And.... We're Back!

Well, hello! Apparently I have a blog, and even more surprising is that there are a few people who still read it. Who knew? And here I thought the entire blogging world would simply crumble and fall as soon as I started losing interest. I guess society really doesn't adjust it's courses to meet my fancies. Ah, well. It's a new year, and what better time to aim for improvement than the month of January? So here I am, for better or worse.

I'm afraid this post will be picture-less (and a bit pointless). I'm sure I have a few photos stashed away in my camera from Christmas. But quite honestly, I was too sleep-deprived on Christmas to remember if I took any pictures. And I'm too lazy right now to go find it and see if I did. Because really... what if there are some cute pictures? Then I have to download them, add them to this here blog, write clever little captions... Honestly, it's just way too much work. I assure you, we had a delightful Holiday season (at least, I think we did... Did I mention I was sleep-deprived?). There's really no need to bore you all with specifics. We'll sum it up with: Brandon worked too many hours and went to bed before me most nights (this is unheard of any other time of the year). I worked too many late nights and can't recall much of December, though I'm sure I ate too much because I'm several pounds heavier than I was a couple months ago. The kids were giddy and excited and surprisingly content and well-behaved. As a family, we spent way too much money, but sure had a lot of fun doing it.

Not much has happened in my 6-month blogging hiatus. Or at least not much that I feel like talking about at 10:30 at night. I'm mainly here to say I'm still here, and to make vague and most likely empty promises that I'm going to try to post more often. Who knows, if I get crazy ambitious, I might even have a picture or two to show off next time. Until then, Happy New Year to you all! Best wishes for meeting all the goals you made last year and weren't able to reach! (Please tell me I'm not the only one who's just recycling resolutions from years past...) It's never too late! This is the year of the fresh start - I can just feel it!

Summer Vacation (or the lack thereof)

It seems it hasn't even been a month since the kids got out of school... Oh, wait... probably because it really hasn't been a month. What kind of summer vacation is only 3 weeks long?? The summer vacation of a kid in year round school, I guess. In any case, I thought I'd quickly document what little we did manage to do during this little window of summer freedom.

First up... D'Ann gets married!!
My sister and Antone decided it was high time they made things official - and they did it in style! Party style, that is. What a fantastic way to do a wedding. D'Ann and Antone said their "I do's" in the shade of a clump of trees at a family park. It was a beautiful ceremony that literally brought tears to my eyes (and Gracee's eyes. She chose this, of all moments, to have her very first inconsolable crying spell... of course). After being pronounced husband & wife by a military chaplain who has performed many a wedding in our family, D & Antone were showered with a million cliche bubbles - and then it was barbecue time! What a spread we had! I'm starting to sound like a broken record by saying this, but my family seriously rocks the house when it comes to party/food planning. My Mom, my aunts, and my super-woman-of-a-sister-in-law, Vicki, had an incredibly impressive mass of food for the countless family and friends who came out to celebrate.

My Dad and my brother, Lynn, manned the barbecues, dishing out hundreds of hot dogs and tiny hamburgers (which were washed down with homemade root beer). It was all delicious, and I enjoyed the excess food in comfort while wearing shorts and a t-shirt. That's my kind of wedding! Thanks to those of you who came out. It was so fun to see so many family and friends. I told D'Ann she needs to get married every year... but to the same guy, of course. You could see how that statement might be taken the wrong way.

For the two weeks after D'Ann's wedding, I'm afraid we did a whole lot of nothing at all. You see, in the summer, it's hot. It just is. And I'm not a huge fan of being outside in the heat. I'm just not. I wish I could say we went swimming to cool down, but I'm not squeezing this stretched out, postpartum body into a swimsuit this summer. Sorry. I think I'll stick to cooling down, fully-clothed, in the cool breeze of my central air. We did manage one exciting camping trip... in the backyard. And I think we even went to a movie! And we played some intensely competitive games of Mario Kart. And then we... crap... I got nothing.

The weekend before school started back up (Pioneer Day, to be exact) we did venture out of the nicely air-conditioned house, and made our way up Millcreek Canyon for a fun little cookout and overall day of getting dirty. Mmm... tinfoil dinners and s'mores. (I think it's a little disturbing how much my enjoyment of life revolves around food right now. No wonder I haven't been losing any of this baby weight!)

Pictures of my adorably dirty children and their cousins...





