After a Long Hard Day of Work....

Jeff mowed the lawn for the first time this weekend, with the help of James. James followed him around with his mini-mower and 'helped' mow. He copied Jeff's every move, even the way he turned the lawn mower around. And, after all that hard work, Jeff sat down to have a cold glass of water. James pulled his little chair right up next to Jeff and sat down to enjoy a drink with him. So sweet!

Finally Warm!!

After receiving a ridiculous amount of rain over a two day period, nearly 5.5 inches to be exact, it is finally warm and sunny outside. Its supposed to be in the mid-70's today!! Time to frolic about in the beautiful sunshine and maybe plant a flower or two, or three...yipee!!!

The New Little Bean

Here are the latest pictures, via ultrasound, of our bun in the oven. This little baby is either ornery or modest, because he/she kept its legs crossed for the whole ultrasound. But, everything looks great and we will get another ultrasound here in a few weeks so we'll get another chance to find out. But, the most exciting thing is that everything is good and the baby looks beeeeeeeuuuuuuutiful!!!

How I Almost Pulled Off the Heist of My Life

A Special Guest Article by James

I was so close to victory, I could taste it. Mom had gone upstairs for something and I went in for the kill. In her purse, I happened to find a Cadbury Creme Egg wrapped in shiny foil. I quickly and meticulously removed the foil and shoved the entire thing in my mouth. I figured that if Mom came down the stairs, at least the evidence would not be immediately apparent. Sure enough, I heard footsteps and ducked for cover. But, alas, she found me out! Quicker than I could say 'sugar-fiend in the making' Mom pried it out of my mouth. I realize now the mistake that cost me my prize. I was simply too quiet! Whenever I am too quiet, I think Mom realizes that I am up to no good and comes to investigate. So, next time I am trying to dig up the houseplants, I'll have to remember to make a lot of noise so as not to draw attention to myself. I also have to figure out where she hid the rest of the Easter candy! (followed by a devious little James-laugh)

swish-swish-swish

One of the sweetest sounds in the world is the swish-swish-swish sound of your baby’s heartbeat on the monitor. And I got to hear it yesterday!!! The fabulous nurse let me sit there and listen to it for a while and agreed that it was a wonderful sound. Baby #2 has already been in the oven for 17 weeks; only 23 or so to go. Will it be a boy, or a girl? Any bets?

A Boy and His Boots

At the ripe old age of 1 1/2 years, James has begun to make his own fashion choices. For two days now, he has been inseperable from his cowboy boots. The boots were handed down from his cousins, and are still several sizes too big for him. He found them in the closet and has taken them off only briefly since. He is also becoming rather fond of a green foam safari hat that he got for Easter. Today, he wore the boots and the hat to the grocery store. And he wanted me to where his hat when we got into the grocery store.......now that's where I have to draw the line!

A Case of Mistaken Identity

This picture was taken in 1999, back in our dating days and way before Napolean Dynamite ever came out. We just thought it was a funny picture. Then someone saw it and pointed out the striking similarity between Jeff and Nappy D. himself. So, we had to watch the movie which happens to be hilarious (totally pointless, but HILARIOUS!). But, I digress. We have had this picture hanging on our fridge for quite some time and have received many comments on the similarities. But never has anyone thought it was the actual actor, until now. We had an insurance adjuster over to look at our decrepit roof and he saw the picture on the fridge. He said, "Wow! Did you guys actually get to meet the actor!? I love that movie!! That's really cool!" I just cracked up and replied that, no, that was my husband with a wig on.

The Bun in the Oven

Here's the first official picture of the baby bump. The second time around, it doesn't take nearly as long to pop out. I think I will be the size of a dinosaur by the time this baby arrives!

House Update: Tuesday

The landscaping is being completed. Flowers, shrubs and trees have been planted; sod is being laid. The last bits of trim are being painted. They moved in a spiffy refrigerator and a big ugly red dresser/cabinet thing. Hopefully it blends in with whatever they've got going on! My guess is that they'll be pouring the driveway anytime, since it has to be done tomorrow. There's a lot of work still to be done!

Star Sighting

So, after hanging around watching the progress on the house, we spotted a few of the designers. I think we were the only ones there to watch the house construction and not for Ty. But, today James and I saw Preston (the top picture) and Eduardo (bottom picture). I should clarify that while most people thought that the guy was Preston, one lady insisted that he was a decoy. Who knows!? But the other guy is Eduardo for sure. One lady even had binoculars trying to look everywhere in case Ty might be sneaking around or something.

