Who said T-Rex was a meat eater?

Fynn is a very picky eater, and even with stuff he does like, he eats very little of it. Just about every meal ends in his plate, over three-quarters full, being thrown on the floor before any of us can do anything about it. It's like he thinks, "I'm done, NOW WATCH!" Today was no exception, and unfortunately the plate had lots of peas left on it. Before I had a chance to clean it up, Bryce looked over and found him gently feeding peas to his dinosaur. I had to fish peas out of its mouth later, and I guess he must have been giving it "sips" of milk, too, because a white liquid trickled out of the corners of the mouth.

Careful selection process

"What? Whatcha starin' at? Dude's hungry."

Twilight spoof

I don't know if anyone has seen this yet, but we found it tonight on YouTube and thought it was pretty funny. Slow in parts, but worth it.

Hopefully I make it that far, or hopefully not...

Today I had a doctor's appointment, and we were able to go ahead and schedule my C-section. As of right now, it's for October 30. I think it's possible I could end up in the hospital before that, though, as my due date is November 1, and I already have painful contractions through most nights. With Ewan, I was exactly 37 weeks when labor started, and it wouldn't surprise me if that happened again. I just wanted to update everyone. I'll be in the hospital for Halloween!!! Meep. But that's okay, I bought the baby a newborn hat that is a black owl with littel tufts that stick up on top. He'll be very cute wearing it in the hospital.

Just for fun, all of my boys relaxing together, enjoying some Sesame Street before we had to leave this morning. Note Ewan's stash of Transformers that constantly accompanies him everywhere. Bryce was lamenting the fact that it was a nice, cool, snuggly-type morning and he had to get up and exert himself.

Partying for Corgan

This weekend, I had dinner with a bunch of friends, including my sister. It was a "non" shower if you will. I'm very self-conscious when it comes to things like showers. The day of my wedding shower, I literally nearly had a panic attack. I don't know why really - just everyone staring at me and how funny it feels for me when people do really nice things or buy something for me. So in order to avoid that a little, I wanted to just get to have dinner with some of my oldest and closest friends. Granted, it was still a "party" that was kind of thrown for me, and yes, people gave me things, but the fact that it was just like going out to dinner made it seem less overwhelming and I was much less self-conscious.

Ashley, Missy, Sarah and Shannon went all out for me, and it overwhelms me the work and love they put into everything. And then at the dinner, friends from every era of my life were there. It was very interesting to have all of them there together. From my earliest hours on this earth, of course my sister Ashley, who is totally awesome. She is the first person to hold my babies when they come into this world and the one who hands them to me. She's been with me through so many dark days. Erica came and I've known her from the time we were knee-high to a grasshopper in church. My first memory of her is both of us yelling at each other during the primary program because one of us sat on the others' dress. It's such a funny thing to remember. Then from my singles days, one of my best friends I've just been reacquainted with, Marianne, was also there. She is a major reason that I was able to stay sane while Bryce was on his mission. And then during my time so far as a wife and mother, Missy, Shannon and Sarah. They have each been such important parts of my life over the last three years and have put up with lots of my insanity.

There were so many wonderful gifts, some owl-themed (thanks, Ashley! The owl that hoots is among the favorites.) I would post some pictures of the cute clothes, but trust me, after the baby comes and is actually wearing them, I probably won't be able to resist posting a new picture of him every time he wears something for the first time. My actual favorite present was from Missy, who got two of the best pictures from Labor Day and had them nicely framed, along with a third frame giving me one free photo session of the baby. Just seeing our beautiful boys in these pictures taken by someone so talented and able to capture them perfectly... Bryce and I each sigh in disbelief every time we look at them. I'm so excited to see the picture that ends up in Corgan's frame! (And thanks to Missy for all the pictures in this post!)  I want to post about all the presents, but this is already too long! Although I will say the favors that Shannon, Sarah and Ashley made touched me so much that I did shed some tears in an alone moment. The iris bulbs were such a personal touch, and something I'm very sentimental about. I loved everything and I'll be a good girl and send out proper thank you notes this week. (If I'm not lazy this week, I might actually post a picture every day of each one. For my own entertainment if not anyone else's!)

