Baby No. 3

My dear friend and neighbor Hiedi will be giving birth to her third child any day now. 

                                                                                      

She and her husband are waiting to learn the sex of the baby until the delivery.  My hat's off to her as I just would not have had the willpower to wait.  I have no idea how she's managed to do it especially considering the fact that she is a nurse and knows just where to look on the ultrasound screen!!  We had a small shower for Hiedi this past Saturday to celebrate her new little one.  Since we're unsure yet whether we'll be welcoming a new little boy or girl, we tried to stay gender neutral.   

Hiedi already has two beautiful children, a boy and a girl (pictures here).   We didn't want to forget to include them at the shower.  They're both so adorable.  I can't wait to see No. 3.

I know that Hiedi and her husband are so excited about this new addition to their family.  Shh.  Don't tell anyone but I really am also.  Even though I can barely handle the three I already have, there's a part of me that really, really wants a fourth.   Whenever I mention it, Doug looks at me as if I may have lost my mind.  So, Hiedi doesn't realize it yet but I'm planning on getting my baby fix from next door!!

Fortunately, there were two babies present at the shower and so I got an early start on the baby adoration front.  You wouldn't believe the cheeks on this little fellow.  He's about 10 months old and is Hiedi's nephew.  Oh my goodness, I could have eaten him up.

                                                                                   

Speaking of eating, the shower started at 1000 in the morning and we had a nice little brunch.  Hiedi's family made a delicious french toast casserole.  My crazy talented friend Courtney brought over an artichoke and egg casserole that has seriously left me craving more.  I made a fruit casserole and a pumpkin crumb cake with a pecan streusel.  To finish we had a marble cake with cream cheese mousse.  I have to say that the one disappointment of  the day was the cake.  We've purchased our cakes from the same spot for years now and they've always done an excellent job.  This was the first time I e-mailed a picture over instead of making the 50-minute drive to their shop.  Perhaps that was the problem as the cake didn't look as I had imagined.  This was what I wanted (here).  The cake I received was still nice but not as soft in appearance or as vintage as I had hoped. 

                                                                                        

My baker also told me she could make the flags I needed.  When I went to pick up the cake the flags had been made from fondant and it left me quite despondent...hehe.  Fortunately, Courtney came to the rescue and made last minute skewer flags for the cake that I just loved.

                                                                                             

I must admit that although I'm very good at eating cakes, I'm horrible when it comes to slicing them.  Thankfully, Hiedi's sister is a cake expert and made it look easy.

                                                                           

When I saw these wall decals, I just had to laugh.  I couldn't pass them by.  With my motley crew of three, I thought the clings were appropriate on the wall before, during, and after the shower.

I actually got to put my sewing machine to good use.  I made both tablecloths, the pillow cases, a runner, two pairs of booties (pattern from Joyfolie), and two little outfits.  Once I started sewing, I just couldn't seem to stop.  I bought about 8 yards of ticking and only had scraps left by the time I was done!  

I mean, I really just couldn't stop.

I guess it's a good thing I had copious amounts of fabric considering the fact that at midnight the night before the shower I realized I didn't have any wrapping paper for Hiedi's gift.  Fabric scraps to the rescue!

It was so nice to meet so many of Hiedi's family and friends.  They were such a nice group of women.  But then Hiedi is pretty special too!  I just think the world of her and her family.  I'm so excited for them and can't wait to meet their new little boy or girl.  Best Wishes, Hiedi!

Happy Halloween!

Hope you all had a "Hauntingly Happy Halloween"!  Ours began in tears once Anna realized that her witch pumpkin we had carved the weekend before had collapsed into a pile of mush.  Fortunately, we had a few pumpkins that Doug had grown in the garden lying around and so together Anna and Doug carved a new pumpkin, although Anna opted for a mermaid instead of a witch the second time 'round.

I spent most of the morning trying to finish an airplane costume for Jacob.  Pottery Barn Kids had a cute airplane for toddlers this year and even though I tried to purchase it at the beginning of October, it was already sold out in Jacob's size.  There were eBayers attempting to sell it online for almost 5 times the original cost.  After fuming about the indiginity of those aforementioned dregs of humanity that buy up all the costumes in a certain size and then try to gouge the rest of us, I resolved to just make one myself.  Since Doug was a U-2 pilot at the end of his career, I thought it would be cute to make the U-2.  I made Jake a little yellow flight suit similar to the spacesuits the guys wear and a black felt airplane with the appropriate tail markings.  He...would...NOT...wear it.  I guess it was for the best as Doug said it resembled certain male body parts.  Oh well.  I really like the idea though.  Maybe I'll try again next year. 

