anniversary picture fail

Saturday Brad and I celebrated our anniversary.

Since we haven't taken a picture together in quite a while, I thought I'd ask Jacks to take one for us.

This is what we got...

Fail.

So we decided to set the timer instead.

Fail again.

So I re-set and tried again.

The kids were MORE than excited to get to the Newman house, so they couldn't leave us alone for .2 seconds to get a picture.

Fail again.

I love how Fin is just DYING to get her scarf on. Usually it's a struggle to get her coat on...

Instead, we settled on this picture. Which makes me look like an alien. A puffed up alien.
Sweet.
Fail.

Good thing the date was awesome.
It was indeed a Happy Anniversary :)

not for hire

She is certainly no makeup artist, but DON'T tell her that...

 

they're cute. so I cry.

My kids are cute. Well, if you ask me they're cute.
This week they've started something new...

Brad is traveling. Not that this is anything new, but when you're as uncomfortable as me, the days get LONG.
After dinner and dishes are done, I need nothing more than to sit down for a couple of minutes.
The best part? My kids totally understand, and take full advantage.
They take turns laying on my belly and talking to the baby. Melts.My.Heart.

Fin usually says things like "Do you want to sing Twinkle Twinkle? Hi Baby! You wanna play with me? Hi Baby, HIIIIIIIIII!".

  

Jacks on the other hand usually has other things to say....
"Hey baby, when you come out your belly button is going to be ugly.
You can NOT play with my toys. Are you girls going to gang up on me since I'm the only boy?" 

Makes me giggle.

 But after those "thoughtful" words of encouragement, Jacks whispered really quietly...
"Baby, did you know that we have the best Mama ever??  So be nice to her.  Her belly hurts, and you're making her feet big...and we want Mommy to wrestle with us again, K??"

{I mean, really...look at those feet already.}

So what do I do? I cry. And I can't stop crying.

Maybe because it was so adorable.

Maybe because I wish I could wrestle again too.

Maybe I'm SERIOUSLY over-tired, and everything hurts.

Maybe because I'm hormonal.

But man, I love my kids.

And every once in a while they let me know how much they love me.

And more often than not, Jacks snaps me back to reality and lets me know how to keep it real.

tickle fest

Sometimes all you need after a long day is a good ol' fashioned tickle fest.

stir crazy

So even though we have been incredibly lucky with great weather, this weekend it got COLD.
The kids were getting a little stir crazy {and maybe driving their Mom a bit crazy} so i told them {meaning Jacks} that he could finally do what he had been asking for for DAYS. Slide across the kitchen floor.

Yes, I'm serious.
See, we have a little bit of a knee issue in our house.
Meaning every single pair of pants that Jacks owns has holes in the knees because he slides on them EVERYWHERE. Including the playground.

So this was a special treat for him..and it certainly didn't take much convincing to get his little sister involved.

A blanket on the floor + a running start = sliding a few feet across the floor. For an hour.
The non-stop giggles and {thankfully} no accidents made for a pretty hilarious sight.
Bonus - I got to just sit and watch.

By the time Brad got home Jack's hair was COMPLETELY soaked with sweat.
And Finley just might have food from dinner still on her face, but whatever.
I may need to break the rules more often. :)

girls day

Last week I got to spend an entire day with my little lady.

Just her and I, hanging around the house due to daycare being closed.

Although April seems so far away, I know my days left with her as my youngest are few and far between...so we took full advantage.

It was all up to her - anything she wanted to do, we did.

The morning started with her favorite - a bubble bath.

LOTS and LOTS of playing babies.

Rocking the babies, showing me how to calm down a crying baby, reading and singing to babies, and then naptime for babies.

Another one of her favs, but one that doesn't happen as often as she wants {because it kills my belly} is bouncing on my feet.

Hiding from monsters...

And pickles for lunch. I finally convinced her to add some carrots and turkey in too, so I guess this one was SLIGHTLY Mom's choice too.

I have to admit, it was one of the most fun days I've had in a long time.

It is so rare that I can spend time with just her anymore, and she is one spunky little lady.

She was so excited to pick Jacks up from school though, I'm pretty sure she was ready for some interaction other than just Mommy. :)

30 weeks

Here she is, the 30 week belly, in all her glory.

So, liver issues again. Nothing too out of the ordinary since I did with Fin too, but I now get to hear this baby's heartbeat  and have a nurse tell me just HOW SMALL my veins really are once a week until the little lady decides to join us. In my calculations, about 11 weeks unless I'm induced again.

And yes, that's a LONG time for this big belly to get even bigger. Bring it on, little nugget, bring it on.

This pregnancy has also brought me these:

the most puffed up lips I've ever had in my whole life.

The picture doesn't really do them justice, and they usually shrink down a bit as the day goes on.

1. Who thought you could retain water in your LIPS?

2. Who needs lip injections when you can just get preggers instead?

You're welcome for leaving all of my wrinkles and enormous pores in the picture.

It's all about beauty, people. PURE beauty.

Bleh.

when it gets quiet

Usually when two 2-year-olds get too quiet, it's time to get worried.

When Darcy and I were too busy talking to realize how quiet these two had been, it was time to run.

But when we got upstairs, this is what we found:

Reading books together.

Adorable.

And you bet your booty I will show him this picture some day.

Reading Fancy Nancy to the Finster.

His Daddy would be so proud. :)

putting it off...

So, I'm pretty sure I put it off long enough.

Since I was supposed to have this test done a month ago and had to reschedule, I kind of secretly hoped my doc would forget.

But alas, this morning I got to chug this yummy {choke} goodness.

litte bums

I'm sorry, but is there anything cuter than little tiny bums?

Seriously, so adorbs.

She did it. She's totally potty trained. She's a CHAMP.

I haven't bought diapers in one month. That will be THREE WHOLE MONTHS diaper free in this house.

We haven't been diaper free in 5.5 years....so we are jumping for joy around here...

Plus, I thought I was going to have to go up a size in pants for the Finster, now those tiny buns fit perfectly into her pants.

And I'm sorry, but seriously, there's nothing cuter than when a little one starts wearing undies...their bums look SO SMALL!

And on a totally unrelated note....just a funny story.

I was talking to Jess on the phone {shocker, I know} and I made a comment something to the tune of:

"I'm just glad she has such a good attitude about it."

Since Finley was attached to my hip at the moment, she blurts out...

"I NOT have a bad attitude, JACKSON does!"

Keep in mind the story had nothing to do with Fin at all.

I immediately started laughing and asked Jess if she had heard what I had, and it was confirmed.

Hmmmm...attitude adjustment discussions MAY have been going on in our house lately, what do you think?

beth's baby shower

Kristin and I had such so much fun planning a baby shower for our dear friend, Beth.

Beth is having a baby boy due just three weeks before my baby gal, and we couldn't be more excited for her.

It was a fun afternoon of brunch, baby things, and entirely too many hilarious labor/birthing stories.

Hey, with four pregnant mamas and one newbie in the crowd, there was a LOT of ground to cover.

Beth, 30 weeks, Me 27 weeks

Yes, all photos are black and white.

After not very much discussion, it was decided we are far too pale for COLORED pictures, much less any pictures at all :)

Beth and I email almost daily about something new...

Weird cravings, what shoes fit fat feet, is this normal?... you know, the norm.

It has been so fun to go through her first pregnancy together.

Love you to pieces, lady!