I've posted just a few, but more pictures and details from the night can be found here. Thanks to everyone involved for all the love and I can't ever tell you how much it all means to me.

I just wanted to post a picture of Marianne because I'm still so thrilled she's back in my life. She came over one night last week while the men were working and we just talked for over five hours. I love her. *Sniffle*

One of the framed pictures.

My friends: Erica, Shannon, Sarah, Ashley, Marianne, (me), Missy
Thanks, everyone!  (And a special thanks to Sarah, who covered my dinner.)

You are going to be sick of hearing from me...

...but this is what happens when your husband is working the night shift and Fall shows haven't started yet. I'm on the computer. A lot. You'd think I'd do something useful, like clean (nah!) or read something uplifting (nothing to read...) Instead - I'm checking out stuff I'll never be able to buy on Etsy. On that note, could you not just squeeze this squishy baby in his hat to pieces? I want to roll him up in my pocket and take him everywhere I go.

Promise not to call him Corgy

(Wow, I haven't done this many posts in a long time...)

Okay, so I'm a terrible secret keeper.  At least with my own secrets - with someone else's secrets I'm good.  With my own, I just can't keep it in.  As a result, I've whispered the baby's name to enough people here and there that it is really quite pointless to keep it any kind of "secret" any longer.  So here goes:  Corgan Kelly.  That is his name.  Now if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all.  :)

Part Deux: To inspire magical dreams

This can be filed more along the lines of "Dear Donald Trump," but it never hurts to look. Mary Ann found this beautiful site showcasing the jewelry from which sprang the aforementioned perfume.

Dear Santa,

Do you see the fairy? Do you?!!! I don't even care what it smells like. Although it sounds very promising and Kelli-ish. From the website: "Faerie - A sparkling fragrance with a blend of violets, blackcurrant, Bulgarian Rose, Egyptian Jasmine, and Iris Butter that whirl with whimsy within the spectacular flacon to reveal the timeless spirit of Van Cleef & Arpels."

Whatever. Do you see that fairy? Sitting on a tree branch? See her? Bring her to me. Please.

Love,
Kelli

Beats cursing

Ewan's favorite movie all last week was "The Last Mimsy." Tonight while he was walking with a plateful of fish sticks, they all slid right off of the plate and onto the floor. Looking down at them in dismay and frustration, suddenly he exclaimed, "THE LAST OF ALL MIMSYS!!!"

Of course, I laughed.

He looked at me very sternly. "I wasn't saying that to be funny."

Happiest Day

While Bryce was on his mission, I met a girl in the singles ward named Marianne and we became very good friends.  We had so much in common - from music to life's experiences and the fact that we both had tattoos.  She was someone I could be completely myself around and she never judged.  I loved hanging out with her at her house and we'd drive around in my truck and listen to music.  We'd often leave church (our singles ward was pretty lame, at least that was our excuse) and go get something to drink or eat (hey, no judging...)  I just loved her so much and was very sad when she up and got married and left me to live with her new husband in Canada.  The last time we saw each other was during a hurried visit when I was newly pregnant with Ewan.  Besides that little visit, it has been six years since we saw each other. She has moved around a lot over these past years - Canada, Georgia, Louisiana - and so we lost each other's phone numbers and I've just thought about her so much and missed her.  

Today, after I dismissed my primary class, a loud booming voice filled the room and in walked this tall blond goddess to wrap me in a hug. It was Marianne.  I don't think I've ever been so happy to see someone in my life.  Her husband is here for some training, and they'll be in our ward for the next two months.  She had seen Bryce in the cultural hall and recognized him then went searching for me.  I'll be so very sad when she leaves, but for now - I'm so happy that I've been near tears all day.  We sat next to each other in sacrament and it was hard to not just sit and talk the entire time.  We laughed as we kept hearing each other's stomach growling and played with the boys.  We had her and her husband, Blake, over for dinner and it was like no time had passed at all.  They do not have children, which is a shame because they were so amazing with the boys and by the time we left, Blake was giving Bryce some serious competition for Fynn's affections.   

