Just a couple shots from our day...

This might be one of my all time favorites:

A few pics of the little guy...

Since I had a few free minutes before the Super Bowl started and Silas actually had his eyes open, I decided to snap a couple pics. I know I've said it before, but I absolutely adore this little boy.







P.S. The sun is peaking out of the clouds. You have NO idea how rejuvenating that is to me!

A letter...

Dear Mr. Sunshine,

Please, please, please return to the valley soon. We desperately need you!

Thanks,

A post-partum Mommy and a cooped up 2 year old

I'm too tired to think of a title...

But you get an update anyway. Or maybe I should say you get some pictures. So until I muster up the mental energy to actually write something that makes sense, you can feast upon these:

Silas in the sling today:


Owen enjoying the out of doors:






I don't even remember when I took these, but it was at least a few days ago:






P.S. Aside from being more tired than I ever thought possible, we are doing really well. I loved being a mother of one child, but being a mother of two children is even more incredible. It's a blessing that I can't describe to have another little one to love, and it's soooo sweet to see my children have a sibling. Maybe one of these days I'll actually get 3 solid hours of sleep at night and then you might get something a little more thought filled and eloquent!

P.P.S. (or is it P.S.S.?) I actually cut some quince branches to force bloom yesterday and made dinner 2 nights in a row. That might not seem like much, but to me it's refreshing...makes me feel like I'm slowly getting the hang of having two. Baby steps, right?

Today in the life...

Yesterday marked my first day of having two little ones to take care of with no help. Why the thought of that was overwhelming to me is a mystery...especially considering I was a nanny for infant twins who had a sister who is only 15 months older. But I guess the whole not getting any sleep at night thing plays into it a bit. Regardless, the morning was fabulous...the afternoon was a disaster and a half. I think the problem was, I had gotten it into my head that I would take a nap when the boys were down. And then reality happened. Owen threw one of the biggest fits of his entire life, and the minute he FINALLY fell asleep, Silas woke up. By the time C.J. got home from work, I was literally in tears. So today, I'm not even trying or hoping for a nap. Why set myself up for disappointment, right? It's far easier to just get through the day dog tired than it is to deal with the frustration of trying to take a nap and having it not work out. So instead, I'm blogging. At the moment, Silas is asleep in his swing and Owen is in his bed just gabbing away. To quote what I just heard: "Hey Monster. You ever seen a giant before?" Until he falls asleep and the littler one wakes up, you get an update from me. Lucky you! :) (Let's just ignore the laundry that isn't getting done and the toys that are strewn all over the house)

This morning, Silas had his 2 week check up. Remember how he weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. at birth? Yeah, a mere 2 1/2 weeks later he weighed in at a whopping 10 lb.s 8 oz. Tell me how that's even possible. And let's also hope that he doesn't continue to grow at this rate, or we might have a serious problem by the time he's 1.

In other news, Owen and I decided that it would be fun to play pretend "Kingdom" today. Here he is modeling the characters (Daddy was not too pleased about him playing the part of a princess, but the tutu is far too small for the only female living in this house. So who else would play the part?)

The King:


The Soldier:


The Princess:


And now I have a baby attached to me. Literally. So I guess that's all you get for now. Cheers!

Greetings from Lincoln City...

People, I am quickly realizing that my picture taking opportunities are going to be few and far between for the next, ummm, while. I'd love to show you a whole bunch of new pictures of Silas, but during the limited times I do have my hands free the camera is not really the first thing I reach for...more like a giant glass of water (as any woman who has breast fed can atest to). But, we have been at the beach for the last few days and I DID manage to snap a few pictures. I love my boys! Enjoy:

















Somebody looks more like his daddy every day:




P.S. Ryke, I posted these tonight especially for you! Miss you!

On having another child...(and some pictures, too)

I think every mother finds it hard to imagine what it will be like loving another child when all you know is the relationship you have with your first child. You wonder how on earth you'll ever love another child as much....but people, you do. Trust me. And every mother will tell you that. But what you don't know until you're there is how incredibly wonderful, natural, and instantaneous it is. Honestly, bringing another child into our family has been one of the most joyous things we will ever experience. Our family feels complete. Not that we didn't enjoy being a family of three, but there's something about our children now having a sibling that is SO precious. And for me, as a mother, it has been SO incredibly wonderful and natural to open my heart to another precious child. Before Silas was born, I was a little worried about what having him would do to my relationship with Owen. Honestly, I don't think it has done anything (well, at least relationally. obviously my time devoted solely to Owen has changed). The truth is, I still feel exactly the way I always have about Owen...it's kinda like your heart just expands and suddenly you have the room and capacity to love another child just as much. Kinda hard to explain, but to any mother out there who is wondering what it will be like to have more children....don't worry. It will be awesome. We truly feel so blessed and praise God daily for giving us the privilege and responsibility of raising another child. Anyhow, enough of the mushy stuff that I can't accurately describe anyway...

