Superheroes and Umbrellas

Just some cuteness to start the day!

Lacey Can Sit!!

....well....sort of.....but isn't she cute!

(sorry about the quality.....our video camera broke - this is the 'video' mode on the regular camera)

My Little Baby is Growing Up!!

Lucas is now in the preschool choir at our church. Here he is in the choir when they sang at the missions conference - his first time singing in church!. (So cute!!!)

PS: Lucas is in the bottom row on the right. He is wearing a blue shirt and tie - the boy next to the kid hiding behind the plant.

Kids are So Funny!

I have been meaning to do this for quite some time...now that I have a minute...

Lucas has been talking for quite some time (every now and then he takes a breath), and, as is typical for a child of his age, he has come out with some very funny phrases; and Lance has recently begun talking and has already come up with some things that must be preserved:

Ben and I were trying to have a conversation while eating dinner one night, and, as is common in our house, Lucas was carrying on his own conversation making ours difficult to be heard. Ben stopped and said, "Lucas, I'm trying to talk!". Without missing a beat, Lucas replies (in an equally exasperated tone), "I'm trying to talk, too!"

Lance LOVES trucks, cars, airplanes, ambulances.....basically any motorized vehicle - with or without wheels. Before he could say the names of all these motorized vehicles, he would call everything a 'cuh' - however in the case of airplanes, he would say, "BIIIIIG CUH!"

Lucas and Lance are soooooooo cute now that they are able to communicate with each other on a level that other people can understand. They have some very deep conversations. Often, while we are in the van, they will discuss the various emergency response vehicles. The conversation goes something like this: Lance: "it's a fire-cruck" Lucas: "NO, Wance, it's a amawance", "No, fire-cruck", "No, amawance", "No, fire-cruck" (repeat several times), Lucas: "MOM he says 'no'!!" (as if I am somehow supposed to convice Lance that he is wrong).

Isn't it funny how random, seemingly insignificant events can make a big impression on the minds of small children!?? The boys watched 'Dave and the Giant Pickle' (the VeggieTales version of David and Goliath) and were greatly impressed by the way the Giant Pickle falls when Dave hits him with the stone. Now, they stand on the couch and 'do a pickle': standing facing the length of the couch, they fall keeping their bodies stiff and land, face first, on the couch. Hours of entertainment.

After Lacey was born, Lucas suddenly had the opportunity to be curious about how I fed her (breastfeeding). One day at church, he asked our pastor's wife if she had milk. She answered, "No, only mommy has milk." In typical toddler fashion, he concluded, "Oh, you have juice."

Another "Diaper Fun" Post

Well, I have taken my fun new hobby to a new level. Come and see my new creations:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=8139120

Let me know what you think!!

Congratulations, David and Amy!!!

My brother and sister-in-law had their first baby on August 31!! Faith Elizabeth Rose Moore was born at 9:33am weighing 7lb and 11oz and was 22.5 inches long. Congratulations, David and Amy! I am so happy for you and know that you two will be great parents! Have fun loving on your precious baby!

One Month: The Reader's Digest Version

Pretend with me that we are currently in the middle of August....Hey Everybody, we're moving to TN!!!

There are several factors involved in the decision to move, but, mainly, Ben will be attending Crown Seminary to get his Masters of Ministry degree. We went to TN for a long weekend to find a place to live, and we found a house to rent - no lease, no deposit: Praise the Lord! We will be moving on August 21....

We did it! We are Tennesseans again! Now the big job of unpacking, organizing and getting used to this new place. The house wasn't exactly ready for us to move into, but we did anyway (not that we had much of a choice). The bathroom needs some work, one bedroom needs painted and various other little things need to be done. But let me just say: I love this house! 'Why?', you ask. NO STAIRS!!! No more little people (and me) tumbling down the stairs; no more running up and down the stairs because I forgot something (that happened often...too often)....

OK. Back to the present. We have been here for about 3 weeks (wow!) now, and I think we are finally getting our things settled. We are still getting used to the new place and the new pace, but I think we will be ok. The boys bedroom is painted. The bathroom is repaired, but needs new paint (let me just say: red and gold is an ugly color scheme for any room). And most of the minor repairs have been made. The landlord started painting the outside of the house (suprise) so now instead of a dirty yellow, it is becoming a nice shade of blue....


Yesterday was labor, and we had a great time - though Lucas may disagree with that statement. He got sick. Several times. But I think he's getting better. We (along with Andy, Mary and Cathy) went to Nick and Sarah's house and grilled out, played Wii and discovered that we were much older than we thought we were - except me, I'm still 29!
Whew! Now we're all caught up.

Do You Think They Know How Cute They Are?!!!

More Diaper Fun!

