It's Hard To Imagine

It's hard to imagine that when we started counting down until Grandma Mary and Grandpa Chuck came to visit, our countdown chain was THIS long! Four different colors for the four weeks we were counting down. Now, there is only one link left. Technically, we pick them up tonight, but technically, not until after midnight....so I decided to make the last link be for Saturday. We will put the boys to bed tonight, and then wake them up to head to the airport. On the way out the door, we will remove the last green link. The boys love midnight sojourns to the airport. We are very excited and have way too much to accomplish to in the last few hours!

Since the sun has been shinning for the last few days, I have been dressing the boys in shorts, even though it still is far too chilly (in my opinion) for shorts. But the truth of the matter is...Bug has so many adorable shorts outfits that will fit him now and not later that I have to dress him in as many as possible before he is too big! Silly me!
But even you can't say that he isn't just the cutest thing you've ever seen! In this picture, it actually looks as if he is feeding his waffle to the alligator on his shirt.

Two Years Ago

Two years ago, Nick left this weekend to drive up to Alaska. Trying to say good-bye to him at 4:30am, knowing that I wouldn't see him for three months, was very difficult. Watching him pull out of the drive was so hard. It didn't help that I was six months pregnant.

Two years later, here I am, six months pregnant again! This time, Nick doesn't have any plans to be leaving me for three months, so that's nice. Can you believe that it has been two years that we have been gone, living in Alaska? When I look at how much the kids have grown, it seems that time has gone pretty quickly. But when I think about the fact that I have been in Alaska and haven't seen my family for so long....well, it seems as if a near eternity has passed. It was Nick's commitment to me that we would be in Alaska for two years (that way I wouldn't keep trying to move sooner) unless, of course, an opportunity came by that couldn't be passed up. Well, there have been several opportunities, and all of them fell through. So...now that he has fulfilled his two year commitment, I pray that the next opportunity will be the one that allows us to get out of Alaska and back to a place where I can be closer to family. Even if I am not 'home' (as Oregon will always be home), if I can at least be close enough to drive home every few months or so, I will feel so much closer and less trapped.

Here is a picture showing Bug's independent sense of style. I will admit that the mismatched pants and shirt are Nick's fault.....actually, Bug was wearing an outfit, and then ate yogurt. The top did not survive. When I asked Nick to get a new shirt, he didn't think it important enough to try to match what Bug was already wearing. No big deal. The Bug came around and found his basketball shirt in a pile of dirty clothes and started practising putting his shirt on by himself. So if you take anything from seeing this picture, take a sense of pride and wonder that Bug is figuring out how to dress himself! (I mean in the motor skills area, not style.)

Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day.

Field Trip

Nick took a week off from work last week, just to spend some time with us. Since I had the extra help with the kids, we took the three boys to the Wildlife Conservation Center near Girdwood. It was a pretty dismal day, so we just stayed in the car and looked through the windows at the animals that were out. I know I have put pictures on before, but there are a couple pictures that I didn't get before that I wanted to show.
The brown bears were mostly hiding in their cabin, but this one braved the weather enough for a photo op. I have never been so close to a bear and I found it really amazing. We did actually get out of the car to look at the bears, but the wind and rain was so cold that we quickly got back in. I say "quickly" with some humor, as there is nothing quick about trying to get three boys buckled into car seats.
Here is a group of elk relaxing around the trees.
This is my favorite picture. Here are the prairie bison...with a couple bison babies! Aren't they adorable?
And then, as we were on our way out, the caribou were laying around in the grass.

It was nice to get the boys out of the house, even if we did spend the time in the car, it was a nice change of scenery.

Finally, A Minute To Myself

My poor sweet Baby Nick hasn't been feeling good since Thursday. He is normally not a cuddly boy, but I have not been able to get him off my lap since last week. He has been fussy and not sleeping. He was running a fever on Friday and seemed to tug on his ears occasionally. So we thought his ears might be bothering him.

We took him to the doctor and were relieved to find that, although he had fluid in his ears, he did not have an infection. We were told to keep an eye on him and if he wasn't feeling any better in the next couple days, and continued to run a fever, to give the doctor a call back. All weekend he would bounce back and forth between acting normal and acting like he was feeling miserable. The worst was when it was time to lay him down in bed. He would not sleep, at least for long. I spent most of the night either rocking him, allowing him to sleep sitting up, or getting up and down every time he cried trying to get him to go back to sleep.

Finally we took him back to the doctor last night. Nick does have an ear infection and the ear drum has already burst. No wonder he feels so awful. I had several ear infections when I was growing up and have ruptured my ear drums more than once. So I know how miserable it is. Now, he is on antibiotics and should be feeling better soon. He slept better last night, only getting up and needing to rock once. He actually smiled at me when I got him up this morning.

I thought I had a minute to write up this post without needing to be sat on, but that only lasted until Nick was done eating breakfast. Now he is back on my lap (my ever shrinking lap) I will be lucky to get it back all day!

Have a great day.