This just goes down as one of my happiest days in a very long time, and she and I plan on seeing lots of each other before she leaves.  They don't really know what they'll be doing after this, or where they will be, but my fingers are crossed he'll find an opportunity here so she can stay close. Here's hopin'.

Labor Day Weekend

I love Labor Day - because it gives us a nice 3-day weekend. On Saturday, at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Bryce and I were suddenly thinking, "Hmmmm, let's hop in the car and drive to Austin." So we did. Ewan had been asking to go to a dinosaur museum, and a few days before I had found this one by the UT campus. It was awesome. They had a skeleton of a pterosaur, specifically Quetzalcoatlus, hanging from the ceiling like it was flying over you. I kid you not when I say it was one of the most amazing, awe-inspiring things I've seen in my whole life. The picture doesn't do it justice. It was so huge, and just... WOW. It was so cool. There were also lots of other skeletons of giant bison and some random little dinosaurs. They had different rocks both from Earth and space - just a lot of really neat things. By the time we hit the 3rd floor, I couldn't really walk anymore and had to sit and whine inside to myself. After, we headed over to Jesse and Amy's to visit. We were able to see the baby's nursery and Amy and I compared pregnancy woes. It stinks because I probably won't get to see her baby for a while. I don't want to burden them right after he's born - she has Ashley coming to help and we don't need too many cooks in the kitchen. And our little guy will be coming right after by a few weeks, so I won't be up to traveling. Hopefully it won't be too long. I'd like to see him before he starts cutting teeth!

For Labor Day, the Saunders came over and Bryce made some steak and pork using one of his odd concoctions and it turned out really good. Ewan, Fynn and Ben ran around the house playing trains and Transformers (Ewan's latest OBSESSION.) Then we let them play outside in our two little kiddie pools. They splashed, blew bubbles, and chased the cats. Missy took lots of wonderful pictures. So we take no credit for the ones I'm going to post. It was all Missy! The guys then went off to do a little golfing while Missy and I put the kids to bed. We ate cookies and talked for a long time, even after the guys got back. There's no telling how long we would have been up talking if not for the fact John had to get up at 4:30 this morning. It was so much fun - the only downside being that I had to switch from chair to couch to floor back to chair or couch to alleviate back pain. But, hey, I'll consider it my exercise!
This was about the best Ewan would let her take until she bribed him with more bubbles...
...then he turned into a male model, giving her different poses and facial expressions. This is one I call, "The Kelli Expression." I never noticed those two dimples until Missy pointed them out.

Cutie Fynn, looking like Daddy.

We were out of swim diapers. This thing was bursting at the seams,
until it finally start to fall off.

I post this only because my blog is private. His swimming shorts didn't stay on much better, and I had to run after him at one point to pull them up to a level of decency.

Fynn sat at the edge of the yard and stared at the wind blowing the trees.

BUBBLES!

Cute, hilarious Ben.

This is the face he makes when he says "Juice," "Cheese," or "Shoes."

Such a cool friggin' kid.

