Beach Trip

We just returned from a wonderful mini-vacation (3 nights) to Surfside Beach. We planned our trip in order to be there the same time as the Fisher family whom we met last year. Ella and Casey had a ball together. Casey celebrated her 3rd birthday while we were there, and Ella was thrilled to go to her party. And Leigh, Casey's mom, is expecting her 2nd as well. She's due in January and Casey's getting a baby brother.

Here's a short video of them doing "Ring around the Rosie." Sorry for the noise in the background (I guess it's the wind/waves or just a bad videographer :-)) ,but if you listen closely, you can hear them singing. Oh, and you'll need to scroll down and pause the music first, so you can hear the video.



It was just wonderful for me to watch Ella run and play on the beach. It was important for me that we do this for her as this will be her last vacation getting all the attention-occasionally it's good to spoil your child. :-)

And yes, I was praying the whole time, "Lord, please don't let me go into labor," especially considering I had to walk 3 flights of stairs to get to our condo. Great exercise, just not when you're so close to delivery. And Will said I got some interesting looks as we took walks down the beach. I'm sure people were expecting me to double over in pain at any moment, but all went well and baby's still safe inside. :-)

Oh, by the way, I got my hair cut short. I knew I would do it when the baby came, so I figured I might as well get it done now when I had a little more time to decide on the cut and style. The choice? A layered bob. I was supposed to leave the salon looking just like Katie Holmes...okay, so no stylist can work magic. And my hair is rather wind-blown in the beach pictures, so you'll just have to wait to see what it really looks like. :-) Overall, I'm pleased though, and it's pretty easy to style, which is always a plus.

Oh, and here's my belly shot at 36 weeks.

The Perfect Place to Give Birth

Will and I went to the mountains for a babymoon last weekend. It was our first time leaving Ella for 2 nights. And yes, it was harder on me than her. Especially considering that the mountain cabin is so well-equipped for kids-there are toys, books, swings, and even a huge playhouse. So, everywhere I looked, I kept thinking, "Ella would love playing with this or reading this."

There was only one time during the trip that I was glad she wasn't there. And that was when we took our "hike" to the waterfall. Actually there's a new path directly from the mountain cabin so you don't have to go through Aunt Joan and Uncle Will's yard, and it is more of a hike-especially when you're very pregnant (34 weeks). Upon arriving there and sitting on a huge rock, I felt such calm. And I was thankful there wasn't a 3-year-old vying for my attention. As I listened to the water cascading down and talked to my littlest one, I couldn't help thinking, "This would be the perfect place to give birth." When I voiced it to Will, he actually said, "You're right-how can we make this work?" Hmm...."Aunt Barbara, Uncle Langdon, can I camp out in your cabin for a few weeks-I'm planning on giving birth at the waterfall." Somehow I don't think it would fly. And I certainly won't be able to drive 5 hours once I'm in labor to birth there. So it was just a dream. A wonderful birthing dream. I just couldn't imagine feeling any pain if I was in such beautiful surroundings and hearing the falls. But I'm sure that's a dream too. I'm sure there would still be pain, though probably quite lessened. Instead, I suppose we'll settle for listening to a CD which has waterfalls and ocean sounds. :-)




Before we went to the mountains, Will had a conference in Alabama and we went with him. We were able to see Letisha, Daniel, and their 5 kids and it was such fun. Ella especially loved the Birmingham Zoo. "I saw a baby raffe and baby zebra," she'll tell you. But I think the kids had the most fun with the monkeys-I never tire of their antics either. And Ella did so well with Joshua and Caleb-usually she's terrified of older boys. Joshua would hold her hand and she went happily along. When she sees his picture now, she'll ask, "What's his name 'gain?" I'll tell her and then she'll say, "He's oldest." At their house, Ella enjoyed the steps the most-so now I know-our next house will be a 2-story and I'll have an automatic built-in toy for the kiddos. :-)







On the way back from Alabama we stayed a night with Em and Jeff. And of course Ella enjoyed seeing Benjamin and now can't stop telling everyone how he's walking now. "But sometimes he falls down, but that's otay." :-) We had a wonderful visit to Tribble Mill Park. Ella asks about going there all the time now. And she so enjoyed reading All the Place to Love to Benjamin.






