It's your birthday!!

Live from the hopefully the last day in the Post Partum, it's JULIE's Birthday!!

Happy birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday dear Juuuuuuu-liieeeeeeee

Happy birthday to you!

For Julie's birthday, the intrepid husband splurged and bought Julie, his sweet wife, an awesome new camera!  8.0 mp, Canon SD1100 IS with a 2 GB card!(for all you intrepid husbands out there, I got a great deal!)

So these are with her new camera!  It's small and compact, so no more wearing it around your neck and bashing kids' lights out with the larger one.  This one's pink too!

Happy birthday, Julie Girl!

And the name is:

The name of our new son is: 

Benson "Ben" Alexander 

What do you think?

Reporting live, this is the intrepid husband, David

 

Post Game Follow up

Reporting Live from Post Partum is the Intrepid Husband, David.

So about the time Julie wanted to deliver, I wasn't allowed to touch the computer(yes, it was a good reason, I was just trying to commentate)--and anyway, Blogger went down, so I couldn't post anything anyway, I tried.  

Update on the baby then.

We're working on a name, so no worries. We have the 1st name down, we just need another 

So, I'll let Julie tell the story, but my post-game(pardon the pun) photos.  Mom was great, baby was great.  He was a little hypoglycemic, so he needed some supplimentation. Now he's looking great.  Here's some today pics.

It's A......BOY!

Reporting live from the L&D, we have an update!  Quicker than quick, Julie moved onto a 9!  I couldn't post it because we were having technical difficulties, and Julie wouldn't let me leave her side.  

So, after a few more hours, not long, we had a baby!  Julie was at a 9, an then all of the second, she was ready!  Julie pushed for about 10 minutes, and she had a baby!!

22 inch, 9'1" lbs

More to come!

David

In the Hospital

This is what happens when you let your husband write on your blog and take your pictures while you are in labor in the hospital. He writes what he wants on your blog. So, reporting live from Labor and Delivery, Room 3, I'm giving a play by play of the delivery of the new baby.

We left the house about 10, and Julie Kissed the kids goodbye.

So we arrived at the hospital and a somewhat skeptical doctor checked Julie, and she's at a 4, with no major change and was warned, well, you may need a C section and nothing may happen either. But a few hours later, we're moving right along.

After a while, Julie got bored. Literally, she just has these moments where she looks at you and says, "I'm bored". It's just like Gracie. It's cute, don't get me wrong. So, the intrepid husband went down to the gift shop to see what he could find. Crossword puzzles, electronic seduko and Dora. Nope. So I moved on and walked 6 blocks south to a dollar general and find a something to play with. I came back with a deck of face cards, a box of dominoes and a pad of paper. No go. Well, I tried. I have peds test in the morning, so I'm a mix between worried husband and worried student. The kids are in good hands and Julie is moving right along.

So after her boredness and the return of the intrepid husband. she wanted to try a birthing ball, someone else she blogs with has one and she was willing to try it.

So, she's sitting on a birthing ball and liking it. She is able to get another position of comfort and relax a little. The Pitocin is getting her moving right along. Nothing happening yet, otherwise.

Mom decided to do something sweet for Julie and painted her toenails. I, the intrepid husband am not allowed to paint Julie's toenails, as my skills on the toenail as a canvas is sorely lacking. Mom's a pro.

We'll keep you posted. Reporting live, this is the intrepid husband, David.

NEW UPDATE! She was just measured as a 9! So we're moving right along! I hope you're all getting ready! More to come!

I think it is a go...

I am sitting here in the hospital room. The doctor has agreed to start me on the pitocin. David went home to go drop the kids off (thank you so much Cicely) and bring Grandma back with him. A million thoughts keep running through my head. And strangely, one of the biggest ones is fear. I was so afraid to leave my other children. I am not worried about them being with someone else. I know they will be just fine. I am just worried about them being without me. Does that make sense? I sit here and think about them and how much I love them and feel like maybe I have been so anxious for another little baby that I have taken the sweet babies that I have already for granted. I suppose being in a dangerous situation (and lets face it, giving birth is always dangerous no matter what advances have been made in medicine over the years) makes you take a good look at yourself and what you have done with your life and what you would like to do differently. The biggest thing that I want to change right now is just to be a better mother. I don't really think that I am a bad mother. My kids are both pretty healthy, happy, well adjusted children, but I know there are areas where I can improve. My kids are so amazing, and frequently I wonder if I am doing all the things I should to be the mother that they deserve.

