On Friday we had a 32 week ultrasound done at the hospital. We've been waiting for this for the last 12 weeks...anticipating, and hoping, and praying that we would get good news. The doctors wanted to get a good look at baby boy's bowel to see if there remained any areas of concern. We knew that if they found something abnormal that it would likely be correctable...but still, no parent wants for their baby to go through surgery right after birth (if ever).

We really felt pretty good about everything and though we were concerned we weren't overly anxious. I really felt pretty good right up until they started the ultrasound. Then the nerves hit and my stomach started churning a wee bit and I could feel the tears well up just the slightest. It's hard not to get nervous when they start looking at your baby's heart and brain...even though there were no concerns there before...it's hard not to worry that they will find something wrong.

But to our delight and relief they didn't find anything wrong! We are thrilled to share that baby boy's bowel appears normal and that whatever issues may have been there before seem to have resolved themselves! We are so very thankful for God's goodness to us in this!

And those sweet chubby cheeks you see? Those are no illusion. Baby boy is already 4+ pounds! To put that in perspective some healthy babies are born full term at 5 or 6 pounds and we have almost 8 weeks left of growing to do (oh my)! So, we seem to have a sweet, chubby little (big) guy on our hands! If fact the ultrasound tech asked me if I have diabetes... nope, I just have big babies!:)

 Oh, I am in LOVE with those cheeks already!

Mother's Day 2013

We celebrated Mother's Day a few days late this year because we were busy on Sunday with church and Lily's soccer game (though that was canceled due to rain).  So a few days later we headed to Bar Harbor for the afternoon.  This has become our Mother's Day tradition and I love it.  We had brunch at one of my very favorite restaurants (I had been dreaming of their food for weeks).  And then we headed outdoors for a little whirlwind tour of the island...it was such a whirlwind that I really didn't get many pictures this year. But we took Sadie for her first visit to Sand Beach.  It was beautiful, but cold and crazy windy.  Sadie loved it...the people, other dogs, sand, and water...she loved it so much that she kept us running in circles a bit.  The kids loved it too...seemingly unfazed by the cold or the wind I think they could have stayed there much longer than we did.  We drove around the park a bit and also had the chance to stop at the beautiful gardens we go to every Mother's Day to get our annual picture.  The children, at that point, were not so excited to be photographed but we tried out best.  Joe mentioned something about the gardens being fairy gardens and that's all it took for Lily to fall in love with it there and declare it the most beautiful gardens she has ever seen!:)  We also saw plenty of frogs and some of the biggest tadpoles we have ever seen.  After the gardens we stopped off for a quick visit with my friend Anna before we headed quickly back home for Lily's soccer practice.  The day really was a bit of a whirlwind, but it was fun and I think we need to head back to the island soon before it gets too crazy busy there!

Oh Baby...Gear and Clothes!

My husband really doesn't like having a lot of stuff (unless, maybe, it's outdoor gear)!  So a couple of years ago out of love for my husband (and when we thought we were done having our own biological babies) we gave most of our baby gear and baby clothes away.  I guess you could say, in hindsight, that was a mistake!:)  As the arrival of our little man gets closer I am starting to feel that need to prepare...and to figure out what we have for the baby and sadly what we no longer have (because we gave it away or sold it a few years ago).
I am thankful that we still have a few of the big items like the crib and changing table.  And I am equally as thankful that we have been able to borrow a few other things like a snap n' go stroller from my friend Anna and the incredible baby swing that we gave to my friend Steph (and are now borrowing back)!  My sister-in-law is even giving us their old travel baby swing (which just happens to be the same model we gave away a few years ago)...so God is providing.  My friend Christy lent us bags of newborn clothes and I have been hitting up all of the local community yard sales for other baby clothes.  So it's all coming together.  But knowing that this WILL be our last biological baby (baring some real intervention from the Lord) I haven't been super motivated to spend a lot of money to purchase the other things we need/want.  I did buy a rock n' play sleeper so that we have a great, portable place for our babe to sleep in our room for the first few months (at least).  And yesterday I finally broke down and ordered an infant car seat (because we really can't go without that).
And the rest?  Well, that's part of the reason I'm writing this post.  I guess it's time to get organized.  And maybe, just maybe, there is somebody I know out there reading this who might have some of these things that they don't need anymore (or for the time being) and are willing to give, lend, or sell to us.  So here it goes...I think that these are things we still need/want...

1.  Baby Clothes...this is looking better than it was a few weeks ago thanks to my friend Christy and yard sales, but we would still appreciate anything up to size 2T.  We do have lots of little girl clothes that we no longer need so we might be willing to trade!:)

2.  A baby activity gym (I would love a wooden tripod one but I guess I can't be too picky)!

3.  An Ergo Baby Carrier...this is huge on my wish list...but they are a little pricey so maybe somebody out there has one?:)

4.  A Moby wrap or Boba Wrap.

5.  Wooden or Fabric Baby Toys

6.  A Sound Machine

7.  At some point I'm sure I'll want an Exesaucer type thingy (we used to have two of them and gave them both away...sigh)!:)

8.  Possibly a stroller...we have one we have borrowed that you just snap the infant car seat into so that should work for the first 2-3 months.  And then my grandma might be sending me one she has and we also have a lead on a jogging stroller that a friend might sell us.  But if there are any other leads out there we'll happily take them!:)

Well, well...I think that might be it (no so bad, I guess).  Just a few other things (like pacifiers and a few bottles and diapers)...things that we really have to buy new.  We are considering cloth diapers...but that's a story for another time!:)
If you happen to have any of these things that you would be willing to give away, lend, or sell please do let me know!  Exciting times!

