Horton Family

Party of Five

2009-12-11T16:12:00.010-05:00

Miss Vivienne Pathana (Pah-ten-ah) Horton, born at 6:05 PM, November 20, 2009, 8 lbs 9 oz, 21.25 inches long. Here she is at a mere three weeks old. I cannot fathom how quickly these last twenty one days have passed. And as quickly as the time has flown, it seems as if this little one has been a part of our family forever. She has the sweetest disposition, and does what newborns do best: eat, sleep, and poo. I just love her to pieces, as do her sisters and father. She has all of us wrapped around her sweet little finger.

Three weeks ago this is where we were. Less than twelve hours, three blown IVs, and a crap load of pitocin later, I finally got me meet my sweet little girl.

There's not much to say for Vivienne's birth story, except it was one of the most beautiful and empowering moments of my life. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it (seriously people, it was amazing). The contractions were completely manageable and incredibly exciting at times. I can't say it was entirely painless, but it wasn't painful either. I love that she came into the world in such a quick (four pushes) and peaceful way, and am in such awe of what our bodies are capable of doing.
Here's Daddy getting to hold his daughter for the first time. And while we're here, let me give a huge shout out to my husband. Not only does he work ten to eleven hour days five days a week, but when he comes home he is Super Dad.

For the last few months he has been the big girls' primary care provider, and it is a job that suits him well. It fills me with pride to watch him interact with his children, and it fills me with joy to see how they react to him. He feeds them dinner, gives them baths, changes diapers, gets them in pajamas, plays with them for hours, AND puts them to bed, every night. He's never asked for anything in return and I have never, ever heard him complain. Not only am I the luckiest girl in the world to have such an awesome father for my three girls, but I am the luckiest girl to have such handsome, caring, loving, supportive husband for myself!
You can't see it here, but Vivienne surprised all of us by not having a cone head. What she did have was a bruised face. The nurses said both things are normal of babies that are born quickly. I think she's still a little TOed about having her head smashed by my pelvis.
My awesome nurses, Jessica and Satina. Jessica is a student nurse and was on the last week of her OB rounds, and Vivienne's was the first live birth she got to see. I like to think we made her experience pretty memorable : ) Satina applied pressure to my hips as Vivienne was descending and had the best bedside manner. In fact, I suggested that she should be a midwife or doula, and she then told me that her mother has been a practicing midwife for over thirty years. Their skill with laboring women must run in the family.

Grandma Boo and Papa Walter meeting their seventh grandchild.

I like to blame my incredibly puffy face on the IV and not the fact that I gained almost 50 lbs with this pregnancy : ) It's really not fair that chipmunk cheeks are only adorable on babies : (

Due to H1N1, no children were allowed in the hospital. So, the girls didn't get to meet their sister until we all came home. Zoe's love for her sister is still as exuberant as it was on the first day. Lucy has definitely come around, even though here she just looks confused.
It only took twenty minutes for Lucy to warm up. She loves to hold her sister. I think it makes her feel like such a big girl. Those two have adjusted so well. So far, I have yet to see any signs of jealously and the only time they get upset (in regards to Vivienne) is when they can't get to her to give her a kiss. It's only been three weeks, so I am realistic that one of the big girls will begin to object at some point, but for now I'll enjoy and thoroughly document their love for each other.

Great Grandma Maly and Vivienne.

Four days old and snoring already...

We've had a parade of visitors, and I apologize if you came by and I didn't get your picture. Sorry. Uncle Shawn and Vivienne. Don't mind the wacky camera angle; I have no idea what I was doing.
Aunt Tina, Bella, and baby. They brought us food and gift, and we are so thankful. Me, because the leftovers allowed Charles to not cook, and Charles because the toys for the big girls have been a huge distraction.

Aunt Vadsana and the girls have come by quite a bit. She also brought food and gifts. And just for the same reasons as mentioned above, we are grateful! It has been so nice to not worry about dinner. I'm not quite sure what Vivienne is thinking here...

Cousin Alison and Cousin Maly.

Just like after Zoe was born, Lucy came out of her shell. This has been true of Zoe this time around. Here she is smooching on her Papa (and getting ready to mop the floor-only at Aunt Vadsana's...)

We celebrated Charles' birthday one week after Vivienne was born. I spent all that time baking a cake, and surprise, surprise, I was the only one to eat it. It could have been part of the broken eggshells that deterred everyone, but hey, who's that picky? I've never claimed to be a great baker...
Charles took one whole week off of work to be at home with me and the girls. The next week Grandma Boo came up. Everyone had a great time, and I was even able to sneak in morning naps with the baby without worrying about Zoe setting the house on fire.
Sarah and Greta swung by for a few hours. They also brought food (but don't think you have to bring food if you want to visit us), and it was so yummy.
Natalie came by with Miss Elizabeth the next day. We had just come back from an appointment, so of course we had to take pictures of the future best friends sleeping in their car seats, next to one another. I hadn't seen Elizabeth in three weeks and she has gotten so big! Natalie looks great too, but I didn't get any pictures of her.

The girls would play with Grandma Boo for hours. She is a trooper. I don't even have the energy to play with them for as long and as consistently as she did.

Aunt Sue and Cousin Kalani came by last week. Sue insisted that I crop her head out of the picture, but I assure you, it's her. Thanks for the Thai food, Aunt Sue!

Daddy and his three girls! I still can't believe that we have three children. I just love my family. They are the best!

The girls helped Charles with the Christmas tree, our very sad and skinny (nearly anorexic) Christmas tree.

Their favorite pastime this last week has been to pull the ornaments off and bring them to me. No matter how many times I tell them to leave the tree alone, "or else it's coming down!", they keep doing it. I don't think it's taken them that long to realize that my threats are empty.

My mom stopped by for a visit. She's been working like a fiend lately. With the holidays people are always calling in, and she worked four nights this last week, plus her normal day shift. She and Vivienne fell asleep and I couldn't resist taking this picture. So presh!

Oh, the swing, how I love you! What did people do before the invention of these things? Without fail, if Vivienne is the least bit tired, I just pop her in there and she falls asleep.

Grandma Maly was here the last two day to help out. She is so good with babies, and that is probably because she not only raised her three kiddos, but also helped in rearing every single one of her grandkids.

And lastly, just yesterday, I finally caught her smiling on camera. She's a bit milk drunk, (as evident by the milk dripping from the bottom corner of her lip) but those make the best pictures. We are so glad that she is here and healthy and can't wait to see what the next three weeks bring!

Fall 2009

2009-11-09T15:01:00.009-05:00

The last month has been a busy one. We've basically been trying to squeeze in as much as we can before winter sets in, a new baby is here, and we're stuck in doors. A couple weekends before Halloween the cousins all hit up Caroline's for a little pumpkin picking, tractor riding, animal feeding, and donut eating.

Here is my first attempt at the required "picture among the pumpkins" with just my two. Slight Fail.

Much better. Even thought they're not smiling, at least they're facing the same direction and looking near the vicinity of the camera's lens.

The ham decided as I was putting the camera away she was ready to cheese. Typical.

The next attempt was at a cousins picture. Even bigger Fail, but at the very, very least they are all in the frame.

Lucy loved the idea of her head atop a scarecrow's body...

so much we had to take two pictures.

Uh, Zoe, not so much.

Let the tractor rides begin. Parents with multiple children: It's probably not a great idea to take kids on a vehicle without seatbelts and an open roof if you 1. are outnumbered, 2. have child(ren) that don't mind (and try to throw themselves between the slats of the tractor as it's moving), and/or 3. are nine months pregnant.

I told the girls they could get ANY pumpkin they could pick up and carry back to the tractor. Zoe found one she really wanted. Unfortunately, when she went to claim her booty, I heard her state (very matter-of-factly, and with a grunt, no less), "Too heavy, Mama". Oh, too bad. Maybe next year.

I have no words. I think it's only something a toddler would understand...

The girls are champion "loungers". They love to lay all over any surface or person they can reach: couch, floor, mom, dad, etc. This seating is typical in our house, and believe it not, neither of them seem to mind the arrangement.

Zoe turned 19 months at the end of October. Every day I think, "When did she become such a big girl?" She is no longer a baby, and I have a feeling that this will become even more apparent in the next week or so. She is just so verbal and mature (the benefits of having an older sibling). Sure, she's got kind of a sassy streak, but I like em' just a bit spunky.

My Lucy isn't so little anymore either. She is quite funny and smart. She knows exactly what to do to get what she wants too. Example: I was telling Charles the other day that she is quite a hypochondriac. Everything is a boo-boo or an ouchie. He tells me about an exchange they had just the day before, an no kidding, in the next minute their exact same conversation takes place.

Lucy: Daddy, my tummy hurts.
Daddy: Oh no. Your tummy?
Lucy: Yea. Tummy. Hurts.
Daddy: What would make your tummy feel better?
Lucy: Chocolate.
Daddy: Chocolate would make your tummy feel better?
Lucy: Uh huh.
Daddy: Okay, we'll get some chocolate for your tummy.

Lucy eats her chocolate and looks at her father with such love.
Lucy: Tummy all better. Thanks Daddy.

This is how the conversation would have ended had it been between Lucy and myself:

Mommy: Oh that's too bad about your tummy, Lucy. Chocolate would just make it feel worse. Do you need to poop?

Which is exactly why my children never ask for candy.

Lucy's school had a Halloween party where the kids dressed up and went trick-or-treating door to door. I sent Charles to the party with the camera. He took two pictures. Two. Apparently there was a memo that all the Asian girls in Lucy's classroom dress up as witches...

We did trick-or-treating on the Square again this year. The kiddos loved putting on their costumes and begging for candy. And, in case you're wondering, Zoe was a turkey.

When we got home Daddy and the girls decided to make cookies, and by make cookies, I mean they opened up the package of pre-made, pre-shaped, and pre-decorated dough and laid them on a cookie sheet. Baking is hard work!

Someone's a wee bit excited.

Waiting patiently, or not so patiently...

The next day was so beautiful that we decided to be productive while enjoying the outdoors. Lucy and I raked while Zoe did nothing (of course), and Charles mulched the huge leaf piles.

This past weekend the Sue, Kevin, Kalani, my Dad and Stepmom came over to hang out with the kids so Charles and I could go out (Thanks, guys!). It's been almost one year since our last date, and I figure it will be another year before our next. I'm glad that we got out of the house by ourselves, but it made me realize how fulfilling just being at home with the kids and Charles is.

39 weeks

I had my 39 week appointment this morning and all is well. The practice I go to will not let anyone go past the 41 week mark, so in less than two weeks we will have another family member. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I could be pregnant for another month. I get really sad thinking this pregnancy is quickly coming to an end. It is an understatement to say that I LOVE being pregnant. *sigh*

Side note:

I did have an fetal growth ultrasound last week and this baby is a peanut. I knew she was smaller than Zoe (because I can walk without my hips giving out and sleeping is a non-issue), but I was really shocked to hear that by the 40 week mark, they estimate her size to barely be 7 lbs. The blessing is two-fold. Because she is smaller, they won't be urging me to induce this week AND the doctor thinks that pushing her out won't take the full two to three hours that I am accustomed to. So, yay!

As of this morning I am 4cm dilated. I was 3-4 with the girls for over a week before anything happened, so I'm not holding my breath anything is going to happen before the end of the week. I'm hoping for either the 18th or the weekend following when my two favorite doctors are on call.

Aliens III

2009-10-28T15:02:00.003-05:00

I'm 37 and a half weeks, still feeling good. This child is quite comfortable, as evident by the video below. When she gets to moving like this, which is most of the time she's awake, I like to play the game, "Guess the Extremity". Aside from distinctly knowing where her bum is, I'm usually at a loss. At this point, knees, elbows, arms, legs, fingers and toes all feel just about the same, painful; but any mother-to-be can testify along with me that it is the best painful feeling in the world. I'm going to miss this when she's born.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

One post per season, apparently...

2009-10-14T16:39:00.012-04:00

Sooooo, let me just go out on a limb here and say that I do not win any gold stars for blogging or picture taking. What I do get an award for is getting these pictures in chronological order, the first time around. So, yay me! This first set was taken towards the beginning of July. You'll notice that as the further down you scroll, the paler my children get. Hence the change in season. Poor kids got pale skin from both sides of the family.

This is what Charles and I call the "typical Zoe face". When she smiles, boy does she smile! It's quite contagious. I think it has to do with the combo eye squint/nose wrinkle.

Lucy and Zoe, such great sisters and friends. They love each other so much, that I sometimes wonder if they will view their new sister as an interloper. Side note: Do these girls look like twins to you? What is wrong with people? Anywhere and everywhere we go, I get asked if they are twins. Uh no, they are not.

This the end of July. I was told the my placenta previa had cleared, so my restrictions were lifted. We hit quite a few neighborhood parks until I started to bleed and was put back on low activity. End of story, although they couldn't pinpoint the source of the bleed, everything turned out fine. I think it was my body's way of telling me to slow down.

Another cute, random example of "typical Zoe face".

We've moved into August territory, the very, very tail end of August territory. And the only reason I know this is because this next set of pictures is from Lucy's birthday. Once again, for the third year running, Charles and I dropped the ball. We had every intention of throwing her a party, but just never got around to it. What a couple of slackers. At the very least, we've set the precedence in our favor, and none of our children will expect much when their birthdays roll around...

Lucy, my big three year old girl, started preschool in the middle of September. She gets to go four days a week for three hours a day. She loves it. Her favorite part is riding the school bus. In fact, I only have to mention the school bus most mornings and that is enough motivation to get her out of bed.

Zoe, sitting on the steps, quite forlorn after Lucy first stepped onto the bus with out her. She's much better these days, but for the first couple of weeks after Lucy started school, she was quite the pill. She really missed her sister, but has since learned that there is fun to be had as a singleton, if only for a few hours at a time.

Give these girls some books, a couple of lollipops, and Dora, and you get quiet. These three things are my saving grace. How did I get anything done before?

Lucy and Dad enjoying their one-on-one reading time.

Another thing I love about the end of summer? Three words: Liberty Fall Festival. I had been dreaming of jumbo sized corn dogs, kettle korn, funnel cake, and tropical snow ALL summer long. The Browns joined us for an evening of grease-laden treats, carneys, and over-priced (and quite scary) rides.

Don't Lucy and Kalani looked pumped up?

Self portrait time! Us girls had the tedious task of winding the strollers around the mobs of people, as well as watching said strollers while the Dads took their kids on rides.

Kevin and Kalani on the crazy-fast carousel. Seriously, that thing didn't have any belts or restraints to speak of and was moving at what appeared to be a break-neck speed. As the carousel was going round and round, the only thing I cold see was the flash of white coming from Charles' knuckles as he tried to keep Lucy seated. Of course, that didn't stop them from riding it again...

We went back for some more that Sunday afternoon, thinking it would be a bit less crowded. Wrong. It was so busy and hot, but the girls were troopers. I cannot say the same for Charles and myself. The things we do for our children.... Lucy loves carnivals. Can you tell?

Zoe, on the other had does not share the same feeling as Lucy. Can you tell?

The end of September. My happy girls. They are high chair dancing to whatever music is on. Zoe's got some sweet moves, but you can get a feel for my favorite of hers: the head crook/arm wave move.

I'll be 36 weeks on Saturday and am already 2 cm dilated (not that that means anything). I can't find the disc that has the baby's 3/D pictures on it. If I find it before she's actually born, I'll post some. She's got the same full lips as her sisters . She really looks quite a bit like Zoe, but we'll see. They change so much in the first few months. I'm still feeling good. Just the typical pregnancy things: Sore hips, fatique, indigestion. Nothing that the chiropractor, extra sleep, and TUMS can't fix. I also developed PUPPs again, but started a holistic treatment of dandelion root and flax seed oil. Where in the heck was this stuff with my last pregnancies? I'm still itchy, but the rash outbreaks are completely gone! I've also learned firsthand that restless leg syndrome can be combatted with extra folate. I don't have any belly pics, but will take some to post on the next blog. I don't feel that big, but for the last couple of months many, many people have asked or told me that a) "You look like you're about to pop!" b) "Are you sure not carrying twins?" c) "You've really dropped!"/"You're carrying low!" What is wrong with these people?

