"We Want Videos!"

We're all really enjoying having Lady around while we await Baby Martin's arrival! Today marked week 39, so we're just 7 days away from due date!

Lucy and Jack's favorite activity to do with Lady is watch "videos" on her Ipad. For Jack, it's truck and firetruck videos; for Lucy, she loves watching cake decorating videos. We've seen some great ones on how to make a princess ball gown type cake, and an adorable one on how to make a flip flop cake - adorable! I'll try to get the links from Lady and put them up! You'd be shocked how easy some of it actually is!

Sweet story regarding Lucy and her cake watching with Lady...we were at the store picking out Valentine's Day cards (I was horribly late, and picking out cards literally hours before VDay...). I took Lucy to the VDay section, and started browsing myself for a card for Jason. A few minutes later, Lucy announces, with great enthusiasm, "I found one! I found one!"

She brings me a card entitled "Congratulation on your Wedding!" It is a cutout picture of a four tiered wedding cake, adorned with lots of icing flowers and glitter on every other layer.

Then Lucy says, "I like this one because Lady and I watch cakes getting made, and this one is of a BEAUTIFUL cake!" So, not quite a true "Valentine's" themed card, but I think it's even better! Pretty adorable and clever, that girl!

Here's some pictures of Lady and Jack watching truck videos before bed:







i love the folded hands:

Goodies!

Last week, my Aunt Karen, "Aunt KK", visited us. It was so great to have her around the house - not just because she is a Labor and Delivery nurse - but the kids loved hanging out with her and I loved all the help around the house she provided!

My guess is the kids' favorite activity with Aunt K was making valentine cookies!











"What? We have to WAIT for the cookies to BAKE!?!?!"



Then, we enjoyed the Beckers' company for dinner and the kids enjoyed the treats!

Jason's New Flash

For Christmas, my parents gave Jason this new flash to use with our camera. Jason has been wanting this flash forever, for the flash that comes on the camera when you buy it makes a harsh light when used indoors (well, all cameras tend to do that, I guess). Anyhow, he's been drooling over this new flash, and now that he has it, he's been a picture-takin' fool!

Lucy is, of course, a willing participant in these pictures: ;-)










Anyhow, just some fun photos of the kids. Thanks for the awesome new flash Mom and Dad!

this and that...

first a little of "this":

I had my 37 week OB visit today, and everything is just fine - praises! Baby is head down, still measuring large (I'm measuring "39 weeks" - 2 weeks ahead), and no dilation. I'm particularly happy with the last part. I'm eager to meet our child, but not in any unnecessary hurry! Enjoying the last weeks of just having "two kids" and getting a full night's rest each night!

The very best part of the entire visit? I was in an out the door in 17 minutes - which could be considered a miracle since each visit averages around 1 to 1.5 hours to go through the process.

now a little of "that":
I am so proud of Jack and the progress he's making with potty training! Cute, albeit a little pitiful, story: last night Jack was whining in the middle of the night (uncommon for him). He kept persisting, so finally Jason went in to see what Jack was having an issue with...When Jason walked in, Jack started saying "Potty! Potty! I have to go potty!" Poor baby was uncomfortable with too much pee.

I couldn't believe in that situation, that he didn't just go to the bathroom in his pull up! So, Jason took him to the bathroom, where apparently he peed A LOT, and then back to bed. Funny, huh?!?

But he is doing great, starting to tell us about half of the time when he needs to go; still peeing anytime we take him; so accidents are now pretty rare. That makes his preschool teachers happy, and makes me feel a little more relaxed when we're hanging out at home, not having to be so rigid about taking him to the bathroom all the time!

Despite my reluctance in the beginning, I'm so glad we're doing this before the baby arrives!

Too much Fancy Nancy?

I love that Lucy enjoys this fun character, "Fancy Nancy," and is really into the fun stories and books in this series. In each book, Nancy uses several "fancy" words, and the last page of each story (in the "I Can Read" series) teaches around 10 fancy words that were used. Words like "delectable," "interesting," and "exhausted" to name a few.

And of course, she is still LOVING her bedding Lady and Papa gave her at Christmas:

So, just a cute, quick story to share...

I was putting Lucy down for nap yesterday, and she asked me, "Mommy, what does 'glorious' mean?"

I replied, "Well, it's like wonderful, or really beautiful. Like a bright, sunny day or a beautiful piece of nature can be 'glorious.'"

A brief pause, followed by her precious comment, "Well, Mommy...I. AM. GLORIOUS!"

Three-year-olds...precious!

Sibling Class

On Monday night, we went to the Sibling Class offered through Crestwood (where we delivered Jack and will have this one too). It was a cute, little one-hour course which taught the siblings what to expect with the new baby.

Lucy was all about it, focusing hard and paying close attention. Jack...well, he sort of listened, got up and moved around, made a few friends among the adults, etc. ;-)

Here are some pics:


Lucy and Jack were by far the youngest of the kids...




This is how we hold a baby...not too bad, jack ;-)



followed by sitting on the baby...hummm...not so good ;-)



feeding the baby with a bottle...with jack it was more like spearing the doll's face ;-)



how to put on a diaper. what's cute about this picture is that lucy's doll is wearing the exact onesie lucy wore when she was a new baby...SO TINY!!!


undressing baby...











next, it was on to the maternity section to see a real baby in the nursery...




they gave the kids dr's hats and masks if they wanted to wear them ;-)


I've made my list of things to pack...we're within four weeks of due date! (2/22) Next OB checkup is next Wed - a week from today. We'll see what we find out!

Freestylin' at Dance Class!

Lucy is really enjoying her Dance Classes Papa and Lady gave her for Christmas. This last weekend Baba 'n Grandpa got to see her in action. No doubt when Papa and Lady get to see this in person, they'll be reminded of their own "less-than-graceful-ballerina" (me ;-) whose "leaps in the air" lacked a certain quality ;-)


Couldn't get YouTube's code to embed properly on this blog, but just click the link below and it will take you to the video.

Before you watch...Jason's filming from outside the viewing window, so you can't hear the audio inside the dance studio, but you can hear giggles and chatting from family watching.

Also, to help you know what's going on as you watch...

*the first 45 seconds the instructor was leading the girls with something, and Lucy just kind of breaks into her own "wiggle dance"

*at one minute in, the girls are instructed to do some "leaps" across the floor. (Lucy may have cleared two cemtimeters LOL!)

*and my favorite part, from 1:30 min - 1:50 min, the girls were told to do their own "freestyle" in front of the mirrors. Lucy goes first, and it's just adorable...and funny when she looses her balance. At the end you can see a more stable Audrey begin her freestyle ;-)

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ICWiaHNBM