Baby News

We found out this morning that...

We're having a boy!

And by all indications he appears to be lively, cute, and healthy so far. Will he be another truck rolling-Lego building-couch jumping-ball throwing-cymbal clanging-train loving-tight squeezing-hearty eating-book devouring-worship song singing son and brother? Time will tell! We know he is in God's hands and pray for his safe arrival this June.

Naaman?

On Sunday at church, the kids heard a story about Naaman, the army commander who had leprosy and was healed when he washed in the Jordan river.

After church, I took David potty and noticed red blotches all over his torso. Joshua found out about David's mysterious rash and told one of his friends about it.

I overheard the friend ask, "What is a rash?" And Joshua responded, "Well - remember Naaman?"

LOL!!

By the way, I am happy to report that David's rash is all gone and his stomach hasn't fallen off.

David's Big News

He's wearing underwear! Not for sleeping yet, although often his diaper is dry when he awakes. David is doing great with potty training so far, and he has even gone #2 in the potty a few times! This last is a challenge for us all because he urgently calls to us that it is about to come out, makes us sit in the bathroom with him for several minutes of nothing, and then gets up with the assertion, "I don't have to go." Thirty seconds later, nature's calling again -maybe - hello? hello? anybody there? Not a thing. So our patience is being tested in these pre-BM hours, but of course it is worth it when at last it happens! Joshua got to sit with him for the big moment this morning and was as proud as could be of his lil bro. Way to go, David!

In baby news (week 16), yesterday marked the first day of multiple distinct movements that I could feel in utero, definitely more than flutters or bubbles, and they are continuing today. Hi Baby! Love feeling you wiggle around in there!

We're still here!

Really there's so much to tell you I don't know where to start, and I feel like I don't have enough time, but every time I see that ancient post I vow to get something new up there, so here it is!

Autumn '09 top 10 list: Things we've been busy with this fall

1) Joshua's in preschool twice a week and seems to like it a lot
2) David and I took a FunFit class together while J was busy at school
3) Two trips up to NY
4) Battling nasty colds (still fighting)
5) Thanksgiving (in NY)
6) A double birthday bash for our now 3 and 4 year old big boys (a pathetic tale: I slaved while sick making two cakes that turned out so well, a drum for David and a guitar for Joshua, and my brain was so foggy I didn't even realize I hadn't taken pictures of them until they were all cut and mostly eaten)
7) Decorating for Christmas
8) Reorganizing most of our home since we bought some new (used) furniture AND acquired by some special blessing a grand piano to borrow for hopefully 5-10 years (!!) (special thanks to Ken for dropping our name)
9) Preparing to begin leading a care group sometime early in the new year

and finally the most exciting of all,

10) A new baby on the way! Due June 27. We are hoping to hit Chris's birthday, the 26th. We are so amazed and thankful that God would grant us this blessing! We're not sure yet if we'll find out or be surprised about the baby's sex.

I haven't taken very many pictures lately either, unfortunately. If I had you would note that the boys could use some hair cuts and are growing up fast, and that my belly is ever so slightly expanding, and that Chris is as good lookin' as ever except he needs a hair cut too (I have been too sick to keep up with my men's locks). But, his brother Nathan is getting married two days after Christmas and the boys will be ringbearers again, and Chris is playing piano for the whole ceremony, so we will have to cut that shag by then! Or Somebody will anyway. ;-)

Hopefully by 2010 we'll have some more photos up here. And now to bed, to grow this baby and kill this cold virus. And by the way, our internet is a bit fickle right now, so in case in the midst of traveling, Christmas, wedding, etc. we don't post again before Christmas, and especially since we're running late on our Christmas cards this year, we'll take this opportunity to wish you now a very blessed and

Merry Christmas!

La•bile (lā' bīl') adj.

1. Open to change; adaptable.
2. Chemistry Constantly undergoing or likely to undergo change; unstable; capable of changing state or becoming inactive when subjected to heat or radiation.
3. Medicine Readily or frequently changing, as a: readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown b: characterized by wide fluctuations c: emotionally unstable.

Yesterday, David's pediatrician mentioned offhandedly that the albuterol he is taking to open up his air passages (due to a wheezy, coughy cold he and Joshua have contracted) may make him more "labile." Today we are learning what this word means.

A few examples:

He gets yellow mac'n'cheese stains on my shirt. I change. "Mommy, I don't like that shirt. Take it off. I want you to look nice. I want you to look like William's mommy."

Receives a granola bar, plays vigorously with it, finds it broken. Result: Tantrum.

Joshua attempts to console, receives a shove. "Joshua, go away. I want you to go in the living room."

Expresses desire to go to bed, hears that he must brush his teeth and change his diaper as usual. Result: Tantrum.

I can't fully describe the nonsensical defiance, screaming, and battle of the wills going on here today, but let's just say I'm thankful he's sleeping now. This is nothing like the sweet, sleepy, cooperative, angelic boy of yesterday, cuddling close to Mommy through the doctor appointment and chest x-ray, who took a 4 hour nap. That was Jekyll; this is Hyde! We are thankful the inhaler and the steroids seem to be working great on the lungs - of course because David is recovering, but also so that we may not need these awful drugs much longer!

