3 Whole Years!

Chris and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary yesterday and we can hardly believe the time has passed so quickly. We didn't do anything too exciting, but we went out to a very nice dinner and saw a movie (we just realized we hadn't been to the movie theater in 2 years!). The movie was terrible and I wouldn't recommend it (The Happening), but at least we spent some time together and actually felt like we were on a "date."


In our three years as husband and wife, here are a few things that have happened:
*I started my Master's Degree 1 month into our marriage and actually graduated in 2007
*Chris changed jobs
*I taught 57 first graders how to read (or at least gave it my best effort)
*Chris has been through 4 different vehicles (5, if you count when we were dating)
*Our "hairstyles/cuts" have changed :)
*We had a baby!
*We bought a van! (LOVE it!)
*We are having another baby!



And most importantly, we both have made lots of sacrifices to make sure we are supporting and doing what is best for our family. We have learned together what it means to be a family and how important our love for one another plays into the dynamics of our family. Thanks to all of you who have supported and encouraged us and have led by example. We are truly blessed!

Saturday Fun

Yesterday was just too beautiful of a day to stay inside and do nothing, so we decided to take a little trip to the zoo. We weren't there for very long, but in our time there we managed to see the adorable Prairie Dogs (that remind us of Joe), snoozing wolves, giraffes and zebras, a lion and a tiger, some Billy goats and miniature horses, monkeys, birds, snakes, and we even ran into our friends Rusty, Ali, and Luke Schimmell, who were also spending a morning at the zoo!


Addie did walk, rather than ride in her stroller for part of the time and she was very tired by the time we left. Right as we were getting ready to leave, there were two zookeepers who had a baby alligator and a corn snake available for an up close view and even petting! This is where Mommy had to put aside her fears and show Addie that it was okay to touch these animals (although I must admit I did not touch the snake!). Here is a picture of Addie getting ready to pet the alligator, and there's her good buddy Luke in the background :)

After lunch and a long afternoon nap, we headed back outside to help Daddy with some things. I have mentioned before about Addie's strong love of "soapy" and anything that involves water and bubbles ("bustles"), so needless to say she loves to help wash the van. She actually used the wheel brush and Chris taught her how to clean the wheels...

Here is a little clip showing just how much she enjoys her "soapy!" I think she thought Mommy needed the "soapy" more than the van :)

I'm Halfway There!

Today marks my twentieth week of pregnancy with baby #2, YAY! Chris has already complained to me that this baby is not getting the "womb attention" that Addie got, but of course, who has time to take a belly picture every couple weeks when you are chasing after a toddler!?


Here is a look at my belly at this point. So far, I am carrying this one the same as I carried Addie. And if you are guessing the sex based on how I carry the baby, don't bet money on it because I carried Addie VERY low (which supposedly means boy) and SHE obviously is not a boy. So we'll see, keep the predictions coming! (I need to work on my posture :)

Baby has been moving a lot lately, which makes it that much more real. I can't wait for it to be obvious from the outside so Chris and Addie can feel it too. No big cravings, other than sweets (which is just me, even when I'm not preggo) and pickled anything, especially okra. I am really into fresh fruit right now too--so who knows what that means.

As for my dear husband, he is losing weight as I gain it, which is exactly what happened when I was pregnant with Addie. Some say that means it's a girl, but again, we'll see! We are both a bit frightened of having a boy, just because it would be a whole different experience than with Addie...but of course we would be overjoyed either way. (This coming from the couple who used to think we wanted 4 boys and 1 girl). How about NO!

Christopher's Wet Adventure

After he got off work today, Chris thought he would take a nice little break and go fishing at his dad's lake for a little while until Addie and I got home from prayer group. He started out fishing from the bank and then decided to go all the way and get out in the boat.


From my past experiences fishing with my husband (even before we were dating), he doesn't have the best luck when it comes to hooking trees, people's heads, and canoes and losing lures. Today tops it all...he got his lure caught in a tree and he was standing in the boat to unhook it and no sooner than he got it loose did the boat tip and he fell overboard! Luckily, the contents of the boat did not fall in the water also, but he now has a ruined cell phone, wet clothes and shoes, soaked wallet including the money and pictures he had, and all of his fishing gear.


He spent the evening using my hair dryer trying to dry everything out...we'll see what happens to his phone after it's completely dry. OOPS! Oh, and I might add that he did catch 4 fish before this whole ordeal :)


Too bad someone didn't catch a picture of him "swimming," but I did get a shot of most of his wet stuff.

A Visit from Mr. Luke

Meet Luke Schimmell, Addie's future boyfriend. Luke is my best friend Melissa's little boy and we watched him last Saturday night while his sister had her first dance recital. Luke, or "uk" as Addie pronounces it, turned 2 in March and he is such a joy!

This was technically Addie's first time playing with another child close to her age in a private setting (I know, I should get her out more) so it was so much fun to watch these two interacting with one another and sharing so well, especially at their ages.

They played with Addie's train and danced and even had their first kiss...Let me explain...Addie threw something at Luke and I asked her to say she was sorry and give him a hug. After saying "soee," she decided that rather than to settle for a hug, she would go right in for a smooch. We had a talk with her after Luke left about her aggressiveness ;) Just kidding! It was darling.

Now, Luke is doing a wonderful job of potty training these days so we were very impressed by his ability to stay dry throughout the whole visit. After each time he went potty on the potty, Addie gave him a high five for a job well done! These two were just hilarious!

The evening ended with a short viewing of the movie "Cars," one of Luke's favorites and they both were yelling "Queen, Queen!" talking about Lightning McQueen I suppose. Luke was quite the snuggler with me, which I am not used to with Miss Busybody so it was fun to just relax with the kiddos after some hard playing.

Good buds!

The Ultrasound Confims it...We're having a...

BABY! Gotcha! We had our big ultrasound today and it was so much fun to see little rascal #2. Although this little half-pounder was a bit more stubborn than Addie was for her ultrasound, we were able to get a few good pictures, especially this one of the profile. As you can see, our second sweetie pie looks a LOT like his/her big Sissy....cute little button noses and all :)

Addie Ruth at approximately 18 weeks

Rascal #2 at 18 weeks

So...keep guessing on the sex of this one because at this point, we have NO idea. I have been thinking all girl up to this point, but now I think I might be changing my mind to boy (this week at least). Chris still says, "probably girl." Now, we just can't wait until D-day to find out who this little person is we will be welcoming into our family!

A Sprinkler Kind of Day

Yesterday was one of the hottest days we've had in a while so Addie and I decided to whip out the trusty sprinkler and give it a whirl. It probably wasn't that hot out, but I thought it sounded like fun anyway!

Here is a look at Addie's first adventure with the sprinkler. She wasn't sure at first, but then liked it so much that she got upset at me when I turned it off. When she first started to get wet, she said, "uh oh, potty" because she thought she pottied in her swimsuit. Luckily, I caught that on video!

Later in the evening, she helped daddy wash his truck and even dried it with the shammy. She has a true love for "soapy" and loves to play in the bubbles.

On another note, this little girl has been talking like crazy the last week or so. She says at least 15 words on a regular basis and even more occasionally or when she is just repeating something we say. It is hilarious to hear and I just can't wait until she is able to put all those little thoughts into phrases and sentences. Some of her favorites are, "Joe," (our dog), "uh oh," "mess," "chicken," "soapy," "ball," "bye, see ya," "shoe," and the latest "beebo," which means "bug." Of course Mommy and Daddy are probably the most common along with "nummy," which is what she calls her pacifier and "mink," her favorite blankie. She just continues to amaze us more and more each day!