That's all for now! Hopefully I'll post again before the baby is born.

June in Review

2009-06-30T13:50:00.014-04:00

We had a busy month of June. We finally bought a dining room set, Charles took three overnight-out-of-town trips, Grandma Judy came up for a much-needed week long visit, I learned how to thread my sewing machine, we had playdate after playdate, we finished two more projects in the (soon to be completed) mud room, and we took an extended weekend trip up north to visit Uncle Iain and Auntie Katie.

As cute as they are, don't let them fool you. They are still very much eating in their high chairs. But, just like us, they love to sit at the table. It's kind of a novelty, and it's crazy how much more appreciative we are to have one after eating on the couch, floor, and bar area for over a year. Now we even have a more comfortable place to pay bills, go through mail, do laundry, etc. You know, all of the fun stuff.

The girls relaxing with Grandma J.

Lucy loves her Grandma so much. They had such a great week together that when Grandma left to go home, Lucy went through withdraw for almost the whole next week. She moped around and kept running into the guest room to see if there was anybody in there. So sad.

Here we are trying to figure out how this blasted machine works. It was a Christmas gift from Judy, and we finally cracked open the box earlier this month. I cannot believe how long it took for us to apply the directions (with pictures) to the machine. You'd think the darn thing was written in a foreign language or that neither of us had ever seen a sewing machine. Four hours later...Victory!

When we had the basement finished we kept a small space off of the the garage to use for clean up and coat/shoe storage, as well as a place for my dusty treadmill. We painted months ago, after the reno was completed, but we still had to tile the back splash behind the slop sink, electrical wires were still dangling from the ceiling, and trim couldn't be done until the floor was laid. Ugh, there was so much to do, but after months of staring at an unfinished space and the motivation of the baby's arrival, we got our crap together and completed phase one of the mud room.

Here she is, in all her unfinished glory. The bookshelves will eventually be refinished and re-cut to flank our still unfinished fireplace. Are you noticing a trend yet?

I have to give it to my husband. He has transformed into the handiest person, or maybe he's always been, but has just decided now that out of necessity he can show off his sweet skills. Here here is with the wet saw. We rented it on a Friday night at 8 PM, he figured out how to use it shortly after, and tiling was completed by 11 PM. We already had a bit of practice in the kitchen, but amazingly hadn't needed to cut any pieces.

Ta Da! No more dangling cords and no more exposed concrete floor. The electrical work is also that of Charles. I keep telling him he needs to go into business as a handy man, but strangely enough, my suggestions have gone unheeded.

Check out that fancy tile job! I also have to say that I was not entirely unhelpful. I laid all of the tile and I cut all of the shoe molding with the miter saw. I thought that I would be afraid, but working with power tools is quite liberating. That's not to say that I want to make a career out of home improvements, but it feels good to do something start to finish. Charles, the plumber aka Charles the electrician, hooked up the slop sink last night. All that's left is to get some lockers and benches and install them. We'll see how long that takes to complete...

Last week the girls and I headed over to Auntie Aprils (aka Lucy's BFF) to visit and see her Mom, Crystal. Sarah and Miss G also made an appearance. The girls had a grand time playing and I even managed to get a nap out of both of them that afternoon.

Lucy is still learning how to "be gentle". Poor Zoe is used to being man-handled/loved on, but this was new territory for Greta. Here they are "hugging" or rather, Lucy putting Greta in the sleeper hold/head lock. Greta didn't seem to mind the "attention" one bit.

In fact, while they were together for the afternoon, they were inseparable. What most people would call attempting to destroy furniture, we call "durability-testing", and fortunately for April, her end table passed with flying colors. Can the bottom shelf hold fifty pounds worth of children? Check!

More durability-testing on the moses basket that Crystal bought at a garage sale for her grandson. Yup, it passes inspection.

This is not the best picture, but it is the only one I have of Uncle Iain from this past weekend. Not only do I never have my camera out, ready to take pictures, but when I finally remembered to get it, the batteries went dead. I suck.

Anyway, we had a fantastic weekend. The girls did great. They road-tripped well, slept in an unfamiliar environment well, and played well, given the fact that we packed as few toys as possible. We loved catching up with Iain and Katie (even if it meant staying up until the wee hours the morning), and couldn't believe how lucky we were when we also got to see Grandma J, Grandpa Dave, and Auntie Peggy and Uncle Jim for a few hours on Friday and Saturday night. Thank you so much Iain and Katie. Your new home is beautiful and we can't wait to see you guys again!

My SIL Katie and I in the requisite "belly-bump" pose. Here we are at 23 weeks and 20 weeks. I am so happy we get to experience this together. My first pregnancy I got to be pregnant with Vadsana, the second with Sue, so I've shared every pregnancy with a sister. I am so lucky!

We have first trimester shot, here is our second trimester shot, and hopefully we'll get to see them again in August to get the third shot. She has the sweetest little belly and I can't wait for October to meet my nephew!

More evidence that Miss Zoe is a ham!

It's probably just me, but since it's fairly obvious Lucy mostly takes after me (if Lucy and Zoe traded eyebrows, she would be my twin), these two are twinkies. Two, pretty cute twinkies, at that.

Lucy is the most fickle girl when it comes to her BFF. Let's just say she's a social butterfly. She could not get enough of Auntie Katie this weekend. It's good practice for Katie, although it doesn't seem she needs much. She is so very maternal already. Much more so than I ever was before children.

My gut has told me all along this baby is a girl, so it was nice to get confirmation today. We saw the doctor, and she is as healthy as can be. Everything checks out and I am grateful. We are so blessed to have another baby on the way. She was so quick and active during the ultrasound as well as being incredibly stubborn. I specifically wanted a profile shot, but the child would not give. Every time to inducer came near her face, she turned her head or put the arm block up. Little stinker. This is the best one we got. Still, I think she's pretty cute, even though she resembles the characters from the Peanuts comic strip (does anyone else see that?). We do get to see her again in six weeks, but not for her, but rather to check my placenta location, again. It's still low-lying, so they want to keep an eye on it. I am hopeful it moves so I can have another vaginal delivery, but you never know. Anything can happen, and we will just prepare ourselves for that. We hope everyone has safe and fun Fourth of July!

They do make a Mama proud...

2009-05-26T18:08:00.003-04:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

They call me " the Referee"

2009-05-26T17:08:00.020-04:00

So, one would think with two, little, sweet girls, that playtime would be all tea parties and baby dolls. Not in our house. This is how you would find my two little gems on any day of the week, at any given time. Zoe's first phrase will either be "knock it off" (courtesy of Dad) or "that's enough; be nice" (courtesy of moi). The "roll around and wrestle" narrowly beats out the ever popular "sneak up behind my sister and grab legs/hair/arms/any appendage, really, tackle, then tickle". So, that's what they're up to these days, well with the exception of playing "fake puke up the fake vegetables". That ALWAYS leaves them in stitches. You gotta love make believe. The video above demonstrates their love of vegetation. Sorry for the poor quality, and I have no idea where they learned this.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt...

I can't remember what we were over at Aunt Sue's house for, but Kalani and Zoe had fun sharing cheese and puffs. I can't believe his birthday is next month. And I really can't believe that while he has had his haircut (multiple times I think), Zoe's is barely present. Boys get the thick eyelashes and thick heads of hair. It's just not fair.
I'm posting these pictures of Lucy for posterity's sake. Lucy has never, ever been one to smile for the camera. She can not stand to have her picture taken. In fact, she's perfected what we call her "dead face". Get out the camera and point it in her direction, and immediately her eyes close, but not all the way, her mouth parts just so, and she tilts her head back to the slightest degree. It's the strangest thing. Well, there must have been a full moon this night, because she could not get enough of the camera. All she wanted to do was "cheese" and that was fine by me.

On the other hand, there's our little Zohan. She has a love affair with the camera. She loves to have her picture taken and she loves to help take pictures. My two polar opposites. On a side note, this little one started walking a few weeks ago. She's big stuff now.
Lucy and her buddy Ethan, enjoying a spaghetti dinner. Or rather, Ethan enjoyed his, and Lucy stared at hers. From what I hear this is typical behavior for couples on a first date.
We met up with our playgroup last week at the park. What a beautiful day. We had such a great time catching up with friends we haven't seen in months. The girls can't wait for another picnic playdate.
With Mallory and Chloe missing, my two were the only girls. Maybe that's why they love to wrestle...

On an end note, some of you know, some of you don't, we got new cars! Mazda girl was on her last leg. We've been debating this entire last year about what we should do, and she made the decision for us. We had already put sooooo much money into her maintenance and this last "check engine" warning put us over the edge. I have to admit, it was sad leaving her on the lot. I really thought the girls would be driving her. They just don't make them like they used to. Well, the timing was right so Charles is now driving a safe, gas friendly Fit. It's not the manliest car (seriously, have you heard the horn on those things), but who cares? At the last fill up, that thing got over 40mpg!

We also traded in the Pilot for an Odyssey. It's a good thing we did, because there was no way we'd be able to comfortably fit in three carseats. That's right peeps, we are pregnant, again! I've stolen this idea from a few of my friends' blogs, so here goes:

Were you trying? I know what some people are thinking and a few people have already asked. Were were most definitely trying. After Zoe, we had decided that we were done with two. Well folks, we changed our minds. Enough said. My new rides seats eight, so I guess we'll just wait and see what the future holds.

When are you due? November 14.

Will you find out the sex? Most definitely and soon.

Have you picked out any names? Not really.

How are you feeling? Fine. The first trimester was rough, as I anticipated. A lot of fatigue and morning sickness. The girls play a game called "Night, Night". I lay on the ground and they cover me with a blanket, kiss me on the forehead, and say, "Night, Night, Mama". During playtime, I'd sneak a few minutes rest here and there. I'm not so pathetic anymore, so the game is much more humorous.

Do you think it's a boy or a girl? My gut is a girl, Charles thinks the baby is a boy, Lucy thinks there's a cookie in my belly (which most of the time there is), and Zoe just likes to slap my stomach. Let me just say, Charles and I disagreed with the last two pregnancies, and I was always right. There's a first time for anything.

Oh yeah, no belly pics for now. I'm waiting to look pregnant, rather than bloated and squishy. Ya know?

Easter, Self-Portraits, Models, Birthday Girl

2009-04-26T22:06:00.013-04:00

This year's Easter Bunny was "Friendly/Hippity-Hoppity Easter Bunny" compared to last year's "grown-man-in-furry-costume-getting-ready-to-rob-bank-Easter-Bunny", and strangely enough, neither child was too receptive. This is about as close as either one of them would get without shrieking.

The lazy ones waiting for their cousins to fill their baskets.

Eggs: Kalani = 2, Zoe=0

The only picture I have of Lucy hunting for eggs. I don't know how she managed to get empty eggs. My theory is either the quicker children took the candy and put the empty eggs back, or as a way to save money, the Easter Egg Bunny laid a few empty ones.
Cousins picture. It is going to be a long, long time before we get a decent shot of all of them.

Maly, Alison, and Zoe experimenting with the self-portrait option. Uh, yeah. There are some definite keepers in this collection...

Nice.

My Mother and Grandma recently came back from a trip to Laos. They brought all the girls matching outfits. So very chic and pink and noisy. Every outfit has at least ten mini-bells.

Grandma Maly, Lucy, and Pari.

Zoe turned one a month ago, but we celebrated this weekend. I'll blame it on scheduling, but really it's just procrastination at its finest. Things Zoe enjoyed: the singing, the presents. Things Zoe did not enjoy: not being held my Mom, the taco bar dinner, the cake. Things Lucy enjoyed: being held by Dad, the singing, the presents, the taco bar dinner, and especially the cake. Things Lucy did not enjoy: being told there was no more cake.

Momma and her girls, Aunt Sue and Kalani S.

Grandma Penn and the easily-amused Kalani. Those cheekies are so juicy. That child is definitely not missing any meals.

Oh yeah, I didn't post any pictures, but Lucy got her first "real" haircut a few weeks ago. If you ever wondered why Lucy always wore her hair up, this is the reason: Hair pattern and growth is weird. Lucy's hair grew so fast in the back and took forever to get any thickness or length up front. What I'm trying to say is if I let it grow to its own accord, this child would naturally have a mullet. No Joke. The hairdresser took a little over three inches off the back, trimmed her bangs and took nothing, absolutely nothing, off the front and sides. All that was missing was the Natty Lite can and half-smoked ciggy. Mullet-Skullet rest in peace.

My silly girls.

They are so loving and affectionate. I couldn't have asked for sweeter girls.

Spring Break

2009-04-05T18:10:00.009-04:00

Most folks think of spring break as going somewhere tropical with exotic drinks either poolside or on a beach. Not us. Our version of spring break consists of a sweet Marriott hotel with a slightly frigid indoor pool and a view of the interstate. The destination you ask? None other than Cabo San Des Moines. It is a central place for us to meet and we had a great time - always nice to discuss everybody else's dysfunction while complimenting ourselves on how great we are. Given the recession and economic conditions, I assumed we would not have to wait for a table when we decided to go eat - but apparently there is something about chain restaurants in West Des Moines that attract large crowds of people. During the two hour wait at Texas Roadhouse, it was a perfect time for a photo opportunity.

Here are Nanthida, Charles, Iain and Katie in-between taking trips to ask when our table was going to be ready and complaining to management.

Lucy and Zoe with Grandma J and Aunt Peggy. There is a board behind them that displays when your table is ready....notice that nothing is lit.

Lucy showing a little midriff - I think she gets that from her mother. Her dad has since bought her extra long shirts - which is a trend that will continue into adulthood.

Zoe in her standard pose - I think she calls this one 'blue steel'. I tried to tell her that the name was already taken.

Lucy and her dad in what looks like dance practice. Her father's dance moves are so awesome and yet rare to catch on camera - some things are just meant to see live.

Group hug. Lucy is a very sweet girl and loves her sister...most of the time.

Lucy helping Zoe with her presents. She is such a good helper that way. She will even demonstrate to her little sister how things work. But don't assume that Zoe is passive, she defends herself with a stealth-like hair pull when nobody is watching - and will smack Lucy in the face when she is sleeping. Hey, if a bear craps in the woods....

Lucy is getting to be so big - she has now transitioned herself into pullups. Not sure that she has it on correctly but the box didn't come with directions - I guess you are just supposed to know these things. Anywho, here she is showing her biggest fan (Zoe) how its done.

And as always with a spring break trip, we are counting the days until next year.

Finally!

2009-03-03T15:37:00.027-05:00

After some gentle reminders that it's not the New Year anymore, I decided that for posterity sake it's probably a good idea to update (after all, this blog is the lazy man's baby book). Let's see, what have we been up to?

Zoe will be one in just a couple of weeks. Due to an awful bout with the flu, and my lack of milk production, she was weaned just last week. I had wanted to take her up to her one year, but decided now is as good a time as any. She has made the transition beautifully and takes milk from a sippy cup like a champ. Although, every now and then she nuzzles really close to my chest and gets a faraway look in her eyes. I think it's possible that she's reminiscing. She's crawling and cruising, and much to the chagrin of her father and I, she's learned to climb stairs. If only she could get the down part, as well as the up! She has six teeth and is popping another through as we speak. She's loves babies and baby dolls, and loves to give them kisses. She's also blowing kisses, waving, and has discovered that an exaggerated shake of the head for "no" gets big laughs.

Here are the girls at Sam's Club. We love that place for three big reasons: 1) Double seating shopping carts, 2) Huge bags of precooked bacon for $6, and 3) Saturday morning samples!

We had our playgroup's annual Valentine's Day party at the end of February. Unfortunately we were missing some kiddos that day. The girls loved all of the sweets and commotion.

Grandma J sent Zoe her birthday gift via USPS. Here she is modeling her new coat and hat. So CHI-CHI!

Lucy thought it looked fun, so she decided she'd give it a whirl. Her noggin was a bit too big for the hat, but you get the idea, right? Nice face, huh?

Grandma was so sweet she sent Lucy some books in the package. Here she is reading to Zoe about "mer-mae". That's what you and I would call a mermaid.

