Hurray for the Red, White & Blue

Mamaw & Papaw from Florida came into town Memorial Day weekend. Papaw had business meetings up this way, but shortly after the boys woke up from their naps on Friday afternoon, they had visitors! They were extremely excited, of course. When Shawn came home, we ate dinner at Hot Z and then came home to play for a little while before our company left to get settled into their bed & breakfast.

Saturday after nap time, we headed over their way and picked them up and then headed to Dutchway Restaurant in Gap for supper. I had never been there before, but the food was delicious... too delicious! I think we all ate a ton! Joshua ate his entire hot dog, macaroni & cheese, applesauce and items from our trips to the salad bar like strawberries & croutons. Caleb LOVED the specialty breads they had and ate quite a bit of food. We enjoyed the food and the company... and even the service (a relative of Shawn's was our waitress that night). We left and dropped off the boys to spend the night with their grandparents. I was having contractions, but nothing timed out where I felt even remotely close to calling the doctor's office. I was hoping maybe the baby would make his debut that weekend so he could meet his grandparents, but no such luck! In the meantime, our boys went to Paradise Park and played in the beautiful weather.

The boys were dropped back off at our house first thing Sunday morning while Mamaw & Papaw visited with other folks. That night, I called Miranda to see if she'd be willing to watch the boys while Shawn & I had one last date before baby. She agreed to the last minute plans, so we made pizza for them and Shawn & I went to TJ Rockwell's for the outdoor dining experience. We'd never been there before, but we highly enjoyed the GORGEOUS temperatures and being together. With a newborn, we know it will be awhile until we get some alone time together again. So, we enjoyed it. The boys had a good time with Miranda as well.

Monday morning was Memorial Day. We met Mamaw & Papaw for breakfast at Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant and then they came back to our house for a little while. For lunch, we dined on fresh watermelon that Mamaw & I picked up from Stauffer's. We even parked in the "expecting mothers" spot! They also bought each boy a fly swatter since we had one buzzing around our house that day. Later that evening we we went to a picnic that they organized last-minute with Aunt Missy for Memorial Day. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins on the playground. It was huffin' hot that day, though! Whew! We were all sweating buckets!

The kids got a little treat from Papaw, which were donuts with red, white & blue sprinkles. You can tell in the above pictures that they highly enjoyed them. Mamaw & Papaw also blessed us with some gifts for baby - thanks so much! I told our youngest son that his other brothers wouldn't have missed spending time with their grandparents, but he did by staying put. Such is life! They left the next morning to head back down to Florida. It was a fun Memorial Day weekend. :)

My Silly Boys

Last weekend, we happened to drive by a development yard sale, so we decided to stop. The place was packed and we didn't see anything great, but Daddy let the boys pick out one toy from a 10 cent bin. Joshua picked out the Incredible Hulk while Caleb picked a race car. Joshua said, "Look! This is a MEAN, GREEN PHILISTINE!" I laughed and laughed. He loves the story of David & Goliath. Daddy said this wasn't Goliath but instead his name was the Hulk. He's still a Philistine to us, though. :) As Joshua was attacking Caleb with his Philistine, we reminded him that the Israelites were God's chosen people who prevailed (so the Philistine would be thrown away if he attacked anyone). My little guy cracks me up!

I was also trying to teach the boys about the Ten Commandments. Specifically in Deuteronomy after the Ten Commandments are read to the people once again, the Lord says to talk about them with your children when you wake up, when you lie down, as you walk on the road (and basically anytime the opportunity presents itself). I thought "they might be a little young, but why not try?" For each one, I tried to explain what it means. Don't lie but always tell the truth, don't steal or take things that aren't yours, don't covet - 'you get what you get and you don't get upset!' - keep Sundays as a day for church and not a day for working, show God respect and worship Him only, don't bow down to anything or anyone other than God, don't commit adultery (so mommies and daddies only love each other and not other mommies and daddies)... I kept going, but I couldn't think of the last one. What was I forgetting? We counted them, and we realized one was missing. I said we'd look it up when we got home from our walk. And when I did, I laughed and laughed. I forgot the one that would make the most sense to teach kids - HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER! Haaaa!!! Silly mama!

The other day, I started out feeling grumpy. I noticed I was growling more at the kids, even for stupid things like accidentally spilling an entire cup of milk everywhere. I knew it was an accident, and yet I was upset that the kiddos weren't being more careful. Anyway, I knew I needed to adjust my attitude and start over. I asked both boys for forgiveness and said that I was going to start again happy instead of cross. They both agreed that it was a good plan. Then I reminded them (and myself) that "this is the day the Lord has made; we will REJOICE and BE GLAD in it!" Joshua looked at me and said "When will it stop being the day the Lord has made? Isn't that day over already?" I giggled.

