We've got a climber!

Just when you are comfortable with how childproofed your house is...a kiddo masters something else. I began finding Mary Ella on top of tables, in the bathroom sink, standing in chairs by 13 months. I put those "childproof" slip knobs on doors (I've found many adults can't even figure these out) b/c she learned how to open doors by age two. Yeah, well, she figured those out within a month. My point is, once they figure out their is a whole new world to explore above eye level and behind closed doors, a motivated child can and will figure it out. So today I hear my phone buttons being pushed in the office and my thought was...."I haven't used that phone yet this morning for it to be out" and, of course, I go check only to find Addy (17 months) on top of the computer desk, sprawled out over the printer, punching phone buttons. My next thought??? "Here we go...." She's been climbing on top of everything all day and now that she's finally got some height on her, her hands are able to reach and swipe clean any surface in the house. Guess it is time to go to the next level of childproofing.....at least she's given me a little more time than Mary Ella. I did chuckle a little bit knowing by the look of pure excitement/accomplishment on her face she was so proud of herself. Lord, please keep her safe because my distracted self is not nearly as attentive as I used to be!

I do have some good news. My sister, Meredith, went to the rheumatologist today and his feeling is the degenerative changes in her back likely DO NOT fit the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. However, he is going to continue following her for a few months and they have a plan to manage her pain. The kidney issue is still a bit puzzling; however, all the possible reasons for the funny looking image are completely benign. So that is good news as well.

Cool news??? We are in contact with a real estate agent in Tyler and are getting more and more excited. She has sent us listings so we can begin telling her likes/dislikes and she is sending information on schools. YES, I am really looking at schools! Mary Ella will be headed off to kindergarten next year! How adult does that sound? So much to consider, but what a blessing it is that we have come to this point! Wow, a lot of exclamation points I know, but we are so blessed.

Finally

Finally, I was able to download some pictures to this computer!

In an brave effort to promote independence, I handed over the spoon and allowed Addy to feed herself. She actually did really well. I was, however, picking oatmeal pieces out of her hair all morning. As you can tell by the look on her face she thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity!

The birthday girl on her fourth donut of the day...with candles of course! Notice the headband. We have to wear something "light" pink everyday because this is a mandatory accessory. Guess I better go get more in different colors so she'll wear her other clothes. She's pretty attached to pink though...I'm not sure it would work.

Another note: Many of you have known me long enough to know my sister, Meredith. I don't want to throw her a "pity party" (Lord knows that is not what she wants) so I won't list everything she has had to face in her short life (She's 18 y/o). However, she's been experiencing a lot of back pain lately and received a MRI. Results indicate an enlarged area on her kidney and possible development of Rheumatoid Arthritis in her back. They are doing an ultrasound on her kidney Monday (July 30) and she will also see a rheumatologist that same day. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Rheumatoid Arthritis is often found in people with Crohn's Disease, so it wouldn't be uncommon. Naturally, we are hoping the arthritic changes are due to other reasons related to her Crohn's treatment. We are completely unsure of what could be causing the kidney to look funny, so we'll have to wait and see.

Also, please don't miss my posting about Caleb below. God Bless!

Caleb

I know many of you out there who read my blog are prayer warriors, so I'm asking that you pray for Mary Ella's friend, Caleb and his parents, Annette and David. I have asked that you pray for them before and I know they've appreciated it. Caleb's brainstem tumor is active again and he has just been placed on Hospice. Praise God that his sense of humor and spirit have been shielded despite his increasing limitations. This is truly Miraculous work. Despite the saddness that surrounds the situation, Annette and David's faith remains steadfast knowing God is navigating their "vessel" and glorify Him every step of the way. Miracles can be defined in so many ways and Caleb's journey has been full of them thus far. Caleb, Annette and David are blessings to us all and examples of pure Grace. So please add them to your lists. You can keep up with his journey through their website www.ingram-family.net/caleb_updates.htm Thank you so much!