Yay! Another bird that chirps! Give it's belly a squeeze and the blue birds sings. The girls already have one. They love those things. What's new with Lucy these days? She's talking more and more. She's such a good big sister. Every morning she gives Zoe a hug and kiss, and she loves to share her toys. She's two, so we're starting to see how stubborn she is as well. She's loving, affectionate, and sensitive. She's really a sweet-natured girl.

My older daughter. What can I say? I tell her to "step away from the television", "don't stand so close", etc. So, what does she do? She pushes her blue chair up to the television stand. What a smartie.

This is Lucy's "Cheese!" face.

Zoe decided that she didn't want to take a long after noon nap. It caught up with her later that evening, because three bites into dinner, this is how I find her. My favorite part is the milk dripping off her bottom lip.

We train em' early in this house. Here's Lucy helping Daddy vacuum. She's too young to realize that it's really not the most fun. So, until she does, we'll continue to take advantage.

Seriously, have you seen anyone with a smile that big while vacuuming?

The big news: We (Charles and I) have our bedroom back to ourselves! Lucy has been sleeping in her room, by herself for two months now. She's back to sleeping through the night and loves her big girl bed. At the beginning of February, Zoe moved from our bed into Lucy's bed that was in our room. She was getting way too mobile and was escaping from the twin at naptime, so this weekend we broke down and bought a crib (again). We decided, "What the heck? Let's set the crib up in Lucy's room and see how they do." They've both been in there since Saturday night, and after one rough night, things are going swimmingly! I can't express how wonderful it's been to have the bedroom back to being adults-only. Sleep is so much better. After all, it had been two and a half years! And since I've yet to post any pictures of the half-way completed reno, here are some of the somewhat-newly furnished kids' room.

Happy New Year

2009-01-14T21:44:00.005-05:00

We hope you had a great holiday and all of your wildest dreams are coming true in 2009. We are waaaay behind on our remodel and basement finishing so you notice the hiatus from posting anything lately. Here are a few pics from the holiday - more to come.

Black wardrobe: $100

Digital camera: $200

Holiday photo in front of somebody else's tree: Priceless

Dad and his girl Zoe at the bowling alley.

Lucy reenacting the first Thanksgiving (if the pilgrims had juicy juice and funny turkey hats)

Silly Faces

2008-11-19T14:50:00.002-05:00

Baths and Blessings (but not at the same time)

2008-11-18T16:14:00.004-05:00

For those of you who aren't in contact with us very often, we are in the middle of a huge home renovation. We thought originally that the work would take anywhere from 4-6 weeks. We are now on week twelve. Needless to say, we are no where near completion and the project has completely taken over every free minute we have. My apologies for the lack of posts and the small quantity of pictures when we do post.

The girls loved taking their bath together. Unlike myself, Zoe doesn't mind when Lucy splashes her.

These two have so much fun together. Who knew that a cup of water could be so enthralling?

Two Sundays ago Lucy was blessed at my home congregation. The prayer given by the girls' Uncle Adam was beautiful, and John was cool as a cucumber, even though Zoe chose to scream the duration of the blessing. Seriously, almost the entire blessing, and when she wasn't screaming she was lunging at the microphone.

Visitors, Pumpkin Patch, Sam's Club, and Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:28:00.008-05:00

Grandma J and Uncle Iain came down for a very brief, fun and relaxing weekend visit. In the short amount of time we spent together we were able to talk a lot (mostly about the Mayo brothers), eat a lot, and walk a lot (three of my favorite things, though not necessarily in that order). Lucy and Zoe loved all of the extra attention and we are all excited to see the family again over Thanksgiving.

This was Lucy's second visit to Carolyn's and Zoe's first. Thankfully, this year we were able to make it out there before Halloween day and had a plethora of pumpkins to choose from, unlike last year when the tractor drove us out to the middle of desolate, almost barren ground, only inhabited by pumpkin gut... (reference October 2007 in the archives for the lovely visual)

One of Lucy's many silly faces...

Very easily amused...

Grandma J and Uncle Iain patiently waiting in the twenty minute line to get into the pumpkin patch. That line was so long; ridiculously long, yet we waited and were happy to get in once we caught site of the freshly popped kettle corn.

Monkey see, money do...

Look at ALL those pumpkins!

One of the winners that got to come home with us, and as of 11 PM Halloween night is still sitting on the front porch, uncarved...

Zoe has gotten used to the abuse. Notice the slight smile on Zoe's face as Lucy plants her elbow into the side of her head?

This was a momentous day. Lucy and Zoe sitting together for the first time in a shopping cart at Sam's Club. I know it sounds silly, but it's a pretty big deal to not have to drag at least one stroller (if not the double) into a store along with Charles pushing Lucy in a shopping cart. They really enjoyed sitting next to each other. It's life's little pleasures, right?

Already shopping buddies!

The last couple of years I've purchased candy and waited by the door, ready to hand out all sorts of delicious, sugary, chocolately candy to anyone dressed in costume. No one EVER shows, and I'm always stuck eating all of what I've bought. So this year we decided to stay out, and to deter any kids from stopping we turned off the motion light on the porch. At about 7 o' clock we're driving down our street when we see an entire group of kids and parents (I'm talking at least ten people in total, more than we saw the last two years combined) banging on our front door. The porch light is on, and they're just waiting and waiting. Now we have a dilemma. Do we pull into our drive and make up and excuse like "we were out of candy so we had to run out for more"? Pretty unbelievable. Do we pull in to the driveway and ignore them as we make our way up to the front door? Pretty rude. What, pray tell did we do? We opted for scenario C where we drive by the house and slowly make our way around the block until we know it's clear, run inside, turn the motion light off, and for the rest of the evening pretend not to be home. Yes, we are C-L-A-S-S-Y.

Trick or treating on the square, before the evening's mini drama unfolded. Lucy in butterfly costume was pretty unsure what to think about Minnie Mouse.

Counting her loot...

Zoe was a Monkey. The cutest part of the costume was the tail on her tooshie. Unfortunately, she sat on it the majority of the night.

It is impossible to get everyone to look at the camera at the same time. One out of three ain't bad.

We ran into the Suttons on our way home and they were kind enough to take a family picture for us. Tah Da! And that was our Halloween night.

A Day at the Park

2008-10-14T11:48:00.005-04:00

Fall is here! And because this is our favorite time of year we spent the weekend outdoors. Saturday afternoon we putzed around The Legends (as well as taking in the great sale at Banana!), enjoyed two walks around the neighborhood; one in the morning and one after the sun set, and played "Chase Lucy" in the front yard (sidenote: This was the most exciting event of the day for Lucy. NOT the most exciting event of the day for me, as it mimics exercise.).

Sunday we were outdoors again, this time at the park; the weather was GORGEOUS. A day at the park is good, but a day at the park with your sister and best friend is better, and a day at the park with your best buddy followed by a puppy cone (and a large concrete for me) from Sheridan's is the BEST!

Lucy loves to kiss her sister. Aged two to eighty those cheeks begged to be kissed by everyone.

We praise Lucy for being a good big sister, and especially for being a "nice" big sister. Hugging, kissing, sharing, those are all "nice" things. She is so proud of herself and loves the attention she gets. Her new thing is the stroke her sister's head when Zoe is upset. The problem now is she CANNOT keep her hands to herself. She constantly has to be touching or kissing or stroking, and just like anyone else, Zoe enjoys her personal space.

Just like her big sister, Miss Zozo loves the swing. She squeals in delight and kicks those little feet of hers. Her giggle is almost too much for me; it is so sweet.

One of the many things Lucy did not inherit from either Charles or myself is the fact that she LOVES to run (and by run, I mean walk really fast swishing her hips and swinging her arms similar to that of a speed walker). I don't understand how she has the energy for it, considering she still doesn't eat. She must have super glucose reserves.

The slides at this park were a bit on the small side...

Oh, my little girl and her Daddy. For any mother or parent, this is one of the sweetest things to witness. Zoe is growing so fast. I cannot wrap my mind around how quickly these last six and a half months have passed.

Sometimes being home with my two rug rats can be a little stressful, but as fast as time passes I'm realizing that it won't always be like this. My girls and their sweet little faces and tiny voices. Right now I'm just trying to be present in the all of the little moments; simple things like taking the extra time to really savor the smell of the back of my their heads as they sit in my lap and lean against me, or close my eyes, relishing the full weight of their embrace in one of their selfless hugs, trying so hard to burn their images into my brain of how absolutely perfect they are and how they've profoundly shaped who I am and what I believe in. I know that it will come all too soon, them longing for more independence and wanting to grow up. But before that time comes I'll just enjoy them as they are.

A Respite from Blogging...

2008-10-01T18:02:00.013-04:00

We had an incredibly full September. Funny enough I can't really think of too many specifics, but I do remember we all caught the dreaded summer cold. We also started the basement remodel, as well as putting in new (and safe!) stairs. We've been living in utter chaos the last four weeks and it doesn't look like there is an end in sight, but I am grateful for the slow home improvements and look forward to all the the newly acquired living space.

I lost my camera for most of the month, only to find it a week ago, so there aren't too many pictures. The first few posted are the older set and the last few the newer set. I couldn't tell you the exact dates, but they were taken sometime last month. I only mention this because it seems overnight Lucy has grown into such a big girl. She looks so much more mature in the last half of the pictures. It's probably just a mom-thing. Who knows?

My little ladies after our afternoon walk. At least one of them napped that day.

Lucy, my girly-girl, got into my makeup drawer. I laughed so hard when I saw her. I couldn't believe she knew how to correctly apply mascara, for the most part anyway....

Daddy and his girls.

Zoe is still a very happy girl. My only complaint is that she, like her sister has decided that naps aren't necessary. I am lucky if she naps for at least an hour a day. Seriously, based solely on the fact that neither of my children seem to need or even enjoy sleep, I believe they must have been switched at birth.

Baby girl turned six months old last month. Her last well baby visit went fine, but I am disappointed to announce that she is no longer in the 99% for height and weight. She is now in the 98%, weighing in at 20 # and length-wise is twenty-something inches (I can't remember off the top of my head). Poor baby is just wasting away.

Lucy loves her Daddy. Lucy loves rough-housing. She especially loves rough-housing with her Daddy. With me, not so much. There's a bit of tomboy in her.

Zoe recently moved into her big girl seat. As much as I missed the convenience of having the infant carrier, I don't miss the backache lugging that thing around. Those are heavy enough. Add a little beefcake like Zoe, and you spell trouble for the lower back. She made the transition beautifully, without complaint. It must be the extra padding (on the car seat, not her).

April and Alisha came to visit. We've seen them more than this once, but this is the only time we've had it photographically documented. We've been loving their work and school schedules because we get to see them more often.

Lucy and her BFFs.

Who is this grown up little girl? Her two year stats put her in the 95% for height and 30% for weight. She definitely does not get that from my side of the family. She is so tall, well for now anyway. As I recall Auntie Vadsana was always the tallest girl in her class until the fifth grade when she stopped growing and everyone else started...

Lucy was very impressed with Alisha's athletic prowess. She even gave her the "WOW!" and "WHOA!" every time she tossed or kicked the ball. Lucy is the kind of friend you want to have when you're having a bad day. There are always lots of hugs, clapping, back-patting, and words of encouragement. She says and does these thing without a stitch of reservation or censorship. If anything two-year olds are sincere.

I'm sure others might think (or know for that matter) that I'm quite the dork. I love, when I can, to dress the girls in anything matching. I saw these adorable matching house slipper and couldn't resist. It's silly, but it's worth it. Also, Lucy is demonstrating one of the new things she does. She loves to tickle, and comes at you with both hands in a door knob-opening, twisting motion, all the while laughing and saying, "tiko-tiko-tiko". It doesn't ever tickle, but it is pretty funny. So, we laugh anyway. Notice she's tickling Zoe's skull. She doesn't have it down to a science yet...

This is her other new thing. Dora the Explorer. She has only been newly exposed because her Grandma J got her the Big Sister DVD for her birthday. I cannot put into words how much this girl loves Dora. I love Dora. Yeah she's kind of annoying and she's got a football-shaped noggin, but those Nickolodean people are onto something. Lucy's vocabulary exploded after watching the show a couple times. And is demonstrated below, her dancing skills are quite something else too. This is Lucy at the end of the show when Dora and Boots sing the "We Did It" song. If In Living Color were still on, this would be the next Fly Girl. She's got some pretty sweet moves.

Happy Birthday Lucy!

2008-08-28T18:28:00.003-04:00

My big girl turned two yesterday. We celebrated with Domino's deep dish (Lucy's favorite) and finished it off with a double decker chocolate fudge cake!
Counting the candles. Yep, there are two!

What I assumed was she was getting ready to lick the icing off the candle. Boy, was I wrong. In a nanosecond, Lucy managed to eat half of it before I could take it out of her hand. Lesson for the day: If it's inedible, but covered in chocolate, a child will still eat it. So, take it away before they get the chance.

We love you Lucy, and we have loved every moment we've gotten to spend being your parents. Thank you for blessing us and enriching our lives.

The Fort

2008-08-28T18:25:00.004-04:00

We finally got to see Amy, Adam, and the babies. They were so sweet and cute and cuddly! They spent the first half of our visit like this, just sleeping. Don't you love the newborn stage?

I know Amy posted this already, but it is too funny to not mention again. After lunch down at the Fort, the boys headed over the Rusty's (I think), to have a drink and shoot some pool. Amy, the kids (all four), and I explored downtown the best we could with two double strollers and many closed walkways due to construction. At one point we headed over the Rusty's to hang out. The first thing the flash through my mind was the line from Sweet Home Alabama, "You have a baby... in a bar?" Actually, we had four babies in that bar, but in our defense, it is a restaurant as well, and as we walked in the back entrance (the stroller wouldn't fit through the front) a child Lucy's age greeted us. And upon further inspection, there were other children seated up front eating with their families. See, we aren't the only crazy ones. So, in order to commemorate the girls' first bar experience (with their father, no less), I thought a photo op beneath the Coors Light sign would do the trick! Perfection!

Me and my bestest buddy.

Zoe LOVED hanging with her new bestest buddies.

Lucy, not so much.

Thanks for the hospitality you two, err four. We had such a great time and can't wait to do it again. Love you all!

Downtown

2008-08-28T18:19:00.002-04:00

The girls and I celebrated Emily's birthday downtown on the square. After lunch we went and played by the fountains.

Lucy is getting so big.

Uh, girls, what are you looking at?

Birthday

2008-08-28T18:16:00.007-04:00

Papa's birthday was earlier this month. He turned 21... again. Although it appears the cake says he's five.

The cousins eating cake and ice cream. Notice that my child is the only one who didn't take the time to smile for the camera. She's really into her dessert. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Airplane! Weeeeeee!

Only 11 1/2 months, 3 inches, and a 1/2 pound separate these two.

Papa and Kalani S. Dad and Zoe. Zoe looks like she could snack on her much smaller cousin. He is catching up on her though. Zoe's growth is really slowing down and Kalani is getting so big. They'll be the same size before too long.

Side story: My two sisters and I were goofing off, taking silly self portraits. The pictures were not the best (which is why they aren't here), so we kept taking more and more. We were laughing, having a grand old time, and our husbands were not amused (because they were trying to watch ESPN). At one point during the "photo shoot", Charles said, "Hey, Lucy wrote you guys a note." Ha Ha, very funny.

Playdate!

2008-08-28T18:09:00.009-04:00

Many, many weeks ago Beth and Addie hosted a playgroup in their dance club/basement. Zoe had a grand time laying next to Gael on the floor, staring at him. Seriously, who wouldn't love staring at the boy. He's gorgeous!

Lucy loved playing dress up and especially loved the dance party that followed the runway fashion show. Those high end fashion models really do live the life, don't they?

Strike a pose girls!

Rowan was my bestest buddy that day. We had a great time taking self-portraits with Beth's camera. I wonder if she found the pictures yet...

Speaking of pictures, Tatum was my photographer that afternoon and took great pictures, hence the lack of Tatum in the pictures. Thanks Tatum!

Disco queen Tessa. I promised her I would post this picture. She is so funny.

Hugs All Around!

