Much to be thankful for.

Well, the big 2008 trip to Ohio is here and gone already. We get to see that side of the family so infrequently that it makes leaving them very difficult for so many different reasons. As usual, though, we shared many laughs, much food and many memories.

I had killed myself getting everything packed for everyone last week and by the time Wednesday night arrived I was exhuasted. I had harped on my brother about being ready to go at 5:00 am sharp and yet I'M the one who set her alarm but didn't turn it on!!! So I woke up at 4:27 am and immediately went into "freak out" mode!

Thankfully, by 5:10 I had two sleepy children, five bags, four pillows and four adults all loaded up and ready to depart. Not bad!!

The kids were awesome. I mean, on the scale of awesomeness....they were off the charts!! Lauren was buckled in her car seat for every waking moment of our 12 1/2 hour trip out to Ohio EXCEPT for when we stopped. As soon as the RV was put into park she would start whining to get out. So we would let her run around, sit on the bench, change her diaper, play with leggos and then as soon as we were ready to go she'd hop right back into her seat. She was an angel.

Josh played Memory with Dustin and I, worked in his Kindergarten workbooks and played Uncle Joel's PSP. Never once did either of them complain. Never once did I hear, "Are we there yet?" Never once did I want to rip out my hair.





Friday was pretty much a "free" day. We tried to sleep in a little but of course the kids woke up like an alarm clock and demanded breakfast.



Joel and I took Grandma and Grandpa out to do a little shopping while the kids went with Sandy, Dad and Dustin to a park. The kids had a blast and had the perfect opportunity to run off a little energy!





Friday night Aunt Sue put me, Joel, Sandy and Dad to work. She made about 30 desserts for the party (no lie) and the hardest part was showing some restraint and not eating everything!





Dad and I got back to the apartment around 11:00/11:30 and spent the next half an hour pounding on the door and calling Dustin's cell phone so he could wake up and unlock the door. Yeah...I was not happy.

But by Saturday morning the kids were ready for a quick dip in the pool. Josh got to show us what he's learned in swimming lessons and I was thrilled to see how comfortable he is in the water now. That alone was worth every penny!! Lauren had a ball jumping into the water and "showing off".





By Saturday afternoon the party was ready to begin!!! It was just perfect! I'm guessing around 100 people showed up to congratulate Grandma and Grandpa on 65 years of marriage. Lauren, of course, loved all the attention from the older people. So she spent most of the time dancing around...well, when she wasn't eating.






After the party the entire family went out for dinner together. And while some families would need to rent a hall...we all fit at one table. Either way...it was great to see some extended family.




After church on Sunday we all grabbed a quick bite to eat and then it was time to head off again.




Saying good-bye is always hard because we get out to Ohio so infrequently. Between that and my pregnancy hormones my emotions got the best of me. As Dad said...it's "So long" not "Good-bye".



Well...you guys know the rest. Bad weather, crazy toll lines and a hotel stop later we arrived safe and sound.






Baby Update: 25 weeks

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Today is the ultrasound to re-check the heart and my regular OB appointment. We'll see how much damage all those goodies did on my weight. I will be sure to post as soon as I get home tonight.

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We're home!!!

Thank God!

We ended up having to pull off around 2:30/3:00 this morning and stay at a hotel thanks to some nasty black ice.

I will post more later but wanted everyone to know that we are home and praying Dad makes it to Minneapolis safely.

One Hundred Things To Do Before You Die

I just wanted to see how much I've done. I wonder how it compares to other people...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own.

Forty-one....not bad!

Preparation

Nothing much to report from here.

Lauren had her 18 month check-up on Friday and she screamed through the whole thing (even though Dr. Anderson didn't go anywhere near her for the first fifteen minutes). She is 35" tall (97+ percentile), weighs 29 pounds (97 percentile) and has almost all of her teeth already!

She's a big girl, but perfectly proportioned (just like Josh always was). So Dr. Anderson was very happy.

Saturday we spent all day fighting with the bi-fold closet doors in Josh's room. Eight hours and a trip to Menard's later...one of the doors broke and we are back to where we started from on Saturday morning.

Sunday I worked on laundry and cleaning while Dustin organized the garage and consolidated all of the remaining construction supplies. By mid-afternoon my van was back in the garage. Thank the heavens!!!

