Fun Weekend

 This weekend we were very busy with baseball evaluations, basketball games, a wedding and work.  Only one of these events were picture worthy!  Blaire and Josh were in the wedding that we went to which made it extra fun.  Here is the picture when all the bridesmaids and groomsmen were being introduced.

 Justin had an especially good time at the wedding which he needed.  He never cuts loose but he did Saturday night!  I think he told me about ten times that I was a fun pregnant lady because I still danced despite not being able to drink.  Towards the end of the reception, they served Chick-fil-A sandwiches.  It was an awesome idea, which Justin also told me about fifteen times.  The picture below was taken by one of our friends from high school.  I failed to turn the flash on prior to giving him the camera and it shows.  Oh well.

Blaire looked awesome in her dress and the weather for this wedding could not have been more beautiful.  The bridesmaids carried white muffs which you can see in the picture above and the reception was at The Fox.  We had a very Fun Weekend!!!

Fruit of Your Womb

Usually every Saturday or Sunday, I do Brice's religious education lesson with him.  This weekend I will be gone so I told him that we would do it today.  Today's lesson was about Mary and how God chose her to be the Mother of His Son.  Part of the lesson was praying the Hail Mary.  And part of the Hail Mary says,..."blessed be the Fruit of Your Womb, Jesus.".  When Brice heard this, he of course said, "What?" and I tried to explain to him about what the womb was and if there was product that came of the womb, it is sometimes called the fruit.

He said, "Oh, yeah, because when Jesus was really small inside, like your baby, he was the size of a fruit!". 

And, yes, this week our baby is the size of a lime!

Not Sure What to Call This Post

I know I have not posted in forever.  Don't think that this detail has slipped by me.  I am hoping to be out of my first trimester coma in the next couple of weeks.  In fact, Brice's birthday is my deadline.  When I was pregnant with Anna, my birthday was my deadline for feeling lousy.  With Brice, I didn't have a deadline because I didn't know what to expect.  And, of course when I was pregnant with him, it didn't matter that I took two naps a day on my days off!  I can't say that it's been totally miserable.  There are days when I do accomplish quite a bit.  The problem ends up being that I pay for that productivity the next day and sometimes even two days.  Justin has been quite awesome, I must say.  Getting up with the kids during the week and weekends when I need him to, rubbing my head for two hours one night because I couldn't sleep.  Yes, the headaches have started.  He even goes to the store for me and buys me things like this...

when I am craving it.  That's an awesome husband.  Maybe that should be the title of this post instead of Not Sure What to Call This Post!

Anyway, I am ready to be out of the coma.  I know it will go away soon but I have so much on my mind that I would like to get done and then no energy to execute the plan.  I need to find a big girl bed, bedding for Anna, switch her to big girl bed and room (this is going to be a HUGE adjustment, the girl loves her crib), work on potty training just to see if I can make it happen for all of us, plan Brice's birthday (this is first and foremost but Justin and I are locking horns on this a little which is stalling planning and then stressing me out more), work on Anna's 2nd year scrapbook, prepare the basement to be finished, and then of course be a mom, house keeper, laundry doer, chef and so forth.

I know all of this will get done and I have plenty of time but that is why I haven't posted, I've been thinking and stressing!  During all of this thinking though, I have managed to teach Anna some of her letters, S (snake), M (Mommy), D (Daddy), A (Anna), B (Brice), G (Grandma, Grandad, and glasses), T (Thomas the train and turtle) and this week N and P for you guessed it, Nana and Pa.  The kids will be staying with them this weekend while Justin and I go to a wedding.  Anna and Brice also received some nice gifts from my Great Uncle Bud and they love them.  Brice got some prepared microscope slides which he thinks are very cool and Anna got this book...

 and her favorite story in the book is "Alice in Wonderland" only when she says it, it sounds more like "Ass".  Quite funny and cute.

 Here I am reading the story to her...

 ...which makes her happy...

 ...which makes me happy.  Anna did take these pictures of me after a little instruction!

So, now I feel better than I've updated the blog.  Almost time for Brice to be home, better rest up!

Snow Dayzzzzz and Anna-isms

 Our house on Monday morning after the snowfall...I would say we got 6.5 inches.

 This is about as far as Anna would go on her own two feet.  She likes to look at it and get bundled up for it but DOES NOT want to touch the snow.

 We failed miserably at making a snowman.  Not sure what happened but I need some tips!!

 He is actually holding a snowball behind his head, in ready-to-throw position.

 Eating "snow-creme".  Justin mixed ice cream, snow, and milk to make a milkshake.

 Midnight in the Garden of Snow and More Snow!

 Icicles on our gutter.

 Brice climbed our hill in the backyard.  I followed him up after I took these pictures and it was so pretty to see the neighborhood covered it white.  Other than that, I am ready for it to melt.

I took this video on Monday morning as the kids and me especially were waking up.  You'll hear me yawn!  And despite Brice calling me a "cold wimp" I have been out in it quite a bit.  I enjoy stomping around in it and did try to build a man about three times.  I couldn't get the initial ball formed to get it rolling. And, sledding is kind of out for me being pregnant.  I love to go sledding and wish we had a real sled, like the ones you can steer with rails on it.  We had one growing up and wore that thing out in the Blizzard of '93.  Brice won't go sledding and it's driving me nuts because he doesn't know what he's missing! 

