemy to Daddy when he got home from work. It has been so adorable to hear 'I love you' over and over again from their little voices as they squeeze their bears' paws.

Here's Caleb & his soccer Coconut, posing for a picture since I didn't get one of the fully dressed bears before leaving the store.

 And here's the Bean with his fireman Bearemy.

Caleb gave Coconut a kiss before bed. Such sweetness! Happy Valentine's Day, boys! I LOVE YOU!