This pic is blurry but I think it's so cute. As if Benjamin is saying, "Eh? Read a little louder, Ella."


Before the Alabama trip my dad, his fiancee, Marna, Marcelo and their 4 kids came up to see our house for the first time. Here's some cute pics from that visit.

Kaitlyn looks more and more like Marna, I think.


Ice cream and summertime-what could be better?


Dad and Nancy


As far as baby goes, I'm fine but just really tired and have been pretty much the whole pregnancy-so much for that boost of energy you're supposed to get during the
2nd trimester. I suppose being 4 years older and having a toddler to look after has something to do with it. I found out a few appointments ago that my blood sugar is high and hemoglobin very low (a 9-I was a 14 at 20 weeks). So, I'm watching even more carefully my sugar intake-so hard to do!, especially when I need to cut out most fruits too-and taking some food-based iron supplements. At my last visit I was up to a 10.9 for my hemoglobin but I really can't tell a difference in my energy level. I'm hoping I will have a great energy boost after the baby's born-ha!

We're still deciding on names-let's see, we've narrowed it down to 4 boy names and about 15 girl names. That's actually good-if you could have only seen my list when I started. Hopefully, in the next few weeks I can narrow the girls' names down some more and then when the baby comes, we'll just have a few to decide upon based on how the baby looks. Hmm, not sure how that will go. When Ella came out, she was quite purple, screaming very loudly and rather funny looking :-); I don't think based on that I would have decided on Ella had it not already been chosen.

Thank you all for your prayers as we prepare for our newest arrival.

Family Reunion

Here are some pics from the get-together at the Mill. Will and I came late and stayed for just a couple hours as we were still getting over our sickness. Even though it wiped us out, we're glad we got to go. It was our last chance to see Dayton, Erin, and their kids before they left, and we got to visit w/Em, Jeff, and Benjamin one more time.

Also, including a couple pics of Chuck and Sarah when they came over for supper a few days later.

I'm Three!

Ella celebrated her 3rd birthday the first time on Saturday June 28 for her pool party. Unfortunately, like last year, she was sick. She woke up saying her tummy hurt and by the time the party was over, she was running a slight fever. Fortunately though, there were no upset stomach "conditions" to deal with like last year. But everyone else had a wonderful time it seemed. And though she was overwhelmed w/how loud her "Happy Birthday" song was w/18 people singing it to her, she managed to blow out all 3 candles just fine. :-) And she did eat about 3 bites of a cupcake.

We enjoyed having Dayton, Erin, and their 4 kids visit a few times while they were here (including at Ella's party) and just recently got to see Chuck and his girlfriend, Sarah. Also a few days before Ella's party my beloved Sarah spent two nights w/me and helped me w/all the party plans (including a very long trip to Walmart). The night before the party, Laurance and Kimberly helped w/weed-eating and popsicle and cupcake making (guess which one did which?) :-) So, Ella's party was truly a family affair!

On Ella's actual birthday on June 30, my mom, step-dad, and grandmother came up and we grilled out again and let her blow out candles again. She was feeling better by this time but still not quite herself.

Then Will and I got sick with an awful cold/sore throat/congestion thing and I'm just now feeling more like myself. Thankfully Ella only got a small portion of our sickness. And because of this sickness I missed my own baby shower! and Ella missed having Grace over to spend the night w/her that same night. I got some consolation with Emily and Jeff bringing presents and food over later that day and visiting w/us some (I really hope we didn't get you sick!) but poor Ella won't get to see Grace again for at least 2 more years!

Enjoy the birthday photos!

