Arkansas Snow Day

It finally came! A snow day! We waited and waited all day Friday. There was some sleet/snow mix throughout the day, but not a lot. Then, around 10, the snow came down! We still only got about an inch or so, but it was on top of ice, which made for some great sledding. Only we don't have a sled. Never fear, this mom is from Arkansas, she will figure something out. At 10 pm, I told Hope to go bundle up. John thought I was crazy, but went along (with just a little grumbling.) I grabbed the laundry basket and out we went. I didn't take many pictures Friday night, but the three of us had the best time! Our driveway was so perfect for our laundry basket sledding event. Hope said it was the most fun she has ever had. I think John might just say the same thing!

The next morning, we were up and at em fairly early. With brother in tow this time! In case you missed the facebook pictures from our last little snow day, Noah is sporting a 1970s snowsuit that me and my 3 siblings all wore, and my 3 nieces. Sorry little man, we all had to pay our dues. John and I lovingly refer to him as "Randy" (From A Christmas Story) whenever he has this on.

So, this is how Arkansas laundry basket sledding works.... Everyone piles in..

Daddy gets ready for the catch...

And hold on to your brother!

It was such a great time! I will never forget it!

What's Up

I haven't been very good at keeping up with what everyone is up to on here lately. So here is a quick update, bullet point style:

Noah Red:

• 20 months old (WHAAAT?!)
• sweet as sugar
• big time Mama's Boy
• officially overly attached to a pacifier
• sleeps like a champ (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.)
• loves his school and his MEESHA (teacher)
• says more and more every day
• can name every stuffed animal in his collection (Pluto, frog, frog, wubby, Tigger, Cookie)
• Has mad love for Elmo
• learning the art of temper tantrums (throwing objects: check. Screaming: check.)
• loves socks and shoes
• no longer snacks on cracker type stuff much. He wants real food and wants it NOW
• names most of his friends at school
• most of the time he can be found playing with/destroying sister's favorite possessions
• must snuggle in the recliner with his mama for 15-30 minutes in the recliner every morning before he can face the world
• has no idea how much his little world will change in 6 months

Hope:

• 5 years, 2 months old
• still pretty tiny
• would prefer shots to having a doctor put a tongue depressor in her mouth at a doctor appointment
• loves her school
• enjoys gymnastics
• has funny dreams that she likes to wake up and talk about
• says she wants a sister, but will be happy with a brother because she likes Noah
• sad to say, but a daddy's girl all the way
• learning the art of the knock knock joke
• gets herself completely dressed from head to toe every morning. Usually without me reminding her.
• loves her mimi, Nenny and cousins somethin' fierce
• would eat PB&J for every meal, every day if allowed. With a side of yogurt.
• shown huge improvement with some of her sensory issues this year
• needs to know the schedule. Everything that happens on Thursdays, should happen every Thursday, etc. If the schedule changes, we have to talk about it a lot before hand or she is just not ok.
• is a dancing, hopping, hula hooping, singing, giggling ball of sunshine

Jill:

• 11 weeks pregnant
• eating around the clock to keep from being nauseous.
• huge because I eat all the time and third baby, but I am completely okay with that! I would rather be huge than sick any day.
• will soon only be working 2 days a week
• still really unorganized. Feeling pressured to get it together now that I will be home more though. Wish me luck.
• taking on the big bad insurance company, and totally prepared to lose. They won't pay for my 20 week ultrasound.
• has the best babies ever (sorry people, it's true. I'm sure yours are great too.)

John

• works about 1,000, 000 hours a week (it's just an approximate guess)
• determined to run a half marathon in March
• works REALLY hard
• is Super Dad, taking on most of the dirty work on the weekends
• man, he works a lot
• enjoys going to the gym when he's not, um, working
• is way nicer than I am (no surprise there)

Flying kites

Hope spent the day with my sister today. Hope would rather spend a day with my sister than a day at Disney World. No kidding. It is her favorite place to be. So, apparently, alot went on there today. They had a pet show (how could you not with horses, dogs, cats, fish, crabs, and the new rooster, Dennis?) dress up, and flying kites. Jennifer sent me this picture of my girl. Sweet girl, huh? I hear she was not to happy with the very fast winds while flying the kite, but she sure does look sweet here. Where does she get that (lack of) patience from? ha.

Would you still love me...

if I named a baby boy

Rock?

Just curious.

(Surely you didn't think it would be long before I started the baby name conversation.)

Sleepover

Cousin Clara is spending the night with us. Any guesses as to when they will actually go to sleep? They are both so excited and soooo wound up! Should be a fun night!

Earlier tonight we went out to Uncle Ross's house for Dinner. These glasses were a big hit. Just not with Noah!

This is from earlier this week at school. Hope was cracking me up while she was cutting with scissors, she could not keep her tongue in her mouth! I am thinking her Mama Lou would be proud!