I also made a partial costume for Lauren.  She was going to be a knight (Joan of Arc).  Just to be safe I purchased a back-up costume for both Lauren and Jacob.  Lauren decided she liked her back-up Batgirl costume better and chose to wear it.  Anna had picked Cleopatra early on and was pleased with her choice.  Jake's back-up costume was a cowboy/horse combo, the kind where his legs are the back legs of the horse.  Again, he....would...NOT...wear it.  So, in the end, at the last minute I stuck him in jeans, a plaid shirt, a bandana, and a beaten up cowboy hat that we still had stuck in the toybox from Lauren's cowgirl party years ago.  I could only find one boot and so he ended up in tennis shoes.  He was happy as a pumpkin.

Our friends came over and we all had pizza before we headed out trick-or-treating.  The kids all looked adorable.

                                                                                           
Courtney's girls always look so beautiful.  She embellished both of their costumes and did an amazing job.  Caroline was Rapunzel from "Tangled".  Courtney found dollar store hair that matched Caroline's exactly!! 

                                                                                      
Jason and Isabella definitely took the prize for cutest brother and sister pirate duo!

                                                                                            
I tried my best to get a picture of our three together but Jake wasn't buying it. 

                                                                                  
I had planned to wear a bird mask with a nest and eggs in my hair but it fell out while trying to get pictures of the kids.  So, I grabbed Lauren's circus hat instead.

                                                                                          

                                                                                            
We began to wonder if Halloween had been cancelled as there were no other kids out on the street.  It was a school night and so we thought everyone would start early.  I guess we were wrong.

                                                                                             
Wherever we went little brother was always pulling up the rear.

                                                                             
Once he made it to the door, he would push his way in to make sure he got his candy.

                                                                                    

                                                                                              
Some sweet person would help him back down to the sidewalk and it would begin again.

                                                                                      
If he didn't make it to the door before the person was done handing out candy, Lauren would make sure the candy-giver held the door open until Jake made it.  She was such a good big sister.

                                                                          
I practically had to bribe the girls to get them to stand still long enough for "just one more picture".  You can imagine how often they hear that. :)

                                                                              
Jacob wasn't quite sure what to think about this skeleton and graveyard.

It was a great night, fun was had by all, and the candy haul was extreme.

                                                                                        

All I Want For Christmas...

Well, my darling little Anna has had quite a big week.  On Tuesday she learned to ride her bike without training wheels.  She told me, "It only took me two days!!"  "And 6 months!", I said.  Up until this week, she was so afraid for Doug to let go of her and kept yelping anytime he made a move to let her give it a go on her own.  He told both girls they could get new bikes for Christmas if Anna would learn to ride.  I guess she was finally ready and when she climbed on that afternoon, she was determined to make it happen.

                                                                               

He practically had to carry her in at the end of the day because she didn't want to stop riding!  We're so proud of her and she is extremely proud of herself.  She's having a blast!

                                                                               
Anna has always had a pretty little smile.  Once she started losing teeth though, things got a bit wonky.  Her top two teeth have been loose for a few weeks now.  One of them had even started to turn at a very awkward angle but she refused to work on it  because it felt tender and could "cause blood".

So last night, Jacob, Anna, and I were lying in bed and Jacob was bobbing his head back and forth.  He whacked me in the nose and then got Anna in the mouth.  She and I both started crying but then she said, "Oh my gosh, LOOK!"  Her mouth was bleeding profusely and she got a bit hysterical.  I got her to the bathroom where she froze when she saw the blood.  We washed her mouth out with her crying the whole time.  We finally realized it was her tooth that was bleeding and she said, "Gebit be a baber towel und I try to bull it" as she wouldn't close her mouth to talk because of the blood.  I gave her one and she yanked one time and out one top tooth came.  She did a little dance and we all laughed and she started cleaning herself up.  It was then that she said, "Oh mah goshb, it still beeding howwiblee!"  I gave her another piece of paper towel and she pulled out the second top tooth to reveal this, her new lovely smile.

She was so excited and kept laughing.  She immediately went and got her tooth fairy pillow, excited at the prospect of such a huge windfall...two teeth in one night.  Surely, the tooth fairy must offer a bonus for that!!

Be back soon!

Doug and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Maine.  Nana flew in from Alabama to watch the peanut gallery while we were away.  I have a ton of pictures to post but am out of blog storage space.  I have purchased more and am waiting for it to kick in.  Until then, here are a few shots from the Damariscotta Pumpkin Festival held Columbus Day weekend.  There was a pumpkin contest...the winner weighed 1,471 pounds and there was also a pumpkin boat race.  Yes, they actually hollowed out 300-500 pound pumpkins and paddled along inside them or attached a motor to them!  More of those shots to come!

                                                                                           

Conversations with the Peanut Gallery

                                                                                                                                                                              
In the past few days, Jacob has managed to throw a magazine, countless towels and washcloths, three shirts, a brush, a magic wand, a princess cell phone, a dvd remote, and a shoe into the bathtub while it was full of water.  He's tried to throw the large decorative pillow from our bed, a pair of boots, and several hardback books in as well but has been foiled.  The cell phone and magic wand he soaked started making music the next morning around 0200 and Doug and I  stumbled around in the dark to find them, wrapped them in clothes and stuffed them in various drawers to hide the sound.  I must admit our track record for stopping our busy boy hasn't been very good.  For a little guy, he's very fast and very sneaky.