2008-08-03T21:52:00.035-04:00

Our little girl is four months old! She laughs all the time, loves her sister, and is still sleeping through the night. She's recently discovered her toes, sucks her thumb, and she can take her binky out and put it back in her mouth all by herself. She hates tummy time and has shown no interest in rolling... until Wednesday evening. She managed to give me a mild heart attack by rolling off the ottoman onto the floor... face first. She's fine now, but she taught me that from here on out, she can't be trusted. And for the sake of my heart and the new white hairs on my head, we're done mastering milestones for a while.

Her four month stats put her in the 99% for weight and height at 19 # and 26.5 inches. Even still, I think she's looking quite slim these days.

We've had a couple playdates with college friends and their children and this time I brought my camera! We spent Thursday with Sue and Kalani, MiJean and Gael, Amy and Eli, Beth and Addie, AND Carrie and Kayden. We had so much fun and it was so good to see Carrie again and meet her little one. The highlight of the day (and week) for me was ordering takeout from the Pita Pit. It was my first time and it was so good. So good. I could not stop talking about it or thinking about it. Just ask Sue. It was ridiculous.

Beth and Kalani.

Zoe with her new friends Kayden and Carrie.

What is wrong in this picture?

Lucy found this toy car. You know, the kind that you put Barbie dolls in. I didn't have the heart to tell her that one: she's not a Barbie, and therefore wouldn't fit into the car, and two: she's facing the wrong way to be driving.

Eli loving up Lucy. Even though there is a 363 day difference between the two of them, they play really well together.

Me and my little girl. Sue snapped these pictures for me. Zoe looks a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. Poor girl was blinded by the bazillion flashes my camera needs to take one picture.

Our long lost friends Lacy and Ethan visited us this week. We haven't seen them in months. It was pretty apparent the kids missed each other. And even though there is no photographic proof, I also showered Lacy in hugs and kisses. It was good to see them again.

The moms spent the afternoon doing what we do best, eating and drinking coffee, and the kids spent the afternoon doing what they do best, running from room to room, getting into everything they should stay out of. In all the chaos they did manage to give me a couple photo ops.

Ethan, as usual, had a lot of love to give. This is the first time that Lucy did not spurn his attempts at cuddling. Her MO is normally to push him away. I suppose absence does make the heart grow fonder, or at the very least allows you not to get violent when that particular someone tries to smother you in hugs and kisses.

This was Lucy just minutes after the visit ended. All that running wore her out. I was grateful that she did take a nap, albeit a twenty minute one.

It is a good thing that the love between siblings in reciprocated in this house. Otherwise, we'd have very sad children. Zoe loves Lucy. She loves talking to her and listening to her and watching her. Lucy on the other hand LOVES her sister. Any time she can, anywhere they both happen to be Lucy will hug and kiss on Zoe. It's gotten to the point that you can't leave them alone in a room together because you'll walk in to find Lucy laying over Zoe, loving her with all her might. I liken her hugs and kisses for Zoe to sugar for a diabetic: incredibly sweet, yet potentially deadly, and at the very least could knock you unconscious.

And lastly, Dad and his little one before bed. It's amazing how much smaller she looks next to her father. I have a feeling that Zoe will be the taller of my two kids, and Lucy will be a shrimp like me. You never know though...

Ketchup

2008-07-20T20:17:00.019-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been pretty uneventful, unless you count the summer cold that both children were lucky enough to catch as well as the recent development of serious tantrums (from Lucy, not Charles). Man, if I thought your ears wouldn't bleed, I would post video of Lucy's last half hour scream-fest complete with self-induced vomiting and leg kicking. In case you were wondering, she was not too thrilled when I whipped out the camera. I figure that thirty second clip will come in handy the day she decides to bring her first boyfriend home.

Late last week Sue and I planned a Mom's and Grandma/Great Grandma's Day Out. Our Grandma has lived here for over twenty years and had not been to either the Temple or the Truman House. We started off at the Temple and took a tour. We had a delightfully entertaining septuagenarian tour guide named Elenor that repeatedly called Lucy "lover". Hysterical.

We had quite a parking and timing fiasco before our tour of the Truman house (hence the lack of pictures). I was a bit stressed and TO'ed but Sue handled the situation very authoritatively. She managed to finagle us a tour in between two other scheduled tours with an off-duty guide. Impressive.

I didn't realize that Zoe would be such a huge fan of the Temple.

A random bathtub picture to show everyone that Zoe has slimmed down. I think it's because she's gotten quite tall. No matter though. She's still meaty; just how we like em'.

Last Saturday Zoe and I went to Sarah and Scott's for their baby shower. Addie and Zoe got a chance to hang out. Checking each other out...

A kiss...

And a hug!

Lucy modeling her new dress. Thank you April and Alisha! Charles and I decided that instead of taking away Lucy's binky, we're going to wean her. That means only during bedtime, nap time, and (for my sanity) tantrum time. She does well enough, but we've come to the realization that if she doesn't have her pacifier she's going to use her thumb. Both drive me absolutely crazy. For now I think the pacifier might just be the lesser of the two evils. I don't know. Talk to me when that orthodontic bill comes.

Zoe enjoys watching Playhouse Disney from the comfort of her exersaucer. She gets really into it. I don't know whether I should rejoice or be concerned. For the time being, I'm just grateful for the distraction. It can be difficult to get much done with two under two.

Every night we try to get our fitness on. While a leisurely walk may not seem like the best workout, it sure kicks my butt, and hams, and calves. It may be the temps in the triple digits, the crazy hills in our neighborhood, or the weight of both kids and stroller. Just maybe.

When Lucy isn't in the midst of a tantrum, she is lovely. I adore her, and I love hanging out with her. She is entertaining. She is funny. She is sweet. She can be absolutely captivating. Hey, I'm supposed to feel this way, I'm her Mom.

Lucy likes to live on the wild side. She must be high from the fumes those things emit.

They look sweet, don't they? Don't let them fool you. They're so over taking their afternoon nap at the same time. In fact, Lucy is over naps entirely. This happened Monday, and she hasn't given Mommy any "Sanity-Gathering Time" since.

Chatty Baby

2008-07-16T12:30:00.001-04:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Giggly Baby

2008-07-16T12:29:00.001-04:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Horton Look-alike Meter

2008-07-15T15:26:00.001-04:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Geneology - Family tree template

Horton Look-alike Meter

2008-07-15T15:23:00.001-04:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Playtime!

2008-06-29T21:46:00.009-04:00

Summer has officially begun, so we have been spending as much time playing outside as we can. Lucy's favorite toy of the season? The $1 inflatable pool ball from Dollar General. It will only be a matter of time before she realizes there are many more toys out there; toys with gadgets, and buttons, and wheels, so believe me when I say I am taking full advantage of the fact she is so easily and affordably amused.

Yes, those are hay bales in the background. Yes, we are country and we love it.

Unlike most children her age, Lucy prefers to run away from her friends.

Ah, sweet little Zoe. Last week we pulled out the good ole' exersaucer, also know in the Horton house by the names of poopersaucer and the throne. If Lucy had any, you know, issues, this contraption made sure the job got done. Fortunately for us, and quite possibly unfortunate for Zoe, it has not yet proven to have the same magical powers.

Zoe turned three months old last week. I love every minute I get to spend holding her and talking to her. This stage is just the beginning of the fun stuff. She belly laughs now and can really hold down her end of a conversation. She loves her sister, and yay for us, Lucy loves her just as much.

In an act of modesty, Zoe covers herself up with a blanket. The onsie was too small to button and her mother refused to redress her. Lazy woman! Our voluptuous girl is now wearing 12 month clothing. So, basically, everything you saw on Lucy one year ago will make its second debut here on our blog via Zoe.

Charles trying to teach Lucy how to intentionally kick the ball. She was more more interested in grabbing his arm. I don't think we have future soccer star on our hands.

Natalie threw her fiance a birthday party this weekend and to celebrate they broke out the slip and slide. Here is Lucy making sure to properly introduce herself. Also being the top notch parent I am, I made sure to leave Lucy's bathing suit at home, nice and dry in her top drawer. Thank you Mallory for loaning us an outfit to ride home in.

Big Mama Zoe loves her cousin Kalani. She is such mother hen already; so affectionate and attentive and protective.

Papa Walter and his girls.

More outdoor fun on the slide (nevermind the bloomers).

And always a favorite, the swing.

This Week's Happenings

2008-06-16T00:01:00.040-04:00

Last weekend Grandma and Great Grandma came to visit. You could safely say that Zoe enjoyed the visit.

Tuesday while Sue stayed at home, hoping to go into labor, the girls decided to test drive some of their soon-to-be cousin's stuff.

Comfy lap... check.

Working high chair... check

Quick parent tip: As much as you teach your children things, you can really learn much more from them. The lesson that Lucy taught me that Tuesday afternoon? When left to their own accord, you can't trust a twenty one month old to not bathe themself in barbecue sauce... and enjoy it.

Working swing... check

Mini rocking chair that rocks... check

When I got home that afternoon I received these lovely flowers in the mail from my husband, the best husband EVER. The reason you ask? No reason, as the card stated, "Just because."

Wednesday after playgroup the girls were sacked out. Zoe doses on the couch...

While the contortionist snoozes in the bedroom. The one hour their naps overlap in the afternoon is my favorite time of the day.

Thursday we hung out at the hospital for a bit before Sue's labor kicked up. Last minute practice.

Grandpa and Grandma hanging out in the waiting room on Thursday evening.

We didn't get to see Sue on Thursday night because they had her in recovery until late, and we only saw baby Kalani through the nursery window, so here we are visiting them on Friday afternoon. I may be a little biased, but my nephew is gorgeous. He has the most beautiful, thick head of hair. He also has his Momma's hands and feet. Right now I think he looks like an Asian Kevin, but babies' features change so much in the first year.

Proud Papa and his little boy

The girls were awesome during our many visits to the hospital. Lucy has always been a pretty self-entertained kid, but she kicked it up a notch. Give that girl a curtain and she'll play for hours, and like it. So strange.

Zoe is quickly outgrowing this thing, but thanks to Lucy I feel rest assured that she will fit into it for at least another eight pounds. See below.

Yep, that's her new thing. Cramming her toddler-sized body into anything that is specifically made for an infant. The carrier, the Bumbo, the Swing, the papasan. She's laid claim to everything she has outgrown that we've brought back out for her sister. Even if we put the said items out of the way, she manages to get into them. I hope that this isn't something she'll carry into adulthood...

Baby Kisses, New Ride, and Road Trip

2008-06-09T12:24:00.011-04:00

Going in for the kill...

Proof that Lucy really does love her sister.

We've been debating a double stroller now for months and months. Did we want one that housed the infant carrier? Did we want it tandem or side by side? What about a double jogger or the sit and stand? The options seemed overwhelming, especially because these bad boys can cost anywhere from $100 to $400. We wanted to get one that would last us for years to come, or at least until Lucy figures out the buckles and tray release.

Our decision became a little less complex when we realized that Zoe won't be in her carrier for too much longer. The weight capacity on it is 22 pounds, and our two month old is now 17 pounds. Also, after assessing my current level of physical fitness (or lack thereof), I came to the conclusion that jogging won't be anywhere in my near or distant future. Last week we killed two birds with one stone when Charles happened upon a website whose Britax convertibles were on sale. After perusing the rest of the sale items we found this beauty for 50% off. Both items were a steal with free tax and shipping. After being cooped up in the house only able to take the girls to places with shopping carts, I have a renewed sense of freedom!

Friday afternoon we took our first road trip as a family of four. One of Charles' best friends Will (see Willy's page) was getting married down at the lake. So we packed two suitcases, the double stroller, travel swing, portable DVD player, and cooler full of snacks for our one night trip. It was fun getting out of town, if only for 24 hours.

Lucy's latest thing is to walk and jump all over any bed she can climb up on. The problem? Our 20 month old toddler's depth perception is nil and she tends to fall on the floor. As soon as she stands up, either Charles or I say (in the most stern voice possible) "Sit your butt down!" Like any of our other disciplinary tactics, this one works only half the time. Here she is being completely defiant.

The best part of staying at a hotel is that there is usually a pool. Lucy has always loved to "swim" and is completely fearless in the water. After the storms rolled through Friday evening they reopened the pool and we suited up the girls. This is about how far Zoe made it into the water. Getting dressed is hard work and she fell asleep as soon as we headed down. Lucy on the other hand had a blast. She is our little water baby.

Happy Family! What do you think of girls' matching outfits as well as Lucy's gladiator sandals (courtesy of Grandma Penn)? That child has better shoe wardrobe than Charles or me, and that's saying a lot!

The beautiful bride and groom. The ceremony was waterfront and the view breathtaking. We had a great time and were happy to take part in witnessing their vows. Congratulations Will and Laura!

Thinking of a title is hard work.

2008-05-22T19:05:00.015-04:00

Today Zoe is a couple days shy of two months. I cannot believe how Charles and I lucked out. Lucy was a very good natured baby and we are learning that Zoe is quick to follow her sister's lead. She is soooo unbelievably sweet. Her temperament is wonderful; she is smiley, she coos all the time, and she loves to be held and cuddled, but doesn't mind being put down. She began sleeping through the night last week (a delightful surprise as Miss Lucy was still moonlight snacking up until 9 months). Don't get me wrong, she can wail like any other baby, but getting her settled doesn't take eons. She truly has the best disposition.

My sister Sue and I were postulating that due to her, uh, "advanced" size at birth and now (as demonstrated in the fourth and fifth pictures below), she bypassed the newborn stuff pretty quickly. Seriously, if you heard this girl break wind, you'd think there was a grown man in the room. There are some serious bragging right there for when she gets older... But most likely it's the afore mentioned in conjuction with the fact that I'm no longer a frazzled, anxiety ridden first-time parent. Either way, I'll take it and thank my lucky stars.

Enough tooting my own horn. Onto the stuff you're here for: pictures.

Aunt Peg and Uncle Jim visited us on their road trip back from the entertainment capital that is Branson. Zoe enjoyed the attention. Unfortunately someone (Lucy, not Charles) needed a nap and was cranky until they laid down, so they missed most of the visit. I was sad to see them go, but Saturday their loyalties laid with their little pooch (as they should) at the kennel and they were off. I wish they lived closer.

We celebrated a belated Mother's day with the entire family (minus KB) at Samurai Chef. Even though Lucy knew it was Mother's Day she insisted on giving most her love to her pops. We've taught her the concept of closed mouth kissing, but she's just not into it. I told her that her right now her friends aren't into that stuff and when it's time to be, that kind of kissing equals a grounding until she's thirty-five.

Our family picture... Doesn't Adam look deceptively tall?

What you can't see in this picture is the very prominent double chin and mammoth pot belly. It translates much better in person. Today at the dentist someone emphatically stated, "Oh my, what a healthy baby!" Emphasis on the healthy part. Yeah, we get that a lot and yes, we know.

Seriously, those cheeks are too much. I've been sick this week, thank you family, and it has taken everything I've got to not kiss her. She is sublimely squishy and soft... pure heaven.

Today my Lucy had her last day of PDO for the school year. I don't know who will be affected by this most, Lucy, Zoe, or myself, thereby affecting Charles. It will be nice to get to sleep in again though.

I cannot articulate how going to school two days a week for three hours a time has transformed this girl. She adapts much more quickly and easily in social situations. For anyone who knew how shy Lucy was before, they know this program has truly been a blessing. I am so thankful.

One of the reasons I don't post often is because I am horrible at taking pictures. I never remember to take my camera with me and when I do, I'm either too lazy to take pictures or the pictures I do take are hit or miss. Also, as soon as I take out the camera Lucy is all over me like ice in Antarctica. She would rather play with the camera than pose for the camera. Today I figured out that if I turn the screen around so she can see herself while taking the shot, she is an eager participant. Not the best, but it clearly demonstrates how children love themselves. It takes Lucy to make Lucy smile like that.

Last, but definitely not least, my best friend Amy and her hubby, welcomed their twins Jacob and Alexis into the world early Monday morning. Many congratulations and much love to them. If you get a chance or are just curious (and I know you are) check out their blog, because you can, after all (much to our husbands' occasional chagrin) we are the last of a dying breed that are crazy enough to keep public blogs.