Caleb has said some silly things, too, and I wish I was better at writing them all down. Oh, how my silly boys make me laugh! I do remember one recent one. The week before Memorial Day, Daddy had mowed the grass. Caleb asked to go along to the compost dump, and Shawn agreed to let him ride along as he dropped off our trimmings there (love this feature of Manheim Township!). On the way back through, the sky started to get BLACK as a huge thunderstorm was moving in. Shawn pointed to the sky, and the boys noticed how dark it was getting. Then a strong gust of wind all but knocked Caleb over as Shawn got both boys in just as it started to POUR! The following week, I told my hubby that I was low on gas. He asked the boys if they'd like to ride along to get gas and go for ice cream. Caleb said, "Yes, we'll go to the 'grass' station; but then watch out, it's going to RRRRAAAIIN!!!" Haaaa!!! He had gas station and grass station mixed up. There was no rain in site, but the storm that night left a big impression on him. Oh, my goofy good boy!

Summer Hot, Summer Not

The last full week of May, I hadn't made any plans just in case baby would come early. No matter what we tried, he seems quite content in the womb. That week, I did go shopping with Mom to get some things we needed like paper towels, etc. She also bought Joshua a little zhu-zhu pet named Yama. Caleb had one from Santa named Drako, which he loves. After we were done shopping (thanks, Mamaw!) I called Daddy to see if he'd like to meet us for lunch. I stopped at home first and packed us some sandwiches, grapes, yogurt, cheese and tortilla chips. Then we picked him up and went to Leola Park for lunch. The boys had fun playing, and seeing Daddy mid-day is always a nice treat.

Also that week, I packed some snacks and took the boys in the stroller for a walk to Stoner Park near our house. Aunt Jen stopped by with her kiddos, too, and everyone seemed to have a good time. They left when it was time to take Emma to kindergarten and we headed home as well. Soon enough at least one of the boys will have to walk with me to make room for their little brother.

We also started playing more soccer outside. The boys will talk smack (taught to them by their Daddy) and say things like "you'll never get pass me" (when it's their turn to be goalie) and "get out of here, ball!" We all take turns being goalie or taking shots to score. The boys love it! Joshua has also been doing more practice swinging at a baseball. And Caleb has quite the imagination and will make up all sorts of games outside. We love being outdoors when the weather is nicer like this! I let the boys draw with sidewalk chalk on our driveway, ride their bikes, go 'shopping' in their little cozy coupe cars, dig up dirt and look for treasures in the garage. Out back we play sports or frisbee and run. I'm thankful that summer is here. :)

My Compliments to the Chef...

I'm Sleeping With Fishes Here...In the Belly of the Whale

As my boys have been thoroughly loving Bible stories, I was thinking more about the story of Jonah. Wasn't he a sad man? I find it interesting how the story ends. He never really did 'get it,' I don't think. When I notice things that are very similar in the Bible, I start to really think about them. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days. Likewise, Jesus was raised from the dead in three days. What is the significance of the three days? Honestly, I'm not sure. In one of the children's books we have, it says that Jonah "sat in time out" for three days to "think about his disobedience." I had to laugh - the first time out was recorded in the Bible!

But, truly, I think there is a significance to the similar time frames. The story of Jonah tells us that God alone is judge. Jonah didn't think the people of Ninevah deserved the message of salvation. But, God reserves the throne of judgment for Himself. Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. We were destined for an eternity of hell because of our sin, but Jesus' blood covers us. Do we deserve it? Not at all! But once again, God alone is judge. He doesn't base His decisions on what we see in the natural realm - He gets to judge and decide who to bless with His grace. He snatched the sting of death that Satan had and took the matter into His own hands.

Then I thought about it more - how many times are we like sad little Jonah? We think that someone doesn't deserve grace. What they've done is too wrong, particularly if it's done to us. But, are we to sit on our own throne of judgment? Or do we remember that we don't deserve the mercy we've been given and we pass the situation on to God, allowing Him His right to judge. And if He says "Grace," are we okay with His authority? Or do we question "Why?" or protest? Do we allow bitterness to come up like the weed in the story of Jonah?

This is a tough lesson that I think about often. I'll admit there are times that I want to be judge and stick it to someone else when I think they're wrong. But, I must submit to God's authority. He alone deserves to judge, and I know He will do so in righteousness, love and justice.