And after we began seeing progress in an area of our house that didn't involve the basement we got pumped and decided to put up our Christmas lights outside. While Lauren napped Josh and I checked strings and replaced dead lights while Dustin hung them.

After Lauren woke up we ran to Wal-mart to pick up a few items for our big trip to Ohio and got home just in time for me to make supper.

After supper and baths the kids decided to sit and watch Dustin finish the lights while eating popcorn...all from the comfort of our living room. That was about the time I realized that I hadn't taken any photos this weekend. So I ran and got my camera, took one picture...and the camera died.

So enjoy.



Since Dustin will not be much help in preparing for the trip from here on out I am swamped and up to my neck in random lists that help me not forget anything. Tonight I made mini blueberry muffins and banana bars for the trip. The kids were a big help with the baking so before bed they each got to enjoy their reward.




Tomorrow I will hopefully start the "actual" packing and then on Wednesday do last minute laundry and finish packing.

Wish us good luck with the 10 hour drive...and please pray that we arrive safely. And if we happen to arrive still speaking to each other...all the better.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Baby Update: 24 weeks

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Out of the mouths of babes

Conversation #1

This morning we were heading to Menard's to get a few things for our weekend projects and Josh was commenting on the freshly fallen snow.

Josh: Mom, do you know why it's not good to run on ice?
Me: Um...for the same reason it's not good to run at swimming lessons, like you did this week: because you can fall.
Josh: Yeah.
Me: You're lucky you didn't fall and crack your head open.
Josh: Yeah...I just fell on butt. And that's already cracked open.



Conversation #2

Josh: Mom...I want to play in the snow today.
Me: Josh...I know. You've told me a dozen times already.
Dustin: You can when we get home but it is already starting to melt.
Josh: (angrily) Doesn't Jesus know that little kids like to play in the snow?

Tonight

I'm in my room getting ready for bed. The kids are fresh out of a bath and Lauren and Josh are in Josh's room.

Josh: OW!
Lauren: Waa! OW! OW!
Josh: OW!!! MOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!
Me: Guys! What is going on in there?
Lauren: Owwwww!!! Maaaa!
Me: Josh!! Lauren!!
Josh: OWWWWWWW!!!!
Josh: Mom...Lauren pulled my hair like she was trying to pull it all off so that I'd be bald!!!!
Me: Why did she do that?
Josh: Because I didn't want her wearing my underwear!
Me: What?

That's when Lauren comes around the corner, looking like this:



What is wrong with these children?

Better luck next year

Ask anyone who knows me. In preparation for our annual Christmas photos I've been killing myself to put together two perfect outfits for each of my children. I looked all over in Des Moines, Williamsburg, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids for each perfect piece.

I had Lauren's dress and killed myself to find a suitable matching tie for Josh. I ended up scrapping the first dress and found a second dress instead because I had a matching tie. Then I couldn't find the headband. Then I couldn't find a purse.

All that gas, all that energy, all that running around was a monumental waste of time because Lauren was in no mood for pictures on Saturday.

To say it was a disaster would be putting it very, very....very mildly.

I got one photo of Lauren by herself and that is only because I threw her into the chair and ran. And what I ended up capturing was her sitting in a little chair, pointing at the camera and yelling at me. Doesn't that scream, "Merry Christmas."

Every single one of Josh's pictures turned out. He is a model. Always has been. Lauren is the drama queen. And our Christmas card this year will reflect that.

Some people think the photo is hysterical and the other half can't believe I'm sending that out as a Christmas card. Either way, I don't care. Because the last thing I was going to do is reschedule so that I may go through that 30 minutes of hell again.

As soon as we left the photo shoot we rewarded Josh by letting him ride the indoor Merry-go-round at the mall.



And wouldn't you know it...Lauren was all smiles and waves.



That little girl is lucky she's so darn cute! Do you have any idea the restraint it took to not scream in frustration? Dustin got off the ride and said, "Where was this little girl 10 minutes ago?"

We worked in the basement all day on Sunday and had nothing but a hung door to show for it. Yet another day of disasters.

