7 quickTakes

1

Michael is obsessed with the sink and with water. He is the busiest, most active 18 month old. He knows how to drag a chair to the sink (even if the chair is in another room!) I have a hard time unloading the dishwasher when he is within earshot, because he will run over and try to "help" me. I sometimes have to let him play in the sink while I load and unload just to get the chore done without him running off with a steak knife or glass mason jar. The last couple of weeks I am literally catching my breath after chasing after him as he goes from one thing to the next. It is a good thing he is so cute and he is my flesh and blood. He sure is draining! (Thank goodness also he takes a good 2 hour nap every day and goes to sleep at 8 or I'd probably go totally crazy.)

-2-

Last weekend we took a walk in our little downtown. This is something we do a lot but just not as much in the winter months. But the weather wasn't too cold so we went for it. The kids still had somewhat runny noses so it ended up being quite a short walk, but it was still fun to get out. I am in love with the "historic" district of our town. It's really sweet down there and perfect for families. I have a hard time imagining living anywhere else, but then again I do like some of the outskirts of our town, too. It'd be nice to get out and have a bit more land and space one day. Sometimes Mike and I talk about doing that, especially if we end up having a lot more kids. But I think we'll always remain close.

pause for a picture of mom and dad (and Emmett!) Photo credit goes to our four year old.

I don't know what's going on with my hand, I think it looks weird...but overall I think it's a cute picture. I love it when Mike wears his leather jacket.

3

Also last weekend I attended a women's day of reflection at our church. It was a much needed renewal for me. It was centered around a talk on the Prodigal Son by our priest. The talk was excellent, the follow up discussion was excellent, and then - I went to confession. That was exactly what I needed. It was so good. The weight on my shoulders felt much lighter as I walked out of the sanctuary and I felt ready to face this world again. I wish I could go into more detail about the retreat but my brain is going off little sleep and I'm not feeling too profound at the moment. Perhaps I'll write a whole post on it. I really should. I want to remember how helpful it was and how I truly felt the Holy Spirit present.

4

Speaking of little sleep...someone posted this on facebook this week and I thought it was cute. Normally, I actually only get a tall latte wherever I am (cheaper for one thing) but if I were to go off this chart I would be a grande. For most of the last 6 months, if not a Venti :( It's been so hard sleeping with this pregnancy! I've never had such insomnia before with any pregnancies or even during stressful periods in my life (I think of my last semester of college, my long distance engagement, transitioning into motherhood for the first time, etc.) Also going through three newborn stages! I slept a lot more during those times, I'll tell you that right now. So it's crazy to me. I wonder if I'm burying a lot of stressors and emotions and it's manifesting in my sleep patterns. Last night I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't fall back to sleep for almost two hours. I was craving egg salad but not really up to going into the kitchen and actually making it. I was trying to remember what time Starbucks opened because I think they sell an egg salad sandwich. Oh well, it's just lame and I will take any advice on managing sleep problems. Keep in mind I'm pregnant so obviously I can't take any kind of medication. (Not that I would want to anyway) Is there such thing as pregnancy insomnia?

5

My friend Sarah was really confused as to how I am able to be pregnant and take care of three kids and not be getting very much sleep at night...?? I really don't know how. I am sure I am receiving some kind of supernatural help (ok, fess up: who's been praying for me..??) but somehow I am able to do it. Even with Michael going in a million different directions and homeschooling Louisa, somehow I am doing fine. It's actually been pretty good this month. Me and the kids have fun together. They make me laugh even though they make me so tired! I'm just trying to not take them for granted.

This was from yesterday when we went to the Community center for toddler time. The dots you see in the photos are not raindrops (though they totally could be) it's just an editing tool I used from an app called Pilxromatic. (I think that's how you spell it) It's been pretty rainy here this week. I'd like to see some more sun in the forecast coming up!

