KandiLand Blog

The Kid Post

2012-04-24T10:09:00.005-05:00

Hello Friends!

I have been "encouraged" by some of my friends and family to post some pictures of my kids. It seems that I have fallen off the blogging train! I am still here in my little house, alive and kickin'...just busy and prioritizing my time a little differently these days. And that means blogging gets pushed by the wayside most of the time!

But because you asked, I will deliver!

Here are my three kiddos on Easter Sunday:

(Ask me how many pictures I took to get this one. It ain't perfect, but I was getting tired of jumping around and making squeaky noises and I didn't want to be late for church, ha!)

Come on, now. Isn't that just all sorts of cuteness? My little nose-picker. ;)

There, that's better. I can't get enough of her little lacy socks and mary-janes.

It makes my heart ache a little bit.

Oh man, isn't she pretty? She made me put her hair in a pony-tail because she wanted to be "fancy."

Why, why is she getting so old?

If I asked you pretty please: Time, would you slow down for me?

Okay. Here's the story.

I am not generally one of those moms that goes for the super-posed prop shots. My style is much more photo-journalistic and leans towards "lifestyle" photography. But I have a weakness for these sepia-toned Angel Baby shots. I have pictures of my girls just like this and I just had to do it to AJ, too! And I'm not apologizing! I'm not! Would you just look at that dimple? *Sigh.*

It was a little challenging because my little angel wanted to eat the clouds the entire time. :)

Have you ever seen such cheekbones? My word, where did they come from?

Here comes big sister, a.k.a. Dick Tracy.

She is such a ham!

Could it be that she has had a camera in her face since the very moment she was born, ha?

Awww. That's my sweet girl.

So there! There are my kids, people! Are you happy now!!! ;)

Seriously, though, I am so thankful that you care about us and want to see pictures on this little blog. It makes a gal feel kinds special.

I wish you all a WONDERFUL day!

Love,

Kandi

My Mom.

2012-02-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

This is my Mom.

She was a cutie-patootie.

This is my Mom.

She has always quietly supported her four children.

and raised them to love Jesus.

This is my Mom.

She has all-encompassing love for her sixteen grandbabies,

including my three little ones.

This is my Mom.

She can get so silly when she thinks something is funny

that her hysterical laughter turns into hysterical tears.

This is my Mom.

She is seriously Hot Stuff.

This is my Mom.

She opened her heart and her home

to children with heartbreaking stories for over 25 years as a Foster Parent.

This is my Mom.

She shared a love and a marriage with my Dad for 51 years.

This is my Mom.

She experienced a shocking and astounding loss five months ago

and has continued on with strength and grace.

This is my Mom.

She is the only mother I would ever wish for

and I am so grateful God gave her to me.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

You're The Best.

My Life Today.

2012-01-31T14:26:00.000-06:00

The house is peacefully, blissfully quiet. Eldest daughter is at school, middle daughter and son are napping (at the SAME TIME!) The TV is not blaring, there is no constant chatter in my ear...no whining...no crying...no fighting...nothing but blessed silence.

Here is what I should be doing: laundry, straightening the kitchen, wiping the bathroom, dusting the basement, organizing the laundry room.

Here is what I have decided to do instead: participating in The Simple Woman's Daybook. I just discovered this blog and I love the idea...it's so simple and wonderful to be introspective and allow myself to just "be" and share that with you. So, here is a glimpse into my life today:

Outside my window... Tufts of brown grass are peeking through the melting snow and there is blue sky and vivid sunshine brightening my house and my mood. I love me some sun and vitamin D.

I am thinking... too much...all the time, ha! I have been having deep thoughts lately and it all revolves around God and His goodness and mercy and why we are put on this earth. It feels like my tiny little blog might be turning more in the direction of me writing about God. I have had some revealing Bible times lately and I long to share them. We will see...

I am thankful... for my three healthy kids. I was just praising God for that this morning because it seems everywhere I look there are children who are suffering and it breaks my heart. Lately it seems like I cry daily because of a story I have heard. Some days I don't want to turn on the TV or computer because I feel like I can't handle hearing such painful stories of what people go through. But at the same time I don't want to be ignorant of what is happening in the world. And so I read the stories and pray for them. And pray and pray. And wipe away the tears and pray some more!

In the kitchen... I am looking at my Bible, a cranberry scone on a white plate, my son's tiger bib, and 3 mugs with the dregs of tea (remainders from a fun visit with friends this morning). Also, some papers I brought home from my Dad's office -- mostly articles he clipped from Christian magazines or websites and I am fondly remembering his love for Jesus Christ and hoping I can serve God with even half the dedication he had.

I am wearing... A pink tank top, black button up shirt and jeans. (JEANS! Not yoga pants! It's a miracle. Although the jeans are cutting into my muffin top and I am contemplating changing into my ~~crusty~~ trusty old yoga friends very soon.)

I am creating... Flowers. I am longing for spring and I have been cutting up old maternity t-shirts and making ruffly flowered hair clips and pins. I am also crocheting winter hats, although with this crazy warm weather we are having there is not much use for them!

I am going... nowhere fast. These four walls have been closing in on me lately. Maybe later I will go workout?

I am wondering... What should I be doing with my life? Who will hire me when I go back to work one day? How can I be a better Mom? How can I be a better witness for the Lord? When was the last time I painted my toenails? (I told you I think too much.)

I am reading... Gloria Copeland's book God's Master Plan For Your Life. Trying to get off my path and onto the Lord's path. Wanting to discover my purpose and do what He needs me to do with the time I have left here on earth.

I am hoping... to win HGTV's Dream Home, ha!

I am looking forward to... Huh, this is a tough one right now. I feel so house-bound while nursing the baby -- who will not take a bottle yet -- that I don't get out much. I guess I am looking forward to eating some of the chocolate chip cookies I made this morning! ;)

I am learning... not to yell so much. It's not easy for me to be patient and present in the moment, but I don't want my legacy to my kids to be "Mom yelled a lot" so I am trying. I am trying very hard and not always succeeding.

Around the house... Baby dolls, sippy cups, diapers. Potty chairs, books, purple yarn. My wonderful kids who drive me nuts.

I am pondering... my purpose and God's plan for me. Still the same stuff as the "I am wondering..." question above. Also, if I will be able to paint my toenails later today. :)

A favorite quote for today... I just read an autobiography this morning and cried big sloppy tears about a little boy who overcame an extremely abusive and lonely childhood only to find love for the first time from Jesus Christ. As an adult he wrote a poem and it hit me hard:

"I don't look back. God knows the troubles and the heartaches, the suffering and the regrets. I leave them all with Him, Who blots the records and faithfully forgives and then forgets.

