Just Cute

If you haven't had your daily dose of cuteness today, here you go. You're welcome.

Then & Now

As of today, at 36 weeks 6 days, I am "more pregnant" than I've ever been! Jake & Mal were born at 36w 5d, & I was SO ready at the time to get them out of there. I'm very ready this time as well but no where near as miserable as I was with them for quite a few reasons. I won't claim that carrying one baby is a piece of cake, especially since I tend to have easy pregnancies, but it certainly feels easier on my body than carrying two did. Here's 36 weeks with Beau:
And, for those who may have forgotten, here's 36 weeks with Jake & Mal. I wish the scale of both pics was the same, because this doesn't seem to do it justice. My belly was WAY bigger then. With the twins, I gained a total of 46 pounds, & my belly measured 40 cm (full term for a singleton) at 26 weeks. This time, I've gained 31 pounds & the belly has stayed on track for a single pregnancy.
The other thing you can see in the above picture are my pitifully swollen feet. I distinctly remember them first swelling at 23 weeks, & it just got worse from there. This time, I avoided any swelling at all until after 35 weeks, but what I have had has been minor. I'm still able to wear my normal shoes, so that's great! The same goes for my hands. Last time, I had to ditch my wedding rings when I was still several months out. Today, at 13 days until delivery, I still have them on!

It's been nice this time around not to have to kick Justin to the guest room, thanks to our king sized bed. Last time, we were still sleeping in a full sized bed that had 30+ year old mattresses on it. As I grew, the distribution of weight changed so much that poor J actually rolled to the middle of the bed. He also got woken up every time I changed position or had to get up, so we lived as roommates down the hall from each other for at least two months. Even though I still get up a couple of times a night & toss & turn a bit, he sleeps right through it!

It's been fun over the past few months to compare this pregnancy to my last. It gets me excited to see how similar or different Beau will be to Jake & Mal. We don't have long to wait before finding out!

Stick To It

Being nine months pregnant often motivates me even more than usual to find easy ways to occupy the kids while I sit down for a few minutes. Tuesday evening, their love of stickers helped me out. I let them each pick a color of construction paper, & then just gave them a whole sheet of stickers.
Jake concentrates so hard each time he picks out a sticker. His paper cracked me up because most of the stickers were in a mound in the center. He excitedly explained, "I put them on top of each other!"
Mal went for a more random arrangement but was equally proud of her creation.
Other "lazy mommy" activities of late have included cheering them on as they run laps around our new guest room. Video of that to come soon!

When I Grow Up

Mimi sent Jake & Mallory each a cute new costume as a Valentine's Day treat. They've each had fun pretending in their new gear. Mal says that she'll be a nurse when she grows up, just like Aunt Rachel. She'll gladly listen to your heart if you need a check-up.
Jake is going for the role of courageous public servant in his fireman get-up. He has a walkie talkie & an ax, so he's official.
Thanks Mimi!

Bubble Buddies

J captured some sweet shots during a recent bath time. The kids get so excited when they get to have a bubble bath. Instead of regular routine, it's a party! I loved this pic of my big girl. She's suddenly looking so grown up.
J's doctored version of it is just beautiful!
A bubble fight quickly ensued, with both kids piling suds on each other's heads.
Just imagine lots of giggles to go along with these!

Curling Up With a Good Book

This pic is several weeks old, but I always love to catch them reading together. Sometimes they're each reading their own books (very loudly & expressively), & sometimes they read one together, but it's always so sweet. I hope their love of reading continues as they get older!

Surprise!

Last night, I threw a little surprise birthday party for Justin, thirty days before his thirtieth birthday. Here's the trivia quiz I gave to all of the attendees. For those who'd like to play along, I'll put the answers at the end of this post.

Test Your “Jowledge” (Justin Knowledge)

1. True or False: Justin loves to combine two words to make one ridiculous sounding one. (The title of this page may be a hint!)
2. At what age did Justin begin making to-do lists for himself on index cards?
3. When he was in the first grade, shopping for what item left Justin in tears?
4. What toiletry item is Justin addicted to?
5. Justin graduated from what DFW area high school?
6. What name did Justin’s parents originally have picked out for him before he was born?
7. Justin was born in what city & state?
8. What is Justin’s favorite color?
9. True or False: Justin is such a coffee snob that he even brings Starbucks Via packets with him to church on Sundays.
10. In college, Justin drove what kind of car that he subsequently totaled?
11. What is Justin’s all-time favorite band?
12. In high school, Justin could eat how many Chick Fil-A sandwiches in one sitting?
13. Justin is the spitting image of what family member of his?
14. Which ski resort is Justin’s favorite to visit?
15. What is Justin’s favorite European city? (Hint: It’s is known for it’s museums, wine & terra cotta roofs.)
16. What is Justin’s middle name?
17. True or False: Justin made dinner for Allison on their first date.
18. How did Justin break his arm when he was four years old?
19. Justin recently gave up what modern convenience in his home?
20. Justin has been on mission trips to what two countries?
21. Before deciding to major in accounting, Justin originally wanted to go into what profession?
22. Interning at what type of business changed his mind?
23. In junior high, Justin was compulsive about matching what two articles of his clothing?
24. Justin prefers to fly what airline?
25. What bone of an opposing team member did Justin break in his first soccer game of his junior year of high school?
26. When he was little, Justin told strangers that his name was what?
27. From birth through high school, Justin lived in how many houses?
28. Justin earned money in high school by owning what kind of business?
29. In what location has Justin been skydiving?
30. What animal was on Justin’s Christmas stocking growing up?