It's amazing to me the level of filthy these kids can reach in such a short amount of time. After we were all stuffed to the point of illness, and our limit of patience with our wild children was met; we went home for showers before meeting back up at Lynn & Vicki's for a spectacular fireworks show. Well, as spectacular as any show can be when the fireworks were purchased at a local grocery store.

The following Monday, it was back to school. McKenna started 3rd grade...



And on Tuesday, Mathew started 1st grade...



McKenna thinks her new teacher is the nicest, funniest teacher around. She also thinks 3rd grade is super easy so far. Oh, and she has officially chosen her 3rd grade crush... I'm keeping my lips sealed, now that's she's old enough to get embarrassed about it.
Mathew merely nodded his head when I asked if he liked his teacher (he's not my most vocal child). He did give me an earful about how much he likes eating lunch at school though. Way cooler than eating at home, apparently.

Even though I got a little pang of sadness in my heart watching them take off on their bikes for school, I have to admit that it is quite nice spending the day at home with just Nater and Gracee. Especially at nap time, when I get a full 2 hours of uninterrupted "me" time (which usually includes a nap of my own).

So, that's pretty much our summer for ya! Better luck next year, right?

A Day of Blessings

What a wonderful day I had yesterday! Seriously, it is a day I will bookmark and place on my shelf of great memories. Despite all the stress I had the day before, while preparing food and my house for Gracee's blessing, I woke up in the morning feeling excited, yet peaceful. As I dressed Gracee in her beautiful blessing dress (made by my talented mother), I was overwhelmed by how much I love my little angel. And how could I not? Just look at her!





(These pictures are cute enough to forgive my blatant bragging... right?)

Not only were we able to bless our sweet Gracee, but we also surprised everyone by finally blessing our charming Nathaniel.



(I love that he loves his baby sister, even when she steals his mommy's attention)

What, you ask? Why are we just now blessing Nathaniel?? Well, quite honestly... it's none of your business!
Ok, ok... I'll quit being snotty and acknowledge that inquiring minds want to know. Nathaniel was born within weeks of Brandon finishing up his months of chemotherapy treatments**. He was sick, depressed, and just not in a good place at the time. We always swore we'd bless him later. And then later turned into later and later and later, until we almost forgot about it. When it came time to bless Gracee, we saw a wonderful opportunity to make that moment even more special. And it was. I can't tell you how amazing it was to hear Brandon bless Nathaniel that he will use his "enthusiasm to serve the Lord." If you know our Nater at all, enthusiasm is the perfect word to use in reference to him. There's something good to be said about blessing your child after you already know what kind of personality they have!

More pictures...





This is what I felt like doing all day. Gracee was tuckered out. It's exhausting being held by so many people who love you!



Thanks to all of you who showed up to support us (and eat our food... you knew there had to be something in it for you!) Speaking of food, thanks to my mom and my sister-in-law, Vicki. I swear to you, I did almost nothing but clean my house and show up. My family put together everything: the food, the seating, the cleanup... And Brandon wonders why I'm so against the idea of moving out of state. Apparently I still need my family to take care of me, like the child that I am. I'm just trying to stay young at heart.

After the last of our friends and family left, we made our way to my brother's church to see him set apart as a member of the High Council. What an amazing experience that was. At the risk of sounding sappy to the point of eye-rolling, I have to say that I rarely feel that much love and Spirit in such an intimate setting. I'm so proud of my brother and his family. They are an amazing example of what mankind should be.

To wrap up this fantastic day, Lynn and Vicki had us all over to their house for a few family pictures and a lot of delicious food. Haven't I built myself a nice little family?



The weather was perfect and so was the company. I went to bed that night content and happy (and 3 pounds heavier. I think I overdid it on the whip cream balls.) My cup overfloweth.

**I guess there's some back story some of you don't know. I don't mind sharing the story in the least (especially since it has a happy ending). In 2007, Brandon was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (only weeks after we discovered I was pregnant - talk about an eventful year!) He underwent 4 months of chemotherapy and that did the trick! Thankfully he is in full remission and the doctors don't anticipate it ever coming back. We were very fortunate. It was a hard time, but we're just so grateful that he's healthy and still with us! Thanks to everyone for your kind words.

Getting back to good

I love my new baby girl... I really, really do. What I don't love is the anxious, weepy, grumpy girl I become after having a new baby. Call it hormones, call it exhaustion, call it excess fat and flabby skin... I just know that it takes me weeks and weeks (sometimes months and months) to start feeling like myself again. We've all been trying to find our own ways to adjust to the new little person in our lives. For me, the past 4 weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions - the most common being the irresistible urge to throttle my 2-year-old. I fear I brought on his ultra neediness myself, through self-manifesting statements like, "I'm not looking forward to Nathaniel's reaction to me having this new baby" and "Nathaniel is going to have a hard time sharing his mommy". You know, it's not always a good thing to be right. But alas, how can I stay mad at a little boy who looks like this?