I don't look forward. God sees the future, the road that's short or long will lead me home.

But I look up into the face of Jesus; from there my heart is still, my fears are calm. In Him there's perfect peace, and light in darkness; perfect joy and every hope fulfilled."

~Mike Evans

One of my favorite things... A hot, steaming bath without little fingers reaching under the door. Or reaching into the tub, for that matter. I need to start locking the door.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Taking my Mom out to eat for her birthday, doing some freezer cooking, maybe going for a walk in this unseasonably warm weather.

A peek into my day...

Lots of drool. Lots of diapers. Lots of love.

There's Parmesan in my Coffee.

2012-01-18T09:35:00.000-06:00

Caught your attention with that title, didn't I? Yes, there really is parmesan cheese in my coffee. I was making eggs this morning and sprinkling on a little cheese and apparently I was a tad too liberal with the sprinkling because a few flakes drifted into my coffee cup. And you know what? Rather than waste a cup of delicious-highly-caffeinated-must-have-because-Kandi-was-awake-three-times-in-the-night-with-the-baby coffee, I just watched the cheese melt and sipped away.

...And I'm back after a two month unintentional hiatus. It's no secret that my blogging has been a little lax for the last half a year or longer. I have realized that when I am happy and joyful, I want to share it with my family and friends through blogging. But when I am not feeling joyful, it's very difficult for me to blog.

The last half-year of 2011 was really...hard. I know I quickly shared a post in August about my father's passing. I didn't realize it at the time, but that was only the beginning of an entire season of loss for my family and friends. Without going into too much detail I will tell you I sang at five funerals from August to December...and all but one were family or extended family members. Some of the circumstances were extremely difficult to watch. Also during this time a dear friend of mine very suddenly lost her infant son and it really shook me (please keep her in your prayers, I can't even imagine the loss of a child). There were other things happening that brought me great stress as well...trying to stay strong for everyone and not really allowing myself to grieve. A close family member was going through some medical issues which are fixed now, thank-you, Jesus! I was trying (and failing at times) to be a good mommy to three children instead of two. I was up multiple times in the night with a newborn and pretty much running on adrenaline and coffee (and parmesan cheese, ha!).

At one point during all of this, J.D. just looked at me and said, "When is it going to end?"

Now that I have filled you in one my life, I want to declare one thing: I am not trying to complain or burden anyone. I am merely trying to share with you what happened in my life in the past six months. Through it all, I have been forced to look at my life and realize I have nothing to complain about. (Although I do complain sometimes, let's be honest here.) I have three beautiful, healthy children and I get to be a stay-at-home mom to them. I have a warm home that is a shelter for us, I have plenty of food on my table, I have a wonderful and loving family. I serve a good God. My faith in Jesus has not been shaken, in fact I can say that it is stronger than ever as I have turned to God and the Bible more during this time.

I would like to say, however, that I was REALLY looking forward to turning the page on 2011 and starting fresh in 2012. This is going to be a better year and I have a very positive outlook on the future. It can only get better from here, right?

I don't want to let this post get too long so I'll end it here for now. I am hoping to post more often, but we all know how that goes...if I am lucky enough to get both of the little ones to nap at the same time and can get a moment at the computer, there's always something else that should get done before blogging. Housecleaning, laundry, dishes, cooking, laundry...oops, did I already mention that? Well, most days I am up to my ears in laundry, what can I say? ;)

I'll close with a few photos from the past few months:

"...For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances...I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

~Philippians 4:11-13

Newborn Photos

2011-11-22T12:37:00.001-06:00

I've been meaning to post these pictures I took of A.J. when he was 2-3 weeks old but just haven't found the time. Looking at these photos makes me realize how much he's changed in just a few weeks!

Things are starting to get easier around here. The baby has been sleeping longer stretches at night which is a joyous occasion for me. He's been sleeping a lot during the day, too, and he's growing so big! He's a pretty big boy now with chubby thighs and a little belly that hangs over his pants after a good feeding, ha! He also has really large hands which makes me wonder if baby boys are like puppies and their "paws" are a gauge as to how big they will be one day. :) J.D. is 6'3 and I'm 5'10 so chances are he'll be pretty tall.

I'm trying to make every moment count so I spend my days kissing his cheeks over and over and making him smile in between chores around the house. He's probably my last baby so I want to make the time go as slow as possible...

~KandiLand

Halloween Pictures

2011-11-15T18:36:00.001-06:00

So I know my family has been anxiously awaiting photos of our Halloween costumes, so ta-daaaa!!! Here they are.

I didn't really have a costume for A.J. but someone gave us this adorable monkey outfit that I thought would do for the night.

He and I didn't end up trick-or-treating with the girls because I was tired and cranky after getting the girls all bundled up and dressed. Also, it was quite chilly here so we stayed home and let Daddy do all the work.

B. made it easy on me this year and decided to go as a cat (which was her costume from last Halloween)...It's just a mask, a collar and a tail with black shirt and pants. I might be the laziest mom ever! I saw all these blogs where moms sewed intricate and lovely costumes for their children and I just felt so sad for my kids, ha! Maybe next year I'll have tons of time on my hands and I'll feel inspired to create a Martha-worthy Halloween costume. :) The important thing is she loved her outfit and was happy to growl at us and correct me when I called her a cat. Apparently there is a great difference between an ordinary cat and a "CHEETAH!"

L.'s costume was very popular in the neighborhood. My mother-in-law found a bunch of dress up clothes at a garage sale and this little 1950's malt-shop costume was one of them! She graciously let us borrow it and according to J.D., EVERY house they stopped at loved her costume.

Oh my goodness. I will cherish that little face forever.

Please don't grow up!

Here they are ringing the doorbell at my Mom's house.

It was the sweetest thing to hear L. shout, "Twick or Tweeeeet!!!"

Grandma gave them each handfuls of chocolate because she doesn't get many trick-or-treaters.

Yay Grandma!

I just had to post one more shot of the little waitress.

I just can't stand the cuteness.

Have a great day!

~KandiLand

Mmm-hmm. I'm back.

2011-11-14T08:48:00.001-06:00

Okay, it's a new post. Wow!

I haven't posted in over a month and I'm starting to hear about it from some of you, ha! The reason I haven't posted is because it requires my hands being free for more than five minutes at a time and that just doesn't happen very often around here. Baby boy likes to be held!