6

Would you look at this stud muffin? Random thought but I am worried no girl is going to be good enough for him! I feel like I'm going to be a scary mother in law if he marries. He's my baby boy and always will be! 

That's ok. He can become a priest. :)

7

This weekend is the Superbowl, as everyone pretty much knows. Though I'm sure there is a good portion of the population who is totally oblivious to this fact. (Hey, good for you!) I am excited though. Should be a great game. We are going to a Superbowl party with our college friends and bringing the kids. Hopefully Michael won't be too hard to manage, as he often is at other people's houses. I'm thinking we should bring the pack n play, even though I think he knows how to get out of those now...I'm not sure. If he breaks anything, Beth and David, don't worry, we'll pay for it! :)

But it will be great catching up and cheering on the Hawks. I have a feeling half of us will be so enthralled in the game though, that chit chat will be held to a bare minimum.

Go Hawks! Have a great weekend all!

Stay with me

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I wish it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgement, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You.

It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but, the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for. Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

 I will, with your help, love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.

Amen

well, I am an indoor girl....

but obviously, these guys would rather be outdoors.

It's funny how much being a mother pushes you to go outside yourself. I mean, it's not like I never want to be outside. But I always feel like kind of a dufus when I try to explain this to people...

I randomly think of how on those dating websites women will say how they LOVE the outdoors (loves hiking, running, and long walks on the beach) and then I think if I went on a dating website (before I was married, obviously) I would write, "prefers to be inside" and then surely I would never get a date! (I imagine the guys saying to themselves, 'wow that girl sounds way high maintenance', or something)

Ok maybe I just think of weird things.

But come on, the thing is I do like lots of outdoor activities. I've been skiing since I was 5 years old (I even went skiing when I was 4 months pregnant with Michael!) I love outdoor picnics, gardens, and patio lounging with an iced coffee. I love the mountains. I love Lake Wenatchee and camping. I love cliff jumping and intramural sports.

It's like this though: generally speaking, I hate running and I hate walking. I know! Who am I? I get the same blank looks when I tell people I hate cats and dogs. Once again, imagine if I wrote that, no guy would want to date me! (Poor Mike never seemed to ask these imperative questions until it was too late)

When one of my best friends and I went to Europe in college together, she was (and is) such a champ, and could walk all day. When we went to Italy, the Cinque Terre, there were these gorgeous hikes from one town to the other. I mean, just stunning and provided the opportunity to see so much!...and she basically had to drag me up there. The thing I wanted to do was slowly wander the art and history museums, sip wine on a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, get a blanket and lay out on the French beach town of Nice without a care in the world. Fortunately, Jessie was a great sport for the trip and we were able to compromise, but do you get what I'm saying? Also another of my best friends, Sarah, was always wanting to go rock climbing or hiking when we were growing up and I was all....can we go to the library? :)

I know there are lots of other people like me out there. I just don't think many people want to admit it...?

So it's funny for me with kids because they really are attracted to the outdoors and you gotta play along. Especially Michael. Man, he can hustle when he hears a door, any door, open! He's gone. I do much better in the mild seasons like spring and fall. And it is quite fun to see the joy that fresh air brings.

I don't think I'm a horrible person for preferring to enjoy the weather from inside. I do crave the sunshine and walks on the beach. I just like to remain comfortable, I think.

Anyway, what is all this rambling for? I don't really know. It's Friday. I took my kids outside for a half an hour. give me a pat on the back already :)

Did I mention how I hate tennis shoes and getting dirty?
(How is she going to be a mom of four!? :)

Madness for change

I read this article today and it really resonated with me. The author talks about a theme in C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters (one of my favorite books) which is the fear of the "same old thing."

You really should read this article to get an understanding of what I'm going to talk about. (Please read it, it's great) But essentially for me it boils down to a very real temptation in my life - a temptation to flee the ordinary in favor of "switching it up" all the time. A quote you see here on my blog says, "The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children." (and that's a Chesterton quote) I love this quote and I keep it on my blog to remind me of this truth.