Four Years Flies

I can't believe how quickly four years can fly by! Joey had his fourth birthday last Monday, the fifth of May. The day he was born is still so clear in my mind, and all those feelings I had while I first held him. I didn't know that someone you held for the very first time could invade my heart so completely and become so precious in an instant. It's good for me to remember how I felt that day, especially when his attitude of late doesn't make that feeling seem so logical.
Joey wanted an "Incredibles" cake this year. I love it when they want lots of red icing....it's the color that stains the most (along with green.) We decided to get a banana flavored cake, thinking it would taste good with the Bavarian cream filling. After licking the icing off the bottom of toy I discovered that it was not just banana, but banana nut! It was disgusting. The others liked it which was fine, but I was disappointed. My biggest complaint was that there was no disclosure that there were going to be nuts in it. If any of us had an allergy to nuts it could have been very bad. We are fortunate not to have any allergies.
This picture cracks me up. Nick has a hard time holding still for pictures. He wants to get up close and personal. He really just wants to see himself in the camera. What he doesn't understand is that we have to be able to take a picture first. This picture makes him look like he is pouting because Joey gets presents and he doesn't....but he really isn't pouting. It's just what happened to be on his face when the picture was taken.
Joey had a great birthday. It always makes me sad that they have to "party" with just the four of us, but they don't seem to mind so much.

One of his favorite gifts was the Buzz Lightyear helmet and pads set so he could start riding his big boy bike. He wore those things around the house the rest of the day. For several days after, he wore his helmet as long as I would allow. He's such a goofy boy.

The countdown is on! We made a four-week paper chain to countdown the days until Grandma Mary and Grandpa Chuck come to visit. I made it with four different colors (one for each week) so that the amount of links wouldn't overwhelm Joey and he could get a sense of how long it takes for a week to go by. We are nearly through half of our second color.

I am looking forward to this afternoon. The Women's Clinic I go to for my prenatal appointments gives you three free 1/2 hour sessions with a prenatal massage therapist. Since I have a hard time scheduling my appointments (because I have to try to accommodate Nick's schedule so he can stay with the boys for me) I haven't had any massages yet. But since Nick is taking the week off, I scheduled an hour long massage for today! That will take up two of my sessions, but it will be so worth it.

Rock Concert Loud

The boys had me laughing so hard the other day. They were singing at the tops of their lungs. Now, Joey can sing an actual song with actual words...even if he makes it up. Nick will just open his mouth and let sound come out. You have got to hear it! But what is even more funny is what Nick looks like when he sings. He takes his singing VERY seriously. The following pictures show just how serious; he has his mouth open as wide as he can, a look of total concentration on his face (almost looks like a scowl) and is making noise as loud as his body will allow.



Joey likes to sing with a microphone. Since we don't have one, he uses the broom handle from Nick's toy broom...removing it from the base. When they are singing, the decibel level in the house rises too far for my aging ears to handle.

I will post more later....we did have a birthday while we were computer-less. But for now, I need to rock with Joey and read to him before bed.

Growing Boys

The boys grow a lot in a month. Okay, maybe not so much, but they seem to. Sometimes I look at Nick and am breathless with how cute he is. Joey is cute also, but the cuteness is changing from the little boy cute I am so used to, to a more "big kid" cute.

Nick (I am trying to get out of the habit of calling him "Baby Nick" as he is not so much a baby anymore) is branching out in more words, finally starting to talk. He doesn't say much, but there are a few words that I can at least tell what he is trying to say. He is so funny about it though; if Nick (my husband) or I try to get him to say something, he usually smiles a bit shyly at us and won't say anything. But if Joey asks him to say something, he will at least make an attempt.
Here are a few recent pictures. Nick had his first Dilly Bar and as you can see, he thoroughly enjoyed it. He is in the habit of styling his hair with whatever kind of food he is eating. I have given up trying to keep his hair clean. As long as I can get the majority out of his hair with a washcloth, I won't dunk him in the tub every time. I just don't have time to give him a bath after breakfast, lunch and dinner every day!
Joey also enjoyed his Dilly Bar, although he was a bit more careful with his. I think it is funny that he wanted another tattoo....this time, we put it on his shoulder so it would stay covered with his shirt. He looks like a big soft "tough" guy in this picture with his shirt off!
We took them outside to play for a few minutes on a day where the sun was partially revealed through the clouds. As you can see, the snow was still melting, creating these large puddles of ice cold temptation. I love seeing Nick's pants wet up to his thighs and the look of enjoyment on his face. His shoes were soaking through, and when we came inside, he was stripped down to his diaper and shirt.
Joey wanted to cut down the trees around our place. So he brought out is chainsaw and started hacking away. He was a little frustrated when it didn't actually cut the tree off. He took to hitting the limbs with his saw to make them come off. He had a blast.
Nick has finally learned the art of showing off his muscles. I love the expressions on his face. He is so animated in his face. Here he is showing how strong he is. He actually is quite tensed up to show his muscles, and his face is just short of turning red. But he sure looks like he is having fun.

