Maize and Blue

Even when you are a baby girl and you are at the age when people only know your gender based on your clothing and you will clearly be better recognized as a girl in Ohio State red.....




you still wear your maize and blue.




Even when no one is expecting a Michigan win (except the true fans, of course)......



you still wear your maize and blue





Even when the closest Michigan gear to your size at your house is 10 times too big for you......


you still wear your maize and blue.




Even when you must give up your mobility due to the enormity of the hand me down Michigan outfit......you still wear your maize and blue.



Why you ask?

Because that is what the truest, bluest Michigan fans do to help bring their team to victory on game day (oh and in this case she can't dress herself).

Again

Hey if you missed the Kodak $15 thing last week that I posted about below, have no fear I hear it is going on again.

Free Pictures

I know alot of people already know about this, but I thought I would just share anyway. Kodak is giving away $15 worth of pictures or their picture gifts to the first ___ people (I forget how many people). So go here and sign up. They did this last week as well and I took advantage of it then and I think they are going to offer it again in the next couple of weeks but sign up now in case I am wrong :)

The Truth About Preschool

Ever since we attended the orientation night for preschool Erik has been worried that the school we (I) chose might not be academic enough. I, chose the only school in the area that had a curriculum and I am not so concerned with how much Matthew learns academically as much as I am concerned with him learning to sit and listen when needed and to play with other kids.

So every Tuesday and Thursday Erik asks Matthew about school. This is how it went down last night.....

Erik: So Matthew what did you do in school today? And don't say it was too long. (That is always Matthew's response because he thinks we want him to tell us every little thing he did all morning)

Matthew: Well it is too long to tell you.

Erik: You don't have to tell me everything you did. What did you learn today at school?

Matthew: Daddy, my preschool isn't really a learning kind of school. We play outside and today we watched the trucks fix the parking lot, but we don't learn anything.

Erik shoots me a glance that silently says "I told you he wasn't going to learn anything at that school".

Me, reminding the boy that he doesn't just play outside at school: Matthew tell Daddy what you did with your letters of the month today.

Erik: Oh yeah buddy, tell me about your letters.

Matthew: Oh yeah, we still use letters.



Erik is obviously totally convinced of preschool's awesome academicness now.

Better Than You Could Ever Imagine

I am SO very excited for my friend Rachel!!! She is my best girl from college. She and her husband have had a desire to be parents for a few years. Just yesterday, after years of waiting, crying, praying and trusting God with the desires of their hearts they met their beautiful baby boy from Korea.

I have been thinking about them and this meeting constantly. This morning I was able to see some pictures that were taken at this precious meeting and I can honestly say they are some of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen.

This got me thinking about life and about how God works in our lives. In our minds we picture how things are going to be. For Rachel, years ago she probably never imagined she would be meeting her son for the first time in an airport. But I would bet her meeting moment yesterday was better than she ever imagined. Some things go the way we always planned they would and then sometimes we get blessed with moments that are so very different than we planned, and surprisingly those are some of the most amazing moments we will ever experience.

So if you feel like bawling like a baby (not that I did or anything), go check out Rachel's best day ever!

Matthew Says--September Edition

When talking about his church "buddy barrel" that we collect money in each month.....

Matthew says "I am going to put this money in my buddy barrel because we need to get lots of money. We need to buy 2 meats and 2 loafs for 2 boys in Haiti that don't have any food."

When talking about those "tough times" in life....

Matthew says "Sometimes when life gets confusing you just need to snuggle with a mama."

Matthew says "TV can really lift kids spirits when they are sad mama."

When he saw this.....

Matthew says "Mama how could you let THIS happen to her???"

When walking through the door which is being held open by a lady with blue hair at Taco Bell....

Matthew says "Thank you and nice blue hair!"

When playing football with Daddy I suggest turning off the TV so he can give his full attention to playing.....

Matthew says "That's ok mama, God gave me 2 ears. One to listen to Daddy and the other one to listen to the TV."

When seeing the cats (Mac and Emma) fighting....

Matthew says "Go Emma! You're my mammal!"

When a cashier asks about his baby sister.....

Matthew says "I'm Matthew and she is Alexis. I'm the experienced one."

When pretending to be my repair man, pushing that button on the dryer that turns the light on and off (which I always have to tell him to quit playing with)......

Matthew says "I see your problem. I bet your child plays with this button all the time."

When the waitress at Chili's leaves the table laughing at something he has said and tells him to come visit her again soon....

Matthew says "I just made that girl's day."

When discussing dental hygiene.....

Matthew says "Mama, could I have some floss? I need to floss my canines."

When playing with me....

Matthew says "Pretend I'm unconscious."

When talking to a dog walking around the neighborhood without a person. My mom says she is going to check the tag to see if there is a name on it. After looking at the collar for a tag she tells Matthew it is missin'.......

Matthew says "Oh hi Missin'"

The Girl

The girl is now 7 months old (but let's not talk too much about that). I don't know if I have mentioned before that I dread the 5th of every month because it means I must accept the fact that my baby girl is one month older.
She is a solid food eater now (well ok she has been for a few months already I just have neglected to write about it). I have been making her food which is quite fun. She loves rolling around on the floor trying to grab whatever treasures her big brother has left behind. He is always concerned she might ruin something and when I tell him she is fine he says "But I think she has a plan", that I do not doubt.

Alexis is still a big girl. At her 6 month appointment she weighed in at 19lbs 6oz and was nearly 28 inches. I think she wore 6-9 month sized clothing for a week.

She is kind of a serious gal (I have no idea how that happened). Matthew smiled constantly as a baby and you've got to work hard most of the time to get Alexis to smile (well I don't so much, but most people do). She is loud and does not hide her emotions. When she is happy she is happy and when she is upset plug your ears to prevent hearing loss. My mom doesn't think she has ever encountered such a sassy baby before in her life. I will tell you though at this point she just makes me laugh. I have a feeling she is going to be a tough gal because everytime Matthew is doing something with her and I am about to say "Oh please be more gentle with her", she starts cracking up about whatever her brother is doing to her.

Yesterday at church we took part in the baby dedication with Alexis. She did great and even let the pastor hold her without screaming, very impressive. We are so very thankful that God chose to bless us with our sweet and sassy baby girl!

Matthew: The Preschooler

Matthew started preschool on Tuesday. He has been SO excited to start school. I, on the other hand have not been as excited, but I know he is ready to go so I am happy for him.

I picked this preschool out a couple of months ago and I took Matthew with me to tour the place. I told him we were going to be meeting the director of the preschool. So when we walked in Matthew walked right up to the first woman he saw, stuck his hand out and said "Hello director, my name is Matthew." Thankfully it was indeed the director and from there I barely got a word in because those 2 were deep in conversation. During the tour, the director would show him different rooms and Matthew would always say something like "This room is awesome (or amazing), director". In the drama room, there was a stage and a piano. Matthew offered to play his "Red Eye of Danger" song, the director said that would be wonderful and it was indeed a great number that I had never heard before.

Matthew definitely likes to be prepared. That is why his lunch bag was packed 2 weeks prior to his first day. What does a boy need in his lunch bag for a first day of preschool, you ask? According to Matthew, it is important to pack fruit snacks, hand sanitizer, and an electric pencil sharpener. That is what he had packed. Finally, Tuesday morning I was able to talk him into packing more food items, reassuring him that his school would indeed have hand sanitizer (or water and soap) and a pencil sharpener.

Once we got to school he tried to get rid of me in the parking lot. He felt like he could take it from there, but since I had a few questions for his teacher he allowed me to accompany him inside. Once inside, a staff person walked by and said hello, the boy says "Hello, I am a newcomer". So she kindly showed him to his room. He was in his room having fun before I could even get a goodbye hug! (Don't worry I didn't cry or anything, aren't I such a big girl??)

