Saturday, May 30, 2009

Frosting Face



We had chocolate cupcakes the other day.
Can you tell Cooper loves the frosting?!?
Gotta love that face!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Gabe's Featured Photography



I've written about it before on this blog. Gabe is quite the budding photographer. I mean really, it was only a matter of time before he was 'discovered.' {smile}

Remember this post or this post from last year? Both were written about Gabe's photography skills. Well, now he's been featured on another blog. Check it out here.

I was suppose to take photos at this cute young couple's recent wedding, but I was unfortunately very sick and had to send my substitute. He certainly gave them a unique perspective on their wedding that they probably would not have gotten from me {I'm not in the habit of taking photos of toilets and urinals.}

I'm so glad Gabe was able to capture some truly one of a kind shots!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

2 Brothers + 1 Sister = 3 Forever Friends


Forever friends.
That's definitely my prayer for them, that they'll always have a friend in each other.
Oh how I love these three.
I can't believe it's soon to be four!
We're now under 70 days until we're blessed with our fourth.
And it couldn't come soon enough!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Happy 2nd Birthday Chloe

It really doesn't seem like it has been a whole year since I wrote this post commemorating Chloe's first birthday. But since it is May 26, 2009, I guess it must be true...our little Chloe Faith is turning two! {Sorry, I couldn't resist a little rhyme.}

I also couldn't resist having a second birthday photo shoot with Chloe. It took much prodding, because this girl does not like to cooperate with mom during photo shoots. But I think we captured some really cute shots and Chloe's sweet & silly personality.
What do you think...











Oh how much this little one has grown, changed and learned in the past two years! It's amazing really, how God gives us this little precious baby that grows and develops oh so quickly. I think every mother has wished at some point or another that we could just stop time, keeping our little ones little forever. But with every day comes a new and exciting milestone that we wouldn't want to interrupt.

Well, since two years equals 24 months, I thought I play upon the number 24 and share...


24 Facts About Chloe

1. Chloe talks ALL THE TIME. There's rarely a minute where she's not telling some tale. Her funniest phrases are: 'Shake that body,' which can be heard as she busts out some of her infamous dance moves and 'Cooper, go to your room!'

2.
Chloe has a blood curdling scream, which she utilizes to express excitement, fear, anger, joy, etc. In short, we hear this scream A LOT!

3. Chloe is extremely animated and cannot watch a movie without singing or talking along with the characters. {This can drive her brothers crazy!}


4. Chloe is very polite, never forgetting to say 'please' and persisting to say 'thank you' over and over again until someone has acknowledged her with a 'your welcome.'


5. Chloe's favorite tv shows are Little Einsteins, Dora the Explorer and Barney. Favorite movies include The Little Mermaid, Stuart Little 2 and Wall-E.


6. Favorite foods include waffles, chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes, although there's not many foods Chloe won't eat.


7. Chloe still loves to play with balls, as I addressed
in this post last summer.

8. Diapering dolls and tucking them into Cooper's bed is a favorite pastime.


9. Chloe is ultra sensitive. She can be brought to tears simply by telling her 'no' with a stern voice. {Takes after her mommy in the area of sensitivity.}

10. Chloe absolutely loves her daddy. We often have the same conversation, which goes a little something like this...
Chloe: 'Where's Daddy?' Me: 'I don't know! Where is daddy Chloe?' Chloe: 'Daddy's at work. Daddy's bye bye.'

11. Chloe says Cooper, but rarely says Gabe. Instead, she calls him by his full name, 'Gabriel.'


12. This girl has figured out the art of closing doors, but has yet to master opening them, leading to many times a day when she's trapped in a room. Chloe then knocks on the door saying, 'Out Please,' waiting for someone to open the door and free her.


13. Favorite playground equipment: the slide, which Chloe lovingly refers to as, 'Weeee!' She yells 'weee!' whenever she sees a slide.