Can't Sleep? Count Sheep!

The other evening as I was cleaning up dinner, I was listening to WJTL and a song came on the radio with a line in it about counting the lost sheep. I can't remember the song or the lyrics (great story, eh?) but it got me to thinking about the idea of counting sheep when you can't sleep. Where did this idea come from, I wonder? For it is truly Biblically based. It reminded me of the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:10-14:


“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."

When struggling with insomnia, have you ever tried counting sheep? I'm sure I've given up before 100 - probably more from boredom with the thought than with falling back to sleep. But, I'm not sure the idea is to just count them. We should be interceding during these times for the 'lost sheep.' Do you know someone who isn't saved? Someone who has put their faith 'on hold' as they pursue fleshly desires? We need to be praying for those who need to come back to the fold.

Likewise, Proverbs 27:23 says "Know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds." I read a book on management once that says that leaders are to pay attention to how the people who look up to them are feeling (in a nutshell). Do we know the hearts of those people we interact with on a regular basis? Is God keeping us awake so that we can intercede for one of his lost sheep? Do we know the condition of those around us? Are we doing enough to pray for them and rejoicing over the one found sheep? Don't get weary of counting to 100 - for there's much rejoicing over the one found as the 99 others who are doing just fine. If you're awake at night, don't miss the opportunity to pray!

Happy 56-month birthday, Bean!

Joshua turned 56-months old on Wednesday, May 18. One new thing for him is that he's now graduated to the back of the minivan. We held a special 'ceremony' of sorts this weekend to show him all the 'cool' things that go along with being in the back, including a small compartment for toys that's all his own, his ability to reach his own vent to turn it on or off, etc. We told him how proud we were of him for being able to buckle his own seat belt and being a big kid in the back. He was THRILLED! I'm so glad. He was grinning ear-to-ear at being the big kid in the back. Daddy washed the inside and outside of our minivan and put the baby car seat in Joshua's old car seat place for the boys to get used to before the baby arrives.

Joshua loves to build and fix things with Daddy. Shawn took lots of time setting up the pack 'n play so that Joshua could use his tools and help - he sawed a piece, banged a piece together with his hammer, etc. and they were so excited when the project was done! He loves his tools. He also tells us all the time all the things he's built. Yesterday he told us that he built our house while we were in Florida. The vents for our HVAC unit he said are water and ice (like what comes out of our fridge). We laughed and laughed at his silliness. He has quite the imagination! Daddy asked him, "are we buds?" and his response was "sure, we can pretend to be BUGS!" Haaaa!!!

Joshua has been staying dry overnight, and I'm thankful to have one boy completely done with pull-ups. He does still get up overnight to go to the bathroom, but that's okay. So do we! We have days where he won't eat barely a thing, but this week, he's eaten most things in sight. So, I'm guessing we're going through a growth spurt. As he was out of the stroller walking in front of me today around the neighborhood, I thought of how much he looks like Pinocchio from behind. I couldn't help but sing the song in my head "hum diddle-e-dee, an actor's life for me!" Speaking of singing, my little man loves to sing, and he sings pretty well in tune.

Joshua also loves to play games from Memory to the letters game. I realize that he knows all the letters in order, even without singing the song to figure out which comes next. And he knows several words that begin with each letter. He loves to play that game! He also loves to sing silly songs that rhyme every night before bed. Some of his favorites include "What's outside my door? Oh, I see a dinosaur!" "Mama thought she bumped the wall but instead it was hamball." "Daddy do you know what's funny? On your head is a pile of money!" He laughs and laughs. We sing goodnight to everyone, say our prayers together and then it's silly songs until we give them each the number of kisses they request - for Joshua it's always '12 and one to grow on' (I started the one to grow on, which is a zerbert on their cheek) and Caleb is always '5 and one to grow on.' Then they like to do it back to us before we tuck them in the covers and leave their room. Often we hear them talking to each other and giggling until they finally pass out. One night they talked for over an hour. Daddy and I couldn't help but smile. While we want them to go to bed, we're so thankful that they are friends.

Joshua is a great big brother, he's a fantastic helper, he loves to help clean up and put things away, and he has such a sweet spirit. I am so thankful that he's my son. Happy 56-month birthday, my Bean!

