Recent pics - and not so recent

Jesse and I a couple of months after we started attending Liberty Church, around February of 2008, I think.

My friend Tanya and I a week or so ago.  Our due dates are only about 2 weeks apart.  She's having a boy.

Speaking of due dates, mine is only about 8 weeks away.  Much to do before then!!  Better get on it.

General Sherman

"Went by the name of Jesse. Seven feet tall he was, with arms like tree trunks. His eyes were like steel: cold, hard. Had a shock of hair, black, like the fires of Hell."

 

My man caught a freakishly HUGE catfish in the Coosa River!  It was 53 pounds, I believe.  

Just for reference, looking at the shot below you can see that it was almost as big as Madeline!

(Speaking of whom, she was still in her jammies from the night before.)

Crazy, crazy huge fish.  Jesse brought him home in a cooler and I was joking that it was like being married to a mafia hit man who is always bringing home dead bodies!  Looking at that fish in the cooler all I could think about was a dead guy stuffed in someone's trunk!

I have no doubt that Jesse Fink is going to become a household name down at the GON office. :)

6 months - and an FYI

I am 6 months!! 

==> 6!!  MONTHS!! <==

She will be here in 3 months!!  

I know I sound like a broken record, but I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going by.  I was looking at our little ultrasound pics today - sweet little chubby cheeks, just like her sisters.  I can't wait to hold her and kiss those little cheeks.  ♥

On an unrelated note.

I enjoy being pregnant.  I really do.  I feel cute.  Bulgy, but cute.  

Pregnancy is the ONE TIME in my life that I actually DON'T feel self-conscious about my weight.  I like the cute little belly and I like the cute little clothes.  I *adore* the enormous ta-tas.  :)  I don't obsess over the number on the scale and I don't feel guilty about eating.

HOWEVER.  I have noticed a disturbing trend.  For some reason, it seems that people feel it is okay to say things to me (I assume because I am obviously pregnant) that NO ONE in their right mind would say to a woman who is NOT pregnant.

Comments like, "You must be due any day," and "Feeling big?" and my favorite, "ONLY 6 MONTHS?!  Is it TWINS??" just roll off their tongues.  Worse, it is WOMEN who are guilty of this!!  Now come on ladies.  Would you tell another non-pregnant woman at the grocery store she seems a bit hefty to you for her height?

Of course not.  Can you imagine?  "Wow, you are big for a woman who is only 5' 4"!  You must feel miserable!"  

***SMACK!!***

That's about how that conversation would go, no?

So, just an FYI ladies.  No pregnant woman wants to be told she is huge - just like the *not* pregnant girl next to her in line who is carrying an extra 30 lbs - she knows.  And there is a good chance she is NOT standing there thinking how much better she would feel about herself if someone would just acknowledge her plight.

The old adage is true - think of something NICE to say.  Ask her if she is excited.  Ask her if she knows the baby's gender.  Tell her she looks cute.  And if she retorts with a negative remark about her appearance, don't be fazed.

The last 3 women she stood next to in line probably asked if she was carrying twins.

Thanks for listening.  I feel better. :)  Once we get the crib put together I'll be putting up some before-and-after pics of the nursery and the girls' room, both of which have recently received a fresh coat of paint in super girly colors.  Have a great weekend!

WE GOT SNOW!!

Real snow!!  4 INCHES!!  I know that isn't much, but for us it is a HUGE amount and the girls LOVED it!  There was a snowman in every yard in town, no one missed the opportunity to get outside and play in it.  It fell on Friday night and I should have taken more pictures of the yard, it was just beautiful.  By the next morning at 11 o'clock, it was almost completely melted.

Now our snow man looks more like a snow zombie:

It was wonderful while it lasted - I heard we might get another inch or two tonight.

If that happens I will take some pics of the yard covered in snow this time.

Hope you are having a lovely Valentines Day!!

Happy hump day!

I resisted the temptation to name this post "Hump Week."  I can see the raised eyebrows now.

I am 21 weeks, officially "over the hump!"  We are both doing great - mom is feeling not too shabby and little miss is practicing for the US Olympic gymnastics team on a daily basis.  Still amazed at how quickly the pregnancy is zipping along.  Baby Bean will be here before we know it.  And from the feel of things, she will be able to do a perfect ariel at birth.

Here's a BabyCenter drawing of a 21-week bambino:

 And here's a snapshot of the real thing:

 

 

 

 

Adorable maternity digs courtesy of my Dad. ♥

More belly pics as the oven continues to expand, I promise.  Up until now there hasn't been much to see.

If only that trend were destined to continue...sigh.  Had an OB check today and evidently no one ever told the scale there "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

But it goes with the territory.  :)  I'm grateful for the blessing of another pregnancy and especially, the blessing of another daughter.  We can't wait to meet her.

Hope your Hump Day's HAPPY!

Treed

 Jesse treed a Baby Bug!!

 

Apparently these creatures like to climb trees when encouraged by their Daddies.