So, yesterday morning I managed to get an early start and by 0700 I had folded and put away two loads of laundry, cleaned all four bathrooms, made a batch of pancakes, and ironed the kids clothes for the day all before Jacob woke up.  In his first 30 minutes of awake time he unlocked the back door twelve times, escaped out the door twice, pushed his high chair over to the island and stood on the tray of the chair with his hands on the island in an attempt to reach for a glass of water, and took his diaper off at least (what seemed) like 25 times.  We were expecting a new mattress yesterday for our guest room and I had just put a fresh diaper on Jacob when the mattress company called to say our new mattress had an ink stain and they were sending it back and we could expect delivery the following week.  As we planned to have family in town the next day, I tried to explain that next week wasn't good enough.  In that 10 seconds of conversation, Jacob pulled off his fresh diaper and I took him by the arm to get it back on him.  Unfortunately, he had pottied and when I spun his naked self around he plopped down onto the ground and left a lovely little poop stain on the carpet.

In addition to the Jacob situation, Anna was upset about having to wear a dress to school for the day.  I know, I know....how could Anna ever be upset about having to wear a dress??  Her new PE teacher has been giving her a hard time about wearing sandals and told her if she continued to wear sandals she wouldn't be able to participate in PE anymore.  She'd worn tennis shoes all week long and as it was forecast to be around 100 degress I had a sundress laid out for her.  To make her feel better, I had typed a note to said PE teacher quoting the school's dress code and telling him I felt her sandals were perfectly appropriate and she felt more than comfortable participating in them.  I asked him to contact me if there was any issue.  I dropped the kids off and headed off to run a few errands.  When I returned home, there was a message on the answering machine from Anna's teacher telling me Anna's sandal strap had broken  and she needed another pair of shoes.  So much for my self-righteous letter regarding appropriate school footwear, huh?

 On my way home from dropping off a new pair of shoes, I was feeling a bit flustered about how the morning had gone and not looking forward to working on the poop stain on the carpet, or to cleaning off the freshly smeared boogers I had noted on my way out the door waiting for me on the newly cleaned bathroom shower glass.   It was at that moment I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw Jacob making a fish face, clapping his hands, and bopping his head to the beat of the new Enrique Igelsias song, "I like it."  It was so darned adorable that I just burst out laughing.  He fish-faced and jived all the way to the house and it instantly made my day so much better.

Life with children can be so amazing; infuriating one moment, heart swelled to bursting with happiness the next.  The little ones can drive me crazy when we're together and I find myself looking forward to an hour or two of alone time.  However, the moment I'm away from them, I seem to do nothing but think about them and wonder what they're doing; until eventually I'm literally aching to see them and hug them.  Crazy and amazing.  Speaking of which, here are a few of the crazy and amazing sayings as of late.  (I've been a bit remiss about writing it all down as I usually do and then I forget what they've said!!  It kills me to have lost it!)

Anna dressed up as a bunny in her pink snowsuit and a set of bunny ears.  Lauren was dressed as a bunny also but as more of a Halloween bunny with orange and black stockings and an orange cardigan.  Anna was dismayed because she thought Lauren's bunny costume was much better.  She took off the snowsuit and put on an entirely black cat outfit with a silver and black scarf.  I asked her if she was going for a Halloween look and she replied, "I just felt like being a bit Goth."

Lauren upon waking from a nap in the truck on a road trip, "I need to stretch my neck but it's too tired."

I've been volunteering in the girls' classrooms lately.  The night before I was supposed to be in Anna's classroom, Anna asked, "Mommy, will you cuddle with me all day in class?"

Two of the children in Lauren's class showed up on Monday with casts.  Lauren came home telling us all about the casts, what had happened to the children and that the little boy was the lucky one because he got an un-itchy cast while the little girl with the cast was unlucky because she ended up with one of the itchy casts, probably because it was pink.

Doug popped the hood of his car to check the oil and Lauren ran into the house yelling, "Anna, come quick!!  Daddy opened the lid of this car!!"

Lauren's teacher recently had her bangs cut and it was the talk of the kindergarten classroom.  The day after she got her new hairstyle, we were in line for morning drop-off when we saw the teacher pull into the parking lot.  Lauren pointed and said to Anna, "That's my teacher.  She has a different hairstyle.  Now she has fangs."  Anna looked at her for a moment and said, "Lauren, vampires have fangs.  Those are bangs."

The girls have always enjoyed checking out all of the scary Halloween items in area stores.  We were at Lowe's looking at the skeletons when Lauren saw some Christmas decorations and a manger scene.  She went running over saying, "Look, Mommy, God stuff."