Let It Snow!

After an abnormally dry December, we finally have some real snow!  The girls have been begging all winter for snow and an opportunity to build a snowman and go sledding.  I have been a rather lame mom the last few months and, on the few occasions we've had some snow, I have just sent the girls onto the deck to play and refused to join them.  I'm not sure what came over me yesterday, but I suddenly felt the urge to go play in the snow!  We built a snowman on the deck, the girls did some sledding, and I shoveled the driveway for Jeremy.  It felt so good to be outside and productive again....it's been too long.  The girls and I had a lot of fun.  Thanks be to energy in the second trimester!!

 Ally played a very big role in helping to build the snowman, but she has always been my one to get cold the fastest, so she didn't manage to stay outside long enough for me to find the camera.  She gave us a grin from inside the nice, warm house instead.  :)

Randomness...

Okay, this is going seem totally random, but I was pulling my laundry out of the dryer the other day and noticed my dryer has recently been glittered!  I had a pretty good idea which one of the girls' dresses did it (although it's one we've had for years) and I was right.  When I checked the dress, I noticed sequin dots missing in places.  But the way the sparkles were scattered around the back of my dryer made me laugh!  It was as though someone had glued them in!  They were almost evenly placed and only on the back of the dryer.  It's a good thing they look so pretty because I haven't been able to get them off.  Hopefully Jeremy's work clothes don't come out someday with little sequins and sparkles all over them... that would be too funny.

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A couple days ago, I was in the dining room working on a project when I overheard Ally playing on the stairs.  Here is what I heard:

Ally as the Prince:  "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

Ally as the Princess:  (sounding rather annoyed) "My name is Eloise!!!"
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Computer Bonding Time:

Sami was even in the other room on the real computer, checking her email.  I couldn't help but sigh and think some old-person thought like, "When I was their age, I had very little clue what a computer was and never even connected with games and fun."

Cupcakes and skirts!! What more could you want?

 Sami had a playdate today with her friend, Madelyn.  Both she and Madelyn are really into American Girl Dolls right now and the wonderful Aunt Kaydee gave the girls a subscription to the American Girl Magazine for Christmas.  When the first issue arrived this week, Sami couldn't wait to try some of the ideas out.  She found instructions on how to make your doll a figure skating outfit, which, of course, she just had to try.  They only managed to make figure skating skirts today, but they turned out super cute.  (See end of post) 

Also in the magazine, she found the results for a contest on creative cupcake ideas.  She picked the "Sweet Bees" cupcake as the one she wanted to make.  They didn't say in the magazine how they made the cupcakes look the way they did so I had to put on my creative thinking cap for a few days.  I came up with the above.  What do ya think?!

All in all, Sami and Madelyn had a lot of fun and I got a chance to be creative, which (I must admit) I do enjoy. 

Oh, and Thanks to Auntie for the Baby Cakes maker!  It came in very handy today!!

LANIE'S NEW SKIRT!

15 Weeks

This pregnancy has been harder than my others.  I was extremely nauseated for about 10 weeks.  I've been exhausted and overwhelmed and spent many a day wondering if I was going to still be sane the next day.  I was also full of anxiety because I was extremely nauseated when I miscarried some years ago.  I am done being concerned about that but I don't know why it's been so rough.  Some thoughts I've had as to why this one has been so different are:

-I have three kids this time--one of which is a very active two-year-old.

-I just had my gall bladder out a month before I got pregnant and my body may be trying to figure out how to be pregnant with a missing organ.

-My husband is working a lot which adds a little stress.

-I'm getting older.  I do turn 30 this year...

-I might be having a BOY!  :)

Who knows.  All I know is that I am feeling worlds better!!  And now I am happy to just sit back and enjoy my pregnancy.  Boy or girl, I'm excited for this child, but glad I still have a good six months before it gets here.

Miracle Girl

TUESDAY

Ally was the only one obeying her parents and eating her dinner and she knew it, so she announced that she was a "Miracle Girl" because she was the only one listening and being good!

WEDNESDAY

Ally and I played Alphabet Memory (I've only been in the process of making this game for the last six months and finally decided to finish it Tuesday night).  Ally surprised me by naming all of her letters correctly except for maybe three or four of them.  I was thrilled because I thought we were going to be stuck on trying to learn the alphabet forever... guess I should have finished the game sooner...  :)  Anyway, not only did she name her letters, but she won the game!  Afterwards she announced to me, "I'm a Miracle Girl because I'm so smart!"

THURSDAY

Ally decided to "do her makeup..."  Perhaps she was thinking she was a Miracle Girl because she was so beautiful.... I don't know.  But just so you know, those little markers that come with the black felt lined pictures are NOT washable!  The picture below was taken AFTER I scrubbed at her face.  The markers now live in the garbage and, today, she looks almost the same...

Personally, I'm kind of a fan of the two different 'eye shadows'...

Sami just informed me that Ally got the saying from the movie "Joseph: King of Dreams" because in the movie Joseph calls himself a Miracle Child

What are you doing?

Emmy has been following me around the house all week asking "What are you doing?"  I tell her what I'm doing (moving laundry, washing dishes, picking up a mess, etc.) and she says "ohhh!"  Sometimes she will even ask to help.  But if I dare to ask her in return, "What are YOU doing?"  She gives me a grunt or says "No!" and walks away.  She's so funny!

Face Painting

Finger Painting is Old School! 

Why settle for just getting your fingers messy when you can paint your face (and, if you're Emmy, your hair) too!?  While you're at it, just cover the table and your pajamas as well!  I think it's a perfect way to pass an early Sunday morning while Mom does the dishes. 

Long Week

Well, the first week of the new year was definitely a rough one and hopefully not a sign of what the rest of the year will bring.  All three girls ended up with pneumonia!!  Ally even topped hers off with a yucky ear infection.  And Jeremy and I came down with a nasty cold.  Poor Jeremy couldn't slow down at work so he worked all day and into the night and then came home and crashed into bed so he could do it all again the next day.  I got put on night watch and spent the nights calming fevers and the days in a bit of a haze.  We are feeling much better today, though!  Fevers are finally all gone and we can get back to a normal schedule!  Hooray!

Guess What!!!!

Baby #4 is on the way!!!

We are so excited to have an addition to our family around the first part of July!

Beautiful Days!!

On December 8, 2011, we heard the heartbeat for the first time!

The belly pic was taken Christmas Day at 12.5 weeks.

The Ultrasound was done on 12/29/11 at 13 weeks.