We have a date, sort of

Headed to the Doc today. She has 'tenatively' scheduled the c-section for Monday, August 10th. However, she does not think I will make it that long. My track record has been 2 weeks early, which would be around the 4th. In two weeks I will have another ultrasound and she will keep watching things. She is the type of doc that would schedule a last minute ultrasound if she felt it was needed. The upside to the baby coming early is that my Doc, who I love, will be on vacation starting the
10th but is on call most of the week prior.

Summer Camp

Yesterday I dropped B off at his week long day camp with the Y. As I drove away he was circling the group with his arms crossed checking it out. Today when I dropped him off, within seconds he was off and playing with another kid. This has been a fun, new experience for him. He gets to take his lunch, have snacks, etc. If camp is any indication, he is going to love Kindergarten in August.
I have been wiping down top of fridge, finishing up 6 year sewing projects, organizing kitchen cabinets, washing baby clothes, a whole list of miscellaneous projects. Hopefully JR will have some more time off later this week to take J out for a couple of hours!
Today J decided he wanted to take his table outside and color. I was quite impressed to see him carry the table and 2 chairs and coloring stuff outside all by himself. The question remains to be seen if he will carry it all back in....

Summer is slipping away

I keep thinking I will get some photos downloaded either from Colorado or B's 5th birthday. Being pregnant at 40 and keeping up with the two boys is taking it's toll. I often find myself napping most afternoons with J. Thankfully B is very independent and has no problem entertaining or taking care of himself. I find I can stay on top of the day to day, but if I slip up one day, I have a very hard time catching up the next day. I have even come to the point of putting most of their clothes and shoes away because I cannot get them to keep it picked up and I am just tired of doing it! (I think the smart mom is the one who took all the clothes out of the bedroom and kept everything in the laundry room....no more hauling clothes back and forth. Of course she has a huge laundry room and tons of kids, but what a great idea!)
The allergy season is in full bloom and it seems like every 2 weeks in early July it just knocks me out. B was the first one up this morning and I sent him downstairs and told him to watch PBS and get a cupcake for breakfast (yes, this afforded me more sleep time)!! Good thing that is not a way of life for us!
We are about 6 1/2 weeks away from baby number 3. The envelope is still sealed. Some days I am convinced it is a boy and other days I am sure it is a girl. So, it will definitely be a surprise.
We celebrated B's 5th birthday over the weekend. How fun to watch him grow up but boy the attitude we are starting to deal with! As a friend commented yesterday, he is just so smart and strong willed! I love all the 'adult' conversations we have though. It seems like nothing gets by him, everything gets stored somewhere in that little brain of his until he feels it is time for it to surface and ask questions/make conversation.
J continues with therapy. It appears that motor planning is a predominant issue with him. For example, instead of saying "come" he pronounces it as "kim". When corrected he will say come, but it always comes out as 'kim'. Fork is another word. It is always 'fort' and 9 times out of 10, even with correction, he still says 'fort'. Daddy is another word...it consistently comes out as 'diya'. From what I can understand, it is just a matter of training the brain to pull out the correct sounds, sort of like one would learn to read with dyslexia. His vocabulary is continuing to grow and when 'coached' will put whole sentences together.
B goes to a week long sports camp next week, so starting my to-do list. J plays so well alone, when big brother is not here to stir the pot, so hoping to get most everything done. Then all I have to do is enjoy the last 4 weeks or so!
Will try for pictures later in the week.

Colorado Pictures

Really nice weather!! Just a lot of hanging out and watching all the cousins play!!