New Computer

I don't have time right now, but I just wanted to let everyone know we finally got a new computer today. It has been nearly a month since our laptop broke on us and I have been dying to get online and stay current in my reading.

So....I have not intentionally been ingnoring my blog. I am back and should have more to say later. My husband is begging for a chance to get back on the computer to get his game installed, so I should let him get to it.

Catching Up

I know the posts are few and far between, but I am still here. This weekend we have all had colds so it has been one drowsy, pathetic household. Baby Nick started us off with sneezes and runners out his nose. Then Bubba kept Nick and I up all night moaning and groaning every five minutes. (He turns into a big baby like his Daddy does when he is sick.) It was my turn next, waking with such a sore throat I could hardly talk. Nick came in last, waiting until Saturday night to get sick. So where are we in the progress of our colds now? Baby Nick seems to be over the worst. Joey is still coughing up a lung. My sinuses are still fairly plugged and I sound like I have been a life-long smoker. Nick, miserably at work, has such pressure in his sinuses he can hardly keep his eyes open. Let's pray that we all get over this nearly at the same time so that Baby Nick doesn't get sick again starting the whole cycle over again.

Joey is still enamored with his smallest baby brother. Ethan is strong enough to be felt by little hands when he kicks, so Joey spends most of the day sticking his hands all over my tummy. Yesterday, he lifted my shirt until he saw my belly button and took a very close scrutiny of it. I asked him what he was doing. He said, "The hole is too small." Too small for what, I asked (figuring I already knew the answer.) "Too small for the baby to come out." I told him that it wasn't a hole, it was my belly button, just like his belly button. He is far too smart and inquisitive for my comfort. One of these days he will ask a question I will not know how to answer for his young age.

The other night, while stalling going to bed, Joey was talking about the baby coming out at the 'hostipal.' He said that when Ethan came out he was going to hold him in his arms, but that I could hold him when he was all done! It's so nice of him to share.

Baby Nick is still fairly oblivious to the whole "new baby" concept, but he will give Ethan kisses when asked. He will find out in the next few months that the baby is real, and here to stay. I think it will be a harder adjustment on him that it was for Joey when he was born, because even now, Baby Nick does not like to see Joey get loves when he doesn't. We have more group hugs than anything these days. Not that I am complaining. I love that my boys are so loving.

Well, there is not much going on around here. Just more of the daily grind.
Oh! We are extremely excited to plan on Mary and Chuck coming for a visit the first week of June. It has been nearly two years since the boys and I have seen them and we miss them very much. It is nice that we don't have too long to wait. Joey's birthday is in three weeks from today. It was nice to get all the shopping done this weekend. All that is left is to get a cake; and I don't have to worry about that for a couple more weeks.

Now, I have an hour before lunch, so I better make sure the boys are behaving. Have a fabulous week.

A Momentous Occasion

Well, I finally did it! I took Baby Nick for his first haircut yesterday. Part of me still can't believe it, and the other part knew it was time. After all, he will be 20 months next Saturday. I was very pleased with the results, as I took him to a place that is a little more spendy than Great Clips. Both Nick and Joey got haircuts at Great Clips on Saturday as well, and once again, I don't think they did very well on Joey's. I was not going to risk having Baby Nick's first haircut turn out horribly....so I spent a few more dollars. I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but getting a hair cut always makes them look older, and I am never ready to see my boys get bigger.
Here is a "before" picture of the back of his hair. I wanted to show off his curls one last time. The lady who cut his hair (I never got her name) was very nice and did a great job. She was well experienced with kids who toss their heads around. I figured Baby Nick would be fine in that he wouldn't be scared, but he is a very inquisitive boy and I was afraid that he would be too curious about all that was around him to sit still. This was, in fact, the case, but it didn't hurt the way his hair turned out. He was very solemn the entire time; I think he was a bit on the verge of being scared. But I was so proud of him. And he was pleased with the candy he got afterwards.
I was very disappointed that the pictures didn't turn out very well, but Nick's face was right in the way of the light coming in through the window, so his face always looks washed out. But in this picture you can get a sense of how serious he took this occasion. Look how huge his eyes are!
He is too cute not to take lots of pictures of....even if they look all alike!
Here is the handsome, grown-up boy as he looks from the front. Can you believe how big he is?
And here he is from the back....a little too squirmy to get a very good picture of! His curls are gone and he looks more like a little boy than a baby. But I am proud of the boy he is!

Joey demonstrated one of his more odd talents to me this weekend. I was rocking with him before bed and he was sticking his fingers in his mouth...a habit he has gotten into that I am trying to break. So I told him he needed to keep his fingers, arms, and body parts out of his mouth. He said, "I pick my nose with my big toe." I said, "No you don't." "Yes I do" "No you don't." "Yes I do." "Then show me!" And sure enough, he brought his foot up to his nose and picked it with his big toe! I couldn't help laughing. I mean, picking your nose is no funny habit. But with your big toe? Apparently, he does this when he is lying in bed. So, of course, I had to have Joey show Daddy. Nick laughed really hard; I'm sure part disgusted and part proud, as only a father can be when their sons do something gross.

