How long has it been...

Oh sweet Andrew, it's been too long since I've journaled about all the wonderful and crazy things you're doing.  The little voice in the back of my head tells me that your future brothers and sisters (whenever God sends them) will have even less photo and written documentation of their growing up years, but for now I have relatively little excuse :)

You finally started walking!  We're not sure of how old you were, to be honest.  Because, you see, I was all proud to tell your Bible study leader that you learned to walk during the week that we were out sick and her response was "Um, what do you mean?"  You had been walking at BSF for a MONTH (at least) before you started walking (without hanging on to anything) anywhere else.  In fact, it was only on Wednesdays - not even  on Tuesdays when we go for my leaders' meeting!  Not at home, at church, friends' houses... nowhere else!  You crazy kid - you were holding out on us!  Anyway, now you're starting to pick up speed and almost never crawl anywhere.  You're getting really good at catching your balance and squatting to pick something up off the floor.  And you LOVE walking down the hallway to find Daddy or me or to go sit in your room to wait for us to change your diaper :)  We're starting to lose things as you carry and deposit them in new locations...

You love anything that moves.  Cars are the big obsession and trash trucks are the current favorite in that genre, although seeing the planes fly over our house is a delight as well.  You thought you had died and gone to Heaven when we happened to catch the trash men coming around our corner when we took the can to the street last week.  The trash men were so friendly - the driver waved to you and the man on the back was so polite and waved and showed you how the truck smashes the trash as he drove away from our house.  You said "Tash Tuck" about a million times the rest of that day!  I found a little toy trash truck for you at a church baby sale last weekend and it's been going everywhere with you since then :)  The dump truck I also got is on stand by for any friend who comes to play so you can be sure to have the trash truck, lol.

You have learned how to give kisses.  They're open mouth and mostly teeth but you firmly plant them on my cheek!  Actually, you usually just offer your cheek to me for me to kiss you , but occasionally I get one of yours!

Mrs. Paula gave you "Hop On Pop" last week and you've been walking around saying "Pop!" It's super cute!  I've been trying to get you to say "Poppy" but so far it hasn't worked.  Tonight Daddy read you the book while you sat on his chest - I thought it was clever that you were "on 'Pop'" while reading "Hop On Pop." Haha!  You two are such a sweet part of my life!



You can point to all of your grandparents and Great Aunt Cathi in your photo book when I name them.

You are enjoying learning how to use a fork and spoon.  I try to let you practice on days we don't have anywhere to go in the morning... usually this activity ends in bath time :)  (At least spoon practice - fork you're pretty good with)  However you're still pretty picky with what you'll eat.  Yesterday we had hot dogs for the first time since you've been born and when I introduced them to you  your first response was "vufh vufh!"  Hmm... not really dogs, kid.  You liked it as a medium for ketchup :)  Otherwise I can always count on you eating a full cup of yogurt, fruit (especially grapes or berries), cereal (Kix are the current favorite - little balls!), beans (from taco soup are the best), cheddar cheese, strawberry-banana granola bars, and crackers.  We've just learned that you are very compliant with eating vegetables if we alternate bites with yogurt.  (Daddy triumphs on that discovery!) 


By far your favorite food is crackers.  So much so that I have to make you wait for Daddy to get home to have more most days.  They're a great tool to keep you awake in the car when we're running late for your nap time, though!  I just bought you some new 'big boy' sippy cups (the lid is hard plastic instead of a soft nipple-like plastic) with Lightening McQueen on them - you are SO EXCITED that they have a car on them and will even drink cow's milk from them!  This is an exciting new development in the drinking-milk-other-than-breastmilk department :)

You love hats.  And anything you can put on your head as a hat.  Including food bowls.  We're trying to train you out of that one :)  It sure is cute, though, when you pick up a book and put it on your head and say "Haah!" 


