Funny Boy

We have been working on Lee's Christmas list lately. The first thing he wanted to put on there was a "water machine for his bedroom." I had to ask what in the world he was referring to. He said that he used it at Mr. Vern's office to get water one time (which was about a year ago!), and he now wants one for his room. This is what Vern has at his office. I'm not sure Santa can fit this on his sleigh.

Last week, the kids studied about apples and Johnny Appleseed at school. On Friday, they each took an apple to school to study and eat. I asked him if he tried different kinds of apples that day, and he said, "Naw, I told Miss Angie that I'm not an apple kind of guy."


He used to be the best fruit eater, and I'm not sure when that changed. The fruits that he likes right now, he loves. Others, he won't even try. His favorite used to be bananas. When he was about a year old, we would have to spell the word, because if he heard it, he would cry and cry for one. I don't know if he just got burned out on them or what, but for a couple of years, he has not wanted them at all. The other day, I was having one for lunch, and he asked for a bite. He loved it and asked for his own. I could tell we were having a moment! I only had a couple here, so I sent Matt to the grocery that night on his way home from work for more. He has taken one several times for a snack ever since then.


The other day, we were driving through Spinks, and there were cows everywhere. Matt slowed down, and Lee said, "Daddy, we're having a cow jam!"



On the way to school, Lee started complaining of a leg ache. I knew he hadn't hurt it that morning. I asked what we should do, and he said that we should just go to the emergency room. I over-explained the fact that ERs are not for leg aches. He finally chimed in and said that he meant he needed to go to the ER at his school. After several more questions, I found out that there is a room where the kids can go when they get hurt. I think Lee was just curious about it and wanted to go check it out. By the time we got to school, the leg ache was gone!



On Sunday, the Titans were playing in their Oilers uniforms. (I think this is to celebrate the NFL anniversary. )Anyway, I had to do a double take when I first turned the game on myself. Lee came into the room, knowing the Titans should be on, and said, "Who's this team with the Eiffel Towers on their helmets?"


He seemed to have a wonderful day today. He got to go to the Treasure Chest at school for being quiet in line. He was thrilled about that and couldn't wait to tell us when he got home. Then tonight, he was chosen to be the Choir Child of the Day. I didn't know there was such a thing until today. He got to be Mrs. Traci's helper, and he was SO excited. He adores her and felt so special. He has talked about it all night. He has had no time outs today, so that is a successful day to me!

Just Peachy

Hello 13 weeks and good-bye 1st trimester! I hope the 1st trimester takes with it, the "morning sickness" that doesn't actually happen to occur in the morning. Does anyone else agree that a man must have come up with that term? It definitely is not morning sickness. It should be called any- time-of-day sickness, most inconvenient time and place sickness, robber of my favorite foods sickness. I could go on and on. Morning sickness almost sounds cheerful. If it truly was morning sickness, I would know when to expect it, and I could almost be prepared for it. That's not at all what is happening. So when people ask if I've had morning sickness, I can honestly say no. However, it is getting better, and I am very thankful for that.

Now on to the star of the show. Eloise is now 13 weeks and is the size of a peach. It is 3 inches long and is developing vocal chords this week. Of course they won't be tested until he/she enters the world. The intestines are forming and are moving into their permanent position inside the abdomen. I didn't think the baby had grown that much this week, just looking at the peach in Lee's hand, but when I looked back at the lime picture, I could definitely tell a difference.

Randomness

This is a catch-up post with lots of activities from the past week. Lee has been full of funny comments and stories from preschool. I'll start with our weekend. The fall weather begged the kids to play outside, and that's just what they did.

Here's Hope playing in the clubhouse. When she bats those eyes, there is nothing you won't give her!

As girly as we want her to be, she is determined to be just the opposite. We have decided that must be part monkey, because there is nothing she won't climb. She climbed the steps up to the slide all by herself, and she was so proud of herself.

She was running from window to window yelling for us to watch her.

This is her new surprised face. It's so funny.

"Aunt Stacy, are you watching me over here?"

" See my new teeth?"

Lee is part monkey too.

We had the perfect weather for a bike ride.

Paul wanted to go on a nature walk to look for squirrels, so he was ready in his camouflage. I'm pretty sure those 2 chatterboxes scared away any squirrels that were anywhere near them.