Third trimester....already????

As with all my pregnancies, I have hit the realization that we are really adding to this clan in THREE months. I always hit the last trimester surprised to find there is LOTS to do. During some of my nightwakings I have come to these realizations:


1. Addy needs to begin the transition to the toddler bed and Mary Ella's room (scary thought). I can hear it now..."Mooooooom, Addy's not staying in her bed!" or "Mooooom, Addy won't leave me alone!" both paired with giggles, no doubt!

2. We need a new car seat and double stroller b/c, uh, our infant car seat no longer meets federal safety standards...(oops, wonder when they changed those!) and trying to train a 19 month old to walk next to a stroller is not a realistic expectation.

3. A car to fit three car seats in would be nice. You'd think an Explorer would be fine, but with how bulky car seats are these days, it is tough to fit. I can squeeze them in, but when I close the door all the kids could develop whip-lash....not good.

4. I need to go through all our clothes to see which are salvagable and which are not and this baby is being born way off season from my other two. I love picking through baby clothes, so this should be fun.

5. I've got to consolidate rooms, throw out toys that have long been ignored, and continue to clean out cabinets/drawers/closets/etc since after the baby comes there won't be much time for that. We are planning to have the house on the market by January/February 2008. That would be 6 months from now.

I'm sure there is more to this list, but I'll stop there. You'd think I would have started getting organized before this point, but for some reason my brain waits until the third trimester to begin organizing itself. Speaking of the pregnancy.....I didn't know one could consume so much sugar. That is ALL I crave...sugar and carbs. I have my glucose test next week and I've been trying to be good, I really have, but the cupcakes and muffins keep calling my name. I just can't help myself.


I'm not the only one growing around here though. It seems as though Addy is doing a little catching up of her own. Between 12 and 15 months her height went from being between the 5-10th percentile to being in the 25th percentile! Mary Ella went to her four year visit and is in the 70th percentile for height and weight! Could our kids be any more different? I don't think so. It'll be interesting to see what Molly Kate looks like, won't it?

Addy is giving many spontaneous hugs and pats on the back. Although she can't say it, I know she's beginning to express her love for those around her...what a wonderful gift to witness! God is transforming and molding her heart right before our eyes and it is a beautiful thing. She also is a little sneaky at times. She carries chairs to reach points of interests...mainly my "junk drawer" in the kitchen. She will be starting Mother's Day Out 2x/week (9-2pm) beginning next month. I really think she'll enjoy it and Mary Ella's thrilled to have her baby sister there. Mary Ella said yesterday, "I'm ready to go back to school Mom". I can't say I blame her. Most of our pool days have been rain-outs down here. This summer has been very wet! It is raining as I speak and we're expecting 3-4 more days of it. Guess I better go think of some creative indoor activities for the weekend!

Happy FOURTH Birthday Sweet Girl

How do I even begin to explain what I truly don't think words can describe about our now four year old daughter. Being the first can often come with more responsibility and expectations than subsequent children. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it is very beneficial to be the first. However, they teach you how to parent every step of the way. Some parenting decisions might be to their benefit and some, well, might be overboard with unrealistic expectations. With that said, our goal with Mary Ella has been to give her enough room to grow and not to overly temper her exhuberant, sometimes fiercly independent personality. When I think of this little girl, words that come to mind are passion, life, and joy. She is passionate in ALL that she does from giving a spontaneous extra hard squeeze during a hug to adding her own little, special detail to tasks such as dressing herself, setting up toys, and coloring. She lives to make others smile and laugh usually cracking herself up in the process. An oh the giggles! Those of you who know her know what I'm talking about! She laughs from her soul deep down inside feeling the pure joy of the moment. Just like last year, she has insisted to be involved in just about every detail of her birthday party from the theme, color of balloons, and color of cupcakes (pink, of course!).