I would say my life is very ordinary. Ordinary and routine. But the thing is, I actually like change. Probably more than most. It manifests in my compulsion to re-arrange the furniture, to re-organize different spaces, and to hurry the changing of the seasons. (IS IT SPRING YET?!?) I am always baffled at how a couple could keep the same house the same way for decades (pictures in the same spots, etc.) I'm stunned when I hear stories about men who never missed a day of work in a 40 year career or students who graduate without skipping one single class. Tell me, what's the fun in that?!

I don't think I could ever do that because I tend to crave a change in routine. Let's play hookie from class and have a picnic at the Sunnyside park. Or, Let's change this bedroom around so that our bed faces the window instead of being perpendicular to it Or, Hey, lets surprise daddy for lunch at his office and bring him cupcakes! And maybe make him come home early to work from home :)

How many times have I showed you a picture of my dining room? And how many times has it changed; changed furniture, table cloths, and even wall hangings? If you don't really pay attention to those types of things I will tell you: So. Many. Times.

You're probably thinking to yourself, "Kayleen, come on, these are pretty innocuous desires. How could this ever tempt you to sin? Also, aren't you a stay at home mom? Isn't routine kind of inherent in the job?"

Well, as the author tries to explain:

"What Screwtape calls the Horror of the Same Old Thing the Church recognizes as ordinary life. What Screwtape calls “a demand for absolute novelty” does not correspond to the simple pleasure of contrast or the natural enjoyment of effortless variety that children welcome with each of the four seasons."

You see, I think many of my urges to keep things novel in my life probably are innocent enough. After all, C.S. Lewis points out that God places in our hearts a natural desire for change, like the changing of the seasons for instance. He allows us to enjoy the pleasure of change, because He is Good and wants us to be happy. Children are particularly good at finding easy pleasure in such things. However, good ole' Satan is capable of twisting that good desire when we are adults and actually making it dangerous.

"Screwtape urges devils to cultivate in persons a passion for novelty, change for the sake of change—arbitrary, erratic, irrational changes in the name of escape from the boredom and monotony of repetition"

Are you following me? So I actually have to be very careful. I think this world speaks to us loud and clear: CHANGE IS GOOD. FLEE THE BORING. FLEE THE ORDINARY LIFE. How often are we encouraged to spend money on things we don't need, go places we don't need to go, or even swap out friends, (or spouses!) when our lives start to seem a little static?

The pleasure I personally get from changing rooms around or even purchasing a new outfit to wear (or simply spending money) must be balanced! While I may not, at this point, be tempted to make "erratic" or "irrational" changes in my life...it is possible I might wake up one day and want to do just that. I don't know. What if I suddenly "desire" to move our family to a new neighborhood, just cause I'm bored of this one? Or what if I am tired of being a stay at home mom and just want to get out of here? I would hate for Satan to get to me in that way. So my prayer is that I am able to always be prudent in my love of change. I should intentionally be seeking out joy in the ordinary things in life like:

My children playing. My husband bringing home a paycheck twice a month. My trips to the grocery store. My making our (large and comfy) bed. Putting a pretty arrangement on the dining room table. How very blessed am I to even say that these are ordinary, expected things in my life?

Also, when my heart starts dreaming of Hawaiian vacations or newer bigger things, I should remember that my life is actually not ordinary, but extraordinary. I don't have to travel to the corners of the earth to have an extraordinary life! I don't have to have a changing career or grand accomplishments. I don't, and I know that. 