My kind of Spring!

It's no secret that Spring is my least favorite season.  Most of the time Spring just seems cold, wet, and muddy to me.  I do try to embrace it...but this year?  This year has been my kind of Spring.  I took these pictures a little while back on the first nice day that we got out the bikes...but that was a while ago and since then it has just been BEAUTIFUL!  It has been quite warm and mostly dry and oh so lovely.  We did finally get some rain the last couple of days, but even I could embrace that because it turned everything green and even the leaves seem to pop out overnight!  And really, with weeks of beautiful weather before that I could hardly complain.  The kids have been outside often, sometimes for hours at a time.  Yes, they often come in wet and muddy (they love dirt and water) but they play together so incredibly outside and this mama couldn't be happier to let them run and play and get muddy!  Oh, if only every spring could be this perfect.  But wait, it's still only May so maybe I shouldn't get too ahead of myself!:)

Sweet Moment

The other night I had the sweetest moment with Eli.  We were reading books before bed and he was snuggled up really close (because he is a bit of a snuggler and there isn't much extra room on the recliner these days) when the baby started moving around quite a bit.  It was the first time that Eli has really been able to feel and see the baby move so clearly and he was in complete awe.  He would give a gentle little push on my belly and the baby would respond and Eli was just amazed by the whole thing.  We talked about how his little brother was probably wondering who or what was pushing on him!  And then a helicopter flew over our house and Eli looked a bit astonished and put his ear to by belly and said, "Mama, I just heard the baby!"  I tried to tell him that it was a helicopter, but in his mind he was definitely hearing his baby brother!:)  He "played" with his little brother and watched my belly for quite a long time.  Such a sweet memory and probably the best part of my week!  I just adore that boy and cannot wait for him to be a big brother!

A Beaver Birthday

For the last couple of years Lily has really enjoyed choosing a theme for her birthday party (usually almost a whole year in advance)!  And this year for her 6th birthday she decided that she wanted to have a beaver themed party.  No, not a Bieber party (as in the singer) as one guest thought.  I couldn't be happier that my daughter has no idea who Justin Bieber is, but that instead she was over the moon excited to have a beaver birthday party in honor of her favorite animal!:)  Oh, if only she could stay this young and sweet and innocent forever!  And so this mama did her best to honor the request.  I've learned that with a little creativity you can make just about any theme into a party.  And so I present Lily's 6th Birthday!

 

The day started off with this wonderful gift from her Grammy and Bubba in Wisconsin. Isn't this stand adorable? The sign and curtains change to be able to make it into a lemonade stand or market or post office or puppet show or just about anything you want. My parents bought the stand for her and I transformed it into a flower shop and she loved it!

  Her beaver cake!  

And beaver cupcakes too!

  

The day of her birthday was bright and sunny...in fact I would dare say it was hot. Yes, most of the adults were huddled against the garage for shade and I even saw one friend trying to find shelter under the shade of the swing set fort! This was my first time really having a hot weather birthday and I made a few rookie mistakes. Namely having the food outside. The little "beaver buffet" with various pretzels and dips managed okay but it didn't take long before the cake literally melted into a small pool for chocolate buttercream. And the beaver cupcakes? Let's just say a few of their faces melted off. I was so thankful that I took pictures ahead of time and now I know to keep the food inside!  

Trying to blow out the birthday candle on the melted cake!  

We had cake and snacks first because everything was melted. And then we started the beaver activities by having each of the kids find a beaver mask and tail that Lily had hidden around the yard.  

I was really happy with how the masks and tails turned out, but both Joe and I didn't really think that the kids would keep them on for more than a few minutes. Boy were we surprised when some of the girls barely took them off the whole time (even in the heat)!  

And the sticks they had were real "beaver" sticks that Joe and Lily had found out canoeing the day before. Isn't this the cutest bunch of beavers you have ever seen (minus Eli and cousin Holly)?  

And once they were dressed the part it was time for them to make their own little beaver lodges...out of pretzels, noodles, peanut butter, chocolate frosting, and chocolate chips of course! They all worked really hard and did a great job on their lodges (except for Eli who pretty much just made a pile of chocolate chips and then asked if he could eat it)!  

My original plan a while back was for the kids to construct a life-sized beaver dam. Joe was going to build a frame and the kids would construct the rest of it with sticks. My husband was willing to humor my crazy (but fun idea), but in the end I decided to let him off easy and just do these simple little lodges instead.  

But then out of nowhere, all on their own, the girls started picking up sticks randomly from our yard and making their own beaver lodge/fort. I guess creative (or maybe child-like) minds think alike!:)  

We also played pin the tail on the beaver which was quite entertaining! And after being out in the heat for almost 2 hours we moved inside for gifts. Lily received mostly craft kits (which is just perfect for her right now) and some other sweet little gifts.  

Overall a very unique party for a very unique, special, beautiful little 6 year old. May she grow up to always enjoy beavers more than any teenage pop star!