You've developed a new facial expression.  When you don't like what I'm doing (usually closing the baby gate) you try to make an upset face and fuss but it just looks and sounds funny. I wish I could get it on video...  You also do a modified version of this minus the fussing when I come pick you up from Bible study.  It's as though you want to show something on your face and you're not quite sure what to do at this point.

I keep forgetting to write down words you say and you keep adding new ones.  Here's my best effort to catalog the current vocab list:
Mama
Tahddy
bah (ball, bath, granola bar)
bah bah (Bible, butterfly, baby)
car (applied to any vehicle as well as your pillow with cars on the pillowcase)
fhava (water)
flaohva (flower)
nana ("no no" and banana)
pahboo (balloon)
pboo (spoon)
cahgah (cracker)
chzzz (cheese)
tash tuck (trash truck - usually you only say 'trash')
pah or pahp (pop)
frah (frog)
wahgah (wagon - only said this a few times)

You're also getting really good at doing animal sounds.  Daddy sings the Rooster Song at bedtime most nights and you love to contribute the animals' voice :)
dog: vuhf
cat: aaahhhh! (voice inflection here is key!)
cow: boo
sheep: baah
donkey: hah haaa
bunny: (crinkle nose)

Daddy is your new favorite person - you talk about him all day long and LOVE it when he comes home to see you!  We have the following conversation pretty much verbatim about 10 times per day:
"Mama, Mama!"
"Yes, Andrew."
"Tahddy?"
"Daddy is at work."
"Car."
"Yes, Daddy drove the yellow car to work.  Now he's inside teaching math."
"Car."
"Yes, he'll drive the car to come back home for dinner."
"Tahddy." (with a BIG smile)
"I love Daddy, too!  I like it when he comes home :)"


You understand so much of what is going on around you and what we say it's really remarkable.  You obey instructions very well and respond well when we have to redirect or reprimand your disobedience.  You love playing with your cars, riding your rocking horse, reading books, driving the Little People cart with the donkey, doing puzzles (especially the simple shape one and the one with vehicle noises that Grandma gave you for Christmas), rocking in your rocking chair (and you're doing SO well with sitting correctly!), looking at photos of Mama and Daddy, going for walks in your stroller, chasing balls, and reading the Bible.  You do really well tidying up your toys as long as one of us is helping you, and if we tell you to go somewhere you're great at going there (high chair for food, couch to read a book, bedroom for a diaper/to look out the windows, etc).  You also really enjoy trying to find me and Daddy when we go to the bathroom, lol, and finding Daddy's shoes and identifying them as his.  And his water cups.  And anything else you can identify as Daddy's :)

When you hear the garage door open your whole face lights up, your eyes sparkle, and you almost shout "Tahddy!!!!"

Sometimes when Daddy comes home he lets you sit on his lap in the yellow car.  You talk about this for the rest of the day and usually the whole next day :)  When we drove you around the block you talked about it for a week.

Your favorite books are the Jesus Storybook Bible (we're learning to turn pages gently so no more of them rip), Baa Baa Black Sheep, I Am A Bunny, Where Is Baby's Birthday Cake, Hop On Pop, Goodnight Moon, Richard Scarry's Cars from A to Z, and of course your Big Truck Book (particularly the pages with the backhoe and the trash trucks on them)

Last night you accidentally called Grandma.  You managed to unlock the keypad on my phone and pressed her speed dial number.  We left her a message and she saved it on her phone so she can listen to it whenever she wants since she can hear you in the background of me explaining that you called her :)

We did a special craft for Valentine's Day.  I can't write about it right now, though, because the recipients haven't received them yet (they're in the mail) and I don't want to spoil the surprise. 

Speaking of mail ... you love seeing the mail truck and mail man, too :)  Today we got to talk to him and look inside his truck while he found our mail for us.  We have a very nice mail man!



I love you, my sweet, favorite first son!  What a delight you are to watch learn new things and explore.  We are so thankful that God gave you to us!