I love my curious little Gracie. She has pretty much constant comments and questions about the world around her, and she really wants to share all of her thoughts with me. Her mama (that title is so special... better than any other!). She is always happy, always smiling. She loves to dance and to sing. She sat on the couch with my mom this morning and the looked at these silly little animal cards that we got at the zoo last night and made up songs about them. Gracie loves to make up songs all the time. She is really excited about life, and I hope she can always keep that excitement. Sammy is similar in many ways to Gracie, but is definitely his own man. He is much more reserved than Gracie ever has been. He is content to play with his mom and dad. Where Gracie was always very social with everyone around her, stranger or not, Sammy always wants one of his parents near. He loves to bring me his blanky and curl up with (or on if he gets his way) me. He is also a very happy child and keeps me laughing. We put his Halloween costume on him the other day (a dragon that Grandma brought to him) and he can just see the dragon's head and tongue when he looks up. He kept running around and around the room and growling at the dragon. Both of my babies bring a huge ray of sunshine into my life. I don't think there are adequate words to really describe how it feels to be a mother to these two sweet angels sent from my Heavenly Father for me to love. I hope and pray every day just to be the mother they deserve. I can't wait to see them each day as the grow.

And I love this little baby that is coming to join our family. I don't even know if it is a girl or a boy, but I love it to pieces anyway. All the love I feel for it doesn't in any way diminish the love I feel for Gracie and Sammy though. I am just sitting here in my room by myself, thinking and crying, because I love them so much. I am sure the nurse must think my contractions are worse than they really are, or maybe I have been successful at wiping my eyes before she comes into the room each time. I am just so grateful for these moments to think about my babies and how much I love them.

No news... not good news...

So, at least in my case, no news is not necessarily good news. We have been keeping busy, and I am VERY sore and uncomfortable. Imagine if you can, a 9 month pregnant woman giving her children 20 underdogs at the park. Seriously, I could barely walk last night at the Zoo. Anyway. I will keep trying today. Thanks for all of your well wishes and prayers and suggestions. It looks like I really need them.

A FEW HOURS LATER... AGAIN

Well, the doctor that didn't want to induce me just called from the hospital. She said she wants me to come in and be evaluated to see if she will induce me. So my next post will either be "It's a _____" or "Doctors are Lame!"

I'm having a baby!

Ok, not right this second, but I am having a baby! We have an induction date! Yay! I am being induced on Thursday at 6:30 am. Oh wonderful wonderful doctors! I promise not to curse you ever again (at least not until the baby is out!). So that is the good news. The not as great news (but still good I guess) is, yes this baby is BIG! The ultrasound today puts him/her at about 9 pounds. *sigh* I just keep telling myself that big is beautiful and healthy and strong. It just feels so big and uncomfortable to me!! We got to see all this baby's chub and fat on the ultrasound today. It is one big chubby baby! They gave us a picture of his/her face, but it really isn't a great picture because the baby refused to move its hand out from in front of its face. Other good news: I am dilated to a 4!!!! The doctor said he didn't know if I would even make it to Thursday. I am hoping for tomorrow night (after my mom gets into town!). I was never dialated with either of my other kids so much before I was actually in labor! That is a good sign right?! Oh yeah, and you know how they told me I was measuring big last week? I am back to measuring normal again. Go figure. I think the baby may have moved (a little bit... it is still hanging out on the right side) and dropped a little. But the end is in sight!!! I am so so grateful! I am so excited to meet our little pumpkin!

A FEW HOURS LATER.