EXTREME Makeover

On Saturday, Jeff said he had heard they were doing an Extreme Makeover house in our area. We thought it would be fun to check it out, but didn't know where it was. Well, low and behold! It is only a few blocks from Mom and Dad's. So, we packed James in the wagon and set off to see what was going on. Everything is blocked off, rerouted and police-guarded. We were able to walk around and stand directly across the house. It was incredible. They started the demolition/building on Wednesday, and already they were preparing to do the roofing! By Sunday, they had already completed the siding and were inside mud/taping the drywall! Today, Monday, they are working on the landscaping, stonework on the outside, and planting flowers! Here are the pics so far and I will try to update them, too.

ATTN: Grammy and Chappy

Dear Grammy and Chappy,
As you can see, I really like the scooter you gave me for Christmas. I like to stand on the seat like a little daredevil. I think for next Christmas I would really like it if you got me a stunt motorcycle. Don't bother asking my mom and dad. I am SURE that they won't mind. Thanks in advance!

Love, James

Saturday Walk

Here we are enjoying a beautiful day with our friends, the Browns. We had breakfast together and then headed down to the local nature center to enjoy a walk in the nice warm weather.

Only in Philly!

In Philadelphia, we have a guy running for Mayor who is up against Federal Corruption charges. The same week he announced his intentions to run for Mayor, he was arrested for outstanding traffic tickets/fines/etc. He will stand trial for his corruption charges the day after the primaries. Not only does he have major legal baggage, he is also coming in on the tails of his little brother, who is the current Mayor of Philadelphia (who also has been surrounded at times with corruption scandal). At least since he is the brother of the current mayor, he can reuse the "Street for Mayer"campaign signs. I know I don't usually blog about politics or current events, but this one takes the cake. Only in Philly would we even entertain the thought of electing a crook into office, one who will undoubtedly funnel our tax money into his nefarious schemes. And we thought having a Senator named Nighthorse-Campbell was weird.

OK. I am done.

Yet Again...

James has made us scratch our heads in wonder and amazement. He found himself one of those tension-rod things (the cheap way to hang a curtain). Anyway, the thing is about 4 feet long and about 1/2 inch in diameter. He used it to turn on the light switch. We laughed and thought it was a fluke. He then proceeded to turn the light on and off over and over again. It sure makes you wonder what kind of trouble he's going to get himself into and what we are going to have to do to keep him entertained. I think we will go through massive quantities of magnets and duct tape and green army men and Lincoln Logs. It should be quite interesting and fun to watch what little experiments he comes up with soon enough. For now, he can content himself with using the broom handle to scrap the magnets of the fridge so he can get to them......

I'm Over the Moon.............

My heart is fluttering, and I think I have died and gone to heaven. No, Jeff didn't get me a power saw for Valentine's Day. (At least not that I know of :) James gave me his first kiss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh!!! So, I am just speechless. I gave him a kiss on the cheek and he puckered up, leaned over and planted one on my cheek! Talk about sweet! I think I will never wash my face again. I will just leave that little bit of James-drool there forever. I think I will have this dopey grin on my face for at least a month!



Oh, and another thing....we'll see who is reading the blog these days. If you haven't heard, we're havin' another baby! Yet another reason to go around with a big cheesy grin on our faces. This baby is due September 18th, and we are thrilled.



And by the way, Jeff, Grammy and Auntie Rachel.....James gave his first kiss to ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (And not you!)

I Don't Get It!

OK...so its COLD. Very cold in fact. But not THAT cold! Here's the deal. Every day this week, area schools have been either delayed two hours or closed, due to the 'dangerous weather conditions.' No snow, not much ice, just cold. Its been in the teens and 20's, with wind chills. But why delay or cancel school?! We didn't even get to stay home from school when it snowed, unless it was a lot. What do people in the Northern US do all winter? Close school from October through March?! I am scratching my head; I just don't get it.

Sorry for the rant!!!

New Tricks

James never ceases to amaze us with the things he picks up on. When we think he is not paying attention, he is studying our every move. Apparently, he stores his observations away for later use. Here are a few examples: First, he learned to fake ‘cough.’ He watched Jeff hold a napkin up to his mouth and cough, and then afterwards picked up the napkin, held it to his face and did a little fake cough. Now if we hold a napkin up he’ll make a little fake cough. Another thing he has picked up on is magnets. He knows they stick to stuff, so he found a few magnets and kept trying to stick them to the side of the dresser over and over. What a little genius, if I do say so myself! Today, James was playing with Jeff’s cork-gun. He knows how to use the thing, he just doesn’t have enough leverage to get the job done. When the cork pops out, he knows exactly where it goes. Its amazing to watch him catch on to new things each day. Pretty soon he'll be making his own toast!