Colorado here we come

The last week has been busy. We are heading out today for 10 days in Colorado. Really looking forward to getting away!
We bought a mini van last weekend, so really looking forward to having a nicer, newer, bigger vehicle to travel in!
Won't be online but will try to update with photos towards the end of June.
Had my 30 week appointment. Everything is looking really, really good! Hopefully by the end of June, early July we will have 'picked' the birthdate!

camping

The first camping trip this summer. JR decided last minute to take the boys out. So, I enjoyed a quiet evening, working on projects (I think I could have a whole week and still not get everything done!) They had a great time and took bikes, balls, etc. (Pictures below).
J continues to make great strides in his speech. Still not where he should be but putting 3 and 4 words together. As I leave his room as night he says "No Ma, Lay Me" (lay down with me). One of his biggest words right now is "nice" and depending on the context, he is either saying "be nice" or "not nice".
B on the other hand...This was a recent conversation. We were working a jigsaw puzzle. He was trying to put two pieces together that did not go together.
"B, those don't go together."
"Yes they do Mom"
"No they don't"
"Yes they do" and then a slight pause "Are you arguing with me?"
"No, B I am not"
"Yes you are mom"
"No, I am not, just stating the fact"
"Are you lying to me mom?"
Oh, the hard concept of authority and I am the parent, you are the child!
Some pictures of the recent camping outing, plus a few of JR's recent adventures.

Summer is "officially" here!

The Kindergarten Graduation and Field Day went well. The kids sure had fun! The weather was beautiful!!!! Here is a picture of B 'graduating' and one of his teacher, Miss Tina.


We went fishing over the weekend and J loved it...He would not put the pole down and if you ask him about it, all he does is say "fish" and move his arm in the casting motion.

Another one of the boys...

The other day we were driving in the car and B said "I want to go to the store where Grandmas and Grandpas go to die". Stumped I inquired further..."Miss Tina was telling us about a store or place where Grandmas and Grandpas go to die and they are buried or something". They must have been reading a book at school that talked about cemeteries. I guess later this week we will go visit our local cemetery.
Last week I took B to an ENT to get him checked out. He has problems breathing at night and what I would call sleep apnea. I think some of it is related to his allergies and the foods that he eats. After a neck x-ray and a night of sleeping hooked up to a pulse oxymeter, the ENT has found his adnoids are pretty large and he does have mild sleep apnea. So, we currently have him scheduled for late July to get both tonsils and adenoids removed. I am not totally sold on it yet, but at least have it scheduled. Seems like some think these surgeries help and others have had different experiences. It is an out patient, couple hour thing and they cauterize (sp) them with a laser. Amazing what they can do these days. What I don't understand, and will have to ask the doctor is if it is so minimally invasive, why do they warn of a 1-2 week recovery period.
Other than speech therapy for J and weekly bible study for me, nothing else on the weekly summer schedule. We do have a trip planned to Colorado in June and B will participate in a one week sports camp through the Y and other than anticipating baby, nothing else planned. Looking forward to a summer spent outdoors doing whatever we feel like doing. The boys are already getting a 'tan' and everybody's hair is getting lighter. Of course JR looks like he has spent weeks at the beach.

Kindergarten here we come

We had B's preschool spring program tonight. Hard to believe the year is gone. Tomorrow is his last day, a 'field' day. Will try to upload some pictures in the next couple of days.
Had my 28 week appt today. Everything appears fine. Everyone seems to think it is a girl. The envelope is still sealed!
The cows have come back to the back pasture behind our house. They appear every summer for 2-4 weeks. Don't really know where they get their water source so the neighbors and JR have started turning the water hose on them. The boys are quite excited about this and I am thinking it will become a nightly tradition!
Not much else happening, just enjoying the beautiful summer here!

Memorial Day

Looks like a beautiful weekend, with no snow in the forecast for the first time in several years. No special plans. JR took the boys out fishing this morning, so I got some things done around the house.
This past week we have been watching the tree outside our house. For about 10 days it gets beautiful flowers (I have no idea what kind of tree). There have been probably around 100 bees buzzing in the tree. Fortunately they don't bother us since we literally walk 1 foot from the tree.



Here is a picture of the fish he caught today....

My Favorite so far

I think the only way I can get them both to look at the camera and smile at the same time is when they are wrestling....