May Days

Friday, May 13, Grandpa Georgia watched the boys while I went to my doctor's appointment. He teased Joshua about not being invited over to enjoy Daddy's birthday cake, so Joshua keeps telling me that we need to make a cake to share with Grandpa. As they've been playing, they also practice numbers - adding and subtracting small amounts. Joshua thinks this is fun! They also swindled Grandpa out of money for their wallet. ;-) I said afterward that I should have gotten mine out, too! Haaa!!! That night, we asked Miranda to come watch the boys while we went out to dinner. I had planned on taking Shawn to the outdoor dining at TJ Rockwell's, but unfortunately it was in the 60s and raining on Friday, the 13th. So, instead, Shawn picked Scooter's, which has enclosed outdoor dining. When we arrived, they took us to the 'maternity' section, where three of us were all due around the same time. Too funny!

Saturday our original plans included the boys going to Nonie & Poppy's for the day and then a cookout that evening to celebrate Shawn & Poppy's birthdays, but once again those plans didn't work out. Instead, we ended up having the boys and trying to cheer them with fun family time. We went to church on Sunday, and that afternoon Aunt Missy & Uncle Kevin watched the boys for our last life group meeting of this season before we take a break for summer. The boys had a blast with the puppies & kitties and playing hide & seek. Uncle Kevin started counting to ten in Spanish, so it sounds like Joshua decided to try and follow suit, making up his own language to count. They had a really fun time. Thanks again for watching them!

Monday, even though the weather was calling for rain, started out beautifully. I planned a play date with the gals from Study & Share at Calvary's playground. The head of the preschool told me that the playground was open to the community as part of their ministry, and since it's completely enclosed and extremely kid-friendly, I thought it was the perfect place to meet. There were only two other families able to come that morning. Tara and her two kids Elizabeth (5) and Luke (3) came (she's expecting a little boy in September) and later Becca and her three kids Noah (5), Josiah (2) and Chloe (15 months) arrived. All the kids seemed to have fun playing together! I had taken a large beach towel to wipe off the equipment from the water that was there (it had rained the night before) and I had also borrowed a chair in a bag from my sister to take along (thanks so much!). It was perfect. I had a great time chatting with the other ladies, as usual. We were there until lunch time, when the boys & I left and picked up Daddy for lunch. We went to the fruit stand where we bought watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, meadow tea, bananas and more. It was delicious and made it feel more like summer than spring. That night, I got my hair done - another thing I wanted to do before the baby arrived. It POURED on my way home with lots of thunder & lightening and very little visibility. Many places were flooded, and I was so thankful to make it home safely. Shawn had dinner waiting for me when I arrived - what a guy! I had gotten it out and started cooking the chicken, but he finished the rest and it was yummy. :)

Tuesday, May 17, the boys & I had another play date planned. I figured we better get out now while we still can! :) We went to my friend Julie's house, and she gave us her baby swing as a gift for our next little guy (thank you so much!!!).  She also had made lasagna the night before, and she had salad & delicious bread to go with it, along with dessert. I took sparkling grape juice to drink along to complete our 'romantic' lunch, as we both joked. We started out with delicious coconut creme coffee in the morning (my favorite!) and the kids played and played together. You can tell that they're all getting older. They had so much fun! Jude will be doing kindergarten at home this year through the PA cyber schools and Kate just turned three. She & Caleb held hands as they walked down the stairs together. So sweet! Joshua had a little accident there, where the toilet seat fell on him. Praise God he wasn't hurt worse! My sweet boy is so accident prone. The kids enjoyed their cats and putting together puzzles and playing with all their toys, and us mamas enjoyed catching up. It was a great morning! The time flew by until it was time to head home for naps.

Wednesday was another rainy day. But, I had on my calendar to stay home and clean the whole house, and that's exactly what I did. Since I didn't get to do any of my original plans on Saturday, I moved everything to my open day on Wednesday. I scrubbed the bathrooms, dusted all the furniture, cleaned our appliances, wiped down our leather, swept & mopped, etc, etc. The boys were AMAZING that day - they played so well together and even helped clean up toys. It was an extremely productive day. I'm feeling like we're pretty ready for their little brother to arrive!

Thursday morning, I used a gift card that I received for my birthday last year and used a spa pedicure from Visage a Visage in Lancaster. The gal & I talked about birthing stories, and I enjoyed getting my feet pampered. Grandpa watched the boys that morning (and again the following morning for my doctor's appointment). I made pork & sauerkraut in the crockpot for dinner that night. Supposedly that induces labor, along with red leaf raspberry tea that's fresh-brewed. So far none of my attempts at bringing on labor have worked. But again, I'm willing to try anything. :) Only God knows for sure when this little guy will arrive!

