2 1/2

Today, Jack is 2 1/2 years old.

Today, Jack said "Bob Dylan" much to his father's delight.

Today, Jack almost boxed Molly when she offered him his juice like a boxing trainer offers water.

Today, Jack counted 20 stars.

Today, Jack ate 1 1/2 pieces of garlic toast and lots o' noodles.

Today, Jack told the cable guy that his name is "Puppy Shirt".

Today, Jack waved at me from the front window and met me at the garage door with a big, welcome-home, hug.

Today, my little baby boy seems so big.

Molly's Stats

Molly's 18 Month Stats (Really, they are her 19 month stats because we are too busy to take her to the doctor!):

Weight: 29 1/2 lbs. (95th percentile)
Height: 33 1/4 in. (75th percentile)

She is growing wonderfully and you would never know she was premature. She has really started talking a TON lately. She says a couple sentences and fifty bajillion words. She likes books, music, Jack Jack, food, and trying to jump.

When she got her shot at the doctor, she cried and asked for Jack Jack. I love that!

This s*** is Bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S

I am not the type of mom that likes to buy my kids character clothing. We don't have many things Elmo, or Dora, or Clifford, etc. However, I did pick up a pair of pajamas for Jack at Once Upon a Child with Curious George on them. They are the old man style with a button top and pants and little monkeys all over them.

Jack HEARTS them...BIG TIME! He goes bananas for them. How appropriate.

He calls them "Curiousisis George jammies".

He throws a royal fit when he wakes up wet and he can't wear Curiuosisis George jammies again the next night.

He does little happy dances when we wash Curiousisis George jammies with the promise that he can wear them, tonight.

I would buy him another pair, but I don't want him to be That Kid in preschool who wears his monkey pajamas to class every day. Even though they would be too small by then. And you know he would...

In other news, Molly ripped seven keys off of our laptop keyboard... k, p, m, 2, 3, 7, l. I have no idea what that says about her personality. We're amazed that we found them all. I had visions of taking her to the Emergency room and explaining that we can't find the p. And then we would be digging through her poo, looking for it.

That s*** is bananas.

(My apologies to anyone who doesn't like a good Gwen Stefani reference)

That's all.

Molly Speaks

Molly says ALOT of words, but here are some of my favorites:

"ashes ashes down" == Ring Around the Rosie

"Baby" == as she points to my belly

"peeashe" == please

"caka" == cracker

"some more" == pretty self explanatory

"joosh" and "shoosh" == juice and shoes

"uv eww" == love you

Written because Mommy feels bad for ignoring this baby...

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along? 20 weeks

Size of Baby? about 6 1/2 inches and 11 ounces

Weight gain? about 5 pounds

Maternity clothes? depends on the outfit...busted out the maternity jeans this weekend (hello, Fall!) and remembered why I hate them.

Gender? GIRL -- Natalie Renee

Movement? Absolutely, this little one is very wiggly and nestled quite low... she also enjoys kicking me in the bladder

Sleep? pretty immediate when my head hits the pillow but somewhat interrupted with bathroom breaks and waking up four minutes before my alarm

Symptoms? some swelling with the heat and being on my feet all day, fatigue, kicks and jabs...

What I miss? honestly, nothing! I am loving this pregnancy and trying to enjoy every single milestone and moment even though I tend to forget I'm pregnant.

Cravings? sour candy, milk, turkey subs

Best moment this week? Jackson saying "Night night, Natalie" when I put him to bed

Mommy's Thoughts: When people ask me how I'm feeling, I usually say "great" and it's the truth. I know this is the rosy second trimester, but I'm not as achy as I was with the other two and I really feel energetic. The kids are adorable when they kiss my belly and lift my shirt to peek at the baby.

I am loving the fact that I know that this one is a little girl. I already went through all of Molly's clothes and organized them in preparation. I really start to bond with the baby when we know what we are having and I feel very happy knowing that I am getting ready to welcome little Natalie. I like imagining our family of five and how the girls will interact with each other and what a great big brother Jack will be to his littlest sister.

I can't really express how relieved I am and excited I am to know that we have every reason to believe I will deliver around January 15th (not early) and be holding a chubby little baby and bringing her home right away. I anticipate the future but I don't want to rush this whole experience along, either. Right now, we're enjoying our time with Jack and Molly and having fun family time together.

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!