A long time coming..

I've been terrible about updating this blog, so here's a quick update. Michael is back at home which I'm so grateful for. He's had a lot on his plate with work, so I'm hoping that things will slow down a little for him. The kids have been doing great! They are very excited to welcome little Carter into our family. Our best friends had their baby this week, and it was the first time that Jovie has ever seen a tiny baby. She mentions Carter all of the time, and I can't wait to see her grow into a wonderful big sister. Hopefully the transition will be smooth.

This weekend is a big event for both of the kids. We did a little shopping a couple of weeks ago, and got both of them new beds. Mikey's bed has been literally falling apart, and Jovie was still in a Toddler bed. The beds are being delivered on Saturday, and we'll be moving Mikey into his new room downstairs. He's very excited because it's going to be decked out in Dinosaurs while Jovie is going with a Princess theme (shocking, I know). We're hoping that they get used to their new furniture quickly. I'm going to post some pics as soon as they're all settled.

Michael surprised me with a new Canon SLR right before Christmas (aint' he a sweetie!). I've been practicing with it, and feel like I'm actually starting to get the hang of it. Here are a couple of pics that I took.

This is classic Jovie. She's been sucking on those two middle fingers since she was two weeks old. I'm so grateful that I actually caught a picture of it.

Carter Jay

We just got back from our appointment with the Perinatologist. Thank god that the ultrasound came back clear, and everything looks great. Also we found out that we've been blessed with another boy. We had already expected that, so it really wasn't much of a shock. I'm so relieved that our little Carter Jay is healthy, and he is growing right on target. We can't wait to meet him, and hold him in our arms. Until that day, we (OK I) will be shopping for all of his needs. Now to figure out which bedding we want to do.

A Christmas Miracle

With Michael being gone, I decided to take the kids on a shopping trip with Grandma on Saturday. The kids were awesome! I took my big double stroller that I literally had to dust off because I haven't used it in so long. Mikey brought his Leapster and played on that for most of the way. The miracle part of this story is that Mikey finally sat on Santa's lap. I can't believe it! He's been scared to death of him since he was about 18 months old and had a bad Santa experience (another story). Anyway, we actually got a cute pic of Mikey and Jovie on his lap. Afterward we went to Red Robin for lunch where Mikey decided he wanted to play the claw game. He walks up to the machine and sees a Buzz Lightyear buried in the back. He says to me "I'm gonna get that Buzz"... I think to myself "yeah, right". He sticks the coins in, uses the joystick, and actually snags the Buzz by the arm, and pulled him out of the huge pile. I couldn't believe that he actually won it, and I know that it was pure luck! Needless to say, he thinks that he is all that right now.

On an even better note, Michael is coming home tomorrow!!! Yay!! I'm so excited to see him, and spend some time with him before our appointment with the specialist on Thursday. He is only home until Sunday morning, and then he won't be home until Christmas Eve. I'm definitely going to have my hands full getting everything ready for Christmas on my own, but I feel like I'm up for the challenge.

It's The Little Things...

We've had an interesting week so far. Michael was called to go to Nevada because of a big derailment that needs to be fixed. Right now it's looking like he won't be home for most of this month. He will definitely be home for our big appointment with the Perinatologist next week, but will most likely have to go back right after that. The kids and I miss him so much, but we're handling things just fine. I'm really thankful that he has a good and steady job that allows him to provide for our family, and him going out of town occasionally is just part of it. Other than that, there's really not much new going on here. I've been busy selling on Ebay, and trying to finish up our Christmas shopping. On a good note, Mikey is now sleeping through the night without a Pull-Up. It has been an entire week with no accidents. I'm so proud of him, and glad that I don't have to buy those anymore. Now I'm down to Jovie in pull-ups at night, and a new baby to start all over again with :)

Giving Thanks

First of all, I just realized that I hadn't updated the blog since our Ultrasound. We went in for it a week ago, and I could feel that something just wasn't right when the tech was doing the exam. We had decided before the appointment that we would actually find out the sex of the baby, but it just wasn't in the cards. We don't know if it was the position of the baby (or the fact that he/she would not stop moving), or what, but the U/S just didn't come out very clear in a lot of areas. I called my OB with concerns later that day, and he said that he didn't see anything of concern but we should probably make an appointment with a Perinatologist. I had my regular OB appointment on Tuesday, and he said that after our conversation he had spoken with the tech and they both have some concerns. Needless to say, we're a little freaked out at this point. We really don't know if there is something wrong, or if the doctor is being overly cautious. We will find out more on December 11th. Until then all that we can do is pray, and count down the days. I'll be sure to update after our appointment.

For Thanksgiving we had a really fun day. The fact the the Lions got massacred didn't stop me from enjoying my day. To be honest, I had expected that kind of outcome. We started out with donuts and the parade. This is the first year that the kids actually cared about it, and it was so cute to see them get excited over the huge balloons. After that, we went to Michael's mom's house for our Thanksgiving "lunch". Jovie didn't stop eating the entire time. A few hours later we went to Thanksgiving "dinner" at my mom's house. Jovie didn't stop eating there either, and even asked for "chips" after the table is cleared. I have no idea how she is so tiny with as much food as she puts away. She is a huge fan of Thanksgiving now. It's amazing to see how the holidays get more fun as the kids get older. I just don't want them to ever outgrow it.

This morning, Michael and my mom hit Walmart with the crowds, and scored practically everything on our list. I don't know how he does it, but he got us some great deals. We've spent the rest of the day lounging. Here's to an awesome December!