Just kidding... I am really disgusted at doctors now. Curse you all!!!! My doctors office just called me and the doctor who is on call on Thursday doesn't do inductions for big babies. Seriously, if I was the swearing type there would be some words that aren't very nice coming out of my mouth right now. So now my options are to be induced tomorrow (which my mother won't make it here in time for) or next Tuesday. I am going to cross my fingers that I go into labor naturally and wait until next week, but I am NOT happy about it!!! So we are going to get out and do as much stuff as we can and see what we can do to make this baby come. We are going to ZooBoo tomorrow night, Port Farm on Wednesday morning, the park Wed. afternoon and if nothing has happened before then we will plan some more things to do. We are going to jump over every crack, eat spicy foods, go on bumpy car rides, eat a dozen doughnuts (does anyone have any castor oil?) and all of those other old wives tales that have been touted through the ages as inducing labor.

Say leaves!

We took some pictures of the kids in the leaves. I can't get over how cute these kids that I get to call mine are!

The Face of a Cereal Commercial

Don't you think this is the face of a future cereal commercial? Sammy loves to get in the pantry and get in the cereal. He ALWAYS takes the bag out of the box and then he sits right down and makes himself comfortable. I guess if he really wants to make it as a commercial star he is going to have to learn to keep the bag in the box.

Do you want some?

Yummy!

Doctors Appointments and Birthdays.

I went to the doctors office today. The doctor had the audacity to tell me that I am measuring BIG! Is that like people who walk past you and ask you if you are having twins because you are so huge? Or does it make it okay because he is a doctor and therefor it is more true... Anyway, he said it could have been just because the baby had scrunched itself all the way over on my right side so he had to measure a little differently (so far I haven't measured big until today), or it could have been because the baby is just big (um duh, yes I do have big babies). Anyway, he said we will check at my ultrasound on Monday to see if we can figure out how big this baby is and if they will induce me. Now that it is Thursday, Monday doesn't seem all that far off. :D He also said I am dilated to "about a 2" and that the baby is a lot higher than he wishes it were. What do you do to get the baby to drop? Jumping jacks? So anyway, my mother is coming in to town on Tuesday (Yay! I can't wait!) so if anyone knows any sure fire methods proven to make me go into labor after that I would love to know them. I am starting to get kind of scared that this baby is going to be huge. If we continue on the same trend as my first two this baby is going to weigh more than 10 pounds!!! If they will enduce me, probably the soonest they will do it Oct. 25. So here is a question for all of you. Oct. 25th is my birthday. Do you think it would be fun (for both you and your baby) to share a birthday, or do you think it would be more fun for everyone to have their own special day? Personally I think I could see it both ways. Anyone have any experience with this?

Still no baby...