I was changing the sheets on Lee's bed the other day, and when I pulled the top sheet back, this is what I found. He had slept with a bear, a fireman, a ball, and a drumstick. I had not made up his bed the day before, because I had intended to change the sheets then. I got busy and didn't change them that day, so he at least slept with all these toys for 1 night, and maybe 2.

The kids learned about Johnny Appleseed at school last week. They made these nifty hats to look like Johnny.

It was really a pot, since Johnny carried his pot on his head. Lee thought this was hilarious!
He has been so full of information about school every day. We have enjoyed it so much, and we haven't even been there a month. We are so thankful to have such a great preschool with teachers as incredible as Mrs. Connie and Mrs. Angie. They are making a difference!

Soccer Fun

Saturday's game was the first time that Lee has played against one of his friends. Caleb was so excited to see Lee when we got there. I've been kicking myself since the game for not getting a picture of the two of them together. All I got were action shots.

Lee and Coach Kendra

Lee is getting better every week about getting in the action.

Caleb is so close to scoring a goal here! Great game, Caleb!

Flowers and Butterflies

This weekend, Lee and Matt were working outside, and I heard Lee sneak in and then run right back outside. So I followed him to see what he was up to.

He had snuck inside and grabbed his safety scissors to cut me some flowers. I think he was sawing away to cut the flowers. Safety scissors are not the best option for cutting fresh flowers.

Then he sawed away on the leaves to make it "smooth."

Lee helped to plant these flowers in May, and I can't believe that some of them are taller than him now.

We stalked this beautiful butterfly around the yard. It seemed like it wanted us to chase it.

So we did.

It took a dozen tries, but I finally got a picture of it with its wings spread.

Then, it made a new friend and ditched us.

12 Weeks

Eloise is 12 weeks today and is the size of a lime. He/She has been working hard and growing a lot this week. It can now open and close its hands and curl its toes. Its eyes are now in place but does not have eyelids that close yet. It has reflexes and would move if prodded, although I can't feel it yet. Lee has been "tickling Eloise" lately, which is funny, yet mildly annoying. I guess I can take comfort in knowing that Eloise can actually feel it and might even be responding. It weighs about 1/2 ounce and is 2 inches long. Lee continues to ask tons of questions about it and is busy making plans for it. He informed us the other night that it would just sleep in his bed with him. Matt and I are not making much progress in the name department, but Lee said that after Eloise, he would like another sister named Olivia and then a brother named Ian. I'm pretty sure he thinks we're just going to a drive thru window at the hospital to pick it up when it's time. He's got a wild imagination.

We're Ready for Fall!

It has been really hard for me to say good-bye to summer this year. We have had so much fun playing in the water, since Lee learned to swim. I love that Lee loves to be outside so much, and we have enjoyed every last ray of the summer sun! As much as I don't want to pack away flip flops and swim suits, I think I am finally ready for fall, which officially begins tomorrow. Lee and I got out our Halloween decorations on Friday, and Lee has been sporting his new Halloween pajamas. I think he looks so cute in stripes, by the way. After packing up Lee's summer clothes and hanging up his fall wardrobe, I am ready and even a little excited. Bring on the beautiful leaves and tons of pictures!

Lee's Art

One of Lee's favorite things at preschool is a fully stocked art table. He has talked about working there every day. Yesterday, he brought home this family portrait he created. I loved how he included Buzz (& appropriately gave him 4 legs) and Eloise, who is represented by the Curious George stamp. Matt was a tad offended by the giant ears Lee gave him, because obviously, Matt does not have big ears! Lee has also talked about using "scissors that punch." I think it is a hole punch that creates shapes, but he claims they are scissors. Either way, he loves working with them.

Baby Eloise

Here is a peek into how Eloise is growing from week to week. So far, Lee thinks it's a hoot to ask what it looks like today. This is his first question every morning. I thought it would be fun to include him in documenting the baby's growth each week. Plus, what could possibly be a cuter prop that these sweet baby's, ahem, preschooler's hands?

Week 5-size of a mustard seed

There are so many funny stories to share here, but I'll stick to my favorite. When I put the seed in his hand, I told him to open wide so I could see it. He dropped it repeatedly, and every time he would say, "WAIT! I dropped Eloise!!" It was hilarious every time.

Week 6-size of a pea

Its heart is now beating, and facial features are forming. We had an ultra sound during this week and saw the heartbeat. The baby looked like a butter bean.

Week 7-size of a blueberry (& yes Lee ate the display)

Arm and leg buds are forming, and brain cells are developing at 100 cells per minute!