2 recent pics

Can you tell the days are getting nicer! We are out and about more! Yeah. Everyday I thank God for what a blessing the boys are. Just so much fun and so neat to see each of their personalities emerging. B is down to his last 3 weeks of preschool! Once that is done, we will have no weekly commitments for the summer, except J's therapy. He is making good progress and one of my friends commented just this past week how much more he is 'talking'. (He has even started 'praying' before meals and at bedtime....when it is his turn, we just hear lots of babbling and then an amen, but hey, I know God understands....) He is being evaluated on Thursday by a Physical Therapist to see if there are any balance/control issues. Both of the boys had their yearly check-ups this past week. B got his 5 year shots, 3 of them, and did not even flinch. He was sitting in my lap and I could not believe how well he did. J did not get any shots. They both got good bill of health and the doctor was very impressed with both of them.
The potty training slowly continues. We are still not really on top of it like we should be for it to all come together but he is still doing good. I am trying to get the boys back into a morning and evening routine. I still have not found that one 'motivator' for B to get him to clean up, etc. He sure is great at trying to pass off any 'chores' to his brother!
Tomorrow we are headed on a short road trip. Just really wanting to get out of town for the day and go eat at one of my favorite restaurants for Mother's Day. The best chicken fried steak I have found in these parts.
JR finished his first week back at work this week. Yeah, after 10 weeks off, we were all ready for the change. He is still at 32 hours but hopefully it will pick back up to 40 hours in the next month or so.
Went out hiking with the boys today. Their first hike of the season. It was all uphill and B made it the whole 3 miles up! That was further than mom made it - I was not 100% today. J did fairly well and walked the first 30 minutes and then opted for the backpack. Really hoping to get some hikes in every week. Really hoping both boys take to hiking without too much grumbling. They seem to both be motivated by the Gatorade!
Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!!!

Pictures

Just some fun pictures from the last couple of days....

we plod along

It appears that after being out of work for 9 weeks that JR is finally getting called back into the 'field'. We assumed that once things started thawing work would pick up. It has been a very long 9 weeks but we have survived. I know that we are all very ready to get back into a normal routine - whatever normal is.
I registered B for kindergarten yesterday. Hard to believe. He is so social, I know he will love it. The School Board just recently decided to go from half day, everyday to full day every other day. He will start about 2 weeks after the baby is born, perfecting timing in my mind. (If you are wondering, we have not looked at the piece of paper that has the gender on it....it is still a surprise).
J continues with speech. He is slowly adding sounds and closing out his words, although he is still having problems with his motor planning. He repeated after me today as I counted to 20. The words by themselves were unintelligable, but he did fairly well 'copying' my sounds. We will probably get him evaluated by a PT in the next week or so, at the advice of his speech therapist. His (mild) balance/control issues don't seem to be going away, so just want to get it checked out. The 'program' he is in works with kids up until 3, so I am really pushing for all we can get him into at this point. It certainly can't hurt.
Wednesday it was close to 60 and then Thursday night we got about 4 inches of very heavy, wet snow. Great for the yards. This time of year snow is always welcome because you know it won't last for more than a day! Hoping to get out tomorrow with the boys and take them to an annual local 'horse drive'. Yes, they run probably close to 1-2 hundred horses down main street as they move them from winter pasture to summer pasture. Maybe we can get some great pictures.
The boys got a set of hand rings (rings that hang from the ceiling that they can swing on) from their Granny for Easter (she hand delivered them!!) So, their playroom is starting to really take shape and hoping to add a few more things over the next couple of months (climbing wall, rope ladder, swing). It sure is interesting to see how cautious B is and how uncautious J is. JR would of course love it if either of his boys became a Navy Seal, etc. I have had to inform him that B does not have it in him, but quite possibly J. Just a little firecracker. Our Texas Tornado as JR refers to him.
B on the other hand has really gotten into drawing, coloring, working puzzles, etc. He can now put together 100 piece puzzles all by himself! He is beginning to get the whole reading, or should I say sounding out letters, concept. They both really enjoy books which I am thankful for. They also really enjoy these days walking in the field behind our house, filling up the gopher holes, finding ants and kicking the ball. The sandbox has thawed, so they will also spend a lot of time out there. My whole goal for the summer is to get them outside with lots of sun and fresh air. I have gotten rid of every 'commitment', except one, so looking forward to just enjoying the summer and being with them with no schedule!
Enough rambling....

