Birthday time

Ah man, I can't believe I've waited a whole month and a half to post about William and Lizzie's birthday party. Better late than ever?? Oh well. Lizzie turned 3 and William turned one. We invited both my family and James' family. It was extremely crowded but I was grateful so many could come. The kids had a lot of fun.

These are actually pictures of the kids eating cupcakes at play group for William's birthday.

My friend posted a picture of a birthday cake with a skittle rainbow and I thought "That is so cute and fun. I want to do that." That's what got the rainbow wheels turning. So the theme was Taste The Rainbow. You'll see.

We made ice in six colors but decided they would just turn the soda brown. Eeew.

The Big Reveal.
I baked two cake mixes in six different pans. So cool.
Party favors: Baby food jars with skittles inside. I loved making these.

"I'm a rainbow king!"

I crocheted this garland especially for the party.

Paper Orbs. I love them.

Not a baby anymore

This is a picture of Lizzie's first piggy tails!

My sweet little Lizzie seems to be growing up. A couple of months ago, it's like she went to bed a baby and woke up a little girl, so full of personality and new skills. She's talking and running and playing with other kids. Expressing herself, learning manners and EATING! She's finally eating! I don't meant to say she didn't before but it's like she really eats now. She finishes everything we give her and wants more without throwing everything on the floor. She's been drinking pediasure for at least a year now because she wasn't gaining any weight. I hope that's about to change. (By the way, she can say pediasure and it's really cute.)She's starting to tell stories and share things she remembers doing. I gave her a compliment, "Lizzie you look so cute," and she said "thank you." It was so sweet! I should mention she still doesn't have hair. Haha, poor girl.

Binki Free

Or free of the binki for yet another child. Lizzie gave up the binki about a week ago. It wasn't planned but it was time. She and Edin played in the toilet water with pee in it. Unfortunately her binki took a swim so bye bye binki. We had her put it in the garbage herself and told her it was gone forever because it got pee on it. The first nap was a challenge but not terrible. Night time was okay, a few more tears. The second nap was great. The first few days she actually seemed to sleep longer. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I'll take it. She does wake up in the middle of a nap a little sad, perhaps missing the binki, but manages to calm down and sleep some more. Only occasionally does she put William's in her mouth. Just experimenting though.

"Oh no, we lost another binki. Oh fine, let's open a new one. She needs to get to sleep." Then one day, "whoa, look at how many I found around the house." And yet, how do they all get lost again? I had to take a picture of them all together one time because it was so crazy.

Good bye sweet binki faced girl. I'll miss you.

A view of the past as we look to the future

As I prepare for the birth of our third child, I can't help but think about my first two experiences. They were so similar that I can't help but think the third might be, too. I'm really not sure how to prepare for an early delivery when I really have no idea WHEN it will be. Or even IF it will happen early again. But here's just a glimpse.

We took this picture just after finishing putting Edin's crib together. We had no idea that in just a few minutes I would have my first contraction. 7 hours later Edin was here.

Edin's first picture. October 14th, 2008, 5 lbs 8 oz, 17 inches long, 19 days early.

Leaving to come home from the hospital. Our lives would never be the same. It felt surreal driving home with a CHILD! It seemed like it was just a normal day for everyone around us. We stopped at Wendy's on the way home and I got a frosty. I'll never forget that. I'll also never forget that I came home to a MESSY house. I kept telling myself "I'll clean it. I've got time before the baby comes." James spent the whole time at the hospital with me so he couldn't clean up either. We were so unprepared for this child to come when he did. The outfit I brought to the hospital was 0-3 months and obviously it's huge on him. Poor guy.
Edin had a serious lack of fat on his body so he looked like an alien for a long time. And he had no hair...for two years...

I think this is the last picture of my belly before Lizzie came, probably three weeks before.

"Why are my feet and ankles so swollen? I should take pictures." 6 hours later I had my first contraction and 8 hours later Little Lady Lizzie was here.

Lizzie was born April 15th, 2008 at 5 lbs 6 oz, 18 inches long, and 26 days early. I was even more shocked than the last time. "What? It's tax day. I'm having this baby today?"

When we left the hospital with Lizzie, she weighed only 5 lbs 1 oz. She was really ticked off at being put in the car seat. In fact, she didn't pass the "car seat test" the first time around so we had to wait for the test to be done again. Basically, they put your baby in your car seat, monitor Baby's oxygen levels for an hour, and if they stay high enough, you can take your baby home. If you don't pass after two times, they make you go rent a special car seat from Primary Children's hospital. You can't leave with the baby until you get it! Luckily she passed the second time but we sure didn't feel at ease about going home with a baby who barely passed. He head flopped around A LOT.
On the way home this time, we had to go to Target for some much needed baby items, seeing as how we were unprepared again for our baby's arrival....Then we stopped at Cafe Rio and I was in postpartum heaven. In this picture Lizzie is wearing a preemie shirt that actually has blue on the front, one of Edin's. We didn't have anything for a preemie girl. Poor thing.

So any guesses as to how early this baby will be? I'm due April 7th. On March 10th, I'll be 36 weeks along.

I'm in shock

There's this strange phenomenon that happens when my children go to their grandmother's house. They eat. And eat. And eat. Edin turns into this little machine that devours everything Connie puts in front of his face. It's amazing. We were there last Saturday and Lizzie did the same thing. We had crock pot BBQ pork ribs, VEGETABLES! and pears. My kids sat there and ate forever.

I told Connie I didn't know my kids knew what a vegetable was because they don't get them/eat them at home. Hahaha, jokes on me. Lizzie ate carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. (Probably Connie's favorite mixture, and I have to say after eating them there so often, mine too.)

Today I decided to try a little experiment. I opened a can of our favorite Del Monte Blue Lake Cut Green Beans. I heated some up and gave some to Edin and Lizzie. To my utter amazement, they both ate them. And wanted more. I even ate a few myself. Just to make sure if wasn't a fluke, they weren't just so hungry at lunch time the settled for whatever I put on their trays, I offered them more at dinner. And again, they ate. I'm in parent heaven!

Well with an addition like that, I'd say today was one of the most nutritionally balanced days we've had here in quite some time. Thank you for the inspiration, Connie!