I'm afraid I'm a bit of a softy when it comes to this little monster, and he's always forgiven his tantrums and antics before I'm ever able to give into any violent urges.

As expected, McKenna is absolutely loving having a little sister to dote on. She holds her, sings to her, tells her stories, and is on a constant mission to be the first one to make Gracee smile. 8 1/2 years isn't too big a gap for these two to be future best buddies, is it?

I can't say Mathew has been incredibly involved in the whole Gracee scene. If it wasn't for his occasional "Hi Gracee!" I would wonder if he's even noticed that we added a new member to our little family. The only change he's really made is that he's now prone to carrying around one of his many stuffed animals, wrapped up in a small blanket. If you show the slightest interest in his "baby", he'll talk your ear off about his baby's sleeping, eating, and playing habits. Just a fair warning.

Brandon is a trooper. He continues to be patient and supportive no matter how many times he has to wonder in exasperation why I'm crying again. I'm still managing very little house work. Not because I'm still healing, but more because I'm exhausted and would rather escape real life by sleeping, reading a book, or watching Entertainment Television (hey, we all have our guilty pleasures). Brandon doesn't even roll his eyes (that I know of) when he comes home to a messy house and another non-existent meal. I have a feeling I'm pushing it though and should probably start stepping up my game a little. Almost every night, you'll find him and Gracee in this position. Once the older kids are in bed, Brandon has dibs on his baby girl.

My Gracee girl is a sweet little baby. She does a lot of this...



and this...




and this...



and very little of this...


(Don't you just love the outfit?? Courtesy of my bestie, Katie)

Seriously, this girl can SLEEP (except between the hours of 3:00 am - 5:30 am... the ONLY time of day or night that she feels like fussing... of course). I'm very in love with my little baby doll and can't wait for her to give me a smile or some sort of acknowledgement that she just might love me too.

The last 4 weeks have flown by in a tornado of laughter, yelling, and tears. I'm still feeling a little psychotic, but I think I'm starting to have more good days than bad. I'm slowly making my way back to good, and I'm sure my family will be ready and beyond thrilled to welcome back their mostly normal wife/mother with open arms.

Please give a warm welcome to...

Gracee Lyn Staten



Born April 26th and weighing in at 5 lbs, 15 oz and measuring 18.5 inches long. She's gorgeous, she's sweet, she's tiny, and we could not be happier to have her join our little family. Love to hear the birthing story? If so, read on! If not so, at least scroll down to look at the rest of the pics, because this 1st one doesn't really do her justice. But then, none of the others do either. You just have to see something this adorable in person to fully appreciate it! But then, I may be a little biased.

The day of Monday, April 26th dawned and we were on our way to the hospital for my scheduled induction. So, I'm a bit of a wimp and asked to be induced. I was miserable (for personal reasons you'll all thank me for not sharing) and I caved. I was stripped of my clothing... and my dignity (as all of you who have given birth before will understand), hooked up to an IV and the waiting began! The first couple hours were the usual misery, until the epidural. Oh sweet epidural... How I love thee! Then we waited another hour... and another... and another, and so on. At 4:00 pm I almost cried when they said I was only dilated 4 cm. I was starving, on the verge of a migraine, having my usual panic attacks at being so numb that I couldn't wiggle my toes (even the sweet epidural has drawbacks) and since the baby's heart rate kept dropping dramatically at every contraction, I was also stuck with a lame oxygen mask on my face... which sucked (or technically, blew... whatever). Thankfully, luck was on my side at 5:00 when they checked me again at I was ready to push! Hallelujah! Let the pushing begin!! Two little pushes later and my little baby doll was born.



The rest is history. Recovery the first night was hard (and may or may not have included me puking a few times. I'll spare you the details.) But each day got better and today I'm feeling pretty darn good for having just given birth.

The kids were so excited to meet their new little sister. Especially McKenna. Not that you can tell at all by the huge ol' grin on her face in this picture. Even Nathaniel has been quite enthusiastic and inquisitive about "Baby Geecee". We'll see how he feels when his morning chocolate milk/cuddle time with mama is delayed because I'm feeding her.