So, we have been out of school for going on three days now and today was not good mentally for me.  I decided this morning to work out just to get some negativity out and the endorphins flowing and guess who followed me down there.  You guessed it...Pete and Repeat.  They were both crawling around all under my legs and I was about to scream.  Of course I couldn't because the room I work out in in the basement is right underneath Justin's office and he is still having to work so...I haven't showered the past two days until after 3pm.  Last night, I took a nice bubble bath which I can't remember the last time I did that.  Anyway, I am stir crazy and so tired and nauseous on and off so needless to say if I could, I would put skis on Brice and push him a mile down the road to school.  People think this is so fun and "yea snow" but I was supposed to work tomorrow and can't even get there.  My co-workers have been there for days, some going on 7 day stretches.  I know they must be so exhausted and just ready to be home with their families.  They are rooming 3 and 4 to a room.  If you think about it tonight before you nod off, say a prayer for all those who have made it to work and are now stuck there.  Not sure how long this snow is going to stick around and people keep posting their pictures on Facebook with the title of their album "Snowday".  Well, guess, what, these are Snow Dayzzzzz...as in on and on.

Anna has been blossoming in her vocabulary lately and I just wanted to share, mostly for my own memories, what she has been saying.

The Grape-Anna wants to see the baby.  About a week ago, babycenter.com told us that the baby was about the size of a grape.  We told Anna that she couldn't see the baby right now because it was too little and it needed to grow.  So, now when she asks, we say, "why can't you see the baby?".  She answers, "Grape baby, growwww".

Pa's facial hair-"Anna, what does Pa have on his face?"  "Mus-crash!"

Saturday night, Brice went to my parents and so Justin, Anna, and I went out to dinner.  On the way home, she kept covering her eyes and saying in the cutest little mouse voice, "I can't seeee,  I can't seeee."  I laughed the whole way home and then when Brice heard her say it, he cracked up as well.

Sometimes, Anna will run off to play by herself and then I'll say to Brice, "Where's Anna?"  She will suddenly appear out of nowhere as if she knew I was about to ask that question and she'll say in her little girl voice, "Riig heeere!" and point to herself.

And, one last Anna-ism.  I made dinner the other night and she didn't want to eat, wouldn't even try it and then I said, "Are you not hungry?"  She responds, while waving her hand back and forth, "No yike it, no yike it."

So, there is a little bit of and update about what's been going on here.  Hope those of you who are reading this and cooped up as well find relief soon!!!

Brice the Science Kid

Brice is Mr. Science.  He loves to learn about rocks, bugs, animals, etc.  So, for Christmas, he received his fair share of science "toys".

 A Crystal Growing Kit

 "Snap Circuits, Jr" which this is a picture of Space War Alarm Combo- makes great noise!

 And, a microscope which is pretty fun to look at things.

I hope Brice always has a love for learning and especially science because this actually interests me too so I'll be able to help him study!

The End...And The Beginning

We finally finished up Christmas on December 29th with my parents at their house.  They returned from Charlotte on the 28th and had a mere half day to catch their breath before we came over for another Christmas opening frenzy!  The kids loved it of course and Anna was clapping after each gift, a sure sign of approval, I'd say.

 Brice received a Crystal Growing Kit and I must say, they are coming along nicely, I will post pics later in the week.

 This was the best part of the night...as Anna pulled the tissue paper away, she realized what was in the bag, based on the commercial and said, "PILLOW PET!!!".  It was hilarious and I'm sure the makers of these things would have been happy to capture it on camera.

 A frog for Brice, named Augie the Froggie.

 And a purple Hippo for Anna, not named but if you hear her saying something like "puppet", she is actually saying "Pillow Pet" very fast.

 What is it about simple blocks that a kid of any age will play with and then of course, knock down?!

As most of you know, December 29th was the day that Anna became so sick and stopped breathing.  This year it was still a tough day, me remembering everything we went through on that day two years ago.  I still went to bed early so I didn't have to see the time on the clock of when the event happened but I do feel as though my heart has healed and part of me always wants to remember that night when I was brave enough to save my baby girl despite the fear in my heart.  I thank God that His plan for Anna was for me to be there.  Maybe by next year, the date will pass without me thinking about it.

And so this year December 29th marked The End of Christmas...And The Beginning of this....................................................................................................................................................

That's right!!  We are due August 7th!!!  We are so excited and can't wait to find out the gender.  Brice is pulling for a boy (which I am thinking it is a boy) and when we ask Anna, she says, "Baby girl"!  The lines have been drawn and the tie will be broken.  Either way, this will be the last!  I have been feeling very good for the most part.  I've had days where all I want to do is lay around on the couch but then other days when I can be very productive and hardly notice anything feeling different.  I will try to keep you all updated as we go along and add a new ticker to the sidebar of the blog so we can count down the days until #3 arrives.