Costumes and Pumpkins

We tried a dry run with Carolyn's Halloween costume this week. This may be the only decent picture we get of her in it. Although practically perfect in every other way, Costco really disappointed me in their Halloween costumes- this one was labeled for a 2-4 year old child so I figured it would fit my smaller-than-average 2 year old without a problem- but unfortunately the torso is so short that the hood really has to stretch to even go on. Carolyn won't wear it so I mutilated the costume and cut the head off and I'm going to attach it to a hat tomorrow and see if she's willing to wear that. I got her to put this on and smile by bribing her with a jelly bean. Maybe I can try the same trick tomorrow. :)
Monday night was Costume Night at the girls' dance class. All the kids brought treats for all the other kids and everyone wore their costumes. The kids were so cute!
Tuesday night we "did" pumpkins. Our little Picasso loves to paint, and we had lots of little pumpkins ("punkums") around, so she enjoyed painting them.
I love the look of concentration on her face as she gets the paint exactly where she wants it. She doesn't like to actually touch the paint, though; these little cut-up sponges work great for her!
The finished masterpieces!
Mommy and Daddy carved their own pumpkins. It was one of those nights I wanted to konk out at 8pm... so I didn't get very fancy.
But my husband, the surgeon, painstakingly carved Noah's Ark into his pumpkin. He wins the prize. :)
I think that finally catches us up to date! We are planning to spend the evening with friends tomorrow night and hopefully get the kids out to do a "little" trick or treating. They are way too cute to keep indoors! Wish me luck with the giraffe remodel! :)

Fun After the Flu

So we got home from our trip, I worked the next day and came down with the flu that night (Thursday). Friday I spent moaning on the couch and finally took a trip to OB triage where they pumped me back up with fluids and monitored Little Baby for awhile- turns out I was dehydrated enough to be contracting every 3 minutes which isn't really desirable at 24 weeks- fortunately, the fluids resolved the problem and Little's heartbeat did just what it's supposed to (whatever that is). I had to laugh a little bit because on the same screen where they monitor the contractions and the baby's heartbeat, they also have a line for fetal motion- and she moves so much that the line was almost solid black with all her kicking! This is a very ACTIVE baby!
Other than the nasty flu, we've been enjoying fun times with our sweet girl. She loves it when Daddy throws her in the air (though it's a little harder now that she's 27 pounds!)- and I love that my camera can capture this without blurring the picture! Also, I have fallen in love with fleecy 2-piece pajamas! If you know anyone who can use a drawerful of almost-new 2T footie PJ's let me know! Now that Carolyn is potty trained (mostly), it is a huge pain to take off those one-piece jammies to take her to the bathroom. These awesome 2-piece ones solve that problem- AND, they're available at Costco- one of the most wonderful places on earth! I'm pretty sure that if I had to make a list of the 10 material things I simply couldn't live without, Costco would be one of them.
The other day she got such a kick out of making this silly face with me and then bursting out in fits of giggles.
Our Fall is nearing its end (the transitional seasons are never as long as I wish they would!) and now we're entering the Cold Season- we've had some days in the 40s already and temps in the 20s some nights. Carolyn loved her first real experience with hot chocolate (girl after her mama's heart! I love my HC, especially during this pregnancy!)
Can you believe our little girl can be so big? She wanted me to take her picture and show it to her a bunch of times the other day and I was just astounded at how grown up she is starting to look. I have never been great at deciding who she looks like; she really is a mix between us and is now starting to take on such an appearance of her own. But I have to admit that there are moments when I look at her and see not even the cute little girl that she is- but the beautiful young woman she will someday be. I wonder whether she will make this face for her senior pictures? Ow! How can I even think of that?! I want to hold on to these sweet childhood days forever- but they are sliding past so fast!!

Playing Catch-up

I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged! Where to start? It has been a crazy couple weeks with traveling and working and the other "stuff" of life- oh yeah, and the stomach flu which made an unwelcome intrusion into our lives last week! Ugh! I still feel like I'm spinning my wheels but I'm still behind! But I'm determined to catch up on the blog tonight so that at least can stop hanging over my head!