We have to take Nick to the airport at the beautiful hour of 5am! Actually, he should be there by five, and he has to run by work first, so it will be a very early morning. Nick will only be in Fairbanks for one night, so we will pick him back up Tuesday evening. It will be nice to have him back so soon.

I was finally beginning to have a glimmer of hope that Spring was finally on its way up here, but then we got about ten inches of snow on Saturday! I was not happy. It was a wet snow for the most part, so it is all slush where it was plowed, but the sidewalks and yards are all more covered and will be awhile longer.

Joey is back up out of bed...after ten pm...so I need to rock with him for a little bit before putting him back in bed. Hopefully, this will be the last time. Hope everyone had a great weekend and that a fabulous week is ahead of you.

It's A Boy!

Most of you should know by know...but I will put it in writing anyway.
Yesterday, I had an ultrasound to see how well the baby is growing. The baby looks healthy and is measuring perfectly at this point. All the anatomy looks healthy (heart, liver, kidneys and such). My doctor told me at my appointment that the baby was measuring in the 49th percentile for weight, so he is perfectly average at this point! My goal is for a 7lb 8oz baby this time. I figure since Joey was 8lb 12oz and Nick was 8lb 2oz (10 ounces less), this baby could follow the same patter and be 10 ounces less than Nick and give me a 7lb 8oz baby! The doctor said that it would be a breeze for me, I could just laugh the baby out! She said just to make sure I get to the hospital quickly; she thinks that things will go quickly when the time comes. I'm all for that! I told her to make sure she was in the room, with her catcher's mitt and to watch out for any sneezing from me....it may just produce the baby! (Oh a girl can dream.)

And, of course, I found out that I was having another boy. We will name him Ethan Riley. I have decided to call him Duke (since his initials are ERL, I can call him the Duke of Erl! Ha ha), but Nick doesn't like that idea. He doesn't like picking a nickname till we know more about the personality of the baby so we can find something that fits....and I agree with him. But I like the idea of calling him Duke.

Am I happy to be having a boy? Of course....who wouldn't be. We make very cute boys! But there will always be a part of me that misses the daughter that I have loved and desired since I was a little girl. I have had Breanna Rose in my heart for so long; and she is just as real to me, and I love her just as much as my other kids. So, knowing that she may never exist (as we have not decided whether or not we will have any more kids) is like losing a dream that has been part of my heart and soul for over 16 years. So forgive me if I have moments of weakness and cry over the loss of my daughter. It does nothing to take away from the love and excitement I have for Ethan.

Joey was really hoping for a baby sister. He has been calling the baby "his baby." His baby is going to be a girl. His baby wants Mommy to do a puzzle with him. Does his baby like Mommy's beans? He really is adorable. I was teaching him the names we had picked out for a boy and a girl (although he was sure that it would be a girl, and still thinks we might be having a girl) and somehow has gotten the names a little confused. So if he says that the baby's name is Ethan Rose...just bear with him and know he means Ethan Riley!

When I went in for the ultrasound, the sonographer said that he would switch over to 3D at the end to try to get me some good pictures of the face to take home. I was really excited about this. But after getting one profile picture of the head, Ethan decided to roll over, do a face plant in the placenta, and not come out of hiding the rest of the time. The little stinker! So I have no 3D pictures of Ethan and only a couple 2D pictures of him. I was trying to scan them into the computer so I could add them to the blog, but it wasn't working. I will ask Nick about it this evening. It could be that our printer is not compatible with Windows Vista (which we are finding to be the case with many of the programs we had on our desktop) so it may not be possible.

Well, I should spend some times with the boys. Joey is sitting on the toilet (not very happily) and finally called to me that he pooped...so I have doodoo duty to attend to. Have a wonderful day.

Two More

I just had to add these two pictures because I thought they were so cute. I mean....who wouldn't think these boys were cute!
Here are Baby Nick and Joey showing off their spoils of the Easter Egg hunt. They were almost equal....Joey got seven, and Nick got five. I think that is fairly fair.
(You will notice that Joey has one sleeve rolled up and one not. He wanted to show everybody in the nursery his tattoo....so he spent the day looking lopsided.)

Easter Egg Hunt

The potatoes are on the stove....I have a few more minutes. Here are some pictures of the Easter Egg Hunt. Nick just called....he's going to miss dinner. Bummer.
Nick is getting a purple egg out of his shoe.
And a green egg off the couch.
Bubba looks absolutely ecstatic to get a purple egg off the gate.
And showing some flexibility getting a yellow egg off the pedals on the piano.

Happy Easter

Christ is risen!! He is risen indeed! What a joyous day to celebrate. We have had a good day so far. We got up, not too early, but with enough time to enjoy Easter baskets before church. This was the first time we did Easter baskets for the boys and Joey especially, was very excited.

Then the boys and I went to church and enjoyed a good service. We came home, had lunch, and took a good nap. I started to take a nap with the boys, but then Nick woke me up to tell me that he had to go to work since he is on call. Of course, he is on call for a week at a time and never gets a call until it is a holiday and we want to spend some special time as a family.

