Birthday Time

We have officially begun birthday season and our busiest birthday week of the year. It started yesterday with Josh's birthday. He is 33, but often people think he is MUCH younger than he is...despite a few grays. He gets better by the year! Lucky for him, he can still eat like there is no tomorrow and no one would really know. Well, he is pretty active. He doesn't belong to a gym, but work is his gym/workout. When he isn't there he stays pretty busy at home with projects/tasks. I love him more than I can ever express and he is the most wonderful, amazing, loving husband that one could dream of--you know the kind you read about in fairytales or see in a wonderfully romantic movie.

To start off his birthday, we had a dr. appt. Since we have been having appointments that take forever either because we have to wait forever or whatever, we dropped the girls by my grandma's house. This appt was our first appt close to home and only about 20 minutes away. We got right in actually and I was seeing the doc who delivered Keirah. Since the doc who delivered Aliyah no longer delivers babies, I am hoping to get Dr. M. Anyway, after my pig-out, constant hunger weeks since the last appointment, I lost 2 pounds. Don't even ask me how that worked. I have no clue. I feel like I've been eating more than I ever ever eat. Blood pressure started out a little high to which I chuckled and the nurse had me lay on my side. It went promptly down to 110/78. Yes, I get that white-coat syndrome thing going on each time I guess. Baby's heart rate was 152 and she measures right on target. It appears she is staying put for the time being, but really only 2-4 weeks left!! We were in out and in the car within 30 minutes--yay! We picked up the girls to head over to pick up food for the big party.

We had a lot to pick up, but Josh and I snagged some breakfast at the local grocery store. Sounds weird, but it is SUPER food! After our gathering of party food and stuff, off we went again to bring it all home. We didn't stay home long and headed out for more fun. We had plans of going to the pool, but time was short and we wanted to catch dinner at Texas Roadhouse.
Dinner was yummy as always and Josh got to sit in the saddle and hear the big YEE HAW. He got strawberry cheesecake which was beyond wonderful and his meal was free--thanks to our friend that runs TR.

Tomorrow, our first born turns a whopping 8 years old!! She doesn't look it because she is pretty tiny. Most people guess 5 years old. She gets to graduate from her carseat finally! In Illinois, they have to ride in a seat until 8 years or 80 lbs. At this rate, she will be 80 lbs by high school. She is mid-40's right now lol! She is beyond excited and has been counting the days. Aliyah gets REALLY excited about birthdays. It doesn't matter if it is hers or anyone else's--she loves it and she loves parties. Her big request was to have a big party this year. Since baby girl is due around Keirah's birthday, we are having a combined party this weekend. They picked out really cute cakes and we have a couple of fun games for the kids to play as well as goodies for them to take home. It has been fun to plan and she gets right into the planning and helping as well. My major concern at this point is weather. Will it rain--hopefully not until it is over. The heat has been stifling, so I'm hoping for any kind of breeze and lower temps. I think I will put out a pool of water for the kids to splash themselves. We have drinks galore and food as well. Gotta keep them all hydrated!!

Anyway, back to Aliyah...she is a sweet little energetic girl who loves animals, her family, Jesus, books, and stuffed animals. Each night she loves to come upstairs and have what she calls "meetings" with me. It is cute and many times, she prays for various things during "meeting time". I love her zest for life and her ability to make people feel special. She is one of those kids who could see the world's most homely child and sincerely have something kind to say about how sweet and cute it is. She is the same way about animals. I love her heart! I remember falling in love with her the minute she was born--overwhelmingly! Sometimes, I think she is too smart for her own good. She knows things that Josh nor I knew at her age due to her constant fact gathering and un-ending reading.

Well, what else...baby girl's room is set up and waiting. It is funny that I constantly run across things that we need to get for her. I am content to let her grow for a few more weeks because there is still plenty to get done! The very end of August or very early Sept. sounds good to me! That is when Josh is on vacation. After that, there is a closed vacation period where he can't take vacation days if she is born then. He can be off, but no pay. So, we are kind of hoping it works out well in that aspect.

I'm worn out and tired. It has been so hot, but we went on a walk tonight to keep me in some sort of shape. I know one thing...during flower watering I was sweating something fierce! The girls did school tonight. We have been slowly easing into school so that come Sept. if we need to take a few days off, it isn't any big deal. Off to rest!

Great day!

The day started early since I awoke around 4:45 am and couldn't go back to sleep...as much as I wanted to and know I needed to. We got the girls ready for VBS and headed there to drop them off. It gave Josh and I a few hours to do some all important birthday shopping (without them seeing what we purchased). We have finished their shopping! It was fun!