We had a great visit to Virginia October 18-22. We had a wonderful time with our friends down there- it is amazing how these dear friends we met years ago in Phoenix when we were all newlyweds have continued to stay so close to our hearts even though we so rarely saw them until recently. We went to their small group Bible study and felt right at home, as though no time had passed at all. It is such a rare blessing to have friends like these.
Here is Brad with Chris LoGrasso and the girls (Carolyn and Grace- who is no longer the "Baby Grace" of our May posts!)
Carolyn had a great time riding in William Johnson's push wagon thing- we spent an evening with Luke and Cindy Johnson, our one-time small group leaders of "Plunge" fame (that was the name of our newly married Sunday School class when we first lived in Phoenix) and just loved that feeling of picking up right where we left off, even though it's been years since we lived anywhere near each other and so much has changed for us all.
Our kiddos: William Johnson, Carolyn Irving, and Grace LoGrasso. Who knew when they merged our pictures together for a "What if they reproduced" joke back six years ago that we would all have such actually attractive kids!
We truly do love the Northern Virginia area- the history is fascinating, the trees are beautiful, the big city amenities are really attractive. But unfortunately, not even Virginia, land of a thousand wonders, is immune to the Stomach Flu! We were supposed to spend a "fun day" just me and Brad on our last day there, and about halfway to DC on the Metro, Brad came down with it and we had to turn around and go back, disappointed and knowing that we'd all come down with it sooner or later. Ugh! That night Carolyn got sick and after we cleaned her up, Anne scoured all the toys and we laughed a this gruesome scene of "dead baby dolls" lying facedown in the kitchen. Brad felt like he should join in. :)

Many of you know that this trip was more than just a social occasion. We are seriously considering relocating to the area, and I had really hoped that after we went out there that we'd have a better idea of whether Virginia is in our future. Although I had a great time seeing friends, I have to admit I was disappointed at the end of the trip because I feel like I have no more answers than I did before- and in fact, even more questions! I thought it would be like a light bulb going on- like I "knew" that Brad would someday be my husband- but I didn't have any lightning flash experiences. Brad interviewed for a job that really is a viable option. There are lots of good things about the job and the interview went well. So from that perspective, the trip was a success.

Yet at the same time, I just don't feel like anything was "decided" and so we are still in limbo. In the last several weeks a couple of other options have surfaced that would keep us here in the Grand Rapids area, and although I'm truly not that attached to the land of endless Winter and hands down the food and entertainment is loads better out in VA, there is the warmth of family to brighten the long, cold days- and I am really loath to lose out on that. My sisters have both talked of moving here in the next couple of years and when I picture our families growing up together I find it very hard to think of moving somewhere else, even though I know in my heart that we would be happy there, once we adjusted. I think we could be happy either place, but for different reasons. Either situation offers pros and cons and it's really hard to know what to base this huge decision on.

I have no idea where God wants Brad to practice. We are earnestly seeking His will for us on this- but I have to admit, I'm a bit impatient to have more of the answers! Maybe it's the hormones, but I am just craving stability and constancy in my life right now; I just want to settle in somewhere and build a nest for my little girls! I guess what I need to remember is that my stability and security can never come from the things of this world: jobs, homes, any of that; it's all temporary and could change in a heartbeat- once again I have to lay down my tools to "build my own house" and let the Master Builder take over. I wish it were easier for me, but it never is.

Jesus Loves Me

Today in the car, Carolyn sang to us all- thank goodness for the video mode on the little camera! Not the highest quality, but I'm glad I didn't miss this sweet moment. I love that Carolyn already knows that Jesus loves her. I know from personal experience that lessons learned so early run so deep that no matter where you go, that bedrock of early faith follows you.



For those unfamiliar with the lyrics and my sweet toddler's lisp, this is what Carolyn knows. "Jesus Loves me, this I know, For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so."

Sweet Little Baby

For those of you who wonder if I'm "showing" yet, the above picture should be all the evidence you need. :) I wasn't trying to be "artsy" by looking away from the camera; I just hate the goofy expression on my face in all the other pictures Brad took the other night. Somehow they all just made my face look fat. I'm getting into the part of pregnancy where I start to feel okay about my body again- past the pudgy stage and before the boat stage- but I still feel a little sensitive about whether my face looks puffy!