Telephone

2008-05-10T16:15:00.005-04:00

Remember the game of telephone you used to play when you were little? Everyone would sit in line and the first person would whisper something to the second person, who would then whisper what they heard to the third person, and so on. The last person would announce what they heard and everyone would laugh because it would be something completely different that what was originally stated.

Well, as adults we can call this game a few different things, but I will say it's mere miscommunication. This is precisely what happened to my birth story. A couple weekends ago at Sue's baby shower a friend of mine asked me to recount my birth story because they had only heard bits a pieces from a few different people. I got to almost the end and this friend then asked, "And is that when you let out a blood curdling scream?" I laughed thinking it was a joke, but most assuredly it was not. I asked who she had heard that from, and she listed four people the information passed through, the first being my eldest sister who happened to be in the delivery room when Zoe was born. Isn't is crazy how quickly misinformation passes? Before this I had even heard I had two, no three blood transfusions while in the hospital. Oy.

I had decided shortly after Zoe's arrival I would not post my birth story because pregnant women are so inundated with scary stories and I did not want to be another story to freak them out. I know a lot pregnant women right now. Well, that went out the window because the birth story going around is much scarier and gorier than what actually happened. Here it is in a very condensed version:

Charles and I arrived at the hospital the morning of the induction. I was already four cm, so at 5:30 the nurse hooked me up to a pitocin drip set at the lowest setting. Two contraction free hours spent watching Dan in Real Life later, the doctor came in to check me. I was the same so he upped my dosage and broke my water. That did the trick because two hours later I was a six. I sent Charles to the gift shop for magazines. By 10:30 the contraction were two minutes apart, and Star magazine no longer interested me. 11:15 I am 7 cm and get an epidural. All is right with the world and I relax enough to sleep. 12:30 I wake up to feel, well nothing, at least from the waist down. I call the nurse and she asks me to wiggle my toes. I can't. She checks me and I'm 9 1/2. She pages the doctor. He comes in and explains that I need to have "some feeling" to aid in pushing. He said they could turn down my meds, but unfortunately they were already at the lowest setting. They page the anesthesiologist and he tells them to turn it off completely.

The good thing about an epidural is that the meds take a while to leave the system. The bad news is when the finally do, you feel everything. One hour later I can move my left leg. Two hours later the epidural has completely left my system and I feel the urge to push. And by urge, I mean you push because it's the only relief available. After about a half hour of vomiting between contractions and hearing "You're doing great" I want to hurt someone. And I would, but I am already exhausted. An hour and a half into pushing I am delirious from fatigue and pain. The doctor can't understand why the baby's head won't descend further. We find out why later. She finally gets down far enough for the doctor to use the suction. No tears or stitches, thank you very much, and at 4:41 a very healthy 10 lb 4 oz baby girl was born.

This is where the story probably gets mixed up. My placenta would not expel on its own and the doctors only have a limited amount of time to get it out. He has to physically extract it with his had while with the other hand he massaged my abdomen. This hurt worse than childbirth and between moaning, and blacking out between three and four times, I lost quite a bit of blood. The next morning I recieved two units of blood from one transfusion. We even went home on the scheduled day, albeit a little bruised and exhausted.

I hope that this clears up any misinformation, as funny as it's been to hear. Sorry my prego friends. The birth was still a great experience and wouldn't have changed a thing. Seriously. Okay, maybe I would have preferred a fully working epidural the entire time, but that's it.

I know, I know.

2008-05-10T15:48:00.004-04:00

Miss Zoe had her first non-well baby visit last Wednesday. A few weeks ago she started projectile vomiting after her afternoon feed. I assumed it was due to the fact the girl has no concept of satiety. She is just like Charles and me, except when we eat until we're stuffed we don't vomit, we just sit around whining about how uncomfortable we are. The frequency increased and soon both Zoe and I had to be completely covered in order to sit down for a feeding. She was always content afterwards and never cried or seemed upset, so I wasn't too worried, but in order to be safe, we took her in. Not only did she catch the horrible cold Miss Lucy was kind enough to pass on to the entire family, but she has reflux. The doctor classified her a "happy spitter". So now, three times a day the poor child has to take liquid Zantac. The bad news is she does not enjoy it and getting her to nurse afterwards has been tricky. The good news is she hasn't vomited once since she started her meds, so hooray for Zoe!

Better news, even fighting a cold and reflux this girl hasn't been lacking nutrients. Our baby now weighs 15 lbs 3 oz! Can you say BEEFCAKE ?!? She officially peaked on the growth scale at 100%. Let me remind you all she is only 6 weeks old.

Big sister, little sister. Not sure which is which, but aren't they cute? It's taken a while but, Lucy has really come around and has been such a great big sister. When Zoe and I go pick her up from nursery school Lucy either runs over to Zoe and gives her kisses (big wet slobbery, snotty, germ spreading kisses, but hey, it's a start) or she rocks the carrier. She is so loving.

And she's already a great teacher. See how she's pointing the camera out to Zoe? Either that or they're planning their attack on me. Check out Zoe's muscle-man bicep curl. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that...

Big Girls, Parties, Miatas, and Cousins

2008-04-20T22:15:00.017-04:00

Not too much to report. We've been pretty low key, and tomorrow our little one will be 4 weeks old. Zoe is nearing the 13 pound mark and comfortably wearing a size 2 diaper as well as most 3-6 month clothing. We have on our hands a very, very healthy girl.

Yesterday we headed over to Kerri and Dan's for Sarah's surprise birthday party. The company and food were awesome. Kerri knows how to throw a shindig. Unfortunately I didn't get the money shot of Sarah walking in the door, but I think she was definitely surprised. In fact, I didn't get a single picture of any adults.

It could safely be said that for most of the children the outdoor play set was the hit of the party. This picture of Maly, Alison, and Tessa absolutely cracked me up. I think Alison might need a bit of a push.

----------------------------Happy Birthday Sarah!---------------------------

Susan and Matt were awesome enough to send Zoe a shirt commemorating the sweet ride Charles had while he lived in LA. I squeezed Lucy into the shirt meant for Zoe and squeezed Zoe into the onsie they had made for Lucy a year and a half ago. Here they are modeling their first twinkie outfits, as well as their first twinkie muffin tops. Dunlap syndrome runs in the family...

Sunday the girls and I hung out at the Smith house. Lucy has always favored running around after her older cousins, so it was a very delightful surprise when she sat down to play with Pari. I think having a little sister at home has changed her opinion about the younger set.

Alison and Maly love cuddling with their little cousin.

Two and a half weeks out...

2008-04-11T15:45:00.003-04:00

It is hard for me to believe that it has only been two and a half weeks since giving birth to Zoe. It feels like she has been a part of our family for much longer than the mere 18 days the calendar shows. She is finally back up to her birth weight, plus some (no thanks to the incredibly long, frustrating, and stressful time it took for my milk to come in) and continues to "beef up" a little more everyday that passes. Lucy is finally beginning to acknowledge her presence, and I hope that soon they will become the best of friends. Here's our "little" tank in the day after she was born. Hospital pictures have come a long way.

Because of the complications from delivery, I had a hard first few days home. Grandma Maly came to watch both girls the first day Charles went back to work. She was amazing and we all adore her.

Zoe getting ready for her first outing since leaving the hospital. Seriously, how is that comfortable? I am pleased to announce the trips to Baby's R Us and Target went rather smoothly; only two poopy diapers, one feeding, and zero melt-downs (from the children, anyway).

Zoe and her Dad sharing in a little bonding time. She is very alert and quite observant. Or maybe is seems like that because she has such large eyes.

Zoe hanging out with her cousin Woody. Already, they are good friends. The adult in the picture is Lucy's new BFF, Aunt Sue. Lucy loves her some Aunt Sue. I wish I had video or picture to better demonstrate their love for each other. Maybe next post.

And of course, no post is complete with out a picture of Miss Lucy. I have been delighted by the change in her since Zoe has been home. She is much more outgoing and seeks attention, rather than sitting back and waiting for it. She stayed with her Grandma Penn while we were in the hospital and they developed and even tighter bond, if you couldn't tell.

This last week and a half Grandma Judy came down from Minnesota to visit. She and Lucy have grown very fond of each other. I don't know what I'm going to do when she heads home. Cry, I guess. Her help around the house and with the girls has been invaluable. Words cannot describe how thankful we are and how greatly we've benefited from the time spent together.

So, there you have it. These last two weeks have gone by in a blur and I am lucky that I even have those few pictures to share with you all. I am getting better with my time management, so hopefully I'll write again before the girls graduate from college. Then again, I can't make any promises. Just keep checking back!

Table for Four

2008-03-25T07:36:00.013-04:00

Easter Sunday started innocent enough - here is Lucy all prettied up to go to church and hunting for eggs:

Although they were empty, it did not take away from the fun.

We went into the hospital early the next morning for an induction - here is mom upon arrival. Believe me, that smile would not last very long. Can you guess how big the baby is?

After about 12 hours, we welcomed a new family member. Below are some quick photos of Zophia (Zoe) Lanxang Horton.
Here is the baby with her parents minutes after birth.

10lbs 4.2 oz - 23.5 inches long. This is a big girl and Lucy may not be the 'big' sister for long. Nanthida is starting a new 'over 10' club for mothers who deliver big babies - although there doesn't seem to be a lot of enthusiasm for it among expecting women...

Vadsana and Zoe

"Dad - how about a sandwich or something?".

Zoe's grandparents (and great-grandma)

Hmmm...the jury is still out with Lucy. She did not seem overly enthusiastic about her new sister - but life is full of changes....

We would like to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers during this pregnancy and delivery - we are thankful for your love and support.

My Little Mover and Shaker

2008-03-18T11:19:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to catch this little girl dancing on camera for the last ten, no twenty weeks. I have hours of video of my stomach doing, well, nothing. It seemed very single time Baby heard the beep of the camera turn on she froze. I was almost resigned to the fact I would not have this documented, but of course as children do (even in utero), they love to prove you wrong. Here's my little alien baby dancing up a storm to Jason Mraz's new single I'm Yours.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Right Now

2008-03-17T14:19:00.005-04:00

3 cm dilated, 80 effaced, 0 station.

Continuing biweekly prenatal appointments as well as biweekly NSTs.

Due to being treated for (and not necessarily diagnosed with) mild cholestasis of pregnancy, doctors will not allow pregnancy to exceed 40 weeks.

If there is no baby by next appointment (3/21) will schedule induction for sometime early next week.

Crazy.

Friends, Home Improvements, and Nice Weather (finally!)

2008-03-13T20:46:00.022-05:00

This past Sunday my two wonderful and beautiful sisters threw me a "Pre-Baby Pampering Party". All of my best and closets girlfriends were in attendance, and I felt incredibly loved and supported. Sue and Vadsana set up pampering stations fully equipped with a foot soak, different nail gadgets, and facial masks. And as strange as it sounds, not a single person volunteered to give me a pedicure...

Speaking of hygiene...

Do you think that Lucy is trying to tell me something?

For the last few months Charles and I have spent the majority of our weekends getting the house ready for the baby. We've moved furniture around, cleaned and decluttered the basement, painted (again), set up Lucy's playroom (again) etc. All of the things we parents do for our children. I'm sure that when we bring the baby home her first thoughts will be of the new light fixture that Mom and Dad (mostly Dad) so lovingly installed in the living room. Even if she doesn't care for it, and I'm sure she will, I love it.

Our friend Lacy got the baby this awesome backpack. Lucy decided that because the baby is too small to wear such a bag, she should get to use it now. How could I argue with her? She looks so grown up that I'm about to make her start paying rent.

I'm feeling quite spoiled this week. The weather has not sucked. In fact, it has been down right nice. Lucy and I were able to get out for a brief period earlier this week for a walk (if you can call my very slow movement walking anymore). Sitting in a stroller is not as much fun for her as running around and making me chase her, so to burn off a little steam we headed to City Park.

I've decided that Lucy's upper lip...

must taste like...

ICE CREAM! Seriously, what's up with the tongue?

She's still loving the swing.

We only lasted a few minutes before her attention was turned to the big kid toy.

I really feel bad for her. I can't keep up, so she has to stay within arm's reach. Not so fun for an 18 month old that wants to explore everything.

Although, for a few minutes, she was content to sit on the stoop in between the slides and tunnel.

Jen, to answer the question/comment from a few posts ago, THIS is why pregnant women crop their heads out of photos. Do I need to elaborate? One word: unflattering. Two words: incredibly unflattering. By the way, this was not staged.

After looking at the three very bad pictures of me that Charles took (sadly, the one directly above was the best), I asked him to take another picture where I don't look so "pissed". He said, "You were pissed." I said, "I know. Take another one anyway. And this time say something to make me laugh." I love my husband. All he had to do was start laughing, and it put me in a better mood immediately. You gotta love the ever present mood swings of a pregnant lady.

Okay, down to business. We're in week 38 with 12 days to go before the due date. The good news: The liver panels came back clean, I've had two NSTs so far and according to the nurse the baby is a "super star", my rash is really clearing up quite nicely, I'm still two centimeters dilated, and the doctor doesn't give me another full week of carrying this baby. The bad news: I've been nauseated and pukey since Monday evening, I've had Braxton-Hicks that have been quite painful, I'm still two centimeters dilated, and the doctor doesn't give me another full week of carrying this baby.

I am excited to finally meet her face to face, not to mention the fact I can't wait for her to stop using my intestines as a trampoline. At the same time, I've been psyching myself up to have this baby either on or after her due date, so I get a little nervous thinking that she could be here any minute. Although the doctor said he thinks she'll be here by next week, one can never predict these things. So, my next prenatal is on Monday, rather than Thursday. That being said, unless we have a new family member sometime this weekend, expect another update sometime Monday.

Lucy Finding Nemo... Very funny

2008-03-07T11:40:00.002-05:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Here's a little something to make up for yesterday's very long, very boring, very picture-free post.

It's a Number's Game

2008-03-06T15:37:00.002-05:00

Proceed with caution: I've written a novel, and those readers that make it to the end won't even be rewarded with a picture...

The irony of life is that as soon as I complain about something... well, anything, that "issue" seems to grow in magnitude. Remember last week when I was vocalizing my annoyance at having to see the doctor for weekly appointments that I found were slightly pointless? Now, as I am in week 37, I will be going to the hospital not once, but THREE times a week!

For those of you blissfully unaware (i.e. those of you who haven't a: heard my constant, incessant complaints, b: seen me walking around with frozen pea packs tucked into my shirt or the waistband of my hands, or c: have not actually scene the wasteland of hives and broken skin spread all over my body) I have developed a skin condition over the course of the last several weeks. It's called PUPPS, and in my opinion should more aptly be named "Hell on Earth". It's a rash that only pregnant women get. It is constant and can become inflamed. It can become painful and can even induce nausea. And if you're truly lucky, your skin can actually crack and bleed. Yippee!

Fortunately, it tends not to last longer than 6-8 weeks postpartum, and statistically does not seem to affect women who have experienced with previous pregnancies. Unfortunately, I am in the small percentage of the women who are afflicted multiple times (I had it with Lucy after she was born), and there is absolutely nothing that can be done, short of steroid therapy (which I have opted out of).

The doctors were concerned because the rash had spread outside of it's normal perimeter. I was getting hives and rash on my arms, legs, and even between my toes. They've run blood tests checking and rechecking my thyroid and liver enzymes. Luckily, everything has come back normal, and in the last week I have felt better than I have in weeks, no, months really. I'm really, really, enjoying pregnancy these days. I'm actually remembering how much I loved carrying Lucy. In fact, I get a little weepy-eyed thinking it's almost over.

This is why I was a little taken aback when the doctor mentioned the possibility of inducing me at 39 weeks. What the crap? After taking a look at my skin, the doctor has decided to err on the side of caution and run my labs again. Apparently there is a condition in pregnancy that is caused by elevated liver enzymes and it's symptoms are this crazy, wacky rash. It can cause fetal distress, which is also why I now have undergo twice weekly non-stress tests, as well as my weekly prenatal.

I would love and prefer to make it to my due date, and I would rather not be induced. That being said, Baby and Mama's health are what's really important. So, as of now, if the labs come back normal, AND the NSTs are normal, AND my rash does not worsen, I will get to go into labor naturally when this little girl decides it's time to leave the bed and breakfast called my womb.

