Kids are strange...

I'm sure this applies to all children, but since I'm repeatedly exposed to mine, maybe it just seems more obvious with them? I don't know. All I'm sure of is that my children are a particular breed of, well, "special."

To illustrate my point:

Ethan decided that the spiked look was perfect for him.

The joys of having sisters.

Zoe and Anna wrapped Matt like a burrito and left him on the floor.

Anna walked around like this for thirty minutes until I agreed to take her picture.

At first glance, this seems like a sweet photo. Brothers, roasting things over a fire together...
Yeah, they're cooking a pickle.

I really have no idea what was going on here.

Anna didn't have anyone else to play Old Maid with, so Olaf decided to oblige.

(She's grinning because he has the Old Maid, but I think he ultimately won the game.)

Thank you, Grammy, for providing an abundant supply of nasty, fake teeth.

I looked in my rearview mirror in the midst of Austin traffic, and I saw this.

Nightmares, man.

(Note: I did not take this photo while driving. We did a dramatic reenactment upon returning home.)

Weird little buggers, aren't they?

Matthew's First Birthday!

Last Saturday, we had our whole family over to my parents' house to celebrate Matt's big birthday! It was lots of fun, and I managed to only get choked up a little bit as I remembered his rough beginning and thought about how insanely lucky and blessed we are to have him here with us.

Random stats: Matthew is currently 21 pounds and 29 inches tall. He is cruising around on all the furniture in the house, and can walk with assistance. He hasn't taken independent steps yet, but I think it will probably happen soon! He dances to music, waves "bye," claps his hands, babbles like crazy, and is getting into everything! His current favorite "trouble zone" is the kitchen drawer where I keep the plastic food storage containers. I spend a lot of time tracking down lids these days. He also likes to throw things (usually soft, bouncy balls, but he'll also throw more dangerous items if we're not watching him carefully!). He has the sweetest personality, he's incredibly laid-back, and he loves to hug and cuddle with me. Cutest baby EVER!

Anyway, on to the party!

A few months ago, I asked the kids what kind of birthday party we should have for Matt, and Ethan's immediate, enthusiastic response was, "A zoo party!" I thought it was a super cute idea!

Here's the cake!

I couldn't resist.

I set up a hot dog bar with a ton of different toppings. We also had a menu with some suggestions for creative hot dogs, like the "Chicago Dog," the "BBQ Dog," and the "Salty Dog." I think people had lots of fun making them! Some were really pretty good! I chickened out when it came to the sauerkraut, though. So much for my German heritage.

Matt with his Grammy, Great-Grandma, and Grandma.

(That's just funny, actually.)

Grandpa and Matt.

Arturo and Zoe.

(I think she might have a bit of a crush. Sorry, Hannah.)

 One lucky mommy!

 Zoe was ready to blow out the candle for Matt!

 "Wait, what was that I just ate? It was good!"

"Hmmm..."

"Oh, yeah. I can totally clean the plate! This stuff is awesome!"

Then we opened some presents (with a lot of helpers)!

 

I think he really enjoyed all the fun boxes and paper, though he had no clue what was inside.

And, after a little nap, he found some balloons!

Matthew had a great first birthday, and the party was awesome. Thanks to everyone who came and brought him a gift! We love our Matt-Matt, and can't believe he's already ONE!

Surprise!

It may be a little anticlimactic, since this happens pretty often at our house, but...

We're expecting a baby!

I am currently ten weeks along, and due on January 17! So far, everything is going really well!

This was the first test.

It was a really light pink line, but it was there!

The faint line made me nervous. First of all, my period was already several days late, and I should've had a much darker line by that point. Secondly, I've had faint lines before, and those pregnancies ended in miscarriage. So, I took some more tests.

The next morning. A lot better.

There we go.
(The top one is the same test as in the picture above.)

Getting a much darker line in only a two-day time period comforted me a lot. I knew something was growing in my belly! At that point, I was okay with calling my OB and scheduling my first appointment. (And I solemnly swear to stop buying pee-sticks.)

We went in on June 6. Waiting was horrible, and it seemed like time was slowly inching by.

All that waiting was not in vain, however! We got great news! There were lots of big smiles in that exam room, let me tell you! Rapid, steady heartbeat, no obvious issues, and everything is right on track!

Ta-da! Little bean.

It kind of looks like a dragon in this picture. That's about right.

So, in a nutshell - you guys will be subjected to more obnoxious pregnancy posts. Sorry! (Not really.)

 ******************

How far along? 10 weeks

Total weight gain? One pound, although it feels like more

Maternity clothes? Sometimes. My jeans are uncomfortable around the waist, and Nathan informed me the other day that I have a belly already. Boo!

Sleep? Oh, yeah!

Best moment this week? Finally telling the world!

Miss anything? Eating food without regretting it ten minutes later.

Movement? Nope, too early.

Food cravings? Salt. And potatoes.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Anything sweet. Oh, and the smell of the bathroom. I know, it's weird.

Symptoms? Not unless occasionally feeling like puking counts. Honestly, I've been really COLD all the time. It's 78 degrees in our house and I'm walking around with a blanket wrapped around me. I've also been a little tired. I do have four kids, though. :)

Happy or moody? Probably a little moody. I'm not gonna lie.

Looking forward to? I'm hoping we will get another peek at the baby soon, but no guarantees.

******************

So much for that 30 pounds I lost, eh? Oh, well, I can get back on track after Baby gets here, and I'm definitely motivated!

Memorial Day Weekend 2012

As usual, we went over to my parents' house for Memorial Day Weekend. It was HOT! We were actually supposed to go to a birthday party, but we had all been really sick and were still trying to get over the sniffles, so I thought it would be best if we didn't spread the love. So, we just relaxed and played (and ate), and had a good time!

My dad had done some shopping, and got the boys their first real baseball caps!

The neighbors' peach trees were overflowing, and they said we were welcome to come over and pick some if we wanted to. We got two huge bowls full (although I'm not sure what we're going to do with them all!).

There were TONS of butterflies all over the trees!

After the peach-picking, we went back into the air conditioning and the kids painted some suncatchers. I actually painted one, too. :)

Time for swimming!! The kids could hardly wait to get into the pool! Grammy and Granddad always let them have popsicles while they're in the water, which is a bonus.

That was all on Saturday. Then, on Monday (Memorial Day), we went back over there for Round Two!

Anna was helping Grammy in the kitchen.

Dad's brisket, about to go back into the fire for many hours!

There was more swimming, of course, and some baseball!

Such concentration.

Brisket's done! Nicky's trying to sneak some pieces before it's all cut up.

This might have been one of the best Dad has ever made. We gave him a standing ovation when he entered the kitchen.

Anna went crazy with that corn on the cob!

This was at about 5:00, when it was already starting to cool off for the evening. I'm pretty sure we broke 100 degrees.

It was a good weekend to help recover from our mini-vacation the week before and from being really sick. It's always fun to spend time with my family!