Anyway, Little Baby and I had a doctor's appointment today. We checked out just fine. I'm measuring 24 weeks, which is right on or a few days ahead (I was always a little ahead with Carolyn; I think it's just the way my body carries a baby). Baby's heartbeat was around 150 and much easier to find this time- though she was wiggling so much she kept slipping away from the doppler. She's a good wiggler. :)

Sweet Carolyn

We have been having fun lately. :) Two year olds are (often) such a bright ball of joy that it makes up for the moments when they... aren't. :) The other morning she allowed me to take her picture modeling her favorite smile. This is what she does when I ask her to show me a "Carolyn Smile." [typically she won't display it when I'm holding a camera, but I wanted to remember this cheesy sweet look forever so we negotiated a deal :)]
This sweet "real" smile wasn't part of the original negotiation but I must have made her really happy with the cinnamon rolls we were eating that morning for breakfast (we had them because Little Baby wanted them, but I didn't tell Carolyn that :)) I love this smile- but it does make her seem so grown up! In this smile, I can see a hint of what she'll look like someday when she is a beautiful young woman.
But thankfully, she is still my little girl for quite a while longer, though no doubt it will seem like a blink and she really will be a young woman getting ready to go to her first prom (or whatever they'll have then). Here she is excited about the bubbles Daddy is blowing.
And of course she has no greater fan than her very own Daddy. One of the first things I hear each morning is "Daddy here?" And when I tell her that Daddy is working, she says "Daddy come back at suppertime." She also wails for Daddy whenever I have to discipline her. :) Apparently I already have the reputation as the "mean one." :)

Marathon Time!

Sunday was the annual Chicago Marathon. This is the third year that we've made the trek down to cheer Papa on as he runs! This year (and last too) Uncle Bryan joined him. It's gotten to be a bit of a family tradition chasing runners around in hopes of catching them at various points on the course to support them!
The morning started eeeeearrrrly!! It was especially early for Carolyn and us because she was up until midnight the night before, singing to us, of all, things, about the potty. We listened to over an hour of "potty training, go on the potty, go on my potty, want to use the potty," and other related comments from the pack n play. Next time we go somewhere, Carolyn sleeps in a different room! She's just too loud!! We left Michelle and Bryan's before 6, hopped a train, and started the long day of walking.
This year we were joined by Ashlee and Hannah who were cheering for their husband/daddy. Baby Hannah is about a year old. I love the name Hannah- we're seriously considering it as a potential name for Baby Sister; this little Hannah makes the name seem so sweet because she is so sweet!
We were able to see Dad at Mile 11. The picture's a little grainy, but he's there- fully focused; I don't think he even realized we were there- and he was so fast that he was just a blur going by!
Aaron (Ashlee's husband) and Bryan were out for a bit more fun- though they still finished the marathon in under 4 hours!
Here are the unsung heroes of the day: Brad and Bryan's dad Tom- master stroller pushers! There were several times along our chase where we had to cross the runners- with the strollers- without getting run over or running into anyone else.
Carolyn was a real trooper. We continued to stuff her full of many yummy snacks to keep her happy and she seemed to enjoy clapping for the runners. She said "Go runners! Run fast!" whenever she saw them go by.
It was an exceptionally long day- I am sparing you the details of my own struggle to keep up while escorting a newly potty trained girl and carrying her little sister who grows bigger by the day! I was very sore and very tired and finally collapsed in the grass, too exhausted to push through the crowds to the reunion point. Carolyn enjoyed some liberty from the stroller and the chance to play with Daddy's hat! Eventually we all found each other and we were able to congratulate the victorious runners! Bry and Aaron finished under 4 hours, and Dad finished in 3 hours, 32 minutes- an amazing time that qualifies him to compete in the Boston marathon in April- a dream come true for him. We are so excited for him- but somehow I very much doubt we'll be tagging along for that one... not this year anyway...
I love this adorable little girl! And every single moment of discomfort when my body is ill-suited for long and strenuous walks through the many hot miles of downtown Chicago is SO worth it when I think of having ANOTHER sweet girl to love and enjoy! I try to take moments each day just to soak in the wonder of nuturing another life. It is truly a miracle I don't want to miss just because I'm busier this time! Today I saw the little one's feet start to poke out of my tummy! It looks so freaky but I love it! She grows stronger by the day and I am cherishing these months of bonding with her even before I see her sweet face. We women can complain all we want about the hormone craziness that comes no matter what age we are, but I still say that we are the lucky ones because we alone have the capacity to be God's vessel for His creative work.