J and his antics

I have witnessed three firsts with J this week.
I watched him get a chair and finally be able to climb up on top of the cabinet and stand up, making nothing off limits now.
He has now, proudly, mind you, figured out how to start the microwave with the quick cook button. Now he can put anything in there by himself and cook it for 30 seconds.
He has gotten out the front door twice this week unnoticed. Fortunately it was not for very long and he just stayed in the driveway, where he loves to play.
Oh, and we recently put a lock on the laundry room door. This is where we keep all the medicines and we found him one day on a step stool trying to open up the bottle of Tylenol.
None of these firsts make Mom real excited!
Needless to say, my ears are on high alert as I listen to him around the house, never leaving him out of sight for long!!!
This past week we had 3 days of beautiful weather, 3 days of snow and the next week or so is suppose to be in the 60s and 70s. The boys and dad camped out in the tent in the back yard several days this past week and loved it. JR said the boys did not even move or roll over. One morning they woke up to snow on the ground...they thought that made it all that much neater.

Easter

The weather forecast called for chance of rain or snow but the whole Easter weekend was gorgeous!!!
Saturday there were lots of Egg Hunts to choose from. We went to one at a nearby park. There were lots of kids and I was trying to tell (coach) B on how he should run about half way out and start grabbing eggs versus staying back with the pack. Well, what does he do, runs all the way out to the other end of the field before he stops. J on the other hand must have picked out one egg in the distance and took off for that one egg until he got to it. Neither one of them did very well at the first hunt. At the second Egg Hunt, it was hosted by a local church and they held it this year at a golf course. In an area about the size of 3 football fields they had put down 40,000 eggs (yes, that is 40K). The kids 'hunted' in age groups - otherwise it would have been utter chaos. They had face painting, cookie decorating, bounce house, inflatable slide, Easter Bunny, etc. One of the 'activities' was an inflatable used by a branch of the military for promos. Kids are put in a harness and then tethered to a rope. They start running and at some point the tension in the rope pulls them back when they have hit their limit. B really enjoyed this one. There was an estimate of 3,500 people at this hunt. There were so many someone finally called the police to come direct traffic! The day was absolutely perfect, about 60 and not a cloud in the sky.
Sunday morning we woke up and got a late start. B wanted to take a shower and I told him there were two options, either take a shower before church or hunt eggs. He chose the shower. After church we were busy getting lunch ready and then the boys played outside, J napped and by the time we got around to Easter baskets and egg hunt, it was 5:30 in the afternoon! Not the typical Easter, but great none the less. (I even got into the Masters and the excitement between Perry and Cabrera.)
Several pictures from the weekend!

Ultrasound

I had the big 21 week ultrasound yesterday. Everything looks great. We got a big thumbs up from the baby. So amazing what you can see in those images. Even saw some of the new 4D images....really alien looking!
Yes, they were able to determine the sex and the gender is currently on a piece of paper sealed in an envelope. Despite JR and the entire rest of my family, I have no desire to know the gender. I am having a scheduled c-section, so I want at least one surprise on the morning of the birth. Of course I could change my mind but at this point, I have the envelope in safe keeping. We will see if it stays there!!!

I got sun

The last two days have been beautiful, almost putting on the shorts, but definately a little bit of color on the face!!! The boys have really enjoyed playing outside.
This past weekend I got away for a night as I attended the ladies retreat at our church. A good time. It is about 30 minutes south of where we live but the night we were up there we got 9 inches of snow and none at the house. Just so interesting how the weather patterns are around here.
The potty training has not really gone anywhere. Mostly because we have not been very diligent about it. All of the toys are staying in the 'playroom' although we still have not gotten them use to picking it up every night - atleast we can shut the door and not worry about tripping over toys in the middle of the night. JR even moved the playdoh and markers up to that room and so far, it is working out okay. Both of the boys are sleeping on the bottom bunk (feet to feet) and it seems to be working out great. The speech therapy is coming along. J is getting better at putting two words together at a time. I counted with him today going down the steps and he tried to mimic most of the numbers. The speech therapist is finally getting to where she is gathering enough information/sounds to determine his speech patterns.
Most of the snow in the backyard is melted and soon we will uncover the sandbox.
Hope to post some pictures later this week of B's Easter egg hunt at school.