Since this year's birthday was a milestone one for J, I didn't want it to pass by without some sort of celebration, but timing made it a little difficult. His actual birthday is March 19th, which is my official due date. Beau is scheduled to be born on the 10th, so I didn't think I'd be up to hosting a party with a 9-day-old.

I decided to celebrate early instead & invited some friends to join us for dinner at Uncle Julio's for the occasion. I told J that Mark & Hattie had invited us to join them there for dinner, without kids so we could actually visit & catch up. He bought my story, so Jake & Mal stayed home with a babysitter, & Justin was surprised to see a table full of friends when we arrived. Of course, we had a Haylee Cake! I was very impressed with her giant taco creation, & it was very yummy!
Friends who came to wish J a happy 30th...



Garrett & Haylee were each also there, but somehow I missed getting them in pictures. Sorry guys! Sweet Ellie was intrigued by the taco cake & kept wanting to look "just a little closer."
We managed to light 30 candles without setting off a smoke alarm.
It was a fun evening with friends. Thanks so much to all who came! Justin, I hope you enjoyed your surprise. Happy 30th, sweetheart!

Answers to the trivia questions:

1. True or False: Justin loves to combine two words to make one ridiculous sounding one. (The title of this page may be a hint!) True
2. At what age did Justin begin making to-do lists for himself on index cards? Third grade
3. When he was in the first grade, shopping for what item left Justin in tears? shoes
4. What toiletry item is Justin addicted to? chapstick
5. Justin graduated from what DFW area high school? Dallas Christian
6. What name did Justin’s parents originally have picked out for him before he was born? Beau
7. Justin was born in what city & state? Birmingham, Alabama
8. What is Justin’s favorite color? blue
9. True or False: Justin is such a coffee snob that he even brings Starbucks Via packets with him to church on Sundays. True
10. In college, Justin drove what kind of car that he subsequently totaled? Pontiac Grand Prix
11. What is Justin’s all-time favorite band? U2
12. In high school, Justin could eat how many Chick Fil-A sandwiches in one sitting? Four
13. Justin is the spitting image of what family member of his? Uncle David
14. Which ski resort is Justin’s favorite to visit? Steamboat Springs
15. What is Justin’s favorite European city? (Hint: It’s is known for it’s museums, wine & terra cotta roofs.) Florence, Italy
16. What is Justin’s middle name? Thomas
17. True or False: Justin made dinner for Allison on their first date. False
18. How did Justin break his arm when he was four years old? Jumping on the bed
19. Justin recently gave up what modern convenience in his home? Cable TV
20. Justin has been on mission trips to what two countries? Mexico & Guatemala
21. Before deciding to major in accounting, Justin originally wanted to go into what profession? Doctor
22. Interning at what type of business changed his mind? Urology practice
23. In junior high, Justin was compulsive about matching what two articles of his clothing? Shirt & boxers
24. Justin prefers to fly what airline? American
25. What bone of an opposing team member did Justin break in his first soccer game of his junior year of high school? leg
26. When he was little, Justin told strangers that his name was what? Leroy
27. From birth through high school, Justin lived in how many houses? Eight
28. Justin earned money in high school by owning what kind of business? Lawn mowing
29. In what location has Justin been skydiving? Swiss Alps
30. What animal was on Justin’s Christmas stocking growing up? Moose

Pajama Party

The kids were supposed to have pajama day at school on February 3rd since they were studying the letter "P" that week. School ended up being canceled that day due to winter storms, so pajama day was rescheduled for the following Monday. Both Jake & Mallory looked forward to it all weekend & were so excited to wear their pajamas to school when the day finally came. After school, they excitedly told me all about their pajama party, complete with popcorn & pizza! I love viewing the world through the eyes of two-year-olds. Each day holds so much wonder for them!

Party Hearty

This sweet little message from Justin greeted me when I walked into the kitchen Monday morning.
J left the house early for his men's Bible study, but the kids & I started our day with cranberry orange muffins. Then we headed to school for their class Valentine party. They enjoyed decorating mailboxes with heart stickers & then exchanging valentines with their friends...
playing Valentine bean bag toss...

eating red & white snack foods (strawberries with cool whip, craisins & white chocolate pretzels)...
& listening to Valentine stories!
Me & my sweeties
That evening, we celebrated Valentine's Day as a family with spaghetti for dinner, brownies with cool whip & strawberries for dessert & some fun presents.
Jake & Mal then spent forever sitting on the kitchen floor sorting through their loot from the day's events. It's amazing how many times they can look through all of their valentines & still be excited each time!
J & I plan to have a nice pre-baby dinner out in a couple of weeks instead of going out for V-Day. He did bring home some beautiful tulips for me, though. What a sweetheart!

Love Fest 2011

Some may think that Valentine's Day is cheesy, but I love the holiday of love! We've done a few fun V-Day themed activities over the last couple of weeks to get into the spirit of the day. First on our list was making valentines for aunts, uncles & grandparents.
Foam stickers are so easy & so fun!
Hopefully, you special family members have already received these beauties in the mail. Jake & Mal each got to pick who each one was for as they made them. I tried to get them to spread their love evenly, but Uncle Mark ended up getting two. They were both adamant about making one for him. You're loved, Uncle Mark!
We also did a little Valentine baking. Tasting the dough is, of course, a must!
Helping roll it out
Sprinkles!

Fun times!
The finished product:
I'll include pics from this morning's party at school in the next post.

And, just for fun, here's me with my valentine on February 14, 2004. We still look like this, right?
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!