1 Year Old!

My sweet baby,
I love you so much!  You are such a sweet little boy now - not really a baby but not quite a toddler.  Your smile lights up a room and your eyes twinkle when you laugh.  You still like playing with balls but your new favorite toys are definitely cars!  And seeing cars parked around our neighborhood and in parking lots just makes your day.  You tend to identify the red ones as "TAR!" with the most enthusiasm but the yellow ones (like Daddy's) merit big smiles, arm waves, and excited dancing :) 

You certainly like eating table food and even tolerate a few vegetables when I sneak them in with your applesauce (although anything green has been thrown up... yellow and oranges are much more successful!)  Goldfish, animal crackers, and grapes are your all time favorites and breakfast wouldn't be complete without your yogurt and cheerios! (Bananas are an acceptable addition now and then, too).  You flat out refuse to drink cow's milk but are enjoying the almond milk I bought for you this week :)  Hopefully you'll get comfortable enough with it that it can be a substitute for my milk every now and then... but I still love the time you spend nursing with me!

You have discovered a love of books and reading :)  It is so precious to watch you take board books out of your book basket and turn the pages.  Sometimes you identify cars, butterflies, and your favorite characters.  You were a little confused why the bear's name is Pooh since that's what's in your diaper... but you seem to have accepted it and just enjoy the books regardless of the weird names :)  Your favorite books right now are lift the flap books and the Nicholas the Bunny book (you love pointing out the different things on the pages - flowers, butterflies, frogs, strawberries, leaves, etc.) and laugh when I blow air on your head when we read the page about Nicholas blowing the dandilion seeds into the air :) 

Daddy taught you a new game - pulling your socks off by the toes.  You think it is positively hilarious so I'm trying not to be annoyed by all the stretched out socks....

You love your Daddy!  When you hear the garage door open you start laughing and looking at the door waiting for him to come inside :)  You love taking books to him for him to read to you.  Daddy is really good about having you walk places with him - he lets you use his fingers to hold on to or gets your blue hippo to push.  He also taught you to bounce the red ball while he holds you - you throw it down and he catches it when it bounces back up :)  It makes my heart just melt when I hear you two playing together - laughing, singing, and talking!

Aunt Misty took some more photos of you!  Here are my favorites :)

You LOVE looking out your window and have learned to be patient while I open the blinds for you :) 

And I still love your sweet cloth diapers!

Aunt Misty brought her wagon and you loved riding in it!

 You love waving!

This one is destined for a frame :)

Whoa! Bark feels cool!

Look!  It's DADDY coming through the door!

We went to a pumpkin patch... you liked playing peek-a-boo between the fence posts :)

I love this one!

You were so frustrated that the chickens kept running away from us :)

 You loved watching the cow - he was your favorite!

I love you, sweet boy!

Menu Plan... it's a little late :-\

Monday - Roasted chicken breasts (on the bone) with stuffing and steamed broccoli
Tuesday - Taco Soup (recipe to follow)
Wednesday - Grilled ham and cheese
Thursday - Beef and black bean taquitos (see last week)
Friday - Spaghetti with meat sauce

I'm also remaking a batch of Pumpkin Cranberry Bread... I made some last week and FORGOT THE SUGAR.  Seriously?  How can that even happen?!?  Needless to say it doesn't taste very good.  BUT it does have a great pumpkin flavor and the cranberries are awesome.  I saved it to try to make croutons (for a grilled chicken salad) and stuffing for turkey... if I can remember, I'll let you know how that turns out.

Anyway, this bread is one of James' favorite things that I make.  I'm tempted to stockpile canned pumpkin and cranberries while they're on the shelves and then save them to make this for him randomly throughout the year.  I love it too :)

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
4 eggs
2 cups pureed pumpkin (1 regular size can)
1 cup vegetable oil (if you sub apple sauce, only do it for 1/2 or the texture is different)
4 cups sugar (Splenda also works but it makes the bread very dense)
4 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (recipe below)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 350*.  Combine eggs, pumpkin, and oil in electric mixer.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Stir in cranberries (this is best done by hand).  Divide into two 8x4 inch loaf pans (or spoon into muffin tins - fill 1/2 to 3/4 full).  Bake 50 minutes (or 25-35 min for muffins).  Serve warm with cream cheese.

