Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween


Dearest Blessings~

Happy Halloween little ones!  I had a lot of fun at work today.  Since school was out today, our schedule was packed.  We all dressed up as characters from '101 Dalmatians' .... you all have not seen this Disney movie yet.  Our front desk girl dressed as Cruella De Villa (the villain) while all of us in the back/clinic area were the dalmatians.  The kids, and parents, loved it.  Plus, we won the costume contest put on my the organization.  We won a few years ago too!  So, at some point we're going to have a pizza party.  Yippie!  ;-)  I brought home my stuffed animal dalmatian for you all to play with.  :-)

Today we're 34 weeks gestation with baby biscuit.  So far so good, but I've been having a lot of back pain.  I believe I'm hyper extending my back when I walk.  :-P  I'll talk to the OB about it on friday, which is our next appointment.  Oh, baby biscuit, you've been passing your fetal kick count test each day.  :-)

Grace, you had a crying fit this morning as we were getting ready for work this morning.  You calmed down after I changed you and right before Penny got here.  You always wake up as we're getting ready and won't go back to sleep.  So, you stay cranky.  :-P  Joshua, you were sleeping when I left but I still kissed you!  ;-)

I didn't get home until 6:40pm.  You all greeted me with hugs and kisses.  Since it was so late, and I still needed to eat dinner (and you all were snacking) we didn't go out trick or treating.  Maybe next year.

This evening we relaxed and played some Wii games.  Daddy also calculated our end of month family goals.  Here's how we did:


Spiritual:  
Goal - church twice a month .... accomplished 100% of goal
Goal - daily Bible reading .... accomplished 100% of goal
Family:
Goal - family outing once per quarter .... accomplished 2 outings!
Goal - date night once per quarter .... accomplished (I think the next quarter starts next month?)
Mental:
Goal - photography practice 3 times a week (mommy) .... accomplished 77% (better than last month)
Goal - guitar/banjo practice 3 times a week (daddy) .... accomplished 100% of goal
Goal - read a book a month (daddy) .... accomplished 100% of goal
Physical:
Goal - exercise 3 times a week (mommy) .... accomplished 92.3% of goal
Goal - exercise 4 times a week (daddy) .... accomplished 94.4% of goal

Not too shabby!  Thanks for encouraging us!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Watch Fingers


Dearest Miracles~

You two had a good breakfast!  Joshua finished his Cheerios and Grace ate her waffle.  Then, we got ready for the day and as you two played I did 40 minutes on the exercise bike.  Also, I baked my potatoes for my work lunches this week. 

Snack time was great.  Joshua ate his applesauce and Grace ate her yogurt.  We were going to put a Mickey episode on as a reward, but we had none on the recorder.  So, we watched an 'I Love Lucy' show.  I enjoyed it!  ;-)

Afterward, we made a quick trip to the grocery store after the mail came.  You each ate a cookie while there.  We picked up a few things for the week like milk and waffles for Grace.  We were home by lunch and Grace cleaned her plate.  Joshua, it was a struggle for you, but you eventually ate it all.  :-P

We had a little bit of play time and then we loaded up to see Gloria for speech therapy.  You did well.  We're working with the Kauffman cards .... the same as Quinn.  You got to see Brent again. 

We made it home in time to see Quinn.  You did well for her too!  You're working on three syllables.  You always have fun with her and Grace played nicely too!  :-)  Then, you two had snacks as I cooked dinner.  Then, we played upstairs as we waited for daddy for dinner time.

Here's the bad news .... because of the errands and appointments .... no one ever napped today .... hummm.  As a result, people were a little hyper and cranky this evening.  Joshua tried to close the door on Grace's fingers this evening (I think it was an accident).  Needless to say, there was a lot of crying.  No one got really hurt, but Joshua was put in time out.

Once everyone calmed down, we did a new train track and played a few Wii games.  Joshua tried to play a few games but doesn't know how to correctly hold the remote .... it's so cute!  Whenever we finish a game, Joshua likes to say 'we did it' .... ha!  ;-)

Grace, you ended up falling asleep on me against my belly .... you sister, baby biscuit, kicked you!  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones! 

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Monday, October 29, 2012

35 Years


Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Today is Gigi's and Grandpa Jim's 35th wedding anniversary!  Whoa!  You'd think they'd be paroled by now!  Ha!  Seriously, it's such a blessing to you all, and daddy and I, to have both sets of grandparents with strong marriages.  Both sides are role models.

You two slept in this morning!  Whoa!  I was hoping to be running errands early but you all were little sleepyheads.  ;-)  Once everyone was ready for the day, you all played as I did 45 minutes on the exercise bike.

Brrrr .... today was a cold day!  It was also windy and rainy!  You all had a good snack time.  Joshua had his applesauce and Grace had her yogurt.  :-)

Then, we headed out and went to see Kim for speech therapy.  Grace got a little cranky in the waiting room with the other kids.  She ended up curling up on me and stopped crying.  Joshua, you got a Halloween cup from Kim with some candy in it.  You did well with the three syllable words.  We'll continue at home.  

Kim asked Grace what she was going to be for Halloween.  She said 'Gigi' and Kim thought she said 'kitty.'  So Joshua then said 'puppy' when Kim said kitty.  She then asked Joshua what he's going to say on Halloween.  He said 'Uncle James' and Kim then tried to get him to say 'trick or treat.'  Oh well!   

We ran into some rain on the way home from therapy.  Then, we had some lunch.  Since everyone ate well for snack time AND cleaned their plates for lunch, we watched one Mickey Mouse before nap time as a reward. 

We read five books for story time and then laid down for naps.  I did some laundry, took a shower, and then laid down too.  I felt a little nauseous so I ended up falling asleep with you all. 

Once awake, you two helped me make a pizza for dinner.  Grace, you were cranky while it was baking.  It got really windy outside.  This evening we played some more Wii games and read some Thomas the Train books.  I took some medications for nausea.  Hope this goes away soon. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Wii Games


Dearest Angels~

I didn't fell well last night and Grace got cranky.  She ended up falling asleep on daddy while he was still in Joshua's bed.  I'm surprised anyone got enough sleep.  :-P

Despite a rocky evening, we still made it to church this morning!  We saw Gigi play in the praise team.  We also saw Grandpa Jim and Uncle James.  You two drew during the sermon and ate a little .... I brought the rest of your breakfast that you all didn't finish earlier. 

We ended up back at our house for lunch with everyone.  Neither of you two ate that well for lunch though.  :-P  You two showed everyone your train track designs upstairs.  Uncle James helped make a new design.