Birthday Picnics

Ella is totally into turning 3. She's in countdown mode now. She knows that it's June and that at the end of this month, she'll have her special day. She's been getting picnics together w/me and her animals for awhile now, but for the last couple of weeks, Ella has called them birthday picnics. Just today, she told me, "Mommy I made you a birthday picnic. Come eat your birthday food." I think she assumes we're all going to celebrate our birthdays on her special day!














We're so loving the pool. Now that it's warmer (86 degrees in the water!), we're swimming most every day. Ella's a little fish; with her floaties on, she can swim all the way to the deep end and back. And she jumps off the side of the pool into our waiting arms. Maybe she doesn't need those swim lessons at the Y after all. :-)












And, I turn 6 months tomorrow-yay! The crib bedding has arrived. I chose this pattern, as I could never find the fabric to mach the memo board I had. (Scroll down to the 3rd pic and enlarge, so you can see how it looks w/all the bedding on the crib.) And no, I didn't pay this price; thankfully, I got it used for much cheaper! Even though it doesn't match my original plan exactly, at least it's still a zoo theme in primary colors. Hopefully the green walls will get painted in a couple weeks, and I'll post a pic when it's all set up.

It's Kicking Time!

I've been feeling this baby move for about 8 weeks now, but Will finally felt "him" this past Sunday when I turned 20 weeks. What joy! It really is The.Most.Amazing.Thing to feel life moving around inside of you, but it's even better when it can be shared! I'm not sure Ella has felt Icee. She always moves her hand when I try to put it in the right spot, insisting, "No, Mommy, Icee's over here." Plus, she has a tiny hand, which makes it harder. :-)

It's interesting that Will didn't feel Ella move until 24 weeks, but of course, I didn't feel Ella until about week 20. I guess the more babies you have, the earlier you feel movement b/c you know what it feels like.

But as I write that exciting news, I can't forget the heartbreaking news I heard yesterday. I'm sure you all have heard by now of Steven Curtis Chapman's 5-year-old daughter Maria who was killed Wed. night in a tragic accident. Let's lift his family up in prayer.

Children's Book Monday

Dimity Duck by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Sebastien Braun

It's so funny. Elise reviewed a different Jane Yolen book last week and I did a search for her books at my library. Only then did I realize that she is the author of one of Ella's favorite books. (Guess I don't pay much attention to details, huh?)

This is such a fun read, with winsome rhymes and adorable illustrations.

It tells about a day-in-the-life of Miss Dimity Duck.

Dimity Duck
waddles,
she toddles
out of bed.

Niddy-noddy
goes her tail
and quack!
goes her head.

After getting some breakfast, she meets her delightful friend, Frumity Frog.

Dimity Duck waddles,
she paddles to his side.

Splishy-splashy
go the two,
playing seek-and-hide.

Only the sunset can separate these two playmates and finally Dimity must blow a kiss and say goodnight to Frumity.

Then she puts on her PJs, plumps her pillows, and waddles off to bed.

Sleepy-sloppy goes her tail... (of course you have to read this part very s.l.o.w.l.y)
And snore goes her head.



I'm sure you & your toddler will love this book as we have. It's one of the few I don't mind reading over and over again. You just can't help yourself from smiling while doing so. Enjoy!

Look What We Can Do

I can't believe my little girl's hair is finally long enough to do this.



She now has her own pocketbook full of ponytail holders and loves to pick out the color for the day. Just the other day, I wanted to put a pink one in her hair since she was wearing all pink. "No, Mommy, wanna wear purple one. Purple is my favorite." And today she told me, "Know what, Mommy? I'm growing up."
Indeed you are, my precious girl.

A Birthday Bash

Ella rarely sees either of my sisters' children. In fact, this is the first time she's seen Marna's 4 kids since August! This is mostly due to the fact that they were in Mexico over Christmas and when they returned, 2 them got chicken pox, followed by the flu.

So, I defintely wanted to make it down for Dylan and Kaitlyn's combined birthday party. Kaitlyn was turning 2 and Dylan had just turned 7. And wouldn't you know it, Ella and Kaitlyn are the same size, even though Ella will be 3 next month.