Warning: do not lick any of the batter off of your fingers.  If you do you will want to eat it with a spoon out of the bowl.  Eating raw batter is dangerous, people!  And yet, that spoon beckons.... Seriously, I can eat this with a spoon.  It almost makes me want to make it without eggs and plan to eat it raw in the first place.  Is that weird?

Tonight I only had 3 eggs so I sprinkled in some egg substitute, only had bread flour (the new bag I had ready to open was bread flour too... whoops!), and I only had a giant (3 1/2 cups) can of pumpkin.  Now I'm not about to waste pumpkin and since I was out of eggs, I just dumped in the whole can and added an extra 1/2 Tbsp of pumpkin pie spice (which reminds me I still need to type that recipe up for you!).   I probably should have added extra sugar and baking soda too, but I didn't... we'll see how it turns out!

Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp ginger
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
dash allspice


This Taco Soup recipe is awesome.  It's from my even more awesome friend Marla (hi, Marla!).  She first introduced it to our family when her family came over to bring us dinner after Andrew was born.

Marla's Oklahoma Taco Soup
1 lb ground beef
1 can each: stewed tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes with chilies, whole kernel corn, kidney beans
2 cans pinto beans
1 package each taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix
*I also add one small (or 1/2 large) onion, diced and cook it with the meat

Brown and drain beef.  Do not drain beans, tomatoes, and corn!  Add all cans and both mixes and stir to combine.  Add a little water if too thick (but tomatoes cook down so be patient before deciding).  Cook until heated through (or for an hour or two on very low heat if you're like me and get it ready while the baby is napping 2 hours before dinner time :)  Serve with grated cheese, raw onions, sour cream, and taco chips.  James particularly likes the lime flavor chips and I prefer Fritos.  But any corn/tortilla type chip will do!

Low Sodium options:
*Use low sodium, no salt added, and/or rinse your beans and corn.  If you rinse the veggies, fill the can with water while the beans are still in there to get the right volume.
*Substitute 1 can diced tomatoes plus 1 can diced green chilies for the Rotel tomatoes/chilies
*Use homemade taco/ranch mixes (recipes below)

Taco Mix:
2 tsp each: chili powder, all purpose flour, dried oregano, cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp each: onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper

Ranch Mix:
1/4-1/2 cup buttermilk powder (Marla just eyeballs it)
1 Tbsp dried parsley, crushed
1 tsp each: dried dill weed, onion powder, minced onion
1/4 tsp gr. pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

YUM!

Bum-Book Time

Andrew decided to spend yesterday's "bum time" looking out his window and reading books :)  This lent itself very well to cute naked-baby photos... so I thought I'd share a few!  Here's my almost-one-year-old sweet baby boy!

 

This book has three tiny balls in a plastic dome on the front... Andrew is saying "Ball!" 

 He loves putting his hands through the hole in the cover of "Barnyard Dance." :)

 He just discovered he can open the flaps in the Thomas the Train book and play "peek-a-boo" with the characters under the flaps :)

A UPS van went by, which called for looking out the window... but it was only a momentary distraction.

Just look at that sweet head of hair!

Snuggle monster momma

I remember a friend coming to visit with her 8 month old son shortly after Andrew was born. I think he was 2 months old. I was amazed at how big her baby was, especially compared to Andrew! And I remember thinking "I don't want my baby to be that big... I like him all snuggly and little like he is now!"

I still think he's "all snuggly and little" now even though he's the 8 month old now and is a lot bigger than he was at 2 months! And I'm soaking up every minute he'll let me snuggle him since he's about to be mobile and I'm sure his patience for momma snuggles will go out the window when he figures out he can get away from me :) He already tries to dive off my lap after nursing.