Honestly, it's been a little crazy here but I am just now starting to feel like I can handle my life again. Things were looking a little bleak for me the first month after A.J. was born. I suppose it was just exhaustion and hormones but I was truly questioning myself and feeling extremely overwhelmed.

About two weeks ago it seems I turned the corner and I am finally feeling like my old "pre-pregnancy" self. As I've said before, I'm not really a cheery bird when I'm prego. Annnnnd...that sentence just won the award for Understatement Of The Year.

But lets not dwell on the past...let's look forward and I'll show you some pictures of A.J. from the past month.

A.J. is six weeks old today. Six weeks. Is it just me or does it seem like I snapped my fingers and flashed forward in time? He is so snuggly and sweet and I love him to pieces. He only drives me nuts in the evening when he Will. Not. Go. To. Sleep. He plays this little game with me: he eats, he falls asleep as I hold him, I lay him down in the bassinet, he settles right down. I seize my opportunity to get ready for bed and I smile as I congratulate myself on the end of a successful evening. I lay my head on the pillow, pull the covers over me and close my eyes. And literally, literally, 30 seconds later he wakes up and fusses. Lather, Rinse, Repeat at least 2-3 times each night. What a little stinker.

I can't stay upset with him for long, though. He smiles now and I love how his little eyes get so bright when he makes eye contact with someone and really interacts with them.

I love his doofy little smile. (Is doofy a word?)

My sister-in-law gave us the cutest clothes from Gap and I just had to take a picture of him in his cool little jeans! I know it's not the most photogenic picture of him and I'm not sure what sign he's flashing with his hand, but just look at the outfit:

Here he is with his "grumpy old man" face.

I guess he's not into the whole looking-adorable-with-teddy-bear-ears thing...

Oh, I'm sighing at this one. Come on now: is there anything sweeter than when newborns curl their little legs up when they sleep?

Let's get a close-up on those baby feet, shall we?

I can hardly stand the cuteness.

He was pretty little in this picture and he looks so sweet when he sleeps.

(That is Daddy's big hairy hand in the shot.)

If you know me at all, you realize I have many more pictures to share, and I will. I should really take a picture of the purple streaks under my eyes but that would require a shot of me sans make-up and there's no way I'm putting that on the internet! It's pretty funny because when I get ready to go someplace, I get out the spackle knife and layer on the concealer! Not sure if I'm fooling anyone, though.

Tomorrow I will post the Halloween photos that my sister and her brood have been patiently waiting for. I know everyone's over Halloween and our minds are now on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but hey, I'm only 2 weeks behind and for me that's quite an accomplishment! :)

Have a great day,

~KandiLand

Birthday Wishes!

2011-10-09T17:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday dear daughter,

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you...

May the Lord bless and keep you,

Another year through!

Happy 7th birthday to my oldest daughter B.!

You are a sweet and wonderful little girl and we love you so much.

He's Here!

2011-10-07T13:15:00.002-05:00

Meet our little boy A.J.:

He is perfect and sweet and snuggly and was born on Monday, October 3rd at 2:31 p.m.

I was in labor for just over four hours.

I have four holes in my spine (actually, I have a picture that might say five!) from the anesthesiologist trying to get the epidural needle in. He finally did it but by that time I was just about ready to push. At least it took some of the pain away. I do not know how women give birth without pain meds, I really do not know.

A.J. weighed 8 lbs. and was 21 inches long.

His apgar scores were "9" and "9."

He came out with a lusty cry and didn't stop crying for close to an hour...he's got some lungs, that's for sure! I guess he did not enjoy being born, ha! Well, no offense, but I didn't really enjoy it either, kiddo!

I am totally in love! He is so wonderful I could just hold him all day long...but unfortunately it doesn't work out that way! I've only been home from the hospital for 2 days but I've found life doesn't stop just because you have a newborn! ;) It's been stressful and hectic and exhausting but I'm hoping we will have a routine in place soon so our family can feel normal again.

It was so sweet when my Mom brought the girls to the hospital to meet their little brother. They were both soooo excited!

First glimpse of her little brother.
Seriously, I think her face might crack if she
smiles any wider!

The girls adore their little brother and always want to hold him and kiss him. L. is constantly telling me she wants to "pet it." He must remind her of a puppy!

We are so blessed and excited to have a new member of the family. I'm not sure how much I'll be posting now that he's here but for now I just wanted to share our exciting news!

~ KandiLand

Let the Nesting Begin!

2011-09-28T12:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I ran around the house cleaning the laundry room, organizing closets, scouring toilets and sinks. This morning I've been frantically cleaning out the fridge. Next I'm tackling the girls' closet, then I'm going to organize the baby's clothes. I think I'll follow that up with a whole house dusting.

It's official...the "nesting" instinct has arrived.

However. Given my previous two pregnancies, I can tell you that just because I am nesting doesn't mean the baby is coming in a day or two. Or even a week or two. I've learned that my babies like to stay in my belly. It's dark and warm and, I suppose, feels like gently rolling waves. Although to look at me while I bumble and waddle around you'd think it'd feel a lot more jarring...a graceful pregnant beauty I am not.

Also, I think this little guy might have an inkling of what's in store for him with two big sisters and he's going to hang on by his toenails until the very last second. Ha!

I did have two long bouts of pretty intense contractions on Saturday and I thought (hoped, wished, dreamed, fervently prayed) that labor would start but, alas, I am still "great with child." Apparently this little boy is content to stay where he's at for the time being! :)

I am about a week-and-a-half from my due date but I still feel like the baby is pretty high up. I go to the doctor on Thursday so we'll see if the contractions started any progress within me. I've been making myself nervous watching episodes of A Baby Story and Make Room For Multiples on TLC. All that moaning! All those C-Sections! I would really like to skip the whole labor-and-delivery thing and just be able to hold my baby in my arms. It makes me realize that God built us women A LOT tougher than the men -- no matter what they think! All they have to do during labor is hold our hand and try (often unsuccessfully) not to get in the way! ;)

Well, I just wanted to let you know I'm still here and show you a picture proving that I still have a basketball hidden under my shirt! I think somebody over-inflated it, though...

Hopefully my next post will be the announcement of a healthy baby boy!!! And sooner rather than later!

Hope you all have a great day!

A Very Special Two Year Old...

2011-09-14T15:59:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone, thank you all for your kind words and prayers for me and my family as we cope with Dad's passing. It's still tough because I miss him a lot, but as I said before, I'm so happy for him that he is in heaven with Jesus.

