Shoes and Lemonade

This week hasn't been nearly as eventful as last week. But few things in life are as eventful as spending the day making sure 5th and 6th graders don't disappear or harm each other while under your watch.

This week has been all about trying to get the house back in order and figure out what is still on the list to get done before Max gets here. I keep reminding myself that he won't actually be walking when he gets here, so I probably don't need to worry about covering the electrical plugs just yet. But I do like to be prepared.

Two things have pretty much dominated my week: shoes and sparkling strawberry lemonade. On the shoe front, I now know what it must feel like to be a butcher stuffing sausage casings. Seriously. I have a whole summer to go, so my shoes really should still fit. But they don't. I ventured out to buy some, which only made the situation worse. Does a butcher want you watching him stuff sausage casings? I don't think so. It became very clear that if I wasn't willing to go up a size (or 3) it just wasn't happening. I did finally find a pair, but they are nothing to write home about. Or write a blog about.

On the sparkling strawberry lemonade front, Sonic is trying to suck even more money out of me than usual. But it's just so good! And somehow it makes me feel better than ordering a chocolate cream pie milkshake. Probably because it's less than half the calories. Luckily my friend Misty shared an excellent recipe for strawberry lemonade with me! You mix one can frozen condensed lemonade (thawed) with four cans of water, and then you add a large tub of sweetened sliced strawberries (thawed). Yum! I've been mixing half a glass of that with half a glass of Sprite to make my own sparkling concoction. Take that Sonic! Until I want a milkshake, that is.


Oh! And I have to admit something. As much as I talk about WalMart, I must give credit where credit is due. I went Monday, and I was very impressed by the changes in the produce department. Well played, WalMart. Well played.

The Homestretch

It feels like September is still looming in the distance, but this week marks the beginning of my third trimester. I guess it won't be long now!

A Great Week

VBS 2010

Yesterday was the big day...my three hour glucose test. Let me tell you what. That's a good time. Thankfully, I passed, and I won't even tell you what I ate yesterday to celebrate. But it involves pizza. And popcorn. And chicken fingers. All that to say, I felt pretty fabulous by last night when I passed out in a food coma. Today I am a new woman. Except for the fact that I ended up bringing about 1000 fun-size candy bars home from VBS yesterday, and they have been whispering sweet nothings to me from the pantry all day. I may have had one or two. Or six.

Yesterday was the last day of VBS, and I was so sad to miss it. I DID get there at the very end. Right in time for Mike to inform me that we was about to go up on stage and have his head shaved. Which I totally knew about before hand. But not really. The kids had raised over $1000 for missions, so off with his hair! They loved it, and I think he's enjoying his new summer 'do.

I don't know what this picture says about him...ha!

Overall, it was a great week. I'm looking forward to lots more fun coming up in July! Trips to St Louis and Dallas, our 5th anniversary, and getting closer to Max's arrival...can't wait!

VBX

Whew! What a busy week it has been! Mike and I have been helping with our church's VBS (Vacation Bible School), and it has been a blast! Tiring...but a blast!

We are in charge of 5th and 6th grade VBS, which is actually called VBX (because 5th and 6th graders are X-tremely cool obviously). Basically, we are more self-contained than the rest of the VBS, and we spend our days playing games, crafting it up, memorizing verses, and if you are a VBX boy, trying to figure out ways to take years off my life. Such as seeing if I really meant it when I said hot glue was extremely hot. Or figuring out a way to turn basically any game into an extreme sport.

This age group just cracks me up! They are too old to trick into doing preschool crafts like my 4th graders once upon a time, but they are still young enough that the idea of tying a balloon to their leg and running around the gym sounds like pure heaven. And, by the way, if you load a paper bag up with potato chips and tell them they have to eat it without using their hands, they will pretty much love you forever. Just FYI.

We are having a great time learning about the ways God cares for us and learning how we can rely on Him and His plan for our lives...definitely something we ALL need to be reminded of! Now I'm off to load more bags with potato chips...

Yum!

Yesterday morning was my oh so fabulous glucose test. I was pretty stoked to wake up and drink this:


Something about the name just screamed delicious! I actually didn't anticipate it being that bad, and it wasn't. Except for the intense burning in my throat. That's not really what you're looking for in a breakfast drink.

All done!

I was really hoping I would pass the one hour test, but for some reason I'm not super shocked that I didn't. I know it's fairly common not to. My levels weren't really high above the "normal" range at all, so I'm hoping that the three hour test confirms no gestational diabetes in sight. Frankly, since his dad weighed 9 pounds 11 ounces at birth I don't think Max needs any help gaining extra weight!

Stuff for Baby

Since this has been a relatively quiet week, I thought I'd take an opportunity to do something a little different. I've seen other people ask, and they always get such great responses. So...what is the one baby item you just love or couldn't live without?? Or...what have you seen your friends and family use that you love? I would love for you to tell me, so I can make sure I'm all over it!