A Little Cutting and Pasting?

You might think this post is going to be about Joshua starting preschool tomorrow. We are all taking it very coolly on the outside, but I wonder if Joshua is as keyed up as I am on the inside? It's so hard to believe he is old enough to be going to school. Where did my baby go?!

But actually, that is another story. Joshua is not the only one in the family doing some cutting and pasting. On Monday morning, I very neatly sliced my calf open while taking out the garbage, just as I heard the broken dish rattling around in the bag and remembered its threatening presence. We had plans to go downtown with friends for the U.S. Navy Band's annual Labor Day concert, but first, we had an impromptu visit to the urgent care center. (I suppose nobody ever plans to go to Urgent Care!)

Thankfully, I did not need stitches. Instead, they glued my skin together! Much less ghastly than stitches, in my opinion, and we were even able to go to the concert afterwards. The wound stung a bit yesterday, but today it has mostly been itching around the bandage.

The worst part isn't that I will have yet another scar - rather, reminder of God's protection - but that I can't get my leg wet for two weeks. I have yet to figure out exactly how to bathe with this constraint, so please excuse me if I begin to stink! Meanwhile, I'll try to stick to cutting and pasting on the computer, never put anything sharp straight into my trash bag again, and leave the true cutting and pasting for Joshua to handle.

A Muddled Mom in McDonald's

This is what happens when a tired mom tries to buy her family fast food but can't think fast enough:

"Can I help you?" asked the cashier briskly, obviously eager to turn over customers to cut the lengthening line.
I slid closer to the register, eyeing the menu board, mentally calculating, while questioning my two young sons about their lunch preferences. At least, I thought I asked both of them what they wanted.
"Yes please. Can you get a 4-piece chicken mcnuggets without buying a kids meal?" I fervently hoped so, but it wasn't on the menu.
"Yes," she said to my relief.
I didn't bother asking how much. "We'll take a 4-piece nuggets, a mcdouble, and a hamburger." I was happily thinking, "That hamburger is only 89 cents, even less than the dollar menu! I really saved us some money with that wise choice!"
The clerk rang it up; I swiped my Visa; she left to fill the order. Then remembered I had been falling asleep in the van and wanted a coffee.
I cleared my throat. "Ahem. Ma'am? Can I also get a small mocha? Did my card already go through or do I have to swipe it again?"
"You have to do it again but wait a minute while I fix it so it will let it use the same card twice in a row." Ah, security. I'm glad "it" is protecting my financial assets so that we have more money safely available to spend at McDonald's in the future.
She brought the coffee and scanned my overflowing purse, my tray, my sons and their friends jumping around like a hungry tribe, and my generally disheveled appearance. "There you go. Is that all?"
"Yes, thanks," I mumbled in some embarrassment as I prepared to leave.
Then I glanced at my friend's tray. Three chocolate milks. I set down my tray. Oops.
I flagged down my now harried cashier. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I forgot the drinks. Can we also have two chocolate milks and a cup for water?" Unwilling to subject the security software to a third swipe of my credit card and possibly freeze the whole system, I pulled out five dollars.
She retrieved two milks from two different refrigerators - I guess we were buying them out -and plunked them down on my tray. She fixed her eyes on me and pointed somewhere out of sight. "The water cups are over there. Anything else?"
I looked back at her. Only half joking, I responded, "I don't know. Ask me in 15 minutes."
Finally at our table, I distributed the food. I proudly presented David with his 89-cent hamburger. He did not appreciate it and loudly rejected my offering. "NO! I don't want that! I don't want a hamburger! I want chicken nuggets!"
"You do?" I was taken aback momentarily. "You always get a burger. Well, start eating the burger, and soon I will go get you chicken nuggets. I'm sorry, I guess I forgot to ask you what you wanted."
David, of course, would not start eating his hamburger and started eating Joshua's coveted nuggets. "What should I do?" I lamely wondered. The only way to ward off World War III would be to face that cashier again with my fourth order!
My friend's son unwittingly came to my rescue. "Mom, can I have another cheeseburger?"
"Are you going to eat the WHOLE thing?" Emphatically yes.
"Here Marshall," I said as I fished out some more bills. (I had helplessly noted on my receipt that the 4-piece nuggets cost a whopping $1.99.) "Could you please bring us another 4-piece nuggets too, please?"
He graciously did, and thereafter peace and harmony were restored. Mostly. Now there were some disagreements about whose turn it was to eat of the rejected hamburger, and on top of that, we ran out of apple dipper slices.
As we ran out the door hustling to get to our show on time, I downed the remaining chicken nugget in one bite. No way was that half-dollar going to waste! The hamburger? Well...I confess that I threw away about 35 cents worth.
But, I was very thankful not to have to admit to the cashier that yes, actually, there will be something else.