A side note: Not that this means anything, but as of today, I am 80% effaced and 2 cm dilated.

Dang.

2008-02-29T13:08:00.011-05:00

Let me preface this post by stating: I have been threatened bodily harm by numerous people (who shall remain anonymous) to update. Yes, it have been a while, but in my defense, I am nine months pregnant. So there.

I never, ever carry my camera around, so I have been begging anyone and everyone to send me pictures. My pleas were heard by my good friend Lacy. Aside from the last two pictures, she supplied the rest. So, those of you rejoicing in this new post, thank her.

Valentine's Day was quite uneventful. Well it was for Charles and I anyway. Lucy exchanged cards with her playgroup the Wednesday before. I think she was sad that she had to share her Valentine dates with Mallory. She is very good at "expressing" her feelings.

The following week at playgroup Lucy decided that it would be fun to sit in the cat's water bowl. She was drenched from butt to back. Thankfully, our gracious hosts were kind enough to lend us an outfit to wear home. I'm not much for hunting, but I think that Lucy is contemplating her future in the game industry.

This week at playgroup we celebrated Zach and Ethan's birthdays. I can't believe they are both two years old. How quickly they grow (sniff, sniff). Like mother, like daughter; Lucy and I stuffing birthday cake into our faces.

While the rest of the brood ran around playing, Lucy decided the morning was best spent in on the couch watching television. Shocking, I know.

After most of the group left, and the only walkers remaining were Lucy, Ethan, and Zach, Lucy decided it was time to play. I have never seen her more animated before. She was really in her element rough housing with the boys. All that wrestling with Charles has really paid off. That girl can hold her own, and amazingly she walked away with only a single bruise.

Both pictures are me at 36 weeks, but the first is with Lucy, the second was taken two days ago. I think that I am bigger the second time around. I definitely feel bigger. I'm going to the doctor every week now. It kind of seems like a waste of time. I was weighed and measured, the doctor asked if I had any questions (I said "no"), I rescheduled for next week, and then I left. If they weren't checking the baby's heartbeat I would say the visits would be entirely pointless.

I had been having a lot of pressure, so at my 35 week appointment, the doctor checked me. My cervix is softening and thinning, but not too much to be alarmed, and the baby's head is already snugly in place (which would explain the pressure and constant trips to the bathroom). I don't anticipate this girl making an early debut, but you never know. I can already tell you she is prepping me for the late night feedings. For the last two weeks, I have been making middle of the night trips to the bathroom at midnight, two, four, and six. That I can handle, it's the constant kicking and jabbing and boxing that I find more or less annoying/painful. Don't get me wrong, I do love all the movement, but my uterus is about the size of a New York city apartment.

It's My Girl in a Box...

2008-02-06T15:45:00.001-05:00

Friday afternoon Charles called and asked if Lucy and I would like to go to Sesame Street Live. I was stoked; Lucy was indifferent. I really wanted to see the new Sprint Center, and this would be Lucy's first big outing. Because the tickets were free, I figured that if Lucy was too young to enjoy the show, we'd stick around for a bit and then leave. In fact, I was kind of hoping for the evening to play out as such. As soon as we got to the Center we walked around and picked up dinner for Lucy ($9 cheese pizza, which she inhaled) and dessert for Me (2, 79 cent donuts from Quik Trip, which I inhaled). Twenty minutes later the show started.

You can see my plans for the evening were quickly thrown out the window. Much to the surprise of her father and I, Lucy loved the show. Her favorite thing to do was to clap after every song was over. Funny enough, it was mine too, but for different reasons...

Thankfully, she isn't quite a year and a half yet, so her attention span wasn't quite up to par with the length of the show. We left five minutes before intermission. Wiggly toddler aside, there is only so much "Elmo Grows Up" any parent can stand. I'm evil, I know.

Saturday we headed down to Brookside for a trip to the Lauren Alexandra Bebe Boutique. It was my first time in the store and I wanted everything. Too bad that it followed boutique trend and sold everything at boutique price. So, we headed next door to the kiddy bookstore. Lucy loved the old-fashion type writer. I think (and hope) she and her sister will grow up with an appreciation for anything literary.

We spent the evening at the Smiths and watched the very sad and very pathetic Superbowl game. We all ate too much and had to be rolled home. Monday morning Charles' flu bug made it's second season debut. He ran a fever for the next twenty four hours. Poor guy. At least he had Lucy to take care of him.

Even though Charles was sick Monday and Tuesday, having him home during the day was nice. Lucy really loves to hang out with her Dad. So much in fact that today she found herself quite bored. When I'm bored, I eat. When Lucy is bored, she sits in shoe boxes. If I followed her trend in thinking, I would a: be much thinner, b: have a bum shaped like a rectangle.

Oh yes, I loved reading all of the comments from the last post. I told you that quiz would be fun and interesting. I can't believe I am blessed with so many good girlfriends that are all pregnant at the same time. Here's to healthy babies!

For All the Pregos Out There

2008-01-31T15:45:00.000-05:00

The one thing about having a sick child is that there are many, short sporadic naps through out the day. Because I have nothing better to do or rather I CHOOSE to have nothing better to do, I utilize that "free-time" (I use that term very loosely) surfing the net, reading random articles and catching up on pop culture. A while ago I found this fun quiz entitled "Labor Prediction Quiz". I don't think there is ANYTHING scientific about it, but it's a great way to waste a few minutes of this very cold, long afternoon.

http://www.justmommies.com/quizzes/labor_prediction_quiz.php

According to the quiz results, I will most likely deliver an 8 pounder after my due date. Hmmmm. I don't know about that. Charles and I think that this baby will be smaller than Goose was. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Fun fact: I took the quiz with Lucy and it was pretty spot on, predicting an 8 lb 3 oz baby (correct), after a 13 hour labor (I labored for 15.5 hours, which possibly might have been shorter if her head wouldn't have been so big), after my due date (correct, again). Two out of three. Spooky. One more thing, if you take this quiz, let me know what your results are.

We did it.

2008-01-31T10:41:00.000-05:00

After weeks and weeks of putting off sickness, my family has caught the dreaded bug; the same bug that has effected Lucy's entire play group as well as her friends in other states. You know, the one where the congestion, headache, runny nose, stuffy nose, nausea, and fever don't go away? Let me just say that I am glad that I got the flu shot, AND even more importantly, I am elated that currently it seems to be working. (Mama Horton says: I highly recommend the flu shot, along with a daily multivitamin to stave off illness). It's always best that one person in a sick house remains healthy, and even better when that one person is over 18 and can administer medicine (that Lucy is such a slacker) to the unwell.

Personally, I think that Lucy and her father planned this to prepare me for the sleepless nights that lie ahead. After surviving sleep deprivation with an infant, nights like last night are cake. Easy as pie. Mmmmm. A pastry would be good right now.

A little dramatic, don't you think?

2008-01-30T11:46:00.001-05:00

Trying to be a better blogger, I grabbed my camera to snap up some Lucy shots. As always, the girl had her binky stuck in her mouth. I can never get the "money shot" with half of her face being blocked, so I took it from her. She promptly shook her head, "NO". Anyone who has witnessed this display, knows that it's starts out with a gentle back and forth motion, then if her point is not met, turns into what appears to be a full body seizure (i.e. temper tantrum).

Well, apparently my little grump was not in the mood for a photo shoot. I'm a horrible parent. The more dramatic her gestures got, the more I laughed and encouraged this ridiculous behavior. It's so funny. I. Can't. Help. It. Must. Keep. Snapping. Pictures.

Do you suppose she's a little upset?

In the last post, I mentioned Lucy has grown fond of her little blue chair. That is now an understatement. We officially have a new couch potato in our house. If there was any doubt of her lineage, here it is. When she's not tearing the playroom up, her little butt is planted securely in that seat. I can imagine after all this time of sitting on the floor, it's nice to have a soft spot to land, err, I mean watch television.

Here it is, all that requested a belly shot; 32 weeks and 35 pounds. This is the first time it seems the camera has not added ten extra pounds. This picture does not do me any justice, because I feel huge! Wait, I am huge. I have officially stopped counting the number of people telling/asking me "You look like your going to pop!", "Any day now, right?", and my favorite, "Are you carrying multiples?" Sadly, this started at week 25. Seriously, what is wrong with people? Side note: I think that I now have enough material to start my first book, cleverly entitled: What Not to Say to a Pregnant Woman (or Any Woman You Think Might Be Pregnant). I can see it on the New York Times bestseller list now...

The pregnancy and baby are both good. I have narrowed down the cause of most of my hip pain: vacuuming (either I must be one exuberant vacuumer or my hips have reached full stretching capacity and my joints have grown accustomed to their new location). Fortunately for me and unfortunately for Chaz, after learning of this revelation I haven't had to go to the chiropractor in three weeks. Whoopee! Also, the last couple of weeks I've had to contend with random Braxton Hicks contractions. Already. I can't believe it. This pregnancy has definitely been different than the first. Everything seems to happen much more quickly. Thankfully, the BH are no indication that labor is imminent. Still, I can't wait to meet this little girl. Hopefully, she is already well behaved, obedient, and takes direction well. I've been telling her since day one I'd really like her to stay in there and bake until her due date. We'll see. These next eight weeks are going to fly.

My New Baby.

2008-01-24T18:36:00.001-05:00

I don't even know quite where to begin. It feels like forever since we last updated, and for my three loyal blog readers/stalkers this last week and a half must have been pure torture! I apologize and I'll try to make up for it with Lucy pictures.

For those of you who need tangible proof, here it is: my daughter has finally started to nap. Isn't it just the irony of life that as soon as I get Lucy to start napping, I'll have a mewling infant to that will either A: keep her awake by screaming or B: follow in the footsteps of her sister and not EVER nap until she's a toddler? I can't wait to find out.

Lucy and her Daddy love to "conga". At any given moment she will grab the back of his pant legs and follow him all through the house, laughing hysterically the whole way. It's quite strange, but she likes it, so who am I to judge?

Although they are only a half hour away, Lucy doesn't get to see Grandpa Walter and Grandma Boo nearly enough. They visited us this last Sunday and brought lunch. Aunt Sue also stopped by for a quick, which I'm sure was prompted by the mention of food. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more, the visit, the food, or the fact that my father took it upon himself to clean out my oven. I love my Dad... and my very clean oven.

So here's the deal, and as you all know by now Lucy isn't a big eater. The pediatrician said that as long as she's getting nutrients in some form all the while practicing an eating routine (i.e. eating meals at a certain time, eating meals in the high chair), she should be fine. We've devised a morning routine that works out well for everyone.

It goes a little something like this: 7:45 I get up (after listening to Charles hit snooze on the alarm for thirty-five minutes), open the blinds in the living room, dining room and kitchen, make Lucy's breakfast (half a banana nut muffin and 8 oz of Pedisure), make my much needed cup of coffee and bowl of cereal, head back to the bedroom, open up the blinds, push play on the DVD player, lay the muffin and sippy cup next to Lucy, and sit down at the computer to check the news. Lucy wakes up on her own (hopefully by this point Charles is out of bed) and eats breakfast in bed. We both get about a half hour to forty-five minutes to have breakfast and veg. It's pretty nice.

With such a nice laid back routine it was strange when Lucy got out of bed yesterday within minutes of starting breakfast. She grabbed her drink and headed down the hall to the living room. I didn't think much of it, because she can be pretty busy in the morning. You know, doing what toddlers do. After ten minutes of not hearing a peep come down the hall, I went to investigate and this is what I found.

Hysterical. I watched her drinking her milk, tapping her leg up and down for a few minutes. Doesn't she look so grown up? Legs crossed and all. So weird to see my baby behaving like such a little lady.

For those of you who haven't heard, Charles had open hand surgery on Friday. Everything went well and he is fast on the road to recovery. For the last few days and because of incredibly strong pain meds, Lucy and I have been employed as "chauffeurs". The pay is crappy, but the benefits are good (a trip to Starbucks and extra time spent with the hubby). Monday we took Charles to his first occupational therapy appointment. While he was exercising his hand, the goose decided to go rounds with the cinder block in the middle of the room. Needless to say, the cinder block won. She was healing quite nicely until I took a washcloth to face during her nightly bath and wiped away the scab. It looks worse now than it did in the picture. Here's proof that once again, I won't be winning any parenting awards this year.

And finally... let me introduce you to my new Baby, baby bag that is. For Christmas Charles special ordered a hand bang for me through the lovely ladies at my favorite store, Farmstead. She just came in today, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Seriously, I got teary-eyed when I saw her for the first time (I'm ridiculous, I know). I love purses and bags and shoes and all things accessory. This is no exception. Isn't she beautiful? Charles wanted to get me a nice diaper bag, but I wasn't liking ANYTHING out there. So he suggested I design my own through hand bag designer Glenda Gies. Actually, all I did was pick the style of bag and fabric, so as right now, she's one of a kind. Technically, she is not a diaper bag, just an oversized purse, like all of my other diaper bags. The inside is a beautiful brown and white polkadot satin, and the jeweled broach on the outside (it may be hard to see) was a gift from the store owner as a thanks for purchasing the bag. I really, really love her. Is it wrong to love a bag so much?

Compare and Contrast

2008-01-13T21:24:00.000-05:00

Saturday Charles and I got to see our sweet Baby's face for the first time. We did the same thing with Lucy, and I think knowing what to expect made the visit that much more exciting and enjoyable. Boy, is she cute. See for yourself...

Unfortunately, our little one is a bit stubborn and "camera shy". She failed to understand the dollar value of a good hour and a half long 3-D/4-D ultrasound and spent the majority of the ninety minutes with her feet, hands, and umbilical cord on or near her face. No amount of poking, prodding, begging, bribing, bathroom breaking, or position changing (mine that is, not hers) urged her to move the tent of extremities she used to shield her face. Although, she can't communicate with sound yet, the message here is loud and clear. Just like her father, she is good at demonstrating strong nonverbal skills. Although, he's usually in the car...

Here we have both Lucy and Baby's 29 week ultrasound pictures. Both girls are making similar "kissy" faces. Lucy's picture is first. They both have their Dad's full lips and Mom's itty, bitty chin.

The only differentiator: Baby's super chipmunk cheeks. I already want to pinch em'!

Lucy's feet: Just like Dad's with the toes making a perfect staircase. Normal looking toes as my sister Sue so eloquently puts it. She has a slight arch, which does not come from the Asian side of her genes. Flat applied to many parts of my body pre-pregnancy... What puberty didn't take care of, pregnancy finally has!

Baby's feet: Poor baby, flat as can be with the second toe slightly longer than the first... just like Mom's. (Spoken to my unborn child:) Sorry for the wonky feet, kid. You'll learn that even though they are not the most attractive, they are definitely functional. Hey, life's about finding the silver lining, right?

For those of you blog readers that don't actually like to read, either close the window or proceed with caution. There are no more pictures. You've been warned.

Good news for those of you holding your breath in suspense and wonderment, I passed my glucose test like a champ, as well as the anemia screening. I, like you, was concerned about both due to my previous testing history, but everything turned out well and I couldn't be more relieved.

Lucy is even more fun and crazy these days. She is getting so big and tall. Just in the last few weeks, we've been noticing that every time we dress her she looks as if she's prepared for a flood. Time for some new pants. Eating is still a challenge; thank the Lord for Pediasure. She's talking much more these days. I think it's due to the fact we hardly ever give her the binky anymore. Without the cork, she's quite the chatterbox. Go figure!

Baby is active, active, active! I'm telling you, the girl is always on the move. Sometime soon I'll post video of her kneeing and elbowing me. It's pretty extreme. Saturday the ultrasound technician even commented on how she could teach fetal anatomy with my belly. Sleep is an after thought these days. With the baby constantly in motion and my hips constantly slipping out of joint, I just can't seem to get comfortable. Ah, the joys of pregnancy and the sacrifices we mothers make for our children. (Can hear the violins playing in the background?)

Speaking of pregnancy, my sister has finally joined the blogging world. Check it out in the link section under Supavan and Kevin. She'll have her first ultrasound next Friday and we'll see if the Khamphakdy side will ever have a grandson! She and Kevin are our only hope.