Later that afternoon I went to pick him up. There is a line of kids waiting to be picked up all holding books. As I am looking down the line searching for my little man I see kids holding books like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and The Berenstains Bears Go To School. Then I spot my boy.....carrying this.....

Yep, he picked the 15 pound dictionary. The director is laughing and says "Um, we got to chose books from the library today and Matthew chose the dictionary". He says "Mama, I got this dictionary because I love information". He really does. He was upset when I told him we would have to take it back to school next week to trade it in for another one because he said it was the only information book they had. Hopefully, next week they will have another information book that is a bit lighter (and a few less words would be ok too).

So he really enjoyed school. He couldn't remember a single classmate's name, but he could remember what everyone ate for lunch. He made a picture and told me it was "a dangerous shark attack with a snake and a worm with super powers". He learned a hello song that they sing when they first get there. I asked to hear it on the way home but he informed me that song can only be sung in the morning and "we were losing daylight", so I was unable to hear it (there are obviously alot of preschool rules I am not aware of).

Some Kids REALLY Like Coupons

Matthew really enjoys picking up sales ads and such when we are shopping. They really make his day (some make his week). Recently at Target, I found these Transformer coupons. I don't know how Matthew even knows about Transformers, but wouldn't you know he LOVES them! He was so excited when I showed him these he said

"Can we really get these Mama?"
I said "Sure honey they are free."

Him "I am so excited, I can't believe you are getting me Transformers."

At the register "Mama make sure to get those Transformers. Cashier, my Mama is getting me some Transformers."

I showed the cashier the coupons so she didn't think I was stealing my son some toys.

We play with these like they are real action figures. We lost one once and boy was there drama. I think we have had them for a month now. I may need to laminate them.

This week Matthew picked this up at CVS.....

It is their "clip free coupon book". He looked at this "cbs newspaper" as he called it in the car, then took it into Food Lion, then into Publix and looked while we shopped. He made sure to tell a few Publix shoppers about some great foot cream deals available at CVS. He asked if he could take the "newspaper" with him for his rest time, I obliged. It also went with him to bed. He alerted Erik of several deals when he came to tell him goodnight. The next day it went everywhere with us, even into Walgreens and we didn't even get kicked out for perusing the competition's ads will shopping in their store. Matthew has had this "newspaper" since Monday and I don't think he has gone anywhere (including the restroom) without it.

Last week, I got him a lunch bag since he is going to be going to preschool in a month or so. He opened it when we got home and said "Oh it is my lucky day, there are money saving coupons inside".

Who needs toys when you can have money saving coupons? I know, I know our house is going to be the place for playdates once word gets out.

Anna this is for you! Matthew is loving the stickers. I think we will play with these like the Transformer coupons above. You have provided endless hours of fun, thank you!

Miraculous Moments

I did not stage these photos. No one is crying. No one was bribed with candy. I did not even suggest the boy do any of these things or even ask him to pretend just for a moment his sister existed. I merely observed these miraculous moments and photographed them.


Oh and yes Matthew does have a severe Crystal Light mustache. But when you are photographing miraculous moments, you do not ask the subjects first to wash their face, you just shoot.

A Few Questions for Today

This morning while getting ready to take Matthew to VBS
I Wonder........

How many times I have heard "Hey, Mama" this hour?

If our ears are only able to hear a certain amount of words in a lifetime before shutting down completely? (I may be nearing my quota)




When I see a young man park in the "new and expectant mother" spot at CVS
I Wonder......

When is he due?

If I should take a photo of him? (he will likely be famous soon, since pregnancy in males is kind of rare, that photo could make me rich)




When walking out to the van to go pick Matthew up from VBS
I Wonder.....

How in the world could I have left the side door open for 2 hours?

Will the van start? (It did by the way)




While eating lunch
I Wonder......

Would Matthew be ok eating pb&j for lunch for the rest of his life?

What did I eat?

Really why can't I remember what I ate? (maybe I should ask Matthew, he probably remembers)



When getting Matthew up from a little rest time
I Wonder.....

How can he possibly stand to be covered up in a fleece blanket when the thermostat right outside his door reads 84 degrees?

Was he wearing that outfit when I last saw him?



Moments ago while passing by the bathroom mirror
I Wonder......

Has my hair ever been this long before?

Why is it so knotty?

What is that thing in my hair?

How long have I been toting this baby booger around in my hair?

Update: VBS Gets an "A" Today

Meet "Gator School" 's biggest fan......

Sweat + Dirt + a Gator Puppet = A Smile on this Boy's Face

The VBS Report

Matthew is going to VBS (Vacation Bible School) for the first time ever this week. I was a little nervous because sitting still is not his specialty. The church we are going to right now is small and does not have VBS so he is going to a different church where we do not know a soul. This does not at all bother my boy (he is so much braver than me).

He chose this particular VBS because it had a gator on the sign. Although, he almost changed his mind when he saw another church was having "Kangaroo school". I have been talking with him about it the last couple of days and he has been pumped for "Gator school".

I felt maybe he been slightly misled by the sign (and maybe me) when he kept asking me these questions on the way this morning:

"Do you think they will have an alligator statue, Mama?"

"Mama, will they tell me all the gator information there?"

"I wonder if they will have a baby cayman for me to touch?"

Yikes! I was pretty worried that his first day of VBS could very well be his last, if he wasn't sufficiently chucked full of alligator info by noon.

When I picked him up I, of course, asked how it went.

I got this response "I didn't know they were going to sing such long songs at gator school."

Strike One!

Then came off the necklace he had made (that appeared to have nothing to do with alligators). I cheerfully say "Oh wow, what a cool necklace you made."

His response "No, my teacher made this for you because I told her I only like to make cool gator things." (In reality, the child does not like to make ANYTHING. I do not think he has a crafty bone in his body. You are probably thinking, how could he possibly be MY child when I am so crafty and all??? I know, I know it is a mystery).

Strike Two!

I then see a bracelet he got that looked gatory and say "Well you did get this neat bracelet that looks like an alligator."

He says "Yeah, but it doesn't have a head."

(I normally don't expect bracelets to come with heads, but then again I am not a 4 year old boy, so I guess our expectations could differ slightly.)

Strike Three!

Next, he says "I am starving because I don't like salad and cherry tomatoes." I am kinda having a hard time envisioning 4 year olds being given a salad and cherry tomato snack. I don't really think that was the snack, but just in case I might stick around for snack time tomorrow because I would love a salad.

Strike Four! (Yeah, yeah I know there is no such thing as four strikes, but what can I say I am generous)

So at this point I am pretty much thinking it is going to be torture to get him to go to the not-as-gatory-as-he-had-hoped school tomorrow when all of the sudden the clouds parted and the sun appeared.

Matthew says, "There were so many kids there. I didn't know who to meet first. At first, I thought it was a school, but then they talked about God, so I think maybe it is a church. And I get to go back for 56 days!"

Apparently, he is the kind of kid who likes to share the "bad news" first.

*Oh and on a completely unrelated note, for those of you wondering about the beefy baby's poundage, here are Alexis' 4 month stats: 17 lbs. 6 oz. and the height is somewhere in the 26's near 27 in (I don't remember exactly).

Alexis Meets Grandma and Grandpa

Last week Erik's parents came from MI for a visit! They got to meet the girl and play with the boy. We had a great time and I sure do wish we didn't live so far apart.
Fun times! The kids are still trying to get adjusted back to real life where the adult to child ratio is 1:2 most of the time rather than the 4:2 they were enjoying last week!

