Daddy's Birthday...

Jon's Birthday was over a month ago...and we celebrated the weekend after his big day...I am just being super late with sharing these pictures! Since I have been unable to go to shopping, Jon bought himself a birthday gift...almost $200 of Fireworks! As soon as he got home from work, he and James went out to set off some of the fireworks. They set off a big firework that shot out little guys with parachutes...they had tiny parachute guys flying all over the yard...I think some parachute guys are still hanging off the neighbor's trees...oops! The kids enjoyed it though!!

Elsie was the one who "designed" the cake for Daddy...she chose a 2 layer chocolate cake with white frosting and 2 barbies sticking out the top with plenty of sprinkles...oh and big number candles! James on the other hand insisted on Cupcakes...even before breakfast he was downstairs getting the cupcake stand out of the pantry! He was happy to fill the cupcake stand with apples and oranges though...so we went with a 2 layer cake! Auntie Ceara came over and picked up Elsie {and my debit card!} and brought her to the grocery store for the cake mix, frosting and candles since grocery shopping makes me gag lately!

After the cake was done baking the kids sat on the table and went to town frosting and decorating! They made a bit of a mess...but they had so much fun that it was worth it! I don't think I have ever had a cake with so much frosting on it!

Elsie's favorite birthday cake was the one I made for her with a  Barbie sticking out the top...so she thought Daddy would really like a barbie cake too...but she said she would stick a guy barbie on top also, so {in her words} "it wouldn't look too gay for him!" She is too funny!

Daddy just smiled and told her it was a perfect cake and that he loved it! Elsie said she tried to make the barbies kiss, but their heads didn't want to stay put...she is too funny!

While James was happy to just eat the frosting, Elsie got very into the little details...she smeared a little frosting on to her barbie's hand then carefully put some sprinkles in barbie's hand. I think I can foresee a future on Cake Boss!

The finished product! A perfectly perfect cake for a perfect Daddy!

Info...

After the unfeeling and rude comments I talked about in my last post, I have had a hard time writing too much about any of the details of this pregnancy. I am afraid of the way certain people twist things around and spread gossip. So, as you can tell, my blogging has become less frequent because I was having a difficult time knowing what to write and what not to write. But, after much thinking and praying, I have decided it is not right that I let my own fear hold me back. This blog has always been meant as an online Life Book for our family...what kind of a life book would it be if I willingly choose to keep out big details of our life? So, from here on out I will be sharing what I want without fear...If anyone wants to think negative or twist the truth around from what I am writing, I find that sad. Sad for the people who cannot find joy, happiness and contentment and try to bring others down. I will not allow myself to be brought down.

Now...on with our story...

I had morning sickness, complete with puking while pregnant with Elsie. I had almost no morning sickness other than extreme exhaustion with James. I was hoping for the no morning sickness again this time...but it was the 'bad' kind this time around. Puking, tired, food aversion, no energy...my kids ran wild. The house was beyond messy. Thank goodness my mom fed us, otherwise we would have survived on dry cereal! I am happy to say the morning sickness part is almost gone. I thought the food aversion had gotten better...but last week I needed some groceries so I went up to the store, parked the car, looked at my list and almost threw up on the spot! Needless to say, I went home empty handed and my good ol' dad went up to the store for my groceries! I have high hopes this too will go away soon, but my mom and my older sister assure me food issues get worse with the more babies you have. Oh joy! Adoption next, I say! Oh yes, and just to complete the lovely picture...I forgot to mention the PUPPP rash I get all over! That is fun, let me tell ya...there is nothing quite as fun as having a super itchy rash on my legs, hips and elbows...I am happy to say that is gone now too. I used my secret weapon to stop the itches...banana peels! It sounds crazy, but it really works...just peel a ripe banana, rub the skins on the rash, let it dry, wipe it off and the itches will be gone! I am so lucky as to get the rash in the first trimester, the third-trimester and shortly after giving birth too. I am a lovely mess when pregnant!

I am on the count down...only 4 more weeks until we find out if we will be buying more pink or blue! Elsie says Girl..to which James responds with, "no, boy!" One of them will be happy! I could go either way...a brother for James, or a sister for Elsie. Jon has never had any "requests" with the other 2 and won't say this time either. He just says, "it is what it is...another girl, another boy...whatever."