I know you are all anxiously sitting by your computers just waiting to see if I have had my baby yet so I thought I would put up another post. No baby yet, and honestly, today I am glad (even though I am SO UNCOMFORTABLE!). Some days I am not so glad that this baby hasn't come yet, but I was walking past some random stranger the other day out of the blue she started up a conversation. She asked about how far along I was and how many kids I had and then she told me good luck with number 3 because it is a doosy! "You have more kids than you have hands." I am getting a little more scared for this baby to come out. Everyone keeps telling me number 3 is the hardest and I already think 2 is hard! Gracie had a particularly hard day yesterday. We didn't get to go do the fun things we had planned because Gracie decided she wouldn't listen to mom and decided to yell at mom and throw a temper tantrum. By the end of the day, David and I were both frustrated and I had been crying off and on for a couple of hours. I woke up during the night with a nightmare though and afterwards all I wanted to do was hold my babies (I know, I know, a 3 almost 4 year old and a 20 month old really aren't babies anymore, but to me they always will be...). I kept telling myself they were fine and that I didn't need to go check on them, but I just couldn't go back to sleep! Then I heard something. I heard singing. It was Gracie. I was just so relieved that I had a good excuse to go in a check on her and Sammy!!! When I went in she was just singing to herself the Baby Mine song from Dumbo. She asks me to sing this to her all the time. We can be driving somewhere and she will ask me to turn off the radio and sing the Baby Mine song. This morning at 3:00 am she was singing it to herself, just quietly singing... I went in, gave her a kiss, told her I loved her, peaked at Sammy and went back to bed. I still couldn't sleep though (don't you just hate those dreams that keep coming back every time you close your eyes). It wasn't too long before I heard the little pitter patter of her feet. I think she comes to check on me in the night sometimes too. She climbed in our bed, cuddled up next to me and told me she loved me and went back to sleep. It isn't always comfortable when the kids come and get into our bed during the night, but there is a part of me that LOVES it! I love the sweet kisses and hugs, their warm snuggly little bodies, their quiet breathing, the smell of their shampoo and pajamas... Our bed can get pretty crowded when Gracie and Sammy both climb in and of course they both want to lay next to Mommy (Daddy frequently gets pushed to the very edge of the bed) and usually my arms end up falling asleep because they are curled around little bodies, but there is just something about having my children lying there asleep next to me that I need sometimes... and this morning was one of those times. I don't think I would have been able to sleep anymore last night if Gracie hadn't been curled up next to me. It was so sweet and wonderful to know that she still loves me and wants to be with me as much as I still love and want to be with her even (and maybe especially) after a hard day. I feel really blessed to have my children. I have changed my mind. I know there will be hard times with a new baby, but I am not scared. I know it will just be one more little person to show me what love is really all about.

They all sat still...

We went to the zoo with some friends last week. When someone mentioned that they wanted to try and take a picture of everyone I was thinking to myself, "Yeah right. There is no chance they will all sit for a picture." But lo and behold, let them all sit on a brightly colored worm and they all stay! I was totally shocked! Aren't they cute!

17 days and counting...

Yep. We are still waiting. Yep. I am huge. Yep. My stomach pokes out a mile. I did have a dream last night that I was in labor though. I woke up having some contractions. Nothing major. Just a couple of contractions and then some painless braxton hicks ones through out the day. In my dream they were trying to feed me this hamburger/orange juice/egg mixture at the hospital and all I wanted was a reuben sandwich (which is really odd because in real life I would never eat a reuben sandwich). I have been nesting all day. Actually the last few days. I just want everything to be ready when this baby actually does make its appearance. I have been washing my windows. For some reason every time I have a baby I have to have clean windows (probably one of the few times they actually get washed inside and out...). Anyway. I have a doctors appointment on Thursday and an ultrasound the Monday after that. I will definitely post if anything eventful happens. Till then I am just large and in charge. I decided to be really brave and show some skin on this post. Please don't say anything unkind... (I know none of you will, but I have never exposed myself so much!!!). I actually do have stretch marks, I just edited them out using Picasa 3 (sneaky, I know). For now we are just waiting...

What do I do?

I am at a complete loss. I dropped my daughter off at her dance class today. I stayed with her until her teacher came and got the class and then ran a couple of errands and got back in time to wait in the waiting room for about 10 minutes before her class ended. As Sammy and I were sitting there waiting for Gracie to come out I noticed a pile of clothes on the floor that looked a lot like Gracie's leotard and skirt. But I figured all the girls in her class have almost exactly the same outfit, it couldn't be Gracie's. I was wrong. When Gracie came out she was wearing this outfit. I looked at her confused and said, "What happened?" She said she liked this leotard better. "It is pink. It is sparkly." I asked her teacher what had happened and she was just as confused as I was. She said she thought I had changed her into it. She said Gracie had to go to the bathroom and when she came back this is what she was wearing. So now I have a problem. My daughter stole this dress. I of course paid for it (can I just say I am so glad it was one of their old costumes and on the $5 rack instead of something new that probably would have cost $50). But still she stole it. What do I do now? This isn't actually the first thing she has "stolen." She took some candy from Target and opened it in the store while I was buckling Sammy into a shopping cart. We paid for it and threw it away and had a big long talk about taking things that didn't belong to us. I really don't think she realized she was doing something wrong today, but what do I do to teach her? I desperately need some advice.