We were excited to find that they have started making the Snoopy Sno Cone maker again. I had one as a little girl and LOVED it!! So, we bought one for Aliyah hoping she will enjoy it as well. We attempted to order the cakes from Trefzger's for their party, however they are on vacation for like another week. I'm not sure if they will have time to fill our order for the party or not, but we really hope so as their cakes are really cute and tasty!

I'm so thankful for God's protection today as well. We pulled into the church parking lot to pick the girls up and a van was backing up as we were driving down the parking aisle. Josh didn't see them, but fortunately I did just in time to yell for him to stop and for me to lay on the horn so that they didn't back right into us. I'm suprised I didn't go into labor or have heart failure right there. My blood pressure surely went through the roof. I could only imagine a trip to the hospital since it was closest to me. Once again...thank you God for your protection!!

The girls were happy as larks again when we picked them up. They happily told of their day and showed us what they made. We had lunch at Chili's then came home. By that time, I was SOOOOO tired from less than 5 hours of sleep that a nap was in order! It was a wonderful rest!

We have been doing various things around the house and today we actually found THE rug for baby's room. It took awhile to find it, but we did. It has cute multi-colored polka dots that match baby's room. We LOVE it. We have also been sanitizing bottles and pacifiers. In doing so, I realized we need some newborn pacifiers.

I'm so excited that the power company sent their tree cutters our way a few days ago. I came home pleasantly surprised to find that they had cut a large portion of our ugly tree out. We had tried to get it removed, however the trucks were too big to fit. So, there is now less!

On a happy note, the humidity has all but disappeared much to my sheer delight. You know how humidity feels normally, well for me this summer it has felt extra heavy and overbearing. Baby has settled into a different position which is a bit uncomfortable today, but with that also is the reminder that there are only like 3-5 weeks left!

The girls have been doing school a few times a week and so far it is great! We started slowly/early so that when baby is born we don't get behind.

Well, we ate at a local place called "Sweet Shop" tonight. Due to the caloric intake that I'm sure occurred for me, we will be taking our walk soon. I have been hungry a lot more than usual lately, but I also don't need to gain 20 lbs in the last few weeks either. The walk should be pleasant with the cooler temps and lessened humidity PLUS my sweetie is home with us as well.

Next week starts our week of birthdays!! It is non-stop fun for sure. The girls are soooooooo excited about their party. I am too! We have the party favors and the menu is decided as well!

Have a great week!

Little Stuff

I have probably mentioned before that little (maybe big) odd things get me excited. Let me elaborate...

the street sweeper coming by to clean up the garbage that magically gathers along the curbs. We live on a corner so there's lots of curb to clean/weed along and it gets tedious at times.

The power company's tree trimming truck (only happens every 4 years)...this is one of the years and they are in our neighborhood. I hope they feel extra trim happy when they visit our tree.

Clean windows...the window washing guy came to work today and the windows are so clean they just sparkle. This is the best they have looked in a long time!

Getting things organized or home improvement projects. They may be tough work, but the end results are awesome. I also love seeing projects that various neighbors have been working on this summer...new siding/house painting/landscaping etc... It is always nice to see improvements and fun to watch progress.

Feeling a little dolphin move around...as much as I can't wait to see her, I will miss this when it is all over. There's nothing like it in the world!

Listening to my girls chatter excitedly about their day at VBS today. They had a lot of fun and it was fun having them go through the highlights. I think I need to join VBS lol!

Getting a call from my sweet love to just see how the day is going and him telling me he misses me. We always look forward to time off together.

Little girls snuggling up with me or running around and doing sweet things for me without being asked. Keirah (supreme organizer) is so funny. When I get ready for bed, I take off my necklace, earrings, watch etc...and she always moves them to their spot (without me mentioning a word). She also takes the dirty clothes and puts them away and will bring pajamas to me.

Well, little things and in some cases big...they make my heart sing!

To-do's

So, since the thought has occurred to me that there are 3-5 weeks left before baby girl arrives, I am trying to tie up loose ends. There are days when I am very tired due to lack of being able to sleep or getting up several times per night and not being able to fall back to sleep or what not. Fortunately, some nights I fall asleep and can go back to sleep after waking up the 3-5 times per night.

We finished the baby room with the exception of like 2 items. It looks very pretty and I love going in there and looking at it. It is so calming and I love the colors!

I am trying to make sure the gifts are purchased or figured out for the many August events coming up as well as September. There are a few loose ends to tie up for the party.

Trying to stay on top of laundry and household chores so it isn't behind when she arrives.

We are still walking each night (at least the girls and I). Still tending the flowers and weeding (bending over is quite a challenge.

Oh yeah, we have been doing school with the girls here and there. I don't want us to be behind in September once the baby arrives so we are working into it slowly, but doing well! It is all organized and ready to go!

I finished my last lesson for teaching in children's church last Sunday. Life with work, homeschooling, and a newborn plus other duties will keep me busy enough!