Even though Nick was gone, I set up an Easter Egg Hunt in the house (as the outside is still frozen) and the boys had their first Easter Egg hunt. Joey had a blast, saying that it was the best Easter egg hunt ever! (Did I mention that it was his first ever?) I showed Baby Nick where each egg was, and he enjoyed placing them, not so gently, into his basket. Thankfully only one cracked a little. We are planning on egg salad sandwiches for the next few days to get rid of them. Unfortunately...I don't like eggs! So, the boys and Nick will have to finish them off quickly.

We are making a fabulous dinner. The menu for the night is prime rib, cheddar bacon smashed potatoes, Cesar salad, and biscuits. For dessert, we will take the easy road and have a frozen banana cream pie! The prime rib is in the oven, I need to get started on peeling potatoes in a minute, and Nick is once again, gone at work. Hopefully, he will have a few minutes to eat dinner with us later.
Just to share a few pictures with you. Here are the Easter baskets awaiting the boys.
Joey was super excited to get his basket. They are very little; just a pair of new pajamas, a chocolate bunny, a bendy straw (they love straws), and eight pieces of candy.
Baby Nick was also fascinated by his basket. He especially liked the grass. After the egg hunt, the grass quickly made its new home in the garbage can so he couldn't throw it all over the house.
It took me five tries to get a descent picture of the two of them together in their Easter clothes. This was probably the best out of all of them.
Here is one of the failed attempts. I can't get Nick to stand still and not try to be all up in the camera! I kept this picture to show off just for the goofiness of it.

I will post the egg hunt pictures in a little bit....but I have got to get started on the potatoes!

Silliness In The Luty House

There is never a lack of entertainment in the Luty house. The boys are always doing something to put a smile on my face. Joey has begun picking out his own clothes (its about time, I know.) So far, he has been fairly wise about his choices. The first day he picked out Papa Buddy pants and a knit sweater. He was very stylish!
Speaking of style, Bubba found a pair of my nylons and has been experimenting different uses and different ways of wearing them. Here, of course, is the headdress way of wearing them. I have never tried wearing nylons this way, but it sure looks a lot more comfortable than the conventional way!
Today, he discovered the "proper" way to wear nylons. I think he looks great with his "Steve" shirt and nylons on. He calls this shirt his "Steve" shirt because it is similar to the one Steve is wearing in the one picture we have of him. Steve is my future brother-in-law and we are all very excited to have him join the family.
I took this picture to show how baggy the nylons are on him. It reminds me of a book we had when I was young called "The Saggy-Baggy Elephant" (or something like that.)
This is Joey's newest addition to his "style." Daddy put this temporary tattoo on his arm, acquired in a happy meal, and Joey hasn't gotten over it sense. The first thing he said was that he was going to show it to everybody in the nursery at church. Oh great! I have a inkling that it will be all washed off in the bath before church, though. Any time he talked to anyone on the phone today, the first thing he mentioned was his new pirate tattoo.
And, of course, Baby Nick was jealous that Bubba was getting all the pictures, so he had to get one himself. However, he wouldn't stop grabbing at the camera, and kept getting closer and closer. I finally had to trap him between my legs to get him to stand still long enough, and far enough back, to get a picture! What a goof ball. (Must get it from his dad's side of the family. I am never goofy!)

Hope everyone has a blessed Easter weekend.

It's Official

Today is the day I will mark as the day I officially felt the baby move!! The movements are still so tiny, I have to lay very still and concentrate on the movements. I may have felt movement a little earlier, but it was so fleeting, most of me thought it was just my imagination. So I will mark this day as the day I felt the baby move (officially) for the first time.

I can't wait until the others can feel it too; I know Joey would enjoy it, and I bet Baby Nick would get a "kick" out of it too.

Mommy's Little Helpers

Even though I tried making light in my last post, my momma's heart was hurting something fierce. I ran into another room to cry, and then I cried myself to sleep as well. I know I shouldn't take such things seriously...I will probably hear more of that when the kids get older. But with Joey still being so young, I wasn't emotionally ready to handle hearing that he wants a different mommy. Thankfully, he hasn't said that since. Hopefully he has forgotten all about it.

Here are some pictures of my "helpers" that I have around the house.
In this picture, Joey has helped Mommy "style" Baby Nick's hair using grape juice (the Kool-Aid kind.)
Here, Baby Nick helped put a smile on Mommy's face by his messy pudding face. The pudding had "magic" sprinkles that changed colors in the pudding...that is why he is so colorful.
Here, Baby Nick has helped us getting himself undressed. Nick got him up in the morning to find that Nick had pulled his shirt over his head, leaving his arms in the sleeves. He has started to participate more in getting himself dressed and undressed, and one thing he knows is how to pull his shirt off over his head. I usually pull his arms out of the sleeves first, though....so on his solo attempt, he skipped that step! You can also see his new habit of sticking his hands down his pants. This is NOT my favorite thing.
Here is Nick making Mommy laugh again. He went to the desk drawer and got out a pen so that he could color in the coloring book that Joey had left on the floor. Then he decided it was too much effort to keep sitting up, so he decided to "recline" onto the bottom step while coloring. What a goof ball!
Here is my sweet Bubba and precocious Bug helping Mommy make potato salad. I would chop up the potatoes and the boys would put the pieces in the pot to be boiled later. It's hard to tell by the picture, but they are both standing on the same chair, Baby Nick directly behind Bubba. So, even though his arms are smaller, he had to reach all the way around his brother to be able to get any potatoes in the pan. I had to keep one leg up on the chair just to keep Nick from falling off, as he displayed no caution as to how far he would lean over to help.