Don't misunderstand what C.S. Lewis is saying. Novelty is not sinful in and of itself. It's just that when you twist God's gift of change to make it fit your every which whim, passion, or momentary desire, you will just make yourself miserable! If you just start to get "bored" in life, and think that seeking a huge change (or a series of constant changes) will solve all your problems, you're wrong. You absolutely will make yourself miserable and possibly even lose your soul in the process. And that's exactly what Satan wants. (Eat, Pray, Love, anyone? I hated that book/movie)

All this I am actually writing about because of something recent that happened to Mike and I:

Months ago, Mike found out he is (most likely) going to be traveling to Hawaii for a business trip in 2014. Well, do you know how long it's been since we've had a vacation? Our honeymoon, almost 6 years ago. We have not gone anywhere else (other than Oregon or Eastern Washington) since we married. So we both got super excited at the prospect of me tagging along on his business trip. Hello - perfect opportunity here! (Kids would stay home with the grandparents, of course :) But recently we found out that the trip was pushed back to April. So, less than a month before our fourth baby is due. I wouldn't be able to go afterall.

Oh how I sulked. I was really mad and disappointed for several weeks. For a while there I begged (and I mean BEGGED) him to take  me somewhere else. Maybe a cruise? Maybe a different trip to Hawaii? Anything. I need a change here!!!

In the end it wasn't prudent for us to do any of that. In the end I almost let my temptation to desire a big change in plans make me disregard the blessing(s) God wanted me to see. The blessing that Mike has a good job and that they value him there. Also the blessing that we are bringing another BRAND NEW human being into this world! How could I possibly see this pregnancy as just a burden getting in the way of me going to Hawaii and lounging on the beach? I feel bad about that and have repented.

At the same time, like the enjoyment of the changing of the seasons, I still believe having small "interruptions" in one's life can be used for the good. Couples get burnt out and do need a break from the ins and outs of daily life. Relationships need to be renewed. Children need to get out of the house and get really tired out at the zoo sometimes. Or to surprise daddy at the office with lunch. Mom's need to buy a new table cloth from time to time and re-arrange the living room furniture...these can all be healthy ways to avoid burnout in life.  

So, in the end we decided to take a 2 night babymoon away. We can't go to Hawaii, but are going to a somewhat local beach town to take some time for each other. I think it's a great balance. I am looking forward to the next season (Spring) so badly, and I have complained so much, that Mike has to keep reminding me that it's only January! I think going on this little trip will be the perfect balance for us. And in the meantime, I'll put out a new table arrangement and put some Valentine's Day stickers on the windows. We've also started to think about what we are going to plant in our garden. After all, Spring is coming. I think C.S. Lewis would approve.

Just me and my boy(s)

So the Seahawks (or, Seekhawks, as Josie calls them) have made quite a stir around here lately... (Yeah that's a major understatement.) As much as we enjoy watching football and rooting for our team, it's not like we own a bunch of gear or anything. It's crazy how some of our friends do though! This hat I think is all we have. Michael had fun playing with it and kept saying "daddah" It's amazing how quickly his comprehension and vocabulary is growing right now! Very fun. He hasn't said "Seahawks" yet. But he does associate football with daddy, which I think is pretty smarty smarty.

awwww, mom!

Emmett and Michael, soon to be best buds!

The girls got to have a sleepover, so Michael and I (and Emmett) got to spend a fun day together. In the morning we played and got ready. Then, we went out and got Krispy Kreme donuts, went to the hardware store, and to Target. After all that, Michael was pretty tired, so we came home and napped (I  watched a show on Netflix and folded laundry) After he woke up we had more adventures. I really wore him out because I already put him down for bed (normally he goes down at 8)

It was such a fun time just being with my little guy. It reminded me a lot of the days I used to spend when it was just me and Louisa. We used to do so much together throughout the day, like going to a bunch of different places and just enjoying the sights and sounds. Sometimes I miss those days. They certainly were very special times. But now life is full and wonderful so it's not like I think of those days as better, just different. Every once in a while, like today, it's nice to sort of re-live them. I will always try to make time to spend with each of my children individually, no matter how many we have. It's important to both me (and daddy) as well as the child. Even though we had a wonderful day, Michael was super excited and thrilled to be re-united with his sisters. He sure does love them and probably wondered where they were all day :)

3 year old humor (intentional and unintentional)

"Here, Weesa, I'll pause the water for you" -Josie says as they are brushing their teeth together.