Friday night, we went to Friendly's with our friends Chris & Lisa and their daughter Isabella. Afterward we played at their house with her scooter, bike and rocket toy outside. We had a fun time! Yesterday, May 21, we spent the entire day outside. While Daddy mowed, I walked the boys to Stoner Park to play. We also walked around our neighborhood and Daddy took Joshua's bike to get more air in the tires. A couple neighbors stopped over to chat while we were playing in the driveway as well. We ended the evening by grilling out (thanks, babe!) and playing all sorts of sports in the backyard - Joshua is doing well with baseball and soccer, and Caleb pretended he was a chef, bringing me food on a Frisbee plate. Last night Joshua prayed that his little brother would come out so that he could play with him and 'mama won't be so fat anymore.' Amen and amen! ;-)

Preschool Graduation

We knew months in advance that Joshua's preschool graduation night was also the night of Shawn's birthday. Shawn & I discussed whether or not to go - after all, Joshua just misses the cutoff for kindergarten so he'll be going back next year (but some folks in his class are moving on, so they just have a 'graduation to new classes' ceremony so no one feels left out). That said, Joshua had memorized his little verses and songs and seemed to want to go. Then we talked about how long Caleb might sit still in this type of environment. Finally, Daddy said he'd like to stay home with little Bluke for some play time, and I agreed to take Joshua to his event and watch him.

When I arrived, I was surprised at how many people were already packing up the sanctuary of the larger church at Calvary. I picked a row and asked if the seats were saved, and the woman said no, so I sat on the end. It ended up being the perfect spot because as Joshua's class was coming in, he happened to come down that aisle (and there were many to choose from!). I saw all the little ones looking around for their parents, but I was able to say Joshua's name and snap the above picture as he was walking, so we were able to see one another the entire evening.

I must say, though, that I never warned Joshua of what was expected of him. I'm not sure why? Maybe because this was my first event of him being on stage in front of an audience as well. ALL the classrooms sat together on stage in front and took turns performing (there are almost 300 students). So, as the other students were performing, while he was quiet, he & his good buddy Chase played rock-paper-scissors. Then they would touch each other's heads and giggle away. They weren't loud, but they didn't sit still whatsoever. When Joshua would catch my eye and I'd give him 'the look' with 'enough,' he seemed to listen, only for them to come up with another game (at one point, Joshua's 'scissors' turned into a 'butterfly.') Oh my! At first I was slightly annoyed, but then I thought it unfair that I didn't give him any expectations beforehand. I have no idea what his teacher told him. When all was said and done, she only said "they were squirmy, but when it came time to perform, they did great, so I can't complain."

And it's true - when it was their turn, they performed their verses and songs. The theme this year was on seasons, and his class, along with several others, performed the summer season. So, he had songs like "Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me!" So precious! And he was right out front in his little tie, looking handsome as ever. My friend Rebecca got a fantastic picture of him & his friend 'misbehaving' (and having a grand old time!) that she showed me afterward, when I got to meet her husband for the first time. If she emails it to me, I'll post it on here later.

Joshua - who was extremely happy that night - and I went home afterward and we celebrated his night and Daddy's birthday with a piece of spice cake we had made. As I mentioned before, the boys LOVED it, especially Josh, who ate three pieces! We sang to Daddy and gave him his cards and gifts, which included a new wallet since his old one is pretty well destroyed. I was sad that we didn't get to see Daddy more on his special day, but we had more celebrations planned. Happy birthday and happy graduation!

A Birthday Play Date

Thursday, May 12, was Daddy's special birthday. Joshua was SO excited to tell everyone that his Daddy was getting a birthday. But, Daddy had a busy day at work planned, and my friend Valerie invited us over to her house for a play date. I hadn't seen her in almost a year since I stopped going to MOPS and started going to the Bible study at Calvary. It was very sweet of her to invite us over. Her house was lovely, and she made us lunch, including grapes, yogurt and peanut butter toast. I took along cookies for dessert. Then we played outside.

Valerie's son Ethan will turn five this July, Alayna just turned three and Everett is approximately six months old. So, each of her kids are just slightly older than mine. I found her birthing story of this last one interesting since she chose to do a home birth. I simply can't imagine! But, then again, I had severe complications with Joshua, so it was never an option. The kiddos had fun swinging from swings they had hooked up to their tree, playing in their sandbox, playing in their tent and playing 'construction' in their mulch with shovels, buckets, dump trucks and more! The boys were sad when it was time to go, but I wanted Joshua to nap before his preschool graduation that night.