I have Baby Nick's 18 month pictures back, cut up, and labeled....I just haven't sent them out yet. I will get to it eventually. After all, he will be 19 months tomorrow.

Have a blessed day.

I'm Looking For Volunteers

Joey has decided that he does not love me and would like me to find a different mommy for him.

So I am searching for volunteers. I will admit that he can have an attitude at times; but he is usually a very sweet boy. He is a big help around the house and generally loves to "love." We don't have a lot of money, but we will send what we can each month to help offset the added expense for groceries and pull-ups.

If you are interested, you know how to reach me. You can leave me a comment.

(P.S. I am serious that Joey wants me to find him a different mommy, but I am NOT serious about giving him up!)

Goofiest Goobers

Well, I must say I am very disappointed. I have taken a total of six pictures since the beginning of February and I was going to show three of them to you, but the system won't let me right now. How frustrating. Oh well. I will try later.

I have the goofiest boys I have ever met. Particularly Baby Nick. He finds humor in just about anything. When Joey is throwing a fit (I know, imagine that!), Baby Nick likes to walk right up to Joey and laugh. This, of course, irritates Joey to no end. I try to explain to Joey that Nick is just trying to make him feel better, but he doesn't believe me. Baby Nick also finds different noises funny. He is in hysterics anytime I sneeze...I usually will fake a few more just to keep him laughing. He has such a boisterous, hearty laugh. I know I have mentioned that he found it funny when his Daddy was throwing up, and since I have been sick so much this pregnancy, he has gotten more exposure to it. I have a very sensitive smeller when I am pregnant, and the thing that has caused me to gag and throw up more than anything is a stinky diaper. So while changing (and trying to hold my breath) I usually end up gagging a couple times which tickles Nick's funny bone. If I gag too hard to stop myself from throwing up, I run to the closest thing I can make it to, the kitchen sink. Joey follows me in plugging his ears and closing his eyes. He doesn't like to see or hear me throw up (so why he follows me, I have no idea.) He asks me if I'm dying. No...but I feel like I am. Nick follows close behind his brother....but he just likes to get a front row seat to the show. He stands there a laugh every time I gag.

I have also discovered that Baby Nick thinks it is very funny to watch potatoes being mashed. Something about it just makes him giggle! I don't know where he gets his particular sense of humor!

We have been very busy with Joey since this weekend. I haven't blogged about it since it doesn't seem to be a very appropriate topic to put in writing...but it is what he is going through. For the last year (for those of you who don't already know from conversation) Joey has had a very difficult time having a bowel movement. I'm talking about a REALLY hard time. He panics, and will hold it in up to two weeks! Through the year, he has gotten better about going every four or five days, but it is still so painful for him that he fights to keep from going as hard as he can. I would have to force him to go by not allowing him to sit or to be loved on, because if he could be comforted, he would be able to stop himself from going. So I would have to hold his wrists and make him stand there while he is screaming at me, begging me for a hug or not to let him do this, until he finally went. Sometimes we would fight for half an hour or more before he would go. It is the most horrible thing to witness. My words can not begin to give it justice. Finally, we talked to his doctor and she ordered an x-ray of his tummy. I felt horrible, because I couldn't be in the room with him since I'm pregnant, so he had to have his first x-ray at three years old without his mommy. It was even worse for me that he did just fine! When the doctor finally called back with the result she said it was very bad. She said he was constipated so bad that he was backed up through his colon and lower intestine. The lower intestine is stretched to 5.5 cm (or about 2.5 inches in diameter) which is huge in such a tiny body. As mom said, "Think of it this way...you dilate to ten cm when you give birth, and his intestine is at half that." It's no wonder it would hurt to go....it was like giving birth every time! The other problem with the intestine being stretched is that it loses its elasticity and ability to push. So Joey has had to use every thing his body can give just to poop. So the doctor put him on an aggressive clean out regimen for the week. He started with three doses of Miralax and two doses of Milk of Mag every day! (After talking to the doctor on Monday, she said we could stop the milk of mag as long as he keeps pooping.) Since Friday night, it has been "blow out city" around here. He still does not like to go, and I don't blame him. Nobody likes being constipated and nobody likes being too loose, either. We have gone through 25 pull-ups just since Sunday afternoon! That just gives you an idea of how up to my ears in..., well you can use whatever word you want to here, I have been. Joey likes to wait until bedtime to go, so he is usually going between 8pm and 11pm or later. Then he still feels squirmy and won't stay in his own bed, so he has joined us in our bed again and squirms all over me all night long. Needless to say, I'm not getting any sleep. Joey has another x-ray and appt scheduled for tomorrow. What we are hoping for is that the doctor says he has cleaned himself out and will not need to be on such an aggressive regimen any longer. The worst case scenario would be that, even after all his going, its not enough and he would need to be hospitalized so they can clean him out. We know that God already knows the results, so whatever happens, He will be there to see us through.