She woke up this morning and we went to get donuts with sprinkles. She ate two of them and insisted on birthday candles for each one. She would have gone for a third, but I convinced her we needed to save some for later. We've been talking for a month about what turning four means. The big thing has been that she needs to try and not suck her thumb (her best friend!). So Happy Birthday to a very special girl. I just can't believe we'll be preparing to send you to kindergarten next year. Unfortunately, I am still unable to download pictures to this computer (GRRRRR!). I guess I'll have to figure out another way. Love You Mary Ella!

Happy 20th Birthday!

Well, I've done it twice this year during an important time. I lost track of dates...literally not knowing what date it is. Hey, I'm doing well to remember the day of the week around here. I was paying bills online and I realized I was about two days off thinking it was the 10th instead of the 12th missing my sister's birthday. I did this to one of my dearest friends in April and still cringe about it. I should also mention I almost forgot my own this year. I had to be reminded a few days before...pathetic, I know. Anyways, Kristin, who is living the "college life" in Boston, MA going to Tufts had her birthday this week. From what I understand it was a full week of festivities. So here's to Kristin...our traveller, adventure-seeker, and scholar. She also has such a sweet spirit. Our prayer for her as she embarks on this early adulthood is that she continues to be and experience all the things she has hoped for and, most importantly, remains true to herself. We love you Kristin. Enjoy your 20's girl, it is such a great "season" in your life!

Do you remember turning 20??? I'm not even going to remind myself how long ago that was, but thank goodness, I do remember it so clearly! If someone had told me on my 20th birthday I'd be married with three kids by 32, I would've said they were crazy. After all, I was going to be a career woman putting off kids until my thirties. Goes to show you how things can change. What a welcome change it was too!

Drying Out and Try'n to Breathe

As I'm sure many of you heard or maybe experienced, we have been inundated with rain for two straight weeks. It finally moved on Saturday. Whew! Let's just say the kids were climbing the walls, I was climbing the walls, and I ate way more cookies/snacks than I'd like to admit. Although the scale at the doctor's office didn't tell a lie...oops. Mary Ella was actually beginning to resent the rain. Oh well, we are back into the heat of summer...sweating and with all the humidity comes difficult breathing, oh, and mosquitoes.

On Saturday, Scott and I were determined to get the kiddos out so we took them to Palm Beach, Rainforest Cafe, and on to Ben and Jerry's for some dessert. All was great until the gorillas started pounding their chests and the guy in the alligator costume came out at Rainforest Cafe. Needless to say, Mary Ella is not very enthusiastic about costumes. Her imagination just runs wild when she thinks of what or who might be behind the mask. We were saying our prayers later that night and I reminded her we needed to say thank you for going to Palm Beach, Ben and Jerry's and Rainforest Cafe and she quickly said, "I DIDN'T like the Rainforest..." Mmmm, guess we won't be spending anymore money there.

Meanwhile, I am getting larger and larger and Molly Kate is getting more active than ever. Mary Ella has told me she is going to take care of Molly while I take care of Addy. However, I got demoted even further today during our "picnic" where she proclaimed SHE would take care of Molly and Addy and I could just be the "dish cleaner". I wonder if that means she'll be getting up for the late night/early morning feeds? She has really been the "mother hen" lately making sure I know all of Addy's activities and this has even carried over to some of our friends with younger children. She has no problem stating all the rules that need to be obeyed. Funny girl....

Addy is as adventure-seeking as ever. She continues to observe every tiny detail of her environment. She protests when she doesn't have enough crackers, when they are not placed in a bowl, and when her cookies are broken. I wonder how early OCD tendencies can be seen. Oh, she doesn't demand much, but these things are VERY important.

Maybe I can figure out a way to post pictures from our "dinosaur age" computer. We had to hook up our old computer due to the other crashing. We are hoping to have it up and running soon. Therefore, I haven't been able to do much on this one since it is so slow. I guess I better move on the cleaning dishes from lunch (obviously Mary Ella thinks that is an important part of my job.).