8 weeks-size of a Hershey's kiss (Lee ate this one too!)

It has webbed fingers and toes and a heart rate of 150 beats per minute. Spine is also taking shape.

9 weeks-size of a grape (Yep, Lee ate it too!)

It has grown nearly an inch in the past week. Muscles are forming, and it's able to move arms and legs now.

10 weeks-size of a marshmallow (It must be the Halloween version. We had a hard time finding food to fit this week's measurements!)

It now has elbows and knees that will soon be able to bend. Buds that will be teeth one day are forming, and the stomach and kidneys are now functioning.

11 weeks-size of a vanilla wafer

This is a big growth week for Eloise. Also, it is getting hair follicles, nails, a palate and tongue. Its ears are in place, and the fingers and toes are no longer webbed. Little Eloise is hard at work this week!

How is all of that for amazing?

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him." 1 Samuel 1:27

All about Baby

We are currently 11 weeks pregnant and are due April 12th. Since we knew we would deliver by c-section, Dr. Kimberlin set the delivery date as April 5th. It will be the day after Easter, which we think is just perfect. We were going to refer to the baby as the "EB," for the Easter Baby, but Lee had other plans. Almost immediately, he said he had a name for her, and it is Eloise. (By the way, we have no idea what the sex is, but Lee is certain that it's a girl.) So now we call the baby Eloise. He told us that he just liked the name, but on Sunday, he told Nam that Eloise is the monkey on the cartoon Wubbzy. At least it has meaning. He has been hilarious from the moment we told him the news. Every morning, he wants to know if the baby has grown and what size it is today. I think he's sick of hearing that it's the size of a grape. He has already given me a list of things he wants to do when it gets here. Giving it bottles is at the top of his list. He also wants to give it a bath and a pacifier. When we asked him about helping with diapers, he quickly said, "NO WAY!" He has already decided we need to get it it's own "owl blankie." I asked if we could just give the baby his blankie, and he said no. We have talked about names, but so far, we aren't even close to choosing any. There are plenty that we like, but I think we'll need to know what it is before we can decide for sure. That's all the information I can think of for now. I'm sure I'll have plenty more funny stories from Lee to share, maybe before the day is even over!

Reunited and it feels so good.....

Paul has been sick, so he and Lee haven't gotten to see each other for a week. Today was the big reunion, and I could hardly wait to see them together at preschool. Their reaction didn't disappoint!

This says it all!
Paul was feeding the class gerbil, Peter.

It didn't take long for his friends to join him.

A Class Act

My heart is just broken over hearing about Patrick Swayze's death. I, like all girls my age, fell head over heels for him in Dirty Dancing, which by the way, is one of the best movies of all time! More than my love for his acting and dance moves, I have respected him in his battle with cancer. I was crushed to hear the news and then to watch him waste away in photos over the past year. I loved that he granted interviews to discuss his treatment and his plans for the future, when he could have easily gone into hiding. I love that as sick as he must have been, he still fought to fund research for a cure to his type of cancer. I love that in a world that glamorizes and publicizes the 10 minute marriages made in Hollywood, he and his wife were married for 34 years. I love that he is getting attention for being a true class act when there are so many talentless, classless "entertainers" like Kanye West trying any kind of stunt to garner attention for themselves. I think the entertainment industry lost a great guy today.

Lee has an announcement!

Who am I kidding that this is the platform to make our announcement? It's old news to most of you by now. I can't help it. It's hard to beat an in-person announcement and reaction! Pictures are limited in this post, because in my excitement, I forgot to get permission from my subjects to post their pictures. Now, on to the best news of the day....

The adorable 4 year old is going to be a big brother! His smile is so genuine here. He is over the moon with excitement and is currently full of questions.
Here he about to get his surprise from us. He had been trying to guess what was in the package throughout dinner. He guessed everything from a new transformer to new pajamas.

He knew the word "big" and was sounding out the word "brother" here. It took a long time for him to understand, even after he figured out the new word.

This is when he "got it." I had the video camera going and finally just turned it off, because the news was not clicking with him. I don't think he expected it at all. It was a funny, funny time. We told him first, because we thought he deserved to know early and have the opportunity to keep a secret. He liked the idea of having a secret.