Both of you went down for naps with relatively minimal resistance.  Joshua took a nap since Uncle James laid down with him.  Grace took a nap after Gigi read her a story and laid down next to her.  Everyone left as you two napped.  Then, Joshua woke up saying 'Uncle James' and Grace woke up saying 'Gigi.'  My oh my!  ;-)

Everyone had snack time once you two were awake.  Oh, I forgot to tell you all .... our microwave broke yesterday.  Looks like we need a new one.  :-P  We played upstairs after snack time.  You two like to watch the airplane game on the Wii.  As daddy flies the plane, Joshua points to everything that he sees.  :-)

We ate dinner with Mimi and Grandpa Mike.  Joshua didn't eat much but he at least tasted a few things at the restaurant.  I had some ginger ale with dinner and I think it actually helped my stomach. 

You all played a few more Wii games this evening.  I did some puzzles with Grace as Joshua watched daddy fly the plane more.  Then, you two had a bath.  I cut Joshua's nails too.  They were long and he scratched his belly in the tub. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both dearly!

~Mommy

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Lunch Date



Dearest Miracles~

We all relaxed this morning and played in the bonus room.  You all made a new train track design.  Each time you all make a new design, we take a picture.  Soon, we'll have a whole book of photographs of train track designs.  ;-)  We also did some laundry.

You all had a good snack time.  Joshua, you ate a whole piece of cheese toast and Grace had her yogurt.  :-)  Then, we played downstairs.  We passed balls back and forth.  However, you two still need to work on your catching skills.  Perhaps we should start first with a balloon.  :-P

We met our friend Allison for lunch.  Do you remember Allison .... she went to elementary, middle, and high school with daddy and I!  Whew!  You all have gotten bigger since she saw you last.  ;-)  Grace, you ended up falling asleep on me for the whole lunch.  :-P  Joshua, you begged for mac and cheese and then didn't eat it.  My oh my.  Needless to say we had some leftovers.  :-P  It was nice to catch up with a good friend.  We need to do it more often!

We made a quick grocery run afterwards.  Daddy and I wanted to take you all to a pumpkin patch but the weather wasn't nice for it.  It was windy all day with a chance of rain.  A hurricane is heading up the east coast, so I hope we don't get hit too hard.  We'll have to check on (Great) Aunt Beth later since she lives in Wilmington (near the coast). 

Afterward, we relaxed upstairs.  We watched a close and exciting end to a UNC vs State football game .... we won with seconds left!!  Go Heels!  ;-)

Dinner consisted of leftovers from lunch.  :-P  Then, more play time.  We had a repeat of last saturday though .... Joshua was grumpy again since he never napped, even though we tried to put you down several times.  I don't know why you fight it!  We tried an earlier bedtime, but then you both wanted something to eat.  Ugh.  You all didn't go to sleep until after 9pm.  Daddy read you some Thomas the Train books.  Grace, you crawled into our bed again. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Friday, October 26, 2012

Another Birthday


Dearest Gifts~

Guess what today is .... it's Great Grandma's birthday!  Woo hoo! 

Last night I didn't feel well at all.  My stomach was all sick .... yuck!  It felt better this morning, but I only ate a light breakfast with you two just in case.  :-P

Once everyone was fed, we played afterward.  I did 45 minutes on the exercise bike.  Then, we had snack time.  Joshua, you ate your applesauce and Grace, you had your yogurt.  ;-)  Then, we called Great Grandma for her birthday.  We sang 'happy birthday' to her and got to catch up for a little bit bit.  Joshua said and few things, but you two mostly smiled at the phone even though I had it on speaker. 

Afterward, we watched one Mickey Mouse episode since you all did so well with snack time.  Then we made lunch.  I cooked some hotdogs and you all had some cheese with them.  Grace ate a lot more than Joshua.  :-P  As you two played, I cleaned the downstairs.  We flipped the dishes, swept, and vacuumed.

Grace fell asleep during story time.  We were reading Dr. Seuss.  You both were napping by 1:10pm.  My stomach was still feeling risky, so I took some medicine and then read/laid next to you both as you all napped. 

After naps you two had an early dinner.  Joshua finished his plate from lunch and then had a little more hotdog.  Grace, you ended up eating 3.5 hotdogs today .... whoa!  I'm glad I made them fresh today!  Grace, you kept saying 'more hotdog' to me!  ;-)

Daddy was home a little before 6pm.  It's getting darker earlier now.  It won't be long before we'll have to change our clocks again.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Wonderful Drawing


Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

You both were sleeping when I left for work this morning.  I got to give you two kisses before I left though.  You two continued to snooze.  :-P

Today was another daddy day.  Apparently, you all didn't even wake up for him until 8am!  Daddy had already eaten breakfast and was waiting for you all to get up!  ;-)

You all got to watch some Mickey Mouse before snack time.  You both did well with snacks!  Then, you all had some playtime! 

After lunch, you all walked up to the park for more playtime.  There were other kids there and you all headed back home once you finished your water and cheeks were getting red.  Then, everyone fought nap time.  :-P

Grace eventually fell asleep before Quinn came.  And, she continued to nap during the appointment.  Joshua, you did well for her.  You all went through all your words.  Now, we're starting 'k' and 'g' sounds at the end of words.

You all had some art time today and drew another beautiful drawing of you all with me.  I love it so much!  The drawing has me walking through the door with a little Halloween bag for you two.  You all are standing waiting for me, point to my belly, and say 'Pumpkin?'  Oh my!  I know my belly is big, but your little sister is inside!  ;-)



Joshua, you finally fell asleep late this after noon after some more play time upstairs.  I got home late at 6:45pm.  Seeing you all was the best part of my day!  :-)

Grace, you can say 'hotdog' .... whoa!  This evening we played and relaxed.  We made a new train track design.  I felt a lot of baby biscuit kicks and Joshua got to feel them!  Grace, you were playing. 

You two were so cute playing together this evening.  Can you all understand each other?  You two were sitting and 'talking' to each other though daddy and I didn't know what you all were saying.  It was so cute!  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

33 Weeks


Dearest Precious Gifts~

Woo hoo!  We're now 33 weeks gestation with baby biscuit!  So far so good .... keep praying for a healthy baby sister!

Grace, you got up when I got up for work.  But, you were grumpy.  You wouldn't go back to bed even though daddy and I both tried to lay down next to you.  You finally calmed down after a while and I got to hold you and sing 'You Are My Sunshine.'  :-)  Joshua, you were still sleeping.  I gave you kisses before leaving for work.

Today was a daddy day since Penny is gone this week.  You all had fun!  Daddy put on some Mickey Mouse for you all.  You all also went for a walk and Joshua apparently pointed out all the pumpkins that the neighbors had out .... and I know there are quite a few!  It's a week until Halloween!  Grace, you ended up falling asleep on the walk and daddy carried you.  ;-)

Joshua, you never napped today and apparently neither of you ate that great.  :-P  Hummmm .... what's going on? 