14. Chloe is a climber, just like her brothers. I have to put Gabe's bunk bed ladder up in his bed every morning, otherwise she climbs right up into his bed.

15. Chloe wants nothing to do with having her picture taken. She usually refuses to look at the camera, leading to endless photos of her looking away.


16. I have not yet trained Chloe to be mom's little shopper. She'd rather run around the store than sit in the cart or stroller and help mom shop.

17. Chloe no longer sits in a high chair. She's moved on to the booster seat, or her favorite of just sitting on a chair or in a booth. She's a big girl!


18. Chloe is a cookie monster. She asks for a cookie multiple times a day, and isn't very happy when her request is not granted. Distraction is a savior in these circumstances.


19. Chloe is very friendly and outgoing, but sometimes pretends to be shy by looking down and batting her eyes. She's such a ham!


20. Chloe can count to ten, thanks to her Leapfrog Lily doll.


21. Chloe has recently started escaping her crib at night. We put her back every time, but it's not unusual to find her sleeping on her floor upon checking on her before Jason and I go to bed.


22. I think Chloe would be outside all day long if I let her. This girl loves the great outdoors!


23. Chloe cannot sleep without her pink blanket.


24. Chloe loves dogs and lovingly refers to our Saint Bernard as 'SamSam.' {His name is actually Samson.}

So there's 24 things about our little two year old. I really could go on and on...this girl's full of personality and is really a lot of fun!
I'm sure Chloe is going to be a great big sister, although I'm bracing myself for an adjustment period when she may be a little jealous. She definitely has a jealous streak when it comes to mom's affections.
Her brothers adore her.
Her parents couldn't imagine their lives without her.
Chloe is one big blessing sent from the Lord.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Monkey

Our little monkey, a.k.a. Chloe Faith, is turning two tomorrow. Make sure to tune in on Tuesday for a post dedicated to our little birthday girl.
But for now, I had to share a photo we captured yesterday.
Jason and I heard Chloe yelling, 'Help! Help please!' from the boys' room yesterday.
We found this...





Chloe had climbed up onto the boys' closet organizer shelf and had gotten herself stuck in quite an awkward position.
Of course, before we could help her down, we had to get a couple of photos of our trapped little monkey.
She's a climber for sure!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The First Tooth

Here's my six-year-old.
Gabe is growing up so fast.
He came home from school today and talked about visiting the first grade classroom, learning all about what they'll be doing in first grade next year.



I can't believe I'm going to have a first grader!
But by the looks of things, that's not the only change that's coming...



Do you see it? Look a little closer...



Yes, Gabe's tongue is pushing that loose tooth right out of there!
His first loose tooth, soon to be his first LOST tooth.
I don't know if it's the pregnancy hormones or just my natural sensitivity, but upon seeing this loose tooth I teared up.
Gabe's response...'Don't worry mom. I have other teeth!'
Ahhh, sweet boy. You just don't get it.
Mom just wants you to stay little a little while longer.
But alas, I fear it's inevitable.
My boy is growing up!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

29 Week Update

I had a doctors appointment last Friday during which I had to participate in the lovely glucose test. For those of you who aren't familiar with said test, you basically drink a flavored {yucky tasting} orange drink, wait an hour, then have blood drawn to check sugar levels.
At the same time, they also check your iron levels, which is always a dreaded test for me.
It's not like I'm waiting to hear if I'm iron deficient, but just how iron deficient I actually am.
I first learned of my tendency towards anemia in high school when the doctor was sure I had mono. It turned out to be severe anemia instead, and I've been taking iron pills on and off ever since.
Needless to say, I am severely anemic, and my iron supplements were upped, again.
I hate these iron supplements, because they make my already queasy stomach even queasier. Additionally, you are suppose to take them on an empty stomach so that the highest amount of iron can be absorbed by your body, which makes the nausea even worse for me.
Despite the anemia, everything else checked out great at the appointment.
Since the anemia is making my energy levels plummet, I'm now counting down the weeks til' this baby arrives and I may actually get some energy back. {Assuming the baby is a good sleeper like our others have been.}
And as the time of baby boy's arrival draws near, we are still left nameless.
Gabe's suggestion is Nolan. This is because his best bud's little baby brother is named Nolan. I told him we can't name our baby Nolan, because there's already that baby Nolan, but Gabe doesn't quite understand my reasoning.
Cooper's suggestion...baby boy Sanders.
I was thinking of something a little less generic.
I have a few names in mind, but Jason is absolutely no help. I think the procrastinator in him likes to come of with names at the very last possible minute, like right before we leave the hospital to take the baby home.
Oh well, we still have time. And with the amount of rest I've been requiring, I have plenty of time to think about names before the big day!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Hershey's Track Meet 2009