4 Months Old

Alexis turned 4 months old yesterday. She is a happy, smiley girl who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to squeal until she gets it. She rolled over once. She hates to be on her tummy. She loves to pull my hair and have a fist full of hair in each hand (she would definitely cry if I got my hair cut). Alexis LOVES her Daddy. She can be in the crankiest mood and as soon as her Daddy talks to her, she is all smiles and happy chatter. She is really starting to take an interest in watching her big brother and what he is up to, so now she should never be bored ever again.

Her legs and arms are always moving and she must always be sitting straight up unless she is being rocked. She has slept through the night the last 3 nights (woohoo!!!).

We have her 4 month appointment this week so I don't have her stats yet, maybe I will post them later this week. (But, come on, this is my SECOND post of the day, what is the likelihood I will post 3 times in one week! Ha..no really I will try.)

I Think A License Should Be Required To Operate These....

Of course, if a license were in fact required mine would most certainly be revoked due to reckless clipping.

It seems that I am TERRIBLE at clipping baby finger nails. Erik used to clip Matthew's when he was a baby. I am completely capable of clipping his now, but poor Alexis on the other hand would have some horrible stories to tell you if she could talk.

The first time the clipping went completely wrong was Sunday February 8, 2009. That's right folks, Alexis was just three tiny days old and it was our very first day home. Her nails were incredibly long and her face looked like a painful line graph with all the scratches. So while Erik was showering, I decided I was completely capable of cutting my baby girl's finger nails and decided to put an end to her self inflicted pain. I was thinking "Don't worry tiny baby, Mama is coming to the rescue!". I was picturing myself in a cape, standing tall with wind whipping through my hair and cape all while heroic music played. Her finger was bleeding 4.7 seconds later.

Maybe I can sell my cape on ebay.

I felt horrible. She was bleeding. I cut her teeny tiny finger on her first day home. She was probably contemplating going back to the hospital hoping that she had been switched at birth and that her "real" mom was a proficient baby nail clipper.

Matthew just so happens to hate getting his nails clipped. He always tells me it hurts and then I laugh and laugh, and say "No it doesn't, silly". So he walks on to the nail clipping scene and sees Alexis' teeny tiny bleeding finger and me with the nail clippers in my hand and says "What happened to Awexis?". "Um........she hurt her finger", I say. That isn't a lie right? She did in fact have a hurt finger. For once in his life he didn't ask for specifics.

That was the first time and unfortunately, not the last.

So, is anyone looking for a very part time (so part-time, let's call it part-of-a-part-time) baby nail clipping job? The job doesn't pay much (actually it doesn't pay anything at all), but you can have all the ice water you can drink while you are here! Qualified applicants only, please. This child's fingers can't take anymore rookie clipping.

Matthew Says

When asked why he was crying for me in the middle of the night by Daddy....

Matthew says "I just love Mama so much, I can't take off my love for her."

When playing construction with Papine (grandpa)....

Matthew says "My guys left a note for your guys it says, Dear Construction Workers, I'm afraid I have to work somewhere else. Sincerely, Don't forget to blink"

When asked to clean up his toys....

Matthew says "I only clean for candy"

When asked about craft time at church....

Matthew says "Oh man, I missed it again!"

When talking about Alexis' time at church....

Matthew says "Did Alexis learn to crawl in her class today?"

I laughingly say "No."

Matthew says "Well what did she do then?"

When trying Frosted Flakes this morning...

Matthew says "Mama I do like this cereal you were wrong, wrong, wrong."

When talking about something I don't really remember....

Matthew says "Now I am concerned on a number of levels."

When being a little bit of a stinker and getting in trouble with Daddy...

Matthew says "You really should be nicer to me."

When telling Daddy about his day and how he got to play at the park, Daddy mentions how nice it was for me to take him there.....

Matthew says "Well it was MY idea."

The Monsters Have Arrived

Yes, we now have monsters in the Smith home. We do try to be hospitable as a rule here in our home, but I must say the monsters were completely uninvited and most definitely have worn out their welcome.

I have not seen one myself and as a matter of fact, I don't think anyone has really spotted one, so a visual description is not available at this time. However, someone in our family deeply feels their presence, thus making nearly all of us well aware that monsters are in deed here.

Like most monsters, ours are nocturnal. They reside exclusively in Matthew's room. I really wish they would have chosen mine and Erik's room because I feel we are better equipped to coexist with them.

Our monsters may seem like other monsters, they are nocturnal, choose to live in a young child's room and have never actually been spotted, but our monsters are unique in this; they love to be read to. Their love of books, keep Matthew up nearly all night reading with his room light, closet light and 2 night lights on. Even though Erik and I have made it very clear that those big lights should not be on, Matthew feels the need to be obedient to the monsters and the obvious monster wrath that would ensue if he chose to turn out the lights and stop reading.

While having uninvited monsters live in your son's room is not at all ideal, I am happy that our monsters are book loving monsters. I just wish they would learn to read for themselves so that they wouldn't keep the boy up (also, if they are going to require so much electricity, it wouldn't hurt if they contributed some cash for the electric bill as well).

Easter pics and other stuff

We had a wonderful Easter and I hope everybody else did too!

On Friday morning my Mom brought over eggs for Matthew to color. He had a great time dropping every egg in every color so that by the time he was through no one was able to identify the color of any of them. My personal favorite is one he named "the eye of danger". On Friday afternoon, there were some really severe storms throughout the whole state. I decided it might be a good time to clean out our severe storm safety bunker (a.k.a. our teeny tiny coat closet). We had a tornado warning and very strong winds and rain. We lost power for only about 20 minutes. Matthew thought it would be fun to hang out in the closet, so we did for awhile. He was making shadow creatures with the light from my cell phone and taking pics in the dark. Alexis was not nearly as fond of closet time.

Easter Sunday we went to church and then over to my parents to eat and have an egg hunt. Erik was asked to play the drums for a song on Sunday and it was awesome. Alexis was crowned best behaved baby in the nursery on Easter! I did not expect a nomination in that category let alone a win. She often snags the cranky pants of the day award here at home. The last few days have been good though so maybe she is growing out of the crankies.

You can tell by this picture that Alexis is obviously a huge fan of dressing up. This was her first time wearing a dress.

Matthew got the Bolt movie (a new Disney movie starring a dog) in his Easter basket so he was, of course, Bolt most of the day. Erik said to him at one point "I love you, buddy." Matthew says "Ok, I am still Bolt, but I appreciate your love for dogs."

Yesterday was Erik's birthday. We got to go to a grown up dinner all on our own where people serve you. It was awesome. On a side note, I ate ALL of my dinner and Erik had to box his up and bring it home (due to some bread and appetizer eating and yes Josh if you are reading this that totally makes me the papa bear). Also, Alexis was actually a good girl while we were gone, despite the fact that her favorite evening pastime is screaming. She did start crying though as soon as she heard my voice just to make me feel missed..what a sweetie! And Matthew was all weepy saying "I weally missed you" and kissed me on the head. I adore my job of caring for these precious little people and my Erik!

2 Month Stats

At the doctor's yesterday Alexis weighed in at 13lbs 7oz and she is a little over 24in long putting her in the 97th percentile in weight and height. We left the big brother at home with my mom because he is a little under the weather and desperately needed a rest time, so there are no funny Matthew sayings to add. Alexis screamed during her shots and continued for many minutes after so I would not forget how unhappy she was about that experience. Poor girl doesn't even know this is only the begining of the shots. Please nobody tell her or she will refuse to go to her 4 month appointment.

Check Out These Cheeks

Alexis has been very busy chubbing up. Her cheeks are just the chubbiest things ever. Sometimes I am just not sure she could get those things any chubbier. Of course, I can't say too much because I am well aware where she got them, haha. I must say that it is true the camera does add at least 10 pounds too, so keep that in mind. She is 2 months old (and 2 days, in case you like to be very specific) now. Time is flying, which makes me just a tad bit sad.Sometimes she likes to wear her brother's old sleepers (Shhh..don't tell my mom).