And on with the rest of our update. Honestly, we are doing REALLY well. I have to say, adjusting to a second child is WAY easier than the first. Aside from being extremely tired, life feels so normal (which I am very thankful for). After we had Owen, I kinda felt like I was living in some foreign cloud for a while. Not this time. And it has been such a treat to watch Owen with his little brother. I'm not kidding, he probably comes up and kisses Silas on the head at least 20 times a day. When he wakes up, he's sure to ask where his brother is. It's adorable. He is going to be one heck of a big brother, that's for sure.

Oh yeah, I just realized that I never really shared any info about the actual labor and delivery. So here goes: we got to the hospital at 6:00 like we were supposed to in order to get started on the pitocin before the nurses' shift change at 7:00. Well, there were apparently lots of other moms who had something else in mind because all the rooms had filled up overnight. So, we waited. Finally at about 8:00 I got hooked up to the pitocin and we were on our way. I really wanted to have the baby by 6:00 in the evening, because being New Year's Eve my doctor had dinner plans. And I didn't want her to have to cancel her plans but I DEFINITELY wanted her to deliver him. I mean, she is the best doctor ever. Anyhow, at about 10:00 she came in and broke my water. Now, considering the fact that with Owen I got pre-eclampsia, I was expecting labor to be absolutely horrid. I mean, it was the first time around so it probably would be the second time, too. What I didn't know is that going through labor without any complications is not that bad at all. Seriously. I didn't realize how HORRIBLE it was to be on all the crappy medications for pre-eclampsia until I had Silas...and it was a gazillion times better this time. It probably helps that he was almost a pound lighter than Owen, but still. Anyway, I got the epidural at about noon and cruised along blissfully until 3:00. I then started having some fairly brutal contractions and by about 4:30 decided I kinda needed to start pushing. So the nurse called the doctor and she said she'd be over at 5:00....to which I thought, "5:00???? I don't think I can wait that long before I start pushing." So, the nurse said I could start gently pushing to relieve the pressure if it felt better, but she didn't really want me to push full out until the doctor got there. About 5:05 the doctor showed up, checked things out, helped me push through a few contractions and said, "OK, you've got some pushing to do. I'm going down the hall to check another patient, I'll be back in about 10 minutes." So, she left for a few minutes. Well, that was all fine and dandy until the nurse and I figured out that I was pushing wrong. And then I figured out the proper way to push out a baby. And suddenly, in about 3 pushes that little baby was on his way out. Problem was, the doctor wasn't back yet. And the nurse didn't want to deliver him without her there. So, she says to me (as his head is like half-way out), "wait, hold it, don't push." Yeah freaking right. Like any woman who has half a head sticking out of their you know what is going to just stop pushing. So, our precious little baby was born....right into the arms of the world's best nurse, Jean. Seriously, she was amazing and was such a blessing to us. And then, about 2 minutes later, my doctor walked into the room and kinda shockingly said "Do we have a baby in here????" Poor girl. She felt really bad. But to her credit, it would have taken a LOT longer if I had continued to push like I was pushing when she checked me. Anyhow, that's how it went down. And guess what....the very best part is, I didn't have to have one single stitch. Not one. It doesn't get any better than that, folks. God took care of us, that's for sure, and we praise Him for it.

Ok, that's enough for now. Owen needs to eat dinner so I should probably call it quits. Just wanted jot some of this down before I forget it. Until later, you can enjoy a few new pics:










In about 40 years, my back will probably look like this, too:






Somebody loves his little brother:

Our new baby boy...

Here, people, is our precious little baby boy, Silas. Unfortunately I don't have many pictures yet because, you know, our hands are slightly full, but you can see these two. He's crying in the one above...oh well. And the pic below: the most beautiful day I could ever imagine to have a baby. It was so incredibly cozy and beautiful. I'll update with details when I get more time...until then, you get these stats:

Silas Craig
December 31, 2009
5:22 pm
8 lbs 7 oz, 20 3/4 in long
Labor was WAY WAY WAY better this time around, which I am extremely thankful for. Details to come. WE LOVE OUR NEW LITTLE BOY!!!!

Possibly the sweetest words I've ever heard...

