Quick Blurb

I am foolishly busy these next few days, but I wanted to let you all now that Baby Boy is just fine!!! We had our ultra sound yesterday and it showed him to be healthy, thriving, and weighing about 4.5 pounds! He is actually measuring about 10 days ahead of my due date!

To say we were relieved after spending the weekend with that over our heads, is just not saying enough. I suppose he is eating all I give him and then some, so maybe I just won't gain that much overall, which my Dr says is fine. I do eat, I assure you. And I'm always hungry. I think that working, as well as chasing a 2 year old burns lots of calories. And we also checked to make sure he was still a he. That was affirmative as well.

Hope you all have a great day!!

Scenes

Does this look like a happy face or what?

She is happy, and she has reason to be. Why you ask?

Her Daddy has decided she needs a playhouse. Not just any playhouse mind you. It is hand made by her Daddy. He measured her to place the door and window in a location that works now, and will still work later. I can barely keep her in the house and out of harms way.

Here is Tim working away:

He has big plans for this house. It will be the same color as ours.

I am just dying while waiting to see the finished product.

I know it will be incrdible!

Today I had an intense craving for Thanksgiving dinner. I had not the energy or time to make it for real, so I invented Cheesy Thanksgiving. I went to the store and got the following:

a rotiserrie chicken, a box of Stovetop stuffing, a pouch of instant mashed potatoes, a jar of gravy, dinner rolls in a can, as well as canned cranberries and green beans.
The entire thing took about 20 minutes to throw together, was totally processed and salty, but it was amazing!! We enjoyed it thouroughly!

Here is my 31 week self belly portrait. We had an OB appointment yesterday and although my measurements are right on, I still have yet to gain any weight. Our Dr wants me to have an ultrasound to measure the baby's growth. He says he is not concerned, but with my lack of weight gain, he just wants to check in on him. I support this idea. The appointment is on Tuesday. I'll keep you all posted.

I leave you now with a collection of faces:

The Wedding: A Wrap Up

After all the ceremonial stuff Josh and Kimmy posed and cheesed and hammed for the photographer while the rest of us watched. We oo-ed and ah-ed and then we looked sky ward and felt the wind kick up and started to pack up what we could.

It got a little frantic.

They cut their little cake, but to my recollection, they didn't eat any. Then the Best Man did a quick toast as the wind kicked up some more. That was when Kimmy suggested I save my toast for the Melting Pot. Good call.

Sadly, no one enjoyed a cupcake or another sip of champagne. We all started grabbing things that blew away and packed up things that were about to blow away. Josh's family had the distinct pleasure of taking down the gazebo adornments in the wind. Lucky.

We made it out of there as the sprinkles started to fall.

I wonder how the next wedding went.....

Little Miss recovered just fine from her florally induced melt down and scattered all her petals around the gazebo. She had a good time.

A rare shot of me and my husband. These are few and far between!


We all convened a couple of hours later at the Melting Pot for a nice meal.
Our Mom made this apron for Kimmy, so she wouldn't stain her dress. Is that not the cutest idea as well as execution of said idea?!?!



I took several hazy shots of everyone. Between my refusal to use a flash and the steam from the pots, very few turned out. I need to master low light photography.

We all had a wonderful time. Especially these two.

It was an incredible day.

A Finger, A Closet and Regret

This is the closet in our kids room. It originally had 2 shelves along the right side and a rod in it. Recently my husband said to me, "I think I'm going to rip that closet out and rebuild it with a ton of shelves for you. Would you like something like that?" And then after I stopped weeping tears of joy, I said yes. The situation created emotion very similar to the night he proposed to me. My life has reached a strange place since I became a Mom.

For you to fully understand the magnitude of this closet ordeal, I really should have gotten a picture of the closet before. You could NOT step one toe in there. I had stacked outgrown toys, clothes, excess blankets, stuffed toys, etc, etc, in there to fill the whole thing. This was not going to do once we had to house clothing and bedding for two kids.
The first thing that happened was a thinning of toys and clothes. Then my sister and her husband very graciously allowed me to put larger toys that Baby Brother will use later in their basement. I marveled at how they seemed so big in that closet, but just looked like a little pile in the corner of their basement by the workout area. But I digress.

And now I'll digress even more.
This project was in the making for weeks. Arrangements were made, plans were drawn, and money was set aside. Then the finger infection happened. I touched on it in one of my lists. The finger was a horrible and extremely painful 3 week ordeal for my husband. After 2 weeks of him thinking he had sprained, jammed, fractured or otherwise maimed himself, I convinced him to go to Urgent Care. After all, it had reached a point where he couldn't sleep it was so painful. The first Doc gave him antibiotics and sent him on his way. At this point there was a large red area near the tip with a white spot that appeared to be deep in the skin. This was labeled a pus pocket. Eeeewww, right?
Then every other day for the next week he went back to see them because it continued to get worse in every way. Each time he was sent away to "Give it 48 MORE hours." Finally on his 3rd visit a new Dr took one look at it and (with little warning) sliced open the end of his finger and reached into the "pus pocket" and pulled out what was described as a grain of rice. This was apparently some foreign body that had wedged itself in the finger and it was encapsulated by Tim's body. Gross, huh? But, within little more than 24 hours the pain was 95% gone.
This was great news since that closet was on the docket to get done.