Baby Nick has a big afternoon today. He will have his evaluation and assessment done for his speech so we can have an idea of where he is at. My gut feeling is that he is fine and is just choosing not to talk yet (although he is very vocal and clear about what he wants, even if he doesn't use words), however, if there is something wrong, I would rather know so we can do something about it rather than stick my head in the sand expecting that everything will work itself out. So by this afternoon we will know where he stands.

One of Nick's new favorite games is "I'm going to get you." Daddy or I will be sitting somewhere and we will hold our hands out, wiggle our fingers, and say "I'm going to get you." Usually, the child playing would squeal and run away, enjoying being chased. Not Baby Nick....he's the one that runs to us! He will usually stick his belly out to be "gotten" before scrunching up again from being tickled. It works, also, if he has something that he shouldn't and he won't obey our command to "bring it to Mommy." Instead, we switch to "I'm gonna get you." and he runs right over so we can snatch the forbidden object out of his hand.

Anyway, I hear Baby Nick is awake from his nap. So I better go. It is about time to start thinking about what lunch will be. Hope you all have a fantastic day.

It's Been A Month

I can't believe it has been an entire month since I have blogged. Most of you have probably given up on me. But I decided that even if I had nothing to say, I needed to post something to prove I am still here.

I wish I could say that I have a month's worth of news and events to catch you up on...but that is just not the case. I spend all my days watching the boys; and although they have moments of cuteness, there hasn't been anything "extraordinary" to report. There was the time that Joey styled Baby Nick's hair with a cup of grape juice; or when he thought Baby Nick needed a face washing and sprayed him with Spray 'N Wash. Those were two fantastic days! Of course, they happened when Nick was in Fairbanks, so I had no reprieve. But we managed.

I have had some days where I feel better, but I still feel icky or "iffy" much of the time. Lately, I have felt better during the day and then by late afternoon or evening, I'm feeling sick again. I also throw up almost every time I change a stinky diaper. That is most frustrating, as I can't exactly avoid changing a dirty diaper.

Baby Nick is eighteen months now and had a good check up. He is 24.2 pounds and 32.5 inches tall. He is growing well and healthy. The one concern is that he is still not talking, not forming any words. He is very vocal and babbles all the time, but he won't even say "mama" or "dada". So the doctor recommended we have him evaluated to see if there is any issue that needs early intervention. We have a couple appointments for him next week. We'll see how that goes. Most of me feels that he is just choosing not to talk right now; but you never know. I would not want to wait too long in "denial" and miss an opportunity to help him if there really is something wrong.

Well....I think that is about it for now. I will try to be better about blogging so that it doesn't end up being another month between posts. I have another appointment tomorrow and I think I will have to take all three boys with me. That will be a challenge, but I think it would be neat for Joey to hear the baby's heart beat. He is really hoping for a baby sister! I love that....I'm hoping for the same thing.

Have a great day and I will keep you better updated in the future.

Venture Out Of The House

Today was the second time I left the house in a month! The first time was on Tuesday, when I had a doctor's appointment. At first, I had a really hard time...especially in the elevator. But after awhile, I started feeling a bit better. Over the rest of the week, I had more moments of feeling less icky, just iffy. The evening is still really hard on me. What makes it really bad is that motion really affects me. So I feel fine when I am sitting or laying still, but when I have to get up is when I start feeling iffy again. This, of course, is impossible being a mother of two small boys and a wife. I can't shut down completely (as I sometimes want to) because I still have a family to care for.

Today, I finally made it back to church. I missed it so much. Even though I sat for a good portion of worship, I still made it through the service without feeling like having to go home and lay down. This week has been better than the previous three. So I am praying that I am on the upward swing from this "morning" (or better termed: all-day) sickness. Please pray with me. I just want to start feeling human again and I want to start enjoying being pregnant. I miss taking care of my boys like I should. I have put far too much on Joey during the day. He is my helper, but there are times he should just be able to play instead of helping mommy take care of little brother.

I have another appt scheduled this week; but I have to reschedule it for a different day, so I don't know what day it will be yet. Right now it is scheduled for Thursday, but since that is the last day of the month, Nick can't take any time off to watch the boys. A prenatal appt is not a good place to take three little boys. One thing that I read about the clinic is that they have 3D ultrasound equipment in each room! How cool is that. That means that I could see the details of the baby's face, rather than just a black and white fuzzy image. I have never had a 3D image of my unborn baby before.