Here's some of my latest work:

Ok, well, actually, we bought this one - isn't it cute?!

This is a fleece diaper cover

A fitted diaper - I made it from a shirt that didn't fit right. I have found that for the fitted diapers, I prefer knit fabric because it holds up in the wash better than flannel and the stretchiness makes it fit longer.


A fluffy diaper cover - I bought this fabric on clearance months ago just hoping I would have a girl so I could use it :-P

It's been a MONTH??!!!

Well, time passes quickly when you're having fun!! I can't believe a month has gone by already!



In spite of being very busy, the first five weeks of having 3 children have been great! Lacey is such a good baby. She likes to eat...a lot...can you tell?:

This is Lacey at a week old:

And this is Lacey at a month old:

See what I mean?

Birth weight: 7 lb 5 oz; Weight at one month: 9lb 10 oz

:-O

We have also determined that Lance looks a lot like Ben...

Don't you think he has his daddy's cute smile?!

And look at this big boy: Lucas (finally) has potty power!! (except for those occassional accidents, of course)


And Lacey loves her daddy! At least I think that's what the look on her face means...

A Quick Birth Story

Well here it is...and I am not being brief because of time constraints - it's just a brief story - I'll add lots of details to make it seem longer.

I had been having random contractions for a few weeks before Lacey was born, but on Wednesday, June 17, I started having more frequent contractions. They were between 10-20 mins apart and not at all painful most of the day. By evening, they were still 10-20 mins apart, but they were starting to get stronger. I still didn't know if this was 'it', but we decided to go ahead and call the babysitter and drop the boys off just in case. While we were driving the boys to meet the babysitter, the contractions were 15-20 mins apart and were 'ouch-worthy' - but still not 'I'm-definitely-in-labor' painful. We got home around 10pm, ate a snack and went to bed around 11:30pm. I tried to sleep, but the contractions were getting too strong (and I was getting too excited) to sleep, so I went downstairs to lay on the couch. At about 12:30am the contractions were definitely painful - but still about 10 mins apart - I wondered, "if they are getting stronger but not closer together, is it still labor??". About the time I decided to call the hospital, I felt a contraction coming on that I knew was going to be really bad, so I got on my hands and knees and reminded myself that it would be over soon and the next one wouldn't happen for another 10 mins. Then my water broke (12:50am). After that the contractions were very close together and pretty painful. Let me pause to say that with Lance, once my water broke - it was over - time to push. With this in mind, I woke Ben and told him we have to leave NOW! All the way to the hospital (15 mins) I just knew I was going to have the baby in the car, but somehow we made it. When we got into L&D, they started to take me into triage to 'check my progress', but, knowning the baby was about to come and I really didn't want to give birth in a tiny cubicle, I said, "I totally have to push", so they decided to go ahead and get me into a room. So, at 1:15am they got me into the room. They checked me - I had an 'anterior rim' (I was more than 9cm, but not quite 'complete'). They checked the baby's heartbeat - it was good. They said something about starting an IV - at which point I almost started laughing - but then I really had to push. I might have pushed twice - it happened really fast - and Lacey was born at 1:23am. Woohoo!! A completely natural and unmedicated childbirth - I didn't even get an IV! And only 30 minutes of hard labor...is that cheating?? ;)

Oh, and I learned something: you know you are progressing as the contractions get worse. For me: when they start to hurt...GO!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

Welcome to our family, Lacey Alethea Qualls!!
She was born June 18, 2009 at 1:23am.
7 lbs. 5 oz. 19 inches

Check back soon for the birth story....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LANCE!!!!!!!

I can't believe my BABY is now 2 years old!! Here are some pics of the BIG event!!! (May 25)

Smile and say, "CHEESE!!"

He and Lucas got a bubble mower - they LOVE them!

Openning presents was momentarily interupted by the sound of an airplane overhead.

A bug box. Lance loves to look at 'big bugs'.

Boy, Girl or Bowling Ball??

With just over 5 weeks to go, I am getting really excited about this baby!!! Lucas has decided that because I am a girl, the baby will also be a girl. I think Lance has a suspicion that he is about to be dethroned as the baby of the family because he has suddenly become a big (actually he's still little), clingy cuddle-bug. Not that I'm complaining - he's cute enough to get away with it. I finally dug out all the 'team green' baby clothes and have the boy clothes standing by in case we need them (and the debit card standing by in case we don't). Here's a picture of my current 'shape' as of this past Sunday (34.5 weeks) - that's where the 'bowling ball' part of the title comes in. Well, off to a doctor's appt. From here on out, they're weekly!!!!!

Adventure Update:

Ok...So now it's a hobby. I have been having lots of fun lately.