I am still pregnant - 3 1/2 weeks to go! - but I'm not ready for the baby to be here yet. We still don't have a name picked out, we haven't gotten diapers, I haven't packed my hospital bag, the list goes on...it's funny when you're on your third baby you're just much more relaxed about everything, ha! I think when I was pregnant the first time around I had my hospital bag packed around 6 months. :) I'm hoping to have a belly shot for you soon because I have definitely gotten BIGGER. I am looking forward to having a waistline again, that's for sure.

I wanted to share some photos with you of my youngest daughter L. We had a little photo shoot in the backyard a few weeks ago in honor of her 2nd birthday. Actually, I shot these pictures about 2 days before my Dad passed away, and her birthday happened to fall on the day of my Dad's funeral. But I'm not sad about that. Now I will always have a happy day to celebrate her birthday on what might have been a tough day for me.

I'm so happy I took these pictures and I also want to document some things about this age because she is growing SO quickly!

So, to my little girl L. who is almost a Big Sister:

You are one tall drink of water,which shouldn't surprise me since I am quite tall and so is your Daddy. You kind of tower over all the other kiddies your age. My advice? Get used to it, sweetheart. I was always in the back row with the boys in class pictures.

You have a very broad vocabulary and repeat everything. Today you've been repeating "Doggy Doo-doo, Mom?" (I'd like to clarify that she heard that on the TV, not from her mother!!!)

You make us laugh on a daily basis with your fun personality. You especially love to spin in circles and pull all the pillows off the couch to make your own trampoline, which drives me nuts.

You are also a feisty little thing, which Daddy says you get from me. I'm sure I don't know what he's talking about...

You could single-handedly keep the orange juice industry afloat. I have a tough time getting you to drink anything else.

You know Mommy has a big tummy and you pat it and say "Baby Brudder," but I don't think you have any idea what's in store for you in a few weeks! You will no longer be the baby of the family!

You are a bit of a pest to your older sister and tend to pick on her a lot. I always thought it would be the other way around, but I find myself stepping in between your "fights" more than I'd like to.

You love shoes. Uh-oh. Will you be a fashionista one day? Well, that'd be good for your dear old Mother as I have zero fashion sense myself!

When we are at the store, you point to every "older" woman you see and shout "Gramma!" The same with older men. I'm waiting for the day when someone is insulted but mostly they smile at you and say, "Why, yes, I am a Gramma!"

Also, if you ever see a man with a baseball cap and any kind of facial hair, you point at him and loudly proclaim, "Daddy!!!!" I could do without that one, it's kind of embarrassing for me. ;)

You are a good little helper around the house, always wanting to sweep, dust or otherwise "Cweam up."

You make this funny face (above) when you are not sure about something and it always cracks me up.

You are a Daddy's girl but that's okay by me, because when I was little I was a Daddy's girl, too.

You love playing at the park and every time we pass one you ask, "Schwing? Schwing??" But once we put you in the swing for 30 seconds, you're done and want to slide. Then it's back to the swing. Then the slide again. Lather, Rinse, Repeat!

Bath time is messy but so fun for you. You are a splasher so the bathroom walls are usually covered with water by the time you are through. You love pouring water over your head and sticking your face under the faucet when it's running.

I'm so happy God gave you to me and Daddy. You have been such a blessing in our lives!

My Dad.

2011-09-05T08:57:00.000-05:00

Hi Everybody,

It's been a tough week around here and while I want to share more details soon, for now I wanted to write a quick post to let you know what's been happening.

One week ago today we discovered that my father had unexpectedly but peacefully passed away.

Life has been a spinning whirlwind since that moment for my entire family as we have been figuring out all the things you figure out when a loved one is no longer with you on earth. We are sad for ourselves and missing him so much, but we are joyful for my Dad because he is in heaven with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dad lived his life all-out for the Lord and was an incredible example of Christian faith to my siblings and me. It's been an enormous comfort for us to know without a shadow of a doubt that he is walking on streets of gold at this moment. I'm confident that there will be a great reunion one day for each member of my family and he will be waiting with his arms open to greet us as we pass from this life unto eternity with Jesus.

But it's still tough to be here on earth without him. Really tough.

I couldn't have asked for a better father and I'm sure I will be posting many tributes to him in the weeks to come.

For today, we are relaxing and enjoying some crisp, beautiful weather on our last day before school starts and J.D. heads back to work.

Thank you in advance for your prayers and loving support. I am so grateful for my "blog family."

My New Hobby

2011-08-29T09:59:00.000-05:00

Uh, actually, we better change that title to "My New Obsession."

All of my free time has been consumed lately with thoughts of one thing...

Wait...what did you think I was talking about?

Crochet, crochet, crochet! All day, all the time...crochet.

Wanna see what I've been making?

This is by far my favorite hat that I've made so far (and I've made a bunch!) I can't wait to pose the baby in it for some cute newborn pictures!

This is the same teddy bear hat pattern as above. But I will never -- no not ever! -- work with this yarn again. It is beautiful and so soft but I had the hardest time counting my stitches and keeping to the pattern because I could not see the stitches! I probably ripped this one out and started over 6 or 7 times! Grrr.

Can you tell what this one is suppose to be?

(Did you guess an owl?)

I know it's not perfect (I could not get the eyeballs to match no matter how hard I tried) and it's not quite finished yet but I think it'll be a cute hat for winter.

Oh, I like this one, too. For some reason it reminds me of those old football helmets from the 1920's. I'm a sucker for an earflap hat and I wanted to make this one for a newborn photo shoot, too.

No, I'm not going to dress my son in pink...I made this one for my good friend who just had a baby girl. I made it in the 6 month size and it looks really big so I hope it will fit her daughter this winter. :)

So, would you agree that my new hobby is a bit of an addiction? ;) All I know is the entire family is going to have homemade crocheted winter hats this year!

I look at this basket of yarn and I swear I can hear my crochet needles calling out to me. Do you think this is this a weird form of nesting before the baby is born? Ha!

Here are the pattern links if anyone is interested:

For the Teddy Bear hat or the Pink flowered hat, click here

For the Owl hat, click here

For the Earflap hat, click here

Pregnant? Why YES, yes I am...

2011-08-24T18:26:00.001-05:00

...How could you tell?