Alexis was wearing these super cute overalls on Friday and I really wanted to get a good picture of her. I took about 20. I moved her all over trying to find a less chubby angle, it seems as though that angle does not exist at this time. But there is no shame in baby chunk.

This is my favorite pic right now. It is really hard to capture a smile.

Oh and here is a picture of Alexis and I, taken by Matthew of course. He laughed afterwards and said "I think I forgot to get Alexis in the picture". Alexis has her 2 month appointment tomorrow. Matthew likes to go to provide entertainment for the nurses. Last time as we were walking to the exam room and there were nurses and doctors rapidly walking from room to room Matthew throws his arms up and says in a booming voice "Listen, this is not MY appointment." During our visit nearly every nurse came by to talk to him about how the appointment that wasn't his was going. He does however gladly choose something from the treasure box when given the option, regardless of whose appointment it is.

And in other news...

Matthew has been creating his own unique ensembles alot lately. Erik was cracking up when he got home last week and found Matthew dressed in his sweater vest and "sweating" pants, I forgot to warn him of the interesting selection before he arrived.

A Little Freedom

A really great thing happened last week! Since my parents got a new vehicle they graciously offered to allow us to borrow the PT Crusier that my Dad used to drive. This means I can go to Walmart, the libary, the playground or even Target whenever I want!!!

My dear Mother has been driving Matthew and I around these last few months to Dr. appointments and wherever else we absolutely had to go while Erik was at work (thanks Mom, I don't know what we would do without you). It has been nearly 5 months that we have been without a second car. That sounds like a long time, but I can happily report that it doesn't feel like it has been that long. I have not minded being at home and only felt "stuck" once or twice. I generally like being at home and I can even say there were many times it felt like a relief to have an excuse to not be out and about.

With that being said, we are all very excited to have another vehicle. Erik is excited about not driving the "Mom-mobile", Matthew is super excited about getting to go to the library and playground, surely Alexis must be excited too because she loves to ride in the car and seems to also approve of the shopping cart and I am actually excited about getting back to grocery shopping on a weekday!

A big thanks to my parents for their generosity!

Also, a funny thing happened when my parent's brought the car last weekend. My Dad went out to the car to get something and as he was closing the car door the alarm started going off. Dad got back in the car and tried to turn it off. All was quiet for a moment and just as he was walking back to the house, the alarm sounded again. He got back into the car and was pushing buttons, even starting the vehicle to turn it off. As the alarm continues blaring my Dad is just baffled, quickly trying to find the solution and Erik is at the door throwing out suggestions. Matthew is looking out the window saying "Papine, what are you doing?" and giggling. I notice he is holding something. I get closer for a better look and discover he is holding the car remote and pressing the red button clearly labeled "PANIC".

Friends

I have a couple of friends I am praying for lots lately and I thought I would share a little so that you guys would keep them in your prayers as well.

My good friend from high school Jenney has a precious baby boy who is sick. Baby J is in the hospital and they are doing some testing to see what is going on inside his little body. He is eight months old, just as adorable as can be and is having a hard time putting on weight. I have a link to Jenney's blog on the side.

A dear family friend of ours needs prayer also. She really is practically family. She has been like a 2nd mom to me as long as I can remember. We will call her Sweet Miss G on here because she is just one of the sweetest people in the world! Well Sweet Miss G's body needs some healing. I cannot even begin to explain the whats, whys and hows, but there are some very important and tricky procedures to be done in the near future.

Thanks!

Happy One Month (yesterday) Baby

The Boy's Best Day Ever

Matthew has been in love with monster trucks for the last few months. It all started when there was some sort of Monster Jam marathon on Christmas day and he watched some at my parent's house. He was immediately hooked. He started running around the house like "Blue Thunder" and telling people at Walmart about "Grave Digger". Recently, he received a few of these trucks from the grandmas and baby sister Alexis bought him one when she arrived. These trucks go EVERYWHERE with him. They even sleep in his bed (yeah, yeah I am a sucker like that).

A few weeks ago we heard Monster Jam was coming to town. We knew Matthew would love it if he could get over the the loud noise. Matthew is not good with loud sounds. Of course, Erik got him the ear muff things, which Matthew calls his Ipods. Matthew and Erik went yesterday to see the show with Papine (my dad) and Uncle Chip. He did good with the noise and enjoyed himself for the first hour. Then Uncle Chip reported reading Matthew's lips saying this to Erik "I am ready to go home now Daddy." It is a long time to sit for a little guy. So in order to help the little dude last through the show Erik got suckered into purchasing some over-priced snacks in souvenir Monster Jam packaging.

I did forget to mention Matthew also received a huge monster truck from Amber and Chip before the show, so it was a day full of monster truck fun.

Erik was kind enough to tote around the camera and take pictures to make his picture crazy wife happy. Matthew also took his camera to document the all important event. I love that he just had to take his camera too! I also love that before he left he (without prompting) kissed his sister goodbye because it was the first time he has gone somewhere without her.

That big truck that Uncle Chip has is his new one. Excuse Matthew's grumpy face this was after the show when he was beyond tired. Thank you Uncle Amber and Aunt Chip (haha) for the new truck and for putting up with cranky Matthew.
The famous "Grave Digger"



The over-priced souvenirs (a little fuzzy).

Some things Matthew has said today about his monster truck experience:

"My Ipods saved the day"

Matthew: "Is it ok if I call Papine, Alan?"

Me: "No"

Matthew: "Well is it ok if I call him Alan, just when I tell you a story about the monster trucks from yesterday?"

Also, it turns out that Matthew's "Ipods" not only can block out loud monster truck sounds, but also screaming baby sister sounds. These have actually "saved the day" at home as well!

Hospital Favorites

I got some pretty cool things from the hospital. I thought I would share my top four (ok so there are only four). Some of you may know that when you are in the hospital and you are packing to go home, you take home everything that isn't bolted to the floor. You will pay for every tissue that was provided whether you use it or not, so you might as well take it home (even if the tissues are so rough they make you look like Rudolph after the first blow). Erik was pretty excited when I told him about the "take everything that isn't bolted to the floor rule". He was already mentally placing the tv cabinet in our living room. Unfortunately, the cabinet wouldn't fit in the van so we had to leave that behind.

1. New Accessories

I did receive 4 new beautiful bracelets, custom made and personalized just for me. My personal favorite is the orange "FALL PREVENTION" one. At first I was a bit skeptical that a bracelet boasting of prevention would keep me from falling, but I have to tell you I didn't fall the whole time I wore it, so it must really work. With my falling history, it probably would have been wise to keep that one on forever.

2. New Apparel

The nurses put Alexis' little footprints on this shirt for Erik. I thought that was a really cute idea. For some reason it looks like her left foot is alot smaller than her right, now that I look at this. I will have to look into that.

3. New Cup

I am absolutely crazy about what I drink my water in. When we were first taken to our room I saw this beautiful cup on the tray. As soon as the nurse left, I said to Erik "Look at that cup. I get to keep that! Take a picture of it." I absolutely could not wait until they decided I was well enough after the surgery to have some ice water in that thing! I think I may have to check on the hospital's website to see if they sell these because having 2 would not be too many. Or maybe, I will just have to keep having babies to get more, I don't know, we'll see.

4. New Baby

Last, but most certainly not the least, Alexis is my most favorite thing we brought home from the hospital.