It's 1:45 in the morning. C.J. and I have to get up at 4:30 in order to be at the hospital by 6:00 to have our new little baby. As a last hurrah before I become a mother of 2, I decided to just have Owen sleep with me tonight so I can snuggle him and relish his sweetness one last time before my hands become more full. Well, a couple of minutes ago he started to stir a little bit, adjusted his covers, and (I kid you not) in his sweetest, softest, slowest, sleepiest voice sang just these words "mother and child, sleep in Heavenly peace." (you know, from the song Silent Night) People, you have NO idea how deeply this hit me. I wasn't really emotional until now...but I truly felt like it was God speaking to me through my precious little boy. For the most part I feel really calm and peaceful about tomorrow's events, but that doesn't change the part of me that is continually turning to God and praying for his hand of protection over our little baby. As much as I know God will take care of us no matter what, I think every mother faces the worry of "what if"...what if something goes wrong, what if he's not healthy, what if what God has planned for this baby is not what I have dreamt of for him? But people, if hearing your 2 year old in the middle of his sleep sing the simple words "Mother and Child, sleep in HEAVENLY peace" doesn't reassure you that you are in God's hands and have nothing to worry or fear, I don't know what will. I guess the point of this is to say that God spoke to me through my little boy to turn my "what if's" into "EVEN if's"....He will take care of us EVEN if something goes wrong, EVEN if he's not healthy, He will provide everything we need EVEN if what He has planned for our baby isn't what I have dreamt of for him. Right now, I rest in God's faithfulness and in the truth of who He says He is. Thank you, Lord, for that reassurance and I look forward with peace to what You have in store for us...

P.S. I know that's not EXACTLY the oder of the lyrics of the actual song, but that's how he sang them.

Baby update...

Ok, people...the end is actually in sight!!! Hip hip hooray. I went to the doctor today to find out that I am already at 3 cm.!!! She has me scheduled to be induced at 6:00 on Thursday morning if I haven't had him before then. You have NO idea how excited I am. We can't wait to meet our new little boy! And P.S. Shout out to the best doctor EVER. Seriously, she's amazing. We owe her a big one for getting the induction scheduled. So thanks, Dr. Dufault! If you don't hear from me before then, I'll be pushing out a baby on Thursday...a big baby who I absolutely can't wait to hold!

Big Boy Jammies...

Owen got his first pair of big boy jammies for Christmas courtesy of Grama and Grandpa St. Hilaire. He LOVES them. He wanted to put them on immediately after opening them and pretty much hasn't stopped wearing them since. I happen to think he looks pretty doggone cute in them (so much so that I let him wear them all day today...there's no harm in that, right?):







This one is a bit blurry, but he was having fun peeking at me upside down:



Enjoying a post nap time treat:






And finally we have an example of the 2 year old side of Owen. This is one of his favorite expressions to make when he is mad about something. We're working on putting a stop to it but he is one stubborn kiddo:

An incredibly fun day...

But one completely failed photography attempt. Today was packed with Christmas goodness. We started off the day with an awesome church service, complete with Owen's first ever public performance. His Sunday school class performed a few songs on stage at church...I was QUITE nervous about how he would do since he is really, really shy. To my surprise, he actually did REALLY well. Maybe that's because he got to hold Auntie Allison's hand the whole time...but whatever the case, instead of the screaming and protesting I expected we actually saw a little boy who did a few of the hand motions and whose mouth did utter a few words to the songs. I was quite proud of our little guy. And let me just tell you...being nine months pregnant makes it even that much harder to hold back the tears when you see your little one among a whole bunch of sweet kids singing Christmas songs on stage. It was SO sweet! See below: (ok, actually the truth is I got some pretty horrible pictures today...but I'm posting them anyway because they still make for good memories even if they aren't the best photographically)...

Here he is being ushered on stage. He's looking a bit reluctant, but he didn't freak out:


Believe it or not, he's actually doing the motions here:



And now came the best part of the day...The St. Hilaire Christmas Celebration. Seriously, we had SUCH a great day. We all (and by all I mean all of the St. Hilaire siblings, their families, and C.J.'s parents) got to spend the day at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We, of course, ate tons of delicious food, had plentiful play time with the cousins, opened presents, visited and just enjoyed a wonderful day together. Shout out to Sherrie for hosting! She always provides such a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere, great food, and somehow manages to make our time together soooo enjoyable. So, thank you Sherrie! I tried to take a few pictures and pretty much failed. But you know what, we enjoyed the day with the family and that's what matters, right? Nonetheless, here are a couple of pics from the day:

Grant giving Owen a horsey ride:





And here is Baby Eliana making her debut on the blog. She is Brian and Samantha's new little girl, and she is SO stinking sweet! I'm hoping to get a few more pictures of her some time soon when the lighting is better. Until then, you can enjoy her cuteness via these two:

Oh the joys of life...

Just so I don't forget...

You know how kids say some pretty awesome stuff and you think to yourself, I should write that down so I don't forget? Well, I'm doing exactly that...because these are worth remembering.

So the other day, we were driving through town when Owen spotted a big blow up Santa in a grocery store parking lot. He then asked, "Mama, were you kissing that guy?" C.J. and I about died laughing. Apparently the little guy is listening to the words of our Christmas music a little closer than we thought (you know, "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus").

Another one regarding Christmas music: We were playing tractors one day when "We wish you a Merry Christmas" came on in the background. I started singing the words and Owen asked, "Can you sing the one about Piggie Pies?" I was quite confused...until I realized he was referring to the "Figgy Pudding" part.