I ran out of elastic for Lance's diapers, so I had to order more. While I am waiting, I decided to try making diapers for the next baby. It's sooo easy. Using 2 baby blankets and a sheet I bought at the thrift store and some old burp cloths, I have made these 5 diapers and have fabric cut for 4 more.

*sigh* So much fun. So little time.

My New Adventure!

When my parents decided to cloth diaper my younger brother and sister, I decided very quickly that I would NEVER use cloth diapers. I hated changing them, I hated the pins (that I usually stuck myself with), I hated the vinyl pants that were a pain to get on and off, I hated the bleach smell (and other smells associated with the diapers), rinsing them, wringing them out, washing them and (most time consuming) folding the diapers. I would NEVER use cloth diapers as a means to save money - it was worth the cost to avoid the hassle.

...and then I made an interesting discovery: it doesn't have to be that way.

You don't need vinyl pants, pins or bleach, and you don't have to fold them. You can get diapers that have Velcro or snaps, have elastic and are fitted to your baby like disposables and diapers that have a waterproof layer or a waterproof cover with snaps/Velcro to make changing easier. And here's a fun bonus: you can make your own with all these great features for a fraction of the price you would get them at the store or online. And then I learned something about cloth diapers that completely sold me on the idea of trying them: THEY ARE SOOOO CUTE!!!!

So here is my first attempt at a 'pocket diaper' for Lance. It fastens with snaps and it has a waterproof outer layer, a layer of soft fabric that pulls the moisture away from his skin and microfiber towel (tri-folded) in between the two layers (that's the 'pocket' part) that I can take out when it's time to wash the diaper to make washing more thorough and drying quicker.

Now tell me that's not cute!!! I have enough material to make 4 more like it and I only spent about $25 on it. I'll keep you posted on how it goes!!

An Amazing God!!!

Here is a blog about a baby that is truly a miracle. She was diagnosed with anencephaly (which means she has no brain) when her mother was 19 weeks pregnant. She was told that she would not be able to survive on her own and would die shortly after being born. Trusting God, her mother decided to let Him decide how long she would live. Either doctors don't know as much as they think they know about this condition or God is more powerful than the doctors give him credit for (likely both), but little Faith Hope is now 10 weeks old.

http://babyfaithhope.blogspot.com/

This is a story that can teach us many things. For me it was a reminder that every day with my children is a miracle, and I should cherish it because the next day is not promised. Also, it is proof that we can only see God work when we trust and obey Him.

13 Weeks To Go!!!

So it's not officially 13 weeks until Thursday, but I thought I would go ahead and post some pics while I was thinking about it. These are the same ones I posted on Facebook - sorry for the redundancy! The ultra sound pic is actually from about 5 weeks ago.

The Heart of a Child...

This video is from about a year ago, but I was thinking about it recently, so I thought I would share. I think it's ok to laugh at it now. I had a hard time not laughing when it happened, though.

Dad's Suprise Party

Last week was Ben's Dad's birthday. So on Saturday, we went to Cincinnati for a suprise party for him that Ben's mom orchestrated. He wasn't expecting Ben's sisters to be there until later, and he wasn't expecting us to be there at all. The party was at their church, and several people from the church helped to plan the suprise including sending a fake invitation for a 50th anniversary party for a couple in the church to his house (everyone else in the church got the invitation for the birthday party!). As you can see in the video, it was quite a suprise for him!!

An Incredible Design

I was watching a video about the development process of a baby in the womb, and the wonderful design that God gave to a woman's reproductive system, and all the amazing functions that HAVE to occur in order for a baby to be conceived, grown and born. One of those many wonderful things is the fact that a pelvic bone is actually divided into three separate parts and is joined by ligaments. If it were all one piece, the baby wouldn't be able to fit through it. Well, during pregnancy, hormones tell those ligaments to loosen up so that during delivery the opening can get bigger. Amazing, huh?!! One drawback: at least in my case, the whole loosening of ligaments is actually quite painful especially when I go up and down the stairs, sweep, vacuum, bend over to change diapers, sleep, etc. I'm not complaining about it, I just think I will have to wait until after the baby is born to fully appreciate this wonderful design. ;-)
BTW: the video is "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" featuring Dr. David Menton. (available through Answers in Genesis)

Where Have I Been?!?!?!