Makes me savor the 4:30/5 am feeding he still gets since he lets me burp and rock and snuggle him afterwards. With his sweet little sweaty head of hair tucked between my collar bone and ear. And his arms hugging around my neck and shoulder, fingers stroking and massaging my pj's. And his footie-pajama-ed toes tucked between my leg and the boppy pillow.

Speaking of which, if anybody knows a reliable source of footie-pajamas in sizes bigger than 9 months, let me know. Current working hypothesis is that he needs to be quite warm to sleep comfortably (sweat pants = good nap, shorts = no nap) and all the stores around here stop at 9 months. I can order online, but I'd rather buy in a store :)

Thanks, y'all!

Scars

An excerpt from last week's Bible study:

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." (Isaiah 49: 15-16, ESV)

"God is aware of His people and their situation. God's love for Jerusalem and His people goes beyond the love of a mother for her nursing baby. A nursing mother is aware of her totally dependent baby at her breast and feels compassion on the child. But God says, "Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (vs. 15). God will never abandon His children! He will not forget them and their needs.

"As though He is holding up His hand for them to see, He says, "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me" (vs. 16). The words "engraved" and "ever" carry the idea of permanence, for nothing can separate God's people and their city Jerusalem from His mind and heart. (Romans 8:35-39)." (Bible Study Fellowship International, Lesson 23, Series VI)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

'For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39, ESV)

I've never thought about Christ's scars very much. I sing the lyrics "my name is graven on his hands, I know that while in Heaven he stands **(side note, although this rhymes it's incorrect: he's not standing, he's sitting... see Isaiah 6:1)** no tongue can bid me thence depart," and love that reminder. And I have certainly reflected on Christ's obedient and righteous life, fulfilling all Scripture, his death, resurrection, and ascension. Praise God for Christ's righteousness! And that his righteousness is imputed to me while my sin is imputed to him for God's glory and my salvation!

But I've never thought about the scars.

Our names are engraved on God's hands. Not written, not tattooed; engraved. Engraving is permanent. It is impossible for God to forget us or his love for us.

"[Jesus] bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24)

Wounds leave scars. Scars are only from wounds. I have a 7 inch scar on my belly. I can't see the majority of the scarring left from my C-section, but I know it's there. I know it's there every time I take a shower, get dressed, or try to do a sit up. I know other women who have major scars elsewhere from the trauma of their children's births, and they're reminded of them every time they have to go to the bathroom. We can't forget that experience - we have the scars as a reminder.

Scars.

Scars that mean my son is alive and breathing.

My son, by the grace of God moving through modern medicine, is alive and I bear the scars instead of him. He is physically healthy and bears no reminder of the trauma of the birth process. I, on the other hand, was completely incapacitated for a few days and had over a month long recovery from a major surgery I didn't anticipate after a hard labor for over 14 hours.

And I would do it all over again. I will, actually, with baby #2 (whenever God blesses us with another) and #3, and however many children God gives us.

This scripture pointed out to me that my scars, instead of making me self conscious or regretful that I didn't have the natural childbirth that I planned, should remind me of the grace of God and the miracle of my son's birth. He is a brand new person who is alive and well... what do a few scars on me matter?

And when I see my son living and growing and learning I am reminded that I live and grow and learn because of Christ's scars. Physically my son has life because of mine. Spiritually I have life because of Christ's. Were it not for his scars, I would be dead in my trespasses, overwhelmed by my iniquity, and without hope.

My scar means my son is alive and I will not forget him. Christ's scars (John 20:24-29) and the scars on God's hands from our names being engraved there mean he will never forget me, never lose me, never stop loving me. It seems impossible for me to forget my son - how much more impossible it is for God to forget those he has chosen and saved.


So... is your name engraved on God's hand? If you don't know, know it's not, or just need somewhere to start in scripture, I recommend starting with John. It's the fourth book in the New Testament. Then go to Acts, which is right after John. They are narratives and are pretty straight forward. Not scary. Take time to read the cross references... even the ones in the Old Testament :) (The cross references are usually printed in the center margin of a study Bible or along the bottom of the page of a scripture-only Bible). All scripture works together... if something is unclear, clarify it with other scripture and pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate it to you.