Also, as I was changing Owen's diaper the other day, I asked him if he wanted his pants back on or if he wanted to be Diaper Boy (a term we use when he is running around sans pants.) His response, "No, I want to be Penis Boy." Ummmmm.....I have NO idea where he came up with that one or even what he meant by it, but it sure made me laugh. Don't worry, though. I told him it would probably be best to just stick with Diaper Boy.

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On a different note, today Jamaica and Geneva came over to help Owen and me decorate our gingerbread house. It is SOOO fun to enjoy this time of year with kids. Owen, as expected, ate about 7 times more candy/frosting than he actually put on the house...but hey, that's how it's supposed to go, right?







Hmm...I wonder what happened to the window.


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Lastly, I leave you with this: Owen's first time ever trying on dress-up clothes. I was thoroughly amused!



Just FYI, I am LOVING his chubby little face in this pic!

Happy Thanksgiving (a tad late) and Merry Christmas Tree Day!

The only decent photo we managed to capture from Thanksgiving day:

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And now for our Christmas tree excursion this morning:

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Owen was fascinated by the blow up Santa...I had a hard time tearing him away from it:

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Owen and Daddy choosing the tree. Too bad Owen's eyes are closed...oh well.

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And finally we have a little photo of Owen's snack of choice for the ride home. He's a silly one, that's for sure!

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A Coyote Bluff update...

Well, we sort of have a house now. Or at least a structure that resembles a house. While the framing is not totally complete and there is nothing on the roof yet, the house is starting to take shape...and we're pretty excited about it. It's fun to see since up until this point it has pretty much just been an idea in our heads. Obviously, these pictures don't totally depict what it will look like in the end since some of the windows aren't completely cut out, door heights are not yet decided, porches have not been added, etc....but it gives you a pretty good idea. We are in the middle of trudging through decision making...and I've officially decided that making a decision is about 100 times more difficult while pregnant. Thankfully, I am married to an incredible man. There's nobody else I'd rather be making decisions with, especially since there are literally hundreds of things we some how have to agree on. But, we're tackling it step by step and learning a lot in the process. I've heard it said that you should not only get to build one but two houses in your lifetime since you learn SO many things the first time around that you would do differently the second time. I'm beginning to agree with that. However, since we won't be doing this again, EVER, we are soooo thankful for the opportunity and are trying our best to get it as close to what we want as possible. Anyhow.... here are a couple of pics of the latest:






P.S. When you see it from afar, it definitely sticks out like a sore thumb. I'm thinking some substantial landscaping will help with that. Too bad you can't just plant a yard that is already mature. Patience, patience...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

At least in our house it is. And yes, I know it's a smidge early. It's just that I wanted to make sure we took full advantage of the fun that the holiday season brings before we bring a newborn home from the hospital and I lack the energy it takes to do fun Christmas activities with Owen. So, our house is now officially decorated and we're all set to get our tree the moment Thanksgiving is over. Yesterday, Owen and I put some gingerbread men on the tree in his room and he desperately wanted to eat them. Problem was, I think Alli and I made them 3 years ago, so eating them was out of the question. So this morning, Owen asked if we could make some more to eat. We did. He loved it. And they are delicious. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year!!!!

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Just so you know, I LOVE the milk dripping off his chin. You have no idea how much I love being this little guy's Mama.

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P.S. C.J.'s brother Brian and his wife Samantha had their little girl this past weekend!!! We are SO incredibly excited for them. I don't have any pics of her yet, but believe me...I will post some as soon as I take them. She is a beautiful little girl, that's for sure!

A really BIG pregnancy update...

And by big, I don't really mean monumental. I just mean that I'm pretty sure I'm going to give birth to a giant. No joke. I had yet another ultrasound today and let's just say that this little guy is HUGE. So technically I am 31 weeks 6 days (let's just call it 32) today. That means I still have 8 weeks to go. Not long you say? Well try carrying this little dude around. Today, his 32 week old head measured 36 weeks old! The bones in his arms and legs measured at smallest 34 weeks, and that's not even counting how fat he will be yet, that's just his actual size. Oh yeah, and he already weighs 5 pounds. People, seriously!!! I'm a little concerned. There are LOTS of women who give birth to 5 lb. babies at full term....that means I am as pregnant right now as lots of women are at 40 weeks. Yikes. (Ok, maybe the comments I get in public actually ARE merited....but still, they should not be voiced.) I guess this shouldn't really surprise me considering that gigantic babies tend to run in the family (i.e. C.J. and his siblings were all at least around 10 lbs or bigger, Owen was 9 lbs. 3 oz., my sister Allison's first baby was 9 lbs 3 oz, and C.J.'s sister Leah's first two boys were 9 lbs. 6 oz and 9 lbs. 15 oz.). So it's not really that odd that this little guy is looking to be a big one. It's just that I a) don't really want to give birth to a 12 lb baby and b) don't really think I can handle carrying him full term (Really, if his head already measure 36 weeks, by the time I'm full term his head will be as big as a month old baby...who can really push that out their vagina without incurring major damage? Probably no one...and I certainly don[t want to be the first). As of right now, my doc says that they won't be able to take him any more than a week early....but things might change. If he is still measuring huge as things get closer, doc says they might have to take him c-section. After watching Hilary's c-section, that wouldn't be my first choice, but I also don't want to labor for hours trying to get a giant baby out and then still have to have the section, so I'm thinking scheduling one a bit early might be a good option. I've decided that I'd like to have him on Dec. 15. Doesn't that sound like a good date? I mean, it's well before the holidays and 3 weeks before my actual due date. Sounds perfect to me since they are technically full term at 37 weeks anyway. So if any of you have any self induction techniques or advice that actually WORK, please send them my way. They would be greatly appreciated. At this point, I'll do just about anything to avoid having a baby over 10 lbs. Wish me luck!