I almost forgot about this blog!! Not really!
Has anyone else heard about BabyCenter.com? I have visited the site and received emails from there since I was pregnant with Lucas, but a few weeks ago, I learned that there is a 'community' part of it. You can set up a profile, join groups, ask questions and connect and talk with people around the (English speaking) world. There are all sorts of groups: Large Families, Fundamental Christian Families, even debate groups (which are really cool b/c you can talk to people about Jesus without being told to keep your religion to yourself :-D). It is, however, very addictive, but once you figure out what things you are really interested in talking about, you can save time and check those groups once a day or so. I have really felt isolated lately, so it has been a sanity-saver for me.
In other news, I am 23 weeks pg now. The baby is squirming like...ummm...Lance. The weather had better warm up soon because my coat is getting too small. We are trying to potty train Lucas (emphasis on trying). Lance is starting to talk, but he seems more interested in developing physically rather than verbally right now (climbing, jumping, sitting on Lucas's head, etc). Ben is working hard. He has some interesting videos he put together on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/reconciled2God . I guess everything else is pretty much the same. Ok. Now I am going to really get off the computer and clean. :-P

Pictures

I know I have said that I will post pictures soon, so here are some pictures:

Christmas at Nana and Papa's House

Lucas, Nana and his 'computow'

Lucas and Grandpa (and some cousins)

How old are you, Lucas?

I'm Three!




Here's Lance being cute.

Winter Hibernation

Well, it's been four days since went outside - it would be longer, but I HAD to get groceries for the extended 'hibernation'. There are several inches of snow on the ground and the temp has yet to reach 0. On the upside, I haven't been able to go out and spend money, but I am about to go crazy. One can only take so much PBS and Baby Einstein. I don't know why, but this is the first week ever that the boys have put forth a combined effort to refuse to take a nap. They know they are wearing on me and this is the first step toward the coup they are planning? I'm sure they've discussed it.
It's ok, though. Next week: heat wave. It should be in the mid 20's all week. :] (that's my fake smile). Well, I guess that's global warming - you know, it gets warmer everywhere except the places where people live.

Thanks!

Here is a video that Ben put together. It is based one of our tracts.

(Some of the words are kind of small, so you might want to increase the magnification of your browser - on the lower right corner where it says 100%)

Thoughts about Witnessing

Yesterday, I was watching this very funny show called "Game Show in My Head" (or something like that - the name didn't leave a big impression), and I was convicted about my own fear of witnessing to people. The idea of the show was that a person wore a little earpiece so he could hear what the host of the show was saying, and he was standing outside on a busy sidewalk. The host would tell him the challenge and if he could complete it in a certain amount of time, he would get $5,000. The challenge always included engaging a complete stranger in conversation and usually included convincing the person to do something for him. One guy had to convince someone to help him break up with his 'girlfriend' on the phone; another had to convince a man to pretend to be a doctor from an ivy league school and take his 'mom' on a blind date. These people would approach people confidently and engage them in conversation - often they were turned down and even insulted by these strangers on the streets. Undaunted, they would continue in their quest for $5,000.
How is this different than what Christians (who really believe what they profess) should be doing? Well, the gospel is more important; it will actually benefit the person to whom we give it; and there is a greater reward waiting to those who obey God's command to preach the gospel. So why shouldn't we be willing to walk down the street, approach someone and say something like, "Hi, I am just out today talking to people about 'Peace' and i was just wondering if i could take a few moments of your time and ask you a few questions? Can you think of someone in your life who has done wrong to you? What would it take for reconciliation to happen between you and that person? What if someone had only ever done good to you and you only did wrong in return?..." So what if they tell you to take a hike? but what if they listen?

My New Role-Model

Has anyone ever watched that PBS show "Caillou". Well, if not, you may not understand what I'm talking about. Caillou's mom is my new "mom role-model". She is always patient with her children - even when they drop their toys in the toilet. She always knows how to solve her childrens' problems - even bad behavior problems. And she never seems stressed out. Her house is always clean, and her kids are always happy. So, putting aside the fact that she is a fictional TV character with fictional children, she is the best mom role model I know. Obviously I need to get out more.
By the way, I'm finally on facebook. It's true what they say: Everyone's doing it.

Christmas With Family

Well, it's almost two weeks after Christmas, so I have caught up on laundry and have almost found a place for all the new stuff. Now i have time to sit and blog. My kids are also occupied with "Nemo" so I have about an hour of 'free time' left.
We went to Nashville to visit my family, and I got to see my little brother and his new wife and my older brother and his family. The boys really enjoyed getting to know their cousins: they ran around the house, played and wrestled the whole time. We also got to see my uncle and aunt and their new baby at my grandma's house. Lots of people, lots of food, lots of fun.
Then we went to Knoxville to see Ben's family (his parents came down from Cincinnati). We got to celebrate Lucas's third birthday, visit with lots of family and eat some more food. (Don't worry, we came armed with Tums). Stay tuned for pictures.
We had a really great time - probably the best Christmas since we were married.
Well, that's all i have. I have to wash dishes now. again.