First Weeks With Our Girl

I can't believe Alexis has already been with us for almost 2 weeks! Everyone here is doing well. I was pretty nervous about having another c-section. It went so much better this time than the first. In my experience, a scheduled c-section is a million times better than an emergency one. I felt better the second day this time than I did the fifth day with Matthew.
My nurses and doctor were great. One of the nurses found out that Matthew weighed 9lbs 10oz when he was born and she told everyone in the operating room. They were all so excited to see how much Alexis would weigh, I thought they were going to start a pool right then and there guessing her weight. This time I was completely with it and I got to see her pouty little face right after they pulled her out. I also got to hear her scream and scream as they cleaned her up. I thought for sure she was going to be a feisty one with the way she was wailing. Matthew also is doing so much better with all of the change then I anticipated. He did so well at my parent's house. I was so afraid he would be upset leaving the hospital, that he would feel left out when Erik and I stayed there with the baby, but he didn't mind at all. It could have been because he got a few happy meals and monster trucks (monster trucks have an amazing power over our boy these days). The day Alexis was born he went to Build a Bear and made her a pink monkey, which he named Missy (that was his second choice after homeboy I have been told). He picked out a satin nightgown and robe for her to wear, the monkey that is not Alexis.

So far Matthew has not paid too much attention to Alexis. He has held her twice. The first day we were home he asked to hold her and yesterday I bribed him with candy so I could get a picture. Last week, he was upstairs for awhile in her room. He came out asking me to carry something down. It turns out he had found the legs to his old music table and attached them for his baby sister. Then he, of course, played some music for her. That was pretty sweet! Oh and he would wear his big brother shirt everyday if I let him.

So far, Alexis has been an amazingly good baby. The last couple of nights she has been a little fussy at bed time. Before that she just would let out these little cries every few hours to be fed. She sleeps ALOT! Which is a complete turn around from my boy when he was a baby, he never slept. Matthew hates when she cries (and I'm pretty sure it is not because he can't stand to see his little sister upset), but I think she probably only cries about 10 minutes a day and he plugs his ears for every one of those minutes. I seriously have been working on this post for too long! I have had to change the title to weeks instead of week!

She's here!

While many of you get to indulge in Megan's witty and humorous writings, for this post you will be forced to suffer through more of a mundane message from me (Erik he husband). Alexis Mikaela Smith arrived on February 5, 2009 weighing 8 lbs, 8 oz and was 21 1/4 inches in length. Baby and momma are doing well. Megan being her stubborn self refuses to rest, already brushing her teeth and trying to clean up the hospital room a little not even 24 hours after the c-section. She also is back at it feeding her Fox News addiction even though she knows it is so important to maintain a healthy blood pressure level. She says not to worry though, she doesn't get worked up. Do not believe that statement as I assure you it is false. I am sure a strong rebuttal will come against these comments though as soon as she is able...or can steal the laptop from me.

Any ways, thank you for attempting to be interested in my musings. We all know what you really want though so here she is...Alexis! Hope you enjoy these pictures and look for updates from Megan in the very near future.

Almost Time

Tomorrow is the day we meet our baby girl! I am very excited, a little nervous, but I think mostly I am not going to believe it is really happening until I see her precious little face.

Erik was off today and will be off until Monday so that it is also very exciting. Today we took Matthew to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time. He had a blast! We played games, ate pizza and won some tickets. It was great, I must say the amount of tickets they were asking for certain things was crazy, but Matthew didn't seem to mind. Then Erik thought maybe we should stop at Walmart and get Matthew something a little special. Matthew is really in to monster trucks right now so he was beyond delighted to pick one out to actually take home. Matthew said "Daddy is really (s)poiling me today". It was a super fun day.

Mom came this evening to take Matthew to her house. We have to be at the hospital tomorrow at 5:30, so she was nice enough to take him this evening. Matthew knows his baby sister is coming soon, but he does not know it is going to be tomorrow. I am really praying he will do well at Mom and Dad's. He has spent the night with them plenty of times before but just one night at a time. I must say me and my boy are tight and I am going to miss not being with him as much the next couple of days. One a side night, he has been SO good, near angelic the last few days and he keeps referring to me as "my sweet little cupcake". How cute is that? Boy, do I love that kid.

I will post pictures just as soon as I possibly can! Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers!

H

On my friend Rachel's blog she wrote about 10 things she loved starting with the letter "C". I thought it might be fun, so I decided to join her and she assigned me the letter "H".

So here it goes, things I love:

Husband: I love my husband! He takes such good care of our family and he always makes me laugh. There are a million other reasons, but I will try to keep this thing short.

Home: It is a good thing I enjoy being home because I am here quite a bit these days. It is not that I love my house so much, just the comfort of it being our home.

Holidays: I absolutely love when there is something to celebrate and lots of family comes to town. Of course, that normally means there is lots of good food too and mostly food I didn't make.

H2O: I love ice water! Especially right now I get really thirsty and feel like I will die if I don't get cold water. I even have to have a drink in the night when I get up to use the bathroom, which of course just makes me need to use the bathroom again in a little while. It is a vicious cycle.

History: I actually majored in history in college (minored in elementary ed). This does not mean I remember important dates in history, but I really enjoy reading about things that happened long ago.

Humor: I love to laugh. I love to watch funny things on TV and movies. I am not really into dramatic stuff. My husband would say it is because I don't "like to feel". All I know is I would much rather laugh.

Hearing my boy talk on the monitor: Matthew still has a baby monitor in his room because he sleeps upstairs and we sleep downstairs. It feels like he is very far away so I will probably keep a monitor in his room until he is 17 or so. I really enjoy hearing his cute little voice sing and tell crazy stories (the whining because his blankets aren't perfectly flat with no wrinkles, I could live without).

Happy people: Happy people are great. Obviously, all people can't be happy all the time, but I like when people are able to see the good in things and not be pessimistic all the time.

Handwritten notes and Homemade gifts: It is awesome when someone takes the time to actually write a note or make a gift. Don't get me wrong I like e-mails and store bought things too, but I just find the handwritten and homemade things more meaningful. Does this mean I write lots of meaningful letters and make lots of wonderful gifts? Absolutely not.

Hotels: I think it is a ton of fun to stay in a hotel although I haven't stayed in one in a really long time. Of course I am talking about nice hotels. You can swim and get free breakfast in the morning.

That is all. If you want to love a letter you can too, just let me know and I guess I will give you a letter to love. I will probably pick really great letters too like U and X, so if you love unicorns and x-rays you will definitely have a good time.

My Dad, the Super Cool Guy

My Dad has wanted a Mustang FOREVER. He has been talking about getting a new car for months now and looking around. On Saturday he went and test drove a few Mustangs. He also brought a few by our house since we live near the dealership. Matthew LOVES Mustangs, so he kept telling my dad which color to bring over next. I never really thought my dad would actually buy one because he is such a practical dude, but he did.

Matthew thinks this car is the coolest thing ever. It, of course, leads him to say "Oh yeah baby".


After Matthew sat in the driver's seat and pressed all the buttons, he then said "Papine, will you open the hood, so we can check out the engine?". Everything seemed to be as it should.

My dad told me on Sunday that if I happen to go into labor before the scheduled date and I need to get to the hospital quickly I should call him. He and the Mustang are kinda looking for an excuse to speed.

Honesty is the best policy, but.....

honestly you don't have to share your EVERY thought with the world, kiddo.

Matthew is very honest, always. I think it may be a blessing in disguise that we have only one vehicle and Matthew and I don't get out as much as we used to. To say that I am nervous when he speaks out in public is probably an understatement. Here are a few of his honest comments from the last few months.

On Matthew's birthday a neighbor boy stopped by to give him a gift. I had just gotten Matthew up from his nap when they arrived and he said "Oh (neighbor boy's name) it is you again" Now that one kind of made me laugh (inside) because these neighbors had been stopping by ALOT.
After Matthew opens the present he says to the boy, "Wow, you are really great at giving me presents. I am glad I invited you to my birthday. I think I will invite you to my Christmas too."