Well, even though my posts are few and far between...I have very little to blog about. Nick will be going to Fairbanks first week of February. I'm not looking forward to it; not with the way I've been feeling. I hope I am feeling much, much better by then. My boys are growing so big and smart. I love them so much.

Hope everyone has a fantastic week. Love and miss you all.

I Still Feel Icky

I can't seem to do anything much while feeling this icky. I rarely get on the computer these days, and that is why it is so long between posts. But I did want to at least make some effort (since I can't sleep right now anyway) to keep you posted on things up here in the Great White.

It has taken awhile, but we finally got a good amount of snow dumped on us last week. I think we got a foot or more in just a few days. While the snow is fresh and clean (like on the trees) it is quite beautiful. I love looking at the snow...I just don't enjoy being so cold all the time. Right now, we've got two comforters on our bed, and I still throw an extra blanket on top of that. (Usually my new Tinker Bell blanket from Nanny encouraging the baby I'm carrying to be a girl! Thanks Mom.)

I have noticed a difference in the amount of daylight hours; the sun is up before ten am and doesn't go down until after four pm. That is quite an improvement. The boys are adjusting to sharing a room. There is still quite a bit of playing before settling down to sleep, especially at nap time, but they are taking less time to settle down. Baby Nick astounds me because he will jump up and down in his crib for over an hour, and still not get tuckered out enough to sleep! If I could only have a portion of that kind of energy. I'm not sure I would know what to do with myself.
Nick took some beautiful pictures of the snow when he went out to shovel the walk way. We live in a tri-plex, and are the furthest unit down, but Nick is the only one who will take responsibility and shovel the walk. The other night, he came home and found that the walk was shoveled....but only up to the first units' door! They didn't even have the courtesy to complete the walk even though this is the only time they've ever done even a portion of it! I know it shouldn't bother me...but some people have no decency. This is a community property; it shouldn't be up to just one person to take care of it.
Here is a spectacular view of the snow on the trees outside our door. The moose love the area behind our house. I saw two out there a couple weeks ago.

Joey loves to help Daddy shovel the walk. He also enjoys the big pile of snow Daddy makes for him to climb on and slide down. He loves going outside for some fresh air, even when it is freezing cold. Joey has two completely different sides to him right now; but I will only brag about the good side. He is such a caretaker. He is so good to me right now, while I'm not feeling well. He will let me fall asleep while the little boys are taking a nap because he knows I feel icky. Even though he would prefer to play with me (and I with him) he will play quietly by himself and give me a chance to rest. He will also be my gopher; get me anything I need to make things easier on me. He has such a tender heart and I adore him.

Baby Nick has quite a sense of humor. His laugh is so infectious. The other day, Joey stubbed his toe on one of the toys and Baby Nick thought it was quite funny. Unfortunately, Joey did not. But then, I threw up after changing a particularly stinky diaper (I am extra sensitive to odors right now) and only made it to the kitchen sink...so was retching for all the boys to see. Joey came in and started whining with his hands covering his ears (what he does when he is scared of something or doesn't like what is happening) and Baby Nick came in and started fussing a bit, too. But then Baby Nick found the humor in the situation and started laughing and jumping up and down, thinking Mommy is quite funny. I couldn't help but give a slightly miserable smile at him. He was too cute.

Well, there really isn't much going on around here...especially with me feeling this way. I am still here and will try to find something blog-worthy to post next time. I love and miss you all and wish I could be close to home right now.

Forgive My Absence

I really do want to blog...but I never feel up to it. The "morning sickness" I am experiencing this time around lasts all day long. No, I'm not nauseous, I'm not throwing up....but I still feel miserable. The hungrier I get the worse I feel; but I know that no food will make me feel better, so what is the point of eating. Even though I don't feel nauseated, I feel that if I move, I may just throw up anyway. This does not make taking care of the boys easy...but what choice do I have. Nick is an amazing man; he takes such good care of me. Even after working at the office all day, he comes home and takes over the care of the boys and house so I can rest miserably.

There is much I could say; for example, Joey is now sleeping in his own bed in his own room. Last night was the first fully successful night! I am very pleased. Hopefully the new trend has started. Baby Nick now likes to be laid down on his back instead of his tummy (although he flips himself over fairly quickly) but the problem with laying him down on his back, is that he likes to stick his feet up in the air making it impossible to cover him up! The little stinker.

Joey is very excited about a new baby. He has asked me several times, "Are you bigger yet?" Well, I know it may be hard to tell, but I assure him that he will be able to see a difference when the baby starts growing bigger. He has also asked if we are having two babies (he saw a show on t.v. where twins were born)...I said, "God have mercy, no." He also wants to open me up to see the baby! I told him that we shouldn't have to "open" me up, God willing, and we couldn't see the baby until God said it was time for the baby to be born. Then he asked me if I was going to squeeze at the doctor's office. That one took me by complete surprise!! I have no idea where that came from! But he takes good care of me, especially when Daddy is at work.

Well, I think I have sat up as long as I can stand right now. I think I will go lay back down and pray I don't get sick. Hopefully, this phase will pass in the next couple weeks and I will feel more like myself again.