"Mommy, you're the best mommy EVER." (Awe, thank you, Josie) 

"Now you say I'm the best Josie ever."

"Knock Knock. (Who's there?) Flower! (Flower who?) Flower your friend!!!" = Josie's favorite joke ever

"Mommy! Weesa says I'm funny! I don't want me to be funny! Weesa can't say I'm funny! I'M NOT FUNNY!"

Josie likes to repeat things at least 3 times, usually more. "Oh yook at that doggie, he is *so cute*" (REPEAT)

"Daddy's snoring is too yowd for my ears"

"Weesa is a Wessa, Michael is a Michael, and I just a Josie"

 ***

It's nice to have a "just a Josie" around to keep us laughing and smiling, even if it's about the silliest things that make no sense. 

*

 Just another Monday.

a quote I want to share that my friend Melissa posted a little bit ago:

"Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness." ~St. John Chrysostom"

Also - Happy Birthday to Aunt Katie! (She is a super nurse supreme in Haiti right now.) We love you and miss you lots! Hope your day is very special!

Introducing...

our baby BOY!

Now that's a cute little profile!

His name is Emmett Justin 

We found out yesterday afternoon that we are having a boy. As many of you knew, I was convinced otherwise. No, I did not have "hat" for dinner last night, but I sure kept repeating to Mike, "I am so surprised it's a boy!" I think I started to get a little annoying with that phrase :) But I am! And I'm so excited! This is going to be such a fun thing. Two big sisters and two little brothers. Amazing. God is so good.

I had admitted to many people before going into the ultrasound that I was extra worried this time. Like beyond the usual nerves. You kind of get that way, I suppose, with subsequent pregnancies. Well, I don't know but the worries certainly do not lessen as you have more babies! It's hard sometimes to trust in God's Providence when you've already been blessed so much. But, we can gratefully report that everything looks healthy as far as they can see right now. I'll be at 21 weeks tomorrow. (By the way, had there been something wrong, or if there still is, I would still feel incredibly blessed by this baby. Health problems aside, all babies are precious no matter what.)

It was funny, little Emmett was pretty shy at first. It took the tech almost until the end of our appointment (about 45 minutes) before she could finally see that he was indeed, a little boy. But you guys, he looked SO SWEET all tucked in there. He had his chin tucked to his chest, his legs crossed, and his arms close to his body. But somehow he also managed to move around a ton, too. Doing flips and turning from facing up to facing down all during this one visit. My heart always melts when we see our babies in-utero. I know some people choose to not have an ultrasound done - and I do respect that decision. For us though, ultrasound day is super special. If I was tired or discouraged by my lack of energy or whatever else was going on in the pregnancy, I would always walk away from this appointment feeling refreshed and energized by the prospect of meeting this wonderful little person in 20 more weeks. It's very helpful. Almost like a pit stop refresher to get me through the rest of the pregnancy. I am in love with this little guy. We both are. We can't WAIT to see his little face in person!

Anyway, I'm floating right now with joy and excitement. Apparently the facebook and instagram world are as excited for us, too. Thank you everyone. You really have no idea how much Mike and I are touched by your words of joy and excitement for us. If the ultrasound was a pit stop, you are all like fans, cheering us on. 

Coming in May! 

We will be a family of SIX!

P.S.

The name "Emmett" is for Mike's grandpa who was a faithful Catholic who attended daily mass, was a pilot in the war & in his career, and even though I never got to meet him, sounds like he was an overall exceptional man.

"Justin" comes from a great early Christian saint: Saint Justin Martyr. He was alive in the first two hundred years of Christianity and was a prolific philosopher, Christian apologist and ultimately martyr for the faith. You can read more about Emmett's patron saint here or here.