Pimp my ride

I'm lucky when pregnant in the sense that I don't get morning sickness at all. Ever. Maybe a little gaggy, but that's about it. But my body makes up for it in other ways, and I don't get a respite for the entire nine months. First, exhaustion. Now, I know everyone is exhausted when they are pregnant, so nothing new, but I swear sometimes I can't even lift my arms. The worst part for me is back pain. BAD back pain. In fact, a shooting, spiking pain that starts on my left hip and goes all the way down my leg is usually my first indication that I'm pregnant. I'll have days where I wake up okay, but as I'm walking, it will literally feel like I've been shot - the pain is that sudden and severe. Sometimes my leg will buckle beneath me. I had this with Ewan, but only at night. With Fynn, it was so bad there were days I literally couldn't take care of Ewan and had to call someone to come get him because I couldn't even walk through the kitchen to make him food. This pregnancy I've had it as well, but there have been good days interspersed. Until this past Friday. It has been so very, very bad. And no respite. And I'm so frustrated. The pain really is so awful, and I consider myself to have a pretty good tolerance for pain. The problem is that I also have a high tolerance for medicine, and mere Tylenol does absolutely NOTHING to help this pain. I don't even bother taking it anymore, because it's pointless. Nights like tonight, where even laying down doesn't help, but merely makes my leg throb as if reminding me, "Hey, at least you didn't throw up like some people," I feel like I just can't do it anymore. I just want one normal day, pain free, where I can walk around my house without stumbling or shrieking. I am a pretty melodramatic person by nature, but I really try to hold it in with this. I try so hard not to react - it throbs constantly - but then the shooting pain comes so suddenly, so sharp that it completely takes me by surprise. There's no real point to this post, just to express my frustration and tears and MAKE IT STOP!

I told Bryce I'm going to buy a wheelchair (only half-joking.) I'll need help from my friends and family to "pimp it out" for me. I want a 20 oz. Coke holder and a compartment that keeps my chocolate chip cookies warm while also keeping my milk cold. A guacamole and chip dispenser would be nice, an outlet for my iPod to charge, and some nice rims would be good, too, 20 or more inches please. An arm that pops up with a water-misting fan will be absolutely necessary as well. I'm sure I'll think of more later. I'll accept blueprints and prototypes by mail. Hurry, I have two months left.

TWO MONTHS! Waaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!

(Disclaimer: I am so excited to be having this baby. I've accepted this is my lot when bringing a new little guy into the world. I'm grateful for this pregnancy- it just doesn't make it any easier.)

My personal leech

Back in May, what was once very cute and sweet...

Now, not so much...

Lovely Things

My little sister, Amy, had a baby shower for her first baby last Saturday. Her baby boy will be coming at the end of September, and we're very excited. (Pictures of the shower will be coming in the next week, which I'm excited about because I don't have many pictures of my two sisters and I together as bona-fide grown-ups.) Anyway, as I was leaving the shower, Amy ran out after me saying she had something for me. She is a very talented jewelry maker, clothes-sewer, creative type person (which I envy enormously) and she has been working on embroidery. She had embroidered a bag for me using a Black Apple pattern. Voila:
Very cute, sorry I couldn't get a better picture. Thanks, Amy.

On another note, I am with music the way I am with friends. I am very much a loyalist to a select few bands/friends, and I very rarely let a new person/song/band into my life. For example, I am very much a loyalist to The Cure and Better than Ezra, as well as the good ol' 80s guys like Erasure and Pet Shop Boys. It takes forever before I accept something new. A few weeks ago, Bryce and I each allowed ourselves to buy one album off of iTunes, and it took me over a week before I could pick something. I've always heard of Death Cab for Cutie, but never tried to listen. But, oh, when I did... I have a new favorite. It joins the ranks and status of The Cure and BTE. I bought their album Plans and then later Transatlanticism. And my new favorite song, you know, in addition to all my favorite Cure songs, is "I Will Follow You into the Dark." I love the simple guitar, I love the words, I love his voice. It makes me sigh in happiness. The addition of this song to my limited music obsessions must be documented.

You try coming up with a title on three hours of sleep...

Maybe it's because I went to bed at nearly 2 am, woke up at 5 am in pain and feeling weird, spent one hour in the bath, and am now sitting at the computer at 6:17 am eating RitzBitz Cheese Sandwich crackers (sooooo good) and drinking a Coke, but I think this story is awesome.  Except for the stupid mother, but you know, hey, be inspired where you can...

My son the pole dancer

Love when the stuff I love gets trendy...

...then I can stock up on pointless odds and ends. I went to Target looking for a three-ring binder, and in the school supply section I found this owl folder:
It's so cute I want to pinch its cheeks and squeeze its legs.