Shower

Colder temps are back, but fortunately we are not seeing the heavy snow that other parts of the country are experiencing.
I have been busy getting things organized. We are in the process of moving the bunk beds, double bed and dresser into one room and then one room is empty with nothing but toys. The boys have such a hard time cleaning up and I, of late, have not been very diligent and making them do it. So, the hope is that one room is strictly for sleeping and dressing and the other room is all play. This will mean no tripping over toys in the middle of the night, no toys stuffed under beds, hopefully with lots of floor space to play no toys strung all over the house, etc. We will see how it works.
We have also put B on a reward system as far as the tv and computer. Seems like he is getting lazy and that is all he wants to do, not get outside and play. I bought some popsicle sticks and each one is 5 minutes. He gets them for a few chores around the house and for whenever we feel like he deserves one, obeys well, etc. (The other day him and some friends were playing and one little boy was not being nice to the girls and B stuck up for them, so I took the opportunity to praise him and reward him with minutes for standing up for the underdog) So far the last 3 days he has only had about 15-20 minutes a day but he does not seem too bothered by it. Hopefully he will learn about saving up his 'minutes' and having to make choices as to whether he would rather play a computer game or watch cartoons/movie. Again, we will see how it goes but at least the last couple of days it has taken away from falling into too much tv, particularly with nice weather around the corner.
We all seem to be at the tail end of a cold that keeps lingering. I think just about everyone here has dealt with it for weeks. I am confident that mine will not go away until after the baby is born. Oh well, if that is the worst of my pregnancy, I can handle it. I have my 20 week appt next week. Half way through!!!
With J being sick, his cold has settled into his eyes and he looks pitiful. He did not get a nap today, so guess what happened today during their shower. He fell asleep. At 5:30. We decided to let him sleep and hopefully he will go all night!

Cleaning

On a spring cleaning kick here! (Although I woke up to a little bit of snow today.) Got all of the 18 mo and 4 T stuff put away!
Last Thursday the boys and I headed over the pass about 45 minutes away to a friends house and spent the night. Her boys are very close in age to ours and they had a great time playing outside!

2nd Birthday

What a blessing the last two years have been. God has given us a wonderful gift in J. We thought the first was going to be strong willed and independent, boy were we wrong! Such determination but those curls and smile just melt your heart! He has a great laugh and is all boy! Most of the ones we invited to his birthday were either sick or had other stuff going on but had a great time with a few friends. Now we just have to teach the 2 boys how to share! Just a few pics to enjoy

1 accident

J had one accident today, otherwise he made it to the bathroom every other time! Woo hoo. He even initiated a few times! He has the routine down. He goes into the bathroom, gets undressed, gets himself situated and then calls us in there to tell us he needs his treat. He does his business then sits there and eats his treat (Pez candy).
B has started using a new word the last week or so....'embarrasing'. So funny to hear him use it and I can only wait until he says 'Mom, you are embarrasing me'. Today he was trying to talk to JR about something and I answered the question instead of waiting for dad to answer it. B looked at me and said "Mom, I was talking to Dad and I do not want to hear from you right now." Not sure who he has picked this phrase up from, but I have heard it several times too.
Got outside today in a short sleeve shirt. Seems like we have not seen much of the sun the last few days. Sure does wonders for you to get some sun.
Having a few people over for J's second birthday tomorrow. Will try to post some pictures.

Coyote

Two posts in two days!! (people are starting to comment on my lack of posts...)
JR was so excited about his coyote hunt yesterday. He finally saw one and was able to shoot it. He brought it home and B was so excited. He was trying to get J to come look at it. J was whining and kept saying 'no'. Finally B said "it is okay, J, it will not hurt you. It is dead, daddy shot it." I don't think J ever went out there. Glad to know B does not shy away from it all like I do!
Here is a recent pic of the boys, out of the shower and JR with his kill.