 

They are a little brazen and fearless as well.

And once they are in the tree, they tend not to want to come down.

:)

IT'S A GIRL!!

Hooray!  We get to keep the designation "the girlies" when referring to our little ones.  We will be welcoming another daughter at the end of May. Jesse is seriously outnumbered at this point.  :)

I cannot BELIEVE how fast this pregnancy is FLYING by.  Another week and I will be at the HALFWAY point!!  We need to get on the nursery and start thinking about names while I am in my second trimester and feeling relatively good.  I am thinking a whole lot about getting back in some yoga classes 3 times a week too, but we will see if I can pull it off time wise.  It made a world of difference in eliminating pregnancy aches and pains with Madeline.  (Plus I just miss the gym, and Dr. said forget about doing anything but yoga or walking until after the baby is born, so yoga it is.)

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year!!  Here are some of the girlies' Christmas pictures that didn't make it into the Christmas cards.  I had a very hard time narrowing it down to 3.  Enjoy, and New Years' Blessings!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jenga Night with the Girlies

In the surreal-ness of having so few cakes to do in the glorious, glorious month of December, I am able to do fun things with the girlies that I don't usually have time for.  It struck me that we used to play Jenga in Bible college, and I set out to find the game locally for the girls.  I couldn't stand to wait and give it to the them for Christmas. :)

Sure enough, Target had just, one, left!  Yay!  And I think it was $10!!  Even better.  I feared that the girls might be a little young for it, but I should have known better - they loved it.  And so, for your viewing pleasure, here is my Jenga Photo Journal from the other night. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This last shot is a gem.  Baby was pulling out a block that I knew was going to doom the tower, so instead of rescuing her, I just sat there with my camera at the ready.  I wish I had waited about another half second to push the button, but the look on her face is awesome.

I think this was Friday night.  On Saturday morning I awoke to the loud sound of a Jenga tower crashing down on the dining room table, along with one little voice giggling and another saying, "Aw, maaaaan."  I'm so glad that Baby is home from school for two whole weeks.  They are such little treasures. :)

Natalie's Christmas Concert

I know it has been over a month since I've blogged!!  Bad blogger!  BAD!!

I just haven't had much to take pictures of...

Day to day stuff is all we've had going on, just the busy-ness of making cakes, running errands, and dropping adorable little girls off at school.

Jesse is working in North Carolina, but he has been home on and off and we've been soaking up the time together when we have it.

I promise I think about our sadly neglected blog almost every day...

And today I'm glad to report that I have some pictures to post! Yay!

BUT, please bear with me - Blogger has changed their format and so I am learning all over again.

Natalie had her Christmas Concert at school yesterday and because December is blessedly slow for cakes...

I got to go and take Rooney too. :)

 I'm afraid that most of the pictures I got were terrible quality...

It wouldn't hurt me to sit down and read the manual for my camera some time, I'm sure that would help.

Also, I showed up 30 MINUTES early for the concert and still got a seat like 6 rows back...

I think most people must have dropped their kids off for school at 8:15 and then gone straight to the sanctuary to reserve their seats...but the concert didn't start until 9:30!!

So of course I did the logical thing...

Go get Starbucks to kill time and then come back. :)

Notice anything different about Bug than the other children?

Well, she goes to a Methodist school...

We go to a Pentecostal church....

THE DAY BEFORE the concert they sent a note home...

"Please have children wear their SUNDAY BEST."

No problem. :)

It's just that our definition of Sunday Best is,

evidently,

a little different than everyone elses. :)

Even without a frilly Christmas dress (sorry, she doesn't own one)

she was pretty as a picture the whole time.

She even had her own speaking part.

She was the 'M' in C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S.

'M' is for the Many blessings He has given us.

Amen. :)

They turned the lights down for the last song and gave all the children these candles.

I'm afraid this was the best of about 50 blurry and psychedelic pictures I took. :)

After the concert we headed back to Baby's classroom for her Christmas party.
The children exchanged gifts (books) and Christmas cards...
and there was an unholy amount of cookie-eating that took place.

Madeline jumped right in with Baby just like one of the gang.

They are growing up before our eyes.
I love that they are best friends.

The bun (and the oven) are doing great. :)
I'm starting to show and
with the exception of the lingering morning sickness,
I'm really enjoying being pregnant again.


Just 2 more weeks until we find out the baby's gender!!
YAY!!

WHEW!! That was a long one. :)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. :)

Second OB Check...

Saw the Baby Doc on Thursday and everything looks great. Lost some weight since the last check but Dr. didn't even mention it, it's just what happens sometimes when you have morning sickness. I really like our Dr. - Jesse and I joke about the number of times she says "kick ass" or "big ass" in one appt. She said "big ass" in the first 10 seconds after she walked into the exam room this time. She's hilarious. She is pregnant too but she's due in just a couple of weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if her baby's first words were "kick ass!"

8 more weeks (2 more visits) and we get to find out the baby's gender. :)