Whoa, Nellie. That's all I have to say. I am definitely bigger than the last picture I posted in June (yes, I'm wearing the same shirt on purpose...I think it's fun to scrapbook the pictures side-by-side):

Let me start out by saying the first photo was taken before I got my hair cut and I was seriously at a loss as to what to do with my locks. As I think you can tell. Second, oof. Look at that round face. I do have make-up on in the picture but you'd be hard-pressed to see a trace of it. And sadly, this was one of my better days. You don't want to see me on an off-day! But enough about that...here are some pregnancy updates for those who are interested:

As of my last doctor's appointment, I have officially gained more weight than I did during my entire second pregnancy. And lucky me, I still have 6 weeks of weight gain to go! The one thing about me is that I am 5'9" so the weight sort of distributes evenly, although there is a surprising amount of "extra" hanging around my backside this time (the only reason I know this is an unfortunate encounter with a full-length mirror at Menards. Curse you, full-length mirrors). From now on I will just try not to ever, ever turn around in front of a mirror. Ignorance is bliss, and all that.

I am feeling much more energetic as long as I keep on top of my iron intake so the anemia is kept at bay. Having said that, this week has been a tough one for me energy-wise. I find myself crashing in the afternoon and having to lay down to rest my back. Then I feel guilty for laying down. But I realize that if I try to push through and keep going I tend to lose patience with the girls quicker. So I'm going to allow myself to rest when I need it.

The other night the baby was doing barrel rolls in my belly and B. just happened to be sitting next to me. She loved feeling (and watching!) the movements and we had a good giggle together. She's so excited to have a baby brother and I think she will be such a great helper for me when she gets home from school.

I've become addicted to watching "A Baby Story" and "Make Room For Multiples" and B. is usually in the room with me when they are on. I didn't really want her to know the ins-and-outs of childbirth but after watching one episode there's really no questions left about how Mommy will give birth to her little bro. She's so funny because she talks like she's a little expert on birthing a baby! "Epidural" and "C-Section" are now words in her everyday vocabulary and it makes me alternately laugh and cringe. As long as she doesn't go to first grade and teach all her little friends about the things she's learned I think we're okay!!!!

When I ask L. where my baby is she lifts up my shirt and points but she really doesn't understand what is going on yet. I've been wondering if she'll be jealous when the baby comes but I got to hold my friend's baby this week and L. wasn't upset at all. She just smiled and said "Baby!" over and over. Now we just need to work on being a little more gentle near babies. :) She's kind of a rough-houser.

I had hoped to have L. potty-trained by the time the baby was born but it's not looking promising. I know she's young yet and it's no big deal but for my own sanity I'd really love not having two kids in diapers at the same time.

As far as cravings go, they vary from day to day. Sometimes I crave a big, juicy hamburger (probably because my body is longing for the iron it is deficient in!) and other times -- like right at this moment -- I just want chocolate, which is nowhere to be found. But that's just as well because remember a few paragraphs ago I was sad about how much weight I've gained? Chocolate has been part of the problem there...if I were more disciplined I'd get up and eat a bowl of grapes or something! :)

Finally, I have a baby-related hobby that I've been obsessed with and want to show you but I'll save that for my next post in a day or two.

Hope you are all doing well and a big thank-you for not giving up on me the past few months! I know my posting has been pretty sporadic and I really appreciate that so many of you are still reading and leaving me comments! It makes me so happy to read what you have to say and I appreciate all of you!

~KandiLand

Ch-Ch-Changes

2011-08-23T14:37:00.001-05:00

It's been a big summer for a certain almost-seven-year-old girl in our household.

First, she's been losing teeth left and right...and I mean literally losing them. :) One of her front teeth came out when we were at my parent's cabin and she was playing with her tooth during a thunderstorm (I had put it away for safekeeping until the Tooth Fairy came but she's sneaky, that one, and got it back down). One particular thunder boom was right overhead and quite loud and it startled her into dropping the tooth somewhere into the recesses of my Dad's recliner. We looked and looked but could not find the tooth! It all worked out though, because the Tooth Fairy still came (she's so understanding) and my parents found the tooth a few weeks later! And get this: she wanted to try to put the tooth under her pillow again and see if she could trick the Tooth Fairy into giving her another dollar. I assured her the Tooth Fairy is incredibly intelligent and could not be tricked! I told you, she's sneaky...very sneaky! Soon thereafter she lost her other front tooth -- with a little dental floss and some help from Grandma -- and has been entertaining us with a slight lisp for the past few weeks.

Then last week I was going to get my hair cut and decided that she was long overdue for a real trim. And by real I mean having her hair cut not by her well-intentioned but totally unskilled mother, but by an actual hairstylist. I asked her what she wanted to do with her hair and she decided it would look cute cut up to her ears. I didn't want her to have hair-cut remorse by going too short but I also wanted her to make her own decision. We ended up trimming it chin-length and oh-my-goodness, I think it's so cute! She looks so much older, though! Almost overnight she turned into this long and lanky string bean child with no teeth and a cute bob. I promised my sister in Georgia I'd post a picture so here is the new B.:

She's got more changes coming, too: in a week and a half she will be going to first grade; she'll be starting her first season of soccer; a few weeks later is her seventh birthday and the day before her birthday her baby brother is due!

Yep, it's a big year for this little girl!

p.s. I have a few more posts in the works so check back in the next couple days if you want more updates on the pregnancy, the family, and yes...even Charley the wonder dog. ;)

Remember the Hummingbird Helmet?

2011-07-30T15:03:00.006-05:00

If you've been reading the blog for awhile you may remember my slight *obsession* with a little something called The Hummingbird Helmet. I saw it for sale on Ebay and since I think hummingbirds are almost as adorable as my kids (almost), I thought it was such a clever idea.

Enter my father-in-law. For my birthday last September I received a large box in the mail. Guess what I found? You got it, my very own, handmade-by-J.D.'s-Dad Hummingbird Helmet! (To view the post and my reaction as I opened the box, click here.)

I was recently up at my parent's cabin and my Mom and eldest daughter decided to give the ol' helmet a whirl. It was so much fun to watch the hummingbirds try to figure out what was going on and where the food was located...Check out the video:

I can already tell this will be our summertime entertainment! What other way can you think of to get an active 6-year-old to sit with her head tied to a chair (the helmet was slipping!) for 45 quiet, uninterrupted minutes? ;)

Life Updates!