Daddy had made dinner by the time I got home.  I ran late this evening, but seeing you all as I walked through the door was the best part of my day!  We all played with the train tracks and cars this evening.  It was so good to be home!  I missed you all so much!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

New Appointment


Dearest Miracles~

Guess what .... today is Cousin Stephanie's birthday!  Stephanie is Charlie and Madelynn's mommy!

We were out early this morning.  I loaded you all up and we made a quick errand to Harris Teeter because we ran out of milk.  We also picked up some other things that we were low on, like waffles fr Grace and some chicken for dinner this week.  Grace, you weren't completely into your cookie at the grocery store, so Joshua ended up eating 1.5 sugar cookies.  ;-)

We were back in time for snack time.  Joshua, you had your applesauce but Grace refused food.  Oh well.  Once you all were settled, I went on the exercise bike for 45 minutes.  I had some trouble with the television though and it frustrated all of us.  :-P  I promised Joshua he could watch a Mickey Mouse episode if he ate his applesauce (which he did) but then we couldn't get the machine to work.  Ugh.  Once it rebooted, you all were able to watch an episode as I was on the bike. 

Lunch time was right after.  Grace, you had a big temper tantrum because you wanted a banana.  You wouldn't stop crying and laying on the floor.  You finally stopped once you saw there was a banana on the table the whole time!  My goodness!  Joshua, you ate ok.  You had some chicken, cheerios, and cheese.  Then, I made my lunches for work this week as you two played.

For story time, I read you all three books.  Grace was sleeping by 1pm.  Joshua rested, but didn't fall asleep until close to 2pm.  Ugh.  I had to wake you at 2:20pm so we could make it to our speech therapy appointment, so I was hoping you would fall asleep sooner.  :-P  We got to meet Gloria.  She's a Wake County speech therapist that works out of Forest Pines Elementary School.  Your appointment was at 3pm.  She was nice, and you're working with another boy the same age, Brent, on tuesdays.  We'll also see her on fridays, but she won't be here this friday.

We made it back home a little after 4pm.  You two had a quick snack time before Quinn came over.  You did well for her as well.  We worked on your prior flash card words and started some new ones for the ending 't' sounds.  I let you all watch one more Mickey Mouse before dinner since Joshua had such a busy day with speech and did so well!  ;-)

But, you two ended up being uncooperative with dinner .... ugh.  I tried to feed you two for an hour .... what a struggle .... and it was only pizza!  :-P

Daddy didn't get home until 7pm.  We ended up playing in the bonus room this evening and relaxing.  Oh, Penny's son had surgery yesterday so she won't be here this week.  You two will get daddy day tomorrow and thursday.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Monday, October 22, 2012

Lots Of Speech


Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

You two were so cute this morning!  Joshua was late getting up and Grace and I were already eating breakfast.  When Joshua came downstairs you two hugged each other and gave each other a kiss.  It was so wonderful to watch!

Once we all got ready for the day, we went out and ran errands this morning.  First, we picked up my photograph from the Fair grounds.  Yesterday was the last day of the Fair, so we saw people packing up games, rides, and food booths.  I bet you all are already looking forward to the Fair for next year!  ;-)

Then, we headed from the Fair grounds to the pharmacy to pick up Grace's prescription from the pediatrician.  She wrote for an anti fungal for her bottom since Grace had a rash.  It appears to be clearer now, but we'll still use it just in case. 

From the pharmacy, we ran a test drive to an elementary school for tomorrow's speech therapy for Joshua.  Now that you're three years old, you're being transitioned from 'early intervention' to 'preschool services' under Wake County.  Therefore, you're now eligible to have a Wake County speech therapist give you speech lessons and our tax dollars will pay for it.  ;-)  So, we'll have speech therapy at the elementary school around the corner from us on tuesdays and fridays with a woman named Gloria.  We'll also keep Quinn as long as we can at the house and Kim on mondays since we still have credits at her office.  It's going to be busy, but we'll be able to eliminate one or two sessions after a while.  So, as of right now, your appointments are:

Mon- Kim
Tues- Gloria and Quinn
Thurs- Quinn
Fri- Gloria

Busy!  Speaking on speech therapy, we headed over to see Kim right after.  We're working with three syllable words.  You did well and she gave us some more flash cards to use. 

We were home for a late lunch.  You both ate well!  Then, we went upstairs for play time.  I did 45 minutes on the exercise bike as you all played.  Then, we had story time.  We read several books and then I tried to get you two down for naps.  You all were napping by 3pm.  I took a shower and then read.  You all were awake after an hour.

Once we came downstairs, you two helped me make some chicken pot pie for dinner.  We did puzzles and drew as it was baking.  We also worked on our ABC's .... Joshua, you got a lot of them correct!  Way to go! 

This evening we had play time.  We made a new train track design with daddy.  And, we felt a lot of baby biscuit kicks.  So far she's passed her 'fetal kick count' tests.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both very much!

~Mommy

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Birthday Lunch


Dearest Precious Gifts~

Well well well .... we were up early this morning.  We had a lot of cleaning to do before everyone came over for Joshua's birthday lunch!  We cleaned the toilets in the house (we need to replace the seats, but we'll do that later), we ran laundry, we cleaned the kitchen, and then tried to straighten up all the toys in the living room and playroom.

Once all that was done, we watched an episode of Mickey Mouse before snack time.  You two did well with snack time.  Joshua had his applesauce and Grace almost finished a container of yogurt.  You had two bites left sweetie .... you didn't want to finish it?  ;-)

Daddy and I ordered pizza and cheesey bread for lunch.  Daddy went to pick it up and as soon as he came back people started to come over.  We saw Gigi, Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, Mimi, Grandpa Mike, Uncle Brennan, Aunt Katie, (Great) Aunt Beth, Cousin Charlie, and Cousin Madelynn.  You all had so much fun playing together!  Grace, you kept trying to get right up in Madelynn's face and smiled at her.  She's almost 10 months old.  Joshua thought she was cute too, so perhaps you two will be fine with another baby in the family come december.  ;-)  Charlie and Joshua kept running around the house like wild people.  Grace would join in too.  ;-)  Daddy took some videos of you all playing and running.  I took some photos. 

Joshua, you made out like a bandit.  You got so many presents!  You got car toys, train toys, books, puppets, a rug with roads on it for your cars, a car wall plate .... plus cake and cookies! 

Once people starting leaving, Joshua went down for a nap with Uncle James.  Grace, you were rocked to sleep by Gigi, though you didn't sleep long.  Madelynn sleep too so Charlie had the entertain the rest of us.  :-)

You all were awake around 4pm and everyone left around 4:30pm.  We went upstairs to relax a little before dinner.  Dinner was leftovers, though I think you two were still hyper from the day.  It was a struggle to get you two to eat anything, and it's not like we were trying to feed you two a plate of veggies .... it was pizza!  :-P  We had to reward you all with a cookie in order for you all to eat. 