Not to mention Josh had been coughing quite a bit and I was considering taking him to the doctor for his cough and right on cue he started complaining of an ear ache. So I took him to the Insta-care and sure enough the poor thing had bronchitis and an ear infection.

Thankfully, I was already off on Monday due to our office moving back downtown. AND...speaking of which...CHECK OUT MY NEW OFFICE!!!!



Everything is in disaray but we are all thrilled to be back downtown! The cubicles aren't in yet, the break room is half finished, Jim's furniture isn't in yet, boxes are every where...well, you get the point.

With all the chaos in my own home...this feels ironically familiar. I thought you might all enjoy seeing our new office since the last photos of our old office were pretty depressing.






It will certainly be beautiful when it's all done!

Baby Update: 23 weeks

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Seven years ago today....

Hard to believe some days...and others it seems twice as long! ;-) In those seven years we've been through two houses, two and a half pregnancies, eight cars, two dogs, one camper and countless laughs. So I guess we don't have too much to complain about...except each other (every once in awhile).

Well...the family room is SOOOOOOOO close to being done. Dustin and I literally almost killed ourselves this weekend but it felt so good to spend time in our new family room last night and watch the kids dance around to Christmas music.

On Friday, Dustin and I put two coats of primer on the walls and bought all the trim for the rest of the family room. That alone took most of the day.

Then Friday night Titi had graciously called and offered to come over and help with the kids for awhile. I told her I would love to take the kids to the mall and an extra set of hands would be greatly apprecaited.

She came over around supper time and as soon as I opened the door I could see she almost immediately regreted her offer. If I could have thrown her in the house, locked the door and run away from the situation...I would have. Josh was having a SEVERE fit. I'm not talking whining and crying. I'm talking "throw yourself onto the floor, scream till your throat bleeds", hateful, hour long fit. Last week was crazy busy (partly thanks to the addition of swimming lessons) and he was literally exausted. Add to that his new "Kindergarten" attitude and his inability to listen and you have a disaster waiting to happen on your hands.

Thankfully, we made it through the fit and ended up going out to the mall. He totally did not deserve to go but honestly, I needed to get out of the house.

Saturday morning we were up and working by 7:00 am. Dustin and Josh went over to mom's to help with some demolition and I worked on painting 26 pieces of trim until they got home. I stopped to make lunch for the boys and Lauren and quickly headed right back down stairs.

I started having some braxton hicks contractions and figured I should take a break around 2:00 and took a quick nap. Woke up...and went right back to work. We didn't quit until 1:00 am on Sunday morning. It was, by far, the most exhausting day we've had so far. Then Sunday morning we got up, I made waffles and by 8:00 we were back working.

We quit briefly yesterday to feed the kids lunch and pick up some items at Menard's and went right back at it last night. Josh and Lauren totally got into helping clean furniture and rip up the protection on the floor. Everyone was so excited to see it come together.

I can't even begin to describe the amount of blood, sweat and tears Dustin and I have poured into this basement remodel. We have always taken pride in our home...but last night, between the exhaustion and frustration of the project, I was beaming.

I couldn't even sleep! I went down two more times after Dustin fell asleep to just look at it! Sad...but true.

Here are the photos I took this morning. Of course we are just in the middle of putting it all back together and, of course...it didn't take long for me to put up a Christmas tree or Lauren to leave out one of her toys.






You can still see reminents of disaster not far in the background and there are still some major things that need completed. BUT...you can actually begin to see the final product!

I have a dozen errands to run this evening but I promised the kids we could go play in the basement as soon as we got home.

I can't wait to start making memories down there!

Baby Update: 22 weeks

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Second glimpse of Baby Bricker #3

Today was our ultrasound and 20 week OB appointment.

We picked Josh up from school so that he could join us for the ultrasound. When I was pregnant with Lauren he would get so upset that he never got to "see baby" and he was always very excited to see my ultrasound pictures. We thought he was finally old enough now and are so happy he was able to join us today.

The ultrasound went okay. I guess.

Baby (a/k/a "Shorty") was kicking like crazy and rolling around in there. The ultrasound technician had Shorty look right at us and he/she was waving at Josh. He thought that was hysterical.

She had to take a million measurements and would periodically show us cute images of Shorty. When she showed us the profile Josh said, "Ohhh...mom, what a pretty baby."