March

They say March tends to come in like a lamb and leave like a lion. It is proving thus far to be true. The last couple of nights we have been below zero.
The fever, cold, cough continues to make its rounds at the house so probably just as well that we are not missing out on nice weather.
JR will take his next book test on Friday. His boss told me he wanted to talk with him further about his program and getting his next book ordered. (This is good news and a sign that the boss is going to persevere through this slump and wants to keep JR on board). He is having some minor surgery next week on his hand. Seems he has what I would call a free floating tendon that locks up and makes it difficult to work. The orthopeadic said there is an easy and hard surgery. The easy surgery is doing it in his office all by feel and the hard way is actually having the camera and doing it all by sight. So, hopefully the recovery process won't be too long, but if it has to be done, which there appears no other fix, now is the time with him being out of work a few more weeks.
The potty training with J is still there. We have not been real consistent with it. However, we were out somewhere the other day and I was not totally paying attention to him. He obviously needed to go or had just gone because I found him wandering around without clothes on and had peed on the floor.
Next week is J's second birthday and spring break. I think it is suppose to warm up so hoping to do something fun.

Hum Drum

We are just in a quiet season right now, not much going on. We got a couple of inches of snow yesterday with more expected tonight. I love looking at the white stuff but sure miss the sunshine. With daylight savings time coming up, at least the days are going to be longer.
I have been fighting a cold for about 10 days now. The boys have both had fever on and off for a couple of days. JR is hunkering down at home for the month of March. Hopefully the construction business will start picking up again in April. He is studying for another book test. He is just over 1/2 way through his apprenticeship and continues to do well with his books!
Just wanted to touch base.

15 weeks

Yesterday the local Crisis Pregnancy center called me and said they would love to do(practice) another ultrasound. So today I went in for a 15 week shot. The baby is measuring accurately to the day! That little kid was very active. Could it have been the cheesecake and hot chocalte I had a few hours before going in?? In another 5 weeks I will get the 'big' ultrasound. I think I have decided to be surprised and not find out!
This past weekend was beautiful and I was introduced to one of JRs fishing spots. An awesome place about 5 minutes from us. The river was great and the boys easily played for over an hour throwing rocks, digging in the sand with sticks, etc. We had so much fun, B and I went back the next day and took a 5th grade boy from church with us. (Whenever I ask B who he wants to have a playdate with, he often mentions the older kids.) We had a blast and stayed 2 hours. They were trying to figure out if they could 'loosen' a little chunck of ice so they could stand on it to float down the river. As much as I would have loved to see that (the water was pretty low), I redirected them.
The last 2 weeks or so things with J are really coming together. I think we are going to do another evaluation and see where he is in regards to where he should be with speech and oral awareness.
JR has been home this week, so nice for me to get a few breaks, although I am not making much headway on my projects!

Life continues on

Not much going on here other than the usual. J is finding himself in underwear more often. Things are slowly starting to come together for him. I am still waiting for him to initiate going to the bathroom, but at least now he will tell me right after he goes! Potty trained by his 2nd birthday would be huge but not banking on it. There is a 6th grade girl at church that due to medical reasons is being homeschooled this semester. Both of her parents work during the day so she has started coming over here one day a week. Sure is nice having another set of hands around, especially when J is sleeping and I need to run B somewhere. The other day we were at a 'daycare' type setting. As we got ready to leave, B had a car in his hand that I did not recognize and did not recall him bringing with him. When I inquired, he was adamant that it was his and he had brought it. Usually when he is not telling the truth he cannot look me in the eye with a straight face. After a few minutes, I decided he had never given me a reason to doubt him and I will trust him on in, but we talked at length about lying. The next day B saw J eating some candy. He immediately put his hands on his hips and said "J, did mom give you that candy?" J mumbled something and then B said "you better be telling me the truth because if you are lying to me you will be in trouble." Of course B came straight to me to get the facts. My boys just crack me up. You can be in a room 20 feet away and if they hear plastic, they come running afraid someone is opening something they might not get to eat. Here is a video from when JR went winter camping. He made the video for his dad, that is why it is in Spanish. He is unable to email the video for some reason, so I told him I would post it. If you don't know Spanish, enjoy the scenery anyway. (If I did not already post it, I found it very interesting when he went camping. His element is being in the outdoors. The more quiet and secluded he is, the better. He called me twice - he happened to have cell service where he was. He was complaining about how quiet it was! Maybe he is getting use to the chaos!)