Yesterday, Tim hit it early and tore out all the old stuff and set to work with the new shelves.
He built them all from strong plywood and mounted them on the closet walls. While that was going on, I was going through boxes and running to Goodwill and my sister's house.
After all of that, I came home to admire my husbands handy work. It was beautiful. But I couldn't get over the raw wood, though it was sanded smooth, or the fact that the closet was the original dingy eggshell paint that is original to this house. "I think I'm going to paint it white." I said to Tim. Then he made "The Face" It is an all purpose husband face but this time it said, "That is a bad idea, but she's nesting, and I know she already has her mind made up, so I'll just go with this." He asked if I was sure, it might be a real big job. I was sure. He drove me to Lowe's and we got a gallon of white paint and I set to it. Now, don't get all freaked out about me painting. There was adequate ventilation and I took breaks and Tim stayed there to monitor me. Not to mention I did artificial nails the first 7 months of my pregnancy with Violet and she seems ok. Plus, I've no doubt some of those chemicals make paint seem like fresh air.
So, after 2 hours, 2 coats and an entire gallon of paint, that closet was a mess. I kept thinking, "Where is this paint going?" Turns out raw wood is thirsty, and I remain convinced that the drywall in that closet is made of sponge. The truth is, I most certainly should have primed that wood, and I am quite sure that closet just got a quick spray when the house was built. I ended up going back for another gallon of paint later and worked until the minute Violet went to bed. I realized into the second can of paint that I had a better, thicker paint and that things were covering quickly, but it also became apparent that the better paint was a little bit darker than the first. I then became filled with angst and regret. My technique at that point was that like what I imagine an angry teen would employ if forced to do this job when they could be out rabble rousing with friends. I could not believe what a complicated disater painting a closet had become.
It was pathetic. I slopped paint all over the brackets, dripped on the tarps and everything in flinging distance. Much of my own person ended up painted as well, considering I was lumbering around in there with a step stool 7 months pregnant. You should see the belly of the shirt I wore.
Three coats and nearly 2 gallons of paint later I had 97% of the closet covered and that's when I cut my losses. Every time Tim checked on me I'd say, "I regret this decision with every fiber of my being." And I still do.
This morning we loaded it with every baby thing we have and I can walk in there and turn around. That worked like salve on the wound and truly, it is glorious, but don't look to closely. I guarantee you will cringe. I know I always will.

The end of this tale is that I'm thankful. I'm glad my husbands finger is better, glad that we have the storage we so desperately needed, and pleased that it appears nice.....from a distance.
I am hoping we will do this to our closet, but I intend to go about it completely different. And I think we'll all be glad for that.

I May Just Swoon

There is nothing cuter than this picture. In my opinion.

My sister was so pleased with her wedding pictures that she gave me a gift certificate to have the wedding photographer do pictures for Violet's 2nd birthday.

Oh.....My.......Goodness

Cristy is her name, and she is lovely and charming, and plainly talented.

She dropped off our disc today in person, and I have done little else but look at these pictures since. I am so in love with them.




I am currently waiting with bated breath for my prints to get done at Walgreens so I can pick them up and carry them around with me everywhere I go.

There a total of 37 shots, and I would no sooner be able to pick a favorite than fly over the moon. Or stop craving breakfast meats.

I hope you all swoon a little too.

What's that? You want a link to her info?

Of course:

http://www.photographybycristy.com/

Another List

1. I really do hope to do my post about my daughter's 2nd birthday party. Someday soon-ish. Here is the cake I made her. I did cake decorating during my youth in 4-H. I dug deep for those skills to make this. Tinkerbell's face was exceptionally creepy, but Violet was quite pleased.

2. Over the weekend Tim found out he has a rogue infection in his pinky. He has no idea how it got there. It is very painful and so far the antibiotics seem to be having no effect, so if you think about it, say a little prayer for his little finger.

3. It is way too hot for September right now. But I may just be pregnant.

4. 3rd trimester cravings have landed. At the top of the list are breakfast meats(sausage, bacon), fig newtons and fried eggs. These craving are very, very different from the ones I had with Violet. I am calling him Baby Pork Chop.

5. My brother's wedding is in 3 1/2 weeks. I am super excited for it. I will be the swollen one sniffling like an idiot in the family section. I never got around to sniffling at my sister's wedding since my daughter was stressed out, so I intend to make up for it at this wedding. Won't John and Amber be pleased!!

6. I really want a massage.

7. The other morning Tim went in to wake Violet up and snapped this picture. She is pretty cute.


8. If the temperature gets above 79 degrees one more day, I'm booking an Alaskan cruise and never coming back.

9. Never mind #8, I guess I need to stay here to give birth to Baby Pork Chop. I'm awfully excited to meet him. Even more so because we are no where near having a name for him, and we're pretty sure we won't have one until we see his sweet face.

10. Tim came up with a super hilarious idea for our Halloween costumes this year and I can't wait to reveal it to you. It's just that now is not the time. I'm such a tease.