When my sister and her girls were visiting, all the girls (my sister, nieces, mom and I) and Matthew went shopping. As we were getting ready to go, Matthew looks around at all of us and says, "I am going shopping with all these girls today. I love all you girls, but I love Katy the most."

At Walmart there is a certain cashier I avoid. She is very sweet, but her voice sounds like she has been smoking a pack a day since birth, and I know that my son will have something to say about this that will turn my face crimson before the first item is scanned. Erik did not know about this, so we ended up in her lane a few weeks ago. She is so nice to talk to Matthew, but of course he notices her voice and says "Oh your voice sounds REALLY old". Luckily, she didn't hear him and I whisper to him "Matthew that is not a very kind thing to say". He gets as close as he can to her and gestures toward her face, "It's ok, Mama. Look it didn't hurt her feelings."

Last week, I was helping Matthew get dressed. He says to me, "Mama, I smell something stinky. I think you are stinky."
I say, "Matthew you should not say that people stink. That could really hurt someone's feelings."
He says, "Oh sorry Mama, I was just using my sense of smell."

Might As Well Laugh

So ever since Erik lost his job in late October things have been pretty interesting around here. We have never really had anything go wrong with the house or car in the past, which has obviously been a major blessing. However, in the last few months it seems we can't go a week without something breaking. I had a dream last night that our microwave broke. Thank goodness that hasn't happened, then we would REALLY be in trouble. It is however missing the door handle, luckily that has no bearing on it's ability to heat.

Last week we had some interesting health insurance happenings. Did anyone know that there isn't an insurance company out there who wants to cover an expectant father???? Erik and Matthew have been on a separate insurance policy from me because I am on the expensive COBRA (due to pregnancy). We happened to be reading that my insurance wouldn't cover the baby bills once she is born since she would be born 60 days after his employment ended at his last job, so Erik called to see if she could be put on with he and Matthew. They told him that not only could she not be added but they would have to cancel the policy altogether because he was an expectant father. Very long story short Matthew has new insurance, Erik has nothing, and we think baby girl will in fact be able to be added to my policy after all.

Also, last week we realized we must in fact fix the breaks on the van and not put that off any longer.

Last Monday, Erik was supposed to be getting off early because he was over in hours. He called me 15 minutes after he was supposed to be off to tell me he had been in a car accident. Praise the Lord, no one was hurt. The other driver ran a red light and hit the driver's side door on our van. The door is dented, but it really isn't that bad. The other driver however, has no insurance and her tags were expired, plus she got a ticket for the accident since it was her fault. I would say that the incident was definitely worse for her. Erik took the van in this morning to be repaired and got a rental car since the van is our only mode of transportation these days.

The theme of the last few months has definitely been change. New job, new schedule, one car, broken water heater, new car brakes, car accident, crazy health insurance, and preparing for our new addition (a.k.a.baby girl, which is definitely a good change). I definitely am not saying all this to complain, but to say the Lord provides. We are beyond blessed! I am so thankful that we can go through seasons with so much uncertainty and be completely certain that we will be taken care of, whether it be the way we expect or not.

Baby News

I realize now that it was completely mean of me to tell you I had news and then not share it. We have been having some crazy insurance stuff going on lately, so I didn't want to share my news and then have to tell you it was all wrong.

I went to the the doctor Tuesday and I got to pick baby girl's birthdate. She will be born Feb 5th ! It was pretty much the wierdest thing ever to pick out my baby's birthday.

I had to have an emergency c-section with Matthew because after much pushing (and of course the use of those horrible giant doctor prong things, otherwise known as forceps) he didn't even budge. It probably had something to do with the fact that he was 9lbs. 10oz. with a gigantic head. I used to think that I would still try to have our second child without the c-section, but I changed my mind. My doctor is willing to let me try having her on my own if I really wanted to but doesn't suggest it (especially since most people have bigger babies the second time around) and Erik feels alot better scheduling it rather than having an emergency c-section again. I have to admit I don't really want to recreate that birth experience of being in labor all day and night, pushing and then having a c-section.

We are very excited to be so close to meeting our baby girl. But I am really hoping she sticks to the schedule because Erik isn't allowed any paid personal days until he has been with the company 90 days and Feb 5th will be his 91st day. Praise the Lord for that timing!

Christmas Pics

I obviously have not been on top of this blog thing lately. We had a wonderful Christmas. We were home for Christmas and spent the morning opening a few gifts then headed over to my parents for the rest of the day.
I got Matthew a few animal info books and put them in his stocking. I knew that he would love them, but that he probably would be more interested in toys on Christmas morning. He, however, felt it was necessary to look at each and every page in every book telling us about every animal he saw, making up the names he didn't know along the way. By the time he was on the third book, even Erik and I were ready to move on to some toys, but Matthew insisted we finish all 4 books.

Matthew got a digital camera of his own from Grandma and Grandpa. He was so excited because as you may remember he loves taking pictures. He took pictures of everything Christmas morning, even the cat throw up he found on the floor. I guess it is good to document everything.

He told me right after he opened his gifts that he was having the best Christmas ever and that this green bouncy ball was his favorite. I was so happy because this kid wanted EVERYTHING he saw a commercial for before Christmas (that wasn't pink or girly) and we didn't have much to spend so we didn't end up buying a thing that he had said he wanted.

My parent's got Matthew this cool keyboard that is loads of fun. You can actually make your own music and record it on to an Ipod looking thing and then listen to your music. There are several different types of music that you can chose from and Matthew has decided techno is his favorite. We rarely get to hear any other type of music these days.

The three boys each got a gun that shoots little balls. After opening these, we took about an hour break to try them out. Matthew was not really able to shoot his on his own so I HAD to help him. I didn't really get hit too many times either because I am pretty sure the guys felt bad hitting a pregnant lady. I can tell we are going to have alot of fun with these. Matthew's has already come in handy. When our tree was still up the cat kept eating it, which of course made him sick, so I used the gun to shoot at him when he was underneath the tree. (Animal lovers don't worry he was not hurt in any way, I just used it to scare him)

Matthew made ornaments which were just made from flour, salt, and water then painted. Zoe, the dog thought they smelled good enough to eat, but luckily the ornaments were saved.

Well that concludes the Christmas summary. I will try to blog again soon because I have some baby news.

My Neighbors will Surely Thank Me Later for the Entertainment

We are dog sitting this weekend. We have my parent's dog, Zoe. She is a good dog and we have lots of fun with her. The one thing with Zoe is that she is very social and completely unafraid of cars, so when she goes out a leash is absolutely necessary.

Earlier today, I tried to get her leash on her and she wasn't really into that and while I was trying to convince her otherwise she tinkled a little on the floor. So the second time, I think I am going to be alot wiser about this whole thing and try to get her to keep her dribbles inside until we reach the great outdoors. That is where the story begins......

Picture a dog. Picture this dog.

Picture a boy. Picture this boy.

Picture that boy wearing these on his feet.

The same boy that absolutely refused to wear sandals all this long, hot, summer. He decided that today, December 12 would be a much better time to have his naked little toes sticking out of his sandals. Sandals that are probably too small.

Now picture a woman. A woman with this belly.

Picture the boy opening up the door while the woman with the belly is waiting till the last minute to swoop the leash on the dog right as she hops out the door. Picture that not working at all and the dog that should never go outside without a leash is outside without a leash.

Now the dog is running around all over the yard, the neighbors' yard and the street. The woman with the belly is chasing the dog and calling for her to come back. Now the boy in the sandals comes out of the house, forgets to close the door and chases the dog too.

Since the door is open, the cat, the indoor cat, decides to make a break for it. The boy in the sandals sees the cat and starts chasing him instead all while screaming to the woman with the belly "Mama, Mac is out. Mama get Mac".