It took awhile, but by the end, Ella and Kaitlyn were giving each other hugs and kisses. And jumping on the trampoline together. And playing in the sandbox. And splashing on the pool steps. It was WAY too cold to actually get in and go swimming. This was 2 weeks ago and the water *may* have been 74 degrees. Of course, Marna's boys got in. I just think boys can do cold better than girls can. But Dylan did put on his flannel PJ's after getting out, though he insisted it was NOT because he was cold.

And I had to thank my sister for making more work for me. As soon as Ella saw Kaitlyn's brightly colored Dora cake, she exclaimed, "Mommy, I want that cake for my birthday, too." Now I have to try to duplicate that. I've made a vow to make all of my children's cakes. Not that I'm much of a cake baker, but it's something special I get to do once a year, so why not? And I always loved my mom's cakes. In fact, I still remember one year (I think I was turning 16) when my mom's cake flopped, so she ran out to buy one. I took one bite of it and knew it wasn't homemade. Thus, my mom was forced to bring out the falling-apart-cake and *that* was the one that got eaten!

Enjoy the sweet pics.

A Great Mother's Day

I was so surprised to get a corsage at church this morning for the youngest mother. I never considered 31 that young, but apparently at the church we're visiting, it is. It's beautiful-two red roses-and it brought some sunshine to my black dress. :-)
(By the way, Emily, this is one of the dresses you gave me from Abbie and it fits perfectly! So thank you to you both!)

Ella and Icee made me the sweetest card.
Will asked Ella what she wanted to say to me and this is her reply,
"Good morning, Mommy! How are you? Happy Mother's Day, Mommy."
Then Will asked, "What do you think Icee would say?"
After saying some undecipherable words, she finally said, "Bopee."
:-)

We enjoyed some great KFC w/Will's parents and got to see Aunt Joan and Uncle Will when they brought Mama back home from dinner.

Re: this pregnancy, I think my weight has finally started to level off. After gaining 10 lbs. the first trimester, I was getting a little worried, but I haven't put on much more than that since then. And we finally decided (after much prayer and research) on the local midwife. (Well, local, meaning the one that's an hour away.) I've had one official appt. so far and it was great. I go to my first of two required doctor visits in a couple weeks.

I've also had a horrible rash since 12 weeks (which didn't itch, thankfully) all over my stomach, part of my back and my legs, but thankfully the stomach and back part are better. Hopefully the leg part will be better soon too. And the nauseau is gone and I'm getting a bit more energy. So all is going well. Praise the Lord!

Here's my recent belly shot and one of my precious little girl all sweaty from running around!

Those Curls

There once was a girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good, she was very, very good....

We all know how the rest of it goes, but since it is Mother's Day, I'm just going to reflect on the *good* part.

Swim Time!

We went swimming today for the first time this year! Let's see...it only took me 20 minutes to get all the way in. Will, of course, just dived right in. But he made me feel better when, after catching his breath, he said, "Wow, it *is* cold." Yeah, that's why I'm going in
s-l-o-w-l-y. Ella only "swam" for part of the time. She had her floaties on but has not gotten the swim motion down and when you're not swimming, you, of course, get cold even more quickly. So then she became our lifeguard. Will wrapped her in towels and put her on a chair right by the steps. After being prompted on what a lifeguard might say, she began shouting things to us like, "No horseplaying!"

I so enjoyed swimming some laps but finally had to get out because I just had to go the bathroom. And you can't get back in the water after you go pee. Okay, maybe it's just me but having to pull a wet bathing suit back up is just not fun. And besides, it was time to eat. And did I mention the water was cold?
77 degrees to be exact.

But still we enjoyed ourselves.
And we're looking forward to going again soon.
Perhaps tomorrow?