Recentness

Here are some of the pictures I've taken the past week. Carolyn was wearing one of Daddy's shirts because we had been doing some painting and never bothered to change. I thought she looked so funny with her huge shirt, crazy hair, and lopsided sunglasses helping me get dinner ready! :)
Last Friday we went to Post Family Farms with my MOPS group. The expression on Carolyn's face will give you a good idea of what the day was like for us. She was definitely not on her best behavior and I was definitely not on my best mommy game either. Suffice it to say it was a learning experience in grace for both of us! I am grateful that small children forget their parents' imperfections quickly. I wish I could forget my own shortcoming as easily. It's now a few days after this event and the emotions of it have calmed down significantly, but I still recall it as one of the more difficult parenting days I've had thus far on our journey. Thank goodness for good friends and wise mothers who are well past this stage!
This trip was not my favorite fall experience so far, though I had been really looking forward to it (something about an obstinate 2-year-old who either runs away every time you call her or sits down on the ground as if to challenge you to go ahead and pick her up even though it smashes baby sister every time you do it makes what should be a fun day... not so fun)- but there were bright moments when Carolyn was interested enough in what was going on to stop being naughty! She liked the soft little chicks the kids got to pet; also she liked feeding the goats and petting the small horses.
If you look closely you might detect a smile on Carolyn's face here. It was the closest we got all day! She liked sitting in the pumpkins- but was too mad at me to be cooperative about taking pictures. Retrospect being 20/20 I can now think of many things I should or could have done to make the situation better- and ditching the camera would be one of them! There are times when the overwhelming need to document everything is a burden and a needless distraction when there are more important things to focus on.

All in all, I was glad to put this day behind us and move on to the next. I am forever grateful that tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it!

Better Late Than Never!

Well, the week somehow slipped away from me. I'm reading a new series after everyone I know at work became obsessed with it and it "caught" me, too. It's been a nice week to curl up with a book so I really can't complain. But that (and the many other projects I have going on right now) has kept me from getting to my blog in a timely fashion. Sorry! :)

But, better late than never! I got some great pictures on Monday, despite not feeling well! My goal will have to be for next year to actually figure out how to work some of the cool features of the big camera because if they turn out this great just pushing the "dummy button," they could be even cooler if I actually learned how to use the thing!

Anyway, here is the rundown on our trip to Klackle Orchards on Monday. You can see last year's pictures here. The kiddos sure have grown (and so have a couple of us... :))

The man was nice enough to let our adorable two-year-old clan ride the pumpkin train even though it is only supposed to run for school groups and weekends. :) Two years in a row! We sure are lucky! :) Too bad the weather didn't cooperate with us this year either! It was muddy and wet and kind of chilly!
I love this picture of Caimon and Rachel- they're both smiling and sitting peacefully next to each other. :) A bit of a rare occurrence in our playgroups. :)
I also love what the autofocus did to this picture of Rachel and Carolyn picking apples.
And I think Aidan's mommy dressed him in the perfect colors for the day- I love the orange!
Very characteristic Caimon- everything she does is so intense!
And this is Rachel- tasting the apple before she decides to bite in.
And Carolyn, who doesn't like to face me if I'm holding the camera. I get a lot of good profile shots. :)
Carolyn and Aidan munching together.
Not sure why everyone's leaning over to the side, but it's a cute picture of the kids!
Reach for the apple!
Mommy and Carolyn. I got pictures of all the kids and their mommies, but I think I am posting enough pictures to be getting on with. You can check their blogs for more. :)
Such a sweet little girl! She had a really good time.
The pumpkin patch was a bit of a letdown after the apple orchard this year, too. As soon as we got there, Carolyn declared that the place was "Scary!" Interestingly enough, this was the same announcement Rachel made on her first visit this year. Her face says it all. :)

A Little Sample

Today was our big fall playgroup trip to the orchard to pick apples and enjoy the fall-ness. We seem to be ill-fated when it comes to weather for this trip (last year it was even colder and rainier)- but at least this time we all came prepared for cool, wet weather! I haven't been feeling very well today- I think I have some kind of GI bug that has sapped my energy and made me feel really yucky and painfully crampy most of the day today. My entourage of doctors say that there's nothing to worry about... but I can't help being a little fretful. Little is still so... little. She needs to stay inside quite awhile longer! But I think she knows that I need a little reassurance that she's doing okay because she sure is whomping away at me from inside! She's getting so much stronger! Anyway, I just thought I'd share my favorite picture from the day as I'm much too tired to really blog tonight. Hopefully more to come tomorrow...

Fall's Here!

In the midst of all the potty drama, it's been a beautiful fall weekend! Sunny but crisp, it was a perfect opportunity to sneak out between potty breaks for a trip to the park.

Carolyn enjoyed crunching through the leaves and bringing me some of the yellow leaves as "presents."
I love how the lighting made the colors look just right in this picture.
One of Carolyn's favorite things at the park is this noise maker.
She gets really excited about it!

I can't believe what a big girl she is becoming!