Ordinary days at home

Well, yesterday was a great, peaceful Monday. After having daddy home for more than 10 days, Christmas and New Years, family and parties - it was definitely time for us to start back into a routine again.

When the day was over I reflected on how nice it must be for kids to be settled into a good routine. How peaceful it must be to their little souls to know what is coming next and to feel security and love within the walls of home. To just be able to play. Indeed, this is a big reason I'm really grateful to be on this homeschooling trajectory*

Not every day can be peaceful and routine, obviously. But when those days happen - man, what a blessing! And, by the way, as the mother, I have to work really hard to make them happen. I have to make sure I'm up and ready, that I'm in a good mood, my body is healthy and my spirit is up for the challenges of the day. I have to be on my best game, really. As the day goes on and as I get more tired, I have to keep fighting through the exhaustion. I am cleaning, preparing food, breaking up squabbles, keeping Michael out of trouble, all while still trying to take care of myself and the new life growing within me. Feeling tired is pretty much part of the deal. Temptations arise throughout the day to give in, lay down, put the kids in front of a show, and dink around on my phone or lose myself in my Kindle. (You bet I give into this temptation sometimes!) Also it's tempting to wonder if we had followed a different path if there would be more travel & vacations, fine dining and social time in our lives. Maybe a nicer home, a pair of jet skis? At the very least more rest and less stress, right??

I try so hard to remember what I am doing this for, though. As I mentioned, when I really stop and think about it - it is kind of an amazing thing for children to be able to grow up in a stable, comfortable, loving home - a home where we actually spend the majority of our time. A home with siblings to play with. A home where mom is present, attentive, and the main educator. For them to not have to be out and about every day - being toted around from one place to the next. Where they get to just be. 

As a child, I know I would have loved more of that. I enjoyed school, don't get me wrong. I was a social butterfly, in fact. But I was also a homebody in many regards, and I do remember coming home on the bus, getting a snack and cuddling up on the couch with a blanket and a book and really enjoying the quiet in contrast to being around tons of people all day long. Being home was a refuge for me and although I don't know if I would have wanted to be homeschooled (probably not) I know I would have loved the less grueling school schedule and more time at home. College was actually a major relief to me because I set my own class schedule. I barely ever took afternoon classes - hello, that was for naptime! Plus I was able to learn what I needed in an hour of lecturing, then it was up to me to study and prepare. I really dislike how they make kids go to school for 6 whole hours a day 1st - 12th grade. I know it's because there are lots of other activities included - and lets face it - the parents need to have somewhere to send their kids while they are at work. I just wish there were alternatives....and wait, there are! :)

Again, for kids to be able to play, explore the world, and pursue their interests at their own pace is pretty cool. Within the boundaries of a predictable routine, there is a lot of freedom to be themselves, learn and grow. I have already seen so many fruits of this type of living in Louisa and Josie. It's pretty neat. I'm grateful.

Anyway, I'm just reflecting on some of the positives of our days at home right now. Even on the worst, most exhausting days - I know I wouldn't trade them for the world.

*I always like to remind myself and others that as much as I am loving homeschooling so far, it is still very, very early on in the game. I know circumstances are subject to change. As a homeschooling family, you gotta be flexible! But for now I want to be able to soak everything in - the good and the bad.

seven qt's

We had a weird, busy week. Here are my quick takes to summarize.

-1-

There's been some sickies going around here. Daddy, Louisa, and Michael all have gotten sick over the last few weeks. Mommy and Josie have been spared, and Daddy was the sickest this week. I still dragged him out of the house on Wednesday because we were all getting a little cabin fever by then and he seemed to be doing better that day. I guess I'm kind of heartless. He ended up needing another day to recover which maybe could have been avoided. Louisa was awfully sick on Thursday and now Michael seems to be getting another round of it, though in the last few hours he seems to be on the mend. 

