I don't want to forget this...

Watching them be best friends...

Seeing her adorable little smile...


Getting them to sit still for just one second...

When he does this and then tells me his shirt is "broken"...

Painting with shaving cream...

And making lots of messes...

These precious little pigtails...

And crazy spaghetti faces...




Being just like Daddy...

***
Dear Father God:
Grant me the wisdom to guide them down the path that their feet should take. For I know that they can never turn back and walk those paths with me again. Give me the wisdom to guide their feet so that someday they'll be able to walk alone.
They're only little once.

Give me the time I need to enjoy them. For I know that after they're grown, I'll never have another chance to tell stories and pretend at those tea parties. I'll never have another chance to watch them in a school play or church sing, or to see them catch that first fish or hit that first home run ball. Give me the time in life's busy schedule to have fun with my children.
They're only little once.

Let me be a loving parent. Let me correct and not just punish, explain and not merely scold. Let me know when to correct, and how often, and when it's best to just look the other way. Help me be patient and give me a gentle hand to mold them into better people.
They're only little once.

Let me be a good teacher and an even better example. Give me the right words and deeds to teach them. Help me to teach them about You and how to walk in Your ways so that when they are old they will not depart from Your ways. For they're only little one time, only innocent and trusting and pliable for a space of time, one minute in an eternity. Let me do my best for them while I have the chance.

Pink or Blue?

We had our big ultrasound yesterday. The ultrasound went very smoothly. Baby was very wiggly and had his or her arms up around his or her head on my left side with feet lodged in Mommy's bladder. That didn't make the full bladder thing any more comfortable!

Most importantly, Baby is very healthy and measuring about two days ahead of schedule. Our due date is still January 24 and we have no reason to believe that I will not go full term. God truly answered prayer by making my placenta be where it should be. Hearing that good news was obviously a huge relief since we were very prepared to have placenta previa, again.

So, the ultrasound guy wrote down what we are having and sealed it in an envelope for us. As is our tradition, we took it outside to the parking lot and Andy ripped that sucker open. I have opened them in the past and then told Andy what we are having. This time, we looked together.

We are happy to announce that we are having a beautiful, healthy, little....

GIRL!

Little Miss Natalie Renee should arrive in mid January to meet her very excited big brother and big sister!

Insert Clever Title Here

Molly (18ish months):

• Words: Mama, Dada, Papa, hello, uh-oh, Jack Jack, Mo Mo, no, yeah, moo, Elmo "Melmo", ruff, and alot of jabbering where she's trying to tell us something but we can't understand her yet.
• New Talents: running, trying to jump, singing lots of songs, turning in circles and falling down when we sing Ring Around the Rosie, fighting with Jack, climbing and falling off of everything, bringing Mommy all the shoes she can find, hiding by the washing machine and in the lazy susan
• Likes: her puppy, reading books, chewing on her fingers, the Magna Doodle and coloring/eating crayons, swimming, talking on her phone
• Dislikes: having her hair brushed, when Jack takes her toys, having wet pajamas in the morning

Jackson (28ish months):

• Words: the kid says everything but it's really cute to hear him say- "anothothother ooooooone, mank you, Dear Jeje (Dear Jesus), Daddy workin, Daddy golfit (golfing). He also gives directions ("dat way") and is very polite ("Pwease trator ride?")
• New Talents: taking off his diaper and bringing it to Mommy, knocking on his door when he wants to be allowed to get up in the morning or after naptime, following multi-step directions ("Jack, can you turn off the TV, turn off the hall light and get your puppy to go Bye Bye?"), getting things for Molly to make her happy like her puppy or her milk
• Likes: outside, tractor rides, playing downstairs, singing songs (he knows a lot of lyrics), swinging, Sid the Science Kid, mac and cheese and snack mix (all the little bits of crackers, animal cookies, etc. that I throw in a bag together), when Daddy isn't workin.
• Dislikes: keeping his diaper on, timeout, being clothed, sitting still, when Molly takes his toys
• Potty training did not happen since he wouldn't go to the bathroom on the potty. I decided to wait awhile. Now, he is taking his diaper off all the time so I think that is a sign he is ready. Just in time for me to go back to work...great.

Andy (327 months):

• New Talents: calling "Not it" on a dirty diaper before the child has even considered making it dirty, being way to smart and practical about money, sleeping while babies cry at night (that isn't really a new talent-- he's always been able to do that)
• Likes: guitars, golfing, his kids, not working, when his wife actually cooks dinner
• Dislikes: working, ironing, changing poopy diapers

Pregnancy Update: Everything is going well. I feel great and the baby is moving around like crazy to keep up with his or her active brother and sister. We have our big ultrasound on Aug. 26 so we will hopefully find out what we are having. Andy and I both think it is a boy. A gender quiz I took online told me that I have a 50% chance of having a boy...

We will also find out if my placenta has behaved and is in the right place (hoping and praying for this) since the placenta previa last time is what made me have Molly so early. I dreamt last night that I was holding the chubbiest, cutest little baby boy, so maybe that dream is right. But, I've also dreamt some very strange things lately... This pregnancy is flying by!