2011-07-19T09:59:00.000-05:00

Life has been steadily plugging along here and I figured it was time for a ~~quick~~ (Ha!) update. :)

I have been doing quite well in my "life re-prioritizing"...Every morning I try to wake up about an hour before the girls (well, B. is a good sleeper, but L. likes to wake up EARLY so I have to get up even earlier!) and sit at the kitchen table with my coffee, Bible and notebook. I pray for awhile, read three devotions, journal some thoughts or Bible verses and often pray a little more. I find I am a much nicer person when I start my day "centered" on Christ instead of just jumping in with demands from the girls, dog, telephone, breakfast, etc...I have also been practicing patience and love toward the girls. Obviously, I love my girls, but when I get frustrated/tired my first instinct is to get snappy or yell and I recognize that's not the kind of Mom I want to be. I do "miss it" from time to time during the day and fall back into my old patterns but God is a forgiver and I just repent and start again. Like I said, it really is practice. I have a long way to go to be where I envision myself but I'm really enjoying spending more time with God. I have not been to the library at all and any books I read are Christian teaching books, at least for the time being.

I think I found out part of the problem I've been having with energy. Some days I am so weak I can hardly hold my back straight, even when I'm straight out of bed in the morning. As mentioned before, when I feel tired or exhausted like that, I can get very emotional and cranky and it's no fun for anyone in my household. I received the results of my hemoglobin test from the doctor and it turns out my numbers are low and I am anemic. I kind of figured I was anemic with this pregnancy because I was also slightly anemic during my last pregnancy and started taking extra iron along with my prenatal vitamin. But surprisingly the extra iron didn't seem to be helping. When I mentioned it to the nurse she told me to take the iron supplement in the morning with o.j. or vitamin C to help absorption and then to take my prenatal in the evening. It turns out your body can only process to much iron at one time and taking it twice a day will help in absorbing it properly. So there, I learned something and hopefully that will make the difference I need in my energy level.

Other than feeling worn-down, the pregnancy has been going really well. I feel lots of movement and my belly looks like there's an alien squirming around in there half the time. B. loves to come up to me and give me hugs but she is always sure to tell me she's hugging her baby brother. She's so sweet and she'll ask me, "How's your baby doin' today?" She adores sitting with her hands on my belly and feeling him kick her...makes her giggle every time.

The girls are doing well, also.

It can be tough to keep them occupied all day long (especially with the heat wave we've been experiencing, 100 degrees tomorrow with 75-80% humidity!) but we have been up to the cabin a couple of times and try to get outside as much as possible. B. and I went strawberry picking with my Mom and have a freezer full of strawberries just waiting to be made into pies and jelly. We might've been a little overzealous in our picking, however:

It took me two full days to hull, wash and freeze all these strawberries! Or "Star-babies" as L. calls them. So cute.

And then there's Charley...Oh, Charley.

Well, he's getting better. I hesitate to brag on him too much because it seems that whenever I say something nice about him the next day he's extra naughty just to prove me wrong!!! Example #1: I told my friend the other day how good he's getting and that he's maturing and the next afternoon he dug a 2 foot deep by 3 foot long hole next to the house. Grrr. I know it was probably just because he was extremely hot and trying to cool off, but right after I spent 20 minutes filling it back in, he dug it out again! Usually when we let him outside he's so good and can be unsupervised for awhile but not in this extreme heat! Example #2: During dinner the other night, J.D. left Charley downstairs on his bed in a "stay" (instead of putting him in his kennel for that time). Not long after when J.D. went down to check on him, Charley was gnawing on a pair of B.'s underwear that he had dug out of the laundry room.

I guess he's not ready for so much freedom, yet. We better keep the boundaries in place! ;)

My garden has been bringing me lots of joy. I love watching how quickly everything grows! I have some beans just waiting to be picked for dinner this week and I've had a few fresh sugar snap peas (yum!). My broccolli is growing bigger each day, too, and my mouth is watering for some tomatoes, but they're not ready yet. However, I can see that veggie gardening is definitely a learning curve for me. I planted summer squash and didn't realize how HUGE the plant gets...it's kind of crowding out it's neighbors. Last week I noticed the first squash was growing and was about 6 inches long by 2 inches wide. I figured I'd give it some time to get a little bigger before harvesting. Yesterday when I went outside to check on it, I found this:

As J.D. exclaimed, "Holy Zucchini!!"

Apparently you need to keep a close eye on summer squash and pick them when they're smaller because they can grow extremely fast and when they get this big they can get mealy and not taste very good. It just makes me laugh to see this picture...you should've seen how she was grunting and groaning when she was holding it. It's pretty heavy! :) She thinks it's her new friend and wants to carry it all around the house. I had to take it from her when I saw her trying to take a bite out of it, though!

So there you have an update of our lives for the time being! Hope all is well with all of you, too!

~ KandiLand

A Break.

2011-06-30T17:47:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update to let you know I am taking a break from technology for awhile. In fact, I'm scaling back on many areas where my "affections" have been stronger than I feel they should be.

I have deactivated my Facebook account, although I didn't spend much time over there in the first place. But I wanted to let you know in case you are my FB friend and you think I de-friended you, I didn't! ;)

I am taking a break from blogging for a bit of time - it could be a week, it could be a month or even longer. I find that I put so much pressure on myself to blog a certain number of times a week and really "perform" that it takes the fun away from posting. Also, if you have a blog you may notice I'm not commenting as much, because I am also scaling back the amount of time I read other blogs. This is the hardest one for me because I LOVE reading blogs way more than I like writing my own.

I am also "fasting" from the library which is going to be tough as well, because I like to have a book going pretty much all the time. My purpose in this is that if I am going to read, it is going to be my Bible or the many Christian teaching books I own but are collecting dust upon my shelf.

Why the sudden changes, you may ask? There are many, many reasons too numerous to go into here on the blog, but basically I need to get my life in order and the only way I can do that is to re-prioritize. I do not like the place I am at within myself and I recognize the need to change. So first of all, I need to focus on my relationship with God and place him at the center of everything I do. I feel that all the other distractions I've put before God have pushed me farther away from him and negatively impacted my personality. I am trusting that my placing Him first in my life again and seeking to spend time with Him everyday will positively affect my attitude, my kids, and my marriage.

So, there you have it. I will be MIA for awhile until I get my life sorted out. And even then, blogging will be more sporadic from here on out as I get closer to having the baby...although October feels so far away!

You are always so kind to me and I have so appreciated your support and encouragement in the past. I will still be around, just not as often!

~KandiLand

Where have I been?

2011-06-24T14:25:00.004-05:00

I'm here! I'm okay! I'm pregnant!