Note: Every time I write one of these posts extensively describing my kids' latest accomplishments, I feel like I'm one step away from driving a mini van sporting one of those dreaded, 'My Kids and All-Stater' stickers. But after all, isn't that what family blogs like these are for? So, with that in mind...

Gabe competed in the area's annual Hershey's Track Meet on Thursday. This is his second year competing in the track meet, and apparently the experience proved to be quite profitable...click here to read about last year's meet.
Although Gabe has proven to have a whole lot of natural athletic ability, we've noticed that he's also built for strength like his dad, and not so much for speed. With this in mind, we signed Gabe up for two field events and one track event as opposed to two track and one field.
But Gabe definitely proved us wrong. That competitive drive that is instilled deep in Gabe kicked in and overcame any speed he lacked, propelling him to win third place in the 50 meter dash for his age group. I would guess that there was probably 35 plus kids competing in this event, so a third place finish was no small feat. It just goes to show that having heart is just as important as natural ability!
Gabe also placed first in the long jump, and second in the softball throw!
If you're counting, that equals 3 ribbons and 1 very happy boy...

Needless to say, Gabe was so proud and kept saying, "I tried my best, I really did!" It's like we tell Gabe in everything he competes in, trying your best is all we ask. And on Thursday, his best was good enough to place, which of course is always a rewarding feeling!

Here's some highlights from the track meet...

The Long Jump...

Gabe was quite natural at using his arms to propel him far.


And here's Gabe sticking his first jump, good enough for a first place finish! Way to go Gabe!

The Softball Throw...

Finishing second place, right behind his best friend Brayden!

The 50 Meter Dash...

Gabe won his heat, and placed third overall in his age group.


Cooper enjoyed watching the event again this year, but is also looking forward to next year when he'll be five and be able to compete as well.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Raising the Roof

Most expectant mothers are busy preparing for their baby to arrive, perhaps by styling the perfect nursery.
I happen to love this one for our little guy...



Unfortunately, being smack dab in the middle of a total home makeover means there is no nursery to style. In fact, at the moment, we have no roof...





'We' {no, not me, but the guys} spent the day on Friday tearing the old roof off of our house.

Today {Monday} will be spent putting the new one on, hopefully to be fully assembled and weatherized by the time rain is scheduled to hit tomorrow night...








Right now with no roof, much of the siding ripped off, and additions built onto the house that are currently not 'tied in', the house looks...well....hideous.
Luckily, Jason and I have both been blessed with the vision it takes to see what the end product will be, even in the midst of a total mess. I suppose that's why we've taken on renovation projects like this before.
I think we both enjoy the challenge of taking something mediocre and making it magnificent.
And, we are both excited to make this our dream home, although believe me, there are days when we just want it finished!

I'm well aware that there's many people who think we're crazy for taking on such an extensive project, especially with three small children and one on the way. But that's where prayer comes in, asking the Lord to grant me patience daily, which definitely is a virtue in a home renovation project.