In the end, Shorty weighs 13 ounces, his/her heartbeat was 158 and he/she is measuring 2 days ahead of my due date. Oh...and Dustin swears it's a girl. But Josh and I think he's crazy.

Unfortunately, I knew something was up when the technician kept looking at the heart over and over again. I have another ultrasound scheduled for December 2nd so that they can re-check the heart. I know from my last two pregnancies that they look for the separation of the four chambers and the valves closing completely. I am not sure what looked "abnormal" but Dr. Hocking said that she wanted another month of growth and maturation before they did another scan of the heart.

Obviously, it's not really what we were expecting to hear today and the next four weeks (until the next ultrasound) will probably drag on and on. So Dustin and I will continue to pray for a healthy baby and trust that unless my doctor tells me to worry, I will do my best not to.

In the meantime...I will just keep staring at these precious photos...




The technician spent so much time on the heart that she didn't really pay attention to what she was printing off so we have a ton of pictures of his/her feet and a cute profile. So at least we will have another chance to get some more pictures at our next ultrasound.

As soon as I saw the profile picture I got shivers...because he/she looks just like Josh and Lauren did when they were babies! As Dustin said, "Uh...that's a good thing!"

First Image: Profile
Second Image: Both feet
Third Image: Both feet
Fourth Image: One foot
Fifth Image: Facing front, head to right side and arm on top with hand by forehead

Opposites

As Lauren's personality evolves I have begun to realize how much she is like me and how much Josh is like Dustin. Sometimes the resemblance makes me laugh...other times it makes me cringe in fear.

Thursday was costume day at Lauren's daycare. Originally, I was going to just take her costume to Jaime's. We were already running late that morning - because Josh refuses to eat school lunch pretty much every Thursday and I had to pack him a lunch - and I didn't really have the time to fight her with her costume.

Josh STILL fights me to get his costume on. He freaks every time and SWEARS that he will be the only one dressed up. Every year I ask him if he really thinks I would make him dress silly just so kids would laugh at him and each year he looks at me with these suspicious eyes and says, "Uh...no?" (Note the question mark.)

Anyway, I quickly grabbed her costume as we were walking out the door and she started whining and showing me the universal "gimmie" sign. I asked her if she wanted to wear her costume and she violently nodded her head and yelled, "Yeah."

So we all took a minute so that Miss Lauren could be the star of the show in her monkey costume. (Notice Josh laying on the floor in the background. Poor kid is used to waiting for Lauren to primp herself already.)



Of course she got to walk through Josh's daycare and all the teachers were ooing and awing over her cuteness. She basked in the glory. She danced and laughed and giggled and smiled until she was tuckered out and had no one else to entertain. In the meantime, Josh ran in fear that someone would associate him with "that girl" in the monkey suit.

She loves attention. He does not.

Friday was Josh's Halloween Party. I volunteered to help out and was so glad to see him interact with his friends and meet a few of the children I hear so much about.

I was so proud of him. He waits patiently. He listens. He doesn't budge. He doesn't have to be first. He is his father.

I was in charge of Pumpkin Bowling (basically you use a small pumpkin instead of a bowling ball) which meant I had to set up 9 pins about 100 times. Between the freakishly warm weather and my freakishly large body...I was sweating bullets by about frame 5.

One of the little girls in Josh's group bowls as well as I do and accidentally rolled her pumpkin right into my knee. By my poor son's reaction you would have thought my leg had fallen off. He ran over to me and asked if I was all right. I told him I was fine and he looked at Natalie and said, "You apologize. Even if it was just an accident." I have said that to him a thousand times and each time he whines at me because he doesn't want to say "Sorry" to Lauren for "accidentally" hitting/kicking/pushing/etc. her. So to hear it come out of his mouth gave me a hearty chuckle.





After the party we quickly carved pumpkins before Dustin headed off to work. Dustin carved Josh's and I did Lauren's. She was of no help this year with ideas so I had to improvise. She did not approve of having to share her most prized possession.





She quickly reclaimed her pacifier and Jack-o-lantern #2 was left with its tongue sticking out.



The kids received plenty of candy and beg for it constantly. I caught Lauren's hand in the bowl a dozen times yesterday and each time I had placed it higher than the time before. She was relentless and her determination got her sent to time out once or twice.