So...everywhere I look I'm trying to get stuff done!

6 weeks or less!

I have no idea where the time has gone! We had contemplated one last trip to Chicago before baby, but decided that we had items that needed finished at home. Important and fun stuff like planning/getting supplies for a double birthday party, putting together a crib, setting up the nursery and moving the girl's toys elsewhere, and just general things around the house. Many of these things are little things that I can't do alone (putting crib together and mowing). So, with Josh home we can get it done!

I can't believe it getting so close! It is 6 weeks or less unless I go over which hasn't happened before. We are very excited with how the nursery turned out (see Facebook for photos). There are a few things to tie it all together that we still need to get/find. I have a pretty good idea of the rug that will make the room complete and we still have to get the mattress. It may need a few items to hang on the wall, but I just don't know what yet...

She (baby girl) is jumping around quite often. The name is picked, and I can't wait to see what everyone thinks. We keep it a secret until the birth day. I guess we just think it is fun to keep that a secret and then there is less hassle once baby is born regarding opinion on what you should/shouldn't name them. As usual, we have gone with non-ordinary, but I must say this one is probably the most non-ordinary for both first and middle that we have picked thus far. It is not a name of anyone we know (true to tradition for us), not on any top ten list, not easily guessed, and follows our protocol of endings or at least ending sounds being the same for first and middle. I'm not worried that you have figured it out because yeah...it's different.

We have had a most enjoyable evening together daddy and all of his girls. We enjoyed dinner at none other than Chili's where I got my craving for chips n salsa and buffalo wings satisfied. Yes, spicy is my thing...all of the time! We shopped for party favors and gift ideas, and then we returned home for the crib/nursery work. Actually, it doesn't matter what we do as long as we are all together! I love them!!!!

If weather allows, we have plans for a dip in the pool as well as some fun outside. The humidity has diminished allowing us to breathe easier once more. I can tolerate heat, humidity NOT!
Well, I am tired and have been tired this week so I need some sleep! Not much longer before I won't be getting much of that for awhile.

Rain Rain Come Today

I'm so glad that we got a few drops/buckets of rain tonight! Anything to bring down the humidity/temps and water my thirsty flowers and yard gets an A-OK in my book especially at this stage. Hard to believe but there are probably 4-6 weeks before little #3 is here! A lot of times I can't wait, but I try to remind myself to enjoy every stage. Things are so busy right now that we can hardly blink!



We have a number of birthdays in August and September (plus we are adding a birthday to one of those months shortly. The girls really really wanted a bigger party this year for their birthdays. Since the baby is due so close to Keirah's b-day, I didn't want to plan a party to have to cancel due to labor/delivery or whatever...we are doing a combined party for both girls in August. Needless to say, we have a very busy week in August with so many birthdays and regular life thrown in...



We have a few things left to purchase for baby. I remembered the other day that we needed bath stuff, a baby book, and a diaper bag. Gotta have a clean baby so I got the tub ordered that I wanted and it came today...now to get the baby wash/lotions so she can smell good =). Somehow, I forgot that you can't reuse baby books--LOL! I haven't found THE right one yet, but one will come along hopefully after some serious searching. As for a diaper bag, Josh has a diaper bag that he wants to carry...very modern and cool, but mine needs to be kinda like a purse. His straps around his body (fine for him) but that's not the kind I want. Anyway, I have an idea, and I think we are close...just gotta purchase. Baby's room is about 65-75% ready. We have a crib...but it needs put together and a mattress and bedding added. We still need to move out the dolls that the girls have in that room as it is seeing its last few weeks as a toy room for them. Other than that, a few minor furniture shuffles and we are done.



Fortunately, Aliyah hits a milestone in a few weeks...no more car seat!!! In Illinois, children have to be 8 years old or a certain weight before they can sit in a car normally. Aliyah wouldn't make the weight restriction until high school at this rate so 8 years came first!!! This is just in time to make room for a baby seat in the cars! I'm glad I will have to helpers in the back to assist with baby while we drive. They are so excited they can hardly stand it. They constantly pretend to be mother/baby and they even switch where Aliyah is the baby. I love my girls to death!!!



I don't know where the time has flown off to this evening, but I've got tons to do so bye for now!

I've Missed This....I'm BAAACCKK!

It has been so long since I was able to write a normal post so this will be a catch-up I'm hoping. This is a perfect day to have the new computer up and going as it is a scorcher outside and pregnant/scorching don't fit so well together. It makes me feel kinda miserable and lazy when I go out. I may have to hop out later to give the flowers a drink, but not until it cools offfff--whew!

I think I will do this one by subjects since there are so many things to catch up in bloggy world writing...

