Pictures

G3

G1

G2

G1 wearing one of G2's new pjs-he couldn't get the shirt off

G2

G3

G3

G2

Hooray Geneva!!

G2 took a couple steps in between Matt and I today. She only did it a few times, but she did it! She looked so proud of herself too. Matt and I just cheered and clapped for her. Before too long she will be running all over the place with G1.

Progress

I don't remember where I put my camera so I don't have pictures to share right now. But we have made some progress on the upstairs bathroom. Matt got a lot more tiles off the walls (after I had gotten quite a bit done). Him and Dean got the tub, toilet, and sink out of there. I'm sure they did more-I'm just not sure what. Mom got some mudding done in the hallway.
Today I got a couple spots in the girls' bedroom painted (with primer). I've got a lot more to do before I can paint it the color it will be-but it's a start. Hopefully I will be getting the carpet up in there this week-that will make it so much easier to clean and paint the trim. G1 has been trying to help with every project. He is so excited about our "New house". He came in and sat beside me the other night and said to me "I love our new house." When I acknowledged him and told him that I'm glad he loves our new house, he got up and walked away. It was just so cute how he did that.
It's been pretty tough living here right now. We don't have a way to bathe here so we have to go to my mom's house in order to do so-thank goodness she lives so close. Plus we are all 5 sleeping in the den. That has made it very challenging to put G1 down for a nap. Which then in turn makes it very hard to get the things done that I need to do. It is so difficult to do some of this stuff with a little one under my feet at all times.
So far I still love our new house--except our kitchen sink! I can't wait to redo it in a few years. That's right it will probably be a few years (if not longer) before I can redo the kitchen. It doesn't really need to be redone-it's a functioning kitchen as is-it just makes me mad. The hot water comes out as a trickle so it takes about a year to fill up the sink to wash dishes, and then once I do get the sink filled up by the time I start washing the dishes it has started draining. ARGH!
Anyway, that is my brief update on the house. I will hopefully get all of my thoughts together and really give an update on the children soon.

About a million pictures from the party

Okay, so I exaggerated a little-but I am so close it's scary! It was so hard narrowing it down to just this many-so you'll have to deal with them. :-)

The girls' riding a horse--not sure why G3 is so mad

G1 and his new dinosaur

The girls' birthday cake

Cheese, crackers and meat (and Daddy)

G2's "smash cake"

G3's "smash cake"

The pretty birthday girls (they were already pretty tired and we hadn't even started)

The party area

Dirt dessert and the candy favors

G2

G3

G2 blowing out her candle (I was trying to keep her from touching the flame)

G3 blowing out her candle

G2 trying to decide her attack plan

G1 didn't think G3 was attacking her cake well enough, so he decided to help out

G2 picking at the cake trying to not get any cake with her frosting

G2 doing her new favorite habit: picking her nose

G3

G3 trying to get out of her seat

G2 covered in frosting--look at all those teeth

G2 getting ready for Mommy to clean her up

And G2 not liking it

I'm not positive but I'm sure G3 is wondering why she still has a diaper on

One of my new favorite pictures--Daddy cleaning G3 up

Pretty girls-G2 and Aunt Anissa

The girls opening their first presents of the day (from Uncle Jacob and Aunt Marcia)--the sleepers fit them great by the way

G2 thought is was more fun to "ride" the presents than to actually open them

G1 trying on his new sweater from Uncle Ryan and Aunt Anissa

I just liked the face Matt was making (that's G2 beside him)

Skyler (I think he was bored)

Daddy being goofy

Look Aunt Marcia snuck into a picture with G2

Silly Uncle Ryan

The girls' posters after the party

So sweet! Anissa and Ryan

The girls' candy badges (still haven't eaten them yet)

Cousin Lydia and G3

"After a long day all I need is my sister by my side."

That rascal!

So, anyone that knows my children knows that they are all little monkeys. But yet their monkiness (is that a word?) never ceases to amaze me. A couple days ago G2 learned to climb up onto our bed. Not such a big deal, we spend a lot of time in the morning there. But then today she learned that she can climb the gate. She can get to the top but I'm not sure she knows how to get to the other side and down-we didn't wait to find out. We got her down right away and told her that she wasn't allowed to do that. Of course naive little me thought that she would really listen to that. HA HA! She kept trying it. Little stinker! Neither girl has learned (YET) how to climb out of their bed, so that's a plus. I hope G2 never lets G3 see that she can climb the gate because G3 always has to outdo G2 and WILL get over it before Mommy or Daddy stops her.

A new tooth!!

G3's 3rd tooth has finally come through. YAY!! G2 has her 4th and 5th already also-6th is about through.

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

*****

Before I was a Mom

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

*****

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

*****

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

*****

Before I was a Mom

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

*****

Before I was a Mom

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

It's started

As Matt put it..."There's no turning back now."

We have started taking down all the wall tiling in the bathroom today. It would be so much easier if we had everything thing out of there already: the tub, toilet and vanity. But we are making due with everything in there for now. It's hard work, but not as bad as I was expecting.

The first 2 pictures are the before shots that Marcia took for me. The next 2 are the progress we have made and the last picture is all the tiles that we have removed hanging out in the tub. We still have quite a bit left to do but it feels great to have finally started and to know that we are that much closer.

Yes there is only 1

We have had 4 ultrasounds now. I am positive there is only 1 in there. The 1st picture is from my first ultrasound--I was about 8.5 weeks along. Looking at this picture really makes me wonder how anyone could say that they aren't babies this early on. You can totally see that that is a person.

Here is me at 14 weeks-12/6/07

Here is me this morning-18 weeks 1 day

We had our BIG ultrasound yesterday. The baby looks like a girl. Poor Matt and G1--there is going to be so much estrogen in the house-I wonder how they will survive. :-) Of course I won't really completely believe 'girl' until the baby is born-but for now that is what we are preparing for.

Happy New Year!

It is now 2008. Wow!

We had the girls' birthday party today. I will be posting pictures from it later--after I've had a chance to go through them and decide which ones to post. We had a great time-despite the horrible weather we have been having. The girls had a lot of fun and we had a pretty great turn out.

Thanks to everyone that helped out. We really appreciated it.