Little Mama

We had a wonderful time w/Em, Jeff, and Benjamin last weekend. Ella just doted on Little Jeffrey Benjamin the whole time; she was truly like a 2nd mama to him. She kept offering him his water bottle, even when he had his paci in his mouth. I'm not sure whether to be excited about this or not. On the one hand, it seems she'll be a good helper when Icee comes, but on the other hand she might try to help too much. I finally had to explain to her that when the baby is finally quiet, you leave him alone! :-)

Ella informed me yesterday that when the baby comes, she'll be the mommy and I'll be the big sister! She already tries to nurse her stuffed animals, so I guess she figures she can nurse the baby too.

And for those of you I haven't told yet, Ella is quite convinced there are AT LEAST 2 babies inside my tummy. Soon after she named the baby Icee, Will asked her if she wanted a brother or sister and she said, "Brother AND sister." The other one's name is Bulldozer and that one's a girl.

So, the other day, when Ella was nursing, I reminded her that when Icee pops out, he'll need lots of milk too. She said, "Icee gets this side, Ella gets this side, Bulldozer waits."
Hmm, somehow I don't think Bulldozer will like that.

Oh, and Will took Ella out fishing again and they caught some more bream and crappie. This time he took the camera.

Enjoy the pics!

Fish Fry!

Will had a grand time at the mill fishing today. Ella and Laurance went w/him this afternoon and Ella caught her first fish! She helped reel the bream in and Will said she was so excited! Will also caught yellow perch, crappie, and tons more bream.

When they got home, I went out to get Ella and she was fast asleep in her car seat. I tried to gently get her out without waking her and cradled her in my arms. No such luck. She woke up and asked, "Where's Uncle Laurance?"
"He's right there, helping Daddy clean the fish."
She turned to see them and then quickly looked back at me.
"Listen," she said, completely serious, as she grabbed my chin and turned it towards her. "Wanna tell you a story."
"Wanna clean fish by myself when I'm 16."

"Okay, sweetie."

Hope this makes you smile as much as it did me; enjoy your weekend!

Those Cravings!

Monday night, Will came in from work and met his salivating wife. "I have to go to Olive Garden tonight!"
"That's an hour away!"
"I know, but I've been looking all day at this coupon w/their new meal-Five Cheese Stuffed Rigatoni With Shrimp-and I just have to have it."
Let me tell you, food advertisements really work for pregnant women!

He's still amazed as we head out-"you're really going to drive that far?"
"Yep!"
And turns out, we can make it in about 48 min.

Well, we get there and I suddenly don't know if I want the Shrimp Rigatoni. My usual favorite, Chicken Alfredo suddenly sounds so delicious. What to do? Well, you get both obviously! After all, pregnant women have some leeway. I knew I couldn't eat it all, but also knew Ella and I would have a great lunch the next day.

While I stuff my face w/food-I just can't get enough-Will just smiles, especially when I tell him he's made Baby Icee very happy.
And truly it's the most content I've felt in awhile.

Olive Garden is my favorite restaurant and yet b/c of the drive, we don't get there very often. Even where we used to live, it was a good 40 min. away. So anytime I'm there, especially when I'm pregnant and have been craving it all day, I have a very good time! And can I just say, we can't understand why there's not one in every town. I mean, they're always crowded; it's not like they wouldn't make money if they decided to build one here. Maybe one of these days, we'll move to a town where there is one. (My favorite restaurant for casual fare would be Chick-Fil-A, just in case you're wondering. And that gets hit a lot more often, like once a week!)

I have to admit I felt like quite the hog as our waitress brought out my two huge plates of food. And of course after loading up on their delicious salad and breadsticks, I did have lots to take home.

But don't worry-it all got eaten the very next day! Ella and I enjoyed it for breakfast and lunch! And in case you're wondering, yes! the Shrimp Rigatoni is delicious!

First Mud Puddle

This was Ella's first time playing in a mud puddle. We just got these boots for her; they're a size too big but no matter to her. She had a ball! By the time she came inside, her pants were actually falling off of her they were so wet, and she had a good 2 inches of water in her boots. But, of course, she wanted to go out again after her bath.