Afterward, we wrote 'thank you' cards for all the gifts Joshua got today for his birthday party.  Then, we cleaned the downstairs and the kitchen from the day.  You two played with all the new toys this evening.  Joshua, you love the 'Woody' car that (Great) Aunt Beth gave you.  You shake it and it says 'reach for the sky' (since he's a cowboy) and then it speeds across the floor on its own!  Grace, you love it too and you all kept getting exciting when it would race. 

Once you all had your baths, it was time for bed.  What an exciting day!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Saturday, October 20, 2012

No Nap .... Four Cranky People


Dearest Blessings~

Grace, you ended up back in our bed last night.  Joshua, you stayed in your bed all night though.  Way to go!  

We had a little bit of play time this morning and then headed to Target for groceries.  You each ate two cookies while there.  I think the people in the bakery are beginning to recognize us!  ;-)  Joshua wanted to get some more trains and cars, but we're going to wait and see what he gets tomorrow first.  Everyone is coming over for a birthday lunch so I'm sure you'll get some more toys from that! 

Grace fell asleep on our way home and continued napping as the rest of us had a little lunch.  She ate when she woke up.  Then, we did some laundry.  We're doing all the bed sheets and pillow cases again.  You all had some story time and then we all packed up and went for a family walk around the neighborhood.

What a gorgeous day!  You two stayed in the wagon and we walked from our neighborhood to the next one over.  We saw a lot of Halloween decorations on the houses and yards.  On our way back home, we stopped briefly at the 'Community Picnic' going on at one of the parks.  We brought back a lot of food for dinner.  Minus our quick stop, we walked for 110 minutes!  Whoa!  I was very tired afterwards and had to take a tylenol.  :-P  But, we relaxed the rest of the day.  Oh, you two didn't eat much for dinner.  In fact, you two started to get a little grumpy.  You two didn't nap during the walk.

Upstairs, during play time, you all created another design using all 100 train track pieces .... with daddy's help!  I took photos of you all.  Grace got grumpier and Joshua started to get really hyper since he never napped today.  Oh no!

Both of you two were fussy by 8pm but resisting bed time.  Which, of course, made daddy and I grumpy too.  :-P  With everyone in the house cranky, we tried to go to bed.  You two eventually gave in from a long day of being awake.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Friday, October 19, 2012

3 Appointments


Dearest Angels~

Grace, you slept with Joshua in his bed until 6am this morning!  Joshua slept in his bed until I had to wake him to get ready for the day!  Whoa!  Big girl and big boy!  I did secretly miss my little roomie, but it was nice that she was able to sleep in her own room.  We'll have to get more serious about moving people people baby biscuit will be in our room in a bassinet for a while.  So, it'll start to get really crowded in there unless you all learn to sleep in your beds.  :-P

We had a pretty busy day today.  You both had pediatrician appointments this morning and then baby biscuit and I had an OB appointment in the afternoon.

You two were first though.  Your appointments this morning were at 9:30am.  We got there a little early to update paperwork.  Joshua, this was your 3 year check up.  Grace, this was your 18 month check up (even though you're a little older than that).  We didn't leave until 11:15am.  Needless to say, they were running late .... oh lovely!  :-P

Joshua, you weighed in at 28.5 lbs and you're 36 inches tall.  Woo hoo!  You're a yard!  They did a little eye test on you and you passed.  You had to pick out shapes on the board instead of letters .... an apple, a house, and an umbrella.  Grace, you're 22.5 lbs and 33 inches tall.  You're only in the 10th percentile with weight (which is where you've been hovering for a long time), but you're 75th percentile in height!  You obviously get that from me!  ;-)  You're not that much shorter than your brother!  You got two shots today (Hep A and flu) so you were grumpy.  Plus, you had a poopy diaper while there.  :-P  Joshua, you got no shots so you were quite playful.  Joshua's not due back until his 4 year check up and Grace isn't due back until her 2 year check up.  Of course, we'll be there sooner for baby biscuit appointments come december.  ;-)

We were home by lunch but neither of you ate a lot.  Grace was still grumpy from her shots so I didn't push it.  Joshua, you were put in time out since you bit Grace on the shoulder.  I thought we were done with biting?

We didn't have a lot of time to rest until we headed back out the door for baby biscuit's OB appointment.  Since we're now over 32 weeks gestation, I have to monitor her kick count.  I need to make sure she kicking at least 7 times in two hours each day.  If she's anything like Grace was, she won't have a problem.  ;-)  My weight jumped to 164.4 lbs (oh my!) and there was no protein in the urine.  My blood pressure was 110/68 and biscuit's fetal heart rate was 142.  You two played nicely in the room as we were being examined.  You two stopped and looked up as we all heard biscuit's heart rate!  So cool!  You two got to hear your baby sister! 

Our uterine height is measuring 34cm.  The OB today was guessing biscuit will be bigger than Grace was when born.  Hummm .... we're going to get even bigger?  Oh dear!  

I was so proud of you two during the appointment.  You all were on your best behavior and we were in and out in about 15 minutes.  Everyone thought you two were so cute!  :-)

Once home we had story time.  I read you all 4 books and then we rested.  Joshua played with my hair until he fell asleep.  You two were napping by 2:45pm.  I read and laid down as you all napped.

Daddy was home a little early.  We made bacon and pancakes for dinner.  Then we played until bedtime.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Feeling Better


Dearest Blessings~

Everyone was awake early again today.  Grace, you curled up with me last night.  Neither one of us slept that well.  Ugh.  You were played this morning as we were getting ready for work though.  You felt a little warm, but playful.  I gave you some tylenol before I left.  Penny kept a close eye on you today.  If you got worse, she would have called one of us.  Luckily, you were fine for her.  

Joshua, you had some alphabet soup with Penny.  Apparently you liked to find the letters in your soup!  Oh, and you did well for Quinn today.  We skipped your lesson this past tuesday for your birthday, but you got to see her today.

I got home late at 6:40pm.  Daddy had made a pizza for dinner.  Grace, you weren't fussy this evening and you ate more than last night.  You must be on the mend.  Oh, and you weren't as warm this evening as you were yesterday.  And, you two both gave me kisses when I came through the door.  ;-)

We all read lots of books this evening and played together.  We had lots of baby biscuit kicks too.  Oh, she kicked Grace again.  ;-)  Tomorrow we have another OB appointment to check on her.  And, you two both have pediatrician appointments.  So, it'll be a busy day! 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Not Feeling Well


Dearest Miracles~

Everyone was awake this morning as daddy and I were getting ready for work.  So, everyone got hugs and kisses!  You two were already playing with trains/tracks and cars from yesterday!  You two must really like them!  ;-)

Today we're 32 weeks gestation!  So far so good!  We have a little less than 2 months left until our planned C section.  Are you all excited?  We're so close to a name for baby sister.  I don't know if Grace fully understands that we're having a baby.  We've gotten Joshua to say 'baby girl' a few times, so I think he might understand.  