I seem to be doing this a lot lately, but I would AGAIN like to publicly thank my amazing parents for keeping and caring for my kiddos while Gracee and I were held up in the hospital. Gracee has no idea how lucky she is... yet.



As always, I loved the peace and quiet of my hospital stay, with just a short visit from my crazy kids.



Though, truth be told, this morning (day 3) I was missing those crazy kids and very ready to go home. So we took our baby Gracee, draped her in WAY too much pink, and took her home.



So here we are! It feels good to have our complete little family all together. More stories to come for sure. But for now, I'm going to assume my usual position on the couch (because if I'm ever going to lose this baby weight, I have to enjoy what little couch time I have left), and enjoy this incredible feeling... at least until my post-partum psycho crying begins.
Thanks to those of you who have already offered your congrats, visits, offers of help, gifts, and love. What would we do without you all?

10 Years and Counting

That's right. Brandon and I have officially made it to 10 full years of marriage. It hasn't always been blissful, it hasn't always been all I ever hoped it would be... but it has always been real and we have always made it work.
We always had BIG plans for our 10 year anniversary. Hawaii was in our sight! Unfortunately, life doesn't always appreciate your big plans and we had to face reality. We're broke and I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant. So instead we opted for seeing Brian Regan live during his tour through Salt Lake, and staying at The Courtyard Marriott in downtown Salt Lake. Who needs dumb ol' palm trees and warm sandy beaches anyway?? Who's to say we didn't love the crappy snow storm that hit yesterday just as much? Well, lame weather and all... we still had a great time.

For those of you who are not familiar with Brian Regan, you really should be! He's a hysterical comedian that always manages to keep it clean while still making me laugh until I worry I've pulled something. Honestly, I had tears dripping from my face onto my chest throughout his whole show because I was laughing so hard. I don't think I had a stitch of makeup left on my entire face by the time he wrapped things up. Good times. A big thanks to my fabulous sister, D'Ann, for recommending Brandon and I attend the show (along with a fabulous lunch before hand) with her and her boyfriend, Antone. What a way to celebrate! I also owe her a big thanks for using her Marriott employee discount to land us our cozy hotel room for a price that actually fits in our budget (this is not an easy task to accomplish right now, trust me folks!) Brandon and I, exhausted from all the laughing, checked into our room right after the show and didn't leave for the rest of the night - even though we originally had big plans of a nice dinner out and a late movie. Instead, we enjoyed fantastically greasy and delicious pizza, courtesy of The Pie Pizzeria (and delivered right to our hotel room door), and a couple of lame movies on HBO. (Seriously, they should have stopped making The Mummy movies after the 2nd one. It was all down hill from there.) With our movies watched and the pizza sitting like a big, greasy rock in our stomachs, we settled down for a nice 12 full hours of sleep without interruption from the kids. Well, it was more like 30-50 minute catnaps, taken in succession for 12 straight hours. Who sleeps good in a hotel room? Not I. But I did enjoy the soft bed, fluffy pillows, and black out curtains. So I'll take it.

Before I wrap things up, I have to give a big THANK YOU to my wonderful parents (who celebrate their anniversary tomorrow) for taking our kids over night and not even complaining about it. They do this for us every year and I wish they only knew how much we really appreciate it. It was pure bliss to not be woken up at 6:30 this morning by a crying 2-year-old who immediately insists I give him a big cup of chocolate milk and hold him on my lap until he finishes every drop.

10 years... I can't believe everything that we've been through so far, and how we haven't even scratched the surface of all the years to come (we'll hope so anyway). Happy Anniversary to my love! Can't wait to see what the next 10 years will bring!

Updates (of the Mundane Variety)

Bloggity shmoggity... I'm just struggling with it right now. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I don't make it out of my pajamas most days. Maybe I should change the name of my blog to "Sheri's Adventures in Pajamas". Not bad... I'm going to consider it.

I have decided, after reading many blog posts by many of my fellow peers, that I don't need anything exciting to happen to keep up my blog. Lots of you make me laugh on a daily basis with nothing other than the same life events I experience everyday. So here I am to tell you what's been going on and to assure you all that we are still living and breathing... in a manner of speaking.

Nathaniel is a major pain, but is saved from mean thoughts and dirty looks by being so stinkin' cute. He is very vocal and talks to me all the day long. These talks are sometimes super cute and sometimes annoying, depending on my mood and whether or not I got my nap that day. I'm thinking of starting potty training and worrying about how on earth I'm going to kick him out of the crib before our baby girl makes her debut.