Since the weekend was bringing together my family for my dad's birthday and Matt's family for Grandparents' Day, we thought it was the perfect time to share our news. On the way to preschool on Friday, I reminded him to not share the secret, and he assured me he wouldn't. However, when Mrs. Angie brought him to the car at pickup time, she called him the "town crier." He told me that he shared his secret with Mrs. Angie but told her it was a secret. I thought it was hilarious that he caved after only 12 hours or so. So, Saturday at the soccer game, one of his best buddies, Ava Kate, came up to me and asked if I had a baby in my tummy, because that's what Lee told her at preschool on Friday. AK's mom looked mortified and tried to hush her, but I had to confess that it was true. It was then that we knew that Lee had shared his news with his whole class! There was no turning back now.

Lee told my family over dinner on Saturday night, and it took about 15 seconds for anyone to get what he was saying. My sister-in-law, Shayanne, finally got it and filled everyone else in. The girls were excited and had lots of questions. I have a feeling that Gracie will be giving me name suggestions soon.

On Sunday, we took Grandmom a gift for Grandparents' Day and shared the news with her. She was very excited and surprised. Nam and Pa came for a visit while we were there, and Lee ran up to Nam and asked her if she got his card, which was the source of the "big reveal." Luckily we got him in time to stop him from blurting out the news. Then we went to the Hayes's for Sunday dinner. I had gotten a recordable card, and Lee recorded a message about becoming a big brother. We sent the same card to my mom and step-dad too. After dinner, Lee could hardly wait for them to open it. In fact, I'm pretty sure he did the opening for them. They were excited too. Shelby immediately started naming the baby and making plans. She didn't specifically say so, but I think she is hoping for a girl. She had lots of girl names for me, and most of them were pretty cute. The Tusas didn't get to come, so we headed to their house on our way home. I made Matt call to tell them to come out to the car to get something we brought for Paul. Matt wanted me to call, but I was afraid I would giggle uncontrollably when Subo answered.

I was ready to get a reaction picture, but it happened so fast due to Lee's hanging out of the window to show Paul his new shirt. (Don't worry-he was buckled until we pulled into the driveway.) I didn't even make it out of the car before Subo and Brian saw Lee and had reacted. When Subo told Paul that Lee is going to be a Big Brother, he said, "Yay Lee, you're getting a baby sister too!" I'm afraid we might have some disappointed kids if the baby is a boy. Both boys will only say that it's a girl. They have lots of friends with little sisters, so maybe they think it's just a given.

When we got home, we called our dear friends, the Coffields. Jill immediately said she knew due to some changes, like my choosing water over diet coke at the movies, etc. I thought she had me figured out, but she never said a word! Katie got on the phone and was so excited. She wants to babysit either "Claire" or "Clayton." She said she would give me more names later, but those were her favorites last night.

Today, my wonderful playgroup friends invited Lee and me to join them for lunch, even though we're not going with them to story hour any more. I was so, so excited to tell them in person. Jennifer is having a boy in November, so I had already thought that baby Andrew and our new baby will be in the same class in school. Lee was wearing his big brother shirt, and I had my camera ready. He ran into the play area, and as soon as everyone saw him, they started screaming and clapping, and then we had a giant group hug. I'm sure the other McDonald's patrons thought we were nuts! I only got Jenn and Katie in the picture. Then I got emotional and forgot to take more. These ladies absolutely made our day by making over us. I had the best time with all of you today and don't know when I have laughed so hard. I love how we can have serious, intense conversations and share our thoughts and opinions, and then we can have a day, like today, where we talk over each other and laugh uncontrollably. You bless me more than I can tell you!

This is it. One more picture of Lee in his new shirt, and our day was complete. I posted a note on facebook and got many wonderful comments. I can't wait to record them all, so I can go back and re-read them. We have the most incredible family and friends, and we are so excited to share this fun journey with you. Tomorrow, I'll give you all the details on the new babe and share Lee's comments.

Soccer Star

I can't believe how much Lee improved in soccer this week. Last week, he said he didn't "fink" he liked soccer, because those boys just kept taking the ball away from him. So we worked on him getting the ball away this week, and I could tell a big difference. He hustled a lot more and got the ball away a couple of times. I was so proud of his effort!

This is his favorite part, when he gets to throw or kick the ball in bounds.
He was serious!

Here is one of the times he got the ball away, and he almost scored a goal!

He's hustling!

He was making friends with the other team!

He was getting to throw the ball in again.

Still running hard...

I love this picture with his coach.