A whole week

I can't believe it has been a week since I last posted. We have just been cruising along. I am still feeling a 10 out of 10! I often forget that I am pregnant! The boys are keeping me active. For some reason J has been waking up about 5:45 in the mornings and very rarely can we get him back to sleep. He takes about a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. I sure long for the days when they would sleep in until 7:30.
B had a Valentine party at preschool and of course he got loaded up on candy! Can't there be a party or holiday without sugar!
The other day I had put J in his room and sometime later heard a call of distress. I went in there and he was sitting on top of his dresser. I have already moved the dresser over a foot from the bed and it is about 5 feet tall. Not real sure how he is getting up there, well, of course I know but just can't believe he is making the reach. He continues to use the potty but only when we initiate. If I could just remember to take him every 30-45 minutes all would be good. He has finally said his first 'full' word. "Out". I am not sure why he has such a hard time closing off words, but he now has one under his belt.
Most of my conversations with B are dominated by "Mom, I just want to ask you a question...", "Mom, how about....", "Mom, listen to me..." or asking one of 20 questions about what I am doing at any particular moment.
JR worked 4 days this week and should have at least 3 days next week. We are all thinking once spring hits, things should pick up. Of course we have had beautiful spring weather most of February. Makes me wonder what the summer holds.
Here are a few pics, most of which are from the park today!

12 weeks

This past week I had my 12 week appt. Heard a good, strong heartbeat! Already starting to get the question "Are you going to find out what you are having?". As far as I am concerned, the verdict is still out. I found out with the first two, but this will be a planned, scheduled c-section, so might be nice to keep something a surprise. (I guess the kid could always make an early entrance though.)
We have been staying close to home! JR has gone out winter camping this afternoon/evening. I can't wait until it warms up enough for him to take the boys out for an overnight. There is of course so much I want to get done, cleaned, organized, projects finished, etc. I am currently working on my t-shirt quilt. I have everything cut out and ready to put together, just trying to figure the best way to put it together.
J continues to use the potty some. We give him some Pez candy when he does, so there is a little bit of incentive. He has started making the connection with peeing in there, he just has not gotten the 'logistics' down. He will sit on the potty but forget to aim in the toilet. I forgot to tell JR this little tidbit. JR got excited when J took him by the hand and walked to the bathroom. J climbed on the toilet and insisted that JR sit on the stool in front of him. When J started peeing, I dont' think JR had moved that fast in a long time. However, we reward it, because at least he is trying!
JR and I are going out to dinenr with another couple friend tomorrow night. (I have a mystery dinner shop I need to do.) I don't know when the last time was we went out with another couple and no kids. Will be really nice. Hope to get some dominoes in!

Potty

More beautiful weather. I was actually outside in shorts today and it was nice. Low 50s with great sun and no wind. Oh for those days to be here to stay for several months.
Having J in 'underwear' has not been too bad. Yesterday I got him to the bathroom as he was in the middle of a poop, so he finally made the connection. Then today I randomly put him on the potty and he pooped. He is so proud of himself. Normally the poop is the last thing to click with the kids but maybe he will be backwards. After all, those are the messy ones. I am able to keep up with the washing of the underwear. All of this is a trial run for possibly cloth diapers. I know it sounds horrid but if you have not checked out cloth diapers in the last 10 years, they are amazingly simple. We will see. I definately want J out of diapers by the time the next one arrives and hopefully we are moving in the right direction.
Sure is nice having JR around the house this week. An extra set of hands sure makes things easier! Sounds like though a little work is lining up so hopefully for his sanity he will get some hours in next week.