P.S. Things at Coyote Bluff are really coming along! We now have exterior walls with holes for doors and windows and today they were working on framing the interior walls of the first floor. I'll take pics to post ASAP. The problem with that is, I don't really want to take pics while the guys are there working. And by the time they are done, it's too dark to take any...so that really only leaves the weekends for picture taking opportunities. Hopefully this Saturday. Stay tuned...

P.S.S. I don't think I've ever mentioned on here that we call our property "Coyote Bluff." It kinda started as a joke but then it just stuck. I'm hoping that once we actually live there we'll start calling it "home" instead.

A visit from one stinking cute baby...

Today we were lucky enough to have Jamaica and Geneva over for a visit (Avery came too, but that wasn't until later in the day). It was really nice to just lay low, visit, and enjoy a cup of tea for most of the day. Owen and I both had a blast. While they were here, I couldn't help but snap a few shots of baby Geneva. She has got to have the prettiest eyes I have EVER seen on a baby. Is she not gorgeous?

From Jamaica and Baby

From Jamaica and Baby

From Jamaica and Baby

From Jamaica and Baby

From Jamaica and Baby

From Jamaica and Baby

From Jamaica and Baby

Avery, Jamaica, and Geneva....thanks for coming out to visit. It was SOOO good to see you guys!

Our morning at the park...

Today we headed to town to feed the ducks and enjoy a morning at the park. We were lucky enough to be joined by Auntie Alli, Oliver, Jack, Auntie Leah, and Tucker. It was an absolutely beautiful fall morning and SO nice to enjoy the out of doors. After quite a stint of being broken (I dropped it way back in April), I finally got my favorite kid lens back for my camera (thank you Uncle Ryker for taking care of that for me). Consequently, I was in a picture taking mood. So here are a few shots of the kiddos. Notice the tongue action Owen is sporting in most of the pics....I'm pretty sure those are Grandpa Hake's genes shining through!

This, in my opinion, is the epitome of a Tucker expression. I love it:

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Oliver:

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Jack feeding himself (not the ducks) the stale bread:

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Owen getting a little help from Auntie Alli on the monkey bars:

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Happy Halloween!!!

You're in luck...half way. Owen was willing to wear a portion of his costume tonight, that being a firefighter helmet. He wasn't too wild about the idea of wearing the jacket, so we didn't force it. But, we still had a fun night...went to Grandma Hake's house (the only trick-or-treating Owen did), went to the Harvest Party at church (which consisted of Owen wandering around with 2 fingers in his mouth being his shy self and saying "no thank you" to every activity we offered him), and then stopped by the Davila's house (but that doesn't count as trick-or-treating since Owen refused to wear even the hat this time). Anyhow, we had a fun night even if it was pretty much costume free. I'm hoping by next year he'll be more into dressing up! But here are a couple of pictures for you that we were lucky enough to capture in the 2 seconds he actually even had the helmet on!

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If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all...

Apparently I have reached the point in pregnancy where people deem it appropriate to say anything they want to me. For example, I just went to the grocery store and the following were the comments I received:

Lady#1: You look like you're about to pop!!!
Me: Yeah, wish me luck!
What I'm really thinking: Oh really. I had no idea. You know, because I don't have a mirror in my house or anything and I am completely unaware of how big I'm getting. Thanks for the info. That was very helpful considering I still have 2 months left.

Lady #2: Wow, a baby. When are you due?
Me: Christmas time.
Lady #2: CHRISTMAS????? Are there twins in there?
Me: Nope, just one.
Lady #2: You know, my sister was really big all along during her pregnancy and she had a 12 lb. baby.
Me: Actually, I don't even remember what I said to her after that because I was too busy thinking to myself, "O.M.G. You did NOT just say that to me. Do you really think that I want to hear that you think I'm going to have a 12 lb baby? Seriously? And besides, you yourself look about 2 times more pregnant than I do and you're at least 55 so I know you're NOT pregnant. So there."

Man #1: Are you having twins?
Me: Nope, just one.
Man #1: You're SURE?
Me: Yep, I'm sure.
What I'm really thinking: Ummm...I've had 4 ultrasounds at this point and every one of them showed only 1 baby. I'm pretty doggone sure there's only one in there, although it really makes me happy to know that you think I look way too big to only have one baby!