So around and around the dog runs while the lady with the big belly tries to catch her. In another area the cat is running around and around while the boy wearing the sandals in 30 degree weather tries to catch him.

The lady with the belly may have fallen, but she was definitely not hurt, nor was the belly, only her pride and her knees. Finally the dog was cornered and decided to run inside. The boy with the sandals followed. The lady with the belly came to close the door and then went to the neighbors porch to collect her cat.

Once inside the woman with the belly realizes that the dog never even peed outside.

Thankful for These Thursday

This last week I have been so thankful for many people and things. So I thought I would share a few...

This is a castle that Matthew got as a birthday present from my sister and her family (Thanks guys!). I must admit I am pretty sure I wanted this more than Matthew did (I have been wanting it for months), but now he likes it more than me. This toy has kept him busy for hours (Am I a bad mom if that makes me love the castle even more than I anticipated?). I will also admit that Matthew's cars spend more time in the castle than the knights that came with it do. But that makes sense, cars always drive around medieval castles. The boy loves his cars and they get to play in everything, in fact right now there are a couple parked beside the Christmas houses.

Second thing I am thankful for are all these clothes. My grandma sent these for the kids. I was completely shocked to get a box from my grandma. She does love to buy baby and kid's clothing, but she never sends it in the mail. I haven't bought a thing for the baby girl (her grandmas have though, which I am also VERY thankful for) and I have been thinking lately she will need some clothes (since some people (MOM)strongly feel that she shouldn't wear all blue boy hand-me-downs from her brother that I have stuffed in every closet). Matthew got a super handsome dress shirt from Gap, some football pjs, and a super duper cool coat. The coat also came equipped with an Ipod pocket with a little opening for the headphones, which EVERY 4 year old needs. I can't tell you how many times in the past I have said "Matthew I just wish your coat had a place for your Ipod".

The third thing I am so thankful for is gift cards and those that give them. My sisters and their families came for Thanksgiving and we celebrated Christmas then with them. My nieces got Erik and I gift cards for dinner and a movie (they weren't supposed to get us anything by the way, but thanks girls). So Erik and I had a date night this week. We went to dinner AND a movie. I am not even sure of the last time that happened. It was awesome!

The fourth thing goes with the third. I am so thankful for grandparents that enjoy taking their grandson overnight so that his parents can have a great, free date night (Thanks Mine and Papine).

The last thing that I am thankful for is getting our health insurance all taken care of. Because I am pregnant I have had to get the cobra insurance from Erik's last job because nobody, of course wants to cover a pregnant lady part way through. Thankfully, we were able to just have me covered on that while getting Erik and Matthew on a seperate independent policy because as some of you might know cobra is very expensive. To have that taken care of is such a relief.

Oh and I am also really thankful for bananas and Fudge Rounds too.

I Am Pretty Sure I Didn't Explain It This Way...

Yesterday, Matthew was looking through a book.
He points to a picture and says:
"This is a statue of Jesus. Some people made a statue of Him because He is so great. Jesus takes away all of our sins and gives them to the T-Rex dinosaurs."

Four Years Ago Today....

... my 9lb 10oz chub of love baby boy came into this world.

I cannot believe he is 4! But yet I can't really seem to remember life without my little love. 4 seems likes such a big jump from 3. We celebrated on Sunday with my parents. Matthew called it "the best day ever of my life", so I would say he had fun. I actually bought a birthday cake, which I have never done before, but Matthew is completely in love with those cakes he sees in the store so it was kinda like another present for him. I must say though I will probably not buy another one again because it didn't taste very good. Matthew did love it though so I guess that is all that really matters!

We are having fun playing with some new toys today. New toys are great. And Whac-a-mole is loads of fun, even if you are much older than 4! There may have been a time or 2 on Sunday when the 4 adults were playing the game without the birthday boy.

The Fat Has Landed

Alright, I know some people really enjoy seeing a fat pregnant lady, so I have decided to post a pic for you crazy people that like that sort of thing.

For those of you who never saw me during my first pregnancy, first of all consider yourselves lucky and second of all you should know I was HUGE. I know every pregnant woman thinks they are the size of a humpback whale, but I didn't just think it, it was real. Every part of me was large. My ankles had the same circumference of that of a 30 year old oak tree and I swear even my nose tripled in size. Of course, people were polite and didn't tell me I was ginormous. Instead they said things like, "When are you due again?" and then when I would tell them my due date they would snicker and say "I don't think there is any way you will make it that long." Others would guess my due date and would be about 60 days off.

Now this time around I was starting to get a little cocky. Until about a month ago, I would tell people that I was pregnant and they were shocked at how far along I was, saying I didn't even look pregnant. Then the belly came all of the sudden, bringing with it the fat face that I thought I might be avoiding this time. Matthew always has funny things to say like "Whoa your belly is HUGE" and "Your baby's bubble is getting bigger and bigger, soon it is going to pop". I just hope he doesn't start saying things like that to other people, especially people who aren't pregnant, but he does enjoy talking to strangers so I am sure it is just a matter of time.

Words to Laugh By

Matthew has been saying alot of things lately to crack us up and make us ask ourselves "Where in the world did he get that?". Here are a few.

My Mom was over the other day and we were getting ready to eat lunch. I was fixing a very complex and tasty culinary treat, also known as peanut butter and jelly.

Matthew says: "May I have some peanut butter on my thumb?"

I say: "Sure"

My Mom: "Matthew I can give you some peanut butter."

Matthew: "No thank you, Mama can do it." He then sticks out his finger turns to my Mom and says "Watch and learn."

As I was cleaning the bathroom Matthew enters with his Lightning McQueen phone up to his ear chatting away.

I ask: "Who are you talking to?"

Matthew puts his hand over the phone and says "Daddy". He then continues to talk on the phone. A moment later he sticks out his pointer finger toward me and says "I will play with you in just one minute."

He then continues his conversation with Daddy, which among many things including the following, "Do you want to come over to my place at 6?....Ok. Love you. Bye."

He then snaps his phone shut and says to me "Sorry that took so long."

While Erik was home on his unemployed impromptu vacation, he and Matthew played alot of baseball. Matthew somehow knows a few baseball terms (I think I can thank the Berenstain Bear's baseball book for that).

As they were playing, Matthew takes a few practice swings before Erik pitches and then he swings and completely misses the pitch once it is thrown. Erik is just cracking up that Matthew takes practice swings when we have never suggested for him to do such a thing. Matthew thinks Erik is laughing because he missed the pitch so he turns to him and says with as much attitude as a 3 year old can possess "What? Better than your Mama's sister!".

Grandma and Grandpa's Visit

I am a bit behind and haven't had a chance to post pictures from Erik's parents visit yet. We only get to see them a couple of times a year so we always look forward to spending time with them. We did alot of playing outside, we went to the zoo, Erik's Mom and I did a little shopping, and of course the guys played beans. Matthew did his best to keep Grandma busy snuggling, crashing cars, and making her laugh. I think Grandma's favorite Matthew line was after he woke up from a nap and we were all talking about what a great long nap he took and he said, while pointing to a few spots on his pants "Yeah, and I even slept with these annoying stains on my pants". I am so lucky to have a child who can sleep during extreme stain situations.

Job Update

My hubby is employed! Today is his first day. Woohoo! Praise the Lord!

We are so blessed that he was able to get a job so quickly. Matthew and I really enjoyed having him home though for 2 weeks. It was a great little vacation at home! I can honestly say that I was able to thoroughly enjoy our extra time together without being worried about the future, job and money stuff.