Oh, your name IS engraved on God's hand... Praise the LORD! Read John and Acts anyway :) And definitely Isaiah... wow, Isaiah... there's so much there... Do you have a scar (physical or not)? What has God given you in your life to remind you that he will not forget or forsake you?


"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." (John 11: 25-26, ESV)

3 Months!

Our sweet baby boy is 3 months old today! Oh how time flies when you're having fun :)

I've been posting photos on Facebook... rather than upload them here (which takes 3 times as long) I'll include links to the FB albums for those of you who don't have FB accounts.

Fun Andrew Trivia:
*He likes to "help" when we change his diaper - when he hears the Velcro he lifts his legs and bum up for easier cleaning. He doesn't do this while playing yet - only during diaper changes!
*He slept through the night (9-5) for 2.5 weeks and is now getting up at 1, 3, and 5/6... I want him to go back to sleeping 8 hours!
*He "talks" a LOT! And last Thursday he realized he has control of the volume... it was LOUD all day! He's also found his blood-curdling scream... fortunately he doesn't do it very often.
*He found his hands while Grandma Barnes was here over Christmas and now enjoys looking at them, chewing/sucking on them, and grabbing things - primarily blankets.
*He rolled over (back to front) on New Year's Day! Granted, it was on the futon while I was lying next to him (so he had an incline to roll down) but it was still fun :)
*He loves music - especially somebody singing to him.
*If the TV is on he'll stretch and wiggle trying to see it... so it stays off while he's awake for the most part!
*He loves "This Little Piggy," "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes," and "My Heart Is" (I See the Moon), and recently discovered he likes bouncing on our knees ("William Tell Overture" theme and "This is the way the farmers ride") and learning "up" and "down"... I'm getting an arm workout lifting him up! We did squats yesterday to learn "down" more effectively... bring on the baby workout!
*He just grew out of the 3-6 month clothing and is now in 6-9 months... apparently this isn't odd, especially given the range in normal sizes of babies when they're this young. The larger "6 month" clothing fits, but most of it is closer to the 3 month size so it's being packed away too!
*He has now been alive for 1 year... how happy we were to find out about him last January and what a miracle it's been to watch him grow from that first ultrasound of just a tiny little circle sac into the big boy he is now! What a sweet, precious little person he is and I just can't wait for all of the adventures we're going to have together :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=523553&id=799610143&l=e7c9b69f97

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=528800&id=799610143&l=d5ff8c314a

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=546784&id=799610143&l=3ab371f7ce

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=555307&id=799610143&l=3352cb3e94

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=569591&id=799610143&l=f08e1a132a

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=569593&id=799610143&l=81787c81c3

I have Christmas photos but they're not uploaded yet... I would say "coming soon" except last time I said that it was 3 months ago!

Happy 3 month birthday, baby. I love you!

Baby Shower!

My awesome Mom threw a double baby shower for me and my sister-in-law, Jenn, this past weekend. It was so good to see some family & high school friends, meet some of her church friends, and spend time with her, Grace, Jenn, and George! It was a fantastic weekend and a really fun party :) Here are some of the photos:

Aunt Grace, Aunt Jenn, me, & Mom


Fresh summer fruit and Turkey Hill iced tea - YUM!


Mom found fabric several years ago that says "Aunt Grace" all over it... she bought a fat quarter and has been saving it all this time! She is so thoughtful!


Melissa Ciacci made us portable-high-chairs. She took the pattern from one that her grandmother made her when she delivered Olivia! It fits on the back of a regular chair and ties around the waist of the baby to secure him in the chair. Great for friends' houses or restaurants without high chairs, and for using in the high chair instead of the clips :)



Poppy sent us beautiful silk scarves. I only have two photos of us with them - one I look weird in and the other Jenn looks weird in. So I posted the one I look weird in. Good thing the scarves are beautiful to make up for my weird face!