Mathew continues to successfully make his way through Kindergarten. When at home, we struggle to make him take breaks from the Wii. The kid is all about video games and his obsession reminds me on a daily basis why I never wanted to get a video game system in the first place. Oh well. He loves it and will talk your ear off about his strategy plans if you'll give him the opportunity.



McKenna is such a girl. What can I do? I don't know how to deal with this girl who talks and acts like a 13-year-old. I'm in for many long hours of listening to rambling talks about boys, Taylor Swift, fashion, and everything else classified as "girly". That is, when I can break her away from her friends long enough to be reminded of her existence.

Brandon is the glue that holds this household together right now. He is basking in his post-nursing school freedom and is on a rampage to purge this house of any unnecessary item lurking in hidden corners and closets. He works full time and spends his days off tackling everything I don't do. He does the dishes, cleans the bathrooms, vacuums and mops the floors, picks up toys, and threatens to do the laundry until I finally break down and do it myself. Poor guy. I've asked him to merely tolerate me for the next few months, and promise daily that this isn't the permanent me. His sanity saver right now is basketball, which he plays 1-2 times a week. Thank heavens he has something.

Me? I'm pregnant. This is my excuse (and most likely the last time I get to use it) and I'm sticking to it firmly. I'm trying my best to enjoy this experience for the miracle it is. I spend my day doing what's absolutely necessary, and then my remaining hours are filled with sleeping and reading. What a life. Can I help it if my aching body gives out after only 30 minutes of manual labor?? Can I help it if cooking most foods make me want to run for the nearest toilet? Can I help it if the slightest hint of annoyance or criticism from anyone makes me burst into tears? I answer NO to all these questions to keep myself from feeling the guilt that's hiding out and waiting to pounce. Please tell me there's at least ONE pregnant woman out there who is just as pathetic as I am... Please?? My sanity saver right now is my book club (which is going quite well, thanks). I really, truly love it and everyone in it.

That's life. I'm sure it will get more exciting at some point, but right now I'm just enjoying the pure laziness of it all. As whiny as I may sound, I'm truly not complaining. In life, there's a time for excitement and a time for the mundane. A time for productivity and a time for sitting on one's backside. A time for wakefulness and a time for sleep. A time for cooking delicious homemade meals and a time for purchasing fattening take-out. I think you get the idea.

A Wedding Day

Some said it would never happen... but happen it did, and we all could not be happier! What am I talking about? Brandon's step-brother, Bubba (aka Justin), finally found his other half and decided to marry her. What a beautiful day! We spent the large majority of last Friday celebrating this momentous occasion.

Our morning started off with a drive up to the Bountiful temple, where we learned that if you head up that high, you actually find the sun again! Who knew it had been there the whole time, hiding above the thick layer of smog hovering over the Salt Lake valley? While freezing our way through all the beautiful outdoor pictures, I decided to take a few pictures of my own. And since it was Bubba and Stacy's special day, I choose to ignore them completely and focus my camera on no one but my own cute little family. I'm thoughtful that way. But before you judge me as selfish, I ask you... How could I not with this little guy flashing me cheesy grins?



Or this handsome little man making such picture worthy faces?



I even conned an innocent bystander into taking a family photo for us.



It is a rather squinty-eyed picture. Probably not the best idea to stand directly facing the sun. Oh well.

After all the picture fun was done, we made our way over to The Old Meeting House reception center for one of the most delicious luncheons I've ever had the pleasure of eating. It was so good, not one word of complaint escaped my lips when I was only given water to drink with it. (For those of you who really know me, compliments don't come much higher than that!)

After a nice rest at home, we made our way to the final destination... the wedding reception. I hope you all haven't become too bored with my rundown of the day, because I tell ya... this is the best part! Bubba, having gone to Scotland on his mission, and being a bit Scottish himself (his last name is MCEWAN after all), decided to fully exploit this little fact and dress himself and his groomsmen all in KILTS! It was fabulous... truly. Pictures you ask? Oh yes, I have pictures...

Lucky for me, my dear husband was chosen to participate in this wonderful game of dress-up. Here he is with the kids.



The groomsmen... And yes, the one on the far right (Bubba's best friend, Corey) is indeed holding his adorable little son, who is ALSO decked out in a kilt. LOVE it!



Bubba and Stacy. I'm ashamed to admit, this truly is the one and ONLY picture I took of them. I'm pathetic.