You all had fun with Penny today.  You all used all 100 train track pieces and made the train track go all around the couch in the playroom .... whoa!  Pretty cool!  

Joshua, when daddy got home you flung open the pantry door and said 'teddy grahams' plain as day!  You always said 'bears' before.  When did you learn teddy grahams?  You're getting so smart!  ;-)

I got home at 6:15pm.  Grace was warm with a rash on her bottom.  We gave her some tylenol and she was fussy during dinner.  Grace, you eventually fell asleep on daddy.  So, we went upstairs to relax and you continued to nap.  By 7:30pm, you were back awake and played with a few trains and cars.  Daddy and I put the presidential debate on in the background.  But, Grace, you got grumpy pretty fast again and curled up with daddy.  I hate when you two don't feel well.  Poor little thing!

Joshua, you were so cute with your race cars this evening.  You kept saying (by yourself spontaneously) 'ready .... set .... go!' and would race them around.  Way to go little man!  You're so cute!  ;-)

By 7:45pm, Grace had moved over to me and laid against me.  Baby biscuit kicked her.  ;-)

I wanted to share with you two the Bible devotional from today.  The verse for today is Luke 18:17 which states, 'Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'  (NIV)

The devotional read:

Maybe part of the reason God gives us children is so we can see Him more clearly.  The way our children relate to us gives us unique insight into to the way we relate to our Father.  When our children give us a drawing, inexpert as it may be, we hang it on our refrigerator or office wall.  It's the motivation that we treasure, not the execution.  If our kids' gifts give us that much joy, imagine how God must feel when we offer gifts to Him with hearts motivated by love.  

Likewise, when our children act selfishly, rebelliously, or disobediently, we see a glimpse of the other side of our relationship with our Father.  The pain we feel when our children rebel cannot compare with the pain of our Father, for whom the stakes are much higher.

We can learn a lot about God from our relationship with our kids.  And we should emulate their best characteristics when we relate to our heavenly Father.  A loving child exhibits humility, faith, dependence and a sense of wonder that makes lift exciting.  A rebellious child is selfish, petty, and disobedient.  Jesus instructs us to be childlike but not childish.

The loving child is a model for our relationship with God.

I thought that was so interesting.  I never truly thought about God's relationship towards us as a 'Father' until I looked back on this and my relationship with you all as a mother.  I pray daddy and I can be good Christian models for you all.  And, I pray we all can have strong Christian relationships together as a family as you all get bigger.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Happy 3rd Birthday!


Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY TO JOSHUA!  You're such a miracle and blessing in our lives!  We love you so much little man!  Guess who was first at wishing you a happy birthday .... Grace!  She crawled into your bed this morning and hugged you.  ;-)

We had a nice breakfast together this morning.  Daddy took off from work today so we could spend the day together for Joshua's birthday!  Once everyone was done eating, we headed upstairs to get ready for the day.  You two watched a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode .... I think this is your new favorite show!  ;-)

Then, we headed downstairs for snack time and Uncle Brennan came over!  For your birthday little man, all five of us went back out to the State Fair for more fun!  Woo hoo! 

When we got there, we saw Cousin Stephanie and Cousin Madelynn (Charlie was back in Wilmington).  Whoa .... we walked all around!  We saw my photograph again (yippie!) and had lunch and snacks while there.  Joshua kept saying he wanted french fries, so we got a container of them and then he only ate a few.  Good thing Grace wanted some too!  ;-)

You all weren't as daring today .... so no one rode on any rides.  You two rode around in the wagon as daddy pulled you though.  We saw lots of people, animals, crafts, and the biggest pumpkin.  I think it was around 522 lbs! 

We got home by 4:30pm and my feet were tired!  Joshua, you napped once home.  Grace, you were in and out of naps.  We all relaxed and put our feet up.  Grace, you ended up wetting your pants from all the milk you drank at the Fair!  You sure soaked that diaper!  ;-)

Once Joshua woke, we cooked dinner and baked some birthday brownies that Joshua picked out at the store .... the Funfetti ones!  For dinner, we had chicken, rice, and veggies.  You two didn't eat much .... I guess you were full of Fair food.  ;-)  But, you both ate some brownie!  :-P

You all got to speak to a lot of people for Joshua's birthday.  Your Great Grandpa and Great Grandma sang to you, you facetimed with Gigi, Uncle James, and Grandpa Jim, you spoke to Mimi and Grandpa Mike, and you saw Uncle Brennan, Cousin Stephanie, and Cousin Madelynn.  Plus, I got lots of text messages from coworkers wishing you a happy birthday!  Whoa .... you are so popular little man!  ;-)

After dinner, we headed upstairs and opened gifts!  You got lots of wooden tracks for your choo choo trains from your sisters .... it was a box of 100 pieces!  And, daddy and I got you little race cars!  Both of you two played with them this evening before we got ready for bed.  :-)

What a busy and fun day!  We're so proud of you and what you've done over the past three years!  You and your sisters are true miracles and blessings .... we love you all so very much!  I can't believe you're already 3 years old! 

Happy Birthday little man!  You're growing way too fast!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so very much!

~Mommy

Monday, October 15, 2012

Dancing


Dearest Blessings~

Tomorrow is Joshua's birthday!  I hope you two are ready .... daddy is taking off so we can have a lot of fun together!  ;-)

This morning was pretty relaxing.  As you two played, I did 45 minutes on the exercise bike.  I only had to get off once to wipe Joshua's nose.  :-P  It was pretty cloudy this morning.  You two did well for your snack time.  Joshua, you had your applesauce and Grace, you had your yogurt!  :-)  Then, we played with blocks and puzzles before having to leave for speech therapy with Kim.

You did well for Kim today.  We're still working on putting sentences together.  We've been practicing this at home.  If you say 'water' to me, I tell you to use your sentence.  Then you, usually, say 'I want water please' .... sometimes you even say 'mommy' too!   ;-)   Kim gave you a squeaky frog toy since tomorrow is your birthday!

We were home for lunch and you two ate pretty well.  You all munched on hotdogs, mac and cheese, apple pieces, and pumpkin bread.  Yummy!

You two like I dance to the music from your toys.  It's so cute and funny to watch!  Grace really gets into it sometimes!  I took a video of you all bopping around!  ;-)

It started to rain after lunch.  We watched one Mickey Mouse episode and then you each picked out one book to read for nap time.  You each curled up on either side of me as we rested for nap time.  Joshua played with my hair and Grace played with my face.  Little lady, you kept smushing me like I was play do'h!  You two were napping by 2:30pm.  I took a shower, did laundry, and read as you two napped.  It started to really storm outside!  Grace, you woke up crying after an hour, so I laid back down with you two.  Joshua kept napping. 