Okay, you already knew that last part, but it's a big part of why I've been missing from the blog lately. In fact, I started writing this post 2 weeks ago and am just getting around to finishing it. I was talking to my sister and she pointed out that another blogger we read who was pregnant wasn't posting much either...so we decided it's just a pregnancy thing. ;)

First, thanks to those of you who emailed or left comments as to my whereabouts for the past few weeks. I've been in a funk for a couple of months now and had some stresses in my life that needed to be sorted through. Basically, me being pregnant = crazy hormones = inconsistent Kandi.

Let me illustrate what happens to me when I am pregnant. Those of you who have been around the blog for awhile know that I take bazillions of pictures. (Truly, bazillions.) And those I post on the blog are only about 1/4 of the actual photos I take. I have folders upon folders clogging up my hard drive of every single one of life's teensy little moments.

Now flash back with me to the summer of 2009 when I was pregnant with my second baby, L. When I look back in my files from that summer, there are literally only about 10 pictures. Seriously. Something happens to me when I get pregnant and it's not that I get lazy, it's just that things get pushed to the back burner because I don't "feel" like myself.

Here's what I like about being pregnant:

feeling my little boy move around and kick. I love it, it makes me feel so connected to him and so excited to meet him in a few months.

Here's what I don't like about being pregnant: Everything else, including, but not limited to:

swollen ankles and sausage toes.
spider veins and the beginnings of a varicose vein. Booooo.
huge weight gain; seriously, I've already gained more than many women gain during their entire pregnancy.
maternity pants either falling down or *gasp!* too tight to wear!
not being able to sleep on my stomach.
getting up to use the bathroom 6 times a night.
heartburn.
getting winded walking up one flight of stairs.
getting winded picking up L.
getting winded standing up out of a chair.
getting winded thinking about getting winded.
mood swings. Oh, mood swings, you are not my friend.
not being able to bend over to garden, tie my shoes, paint my toenails, etc.

Ooh, ooh! I thought of one other thing I like about being pregnant (Dad, stop reading now)...I actually have a bust again! After nursing two babies I honestly never thought that would happen. I know it'll be short-lived and they'll slowly disappear into pancakes again after he's born, but for now I'm appreciative.

And, okay, I have to say that pregnancy isn't all that bad, but I've never been one of those women who Just! Loves! Being! Pregnant! I see it more as a slightly annoying but still tolerable means to a wonderful end -- getting to be a mommy again.

And as I sit here complaining, I think of all the women out there who are longing to have a baby of their own and for one reason or another it isn't happening. My heart goes out to you. In fact, I was just contacted by a reader who shared her story of how she has been trying to become a mommy for many years now and even though she is experiencing her own difficult circumstances she told me how happy she is for me. It was such a sweet message and I am praying for all of you who are struggling with infertility!

I haven't shared my story on the blog, nor have I shared it with many people in my life, but I do know what it feels like to experience infertility. If I can find time to sit down next week I will share my story with you, although it may take a few installments because we all know how I like to embellish a little bit. :) Details, it's all about the details!

Well, I'll sign off with this picture of my belly and how it's growing (along with the rest of me and especially my derriere). Somehow I'm a lot bigger in person than I look in this picture...I guess I angled myself just right but it's deceiving. I really have gained a lot of weight, I've just gained it all over my body proportionately. If you look at my face, I think you'll be able to see it's getting a little chubby.

24 weeks along...and gaining!

Thank you all for sticking around even though I've been neglecting the blog lately! I appreciate each and every one of you who reads!

p.s. Is anybody else loving this season of So You Think You Can Dance? Any favorites jumping out at you? I missed the results show so if you know who was kicked off, leave a comment and let me know!

Because it makes me laugh...

2011-06-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

(In case you can't understand her language, she's repeating, "Touch it!" and "Scare me!")

Good times.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-31T09:09:00.000-05:00

We had a fast and busy weekend and didn't get a whole lot done. The weather was a little dreary and rainy with some sun in between so we were outside as much as we could be.

Yesterday on Memorial Day, we went to local cemetery where some of my paternal relatives are buried for the Veteran's service. I try to go every year because there's something so peaceful about this little country cemetery and I love seeing the Veterans honor the fallen soldiers.

It was a really lovely tribute.

After the gun-salute, Taps was played and a family friend gave me the most frequently used lyrics to the song:

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lake, from the hills,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

It's very moving.

When the service was finished, the "cleanup crew" got down to business. There were a few younger children (grandchildren of the Veterans?) assigned the task of picking up the shells left from the gun-salute. One of the little girls gave a shell to B. and she was very excited. Now I'm wondering what she did with it? I haven't seen it since yesterday. :)

The cemetery we visited is very small and peaceful and set back off a low-traveled dirt road. The focal-point of the acreage are these enormous White Pine Trees. We were speculating on how old they are and we are guessing they're over 100 years old. They're so beautiful.

Thank you to all the soldiers who have given their lives for our freedom. And thank-you to the soldiers who are serving today!

Random Thursday

2011-05-26T09:55:00.000-05:00

I'm so glad many of you enjoyed the little video I put together in my last post about how I told the girls they are getting a little brother. It was so fun to read your comments...I honestly didn't mean to make so many of you tear-up! There's something about photos and video set to music that always makes me weepy, too. :)

Rest assured, today's post will not make you cry. It's actually a teensy bit boring! And quite a bit random:

1. I have to laugh this morning because L. is dressed in a hot pink shirt, orange socks and red shoes. Yes, she is. I couldn't make that up. It is laundry day, but I am also in one of those moods where it's just "good enough."

2. I've been feeling this baby boy moving all over the place lately. He's especially active at night (uh-oh!) so I hope he gets his days and nights straightened out before he is born or I'm in big trouble!

3. I am sad to report that I have been eating everything in sight...truly everything...and gaining lots of weight to go along with it. It's frustrating to me because I'm only halfway done and I already feel like a houseboat. Plus, my skin is breaking out all over the place and my split ends are halfway up my hair shaft. I'm really quite a mess right now! My goal is to ease back on the food consumption today and work out this afternoon. Hopefully that will make me feel better about myself.

4. I made homemade meatballs the other night. I like the way they taste, but I get very grossed out when I have to dig my hands into the bowl and mix it all up. I always have to wash my hands approximately six times to even start feeling like they are clean after mixing up the raw meat! And you know what else? The other day I was watching a Food Network show...can't remember the name - it's a Southern husband and wife team - and she was making hamburgers and shoved her hands into the big bowl of raw meat with her bracelets and weddings rings on! I couldn't believe it. How long do you think it takes to clean a diamond ring covered with greasy ground pork? (Although if she's on t.v. she probably has an assistant who does it for her, ha!)