I am sad to say that my lovely contractions have started again...already! I felt the first braxon hicks at 9 weeks. By 10 weeks I was feeling true contractions. Because I am so early there is no medicine I can take to make the contractions stop. Given my history though, we have moved into my parents house again so I can take it easy and be on bedrest as needed. I am beyond thankful that my parents {and sisters} are so willing to take care of Elsie and James, feed us, let me take over the couch...my little sisters have even willingly given up their bedroom so the kids and I can have a place to sleep! Thankfully my kids love being here...they wake up happy each morning to be at Grammie's and play all day with the aunties! I am so, so blessed to have such an amazing family...perfectly willing to do this 3 times now! Either my parents are just over joyed at getting another child and so willing to help, or they are perfectly crazy...after putting up with us for the next 160+ days they probably will go crazy! {sorry and thank you mom and dad!}

Last weekend I began to experience the famous super low pressure I get when pregnant...the kind of pressure that makes me almost pee my pants when I stand up! Lovely, I know! After having some tests done the doctor has decided the pressure and contractions are just caused from having an "irritable uterus"...I was hoping it would be caused from a cyst so I would have some hope of it going away. So, I guess this will be a long road ahead of us...good news is, the due date is less than 200 days away now! {that is just my sarcastic way of staying positive!}

We had a 4th ultrasound done this week...the baby is very active...and has a strong heart beat! As much of a pain as this is to be on bedrest and take it easy...and not be able to do any shopping!...I know it is worth it...I cannot wait to hold this little one in my arms...to see James and Elsie with their brother or sister...Our family is growing and we couldn't be happier!

Thoughts...

Several posts ago I shared our exciting baby news...Like I said, we are over the moon excited. After our announcement we have been met with negativity by certain people...comments like having another baby is not a good idea and irresponsible. It is sad to hear those comments...especially when they come from people who should know better. 

Yes, I have been put on bedrest with both Elsie and James due to pre-term labor. In the end I carried both babies full term...they were born with no complications what so ever. My health was never at risk, nor is it with this pregnancy.

Not for one second do we think having another baby is taking too much of a risk. God is in control...we know this and accept this. We pray for God's protection over this little one, just as we say daily prayers for the protection of the rest of our family. Jon and I both believe in living life to the fullest and simply having faith in God! We know unfortunate things can happen...we are not naive, but we choose to not live in the fear of the unknown. Simple everyday tasks such as driving a car or crossing a street is dangerous also, should we then stop any activity that may be regarded as too dangerous? Everyone faces challenges in life. How you deal with those life challenges is what really matters.

Bottom line is whether we choose to have no more or 5 more Children, this is Our Decision...we are the authors of our own life! Don't try to knock people down because you are afraid of living and trusting God. I have a tendency to think of the people not trusing in God or their own hearts are the irresponsible ones. They are the ones missing out on the great joy and journey of life.

We will continue to be over the moon excited no matter what kind of rude and unfeeling comments are thrown our way. You cannot squelch true happiness and joy... 

  

Spring...

Spring is here...and my kids come in at night filthy dirty...dirt beneath the finger nails...grime between the toes...my kids are officially Summer Kids!

James cries at the door first thing in the morning to, "go outside"...and he cries and cries when we tell him he has to at least have breakfast and get dressed first! If my kids could have their way they would live outside, and probably sleep out there too!

A Day for Green...

St. Patrick's Day is a big thing around our house...Our children are mostly Irish since they get plenty of good Irish blood from both Jon and I. The kids think of St. Patrick's day as "the day we dye our hair green!" Weeks in advance we plan out our clothing...this year Elsie decided on a tulle skirt and we made a little green shamrock tie for James. Thankfully I made everything a week or two before St. Patricks day...by the time St. Patricks day finally rolled around morning sickness had hit me full swing and I was doing good just to pull myself off the couch to go to the parade!

James looked adorable...several random people stopped by and asked to take his picture even! He can wear a green Mohawk like no other!

We sit in the same place every year...right in front of the big Catholic Church...this year we drove right past and got a funny feeling we were "lost"...I guess somewhere between last year and this year they tore the Church down! So we now sit in front of a very large dirt lot!

Our Family...I don't look nearly as bad as I was feeling in this picture! Thank goodness for mints...though I had a very hard time eating mints at the parade after seeing that my dentist was sitting next to us...at my last apt. he told me to stop eating mints if I don't want more cavities!

Jon told me he was going to dye his beard green...but he chickened out! Next year, I will be feeling better and we will both be sporting green hair along with the children! Do you think it would be wrong to give a newborn green hair?

Our little group...this year Laura was the missing one...she was in Florida on spring break.

The parade was super long this year...it lasted for over an hour...tons of fun floats and tons and tons of green! The kids came home with more than enough candy to ensure a good sugar high...James fell asleep on the ride home holding a sucker in one hand and a tootsie roll in the other!

After the parade we went over to my parents house...the guys went down to the Sugar Shack to do maple syrup...And we girls enjoyed a little girl time...until the neighbors from across the street started calling for help with their grass fire...so some of the girls went running across the street with shovels in hand to save their house! I even managed to walk over to check it out...morning sickness and all! As it turns out they all worked together and got the fire out...but the fire trucks and the cop still had to come to check it all out. An exciting way to end the afternoon!