It wasn't really cold that day, but she wanted to wear the hat and mittens-go figure. :-)

Audrey Caroline

Audrey's story and her family's testimony have had a profound impact on me. I'm sure this little baby will have a mighty legacy and point many people to the Jesus who holds her now. I am praising Him for the 2 hours she had with her parents and sisters, but my heart is aching for the family so much right now. Thank you for upholding them in prayer.

Children's Book Monday

Quite often these days, Will and I have requests from Ella to tell her stories about when we were a little boy/girl. And it all started with the book I'm reviewing today.

It has been a wonderful time for us to recollect happy childhood memories. For me, I tell her about PirateLand Campground at Myrtle Beach and taking long walks on the beach at sunset w/my parents and sisters. My mom held one hand and my dad held the other. And before they even turned around to head back to our pop-up camper, I was asking to be held. A four-year-old can only walk so much after all. :-)
Or I tell her about being a skating waitress in the rec room along w/my best childhood friend (whose name also happens to be Laura). We would use ping-pong paddles for our order pads and have a blast skating under the shutter doors.

Will, of course, has slightly different stories of playing Cowboys and Indians or eating tons of watermelon with his Baba and swimming in the old pool during the summers they would visit their grandparents' farm.

I hope reading this book with your little one will prompt many childhood stories of your own.

Laura Charlotte
By Kathryn O. Galbraith
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper

It's bedtime and Laura Charlotte can't go to sleep. So she asks her mom to tell her a story, but not just any story. She wants to hear the story of Charlotte.

So her mom begins the story of her 5th birthday when she received her favorite present, an elephant her grandmother had made her from the scraps of her sewing kit.

Laura's mother named her Charlotte because she thought it "was the prettiest name in the whole world." She reminisces about their wagon rides, shared sicknesses, and even scary adventures.

One evening, Charlotte is accidentally left outside and Laura's mom braves the darkness to find her when she misses her from her bed. She finds her but a tragic thing has happened.

"I started to cry. Poor Charlotte had only one ear. Dinah, the cat, had chewed off the other."
"But it didn't matter," Laura said quickly. "Because you still loved her best."
Mama stroked Laura's hair. "No, it didn't matter. I still loved her best. And I sat right beside her while my grandmother sewed on a new flannel ear. We were both very brave."

The story continues to bring everything full circle, back to a little girl named Laura Charlotte who continues to love the little elephant today. And it brings Laura a great appreciation for her Mama, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother.

Enjoy!

P.S. Please pray today for the Smith family, and especially little Audrey.

Secrets

We woke up rejoicing today because it's Saturday and Daddy is still here (and not out hunting). This means he's making breakfast. Yum!

So, I ask, "Ella, do you want to have French toast for breakfast?"
Milkie-milk drink first, then French toast.
She begins nursing and then props herself up.
Listen, have a secret for you.
She leans in very close to my face.
Do it byself when 3 or 4.
"You'll make French toast by yourself when you're 3 or 4?"
She nods.
She goes back to nursing and then pops her head up one more time.
Or 5.


Daddy is explaining that in a little over 3 months Ella will turn 3.
Wanna be 3, no.
Wanna be 4.
Then 3.
Then 5.
"Remember, Ella, how we count, 1,2,3,4...see you have to be 3 first then 4."
No! 4 then 3.
"It doesn't work like that, Ella."
Let's check.


And, now, for one of Ella's frequently used words.
Yesternight
"Last night" is not in her vocabulary.
It's always, "Daddy did that yesternight," etc.
It's amazing to me that she came up with that; Will nor I use the word.
As it turns out, she's just kin to Shakespeare.
And how can you correct her?
It's in the dictionary, along w/yestermorning and yesterevening.
And in the Bible too (Gen. 19:34).
So, why don't you try out this "new" word today and see how many funny looks you get?

Please Pray

Please pray for Audrey Caroline and her family, especially on this Monday, April 7.
To read about the beginning of their journey, go here.

Thank you.