5. I think I am officially addicted to HGTV. If you recall, we recently got cable after 6 years without it and even with 300 channels available, I am always going back to HGTV. Although I do enjoy DIY and Food Network, too.

6. Do you think it's funny that I love Food Network but I don't like to cook?

7. Do you believe me now that food is constantly on my mind (and in my mouth, and dribbling down the front of my shirt)? I wasn't kidding about the weight gain.

8. Two weeks ago we had a storm warning in our area and the sky before the front was pretty incredible:

9. About a month ago I was working on my first vegetable garden. J.D. built me two 4x4 garden beds and I had filled one with a compost/soil mix but ran out before I could fill the second one up.

As I was working on planting some seeds in the completed bed, I plopped my behind on the ground. After a few minutes, I needed to shift my position so I placed my hand next to my behind and scooted over a bit. It took a moment to register in my brain that my hand was not feeling grass beneath it, but something almost rubbery and solid. Glancing down, I saw that my hand was resting upon a curled up garter snake. (Gah! Insert pregnant woman hollering, jumping up and high-stepping through the yard here).

The weather was still pretty cold so I figured the snake hadn't warmed up quite enough yet to move away from my presence. B. and I finally got it to slither away with the help of a broom handle, and it crawled into the empty second garden bed where we discovered this:

Mmm-hmmm. Mother and baby.

Finally they slithered off to their home behind our garbage cans but can I just say "Ewww?"

10. Finally, I must ask: Do you have any plans for Memorial Weekend?

A Video and a few other things...

2011-05-24T09:22:00.004-05:00

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone (here on the blog and from Facebook) who sent out such warm congratulations for us! I feel so blessed to know each of you and I smiled as I read your comments. :)

As promised I am posting the video of how I told the girls. (Well, mostly how I told B. since L. still has no idea how her life is going to change in a few months. She's in for a big surprise, ha!) I realized as I was driving to my parents house to pick up the girls that I hadn't planned any special way to tell them and hadn't even brought my camera along! Luckily my phone has a teeny camera (2 megapixel) and I had stopped and found a sweet little Ralph Lauren sleeper at a garage sale on the way to their house. So I quickly put together this impromptu gender reveal for the girls!

I've added a few ultrasound photos to the video, but I just had to leave out the one that quite clearly reveals "it's a boy!" I think it's a little too revealing for this family-oriented blog and we need to keep some modesty around here! ;) I will tell you that when the ultrasound tech saw his gender she laughed out loud and said, "It's a boy! And it doesn't get more obvious than that!"

We're still getting used to the idea of having a little boisterous boy around here but the more I think about it the more excited I get! B. decided she'd like a little brother because she has fallen in love with our neighbor's little one year old boy. You can't hear it but at the end of the video she says, "I can't wait!" Hope you enjoy the video!

The music used in the video is called 'At The Top of This Hill' by Message to Bears.

Gender Reveal!

2011-05-20T18:05:00.003-05:00

Today was the day we found out the gender of our little one. I have long thought it was a boy, J.D. thought it was a girl...but neither of us really cared what it was as long as it's healthy. I have two schools of thought on why I'd like it to be a boy...and why I'd like it to be a girl! (Yes, it's a long post, please bear with me.)

Do you watch Hallmark movies?

My entire life I mocked Hallmark movies. Mind you, this was while I had never actually watched a Hallmark movie. It just always seemed that the movies would be super cheesy and campy (and they can be, but now I see that's part of their charm.)

Two Christmas's ago, I watched a Hallmark movie called A Dog Named Christmas and all I can say is...it was wonderful. Just what a Christmas movie should be. Sweet, heartwarming, cheesy, campy. I really loved it.

And you know what I loved even more than the movie? All the Hallmark commercials they played during the breaks. Now remember, L. was about 4 months old at this time and exhaustion was running rampant in me...not to mention hormones...and it seemed I was crying at every commercial break over those darn Hallmark advertisements. Then a certain commercial came on that really touched my heart. I can't really remember the beginning but I know Mom and Dad had put up the Christmas tree and the children went up to the attic to gather the boxes of Christmas ornaments. The eldest two girls would pull out a Christmas ornament and reminisce about the year they got it and the wonderful memory that went along with it. Finally, they pulled out an ornament and snuggled their little brother in close and gently said, "This is the ornament we got the year you were born..." The camera cuts in close to a smiling Mom and Dad peeking through the doorway at their three sweet angel children.

Suddenly I exclaimed through my tears, "That's what I want!"

J.D., a bit startled at my outburst, looks at me and says, "What, a Christmas ornament?"

"No!!!" I weepily replied, "Two girls and a boy!"

To which J.D. got a deer-in-the-headlights look and said, "Oh dear," while shaking his head. (This was long before ~~we had decided~~ God decided we were to have another child.)

You got me, Hallmark. You really know how to get to a woman's heartstrings!

But on the other hand...I have two sisters. And we share a very special sister bond. I love going for coffee and chit-chat with them and really enjoy hanging out with them. They are my closest confidantes and I love them to pieces...So the thought of having three sweet little girls also warms my heart!

So are you sick of my rambling yet? Do you want to know what it is?

Do you?

DO YOU?

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(I'm really annoying you, aren't I?)
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(It's like one of those terrible email forwards!!!)
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Okay, okay!

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

As I said before, J.D. and I would have been thrilled either way but it looks like I am getting my "Hallmark Family" after all! :) I am so excited to have a son but now I have to do some major shopping for boy clothes (or he will be VERY in touch with his feminine side wearing pink every day!) and we have the big task of coming up with a name!

I'll post more ultrasound pictures and the video of how I told the girls very soon but for now I just wanted to let everyone know! :)

My Homegirl.

2011-05-19T09:25:00.000-05:00

***If you haven't voted in the gender poll on the right sidebar, today and tomorrow are the last days before I reveal if it's a boy or a girl! I wish I knew right now! How do they expect me to wait? :) ***

*****

L. found this little visor somewhere in the house that says, "If Mom says no, ask Grandma." (My Mom gave it to us when B. was a baby.) She popped it on her head and wore it the entire day. This is what she looked like when I walked in the room:

Homegirl's in the House!!!

Raise the roof, sistah!

It made us all laugh, and she even kept it on while she climbed into her chair to eat supper.

But on the way up, she somehow bumped her chin.

Daddy made it better and adjusted her hat.

She recovered as soon as garlic bread was placed in her hands. (She's just like her mother!)

She's just the cutest little gangsta, isn't she?