Man #2: When are you due?
Me (again): Christmas time. I have 2 months left.
Man #2: TWO MONTHS??? You must have more than one in there!

Seriously people, why on earth do you think it's ok to comment on how big I'm getting??? I mean, I know people MEAN well, but it's just not ok to comment on a pregnant woman's size. Believe me, I am fully aware of how big my stomach is. I see it every day in the mirror and feel how uncomfortably tight it is every evening. I really don't need you to tell me how big I'm getting. It's like people think that pregnant women don't have feelings. I mean, I would imagine you wouldn't have commented on how big I was before I got pregnant....do you think that just because I'm pregnant I no longer care that I am bigger than I would like to be? Sheesh. Some people.

So I have a little word for the wise: NEVER comment on how big a pregnant woman is getting. In fact, unless what you have to say is a wonderful compliment on how good the woman looks or something like that, you're probably better off just not saying it. I know that not all pregnant women are as sensitive to these comments as I am, but I'm pretty sure that they'd still rather not hear about how big they are getting.

On a more positive note, however, I still am feeling REALLY good compared to my pregnancy with Owen. Sure, I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable in the evenings because of my crowded belly, but overall I'm still doing really well. I haven't had any swelling yet and believe me, I am VERY thankful for that. I have another ultrasound scheduled for next week so they can re-evaluate the due date (surprise, the baby and my uterus are both measuring farther along than they originally thought.) So hopefully I will have a more accurate idea of when we get to meet this little guy. I can't wait. I just want to nuzzle into his neck and kiss his squishy cheeks SOOOO bad!

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And now for a little update on the house. We now have a foundation (complete with the basement and stem walls), a bit of plumbing, and a few studs for walls...I know that might not sound like much to you all, but we're excited to see things starting to take shape. Owen has thoroughly enjoyed watching the cement mixers and backhoe that have been hard at work. Oh yeah, and I finally got around to taking some before pictures of the property. Unfortunately, I didn't take any before construction had been started, but these are still pretty early....at least we'll have a record of what the place generally looked like before there was a house on it.

The foundation:


View of the property from the road (and by road I mean the only dirt road that accesses the house...this move means a constantly dirty truck, but it's worth it):


View to the North from the house:


Looking West (please ignore the port-a-potty and truck):


Looking East-ish:


Looking South:

P.S. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! If Owen actually decides he's willing to put on a costume tonight, I just might have some pictures for you tomorrow.

Tell me...

How does a mouse get into a tote that has a securely fastened lid? We have had a problem with mice getting into the dog food bag in the garage. We finally realized that the bag alone was not adequate in fighting this battle since they can just chew their way through. So, C.J. decided that we should put the food directly into a Rubbermaid tote with a lid. Well, we did that. And what do you think jumped out at me just now when I went to feed the dog? Yep, a mouse. How on earth? They can't chew their way through Rubbermaid, can they? Maybe after my heart stops pounding from nearly being attacked by the world's most disgusting creature, I'll brainstorm a better storage solution. Any ideas?

I thought it would be a good idea...

to take some pictures of Owen today. But, it wasn't. After being sick for a whole week now and going completely stir crazy, I thought it might be fun to get outside and take a few pictures of the boy. I probably should have taken his already crabby mood into consideration before attempting such a thing, but I didn't. As a result, we have some pictures of a rather grumpy and sick boy. But...I've decided to share them anyway, because the reality is: this is life, too. And sometimes I enjoy looking back at even the not so giddy times we go through. So here you have it:

From Blog Photos

If that's not a sad face, I don't know what is:

From Blog Photos

From Blog Photos

From Blog Photos

From Blog Photos

From Blog Photos

And finally, after much bribing of tractor rides if he allowed me just a few photos, we got this:

From Blog Photos

And this. A smile. What do you know?

From Blog Photos

I love that boy. Sick or crabby...I just love him. And it's really crazy to think that in about 2 more months I'll have another boy to love just as much!!!

The goings on lately...

And what did we do on this fabulous 3 day weekend? I'd love to say we went to the pumpkin patch and did all sorts of cozy fall activities, but no. We're sick. Well, I guess by we I mean Owen and me. Daddy has yet to catch this oh-so-disgusting bug and I'm really hoping he puts off doing so until at least I am well enough to take care of our sick boy on my own. So instead of warm apple pie sitting on the counter and pumpkins being carved, we have a box of Kleenex sitting on the table (the first box of Kleenex I have ever purchased, by the way...this nose needs something a little more soothing than regular old T.P. at this point), about 4 different types of medicine lying around in various places (and I wish those included some awesome Theraflu and decongestant for me, but nope...Tylenol will have to suffice while pregnant), 2 different thermometers, about 7 different remote controls because after 3 days of this we have exhausted every type of media entertainment in our house (on that note, I need to confess that Owen watched 2 straight hours of TV this morning while we waited for the medicine to bring his fever down far enough that he at least had a tiny bit of energy to play), and I guess by now you get the picture. Thank goodness for C.J. though! He has been so sweet taking care of us all weekend. It's weird for me to feel so helpless and literally just lay on the couch and watch C.J. do absolutely everything for Owen, but it's kinda sweet to watch. He's a good daddy, that's for sure. On a more positive note, I just woke up from a much needed nap and feel half-way human. I have managed to make it through the majority of last night and this morning without any Tylenol and the chills and aches are somewhat under control....so I'm hoping this means the road to recovery is near.