I am also really annoyed at the dance school. Who lets a three year old go out to the bathroom by themselves? I asked one of the teachers about this and he said that they don't let the preschool students go out by themselves. Um, someone messed up today then. This really kind of freaks me out. Number 1) someone could have just taken my daughter, 2) she could have wandered out onto the street by herself, 3) she wouldn't have been able to steal this costume if she had been with an adult. I am going to have to stay at the school through out the hour of her class now I can see. This is going to be a lot harder in just a couple of weeks with Sammy and a new baby tagging along too. I don't know. I am just really frustrated about the whole stupid mess right now. Anyone know what I should do?

Food Boxs and Bebes

(Yes, she does kind of look like an orphan girl in this picture... somehow it doesn't really matter how much product I put in her hair, she always comes home looking like this...)

Gracie is such a sweet little girl! Yesterday as David was getting ready to go to school Gracie noticed that he had not taken his lunch box with him. He actually left it home on purpose because they were feeding him at a meeting that he had, but Gracie was very concerned that he did have it with him. She got it out and said, "Daddy, you forgot your food box!" He tried to explain to her that he didn't need it, but she was very insistent that he needed to take his food box to school with him. I don't think it even had anything in it, but David was so touched that she would worry about him that he took it anyway. She is definitely turning into quite the little mother. She has really started paying a lot of attention to all of the babies at church. She wants to touch all of the babies and proclaims every one of the "cute" (and let's face it, they all are). Anyone smaller than Sammy is a baby and she won't let me call her my baby anymore (even though I will always consider her my baby). We are getting so excited to have a little baby come to our house to stay!

(Don't worry... that is just sand in his hand.)

Sammy has gotten so funny about my tummy. He has gotten so that he will walk up to me, lift up my shirt, pat my tummy softly and say, "Bebe." Then he pulls my shirt down, pulls his own up and pats it and says "Bebe" again. He knows what a baby is because he calls babies "bebes" too... I am just not sure if he thinks he has a baby in his tummy too like Gracie does. Maybe.

Anyway, as far as this bebe goes, sorry no current pictures of me... I am feeling a little too fat for pictures, but I will try to have David take another one, one of these days. Gracie has started telling me that I am fat... so I guess that kind of makes it true right... out of the mouths of babes and all that. She sings a little song to me that goes, "You are fa-at. You are fa-at." Kind of in a sing-songy mocking voice (so rude). Or sometimes the song goes, "I'm not fa-at. I'm not fa-at." But in this case she is singing to herself. David tried to tell her this wasn't very nice, but she absolutely refused to take it back. David kept trying to prompt her into say, "Mommy, you're not fat." But it kept coming out without the "not" in it. *sigh* Just a few more weeks right... In a couple of weeks they are going to do another ultrasound to see if they can guess how big this baby is going to be since Sammy was so huge. I am keeping my fingers crossed for something in the 7 pound range, but that is probably being overly optimistic. I will love this baby even if it weighs 30 pounds, I just pray that it doesn't (because I actually dreamed that it did!).

I am SO tired!

Sammy loves his pillow and blanket. A wonderful lady in our ward made Sammy this blanket. He carries it around the house whenever he gets tired along with his pillow and makes himself comfortable where ever. Two days ago it was right in front of the side door (I think he was waiting for his Daddy to come home). As you can see, it makes him very happy. He is pretending to be asleep in the last picture. If only it were so easy to get comfortable for all of us huh?

Nothing quite like a boy and a dog...