You two helped me cook a nice dinner of eggs, bacon, cheese toast, and apples.  Hummm .... I got mixed reviews from you two.  Oh well.  :-P

Daddy got home late this evening .... it was after 6:30pm.  We played in the bonus room this evening and watched Mickey Mouse.  We had a lot of baby biscuit kicks and Joshua tried to feel them!  :-)

Tomorrow's Joshua's birthday!  Three years ago tonight I was pregnant with you and we were sick and didn't realize how sick we were.  Wait a minute, I'm still pregnant!  At least we're not sick this time.  :-P  Get plenty of rest little ones .... tomorrow is a big day!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so very much!

~Mommy

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Sleepy Day


Dearest Miracles~

It's getting closer to Joshua's birthday!  Woo hoo!  Have you decided what you want yet little man?  I have a feeling you want a 'choo choo train' because that's what you keep talking about.  We'll see if we can make that happen.  ;-)

Everyone slept in this morning .... ahhhh .... and it felt good!  We all had a nice breakfast together and then played downstairs with blocks and other toys

Once people were done eating, we made a grocery run to Target.  You two each ate two cookies.  Joshua, we got you a little, black train as a pre-birthday gift, but I know other things are coming.  :-)

Grace, you fell asleep on the drive home and continued to nap.  I made mac and cheese for lunch and Joshua ate three bowls!  Whoa!  Grace, you ate when you woke up.  You two helped clean the downstairs afterwards .... it was in a desperate need of some vacuuming and sweeping. 

We went upstairs and played.  Joshua, you took a nap.  I don't know why I was so exhausted today, but I ended up napping too as Grace played with daddy.  You two drew some cute pictures together in daddy's sketch pad!

You all helped daddy and I cook a great and healthy dinner.  Daddy grilled some chicken that he marinated in some BBQ sauce.  We stayed inside and baked some french fries and roasted some veggies .... onion, carrots, corn, peas, spinach, and broccoli .... yummy!

We all played and colored this evening.  Then you two had a nice bath (you all were admittedly overdue) and had your nails cut.  I felt lots of baby biscuit kicks this evening and daddy got to feel them too!

Grace, you're still following me to bed and not using your own bed to sleep in.  I know I should be more diligent about moving you, but I secretly enjoy having you curl up next to me.  You two are growing up so fast and I know I'm going to miss these days when you wanted to snuggle.  I wish you all could stay small and innocent forever.  ;-)  It's so nice to feel 'needed' as a parent when you all depend on us so much right now.  When you all are older, remember that daddy and I are still there for you .... even if you're too big to snuggle.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so very much!

~Mommy

Saturday, October 13, 2012

NC State Fair


Dearest Angels~

I couldn't sleep so I ended up getting up at 6am this morning.  Not too fun for a saturday when I could probably sleep in later.  Oh well!  I went into the play room and worked on the computer until 7am.  Then, I went downstairs for breakfast.  You all were still sleeping!  You two had both managed to end up in our bed and daddy was in Joshua's bed sleeping.  Hummm .... you two sure take up a lot of space in a king sized bed!

You two have the cutest little voices!  It's so adorable when you all say things, especially little Grace!

I noticed some slight swelling this morning at my ankles.  I took my blood pressure this morning (I have one of Gigi's machines) and it was normal (111/78).  So, I'll just keep monitoring everything.  We're almost 32 weeks gestation with baby biscuit.  :-)

Once everyone was ready for the day, we headed out for a Family Outing to the NC State Fair!  Woo hoo!  We saw Gigi, Uncle James, Grandpa Jim, (Great) Aunt Beth, Cousin Stephanie, Cousin Charlie, and Cousin Madelynn while we were there!  What fun!  We ate lunch at a little BBQ tent and you two surprised us .... Joshua ate a good amount of BBQ and you two also split a hotdog. 

We did a lot of walking!  Whew!  Oh, remember the photograph that I submitted for the photography contest (a photograph of Grace in her pajamas wearing my black boots)?  Well, I didn't get a ribbon this year, but it still got selected to be hung up for display!  Wow!  We saw it and took some pictures!  You see, they receive a lot of entries, so according to their rule book it's under 'the discretion of the superintendent of arts and photography' as to what gets displayed since space is limited.  So, I think it's pretty good that we even got picked for display .... even if we didn't get a ribbon.  :-)


You two got to ride your first Fair ride today .... the Merry Go Round!  Uncle James and Gigi went on with you two!  I wish I could have gone on as well, but rides are contraindicated with pregnancy.  :-P  Cousin Charlie rode with Grandpa Jim.  :-)




We were home by 4:30pm.  You two napped when we got home.  Daddy and I did laundry and relaxed with our feet up while you two snoozed.  I felt a lot of baby biscuit kicks!

Once you two woke from your naps, we headed downstairs for some dinner.  We had some leftovers and then cleaned the kitchen.  Afterward, we went upstairs and relaxed together.  Daddy put a movie on for all of us .... 'Follow That Bird'.  It's about Big Bird and daddy and I had seen it when we were little! As we watched the movie, Grace sat against me and baby biscuit kicked her!  I still remember feeling Grace kick Joshua when he would fall asleep on me!  Love it!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Friday, October 12, 2012

CE course



Dearest Precious Gifts~

Today I spent the day in Chapel Hill.  I had a CE course there all day.  I need 15 hours of CE each year to renew my dental license.  This will be the last of my hours.  I wanted to make sure everything was done before maternity leave.  So, next week I'll turn everything in to work and I should be all set.  :-)
 
Daddy worked from home today and watched you two.  But, I got lots of hugs and kisses before leaving this morning.  :-)

I saw lots of my classmates from Dental School!  And, they all asked about you two and baby biscuit!  Despite feeling 'big', everyone said I looked good for 31 weeks gestation.  ;-)  I felt lots of baby biscuit kicks during the lecture.  Oh, the lecture was about pediatric pulpal therapy.  It was good!  :-)

You all played at home with daddy and watched some more Mickey Mouse.  Grace, you napped for him during some phone calls that he had to take.  Joshua, you played quietly for daddy.  Good job!  :-)
 
I was home by 5:30pm because I ran into traffic.  Then, we all packed up and went out to eat dinner.  :-)  We went to a pizza place near the house.  Joshua, you ate a lot of pepperonis.  Grace, you ate a whole slice of pizza .... and they were big slices!  Wow!  :-)

There is a weird smell in our house.  Daddy and I think milk spilled on the rug in the living room.  We tried to clean it this evening.  We'll see if the smell goes away.  Then, we relaxed and played this evening.  :-)  We have a big day planned for tomorrow, so get some rest!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Sentences



Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

What a cool date .... 10-11-12!  :-)

You two were both up before work.  So, I got lots of kisses before having to leave for work!  Daddy left early to get to the gym before work, so Joshua just missed him.  But, daddy kissed you both before he left.  :-)

You all had fun with Penny today.  Joshua, you even sat on the potty for her!  You're slowly learning!  Mimi saw you two for lunch.  And, little man, you did well for Quinn for speech therapy today.  :-)

I got home from lunch at 6:30pm.  Daddy had made dinner for us .... eggs, bacon, and sausage.  Yummy!  You two didn't eat a lot, but we'll keep trying.  Daddy ran out after dinner to pick up milk for tomorrow .... everyone ran out of milk.  :-P

We played with a sticker book this evening that Penny gave you all.  Joshua, you practiced making sentences.  You did really well with your words.  I tried a lot of repetition with you tonight and you picked it up well. I'm so proud of you!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so very much!