But I will stop complaining now and move on to more exciting things...things like construction on our new house being started!!! Yep, our builder officially started last week. So far we have the excavating done, a big hole in the ground for the basement, and even a port-a-potty! Obviously this is a slow going process and it will be a while before it actually LOOKS like anything, but we're excited just the same. They're supposed to pour concrete for the foundation soon, and I'm hoping Owen is better by then because that is certainly an event that a 2 year old boy can not miss out on! Oh yeah, and we got our kitchen sink this weekend....I LOVE IT! Since there's nothing to take pictures of yet besides a pile of dirt, I thought I'd include some photos I stole from the internet of a few of the things we have purchased for the house. We haven't purchased much yet, since we're not very far along in the process, but here's a little sampling for you: (keep in mind that we are hoping to have the house feel like an old farm house since it's being built in the middle of farm land. Obviously, it's not going to be perfect because it's new, not old, but still...that's the look we are going for)

We got 2 of these pendant lights for over the kitchen island:


This is the chandelier we purchased for the dining room (minus the shades):


The kitchen sink. I have always wanted an apron sink, so this might be one of the things I'm most excited about so far:


And here are a couple of items that we have not purchased yet, but are seriously contemplating. Who knows, we might change our minds, but for now these are at the top of our list for...

The bathtub in the master bath:


The kitchen island:


And finally, since I can't figure out how to get our actual plans/drawings on here, I'll show you a picture of the house we kinda based ours off of. We loved the look of this house and basically had the designer make it look pretty similar. We changed the floor plan a bit (and unfortunately we don't have all of the beautiful established landscaping shown in this picture) , so it's not going to look exactly the same, but at least you get an idea:



So there you have it. I'll post real pictures when there's actually a structure worth photographing, but that may be a while. Our builder says he'll be done in 6 months...we shall see. Hope you all stay healthier than we are!

P.S. Since I'm having fun DREAMING about the house, why not dream about purchasing this oh-so-beautiful but expensive dining room table (just the table, not the chairs). I absolutely LOVE it. Any volunteers who want to buy it for us since it's a lot more money than we have to spend on a table right now? But seriously, though...is it not gorgeous?

Just because I was finally in the mood...

From Blog Photos

From Blog Photos

From Blog Photos

From Blog Photos

From Blog Photos

A pregnancy update...

For the past six months, this pregnancy has been truly wonderful. I can honestly say that I have ENJOYED being pregnant (yeah, I know...I really said it). I have had, so far, zero of the uber crappy symptons I had with Owen (i.e. acne everywhere and I mean everywhere, numb hands starting from 5 months on, 40 lb weight gain by the 6 month mark, and the list could go on and on). And let me just point out that it is an incredible relief to have only gained 6 lbs so far as compared to the first go-round (but let's just ignore the fact that I started this pregnancy 40 lbs heavier than I would like to be....yeah, that's fun, huh?) At any rate, the point I'm trying to make is that this has been a really good pregnancy so far. And ANY time someone has asked me how I'm feeling my answer has been "great." Until...

Probably 2 days ago. During the day, the answer to that question is still the same. But ask me any time after 6:00 pm and my new official answer is: "pregnant." Yes friends, I am a bit afraid to admit this, but I think my days of feeling shockingly good are coming to an end as I tackle this 3rd trimester. Don't get me wrong, I still feel WAY WAY better than I did at this point with Owen, but our precious new little one is growing by the minute and I can tell. I'm already kinda wondering how on earth my tummy can grow any more and I still have 3 months left! And this growing bundle of joy is bringing increased discomfort. Like the other night when I was trying to watch tv and had to switch positions every 2 minutes because I just couldn't get comfortable. But the good news is: I still don't have acne (my scarred back will be thankful for that), I can still feel my fingers, I have had zero swelling (which is a nice contrast to last time when I had people telling me they could hardly even look at me because I was so swollen), I am still sleeping well at night, etc). But the even BETTER news is that we start construction on our house in about a week!!! Yeah, it is kinda bad timing having a baby in the middle of building a house, but I am VERY thankful that my mind will be occupied with house stuff for the next couple of months rather than just sitting around waiting for baby to come and realizing how not fun the last trimester can be. So there you have the update. Check back in about 2 1/2 months and you'll probably hear some pretty substantial complaining...but for now, we're still chugging along and feeling pretty darn good in the process. Ciao!