Thanks again for inviting us over! We had a great time!

Last Day of Preschool

On Monday, May 9, I dropped the boys off at my Mom's house for an hour so that I could go to etown to complete all my official paperwork, pick up my faculty ID and register my car. I've been asked to teach another class the end of summer to beginning of fall in addition to the one late fall. The kids had fun while I was gone, and I was thankful to have another thing crossed off my 'to do' list. The other night I couldn't sleep, panicking that I would be leaving my almost newborn for several hours to teach. I realize it's only one night a week, but I remember Caleb refusing to take a bottle and being highly upset by the time I got home. Please pray for peace for all of us!

Tuesday, May 10, was Joshua's last day of preschool. We were invited to join his classroom at 11:15 to watch him receive his compilation of projects he created, along with a little diploma. I asked Shawn to come along since afterward they invited families to eat a packed lunch outside and let the kids play on the playground. Caleb was extremely well behaved as we sat and watched the kids perform their little songs for us and receive their diplomas and kind words from their teacher. Mrs. Dearborn said that she appreciated how Joshua was always excited to come to school. :)

I had packed us all ham & cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit, carrots & dip and crackers and cheese. So after the program was done, we headed out to the playground to eat. My friend Becca was there with all three of her kids (her son Noah is in a different classroom, but their teacher did the same thing) and she joined us as we ate. I took one final picture of Joshua with Mrs. Dearborn (above) and Mrs. Wolfe (below). He was sad to see preschool come to an end, but he'll go back next year. For now, we're anxious for the start of summer!

Earlier that day, the students had watched a "duck walk." Calvary had a few families of ducks who laid eggs in their courtyard and gave birth to their babies. Because of where the courtyard is, there's no way for the ducks to go free unless they walk through the building (which makes me realize that maybe they put the ducks there on purpose? Who knows?). The students loved watching the ducks and then the babies swim in the fountains out in the courtyard, but at the end of the year, it was time to let them go free. So, most of the classes lined up to watch them leave. Another mom who I'm friends with on facebook took the following pictures.

Shawn took off work that afternoon since he had a dentist appointment to go to anyway. He stayed home with the boys as they napped, and I went grocery shopping to make some casseroles for our freezer. He joked that if my minivan didn't send us under financially, my grocery shopping will. I'm definitely in that nesting phase! Later, we went out for half-priced frappucinos at Starbucks since they were running a special that week. It was a beautiful day out! We enjoyed time outside that evening, as I recall.

The following day, I spent cooking, cooking and more cooking. The boys also helped me bake a cake for Daddy's birthday. Joshua LOVED the spice cake with butter cream icing we made. I've never seen him really enjoy sweets, but he actually asked for more and more cake. That evening, my mom watched the boys for us so I could take Shawn out shopping for his birthday. We went to the mall, and he picked out a pair of khakis and two shirts. I also got him a type of polish for his shoes from the Clarks store that he seemed thrilled with. I was hoping to buy him a new pair of jeans and sneakers since he desperately needs both, but he was done shopping after our first few purchases. After we were finished, we went out to dinner at the Longhorn Steakhouse, which was heavenly. I think it's the best steak I've had in a LONG time. I think we were only there once before, and I must not have ordered something as fantastic as this time. Either that, or we were STARVING from shopping first and eating second. But, we had a nice time out and the food was amazing. Thanks, Mamaw, for watching the kiddos!

Prego - It's In There

The Saturday before Mother's Day, I went shopping with my Mom for Shawn's birthday. I had a couple specific items I was looking for, but I was most amused by the amount of people who stopped to ask me if this was my first mother's day. I explained that my older two boys were home with their daddy, but it made me realize that I look as pregnant as I feel. Most wished me luck with the next one's arrival, which I thought was very nice.

I realized I haven't posted anything about our baby boy in awhile. It's not because we haven't thought about him. On the contrary, we think of him often. We discuss names (please pray that we decide on one soon!), we talk about how we hope he falls right in step with his brothers who are so close, we pray that he is easygoing like Caleb and yet wanting to be right alongside people like Joshua, we imagine what life will look like this summer with a newborn, etc.