~Mommy

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Beautiful Cartoon



Dearest Miracles~

Everyone was awake and playing this morning as I was getting ready for work!  So, I got to give you two kisses before leaving.  Penny was out of town today, so you all had a Daddy Day.  :-)

Today, we're 31 weeks gestation with baby biscuit!  And, we felt more and more kicks today!  Have you all thought of a name yet?  I think we're getting closer!  :-)

You all had fun with daddy today.  Let's see .... you all had art time, game time (Joshua, you played 'Angry Birds' on the tablet), and daddy played the guitar for you all.  Joshua, you were funny this morning .... when Grace had a poopy diaper, you said, 'Grace .... dirty!' .... Ha!  ;-)  You two also played with blocks and made tunnels.  And, you all apparently found a new show that you love .... the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show!  Grace, you napped for daddy, but Joshua never did.  So, as Grace napped, Joshua watched a Batman cartoon with daddy.  You all also helped daddy do some chores .... laundry, dishes .... and you saw a bunny in the backyard!  :-)

You two gave me kisses when home .... which is always the BEST part of my day!  :-)  During your art time with daddy today, you all drew a beautiful picture of you two and me!  I LOVE it!  We'll have to hang it up somewhere.  Actually, daddy drew little baby biscuit in my belly (since my belly is big), so she'll 'in' the picture too!  Thank you for the wonderful picture!  :-)

We all played this evening in the bonus room. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

All Around Town


Dearest Blessings~

Woo hoo .... it's just one week until Joshua's birthday!  Are you all getting excited?!  If the weather is nice, we're thinking of going to the State Fair that day!  :-)

Today was another cold day, but we couldn't spend it all cozy in the house.  We actually had a very busy day!  Once we got ready, we left the house around 9am and didn't return until about 3:30pm .... then, we went back out again! 

The reason we were so busy is that Joshua had three appointments today and then we had a visitation to attend because Grandpa Mike's uncle passed away:
-Feeding appointment with Krista at Rex in the morning
-Preschool meeting mid day in Cary
-Speech therapy early evening with Quinn
-Visitation in the evening

First came the feeding appointment with Krista.  Little man, you did so good!  Here's what I brought .... and I cooked ALL of these things myself!
-chicken pot pie pieces
-chicken, rice, veggie mix
-beef with pasta mix
-pumpkin bread pieces

Joshua, you ate it ALL!  You did so well today and in your last appointments that you got discharged!!  Woo hoo!  She weighed you today (prior to eating all that) and you're 28.7 lbs!  You were 27.5 lbs two weeks ago!  Whoa!  We still have a follow up with GI and pulmonary in the spring but we don't need to go back until then unless there's a problem!  What a blessing!  I'm so proud of you!  Keep it up little man!

We went to Crabtree Mall after and had a little lunch.  Joshua ate some fries but had already eaten with Krista.  ;-)  Grace had a 4 piece chicken nugget meal with fries and only left a half a piece of nugget.  ;-)

By 1pm we were in Cary for the preschool meeting.  The meeting lasted until 2:45pm!  Ugh!  Basically, Joshua is eligible for services under Wake County.  So, they will transition him to a speech therapist in the Wake County School system once he turns 3 (next week!).  Since he'll be in the 'school system' the services can't be in the home so I'll have to take you little man.  But, we may still be able to keep Quinn too.  I'm not positive.  I'm now waiting for a phonecall from them to see where they want to place you.  You two played nicely together during the meeting despite the length of it.  You both had poopy diapers while there so I had to change you all during the meeting.  :-P

We were home by 3:30pm and you both fell asleep in the van.  You continued napping as I brought you inside on the couches.  I made my lunches for work this week as you all snoozed, but Grace ended up waking pretty early.

At 4:30pm Quinn came over for speech therapy .... I had to wake Joshua.  You did well little man!  We're still working on the 't' ending sound and also working on the 'p' ending sound.  Grace, you said the word 'tunnel' while you all were playing! 

Oh, I forgot to mention something from last week's OB appointment.  My iron levels were fine and I have no gestational diabetes from when they drew my blood!  Woo hoo!

Daddy came home a little early with Uncle Brennan.  We all packed up and headed to a visitation in Knightdale.  Grandpa Mike's uncle passed away and the funeral is tomorrow.  You two got to meet some extended family on Grandpa Mike's side of the family.  We ate dinner with Grandpa Mike, Mimi, and Uncle Brennan.  Joshua, you ate a whole bowl of mac and cheese!  Grace, you noodled around and ate a little, but you were also tired since you didn't nap as long. 

We got home a little after 8pm.  I was certainly tired from a busy day.  :-P  We got you all ready for bed and called it a night.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Monday, October 8, 2012

Lots Of Cooking


Dearest Angels~

Brrrr .... today was a cold and wet day.  We actually had to put the heat on!  We all snuggled up in pants and long sleeve shirts.  And, since we had no appointments today (Kim is out of town), it was perfect weather to do things around the house.  

This morning, as you two played, I did 45 minutes on the exercise bike.  Then, we went downstairs for some snacks. Joshua, you had your 3/4 cup of applesauce and then 1.5 cheese sticks.  Grace, you ate 2.5 cheese sticks.  :-)  We ended up playing downstairs afterward and completed some puzzles.

Then, we came back upstairs for some art time.  I drew 'Happy Halloween' pictures with pumpkins on them.  Daddy is a better artist, but I did my best.  You two colored them!  ;-)  Grace, you're getting better at saying 'blue' and 'purple.'  As you two colored, I can some laundry.