Laser Bowling...

A few weeks ago the kids and I met my family in town to enjoy a fun evening of bowling...but not just any ol' bowling...Laser Bowling! All afternoon Elsie was excited about going...carefully picking out her outfit in hopes of it glowing in the dark! James had no clue what laser bowling was...but he feeds off his sister's excitement quite well and was just a excited as she was!

The whole bowling ally was dark with lots of strobe lights and flashing lights...and lots of fog...and fun music like Sweet Home Alabama...and prizes for knocking certain pins down! It was a very fun family affair! The only downfall was that the lighting made taking pictures very hard...and these are about all that turned out!

James wanted in on the bowling fun too...everyone was very good at letting him take one of their turns! Since Daddy was out of town working, James liked to have Papa Wayne help him bowl!

As excited as the kids were go bowling, they didn't last very long! They got tired...and Elsie begged to go home and go to bed!

Our Day...

Our days have been pretty lame lately...like very lame...we don't get dressed until the afternoon...Our house is trashed...super trashed! Thankfully Jon at least vacuumed and spot cleaned the kitchen floor last weekend. We do leave the house daily though...just to head over to my parents for dinner every night...I am so thankful they are willing to feed us and help me out...we would starve for sure with out them! In all honesty I do not have a "bad case" of morning sickness at all...it is just that I am a huge baby...the nausea is less and less each day and I think just maybe the pure exhaustion is also starting to leave. Mostly I just have huge food aversions which leaves me gaging to just think about food!

I am doing my best to not complain though...I keep reminding myself that our goal was to have another baby and this just goes with it! I did lose it one day and sent my mom some terrible self-pity texts that went something like, "this was a stupid idea to have another baby, never again!!" My mom always sets me strait though and assures me I can handle it and it could be way worse!

Anyhow...while I may not have energy to go to town shopping...I have been taking full advantage of online shopping...the kids love getting the mail and finding a box!

Every day James wakes up and immediately points to the door and says, "go out-side"...this no snow in March was quite a blessing to my little guy! Out of all the mud boots at the store James chose a camo pair...and he has wore them for a month strait...without socks...because both my kids insist it is summer and ya just don't wear socks in the summer. I say less laundry, so we go with it. Only downfall is the super stinky man feet this boy gets...he loves to have people smell his beyond smelly feet...when someone smells them he practically falls over giggling!

It is a daily task for the kids to go get the mail...this is a job they love! They get super bummed on the days we only get one piece of junk mail...but they get so excited when they see the mailbox jam packed with magazines, packages, letters and newspapers! James claims all junk mail as his own and tears into it, leaving pieces all over the house! James is probably the only person who loves junk mail!

Our lunches have been super simple...and that is all I can stomach to write about our lunches...

Both kids work together so patiently on opening up all those packages...Elsie uses the kitchen scissors and James has a little butter knife. James is quite aggressive with his little butter knife and broke it in two! It is now held together with black electrical tape!

My lovely new shoes...For Ceara's wedding! We now have my dress, my shoes and Elsie's dress for the wedding...now I just need to get my dress majorly altered for a big belly...and find energy to get into town for clothes for the boys!

So, all in all we have boring days...I am just counting down until I feel better...almost 10 weeks along, so it shouldn't be long!!

New Addition...

That's right...we have a new addition to our family...and this new addition lives in the driveway! Ever since we have been married Jon has driven old, old cars...and he is super hard on those old cars which results in needing to buy a new car almost every year! I think his last car he got almost 2 years out of it...not bad for a car under a thousand dollars! But, a couple months ago that old car quit working...it died right in the parking lot at his work! So the time came to invest in yet another car...this time we decided it was time to get a nice car...something much newer and way more reliable!

 One weekend Jon, James and I went to town in search of a car...we drove to ALL the car lots in town...we were almost ready to give up when he spotted his new car! He fell in love with right away...he took it for a test drive...and we came home with it!

 The following weekend we all loaded up in the new car and went to the big town over an hour away...the kids were super excited to ride in the car!! Jon is very particular about his new car and had a hard time letting the kids eat in his new car though...not to mention muddy little feet!

 After that little trip I quickly decided I am a hard core mini-van lover! A little 4 door car with 2 kids and all the stuff we collect along the way did not make a good match! Jon can keep his sporty car...I am more than happy with my good ol' mini-van!

 This is the only thing about Jon's car that scares me...140mph!? I keep on asking how fast he has had it going...he just smirks and won't answer! Knock on wood...no speeding tickets yet...but rest assured, it will happen!!