I get it, though. I would risk getting caught and punished a million times if I knew there was a salted nut roll in the bowl. She is her mother.

Saturday morning Dustin and a friend down the street installed the shower in Josh's bathroom before we headed off to Riverside Casino for the night. We got a late start but dropped the kids of at mom's and headed down to Riverside just in time for Dustin's massage.

I had booked Dustin a massage with the hopes that there would be something I would like to do at the spa as well. There was not. Again, Josh and Dustin like to cuddle and be touched. Lauren and I like our space.

While Dustin spent his two hours at the spa...I slept. He likes steam and heat. I like crisp air and air conditioning.

The hotel was very nice and our room was beautiful. Except for one thing....can you find it?




Have you found it yet?

Yeah....that's a clear piece of glass between the walk-in shower and the rest of the room!!!! Dustin thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread and enjoyed mocking me throughout my morning shower. And I have contemplated whether it is worth tracking down the architect so that I may beat him within an inch of his life.

Seriously, who builds an entire hotel with that design? Give me a break! That just...well, it's insanity to me. It may look sleek and modern but it certainly was not a structural design my husband ever needed to see.

Oy vey.

We had a nice time but Dustin spent his time down at the slot machines and I sent my time propped up with about a dozen pillows in bed. He played. I slept. And I will admit that every time I changed the channel and passed by cartoons...I would feel a twinge and it made miss my kids.

Once we got home on Sunday and relieved my ailing mother (Thanks, Mom!) from her babysitting duties we went straight to work in the basement.

Don't mind the appearance of snowflakes in the pictures. Dustin sanded the mudding and the dust reflected in every picture I took.




What a way to end a weekend, huh?

Tomorrow is our big ultrasound so I will be sure to post pictures as soon as possible on Wednesday.

Baby Update: 21 weeks

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

As a side note, I feel I need to make a statement about the content of my blog. This is my personal journal. I have opened it up in the hopes that the people who read it get to see a side of our family that they wouldn't normally see in an annual Christmas letter. I write about every day happenings in my life - whether that be related to my relationship with my husband, the actions of my children or the joys of motherhood that I am blessed enough to experience.

While normal life has its normal frustrations I have always attempted to put them in a humorous light. Honestly, how else does one get through raising children? I am human and am by no means a "perfect mother". I am still learning and any mother who says she has it all figured out is either lying to you or lying to herself.

I sincerely hope that no one ever reads my blog and gets the impression that I don't love my life because that couldn't be further from the truth. You know, I've been "Beth" for 29 years and never figured out who I was...until I became "Mom".

Thanks for sharing in our lives.

Don't let anyone tell you dog's mouths aren't dirty!

Lauren used the potty tonight (Yeah, Lauren!) and went #2.

While I was putting a new diaper on her Josh was cheering and then started screaming.

Do you know where this is going?

Yeah, Mattie ate her poop!!!

DISGUSTING!!!

I of course immediately started gagging and then Josh started gagging, too! It was awful and Mattie is quarantined to outside. I don't care if it's freezing out there. That's nasty!

That dog is so stupid!

Second verse same as the first

Lately every weekend feels like we take two steps forward and one step back.

It has been nearly impossible to make any headway in the basement with two small children running around. Friday night I worked in the basement after they each went to bed, but you can only do that so many nights before you're falling asleep at dinner. And since I'm alone with the kids Monday through Friday...that's not really an option.

Josh has been a trooper and usually works on one of his Kindergarten workbooks or on his reading while I work on a project. That way I feel like we actually get to spend some time together and he's not plopped down in front of a tv for 8 hours while we get some work done. Although, even with this arrangement it's not a real fun way to spend a weekend for a kid. He did get to join me in some painting yesterday (which he loved) but after a few hours of that he was ready to play. So I wrapped up my project and I made time to play with him and Lauren while Dustin continued to work.

Lauren, on the other hand, is really only helpful when she's taking a nap. And as awful as that is to say, the alternative is locking her up in the dog's old crate. Honestly, how exactly do people do remodeling and renovations with a 17-month old child? Yesterday her and Josh ran around in the basement and in less than 10 minutes she had drywall mud on her feet and white paint on her pajamas!