Also, one of my best friends and her husband, Amy and Adam, are pregnant with twins! Now I'm waiting for them to start a blog (hint, hint). Baby A is a boy and as of right now, Baby B is shy. Twice the fun and twice the love. Congrats, you guys!

Christmas Wrap-up

2007-12-27T10:40:00.000-05:00

This post is dedicated to our busy Christmas week, but there are a few random non-Christmas related items included. For example, Lucy loves laundry baskets. In fact, they've become quite the obsession. She loves to put random items in them, including herself. Here she is watching television from the comfort of her own laundry basket.

Now, posing in her laundry basket...

This past Sunday Eli and Pari had their baby blessings. Afterwards the whole Khamphakdy/Smith/Bidney/Clarkson gang headed over the Adam and Vadsana's for lunch. Lucy is definitely becoming more social and interactive. It is an understatement to say that she loves her cousins.

All of the kids were in their Sunday finest, so I decided to snap some pictures. The photo shoot turned into an all out wrestling match. Maly and Alison are so good to Lucy. They never play too rough, and they are kind enough to let her beat them up. As demonstrated below, I never got a "money shot" of the three of them. They are too fast for an old broad like me.

Lucy hasn't learned yet that biting isn't proper greeting etiquiette... I believe we left with Alison's face still intact.

Alison, Pari, and Maly. Don't I have the most precious nieces? Okay, maybe I'm a little biased, but they are pretty darn sweet.

Pari Jun all dressed up and ready for her close up!

Mr. Eli and Miss Pari. I didn't get it when I was younger, but I see now why older people walk around with their thumb and pointer finger permanently squeezed together. Check out the cheeks between them. I can't help it, I want to pinch.

We spent Christmas day with the family. It was a wonderful typical Christmas; good food, good times, lots of presents, and more good food. I think I may have split my intestines eating too much, but it was worth it. Alison and Maly posing with thier baby dolls, Rose and Alexandria. Lucy's Grandma J got these for them and they were the "it" toy that day.

Papa and his two youngest grandbabies. Lucy not only loved all of the toys Pari received this year, she also loved smacking Pari's bald head. I think her arm might be blocking her face, but you may be able to see how she is thoroughly enjoying inflicting pain. I'm scared for March to get here.

Grandparents, sheesh... What better way to discipline a bad baby than to love it to death? Doesn't Lucy look remorseful after beating her cousin like bongos?

It's a good thing that babies don't have the best long term memories. Five minutes later and all is forgiven and forgetten.

The men on their second board game of the day. (L-R) Charles, Art, Adam, Eric and Uncle Fred.

Lucy and Maly playing so nicely...

Lucy attacking Maly...

Just last night Charles was remarking on how funny it is everyone has adapted to Lucy way of saying hello. Instead of vocalizing the word "hello" or waving, she will press her forehead against the person's forehead that she is greeting. It's strange, but it's caught on.

This is new. I'm assuming that this must mean "goodbye".

Lucy gave Charles and I the best Christmas gift we have ever received. She made it at school and it is so absolutely precious. I can't believe how much I love a hunk of clay, but I suppose that's what happens when you become a parent.

On a non-Christmas note, Lucy is becoming such a big girl. As you all know, she is the pickiest little eater on the planet. I offer her new things and healthy things, but she never wants them. Even food that she loved months before can set off her gag reflex. The good thing is, she understands meal time is for eating and we have a pretty good routine down. Breakfast is a bottle of Pediasure and small bowl of Cheerios in bed. I turn on the same movie every morning and she occupies herself for at least a half and hour. She's become so independent, and I'm loving not monitoring her every second she has food in front of her. This morning she decided to branch out and ate almost an entire banana nut muffin. I was in shock and I'm sure it was just a fluke, but maybe, just possibly her wee little taste buds are maturing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping lunch goes just as well.

On another non-Christmas note, #2 is doing well and so is Mom. I am growing so much faster than I was with Lucy. I don't have a picture, but maybe next post. I'm already up 25 lbs. Keep in mind too that I have a little over 12 weeks left. So, much for trying to stay under 40 lbs (sigh...). At our last ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, she was just around two pounds. She is incredibly active. I can hardly get a good night's sleep anymore because she is always on the move . Just laying my hand on my stomach I can make out certain body parts. I know I've been through this before, but even the second time it seems so surreal that there is a little human growing and moving inside of me. We've also honed in on a name, and no, we aren't sharing. The story on how this came to pass is funny (in my words) and tragic (if you ask my sister). Maybe after she's born and her name is legally established I'll share, but until then, we'll just keep you guessing!

I have my next OB appointment in a week and they will be checking for gestational diabetes. I was borderline the first time around with Lucy and ended up having to take the three hour glucose tolerance test just to find out I didn't have it. I don't have the luxury of waiting around the office for three hours this time, so wish me luck my numbers come in low.

Holiday Parties

2007-12-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Lucy's 2nd Annual Christmas Party with her playgroup. The adults traded cookies and the kids exchanged their Secret Santa gifts. By 10:30 AM Lucy and I were both in a sugar coma from all of the tasty treats. Oh, so much good food and not enough room in the ole' tank. Still, being the trooper that I am, I managed to cram as many cookies as I could in the small space that was once my cavernous stomach. I can proudly say that I successfully finished the entire plate of goodies by 9 o' clock this morning (if you don't count the one sugar cookie Charles took to work, and the crumbs that I was too lazy to lick off the plate). Nothing like starting the day with a surge of insulin in the blood!

Lucy's hair is getting so long. Charles and I like to comb her pretty little rat tail after a bath. Anyway, here she is with her first official pigtails. I tried to get a better picture, but the camera is to Lucy what kryptonite is to Superman, as later demonstrated in the post.

See, staring in fear at the mass of flashes pointed in her direction. This is the best group picture I had of all of the kiddos. I can't believe how much they've all changed in one short year. We have a new addition in the bumbo, little Luke. By next year's party there will be at least two more babies in attendance, mine and Megan's (due in June). I can't wait. The more the merrier!

I'm no baby doctor nor do I claim to be a baby whisperer, but I think this was Lucy's way of communicating she's done with the photo session...

Mommies and babies, err toddlers. (L-R) Jen and Preston, Emily and Mallory, Nanthida and Lucy, Lacy and Ethan, Melana with Zack and Luke, Megan and Oliver

Lucy and Mommy in front of the pretty tree. Lucy has found that her sister makes a nice seat and/or pillow. One thing she has yet to comprehend is that there is a baby in there. Although, sometimes I think she understands; she just chooses not to acknowledge the impending arrival of competition.

Opening up her gift from her Secret Santa, Preston. I don't think at this point she realized that the ribbon wasn't the present.

A baby doll! It's the perfect size for her little frame. She's already carrying it around everywhere. Yesterday after we left to run errands, she HAD to have her baby with her at all times.

A puzzle! Lucy loves, loves, loves puzzles. Mommy, not so much. It's probably because her favorite things to do is take all of the pieces out and hand them to me to put in (over and over again) or hide the piece and laugh while I struggle to find them.

And a book! She couldn't wait to read it. She loved all of her gifts. What a spoiled little girl. Thank you Preston and Jen.

A particularly special treat for all of you loyal blog readers, Charles and I cleaned up at his work holiday bash. Last Friday, we joined about fifty of this co-workers and their spouses at the Uptown Theatre for drinks, dinner, and dancing (not to mention Guitar Hero, karaoke, and an Elephant Gift exchange). Lucy stayed overnight with her Grandma so Charles and I made it home by 10:30 where we promptly and quite literally fell into bed. At least he made it into his pajamas. I woke up at 3 AM, still in my dress and coat on top of the covers.

Happy Hollandaise!

2007-12-12T15:23:00.000-05:00

Just want to wish everybody a happy and safe holiday season. For a personalized gift from us, please print out the picture below and write "To: (your name here)" on the top. Enjoy!

A Note to my Best Friend.

2007-11-28T11:52:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday my sweet husband. I am so priviledged to share my life with you. One hundred birthdays side by side would still not be enough time spent together. I admire and respect you more than the depths of the sea. I am proud to call you friend. I learn something new about you and us everyday, and in the process, I evolve a little more. You make me a better person.

I cherish the life we have created together. You are the backbone of this family. Your strength and faith astound me. I could not and would not want to any of this without you at my side, holding my hand. I look forward to growing old with you, and I can't wait until we have matching mops of silver and grey. Just imagine, us at the nursing home, in our matching twin beds, fully equipped with bedrails and nurse call buttons. It'll be bliss as long as we're there together.

Thank you for being a wonderful husband and father. Our children are lucky to have such a man in their lives. I love you.

365 days before. A lot can happen in one year!

Sick Baby

2007-11-26T17:23:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update...

Lucy had a runny nose for a few of weeks. I wasn't too concerned, especially because she now attends nursery school (and is thereby exposed to many more germs) and it's about that time of year. Last week it turned into a big cold, complete with fever, congestion, and a hacking cough. The little appetite she normally has dissipated to nothing. After a few rough nights Charles and I took her into the doctor. Turns out our little girl has croup. In her case, a virus caused swelling and inflammation of the larynx and surrounding tissue. This led to her labored breathing and bark-like cough. Dr. Sullivan prescribed her an anti-inflammatory medication and assured us that the virus would pass eventually. She's only successfully taken two doses because her coughing is so extreme and violent that she occasionally vomits. It's been almost a week now since the symptoms first surfaced and fortunately her condition hasn't worsened. She seems to be on the mend.

As for the other little girl, she's doing great. I can't believe how active she is already. The kid never sleeps; she is constantly in motion. And she is so strong. I have crazy dreams at night she's kicked a hole through my uterus! I am really, really showing now and I've even had to purchase some maternity tops (per Charles' request). On Thursday her Aunt Sue said that instead of looking bloated, I now look pregnant. That's always refreshing to hear, so hooray for me!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving Everyone!

Minneapolis or Bust!

2007-11-13T12:21:00.001-05:00

Thursday Goose and I spend the entirety of the day preparing for our extended weekend up north. Anyone with little ones knows that a simple weekend bag won't do; in order to ensure a smooth trip one must pack the entire contents of one's home, AND said contents must fit neatly into said vehicle to be utilized on said trip. We managed to clean the house, finish the laundry, plan outfits (and some meals), pack bags, and squeeze in a nap all in the course of the day. Oh yes, by we, I mean me. Here Lucy is laughing and clapping at me as I run through the house checking off my day's "to-do" list.

Road trips go something like this: Charles loads and unloads the car (and on pitstops fills the tank), Lucy sits in the back watching movies (shocking, I know), and I drive the entire way. This I don't mind because I prefer highway driving and road rules state the driver maintains control of vehicle speed and title of "Radio Commando". The way up was uneventful and pleasant. We drove four straight hours to stretch our legs and tank up in Clear Lake, IA. The next hour Charles actually spent in the passenger seat (as opposed to the captain's chair behind me and beside Lucy), and we arrived in Owatanna at the local Applebee's to dine with Grandma J and G-pa Dave. An hour and half after dinner we arrived at Iain and Katie's. The remainder of the evening was spent catching up and relaxing.

Saturday was a nice, lazy day. We got up and enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast cooked by Iain and Katie, then napped in front of the television for a couple of hours. The boys stayed back to play PS3, and the girls took off for the Mall of America. We went because in all my visits up north I had never been. Let's just say, it was fun but now that I know what's there I won't be returning anytime soon. It was so congested. I abhor large, pushy crowds.

We had dinner later that evening at Famous Daves and came home to watch 300. Ooh, that was good, but a bit scarier and bloodier than the movies I normally watch.

Stacy (Charles' cousin) and Peter stopped over on Sunday for a visit and they brought Lucy a couple of presents. As neat as we all thought they were, Lucy was much more fascinated with the wrapping. Go figure.

She's not quite into the Scanimation book yet, but the puzzle has been a hit since we came home. The cut outs are now scattered. It will probably take me months before it's in one complete piece again.

The Vikings weren't doing so well, so Charles, Grandma J, Lucy, and I headed to the neighborhood park. It was a perfect Fall day, and after gorging on the entire contents of the fridge and oven all morning it was nice to get out and move the legs a bit. I might have had more fun than Lucy, but you never know.

I love this picture. Lucy's favorite thing to do at the park is the swing. Can you tell? She and Grandma J had a heck of a time together.

Charles hopped into the swing next to Lucy and she thought it was the funniest thing. Below Grandma J, Lucy, and I in the swings. La tres Amigas! I have to admit, it has been many a year since my toosh has sat in a playground swing. It was F-U-N! A few times, I felt like my lunch was going to meet the woodchips, but it was completely worth it.

Speaking of woodchips, Lucy was a bit wobbly on the woodchips, and she face planted. As you can see, she wasn't phased.

Some one-on-one time with Pops...

Beginning the walk home....

Winding down the evening and enjoying and good book with Uncle Iain.

Iain and Katie, thank you so much for once again welcoming us into your home. We love you both so much and wished we all lived closer. Our visits are too few and far between. Hopefully now that you have the house all to yourselves, you can get some decent sleep!

We ended our trip with a visit to Auntie and Uncle Ralph's for breakfast before hitting the road. Grandpa Dean met us there and brought Charles many gifts; golf clubs and a manilla folder filled with report cards and school pictures. I was not surprised that this child delinquent could score such high marks. Also, if I knew my life wouldn't be in danger, I would have scanned some of his glorious pictures to share with you all. They were most definitely the highlight of my day. You gotta love hairstyles and glasses from the 70s and 80s. There was definitely a hint at some mullet action in one of the pictures!

I have to disclose though, the only, only reason I feel I can laugh and make fun is because my school pictures are not any better. Seriously, whose parents let their daughter run around with a moustache? I make the solemn vow, here and now, if either of my daughters meet the same follicular fate as I had in my youth, they will know and become allies with wax and bleach.

Auntie and Lucy. Uncle Ralph left to go bowling shortly after our tardy arrival that morning, so sadly we missed visiting with him. They gave Lucy a wooden alligator pull toy. They tried to find the annoying popping push toy (you know the one with the mulit-colored balls) but were unsuccessful. We were promised that once they found one, it would be one its way. Luckily for us, they don't frequent Babies R' Us.

I know it's not Thanksgiving officially, but as it is November, I feel I have to say that I am so very thankful to have such wonderful in-laws. They are fun, spunky, quirky, generous, spiritual, strong, sweet, gentle, extroverted, talkative, and the list goes on. There is something about everyone that I can learn something from. I love the childhood stories that they share (this time it was the smelly sock incident), and the memories of ones that have passed that will live on through our children. I always, always look forward to the time spent up north. I can't wait for Lucy and her sister to grow older and share in the special relationships with Charles' family like I have. They are wonderful.

New Do

2007-11-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

When I went to pick Lucy up on Sunday morning I was not surpised when both my Mother and Grandma suggested Lucy needed a haircut. If anyone knows my Mother, they know she usually takes the scissors into her own hands to make the adjustments she sees necessary. Needless to say, I was surprised when my daughter came home with the same shaggy bangs she left the house with on Saturday evening.

They really aren't too much of a nuisance, especially when her hair is pulled back with a tie or barrette. The problem therein lies. She hates anything in her hair. I can fix her up all nice a pretty and not even 29 seconds later she is a disheveled mess. The whole idea was to live with the shaggy do until it got long enough to fall into place on its own. I only decided to cut her bangs when her own Father commented on how he hates the hair falling into her eyes. To no avail I've warned Lucy we'd have to cut her pretty hair unless she kept it tied up. It didn't work. You try reasoning with a 14 month old. So, with the votes in, three and a half to one, I've lost the battle but not the war.

Before...

After...
Oh yes, that thing about Lucy hating anything in her hair, well she also hates it combed, touched, etc. I knew this would be mission impossible if attempted while she was awake. I have to give myself a pat on the back for successfully accomplishing this task while she napped. Not too shabby, eh?

Date Nights and Autumn Afternoons

2007-11-05T20:57:00.000-05:00

Saturday was momentous for us here in the Horton household. Mom and Dad had their first date since bringing Miss Lucy home from the hospital AND Lucy had her first overnight with Grandma Penn and Grandma Maly. Charles and I joked that we would be asleep by 9:00 PM (secretly we both hoped we would be). Instead, after an early dinner at Kona we drove around downtown looking at our old hangouts and reminiscing of our younger years. Then, as any couple spending the night away from their child for the first time, we came home, got in bed, and spent the remainder of the night in each other's arms... watching Con Air on cable television (until 12:30). What a night of romance! Joking aside, we had a great night and have already begun to plan our next escape.