We dog sat for a night for a girl in David's class at med school. This "puppy" is a 12 week old Great Dane named Abby that seriously weighs the same as Gracie does now! Sammy had so much fun playing with Abby. Gracie did to, but there is just something about a boy and a dog. At first he just wanted to look at her, but not have her touch him. But he quickly got over it. In the end, as you can see from the pictures he actually wanted to live with her in her cage. If Gracie hadn't wanted to pull on her tail so much, watching Abby might have actually persueded me to get a dog, but with children this age, you have to keep as close of an eye on the dog as you do the children! But we are more than happy to dog sit for anyone who is going on vacation. :)

Summer

I was cutting up some watermelon the other day for part of our dinner. Gracie snuck in while I wasn't looking and stole this big wedge of watermelon. Before I could say a thing she had taken a big huge bite of it. She claimed she didn't want it cut, but she wanted it just like this. Doesn't seeing this just make you think of summertime. Summer is just about over. I feel kind of sad. I don't feel like we really took advantage of all of the summertime stuff this year (partly because I have been feeling so fat and uncomfortable and partly because David has been so busy with school). Now that it is drawing to a close I kind of wish that it weren't. Gracie told me yesterday that the sun belongs to summer and snowmen belong to winter. I don't know that I am actually ready for all the snowmen yet... I guess maybe this is a case of "the grass is always greener." I love all of the seasons, but I am feeling a little lonely for lying out on the grass and watching the clouds go by, for lightening bugs and fire works, for warm rain showers, for ice cream tasting better than any other time of year, for seeing Gracie eating a great big wedge of watermelon straight from the rind... I guess we will just have to take as much advantage of these last warm days as we can.

Tagged

The Big 5

10 years ago I:
1. was 17... I still feel like I am that young though...
2. was a senior at good old PVHS
3. thought I knew what love was
4. knew I knew what life was all about
5. was dead wrong about numbers 3 and 4

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. wash baby clothes in preparation for baby number 3 :)
2. finish making the cookies I started last night when I ran out of flour
3. talk my kids into wanting to do something besides watch Dora or Diego all day
4. find a comfortable pair of pants that will fit until this big ol baby comes
5. figure out what to make for dinner

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. sugar
2. sugar
3. sugar
4. sugar
5. and lets see sugar (I can't help myself... the baby is making me want it!!! In my defense I am eating other things even though this is all the baby wants!)

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. pay off all of David's med school loans and pay for the rest of med school
2. fly home to visit my family (that should actually be number 1)
3. give all of my family money to come visit me!
4. pay someone to come organize my basement
5. buy a dresser for my bedroom that is big enough to hold our clothes

5 places I have lived:
1. the place I live now which will remain nameless on this blog
2. St. George, UT
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. West Jordan, UT
5. That's it!

Five jobs I have had:
1. Mom (current and best job ever!)
2. Zions Bank
3. violin teacher
4. Latter Day Stuff
5. Rent a video and pizza

5 people I tag:
1. I honestly can't pick 5 people because
2. I haven't done the last million tags
3. that I have been tagged
4. because I am lame so it would be
5. rude of me to actually try and make other people do this...

You are tagged if you want to be...

I want to listen...

Update on the pretty ballerina pictured in the previous post. I took Gracie to dance again today. She ran off to join her class without a glance back at her anxious mother at all. My little girl is getting all grown up... She was so excited to get to dance again. When 5:00 rolled around I was waiting in the hot, humid waiting room with all of the other mothers for her to come out and tell me how it went. The very first words out of her mouth were, "Mom, I had fun today!" She loves "dancing school" as she calls it. Her mother sits shyly in the waiting room, afraid to talk to all the other moms (why am I so chicken) but Gracie runs right in and walks up to complete strangers as though they are her oldest and dearest of friends. She loves to learn the dances too and comes out and demonstrates what she has learned to me (so far walking on their tip toes and jumping jacks only without the hand and arm part). She showed me her sparkly hello kitty sticker that her teacher gave her and kind of caressed it as though it was one of her greatest treasures. We went home and had dinner and as we were finishing it, Gracie said to me, "I wasn't listening in dancing school today. I just wanted to jump." I think that is the very first time Gracie has ever actually admitted to not listening. Her usual response when we ask her to listen to something we have told her is, "I want to listen" in a whiney voice that is sometimes adorable and sometimes just plain gets on my nerves. We talked about Nephi and how when his dad asked him to go back to Jerusalem to get the plates from Laben he didn't say, "I want to go back and get them, but I just can't." He said, "I will go and do!" So we are working on going and doing around here. It is a daily struggle... ok it is more like a minutely struggle, but we are working on it... I guess that is the best we can do right?