Josh and I celebrated 10 wonderful years of marriage about 1 month ago by taking a little trip. We ended up going to Orlando. It wasn't our first or second or third choice, but it was time away and time together and it was wonderful. We enjoyed seeing Disney again after all of these years. Our favorite times were those spent chilling out at the pool and soaking up sun as well as visiting with my roomie from college. It has been 10 years since I saw her and you know the only thing different for both of us was the whole marriage and kids thing. We got to meet her husband and kids and she saw me pregnant. Other than that, it was like old times. Oh, how I wish we lived closer to each other as we would have so much fun together. Her little boy is the male version of our Aliyah. It is funny. Sweet family! I wouldn't have ever imagined anything different. One of our other favorite things from our trip was the breakfast buffet every morning. It is the South and breakfast so they had everything one could want. Not only that, it was delicious!!!!!! The restaurant overlooked water that had swans swimming--breathtaking. We filled up each day as we knew we would be walking miles and sweating it all off! It was probably 95 each day and morbidly humid and steamy. I can handle heat...humidity makes me feel like I'm melting.

Work--for me work is probably busier than I ever remember in my 7+ years there. It is fun and can be challenging. The days fly by and I'm stuck at the end wondering where the time went. Today...no different!

Aliyah--our little brown girl is enjoying summer to its fullest. She reads constantly and I have to limit the reading some days because she simply does it SOOO much! She is starting to grow fins and scales I'm afraid and is quite cocoa in color thanks to the visits to the pool and Lake Michigan. She finished the summer reading program at the library about as quick as she started and is now enjoying all of the bounty of it. When we go outside, she loves to jump on the trampoline and swing. We are also working on riding her bike by herself. Her tiny frame is timid with the bike thing. She has lost her two front teeth and looks very cute. Less than a month until my baby is 8!

Keirah--miss maturity/independent. Keirah is the go-getter/organizer. She has enjoyed organizing closets, folding/sorting the baby's laundry and whatever else. She tells me that she is my helper and she is by my side quite often. When I water the flowers, she likes to help get the hose out and get this...she is in to pulling weeds--what??? I never asked her to, but she has watched me do it and since this summer has brought an abundance of weeds and they grow along the curb, she has taken upon herself to help me pull them. The other day, I pulled some and walked away to do something else as bending over with a watermelon belly can be difficult at times...I look and she is bent over carefully pulling weeds. I was so touched and even more touched when big sis came over to help her pull them.
Aside from work, Keirah is in to dolls, Littlest Pet Shop, swimming, and listening to music. She pays attention to details!

What can I say, not a day goes by that I don't feel an overwhelming sense of how blessed we are with these little girls! I love my girls and I love my sweetie! I am wealthy beyond measure with them in my life.

Baby girl--she has a first name that is decided which is secret and hard to guess, but the middle name is narrowed pretty much to two but probably narrowed to one but spellings we are figuring out. We try to be a bit different than normal, but at the same time we do have themes (endings). Little sweetie is a busy one and has been since many many weeks ago. I can't believe how quickly this has gone. There are 9 weeks or less left! She is so cute as we got to see on the 3d/4d sono. She mostly looks like Keirah as a baby. Fortunately, no diabetes this time and things have gone well. There have been minor things like blood pressure issues, however we came to the conclusion that I experience a bit of white coat syndrome.
Her room is organized and bassinette is ready, although there are still a few American Girl dolls and such in there until I move them to a new spot for the girls. We have had a ton of fun picking out furniture and stuff for her room. Grandpa & grandma H. are purchasing the crib mattress for her so other than some very minor items...we are pretty much set!

Chaney--the cat...he's a silly/ornery thing and he follows me around like a dog. He likes me the most, but he is very tolerable of being carried/hauled around by the girls.

Projects--we chose to do fewer this year in hopes of trying to enjoy summer. We put up a new white fence that we really love in the spring. Josh tiled the main floor bath and entryway which looks great. We painted the closet in baby girl's room, had a garage sale, and had a tree removed. Other than minor things...we have been trying to just enjoy life! Josh has a minor thing or two and that's it!

Fun in the summer--we are enjoying Chicago and summer there once more. Lake Michigan is simply gorgeous and fun. The cool thing is...no oil slicks to worry about, no sharks, no stingrays, or scary stuff. Aliyah is quite the wave rider. With as much fun as we have in Chicago, we don't have to go far to have fun...no plane needed.

Aliyah is wanting me to make a Shutterfly book. I'm excited to do this as it has been months since I could make one and we have plenty of memories to fill it with...

This post has been LOOOOOONNNNNNG enough, but I will be back to update on more of a much more regular basis. Oh yeah...I have to talk garage sales soon. They have been okay this year and we have found nice stuff, but not even close to the stuff we found last summer.

Wow--can I tell you how good it felt to blog again????!!! YAY!