Someday I hope to blog again

First off blogger is annoying me with the time it takes to load photos. Any bloggers out there with suggestions on how to load pictures faster? I was not impressed with the updated version when it came to moving pictures around so it's still loading them the old way- 5 at a time.

My main reason or excuse for not posting is the horrible all day morning sickness that I've been experiencing. I had it with both boys until about 20 weeks so it wasn't unexpected. I cannot figure out if this time around it is truly worse or if it seems that way because we are busy with life, work, and the boys. Bottom line is I feel nauseous most of the day and have moments of sour stomach which just make me exhausted. I'm thirsty and most drinks don't sit well. I'm hungry every 90 minutes or so which leaves me tired of eating by the end of the day. I never thought I'd say that but trying to find something that sounds good is always a battle.

I'm thankful for the good days I've had and anticipate when this goes away. I pray it is months before the due date :) I went into this pregnancy knowing that according to our plans this would be our last biological child. I loved being pregnant with both boys so I was concerned that I might be sad about that. Sadness has not kicked in. I did not realize how difficult it would be to be pregnant with small children to care for.

Hopefully I will feel better soon and then be able to post more often. I've got plenty of trips and special events to share!

Introducing #3

Due April 2012!

Reed is 2!

Today is Reed's 2nd Birthday!! He's been telling us he is 2 for the past 6+ months, but today he is finally right! Here's an update on him:

*I'm not sure on his stats, but I know he is bigger than G was at this age. He has a huge foot and outgrows shoes before G would have worn them at the comparable age. I have a feeling he will be wearing G's clothes a year later rather than 2.

*He loves his blanket and sometimes calls it, "blank." He's been put in his crib a few times without it in there and immediately asks where it is.

*He is still a picky eater and resistant to even trying new foods. The things he loves right now- strawberries and most other fruits, cheese sticks, honey roasted peanuts, peanut butter, pepperoni, mac and cheese, and chicken nuggets.

*He loves Graham and has nicknamed him, "Grahamy." He is starting to become more aggressive since G has been that way to him most of his life, but they are learning to enjoy playing together. Reed really wants to sleep on the floor with G in his room, but we've tried a few times and it didn't work. Maybe someday.

*He likes to watch tv and enjoys most of the toys G plays with, but his unique interests include swords, motorcycles, coloring, and books.

*If I sing to him before bed he requests "Jesus" (Jesus Loves Me) or "Holy" (Revelation Song) and will ask me to sing the opposite one that I'm singing. It's quite the challenge for me to remember where I left off on one before I start singing the other :)

*He has been going to G's Sunday School class for the past few months (one day he went in and sat at the table so we tried it and he's been going ever since). A few weeks ago he started Awana Puggles and likes to show us his Puggles shirt!

*He has gotten the hang of our preschool routine and is doing well with it. He is grouchy in the afternoons since he isn't napping as long, but we're thankful that he is taking a nap (he was sent home with Anthony the first two days of school because he wouldn't stop crying during nap time).

*He still sleeps in a crib at home but has given up the pack and play when we are away. Now he sleeps on an air mattress. He also sits at the table with us instead of in his booster seat.

*While we're used to how well he speaks, I've been told that his vocabulary is impressive. He repeats just about anything and speaks in sentences regularly.

A Trip to the Top

While in Lake Placid in July, my brother, his wife, the boys, and I drove to the top of Whiteface. I think it was a 5 or 10 mile drive up a very windy road. We then hiked up some stairs and rock face to reach the castle at the top. The hike up was more intense then I remember but the boys did great with it. We enjoyed the views when we got up there and then took the elevator ride down.

Views from the parking area

Part of what we hiked up

Almost to the top

A look back at what we climbed up

We made it to the top!

A tasty snack for the tired hikers!

An elevator ride and walk through a cave to get to the van.

Graham's 4!

Today Graham turns 4! In many ways its hard to believe he is that old already and might even start kindergarten next year. But then other times it just seems like he has always been there and we can't imagine life without him.

It's been a while since I've done an update on G. It's about time! So at age 4:

-He enjoys transformers, work trucks, superheros, Toy Story, Cars, monsters, bad guys, aliens, and bugs.

-He is still pretty cautious. I hope this contributes to his disinterest in learning to ride a bike or learning to swim. He did go on the rides at the county fair recently and is becoming a little more interested in writing, so that's something!

-He loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor.

-For the past couple of months he has decided he prefers sleeping on the floor. He has a blanket that he lays on top of and a giant stuffed dog as his pillow. He likes it so much requests at bedtime that we don't move him to his bed.

-He like tv, computer games, and video games. He and Daddy will have lots of fun in the future. G is much more interested in sci-fi and fantasy stuff than I am. Having a boy has really grown me in this area :)

-He helps when asked, although we're working on the best attitude to have when asked. I know I enjoy the extra set of hands around the house.

-He is still working on his acceptance of Reed. They have fun together but equally as much he is aggressive towards R. Not wanting to share and jealousy are regularly experienced. R is starting to give it back so that brings a whole new set of challenges!

-He is ready to learn how to read, but maturity (or our butting heads) gets in the way. We were using this but I think I might focus more on word families to change it up.

-He likes to know how things work and asks often for me to explain things to him. I love seeing him trying to make sense of the world we live in.

-He has a sensitivity towards God's truth. It's especially evident with the questions he asks when we are listening to music and he wants to know what the words of the song mean. He says he loves God and we continue to pray daily for his salvation!

-He is observant and a fast thinker. The things he says make me laugh and stand in amazement that he would put them together so quick. I'll finish the post with some of the most recent comments I can remember:

When returning a redbox movie to McDonalds and not Walmart like I said we would do, he asked when I got in the car, "will the movie go through pipes in the ground to get to Walmart?"

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Me: The moon is bright and round because it is a full moon.

G: Did it eat lots of little moons to become a full moon?

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Me: We are going to Toys R Us.

G: Will there be toys for other people there too?

It Works For Us

Prior to having kids I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom. My mother has been one my whole life and I knew I wanted to give that to my kids (I'm sure I appreciate it more now than I did growing up :). So when G was born and we moved to TN we adjusted to life with me at home. I never gave any thought to going back to work. "The plan" always included 3 children so I figured I would be home for a while.

Recently I felt God leading me to consider looking for something to do beyond my current home and church responsibilities. I didn't know if it would be looking for a job of some sort or going back to school, but I told Him I was willing but it had to be something that would work with the boys and A's schedule.

Well, a couple of months ago I was presented with the idea of teaching at a local preschool. It had been suggested in the past, but the timing wasn't right. Since both boys could attend this year, I began to seriously consider it.

After what seemed like a long wait, I was officially offered and accepted the job of teaching the 3 year old class. We're in our second week and it's going well. I have a great group of kids!!

Our only issue has to do with nap time. Since the school day is from 7:45-2:00 nap time is included in the schedule. Reed is struggling with getting used to sleeping in a room with 9 other kids. Thankfully, the school is across the street from our church so Anthony has been able to take him home at lunch time. We're praying he gets better since it's not the ideal scenario!

I'm excited about this new opportunity although I struggle just as much with guilt. I feel like I'm putting more time into preparing for other people's children and not as much in preparing activities for my own. It's kind of like a doctor who would send his kids to another one rather than checking them out himself. For now though, with a 2 and 4 year old, this two day a week job is perfect!

Pizza Picnic

A new family fun outing- a pizza picnic by the water.

There's nothing easier then calling in a pizza order, loading everyone into the car, picking the pizza up, and heading to the lake. I love time with my family and not having to cook is an extra bonus that I will take!