Friday Cuteness

We will now interrupt your Friday with cuteness in the bath tub.
Thanks for your time!

The Wedding Day: Part Three: Delivery of a Bride

Here she comes!!

My sister approached the gazebo to the song "Soul Sister" by Train

And also the sound of her niece sobbing.....

She wasn't phased and at this point she actually added a little shimmy to her walk.

It was super cute, and we all giggled at her.


They were having a good time.

And now, the inner monologue of both Sister and Dad:
"Please don't stumble, please don't trip"

Successful navigation through the dirt path, over the wooden bridge and onto the gazebo floor!!
Then she was delivered to her intended.

It was such a lovely wedding.

Josh's best man, whom I call Other Josh, had to hold both rings as well as Kimmy's flowers, since I was otherwise occupied. He was a good sport about it.

I like this shot of Kimmy. This is the exact smile she wore the ENTIRE time she was getting legally, spiritually, emotionally and thoroughly entwined to her spouse.

They were so darn happy!!

Alas, I have no pictures of the actual ceremony. After Tim took this picture I shuffled Violet off to him and took my position next to the bride.

But trust me, it was lovely. Not unlike my sister.

The Wedding Day: Part Two: The Fall of the Flowergirl

Violet was really not into her dress the day of the wedding. It was nap time and she was not in the mood to play dress up.

After I got her dressed and calmed down(thanks to some Tootsie Rolls) we headed for the gazebo.

I was thinking it was going quite well.

Then she started to make noise, but just then a chipmunk popped out and she spotted him.

She loves animals. Had I popcorn or crackers or anything I would have bribed that little pipsqueak clear to the gazebo. But, alas, he skittered back off into the rocks.



But she was keeping it together.....for a bit.
Notice the smile on my face. I was sure we would make it.
Silly Momma.




Then she spotted the photographer and the people. That was the beginning of the end my friends.
I tried to get her to keep walking.
That failed fast.





So I scooped her up and started murmuring to her.
"It's alright. We just have to get over there to Daddy. See Daddy?"

"If I don't smile, I too will burst into tears."

"Daddy! Save me! Momma made me put on this dress and now I'm a hostage!"

Then we made it to our spot and she was wrapped around me like a scarf.

I still foolishly thought she might settle down before Kimmy made her big appearance.

"Momma will give you a sucker and a cake and a pony if you calm down."

It never did work, and for whatever reason I waited until after my sister got there to hand Violet off to her Daddy. The upshot is Tim was able to photograph my sister's approach to the alter. Violet did calm down.......after they were wed.

No one seemed to notice though. My sister was all smiles and all else went off without a hitch.

I know that my sister and all other involved parties had no expectations of Violet(or me for that matter) but as the sister of the bride and the Mom of the flower girl, let me just tell you I was a wreck. A good kind of wreck, but none the less.....

At the end of the day though we were all smiling and my sister got the big prize. Josh.

A List

1. It hailed a whole lot here this summer. I have been seriously procrastinating calling our insurance company. They replaced our roof last year due to wind damage, and I fear if I call them we will get some sort of black mark. We also lost part of our fence and got damage to the truck. I'm sure when I call, they will simply cancel me, hang up the phone and laugh.

2. When I leave my laptop on all day and it gets too warm, my keyboard acts up. That is currently happening right this minute. Typos are everywhere.

3. Many of you may recall my deep, unwavering and totally unhealthy love of TV. Due to a great many circumstances, I seriously downgraded my cable. I now have local channels and Food Network. I kept all the stuff Vee likes, but that's about it. I'm not struggling with this life change the way I thought I would.

4. Before Violet came along we spent several hundred dollars on some gorgeous stoneware dishes at Peir 1. They were everything we ever thought we'd need at our table. Then we had a baby, and I no longer took the time to be extra cautious or even (gasp) hand wash all my dishes. They started to chip and look sorrowful, and I began to have intestinal distress. I gave them to my friend, whose child is grown and gone, and spent $50.00 on 2 sets of plain, docile, boring white Corelle dishes. I couldn't be more pleased with this decision. Same goes for my intestines.


5. My husband painted what will be both kids room this week. There was a forest green wall from back when it was his office, and he changed it to a minty green. It has made such a big difference in the lightness of the room we had to take out the night light because it was waking Violet up.

6. My cell phone of 3 years died of natural causes this week. I am just glad the whole dish issue was resolved at the time. I will keep cars, clothes and cell phones for as long as life allows. I hate learning new gadgets and I could care less how "smart" my phone is. Even the lowest IQ cell phone has me licked. I just want to talk on it, and text and that is it. Well, I do like to have pics of my Vee and Hubbs, but after that, nada. By the grace of God and AT&T, I got my husbands new-ish simpleton special and he got an iPhone for cheap. This is a stellar accomplishment. As long as that iPhone doesn't lip off to my Corelle that is.

7. I am in my 3rd trimester. I know this not from a calender, but because I can't make it past lunch time without putting on my yoga pants. We are super excited to meet Mr Baby Brother, but are not any closer to having a real name for him. It may have to happen at the hospital.

8. Fall is coming. This pleases me deeply.