Admittedly, doing most of the work ourselves does make for added stress. After all, it's not like that show, 'Extreme Home Makeover,' where the house is started and finished in the same week. The littlest projects can seem to go on for months! And with doing the work ourselves, if something goes wrong, which let's face it, it always does, we have no one to blame but ourselves! But thankfully, we have a lot of great family and friends who have volunteered to help out {so we'll just blame them when something goes wrong!} Just kidding!!!

After the roof is in place, the plan is to completely finish the outside of the house...windows, siding, stone work, etc. Then we'll move the project indoors, where we've completely gutted the upstairs of our house and currently live in the finished basement.
With the baby coming and only three bedrooms in our basement all currently in use, my dreams of preparing a beautiful nursery for our little boy are just that, dreams.
But he can only be in our room for a few months before he'll need his own space, so the pressure will be on this fall to get the upstairs project under wraps.
But, Lord willing, we will get this done...someday?!?
Ah, the joys of home renovation!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Hangers



Is it weird that my daughter tries to put hangers over her head?
Not just once in awhile, but I'm talking the minute she gets a hold of a hanger, it goes straight over her head.
Hmmmm....





Odd? Yes.
But, she does apparently color coordinate the hanger
with her outfit.
I taught her well.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Losing Jason

Many of you have heard stories of me and my tendency towards sleep walking and talking.
And believe me, there are plenty of stories. Just ask my husband, or my college roommate, or my parents.
Almost every night I talk in my sleep, and probably about once a week I get out of bed and end up somewhere else.
Jason has learned to adore it, I'm sure. Or, at the very least, tolerate it.
But this week the tables were turned. I woke up at about 2:30 a.m. and Jason was not sleeping next to me.
He was gone.

I found this strange, because in addition to being a sleepwalker and talker, I'm also a very light sleeper and wake up very easily. For Jason to have gotten out of bed and not have woken me up is very rare. So, I got up to look for him.
The only problem was, he wasn't anywhere to be found. I looked all over the house, even in our upstairs that is under renovation. He was nowhere.
I then ventured outside, which was a big deal because I'm such a scaredy cat and still afraid of the dark. I've never quite outgrown those childhood fears. But, I had to find my husband, so there I was in the pitch dark calling his name.
"Jason? Jason, where are you? Jason?"
But I got absolutely no response.
All of our vehicles were still in the driveway, so I knew he hadn't driven somewhere.
I hurried back inside and thought my husband must have vanished into thin air. Or he was kidnapped. And, since people don't just vanish, I figured someone must have kidnapped him. You know, I'm sure it's fairly easy to kidnap a 6 foot 245 pound man!
This left for only one course of action...call 911 and report the kidnapping of my husband. Thoughts ran through my head like, "Wow, they're going to think I'm crazy, reporting my grown husband kidnapped in the middle of the night!"
And, "Wouldn't this make for an interesting made-for-tv movie." And if we did end up having our lives portrayed in a made-for-tv movie, we all know who'd play Jason if you remember this classic post from back in the day.
But after my mind was finished wandering {inability to concentrate is yet another casualty of my pregnancy,} I
again thought, 'what else am I to do but to contact the authorities?'
Before I made the call, I thought I'd better check the kids' rooms to make sure they hadn't been kidnapped too.
And as I went into the boys' room, there I found Jason, snuggled up in Cooper's bed. It was quite the sight. He was sleeping on the edge of Coop's bottom bunk, almost ready to fall out. Both boys were still sleeping soundly, make that
all three boys.
I woke up Jason and he was so confused, having no idea why he was in Coop's bed or how he had gotten there.
I cried, both tears of joy from finding Jason and tears of exhaustion from being so panicked for the good 15 minutes I thought my husband was gone for good!
Since that night, it's been a running joke as to whose bed Jason will venture into tonight. I may wake up some night soon and find him cuddled up in Chloe's crib. Or maybe outside in Samson's doghouse? That'd be a sight!
Gabe requested that Dad sleep in his bed tonight ;)
All I know is, now instead of me being the pun of all the jokes, Jason can be the punchline of some of the sleepwalker jokes too!