Mom's friend Ruth got back from a trip to Montana the day before the shower. Among several other gifts, she brought these shirts - they say "My First Montana T-Shirt." I promise to post photos of Baby Barnes wearing it when he comes!


Rebecca's mom, Laurie Hasselhan, is so thoughtful - she sent over a toy wagon with lots of baby toiletries and cow-boy themed items! I will definitely have to post photos of Baby Barnes wearing the boots, onsies, & pants, and playing with the wagon and toy horse! There's also a book about a new baby sheep on a farm and the proud daddy sheep gets to show off his new son - Mrs. Hasselhan knows me so well!



Wanda Stober picked out the cutest little space outfit. It has little spaceships and aliens all over it, and the feet are alien heads with little antennas!



Penny Mears gave us a little laundry basket full of baby items - one of them is a board book about Courderoy. I've never read the Courderoy books before, but this one is so sweet I might have to go buy the others!






Grace made a Curious George baby quilt for Jenn and George's baby out of a cloth book pattern. She sewed in the names of the animals when she quilted it! She's so crafty :) :) :)


This is the baby quilt Aunt Grace made - the dinosaur is fantastic! She's so crafty and makes such beautiful things!




Jenn did a bunch of sewing for my son - this is the sweet blanket she made :) Aunt Jenn is so sweet!



Mom made such beautiful baby quilts for us. Gramma Frank loves these babies so much already! Thanks, Mom, for a fun party and a great weekend! I love you!

Reality Check

I got a reality check earlier this week when I went to visit Aunt Cathi, Uncle Nathan, and Crystal (more about this visit coming soon, with photos :). Crystal has an adorable new puppy. Well, he's not really a puppy because he's 3 years old, but he's the size of a puppy.

Bentley is a 2.5 lb teacup poodle. I have decided that 2.5 lb is actually remarkably big. I now think that an 8 lb baby must be much bigger than a 2.5 lb dog and I'm starting to get nervous. I can imagine giving birth to something the size of Bentley, but unfortunately that would be a very unhealthy baby. How do I sign up for a 3-week-early-but-still-healthy-6-pound-baby?

25 Weeks - All Healthy!

Yesterday we had our follow-up ultrasound to check out the parts of Baby Barnes that the ultrasound technician couldn't see effectively at the 20 week appointment.

He's grown so much in 5 weeks! This I already knew, though, based on his movement... much stronger, more varied, and in many new places :) The ultrasound was awesome - we got to see him moving his arms and legs, watch his heart beat, check out his kidneys and other internal organs, and look at his face! He started to fall asleep at one point and had his hand resting across his nose - we needed a photo of his nose and lips, so the technician poked and jiggled my belly until he moved his arm away. It was amazing to see how much bigger he is and to be able to see movement at the same time as feeling it :)

We got to meet the 3rd of the four midwives - Theodora. She is SUCH a sweet lady! The first thing she said after coming in the exam room was "You have a beautiful baby!" How could I not like her?!? :)

Conclusion - we're both healthy and doing great!

It's a Boy!

Technology sure is an amazing thing! This afternoon we not only found out Baby Barnes is a boy, but we got to see all sorts of neat bodily development too!

We watched his heart beating - we could see all four chambers! That was totally unexpected and really cool :)

He had one arm behind his head most of the time - he looked so comfortable just hangin' out! I was a little disappointed in how little movement we saw because he was very active in the car on the way over to the office, but it was pretty awesome nonetheless:) We got to see him opening and closing his mouth and we could see his stomach (which is good because it means his is able to swallow). His spine was very visible, and when the technician zoomed in on his arms we could see both tiny little bones! We also saw fingers, feet, ribs, thighs, and a nice plump belly (it matches mine :P ) and the placenta.

What an amazing thing the human body is! The intricacy is just incredible!!! What an awesome God we serve... creation bears witness to his glory and power and certainly also his lovingkindness!!!