While this project has been frustrating, the level to which it is frustrating has been magnified by the fact that our poor kids are thrown into the mix as well.

Saturday morning Dustin and I bought eachother our Anniversary gift and part of our Christmas gift...a miter saw. It just oozes romance, doesn't it? I guess the traditional gift for a 7th Anniversary is copper so I guess the saw is at least a metal. While this obviously wasn't the way I was hoping to spend our money on eachother it really is a nice saw (I won't admit that to him, though). I told him that few women would enjoy a good saw as much as I and he was lucky for that. Because if any other woman received a saw for her Anniversary and part of her Christmas gift...she would have used it on her husband.

Througout the weekend I would randomly remind him of that fact by looking at him with a smile and saying, "Happy Anniversary" or "Merry Christmas" every time I made a cut. Oh...he just LOVED that! :-)

By Saturday afternoon we had to make a Menard's run. The kids were happy because their favorite cart was available.



We also bought a small Christmas tree for our new basement and at somehow lost Dustin while looking at all the Christmas decorations. So there I was stuck in the middle of Menard's without Dustin, Lauren screaming, Josh whining and me without a phone or the car keys. I was THAT woman. It was awful and by the time I found Dustin my eyes had turned red and I was speaking in tounges. Needless to say, we left shortly thereafter.

We quit working around 7:00 on Saturday night and thought we could try and enjoy a family movie night. Dustin and I were beat but the kids had been troopers all day so we decided to reward them with a little popcorn.




We did have a really fun family moment on Saturday night. Josh's favorite song is "Girls just want to have fun" by Cyndi Lauper. It's on his Rayman game and he loves to jump around when it comes on. So right before we called it quits on Saturday it came on the radio. We called the kids downstairs and blared the music and all jumped around. I'm telling you...it was the most fun we'd had all day and exactly what everyone needed.

Sunday morning we got up for church, went out for breakfast and were back at it in the basement by noon. It was a very long day but we finally started to see things come together. However, if I see another gallon of Ultra Pure White Semi-Gloss paint my head may start spinning around - so stay tuned. I believe that is also how Dustin feels about drywall mud right about now.




Of course nothing can go smoothly and the bi-fold doors that I painted yesterday are 1/2" too tall. So the last project of the weekend didn't get finished because our house was built by morons.

But all in all, besides the bi-fold door and his room door...HIS ROOM IS FINISHED!!!!




The trim is up, the blinds are up, the vent covers are up, the nail holes are filled and painted and the closet doors are painted. Dustin has the mudding in the family room 80% complete and plans on finishing that next Sunday!

This week Josh starts swimming lessons two nights a week. Josh is really excited and I'm just hoping Lauren will cooperate with me and make them as stress-free as possible. And I am already looking forward to this upcoming weekend because Dustin and I are getting to spend some time together...away from the kids...and more importantly, away from the basement FOR ONE WHOLE NIGHT!

And on a happier note, I already know what I'm getting Dustin for the rest of his Christmas present. After supper he decided to break into the Halloween candy and eat a box of Dots. Shortly after his first bite he yelped and spit out part of a tooth! SO...following our new tradition, he's getting a root canal for Christmas!!

Baby Update: 20 weeks

You're at the halfway mark — congratulations! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (The way your baby is measured changes now.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper.

Out of the mouths of babes

Last night I was going through Josh's book bag and pulling out all the papers he brought home for the day.

I pulled out a cute little pumpkin he cut out and colored on and told him that it was cute.

Josh: Thanks. There was another one but Gabby took it.
Me: Well...that was rude.
Josh: MOM...she's my girlfriend.
Me: I don't care. People just don't TAKE things.
Josh: Mom, she's my girlfriend and you have to give them what they want.

Part of me says, "What a pushy little girl." And then part of me says, "You go girl!"


I was looking through some old belly shots of when I was pregnant with Josh and was shocked and appalled at what I found. Boy what a difference two big babies can make on a person's stomach muscles. I just keep remembering that my reward for all of this, besides having three healthy children, is the tummy tuck Dustin's paying for in a few years. :-)

Anyway, here's my 19 week shot. Blah!



Here's my 24 week shot with Josh.



Why do I even torture myself?