Earlier that day Charles was at the office. I knew I would be missing Lucy later so I wanted to spend some quality time with her outside, away from the television. We had so much fun walking around and playing in the leaves. No matter where we were she tried to cross the street. Already trying to run away from home. This is going to be a problem.

I'm feeling good these days. We're just at the halfway point and the Spring will be here before I even have time to adjust to the fact there is a human being growing inside of me. Second and subsequent pregnancies really fly by. Maybe this is a good thing. I can imagine if I sat and thought about how fatigued and broke we're going to be after this baby is born, I might be second guessing this whole "baby-thing".

Speaking of baby, it is already so incredibly active that I can lay on my back and watch my stomach move up and down. As cool as this is, I have to remind myself the reason this is possible is because I have absolutely no muscle tone in my abdomen. Sometimes I'm surprised I can even hold myself up my abs are so weak. One word: JELL-O

And now, we can officially stop referring to the baby as either "It" or "Fetus Horton". We had our ultrasound and shock of all shocks, we are having a GIRL, a healthy little girl! As much as this does not surprise me (seriously can my family produce anything else?), I am excited to finally know. Right now she's about 13 oz. What a chunk!

We were rushed through the appointment, so we don't have the best pictures, but I did post my two favorites. According to her little profile, she already has the Khamphakdy-Horton lips. There won't be enough lip balm in the world for all of our mouths!

Here is the back of her head with a side view of her face. Her hand is in a fist up by her cheek. "Power to the People!"

So, that's all for now. We'll try to stay current on our posts, but hey, no promises!

Trick or Treat

2007-10-31T21:46:00.000-05:00

We took Lucy to the pumpkin patch recently and after feeding the goats, watching the ducks, and going down a slide - we enjoyed a tractor ride to pick out a pumpkin - guess which 'winner' was Lucy's favorite? I guess I use the term 'favorite' loosely since we went very close to Halloween and I think it was the only whole one left. After driving for a very long time to the middle of nowhere to see clumps of disparate, rotten pumpkins, I thought of a metaphor for living in Liberty.

On Halloween, we walked downtown to the Liberty square where the shops were giving away free tootsie rolls to wanting children (one each). Lucy made it about halfway when she fell asleep and did not wake up until we were almost home. I thought some of the stores were a little chincy on their handouts given the fact that they charge $30 for a t-shirt that touts the local high shool football team (that has a 2-4 record and no chance for the state playoffs).

Good think that Nanthida was ordained as the backup candy collector - with us splitting 50% of Lucy's candy in order to provide that service. It was actually an interesting exchange when a 20-something person (not in a costume) was asking for candy. After throwing out an un-enthousiastic 'trick-or-treat', Nanthida would sheepishly nod to the stroller with a sleeping baby and nonverbally try to communicate that we were only gathering the chocolate for our 14-month old...which was usually met with a shot of suspicion and disbelief. During that time, I either looked the other way or tried to blink heavily (showing a physical disorder or emotional instability) in order to avoid engaging in any conversation. They don't teach that stuff in grade school.

Fortunately for us, the Liberty square is not that big. We actually had some neighborhood trick or treaters this year that we stealthily maneuvered around on the way home to not tip them off that we were home (and to not have to share any of our loot with anybody else). So - I hope you found this educational as to where to go - and not go - next year. So far, I have found that none of the kit-kats have been tampered with - but I am only halfway through my testing. I will let you know when I get further along in the process.

In closing, I wanted to share what Lucy's reaction was when I told her she would not be going to the Hanna Montana concert - she did not take it lightly. I consoled her by letting her know that Hanna Montana wasn't coming because her house burned down in the fires in California - and that is what happens to people when they are bad.

The Evolultion of CrAZy!

2007-10-28T21:59:00.001-05:00

We've had a very busy week. Charles was out of town for work for the first time in a long time, Lucy had her first day of nursery school, and me, well I'm just trying to stay sane! Saturday my good friend/"cousin" Sarah Koehler married her one true love, Scott, in a beautiful and intimate ceremony . The reception was grand and there were many faces I haven't seen in years. It was great catching up with old friends. Unfortunely (if not predictably), I did not have my camera. So, no pictures...yet. I'll try to steal some from my big sis, and hopefully I'll post them soon!

Here's how blogging goes in our house. If I've been good, I'll have taken pitcures through out the week, and I'll write about the stories that accompany them. Nine times out of ten, I don't have my camera. And when I realize that it's about time for a post, I find myself snapping pictures of Lucy at any opportune (and inopportune) moment. Go figure, this post is no different than the many others that precede it.

Lucy loves her Disney movies. I can vouch for that. Earlier this week I decided I needed a break from Ariel, Cinderella, and Lightning McQueen, so I put in Moulin Rouge. The music and wild scenery entertained her and I was happy to be watching actual people act. After four consecutive viewings, I went out on a limb and put in Napoleon Dynamite. Here is what happened, and perhaps has a little to do with the following pictures.

Lucy glued to the screen...

About half way through the movie, she went running down the hall, without pants and hair tie missing.

Back down the hall, still pantless, but dancing this time.

Still dancing, still pantless (but did you notice she still has her shoes on?).

Crazy facial expression meets crazy hair, and cray pantless, dancing baby!

At this point Dad decided Lucy needed her bath and off they went, leaving me to finish Napoleon Dynamite by myself. I did not complain.

Still a crazy baby, but at least she's clean!

Saturday

2007-10-15T18:02:00.000-04:00

What is going on? Two posts in a matter of a few days? I am a super-blogger this week for sure. Anywho, Saturday evening I went to Sarah K's bachelorette bash. As I was walking out the door, I went to give Lucy a hug and kiss goodbye. I thought she might be sad to see me go.

I had no more mouthed the words before she shut me out and waved me away. She looks absolutely distraught, doesn't she?

I had such a great time. First we went bowling. It is not for the faint of heart or weak of wrist. I came home feeling like I had been run over by a truck. It was worth every wrist, hip, and back pain I suffered. I even managed not to have the lowest score. I definitely do not take for granted any adult-time that I get outside of the house. We went back to Sarah's house for drinks before feasting on a delicious dinner at Blue Koi. Dessert was the last on the menu. Unfortunately, due to the graphic nature of those pictures, they will not be posted. If you can provide proof of age, I will be more than happy to send them to you.

When I was pregnant with Lucy, I waited until I was 30 weeks before I took any pictures, and believe me, at that point the last thing I wanted to do was pose for the camera. This time I'm trying to be better. This picture is at 16 weeks 5 days. We have our next OB appointment on Thursday. That's when they will schedule the next ultrasound where we find out the gender!

The baby has been kicking up a storm since last Friday. Lucy was kicking at 15 weeks, so Fetus Horton's (It's new name) activity was a little later than I anticipated, but too early for any real concern. It's only been since Friday that I have truly felt pregnant. I am afraid that the Fetus already takes after Lucy. They are both night owls, as they both feel it's time to party once the lights go out. Also, Charles felt Fetus kick for the first time last night. So, if you want to feel the baby move, I suggest coming over after 11 PM.

Fall is here!

2007-10-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

Fall is definitely the favorite and most anticipated season in our household. We couldn't be happier that Mother Nature finally decided to give us some cooler days and nights. There's a chill in the air and the leaves are changing into wonderful shades of red, orange, and yellow. Soon there will be bonfires with weanie roasts and smores, hayrides, and visits to the pumpkin patch. I cannot wait! Hopefully this weather is here to stay, as I can't imagine slipping back into summer or worse, running head first into the beastly cold that is Winter here in the midwest.

Speaking of cold, Miss Lucy decided now would be the best time to shop for a new jacket. It's lined with a wonderfully soft fleece, and has cute embroidery and a faux fur collar to boot! She wore it for the first time on our nightly walk earlier this week. It kept her sound as a pound, and hey, we think she looks pretty cute in it.

With the recent drop in temperature, we've decided to cut our energy bill some slack and shut off the A/C. The only problem is, it gets super cold late at night and stays that way until about 4 in the afternoon. Yesterday we woke up and it was a chilly 66 degrees. All morning Lucy and I were bundled like eskimos. I know what you're thinking, "Turn on the heat dumb-dumb". Herein lies the dilemma, by late afternoon, early evening the house warms up to 70 and stays that way well after we've turned in for the night. Do I turn the heat on for few measly hours and pay the price (quite literally) or do we suck it up and dress like it's the middle of winter?

Instead of doing either, I decided the best solution was to go somewhere and steal someone else's heat. Problem solved, for yesterday anyway. We hit up the Center and Lucy played to her heart's content. I got to hit up some sale racks and found some good deals. Everybody wins!

Lucy's first driving lesson. I told her she wouldn't pass her driver's test with the one-handed approach.

Such a quick learner. Notice her hands on the ten and two, well as close as they could make it considering she doesn't tell time yet.

Charles and I were feeling quite motivated yesterday, so last night after our normal walking circuit, we logged in another mile or so. It was so chilly that we dressed Chubs quite warmly. The extra time in the stroller in addition to being nice and toasty must have lulled her to sleep because this is what we found when we wheeled her inside. When did she get so big? She's such a big girl now.

I couldn't resist a close up. She is so precious, especially when she's sleeping. Now I'm remembering another reason I didn't get much sleep when she was first born. All I wanted to do was watch her sleep, and not in that creepy kind of stalker way.

Lastly, a new development. Lucy is now drinking milk. It has to be watered down, but it's a start. She's drinking anywhere between 5 and 8 oz of Vit D a day. I picked up a lunch box for her to keep her milk chilled when we're out and running about. She loves it. When it's empty she carries it around the house. It's like her own little briefcase. Here she is getting ready for work. Lunchbox/briefcase... check, Boa... check, cellphone... check.

All Things Lucy... Sort of

2007-10-02T23:37:00.000-04:00

Lucy has become an incredibly picky eater. In fact, instead of eating from the five basic food groups, she's made up her own. We like to call it "Lucy's Six P/C's". They include, but (on a good day) are not limited to: Pancakes, Cheeto Puffs, Pudding, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cheese, Pizza. In order to humor me, she sometimes eats ground beef if it's covered in some kind of spicy tomato sauce or on the even more rare occasion pieces of apple. We won't be winning any dietary parenting awards, but at least she's not starving.

As you can see in this picture, dinner was Pudding and Cheetos. You may have to click on the picture to see why she must be bathed after dinner. It's very difficult to comb Cheeto crumbs out of the hair.

Last Wednesday we met up with our friends Tina and Bella at the park. Lucy's walking, but she still prefers to bear crawl when she's in a hurry. She wanted to get down and play, but the ground was muddy. We compromised and decided the swing was a better fit for both of us. I could keep her as clean as she arrived and she could still get some of the park experience. She loved it, and it was hard to pull her out.

After one bummer of a summer, we have some very, very good news.

Here, let Lucy tell you. That's right. We are expecting!

We will be 15 weeks tomorrow (Wednesday, 10/03). Not to be Debbie Downer, but in late May we suffered a miscarriage, and it was devastating. That being said, it makes this pregnancy all the more sweet. It's been very hard to keep the secret, but we wanted to wait until we were safely in the second trimester. We've had three scans, and each time little burrito was progressing as it should be. Our official due date is March 26, but I'm sure it will be late (it's half Khamphakdy, half Horton; genetics are tough to get around). And yes, as soon as we can, we will find out the gender, so I can stop calling our baby an it. At all three scans the baby's heart was beating strong. This last time I even saw the little arm and leg buds moving. Even the second time around, I am amazed. Our body's are capable of doing such great things. I feel lucky to be pregnant again.

So, Miss Lucy will be a big sister. She's already been in practice. For her birthday she received a water baby, and she is obsessed with it. She carries it or drags it around where ever she goes. I tell her to love the baby gently; give the baby hugs and kisses. I think she has selective hearing because all she wants to do is scratch water baby's eyes out. If anyone knows where to find infant size goggles (like the ones you wear in shop class), let us know. We may need to invest in a pair or two.

Happenings

2007-09-18T13:01:00.000-04:00

Friends, it has been a long time. We have had one hell of a summer here in L-town. We are beginning to heal from the loss of our boy, but we still miss him and the joy he brought to our lives. Charles' allergies have been on the rampage and no amount of allergy medication brings him satisfactory relief. I am feeling much better after a two month bout with my thyroid. After many visits to the doctor and endocrinologist, they've ruled out Grave's disease and hyperthyroidism. We were quite relieved to receive that news, and these days, my health is on the mend.

We are so truly blessed to have such a lovely, supporting family. To aide in my recovery, our eternally optimistic Aunt Peggy and magnanimous Momma-in-Law Judy came to stay for a week at a time. Lucy, Charles, and I loved every second we got to spend with each woman. They were a great help to all of us, and we will be forever indebted and grateful.

And now onto what people really read the blog for...Lucy! Here she is with her Papi. She's just learned to wave and blow kisses. Here she is blowing kisses to Mom.

Due to sheer laziness and desperate need of a haircut, I have been wearing a hat most days. Lucy, wanting to be like Mom, also likes to wear hats around the house.

This is from a few weeks ago. Papa Walter and Grandma Boo came over for a nice dinner and visit with Lucy. We just love them.

Along with a love of her Grandma J, Lucy has developed a love of Twizzlers (also thanks to Grandma J). This must truly be genetic because if anyone knows Charles, they know he can polish off a whole bag by himself!

Grandma, Grandbaby photos... Here they are on their first full day together for the first time since the Spring. Once again they became fast friends.

Exchanging "tall tales" and stories.

On their last morning together before Grandma left for home Lucy took a ride on her shoulders. Lucy's styles her own hair every morning after breakfast with a magic pomade... Pancake Syrup! It adds just enough texture and shine for a classy dame like Lucy.

lucy and aunt peggy

2007-09-18T12:53:00.001-04:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

As mentioned in the post above, Aunt Peggy came down for the week before Momma Judy. We had a great time together, and I was able to rest as much as I wanted and needed. Unfortunely, I did not have my camera out until the day of departure. Quite conveniently, Lucy struck up a conversation with her Auntie as she was walking out the door. I think she was trying to delay the goodbye. It worked and we were able to spend just a few more minutes with our wonderful Aunt!

Rest in Peace My Sweet Boy

2007-09-01T22:29:00.000-04:00

My little boy passed away at 2:30 PM this last Thursday. It was untimely, unfortunate, and devastating, but his liver was failing and his body just got tired of fighting.

I adopted Ted when he was barely and month and a half old. He was the runt of his litter and in my eyes irresistable. It would be the first time in my life I would experience love at first sight. For the longest time, he was my whole heart. We were two peas in a pod. As we grew and matured together, so did our family. Charles easily stepped into the role of Dad, and Lucy the annoying little sister. He loved us with a fierceness I can't begin to explain, and we loved him just the same. He was loyal, and he was our protector. He was crazy, yet he brought sanity to our household. He was a gift; the most precious gift no amount of money could buy or replace. If you were to open up my chest to peek at my heart, you would find a paw print. He left his mark and taught us what selfless love truly is. Our lives will never be the same. He was wonderful.

===THEODORE KHAMPHAKDY HORTON 11/18/1999-08/30/2007===

Ted, we will miss you everyday until we get to see you again. Be a good boy.

Happy Birthday Lucy!

2007-08-28T13:45:00.001-04:00

Our little girl turned the big one yesterday. This past year has flown with such an amazing speed that I'm afraid if I blink, she'll be going off to college. That being said, I have truly enjoyed every moment motherhood has had to offer. Well, okay maybe not ALL of the crying, but most of it. She has been such a gift and a blessing. I am amazed at the capacity of love I have to give her, and it only grows stronger everyday.

Lucy loves any dessert, especially cake. I have heard of parents that wait to give their children sweets until the first birthday. I personally do not know any of them, but I am sure of their exsistence. I will say for allergy reasons we introduced dessert early. Instead of the three day window to watch for reactions, we went with six months instead.