In other news, as far as the doctors appointment thing goes, I have an appointment!!! At the new office! Please cross your fingers for me that everything goes well. It is on Friday at 10:00. David has decided he is going with me to make sure they take good care of me. :) Thanks babe. But in the mean time this pregnant brain of mine is getting dumber and dumber. On Friday I put the ice cream in the refrigerator. David found it there a while later and said, "Um, Julie is there a reason the ice cream is in the fridge?" I seriously don't remember doing that. On Sunday I put the milk in the cupboard and today I put the dishwasher detergent in the fridge. So nothing is where it belongs and I don't know where to look to find anything in my kitchen! Don't they make some kind of pills for this? Maybe I just need more sleep. The pregnancy insomnia gets to me every time. I think I am going to go to bed early tonight. Goodnight all.

My pretty ballerina!

Gracie starts her very first dance class today! She is so excited. She could not wait another second to get dressed for dance, and it doesn't even start for over an hour! She feels so pretty in her leotard even if she does look a little bit more like she is about to karate kick someone in the third picture than like she is dancing... they will have to work on that in class I guess... She really is the sweetest ballerina I have ever seen! I asked her what she wanted to be for Halloween the other day and guess what she said. A ballerina of course. Who knew that when I bought her clothes for dance class I was killing two birds with one stone. I can't wait to see how the class actually goes. Gracie talks about the "dancing school" all the time. We registered her almost two weeks ago and it has been so hard to wait until now for her to start! Good luck at dancing school Gracie! I love you!

Love the zoo!

We went with some friends to the zoo on Labor Day. It was kind of hot (at least I was hot), but it was so fun anyway. The kids loved to see all of the animals, especially the otters. The otters were swimming in the pool in the bottom left picture. Joanna, Sammy, and Gracie were all jumping around and squealing and really just loving to see them swim. It looked so cool and refreshing, we wanted to go for a swim too! Thanks for coming to the zoo with us! It is so much more fun with friends!

Go Wellsville Tigers and Go Grandpa Jack!!!

We drove to Wellsville Ohio on Saturday to see David's Grandpa Jack inducted into his high school's hall of fame! I had no idea that Grandpa Jack was such an amazing athlete, but apparently he was the school's MVP in basketball and even got a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh. We saw some great pictures of him playing ball! Congrats Grandpa!

Here is a picture of David's cousin, Kevin. He got to do the introduction for Grandpa Jack. He did a great job. It wasn't too long and it was funny to boot.

Go Wellsville Tigers!

It was so fun to see all of the family that came to the ceremony as well. Micah and Sarah are now our closest family. They live only two hours away and it has been so great to see them more often.

Love ya Uncle Don!

And of course Grandma Ro. Gracie talked about coming to see you for hours before we actually got there. Every time we would get of the freeway (you know for potty breaks and getting lost and stuff) she would be furious when we would get back on because it meant we weren't at Grandma's yet. We sure love all of you!

We were really glad that Grandpa's part was near the beginning. After almost 4 hours of being in the car that morning the kids weren't very excited to sit through the rest of the program. I took them into the Gym and they climbed the bleachers until we had to leave. The school had a great big tiger painted on the wall of the Gym and Sammy was captivated by it for a good 20 minutes. And he kept growling at it! He was just showing his team spirit for the Wellsville Tigers and for Grandpa Jack!

I told them to smile but this is what I got.

We went on a little road trip on Saturday. We woke the kids up early and got them dressed and ready and buckled them into the car. I have been pretty lazy about taking pictures lately, and figured this was a good opportunity so I turned around from the front seat and told them both to smile and this is what I got...

Notice how Dora is buckled into her seatbelt too. We just taught Gracie how to buckle her own and now everyone (including the dolls) gets buckled up. And yes, Dora is also wearing one of Gracie's shirts. Gracie loves to dress Dora in all of her clothes!

How funny that they would both make the same face for their pictures. Do you think they planned this?