I've been going to my doctor's appointments right along. And while I used to really think highly of my OBGYN office, I've been less than impressed this pregnancy. They are far too busy for the staff they have, and almost every appointment I've waited for over an hour while someone was delivering a baby. Once or twice and it's an emergency/mix-up/mistake - all the time, and it's downright rude to the person waiting. I've never been turned away so far, though, and thankfully everything looks (fetal measurements) and sounds (heartbeat) good each time with this pregnancy. So I guess I shouldn't complain. BUT, when they called to say that they overbooked themselves on my scheduled c-section date and had to push it back a few days from a Friday to a Tuesday, I was livid. I can't change it by being upset, but it does sincerely irk me since I already had my childcare planned out, etc. It makes me want to have the baby come early all the more, I'll admit.

I've been reading through the Bible again, as I mentioned, and I just love the following verses that remind me how God has brought this little boy to life:

"¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be." 

Psalm139:13-16

This is a good reminder that God has ordained the baby's days. While I would love to have him come sooner, only God's plans are the ones that matter. So, I'm praying that God has a special day (preferably sooner rather than later!) that our little guy will be born. As Joshua so aptly said "I think the baby will come on his birthday."

Here's what's been happening with our baby's development the past several weeks:

Week 31

Fetal Development:

Growth begins to slow a teeny bit, and the brain goes through a period of rapid development. The only major organ left to fully develop is the lungs. The baby's testes begin to descend from the body cavity to the scrotum.

Maternal Changes:

Your abdomen may be aching frequently now as your uterus is stretching more and more. Your uterus is about 4 1/2 inches above your belly button with ten weeks to go. As your baby's bones harden and grow, your calcium needs are even greater. Be sure your diet is adequate in calcium, protein, iron and folic acid.

 Week 32

Fetal Development:

The baby is up to four pounds now and all five senses are functional. The toenails are completely formed and the hair on the head continues to grow.

Week 33

Fetal Development:

At this point, the amniotic fluid is at the highest level in the pregnancy. The amount will remain constant until delivery. Rapid brain growth has increased the head size approximately 3/8 of an inch this week. Fat continues to accumulate which turns the baby's skin color from red to pink.

Week 34

Fetal Development:

The baby responds as a newborn with its eyes open while awake and closed while sleeping. He is developing immunities to fight mild infection. Those sharp little fingernails are at the ends of the fingertips already, and you might need to clip them during the first few days after birth.

Week 35

Fetal Development:

The average sized baby is around five and a half pounds now! The fat accumulations plump up the arms and legs this week. The baby has gotten big enough to take up most of the uterus, and there's less room to move around. The testes have completed their descent in males.

Week 36

Fetal Development:

With less than four weeks to go, our baby is almost ready. He could drop into the birth canal at any time now. This week, the fat is dimpling on the elbows and knees as well as forming creases in the neck and wrists. The baby's gums are very rigid.

Signs of Labor:

Here are some of the signs that labor is approaching. You may not experience all of these symptoms or be aware of them: Lightening ~ aka the baby dropped Bloody Show ~ aka the mucous plug Rupture of Membranes ~ aka your "water broke" The Nesting Urge ~ aka you want to clean everything in sight Effacement ~ aka ripening of the cervix Dilatation ~ aka opening of the cervix Diarrhea ~ aka you know this one Contractions ~ aka OUCH those labor pains!

Week 37

Fetal Development:

Average size is around 6.5 pounds now! The baby practices breathing movements preparing for life outside the womb. His grasp becomes firm, and he will turn toward light.

Oh, CRAFT!

Sunday morning as we were leaving church, Joshua said "I've got to wash my hands when I get home. I've got craft all over them!" Shawn & I asked him to repeat what he said (after we were inside the minivan) and we finally realized that the word he was using was "craft." Haaaa!!! Indeed, he had made a beautiful crown that he was wearing, complete with markers, glue, glitter and sequins which were now on his hands as well. He did have 'craft' all over him. ;-)

Happy 34-month birthday, Caleb Luke!

Caleb turned 34-months old on Sunday, May 8. You can kind of see in these pictures that his nose is a little bloody. He had gotten a cold (most likely from when we were at the doctor's before Joshua's surgery) and his nose was downright raw from blowing it so much. We finally took him to the doctor's office after two full weeks (since there's not much they'll do for a cold), and Dr. Sanchez noted that he'd "fought the good fight" with this one and prescribed antibiotics to knock out any kind of sinus infection. She also said that his nose could be a skin infection from blowing it so much but only time would tell and to come back if it looked worse. Hopefully the medicine kills off whatever has been plaguing him! At one point he told me, "Mommy, my nose doesn't work!" I think he simply couldn't breathe - it broke my heart to hear his soft little voice tell me how miserable he was. Poor guy!