So, here's the update for you two.  The surgery nurses at the OB office called me today to schedule the C section for baby biscuit.  We could schedule as early as 12/5 at 39 weeks.  But, I couldn't resist going for the 12/12/12 date at 40 weeks.  ;-)  So, as it stands now, we're scheduled for a C section on 12/12/12 at 10:30am (which was the same time as Grace's C section in 2011).  Dr. Harden will be on call that day unless something changes.  Since I had C sections with both of you two, I had no option but to have one with baby biscuit.  Obviously there are some risks to pushing it to the full 40 weeks .... if we go into labor prior it will end up being more of an emergency C section .... so keep us in your prayers.  :-)

We all had a good lunch.  Then, we watched a Dora episode before naptime.  It rained during Dora.  You each picked out one book to read and where both napping by 1:20pm.  I took a quick shower and then read as you two napped.

Once awake, you two helped me in the kitchen.  We made and cooked a chicken pot pie.  As it was baking, we made more pumpkin bread too since we still had some pumpkin leftover from the weekend.  We all played until daddy got home and then decorated the kitchen island with our art project from earlier, two loaves of pumpkin bread, and our chicken pot pie!  The kitchen smelled good and daddy loved the artwork!


You two 'face timed' with Uncle James this evening.  You got to see his fish and new snail .... sadly, his other snail didn't make it so he now has a new, bigger one.  We'll have to go see it in person one of these days. 

This evening we all played upstairs.  You all had art time with daddy.  He drew and then you all colored.  He draws so much better than mommy!  I took some photos.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Grumpy


Dearest Blessings~

Everyone was a little sleepy this morning.  I think it was the weather.  Today is rainy and colder.  But, we saw some deer in the backyard!  

Despite the weather, we made it to church this morning.  We saw Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, and Gigi.  Gigi was playing in the praise team.  You two were so good during the service and even got a compliment from a lady sitting behind us!  Way to go!  You two ended up drawing during the sermon and ate a few snacks.  :-)

Everyone had lunch at our house afterward.  You two played with blocks with Uncle James, played your scream game with each other, and then we read some stories.  Joshua, you went down for a npa around 1:30pm.  Grace, you never did.  :-P  You ended up staying with daddy and I in the playroom as we watched a little television.  We felt more baby biscuit kicks too.  :-)

Once Joshua woke up, we tried to teach you all to play some games on the Wii.  It was pretty funny!  I took some photos of you two!  Joshua, you bowled and then tried to pilot a plane.  ;-)  Grace, you just walked around and waved the controller at the television.  :-)

You two helped us cook a great, healthy dinner.  We cooked chicken, rice, water chestnuts, corn, peas, carrots, broccoli, and spinach in a stir fry sauce.  Yummy!  Grace, you got grumpy during dinner from not napping.  So, you ended up falling asleep on daddy.  Joshua, you finished your plate though it was a struggle.  We had to help feed you, but you eventually finished. 
We were upstairs by 7pm.  Grace continued to nap.  Joshua, you watched a little television and relaxed with daddy and I.  Despite your earlier nap, you still fought bedtime.  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Saturday, October 6, 2012

105 Minutes


Dearest Miracles~

Ahhh .... this morning we all relaxed and played.  Grace, you kept saying 'Gigi' and Joshua kept saying 'Uncle James.'  :-P  Oh, we saw some deer in our backyard again this morning!  

We made an early morning run to Target for groceries.  You each ate two cookies while there.  We picked up some extra things to do some fun baking this weekend.  :-)

Once home we all ate lunch together.  I cooked you all fresh hotdogs and I had one too.  ;-)  But Joshua, you were more impressive .... you ate 2!  :-)  Grace, you were grumpy and didn't eat much.  I'm sure you were tired but you fought it.  We all played with some blocks downstairs after lunch. 

After some playtime, we went for a family walk.  Our neighbor, Sarah, told us about a waterfall if you go down the greenway.  So, we loaded you two in the wagon and headed out since it was such a beautiful day!  We walked for 105 minutes!  Whoa!  The greenway path kept going, but we ended up turning around to go back home since we (well .... it was me .... daddy could have kept walking .... baby biscuit was slowing me down) were getting tired.  ;-)  So, we never found the waterfall.  Sarah was on a bike when she saw it, so I have no idea how many miles away it is.  We'll have to try again later when we have more energy .... of when you two learn how to ride bikes.  ;-)  We saw lots of bike riders while out!  My feet were pretty tired when we made it back home.  An hour and 45 minutes is a long time to walk with an extra 24 pounds on you.  I had some water and snacks with you two as daddy mowed the lawn.  Then, you two 'facetimed' with Uncle James, Gigi, and Grandpa Jim.  You all got to see and listen to Gigi play the piano.  She's in a new Christian rock band so she was practicing.  :-)

We cooked a nice dinner tonight .... meat and pasta mixture.  You two ate ok.  Daddy also made some homemade pumpkin bread.  He added some chocolate chips in the mix.  Yummm!

This evening, we all played upstairs.  I colored with some crayons with Grace.  Joshua, you wanted to play games on the tablet.  Then, you two got a nice bath.  Joshua .... you never napped today.  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Friday, October 5, 2012

Out And About



Dearest Angels~

Daddy took off today so we had a family day!  Woo hoo!  We all played together after breakfast and colored with some markers.  Some got on the table and your hands, but it easily washed off.  :-)  Then, we relaxed upstairs and did some laundry.  We also read some books together. 

We left after snack time for a baby biscuit OB appointment.  We're just over 30 weeks gestation.  Everything went well, except the fact that the doctor was running late.  :-P  By blood pressure was 112/60 and I was negative on protein.  My weight is 161.8 pounds .... ahhhh!  This is the heaviest I've ever been!  :-P  We're measuring 32cm in uterine height.  Baby biscuit's heart rate ranged between 138-142.  Biscuit kept kicking Dr. Rush when she was looking for her heart rate.  ;-)  Dr. Rush went ahead and put in an order for the hospital surgical nurses to call me next week to schedule the C section for December.  Wow!  It's just around the corner! 

Since we were running late, we were slightly late to daddy's haircut appointment with Pam.  He's so handsome!  ;-)

We all went out to Red, Hot, & Blue (a BBQ placed) for lunch.  They had the coolest crayons .... they're triangle so they don't roll off the table.  ;-)  Joshua, you really surprised us all .... you ate a good amount of BBQ from daddy's plate!  And, you tried (licked) a pickle!  ;-)

Afterward, we made a quick trip to the State Fair Grounds to drop off my photo for the photography contest.  Last year I entered a photograph of Joshua.  So, this year I entered one of Grace.  Joshua fell asleep so you two stayed in car with daddy as I ran inside.  I met the man who won the art contest last year.  I'll point out his artwork to you all when we go this year.  :-)  The Fair starts on the 11th!  I can't wait!  When we came back home, we relaxed a little. 

Then, we went for a family walk around the neighborhood before dinner.  You two went in the wagon.  We walked for 63 minutes and went on part of the greenway again behind our house.  We didn't see any deer though.  We all had a relaxing dinner of leftovers.  Then, we played upstairs.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy