Speaking of third babies

This was sent to me as an email and I thought it was very insightful. Funny stuff.


Pregnancy:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
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Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.
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The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
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Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, A frown--you pick up the baby
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to Rewind the mechanical swing.
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Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
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Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
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Activities
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, Baby Zoo, Baby Movies and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.
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Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
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At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children
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Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!
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Oh yeah we're having a boy

So you can tell this is my third baby. Not that I'm not super excited about this one, but you know how it is with the first baby- I would probably have posted ultrasound pics on the day of my appointment announcing the gender for all to read. Weeeeelll, I found out about 3 weeks ago- it's a boy! We're very, very excited. Ruthie was a little sad because she had her heart set on a baby sister, but we've been pumping her up with the Baby Moses, Baby Jesus thing, (her two favorite babies of all time) and she is now thinking up fun names for baby bro, like Bawookus, or Nugget, or Sith. I tried to explain that Sith is actually the name of the Dark Side in Star Wars, but she really just likes Sith. I think she combined Sid and Seth. Very creative, she is.

Keeping the Mullet Alive: the next generation

As seen at the Greater Gulf State Fair in October 2008. As Darth Vader would say, " Impressive."

Blue Angels' Homecoming Show

One of my favorite events on the Gulf Coast every year is the Blue Angels' Homecoming Show at Pensacola NAS. This year it finally worked out so I could take the kids, but not Jay. So we took a picture by the Albatross to give a shout out to the the Coast Guard. The extreme loudness caused some tears, especially from stubborn 2 year olds who refused to wear ear-plugs. Eventually he let me put them in for him, and he could enjoy it more. The kids loved sitting in various air craft and vehicles, such as the Hummer, a fire truck, and some large Air Force planes. My favorite was the Blue Angel that we climbed up in. Seriously I could hear the Top Gun anthem singing and I felt the need, the need for speed. I have a love for Naval Aviation because my Dad was a Naval Aviator- we got a picture of 4 of his 5 grandkids with one of the planes he flew, the A-4 Skyhawk. So great weather, ear-plugs, and those jumpy slide thingies made for a fun but tiring day on the tarmac, and maybe we'll make it next year. And maybe I'll have to watch Top Gun again soon to get my( highly inaccurate portrayal of) Naval Aviation fix. It has nothing to do with the volleyball scene. Seriously, sweaty guys playing sand volleyball in jeans? Let's get real. Real chafed.

Mac is Two!

November 14th Mac turned two, and we had a little party for him the weekend before. It was a lovely fall day and we played at the park with cousins and friends, ate cupcakes, and celebrated Mac. He is a delightful little boy- Jay and I are constantly marveling at how sweet and smiley and fun he is, and such a boy in so many ways. He loves wrestling, jumping, running around, reading books, coloring, snuggling, giving hugs, talking, and playing with his sister. He hates doctor's visits, hair cuts, fingernail trimming, and most vegetables. Mac is a wonderful gift to our family and we love him to pieces.

Mac and Ruthie

A Fair is a Carnival

"A fair is a carnival. It has nothing to do with life." So says a wise woman when her children whine, "that's not fair!" We went to the fair back in October, and it was lots of fun for me and the kids. ( Jay was in shock over the cost of it all.) Ruthie has been wanting to go since we have been reading Charlotte's Web, and she loved every minute of it. We only saw one pig, and it was a mommy, so we pretended it was Wilbur's mommy. Mac loved the tractor displays and all the animals, including the pig races we got to see. I liked seeing a baby cow nurse on it's mommy, but my favorite was the Ferris wheel and the cotton candy. I love cotton candy. I think Jay did enjoy the corn dog that was the size of my whole arm. And he got to ride the elephant and the bumble bee with Ruthie! It was so fun to see it all from my 3 year old's perspective, and watch her "live a dream" so to speak. So we'll save up for next year. Maybe a home equity loan or something would cover it.

Supervise Me

The Scene: I am on the computer, and Jay and Mac are wrestling, romping on the bed beside me. Ruthie wants to join them so she says:

R: How come Mackie can jump and play on the bed?
J: Because I'm supervising him.
R: I want you to supervise me! (running to the bed and climbing up)
J: Do you know what "supervise" means?
R: It means tackle!

Flashback

Saturday we hosted a 30th birthday party for Jen McShea- 80s themed. Happy Bday JEN!!! It was lots o' fun- and I think Jen won for the outfit category- check out the blue silk high heels and off the shoulder hot pink tunic shirt. Bodacious. Jay got to demonstrate his awesome Nintendo skills- on his original 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System. I guess I won the big hair category, and I am totally ready for big hair to be back because it is really what my hair was born to do. And it took only a couple minutes! You can't tell from the picture, but Jay's hair was spiked to perfection. And Brandon pegged his jeans to perfection. Way to go everyone! (Check out Jen's website when she dccides to post some of her pics, they're probably better.) Love ya, Jen!

Ok, let's be positive here

I haven't thrown up in 2 days!
I made it to 10 weeks! Only six or seven more weeks of perpetual stomach virus!
Third pregnancy means I am already showing! Now people will know I'm pregnant!
I get to eat like a hobbit...breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, tea time, lunch, etc.


I am exercising my thankful muscles because they are struggling these days. I know what I should be thinking and saying, but it is certainly a fight against my fleshiness. Sometimes I really just want to wallow in misery. I just need Jesus that's all.

Check out that uterus!

Weddings, Mr. T, and Cheese- How's That for a Hodgepodge?