With this nasty cold, he's been having trouble sleeping. He started talking in his sleep, which is driving me crazy. I'll hear "is this a word we don't say?" "Joshua, go right!" and all sorts of other things being SHOUTED from his room. I'll race in, only to find him still sleeping. But other times he's yelling because he needs a drink or a tissue or simply wants a snuggle because he's awake. It's been tiring, but it's a good reminder of what's coming with baby!

Caleb is pretty well potty-trained these days. He hasn't had a mess in his pants in... honestly I don't remember the last time. But, if I wear a pull-up on him, he tends to pee in them still. If he's wearing big boy undies, he tends to keep them dry. But, I'm always in a quandary when I leave the house - do I leave the undies on him, knowing that most likely he'll be dry but not wanting an accident somewhere out and about, or do I put a pull-up on him, realizing that he won't always give himself the lead time to get to the potty and get his pants down if he has the safety net of the pull-up? I've tended to go the route of the pull-up since they can hold a lot of wetness and he doesn't do the other unless he's in a potty, but I'm thinking maybe it's time to let go and just keep the undies on him. Either way, he's done really well with potty training and we're very happy for him!

Caleb is starting to learn how to ride bike with Daddy's help. Having both boys on their bikes makes me nervous because I don't want either one to fall, but they both love riding. It's nice that they can ride on our driveway and at the school behind our house. I know that biking is strengthening their legs. Likewise, both boys are doing more walking with me than riding in the stroller when we go for walks, but I still take the stroller along just in case they get tired. They've both chosen to climb in a time or two to either rest or because they tripped, etc. But, it's good exercise for them (even though I would venture to say that it slows me down). I'm glad that they enjoy walking because when the baby comes, at least one boy will have to walk.

Speaking of baby, Caleb loves to kiss my belly and say hello to the baby. I don't think he knows what to expect as far as having a little brother, but he's excited either way!

Caleb still loves books, look and find things (which he's amazingly good at!), puzzles, playing ball, coloring, and singing songs. He's also asked me to tell him more stories lately. Caleb is SO good at playing by himself or with other kids. There are times that I need to remind myself that he needs interaction as well; it's easy to get caught up doing laundry, cleaning, etc. because he's playing nicely but I treasure moments I get to spend with my children. Each day when we wake up, I tell them how happy I am to be home with them. And it's true. I'm so thankful to spend my days watching them grow and learn. Sometimes I think we take for granted the small steps that they are doing because we see them every day. But, my little 'Bluke is getting to be a big boy! Happy 34-month birthday, my little love!

Happy Mother's Day!

I spent a majority of Mother's Day weekend organizing clothing. Shawn helped dig out every piece of boy clothing we own or have borrowed from 0-3 months up to 5-7 years. I meticulously went through each bin and organized it by season and size. While I do this as the boys outgrow things, I also have lent them out and they sometimes come back not quite as organized. So, I wanted to go through everything and see what was stained or still in good shape, etc. I put the 0-3 month summer things in the baby's dresser and 3-6 month clothing in the armoire. I also went through all our little socks and shoes and organized them by size, putting the smallest in the dresser with our little hats and putting the next size in the closet with the shoes, all organized by size. I have a big trash bag full of clothes to throw away and another box to give to Goodwill. I also have summer and winter things all organized and labeled in bins, and Shawn was good enough to take them up to the attic in order and put them in logical sequence. I felt good when it was all done. The baby's room is officially ready to go! I will probably wipe down the furniture one last time since I haven't done that since Caleb quit sleeping in the room, but that won't take too long.

Mother's Day weekend was beautiful. We went for walks as a family, the boys road their bikes with Daddy's help, and Joshua even drew me a picture on the driveway that said "Happy Mother's Day" and there was a picture underneath it of a sunshine (with the rays coming from the circle) and a body underneath. He said it was him since he's my sunshine. Loved it!

Daddy had a card signed by the boys and a hanging flower pot for me. They also took me out to breakfast. It was a great day! Mamaw stopped in that afternoon for me to give her the flowers and gift card we had gotten for her, too. Joshua sang me a mother's day song as well.

Sunday was also another milestone/birthday for Caleb Luke, which I will post about separately.

Saturday night, though, we had our babysitter Miranda come and stay with the boys as we went to a friend's 40th birthday party. I saw a gal that I hadn't talked to since college and another woman who looked familiar and I realized that she teaches at MU in the Communications department. Small world! After we left the party, we went out to dinner just the two of us. It was a nice evening with my hottie hubby.

Happy Mother's Day!