Happy Anniversary



I will love you until (and after, and always) my dying day. Happy 10th Anniversary!

We've Been Elfed!
Check it out! This is so cute!
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1172903377

Boy or Girl That is the Question
We have never been extremely patient when it comes to finding out the gender of our babies. I have suggested to Morgan (half-heartedly) a few times that it might be fun to wait and be surprised. But we have a little tradition, and we don't want to break it. It started with Braden. The day we found out that he was a boy, we went out to lunch, and then went to the store and bought a little blue outfit for him to wear when he came home from the hospital. I save those outfits for the kids -- they don't become hand-me-downs for younger siblings. I will give them to them one day when they have a baby of their own.

As time has gone on, our tradition has changed slightly to include the older kids. When we found out that Liam was a boy, we went to Sonic (oh, how I miss their slushes!), and then went to the mall to buy his outfit. We hadn't yet told them what we were having. They went straight to the cute pink outfits. After a minute we said, "maybe we should look at this rack," indicating a rack of blue clothes. Braden said, "you mean it's a boy? Yes!" Lydia started to cry. She was okay, though, and a new tradition was born.

Well, because we see a German doctor, and they do ultrasounds at every single appointment, we have now had a couple of opportunities to find out the gender of this baby. Each time we get excited to find out, looking forward to the appointment for weeks. Each time, we have been disappointed, and have walked away not knowing much more than when we went in.

At our appointment last month, our doctor told us that the baby was "probably a boy," but she couldn't be 100% because the baby's hands were in the way. Yesterday, I didn't remind her of her previous prediction, and her new guess was "girl!" But she said, "PLEASE don't go out and buy anything pink!" This time, the umbilical cord was in between the legs, which could hide the boy parts. So the only thing we are sure of, is that there is a healthy, growing baby boy or girl inside of me. And that is all that really matters.

(But I am having another ultrasound on January 10th, and you can bet that I will be looking forward to that day!)

My Favorite Birthday Presents

My kids are all the birthday presents I need. Today is my 34th birthday. It is not one of the big ones (like 30 or 40), but after spending the last month helping Braden with his homework for the current math unit (they are studying estimates and rounding), it occurred to me this morning that this is the last birthday that can mathematically be rounded down to 30. Next year, if my age were a math problem, I would be 40! Thank goodness I am not living in a third grade text book!

This morning, as Braden and Lydia were passing my bedroom, they informed me that they were going downstairs. I had been kind of sick last night, and it was still pretty early, so I told them they could go down and watch a movie. A short while later, Liam woke up, so I went downstairs to find this:

They had been so disappointed that Daddy was going to be out of town for my birthday. They wanted to have a party and buy me presents, and bake a cake. He usually helps them with those things, but since he wasn't here, they took matters into their own hands. They never had any intention of watching a movie this morning. They spent the whole time looking for a box, choosing wrapping paper and bows, and preparing a birthday surprise for me.

They wouldn't let me open my gift until they had sung "Happy Birthday" at the top of their lungs. I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened the gift. I have been given many gift-wrapped boxes of rocks, sticks, and other sundry items. But I knew whatever it was, I would treasure it. This is what was in the box:They had bought me these ornaments on a shopping trip with Morgan a few weeks ago, and Braden had hidden them in his room.

They are always very thoughtful like this. They are the most loving, sweet children. But what touched me more than usual, is that I had never expected this birthday to be the least bit special. I had known Morgan would be gone, and I am so far away from anyone who would care to do anything for my birthday, that I had all but forgotten about the day. But Braden and Lydia hadn't, and they made it special just by being my thoughtful, sweet babies.

This time with my children is the real gift. When you think about how short this time with them really is, it puts it all into perspective. If a person lives to be 85, less than a quarter of their life was actually spent living with their parents. An even smaller percentage of time was spent as a small child, and only a year as a small, helpless baby. During those long, sleepless nights with fussy babies, or those drawn-out temper tantrums, each minute can seem like an eternity. But the truth is, they are growing every minute, and each minute is precious. I always knew I wanted to be a mother, and today my precious children reminded me of what a blessing it is to be theirs.

More Christmas Fun

Morgan is gone this week, so I took the kids to the Landstuhl Weihnachts Markt by myself last night. They had a great time, and it was nice, because it was only five minutes away.

Here is Liam, all bundled up in his gear (see previous post).

After our bratwurst dinner we had a funnel cake. Liam was so cute eating bits of it that I put in his mouth.

Here is Braden drinking Kinder Punsch. It was just what we needed to warm up.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Most of us had a wonderful time at the Christmas Market last week, but Liam didn't seem to enjoy it as much as the rest of us. He was tired, hungry, and cold. I had some food for him, but there wasn't anywhere to sit and feed him. I had brought his mittens, but he wouldn't keep them on. His blanket kept falling off. He was just uncomfortable, poor little guy!

So Morgan and I decided that we wouldn't be able to take him out to another Christmas Market until we had a warmer set-up for him. This week I worked hard to make sure he was warm next time we went out. I sewed his mittens to his coat sleeves -- now his hands are always toasty warm. I bought a stroller blanket. It is really great, and keeps him so warm, even on cold mornings when we walk to the bus stop.

Last night we went to another Christmas Market, but I had learned my lesson from last week. Before we left, I fed him and bathed him and got him completely ready for bed. Then, when we got to the market, I bundled him up in his new gear, and away we went. We walked around the market for almost two hours, and he did great! He was so comfortable that he even fell asleep. He slept through getting buckled into the car, getting out of the car, being carried up to his crib, and then until morning.

Speaking of that, this week has been a landmark week for Liam. At 16 months old, he is just now learning to sleep through the night. He had been getting up several times a night, and we would be up together for hours every night. I was so tired all the time. This week it has all changed. He goes down to bed, while still awake, and puts himself to sleep. The past two nights he hasn't even woken up once for a drink of water. It is quite an amazing transformation, one for which I am extremely grateful. I am a much happier mommy now! And he also weaned himself from nursing this week, so the demands of being pregnant and nursing and being kept up by a fussy toddler have finally been lifted, and I am feeling more like myself now. I'm so proud of Liam!

Chizzzz!

When I pointed the camera at Liam the other day, he said "Chizzz!" He is a quick learner. I love this boy!