Poor little guy. This was this morning. The girls were trying to make him more comfortable and eventually he did fall asleep right there on the couch.

-2-

So back to that day I made the still-coughing-daddy go with us somewhere, we decided to go to the Locks in North Seattle. It was pretty neat. We saw a few boats go through, saw a couple seals, and learned a bit about the facilities. I thought this was interesting, apparently the  locks and associated facilities serve three purposes:

• To maintain the water level of the fresh water Lake Washington and Lake Union at 20–22 feet (6.1–6.7 m) above sea level (Puget Sound's mean low tide).
• To prevent the mixing of sea water from Puget Sound with the fresh water of the lakes (saltwater intrusion)
• To move boats from the water level of the lakes to the water level of Puget Sound, and vice versa.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

 I totally made Michael sit in (wet) bird poop for this shot. Oops.

Interesting! Love that there are lots of wonderful, educational places to visit around the Puget Sound. 

We will have no shortages of homeschooling field trip ideas, that's for sure.

-3-

Back home, I've just been going around the house trying to organize little by little and set myself up for success. Knowing myself, I will be getting strong nesting urges here shortly, so my plan has been/is to slowly do little projects as I can. That way I won't wake up one day feeling completely overwhelmed with all the things I ABSOLUTELY MUST DO BEFORE THE NEW BABY COMES. There are 5 months left until #4 is due (which we find out the gender in less than a week, by the way!) and I just know I need to do what I can to NOT turn into a cray cray nesting mama. I hope hope hope that my plan of action is successful, but I suppose I should be prepared for the possibility that I might still become her.

-4-

Speaking of cleaning & organizing, here is something that is kind of baffling to me. I am curious as to why this has not driven me completely bonkers until now. I look up at my entry way and I see that there are cobwebs, a good layer of dust, and the majority of light bulbs burnt out in our little chandelier. Seriously, you would think I would have been bothered by this long ago. I think partly it's because most messes that bother me are the ones immediately in front of me. I can't STAND piles of laundry in our bedroom - but I don't really notice the soap scum that starts to build up in the corners of the shower. Probably because I'm in the shower for usually .5 seconds before someone needs me again so I don't have time to be bothered by it. I'm also somewhat of a reverse germ-a-phobe. I need the floor to be picked up and the counters to be clean, but like I said, I totally let the soap scum and/or mold build up in the showers. I'm glad I'm not both a neat freak and a germ-a-phobe, or I don't think it would be possible for me to really have any children. I would be too busy cleaning literally all day long. 

Anyone out there like me in this regard? What about the opposite?

-5-

The kids got a new kitchenette for Christmas. Do you guys have toys that you would DIE to have when you were a little kid? This is totally one of them. I would have played with this all day long. Maybe if I'd have had one, I would have ended up enjoying cooking more (Mom) 

Isn't it completely darling?

-6-

Did you notice the new banner for my blog? I always get so excited when I get up a new one. I don't know why, I just like change. (Which kills my husband, as he is not into change at all)

If you are curious as to how I make them - I recently discovered the website PicMonkey and it's awesome! You can edit pictures, add text, make a facebook banner or blog sticker, etc. Very fun, check it out!

-7-

Mike and I have been talking about names a lot lately for the baby. Up until now we have had no trouble at all picking out names for our kids. We are usually on the same page. I'm always somewhat amused when couples tell me they can't come up with names together. Only because, like I said, we have so many that we like! We could be like the Duggars and have 18 kids and have plenty of names we both like to choose from. Though we would never do all the same letter like they do.

There are a just couple names that I LOVE that Mike would never go for: My one sadness is that he doesn't like the name "Collette" Also I adore the name "Jubilee" but he just won't go for it.

 He really likes the name "Douglass" which I'm not sold on. (But I'm not totally down on it either) 

Other than that we've got a great boy name picked out and a two girls' names. Can't wait for next week to find out! 

So what's your guess, Girl or Boy?