let me explain

i guess i have some explaining to do...
here are the details...

due date april 16th - so i am 20 weeks

the baby looks healthy - whew!

we are having another brock, i mean BOY! (we hope he is as perfect as brock :)

i wanted to wait until christmas to tell but was afraid i would be showing

yes, i have been sick but not as bad as i was with brock - thank goodness!

we just really felt like brock needed a friend

the kids are beyond thrilled. had to convince keegan that being the ONLY girl would have GREAT benefits (she really would of liked a sister but is over it already & we are not sure we could of handled another girl :)

reason for waiting SO long to tell: 2 reasons really.
first, since i was SO sick with brock, i thought it would make it easier on me if nobody knew. i could almost forget about it?! it is hard when you feel horrible & everyone is continually asking how you are doing. so, i thought if nobody knew- nobody would ask & hopefully i could almost forget i was pregnant & sick (i never could forget about it as throwing up is a great reminder - HA!)
second, we had a scare with brock that he was down syndrome. i knew my age was not in my favor with this one & i was at increased risk for a down syndrome baby- i wanted to get the test results back that everything was normal before telling anyone. not that it would of made a difference IF it came back that this baby was down syndrome, i would of just wanted to know first.

so, we are excited & know for sure this is the LAST one!!!

confession

i have a confession to make that is quite embarrasing but i have made great progress in the last couple days. Steve & I have had ipods for a LONG time but still in the packaging. We have purchased itunes gift cards that have sat in a drawer for over a year. We both have iphones which neither one have ONE song on them. it isn't that we don't like music, it just has not been a priority. there have been many times that i would of loved an ipod loaded with music but it isn't one of those things that i have to have by a certain date so it hasn't happened. in fact, i made a deal with steve over the summer that if he loaded my ipod with some good work out music then i would start running with him. (those who know me know that is huge for me - btw, that deal is NOT still on - it expired when it turned chilly outside :)
anyways, our friends sam & lori came over friday night & after dinner, i asked sam if he could show me how to upload new pics to my iphone (the guy at the apple store helped me load some when i first got my iphone but that has been over a year ago). sam about died when he realized i did not have a itunes account nor had i ever updated my iphone much less not have any tunes. after a couple hours of getting everything updated & set-up the FUN began (THANKS SAM!!). i started downloading games, songs, movies, etc. it is so easy. i have spent the most part of my weekend playing games, buying songs, editing pictures & just going down memory lane. let's just say that i have burned through the $50 gift cards that we had bought & it didn't take too long - HA! my iphone is chuck full of stuff now & i still haven't even used 25% of my capacity. i am just giddy thinking how it will not only entertain me at the airport, doctors office, etc. but also my kids - especially brock. he loves my phone (calculator, pictures, notepad) & thinks it is his. i know he is going to freak once he finds all the new stuff on it now.
anyways, i am EXCITED!! it is one of those things that i knew everyone was into & just loved but did not know what i was missing until now. this is just one of the things on my list to get done - i just didn't realize how fun it was going to be & how much time i would spend on it.

your list?

what is on your list of things you need/want to get done before christmas? i have had a list going in the back of my mind for a while but had not written it down until TODAY. Wow - it is a LONG list - but it always is.
However, i am REALLY going to TRY to get everything done BEFORE the 10th this year, ok maybe the 13th. that is huge for me as i am the one usually addressing christmas cards on the 23rd & having to express gifts that need to be mailed. i just don't want to be scrambling around & stressed at the last minute this year. that is MY GOAL. i want to relax & truly enjoy the season WITHOUT any distractions this year. i will report & let you know my progress.

100 days

i know it has been a bit since i have blogged but i have been a little focused on wrapping up 2008 - yes, already! can you beleive it?? i just got home from my last event of the year. so happy to be home for 100 days but also sad to not teach/see so many friends for so long. it is always a much needed break & my kids look forward to the 100 DAYS (i am not actually sure how many days until i travel again but it is around 100). My kids always count down the shows the last couple months until our 100 DAYS. it is exciting for us ALL to be home & together for 100 DAYS - catch up time & LOTS of FUN!!!



we started off the 100 days by going to see the play Peter Pan. it was great. jake & keegan were glued to the performance & brock was very good (considering it was over 3 hours). we have a new theatre company close by & are looking forward to seeing many more productions - they did a great job. jake has asked if he can audition for their next production, aristocrats. i will have to find out the time involced as he is already involved in so much.

does it get any cuter than this?

i saw this little guy & i want one! not sure how zoe would get along with a deer... i have always wanted a cute little money but then they get big & aren't so cute anymore. i guess the same would go for this darling deer. it looks like it will have to be one of santa'a new reindeer when it grows up. Read more here.

God Bless America PLEASE!?

i hope everyone takes the time today to vote (if you hadn't participated in early voting). All I can say is GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

happy halloween!

hope everyone had a fun & safe halloween!
halloween is such a fun time. it is by far my mom's favorite holiday (NOT!!) & i think it has just rubbed off on us. Actually, my kids love halloween just as much if not better than christmas?! brock was elmo even though by the time it was halloween, he really wanted to be cookie monster. keegan was the cutest vampire. not sure who jake was - he just wanted that cool mask & weapon.
we start trick-or-treating with this group & it gets smaller as the night progresses.


brock wanted to eat the candy from one house before going to the next house - as you could imagine that did not work too well. after about 20 houses, we put him in the stoller & it was much easier to have he hop out once we got to the porch. keegan, brock & i came home after about 1 hour & handed out candy. (we had left a bowl of candy on the porch & it had gotten dumped TWICE in that hour). in years past, the night ends up with steve, jake & madison being the last ones on the streets. here are some pics of our gang just before heading out for the night:

halloween party

we always host a halloween party for the kids & it is one of their most favorite things we do. this year was no exception. we had a houseful of kids, played lots of fun games, had yummy treats & made a HUGE mess! it just doesn't get much better than that.

another halloween party

this one was for the adults. we had a blast. another yearly tradition, just started. steve was gladiator & i was his roman beauty :)
super fun night!