And then there were 3

Here is the story....





A few weeks ago, I was just so tired, and so hungry and I just felt weird. I decided just to check to see if I might be pregnant, never thinking I was.... well.... I was. I can't even tell you the shock. No fertility treatments... we were told this couldn't happen, I was just floored. John was out of town, and I didn't want to tell him over the phone, so I told my sister. I had to wait until Friday to tell John. I bought Noah a Big Brother shirt and put it on him after John came home. It took him a few minutes to notice and then he just kept saying, "Shut up! Jill, are you serious? Is this a joke?" Ha! Not a joke, honey! He was smiling and excited though. Just shocked. We decided not to tell my parents until Christmas, which was 2 weeks away! I am not good at keeping secrets from my mom. So this was super hard. I avoided her as much as I could. And, to keep from telling my mom, I would spill my secret occasionally to someone, making sure they knew that it was a secret. During the 2 weeks, Mom and I had to take Noah to the ER for RSV. They came to take him to x-ray and told me to come with him, but then turned around and said "But, if you are pregnant, DON'T COME!" What did I do, I went. I didn't think that the ER at 2 a.m. was the best place to tell her. Once we got to the room, I said, "Okay, I AM pregnant, but my mom doesn't know!" They let me stay while they got him ready, but made me leave for the pictures. Close call. I had to lie to her while I went to the doctor, when I was nauseous... it was a rough 2 weeks!


At work, I told a couple friends, and one person I accidentally told. I told her it was a secret, but that didn't seem to matter. She spread it all over the school. I had to call up to the school and stress to everyone that my family didn't know yet. Crazy. My fault for letting it slip. But, really, why wouldn't someone realize that it was my news to tell. I wanted to be the one to tell my friends, but now they all know. Whatever. At least it didn't get back to my mom.





So, Christmas morning. We wrap up this picture:

(7th Grandbaby!)

We write on it "To Mimi and Papa Paul" But don't put who it is from. My mom opens it and starts screaming "WHO IS THIS FROM?!" Over and over again. Seriously screaming. My poor brothers and my sister in law, Lisa, because my mom is totally accusing them. She doesn't even look at me. So funny. I hope Lisa will forgive me one day! Totally worth it. I have it all on tape, I have just got to figure out how to get it on here.

So, there it is. Ready or not! Baby #3 is due August 8th. This pregnancy has been much different this time. I am a lot more tired and queasy than I have been with the other two. Is it because I am older? Or because I am chasing 2 other kids? Either way, I am ready to get through this first trimester. I am 9 weeks and counting. Three kiddos should be fun! No matter how shocked we are, we are even more excited. Babies are always a blessing! This certainly wasn't my plan! I got rid of most of the baby equipment and my maternity clothes because we were done with fertility treatments. Actually, the next plan was adopting once Noah got into Elementary school. God has other plans for our family for now, but still feel like ONE day, it is in His plans for us to adopt. For now, we are enjoying a new path! Remembering our family verse makes me smile at the thought of this new little one!

For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord...plans to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

When will I learn that He is the one with the plan?! So thankful that He is!

Christmas Morning!

I love Christmas morning. I almost don't want to let them out of my room to see what Santa brought, because I know the morning is going to fly by so fast, and then it will be over.

Noah was quite pleased that Santa brought him a shopping cart. Sister is hoping that this means she can have control over her baby doll stroller once again now that brother has something different to push around the house. And look away... surely my nearly 20 month old is not carrying around his morning bottle, because that would be HORRIBLE if I was still letting him have a bottle of soy milk in the morning if he asks oh so sweetly. I would like to see you try to deny him a "baba" after you heard his sweet request.
We discovered at Disney World that Noah has mad love for drums. And he really has rhythm too! He was the most excited over the drum above all else all day long. He loves it.

He beats on the drum a few times, and then EVERY TIME, he puts the sticks way over his head. This is our cue that the song has ended and we must clap! Every time. Really, look through the flickr pictures and see how many times you see this pose.
Both kids got so many special surprises from Grandma Sharon. It made the morning extra special. We love you Grandma Sharon and miss you tons!

Hope said she could tell which ones were from Grandma Sharon because they were wrapped up real tight. I didn't tell her that I wrapped them. She was so convinced that they were different than all the others. She must have known they were special!

We have read Goldilicious 1,000 times since Christmas. She can almost read through the whole book now by herself. We had a break between our Christmas morning at home and when we needed to leave to go to Mimi's, so, Hope and I took the opportunity to try out our new Snuggies. A Snuggie snuggle, if you will.

At Mimi's, Noah was determined to climb over the mountain of gifts that were everywhere!

Mimi got Noah a super tough Tonka dump truck. He climbed right in. I know he is going to use this truck for a long long time.

Such a wonderful day to be together. The highlight of the day was telling everyone that we are expecting #3! See the next post!

Have you heard?