Three Wheels

So this last weekend, Jen and I attended the Yakima Valley Tour of Homes (edit) and had a great time looking at some new homes and getting some good ideas. Grandma and Grandpa St. Hilaire had Owen for an overnighter, which gave Jen and I a chance to have a nice dinner and spend an evening alone. Owen's cousin Grant also slept over. Grant had brought his bike and Owen had his tricycle. This was a picture Grandma took of Owen on his trike. I love it.



Funny little story about Grant... it was a bit chilly in the morning and Grandma had asked if Grant had a long sleeve shirt in his overnight bag. Grand said he did but it was a shirt which had some skateboards on it with a few tiny skulls on the skateboards. Grant told Grandma that he didn't want to wear it because it might scare Owen. I thought this was so sweet of Grant to consider Owen like that. Grant is a very sweet boy. :) Thanks G & G for watching the little guy.

C.J.

A rather embarrassing moment...

Yesterday I had a prenatal doctor's appointment in the morning. My dear sister offered to watch Owen for me so that I could go sans child, which was a huge treat. Everything was great until all I had left to do was see the doctor...and then she got called out for a delivery. So, I left the office and went back an hour later to finish the appointment. Still no doctor. So, we rescheduled for this morning.

It's 9:00 this morning and WE are at the doctor's office (Owen and Mama). He is being really good, entertaining the nurses and being his charming self. Then the doctor (who I LOVE, by the way) came in and we started chatting for a while. As I laid on my back while the doctor was listening to the baby's heart beat, Owen was playing in the corner with my purse. All of the sudden my doctor says to me, "WHAT is he eating?" Me: "What do you mean?" (since I can't see him from my position). Doc: "That powdery stuff. What IS that?" I look over and my child is dumping into his mouth...

Well here's the other part of the story. You know how at the movie theaters these days they sell the flavoring to put on popcorn? My husband happened to try it a few times and liked it and proceeded to get me to like the stuff. At the theater, you can buy a tiny little bottle for like $3 or something, and at the grocery store you can get about 8 times the amount for a $1.50. So, I decided to buy it from the grocery store and keep it in my purse, that way we don't have to waste a bunch of money every time we go to the movies. However, it's a tad embarrassing to open up my purse while in the Target checkout line and have popcorn seasoning sticking out. But what's even MORE embarrassing, is when you're at the doctor's office and your child has discovered the stuff and is dumping it into his mouth and then your DOCTOR has to tell you what he's doing so you can stop him. Yeah, let's just say I was a little mortified. But hey, we all got a good laugh out of it. I guess the lesson to be learned is: get a babysitter.

Our annual trip to the beach...

I did it people...I actually got my camera out!!! And the big event that merited such a move? our annual camping trip to the beach. This past week was spent at Kalaloch campground with my parents, siblings, and their families (even Uncle Ryke was there!). It was definitely my favorite year at the beach with Owen so far...he is finally old enough to thoroughly enjoy camping, playing in the sand, throwing rocks in the stream, snuggling in the tent, cocoa in the mornings, playing with his cousins, etc. So here are a few pictures for you. There are a bunch more in the picasa album. At any rate, we had a super fun time and can't wait until next year!

Owen enjoying being burried in the sand by Gram:

From Kalaloch 09

Breaking free:

From Kalaloch 09

Holland:

From Kalaloch 09

Jack (formerly known as Baby Jack...until Lincoln was born):

From Kalaloch 09

Jack and his best buddy (Gramp):

From Kalaloch 09

Oliver:

From Kalaloch 09

Oliver and Owen playing their very masculine version of Frisbee. You have to understand that these two have a love/hate relationship. They are best buds MOST of the time, but then there are the moments where they are figuring out who is the dominant male...we're hoping that in a couple of years they'll just be best buds. Regardless, they love spending time together:

From Kalaloch 09

And here they are playing boats together:

From Kalaloch 09

Uncle Ryker and Jack...and a tid bit of the giant castle Ryker made:

From Kalaloch 09

Owen eating his snack of choice for the week:

From Kalaloch 09

And finally, you need to know that Owen made a new BFF this week: Uncle Ryker. We love him lots and are glad we got to spend a whole week with him:

From Kalaloch 09

From Kalaloch 09

Last night...

So here's the scene:

It's 2:30 a.m. last night. Owen walks into our room and says, "Mama, please get in" (which really means "can I please sleep with you?"). So, I lift him up over me and as I am laying him down on the pillow he bonks his head on the bed frame. He cries a bit, I kiss it, tell him it's going to be o.k., etc. About 10 minutes later I realize he is still wide awake.

Owen: Mama, please pray.
Me: Dear Jesus, thank you for Owen. Thank you that we got to play with Hudson and Tucker today...
Owen interrupts: No, no. Please pray my head.

Let me just tell you people, if hearing your 2 year old who is hardly even coherent in the middle of the night ask you to pray for his bonked head doesn't make you melt, I don't know what will. I love that kid!