(25 Weeks...and proof that I should make Mike stand up when he takes pictures of me)

A New Look

Last week I decided it was finally time to get my hair done, so off to the salon I went. I got a little more than I bargained for, and left feeling kinda like this:


I had them pinned back there, but this new 'do comes complete with bangs:


The bangs are lookin' a little rough after my trek to my car after church, but you get the idea. And just for the record, if you saw how far I actually walked to my car after church you would laugh at me for calling it a trek.

I have no doubt that my lack of understanding about what I was getting into stems from my inability to explain myself very well these days. Overall, I'm getting used to the new look, but I don't know how long it will last. Next time, I'm taking lots and lots of pictures with me!

Sittin' Pretty

Mike got a new toy today. I'm sure he would have much rather had something from Best Buy, but I think he's pretty excited about this one!

According to Me

With our move to Mississippi, I have become quite the WalMart shopper. While I was more of a Target girl in Texas, here Target doesn't really come in "super" size and it's a good 20 to 30 minute drive from my house. And that's a different 20 minutes than the 20 it takes to drive through Frisco construction!

I have learned to embrace my new WalMart ways, especially since we have a lovely, nice, new one in our town, and it's the place to be. But I have to admit that there are a few things that really drive me crazy. Not so much about WalMart...but about my fellow WalMart shoppers. So, because I know that all the people who actually shop at WalMart read my blog, I would like to just share a few tips on being a kind and considerate fellow shopper.

1. The parking lot is designed in rows for a reason. I know that when nobody is there it is easy to zoom around like you are playing bumper cars, but at least look to see that you are the only one around. I don't want to get my car totaled for actually driving in a legal and appropriate manner.

2. Put your cart away! I realize that this may mean you have to walk to a cart return or (gasp!) back in the store. But your cart does not belong in a parking spot, in the middle of the road, or resting against my car. And to the man who I literally saw turn around and push his cart as hard and fast as he could away from his car only to land wherever it may: too far, Mr. Too far.

3. If you decide you don't want a product put it back where it belongs. Ice cream does not belong in the pasta section. That's just gross.

4. I love friends. And I love talking. But if you are deep in conversation with your long lost BFF who you just happened to run into at Wally World, please make sure people can get around you in the aisle. And don't look at them, see that they need to get by, and then just go back to talking. You are not that important. I promise.

Okay, I feel much better now. But if I think of anything else, I'll be sure to let you know.

24 Weeks and Counting...

When did this


turn into this?


Gracious.

This Week

I've definitely been going through an organization phase lately. I don't know that it's nesting, but it's something. All of this organization has me back in the nursery, which is a lot of fun, but it's also left me feeling a little down this week.

I spent so much time making the nursery ready for two babies, that now it's very apparent something, or someone I should say, is missing. Slowly but surely, I'm rearranging and making the room more appropriate for Mr. Max, but I can't shake the sadness that "Will" isn't going to be there too. (I will continue to call him Will on here so you know who I'm talking about, although Miss C did not keep that name. I just don't think it's my decision to share that name in a public arena.)

Yesterday I finally went through all the clothes we brought back from PA and all of the clothes in the closet. I have a pile of Will stuff and a pile of holiday gear that is going to be way to big or too small for Max. I also decided it was probably time to take the Will painting off the wall, since we are having people over tomorrow night.

The thing is, I just don't know what to do with it all. I surely don't want to get rid of it, but it also feels kind of sad to just stick it in a box in the attic. In the end I know it's just "things," but somehow it's more than that. I feel like I sound very melodramatic, but all of these things are the only things we'll ever have to remember him by. That and a few precious pictures from the time we spent with him in the hospital. So...in the attic it will go I suppose.

I don't really have much else to say. Just wanted to get the feelings out, although I don't know that I even wrote out what I meant to say. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes. I am learning more than ever what it means to live with great joy and great sadness. And as always, I know that God brought Miss C and Will into our lives for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, but I continue to pray that it has eternal value for everyone involved. And I pray that I never forget that God has a perfect plan for our family. Even when it hurts.

Where is my Mind?

Mike: Did you ask Kim about things we could do if we went to St. Louis for our anniversary?

Me: Yes.

Mike: Did she give you lots of good ideas?

Me: Oh yeah, we talked about it for a long time.

Mike: Well, what are some things we could do?

Me: I have no idea. I don't remember what we talked about.

And so the pregnancy brain has hit! Between that, not being able to order clearly at restaurants anymore, and accidentally putting bleach where the fabric softener was supposed to go yesterday (a load of whites, thank goodness), I am hoping it doesn't get much worse. Although I have my doubts that your brain comes back to full capacity when you have a baby around! Or toddlers. Or children. Or teenagers. I may as well throw in the towel now.