Lower Alabama Caviar

This recipe is from LuLu's restaurant, the famous one owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister Lucy. I risked my life and went undercover, broke in to the restaurant at night and stole it from their computer. I barely survived because they had this mean Rottweiler that bit a chunk out of my leg, but I guess that satisfied him so he stopped attacking me and I dragged myself out to my car. I had to patch up my leg myself because at a hospital I would only have been questioned and then promptly arrested. Unless I pulled a Jack Bauer and hit my doctor with a syringe full of something that would knock him out and I could steal his clothes and sneak out of the hospital, hijack a Suburban and arrive safely at home in time to feed the kids breakfast. So really, ya'll enjoy. ( I only put that ya'll in there because this is LOWER ALABAMA caviar.) Normally I would say you guys.

This recipe is a crowd pleasah.

Dressing:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (this is always a great start in my book)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (that's EVOO for you Rachael Ray fans)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Dip:
4 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously to dissolve sugar. Set aside. Rinse and drain peas well, place in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and dressing. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or saltine crackers.

This can also be used as a garnish over everything from broiled fish to enchiladas. (So says the Mobile Press Register Food Guy) I am inclined to believe him.

It is a wonderful, refreshing dip for summertime. Enjoy!

Inside my head

August 1
Naptime.
My mind is racing, cluttered with so many thoughts, wishes, lists, ideas and hopes.
-Sweep the floor, it is bad.
-Those **&%#@ ants are back!
Ok I want to spend time with God. My chair awaits.
-Remember to call Katie.
-Ask Jay, don't forget to ask Jay about Sat. night.
-Diapers; add diapers to the list. And eggs.
-I wonder if Jen emailed me back.
-Laundry in the washer. Need to put it in dryer.
Then the phone rings. 25 minutes gone, chatting with mom. It was needed, but my chair is still empty.
Oh! I need to upload those photos Cary sent from the cruise. It can wait. But I really want to see the pictures!
I sit down, my mind has a hard time slowing down. Have I become ADD? No, I am a mom and wife and daughter and sister-in-law and friend and neighbor and housekeeper and cook and yet I am me. I want to write poetry and paint the chair for the bathroom and hang the old window somewhere ummm, and write a book when I get a chance. And what's for dinner and dang, I forgot to get someone to sub for me in the nursery Sunday! 1st of the month...pay mortgage.

Back to Spurgeon. He challenges me to glean from God's word-to feast on the meaty promises that satisfy-to be quenched and full.

"Our Master's field is very rich; behold the handfuls. See, there they lie before thee, poor timid believer! Gather them up, make them thine own, for Jesus bids thee take them. Be not afraid, only believe! Grasp these sweet promises, thresh them out by meditation and feed on them with joy."

This is my soul's need. Open the word. Open it. My mind has settled. I'm in. I'm there and I'm focused. The monitor speaks. The boy is awake. The boy is ready for his "nack." Ok Lord, we'll try again tomorrow. Oh, but your sweetness did invade my soul and I will greet my son with your kiss.

Swimming Lessons

One of our fun activities this summer has been swim lessons for Ruthie. The lessons were at the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center (ATC) in Mobile, which is conveniently located for us, and fun because of the helicopters and airplanes landing and taking off nearby- a 20 month old boy's dream. (You can see the HH-65 "Dolphin" in the bottom picture.) In retrospect I would have had Mac in lessons too, but I didn't think it would work out to do both of them back to back. Ruthie cried at the beginning of each lesson for the first couple of weeks, but then she really looked forward to it. She loved her teacher Miss Autumn, and she really has become more comfortable in the water. They learned how to safety-slide in, float, "crab crawl" around the edge of the pool, and even backstroke and freestyle swimming. I think she could swim on her own, but she still freaks out about it and starts going under. One-on-one intense lessons would probably do the trick. I'm sad the lessons are over, and we'll definitely do it again next summer.

The Portrait

This is the amazing portrait I commissioned my friend Amy Oaks Bailey to do last year, based on a picture I took, and now it is done and I love it! Check out her blog for her comments on doing the portrait. Amy is so talented, and her heart for the glory of God in what she does is very inspiring to me. Thank you so much Amy!

Bucket List

Who needs a pool when you have a 5 gallon bucket?

Dream come true

I love hammocks. I have always wanted my very own and now I have one! It was my 30th bday present from Jay, and I am so happy about it. I love the carefree, laidbackness of the simple little woven rope strung between two trees. I like the airiness of it, the instant feeling of relaxation. Hammocks embody relaxation to me. When I saw the three trees in a row in our backyard, when I first looked at the house, it instantly said "hammock location" to me. And in fact, two of the three worked perfectly. One of my roommates when I lived in Prague once told me, "Merrill, you know how to chill." I thought that was hilarious, but it is true, to a fault. So all you tempest-tossed hand-wringers, come on over and we can chill- I'll provide the sweet-tea, and God will make the breeze.

The Cruise- Top Ten Reasons to go on one when you turn 30

10. Two words- colon cleanse- oh, and free medical care including cow-sized shots of phenergan, ahhhh, no bueno.

9. Sleeping in -in a stateroom the size of a closet with 3 friends. Roomies again!

8. Laying in the sun on deck as the ship sails through the Gulf.

7. No prices on the dinner menu! Ordering two appetizers!

6. Coming back to the room after dinner to find towel animals and chocolates in the room.

5. Sunset up on deck, wind in your face, delicioso.

4. Snorkeling in the beautiful waters off Cozumel, Mexico, with guides Pancho and Nacho, que?

3. Red jeeps in Mexico are muy bueno.

2. Stamp in passport, lots of memories packed into 3 1/2 days.

1. Unhurried time, conversation, laughter, with four dear friends- priceless.

I hear ya James

Oh, Mexico
It sounds so sweet with the sun sinking low
Moon's so bright like to light up the night
Make everything all right


Oh, Mexico
I never really been but I'd sure like to go
Oh, Mexico
I guess I'll have to go now