I have to add one more of little Tristan, being held by his cute mom this time. I think I giggled for a full 5 minutes when I realized that he was all dressed up too. Honestly, can't get enough if him.



It really was a wonderful day and we are so happy to have Stacy join this fun family. A big, heart-felt CONGRATS to the happy couple!

Ok, fine... one more of the groomsmen for the road...


Gotta love it.

Bah-Humbug!

It is a true testament to what a Scrooge I was this Christmas when, now that it is over, my energy level and mood have improved dramatically. Honestly, if I was childless, I think I may have skipped the entire holiday. This makes me sad, since Christmas, with all it's magic, is normally my very favorite time of year. But sadly, with the combination of more things than I care to complain about right now, I just wasn't feeling it this time. So much, that I'm almost surprised I didn't receive any ghostly visitors attempting to give me redemption on Christmas Eve night. So my apologies to you all this year. I didn't do Christmas cards, I didn't do neighbor/friend gifts... in fact, the only people who received any kind of gift from me this year is my kids and Brandon (and even his loot was pretty pathetic). Now, let me backpedal a little. I wasn't COMPLETELY worthless in the Christmas spirit department. And I have pictures to prove it! After all, we did...

Put up and decorate our Christmas tree...



(Ok, fine. Technically I had nothing to do with this, since I was laying on the couch in nauseated exhaustion while Brandon and the kids did all the work.)

We saw Christmas lights in sub-zero temperatures...



Nathaniel donned a Santa hat...



(So this really doesn't have much to do with anything, I just thought it was a fun picture.)

Though not Christmas related, we did celebrate Nathaniel's 2nd birthday with a delicious chocolate cake, my HIS favorite!



McKenna looked adorably snazzy while performing in her Christmas dance recital...



We paid a visit to Santa Claus (and I really do have photographic evidence of the actual Santa, but my scanner is being uncooperative)...



And, of course, we watched movies (complete with a picnic dinner of snacks on the family room floor) on Christmas Eve. We set out brownies, milk, and apples for Santa and his reindeer. We tracked Santa (who was making his way through Ecuador when the kids were about to climb into bed). And we read stories to calm our minds a little before falling asleep. Once the kids were in bed, the work began. Brandon and I wrapped gifts, finishing at 12:30 am (a full TWO hours ahead of schedule for us), only to have Brandon get called into work at 1:00 am. He worked until 6:30 am, came home, and slept for all of 40 minutes before the kids were up and ready for gift opening! Poor Daddy hauled his poorly rested body out of bed for the sake of Christmas morning magic!

Here's the kids impatiently posing for pictures before being allowed to dive into the pile of presents (decked out in Christmas jammies provided by Grandma and Grandpa Squire, of course).



Stockings first!



When all the fun is done, there's always the mess to look forward to...



My house is still an absolute wreck, and I'm trying my best to channel the energy needed to clean it up. Meanwhile, I think I'll ignore knocks at the door and waste time playing on the computer. Sounds good.

Despite all my whining during the season, and prayers of thanks for having it over and done with, I do love Christmas and everything it entails. I promise to make more of an effort next season. Because next season... I won't be pregnant, I won't be working until the wee hours of each morning, and the shock of having to pay for Christmas without credit cards will have worn off and I will be better prepared for this challenge. Ah, just listen to my naive optimism... it's so sweet. I'm sure next season will have it's own challenges, but we'll just hope I'm not as hormonal and can take them on without a fuss!

I hope you all enjoyed a happy and fulfilling Christmas! All I have to say for now is... Bring on New Years!! I am more than ready for a fresh start!

The Time Has Come...

A large chunk of you have already heard our news one way or another, but for those of you who haven't, let me officially announce that we are expecting our 4th and final baby!



Awww... check out that profile! Don't you just already want to pinch those skeletal little cheeks??

I am fortunate enough that my doctor's office is so kind to offer an optional ultrasound at 16 weeks (for a mere $25) for those of us crazy people who are simply not patient enough to wait the extra 4 weeks to find out the sex. Honestly, the best $25 I ever spend! I simply don't know how those of you who are amazing enough to wait for the kid to actually be BORN to find out the sex do it. You have the kind of will power I could only dream of. So without further ado...


(I'm praying this will be the only picture displaying her private parts to ever make it onto the Internet...)

Yep! It is indeed a GIRL! And thank heavens for that. I was not looking forward to the therapy I would have had to invest in for my poor McKenna had it been another little brother. To say she is thrilled would be an understatement.

We expect our sweet little girl's arrival sometime around May 3rd.