I thought Matthew would be absolutely rotten today because he has been so used to Daddy being home to play with him, but he has been great. He was pretty sure Daddy was going to be, in his words "taying home forever", but he did fine when Erik left. He just had a tiny fussing time about Erik taking the van, he said "Now Mama we can't drive anywhere". We are down to one car since Erik used to have a company car. This has been the most traumatic thing for Matthew. He LOVED Erik's Jeep and I think he is a little worried that if Erik takes the van to work he won't bring it back. He is a little worrier. I have NO idea where he gets that from, haha!

Thanks everybody for your thoughts and prayers!

Crazy Week

So as the title suggests we have had a crazy week. On Monday, Erik came home from work with some pretty stinky news. He no longer had a job. The reason given was that his boss was eliminating his position. I am not going to get into into alot of details, but I will just tell you this was a HUGE shock. Erik just got some very large accounts for the auction, so to eliminate his position seems strange and unfair (ok and dumb too). The situation seems fishy and I will admit I think my man has been wronged.

My husband is awesome though. As soon as he got home he made some calls to anyone he knows who may have a job for him and sent his resume to everyone hiring within a 30 mile radius. On Tuesday, he went to a job fair, had an interview, and got a few more scheduled for next week. Erik is really the best job finder.

We are also very blessed. Through working at the auction Erik knows every car dealer in the area, as well as, many other dudes from businesses that send cars to the auction. Erik has received many calls from these people once they find out about him being let go, offering any connections they may have to finding him a new job. One even said he would have a job for Erik by the end of the week. Now I am not holding my breath, but it is just such a blessing that people are so willing to help.

The really great part about this week is that Erik's parents are here visiting us from Michigan. We have been looking forward to their visit and we are so happy to have them!

I am beyond confident that the Lord will provide, He always has. I am not completely freaking out, so that is certainly evidence that He has already provided me peace that we all know I do not possess during financial trials.
Thank you to our family and friends who I know are already on their knees on our behalf!

The Lighter Side of the Debate

Debates make me really nervous. I get pretty tense before I watch a debate. I am not sure why because I am just watching and I really don't even have to do that.

But I found 2 things kind of funny during the debates last night to settle my nerves.

First off, talk of Joe the Plumber. That might as well be his name now, with the as his middle name and Plumber as his last. I bet this man had no idea that by speaking to Obama over the weekend he would be mentioned in the final debate. Not was he just mentioned once, but I heard a count today that he was referred to 25 times! Joe the Plumber was made a celebrity last night. Both candidates wanted to have the best plan for Joe.

The other thing I really enjoyed was McCain using the word cockamamie. This has been one of my favorite words for the longest time. If I were sitting on the fence that definitely would have sealed the deal for me (please know I am kidding, although my feelings for the word are strong election decisions should not be made because of great vocabulary choices by the candidates). Try using the word cockamamie, it will surely brighten your day and also brighten the day of those around you.

On an unrelated note, have you noticed all this blogging going on??? I think that is 4 posts in 3 days! Definitely a record here. Apparently it is either feast or famine with me. Now I probably won't post till spring 2009, just kidding.

I Love Overalls

Unfortunately, Matthew does not share these same feelings. I have always loved overalls and I put them on Matthew all the time when he was little. I got his overalls out the other day and he was pretty sure he would not wear them. So being the wonderful mother that I am, I offered him 1 piece of candy in exchange for him wearing the overalls all day. Candy is king. The overalls were worn. I had to take a few pictures (or maybe alot of them) in case, this never ever happened again.

A Very Good Day at Target

Last week I bought some pajamas for Matthew and 3 of those Rubbermaid totes at Target. Both of those things happened to be on sale this week. So I went back and got a price adjustment. I got over $10 back! I am just amazed by that. I have always heard of stores giving price adjustments but I have never actually been able to get one. I normally buy things and then 2 weeks later they are on sale which doesn't do me any good. Last week I also bought kitty litter and got a $5 Target gift card, so I used that on my purchases today (more pjs for the boy since they were on sale). I rarely buy anything besides food (oh and kitty litter, of course) so even though I love Target I don't buy much there. Days like today make me love Target even more. I love you Target.
Also on a non-Target note, gas in $2.94! It is really just a great day.

My Name is Megan....

and I am addicted to Fox News Channel. This isn't the first time either. I had this addiction 4 yrs. ago as well right before Matthew was born. As you smart readers have already put together that was also an election year. I tend to get a bit caught up in election news. Now I don't keep the TV on all day or anything, the addiction is not that severe (besides that isn't really necessary since they also have a website that is constantly updated with the latest breaking news).

Erik is interested in politics too, but he tends to get a little tired of Fox News. I also may have a bit of a problem with getting worked up about certain things so Erik tends to suggest I limit my election news intake. Matthew knows the Fox News logo and will say things like "Mama, did you see on Fox News...." or "They said on Fox News that A Rock Obama (Barack, of course) is going to Michigan".

I really can't stand to watch any other news channel because it tends to be so one sided. I like on Fox News that you hear from both sides. They ask people real significant questions and for the most part, they call people out on lies and half truths that unfortunately seem to be a part of every election.

Now if someone put me in charge of the election (this will never ever happen, but a girl can dream). I would suggest we hear less of these things that the would-be presidents would do and we be allowed to look at the candidates' records. We all know from the past that the things promised aren't always seen. Now some of this is because the candidates want to get elected, obviously, so they want to entice people to vote for them, but the reason why we don't see other things they promise is because they just don't really know what obstacles and circumstances they will face as the head of this country. I would suggest we focus on what these candidates have done in the past, like what kind of bills they have tried to pass or ideas and bills that they have voted against.

I really do feel like this is an important election. I am very much for my candidate (McCain, in case you were wondering). He is not perfect, of course, neither candidate is. Sometimes, I must confess, I get a little worried about how things will change if McCain does not win. I worry about the election. I worry about the economy and national security. I worry about who will lead our country. But after my moment of worry, I remember that I know the Creator of the world and that I really don't have anything to worry about at all.


**I know this is kind of serious stuff coming from me and I am not normally serious. For those of you completely against a serious Megan, just hold on we will surely be back to your regularly scheduled blogging in no time.

The results are in....

It's a girl! I am honestly just in complete shock. I was really expecting it to be a boy. Don't get me wrong I am very excited, but I have just spent the last 4 years picking out blue clothes and for some reason I just wasn't expecting to see any pink in my immediate future.
Matthew went with us this morning to the ultrasound and he did very well. As soon as the ultrasound tech came out to the waiting room to fetch us Matthew decided he liked her and quickly told her so. He asked her a few questions, always with a polite "Excuse me Dr." to begin his question. He wasn't a big fan of having the lights off or hearing the heart beat which was a bit loud. After the appointment he told everyone who even looked in his general direction about seeing his baby sister jump around in his Mama's tummy. He told Erik later "I am going to tell everyone in the whole wide world about my baby sister".
So I have a video of him doing just that. Erik just got me a new camera for our anniversary and my birthday that takes video so it is all kinda new to me. I am going to try to figure out how to post it. If it doesn't work, all you smart people who know how to do that feel free to comment and instruct me on how to do so, thanks!

What's it gonna be?

Thursday morning we will find out if I will become even more outnumbered and continue to be the lone female in our home or if things will get evened out around here. I am kinda feeling like it's a boy (but what do I know) and Erik and I think it would be fun for Matthew to have a brother. Of course a girl would be fun and different too (and we all know girl clothes are way cuter than boy's). Either way we are VERY excited to find out!
Matthew in the past weeks has been very adamant one way or the other. He was completely convinced at first that it was going to be a girl and refused to believe a baby brother could even be an option. The last few weeks he has alternated between the two, one week he is completely sure it is a brother the next week he is 100% sure it is a sister. This week when asked he says "I think it is going to just be a baby." He certainly can't go wrong with that prediction.