Four Tag

Four random things I love about my husband :
1. Not really random, but he is an AMAZING father
2. Very blue eyes
3. He likes cats
4. He looks at me like I'm Angelina Jolie no matter what I look like

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Salesperson at Victoria's Secret
2. Assistant teacher at multiple daycares
3. Waitress (for five days)
4. Telemarketer for Olan Mills

Four movies I have watched more than once:
1. 13 Going on 30
2. Out of Africa
3. Lonesome Dove (weird coincidence, a commercial for this movie just came on...)
4. Quigley Down Under

Four TV shows I watch:
1. 30 Rock
2. The Office
3. Lost
4. Scrubs

Four random places I have been:
1. Tillamook Cheese Factory (just like Shannon)
2. Um.... your house
3. The Goonies house
4. Um... your mom's house

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Pasta (the cheesier the better)
2. Avocados in any form
3. Coke (yeah, that's a food!)
4. Taquitos

Four places I would like to visit:
1. Ireland
2. Egyptian pyramids
3. New York City
4. Fairyland

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
1. New babies, mine and Amy's. Especially mine.
2. Fynn's second birthday, which is going to be a blowout because his first birthday blew.
3. Hopefully, toward the end of 12 months, a new house
4. Christmas

Four people I tag:
1. Ashley
2. Erica
3. Cristina
4. Grace

5.  Oh, and I'm adding an extra:  Missy.

So much to catch up on...

... and I'll probably forget most of it. Last weekend, we made a last minute plan to drive down to Glen Rose and see the wild animal safari. Afterward, we planned on checking out the dinosaur prints at the river. The safari was a huge success with the boys. We had taken Ewan once when he was very little, and he didn't care, but he loved it this time. Fynn was also very excited and grinned and giggled the entire time.

Random deer. LOTS of deer there.

Ignoring the warning to not feed them by hand. He was pretty.

Ignoring the warning again for Ewan.
Not the best picture, in fact Bryce looks a little like a serial killer. But he was the photographer for the trip and Fynn practically needs to be surgically removed from him, so a self-portrait it was.

I almost kidnapped this one. Seriously. If he'd only come a step closer...

What's up, Giraffe?

And the crowning glory of the day, letting Ewan drive for part of the safari.

After this, we went to the river, where we soaked for a little while. And where I totally bit the dust on one particularly slimy rock. A couple of women there were pretty sure I was going to go into labor, but I was totally fine. I was more impressed with myself because I was carrying Fynn and was able to completely shield him from getting hurt at all. I actually think those women were disgusted with me for even doing anything like that while pregnant, but one of their husbands shushed them by yelling out, "That baby's fine in the embryotic sac!" Indeed. Then we couldn't find the path back up the river wall to the parking ground, and ended up doing some serious hiking. Like, for real hiking. The best part was when I had to climb up over a rock that was almost taller than me.

Anyway, that's all for now. Although I did get my hair done, with Missy - which she posted about here. I loved the girl who did my hair, she was awesome. I knew I was looking pretty blah before the haircut, but I didn't realize how bad until I saw how good it looked after. The day before my C-section is scheduled, I am so going back to her to trim and fix my hair so I'll look good in the hospital. You know, at least until the trauma wears me into looking awful. I'm just going to post one of my after pics. Check out Missy's blog for the rest of the pictures, because hers was totally cute, too.
First on the agenda after Baby comes - get rid of that face fat!

Dumbest Parents EVER Award Goes To...

... these folks.  I honestly think they should also be charged with... with... something!

The newest addition to the Taylor family

Does anyone hear angels singing?  Because I do.

Lots to blog about

I swear I have lots to write about, but the last thing I have wanted to do is get on here and spout my mouth and post pictures.  I've gotten so lazy.  But hopefully tomorrow I will feel up to it.  Sad, I know, it's just sitting at a desk and typing and using a mouse.  But it's more than I can bear.  *Sigh*  Just tired.

Looking like his daddy

Name suggestions

I just wanted to thank everyone for their name suggestions. Bryce and I both looked at all of them, and come to the same general consensus on each one. I do now have what I think is a perfect, wonderful name for the new baby, but it's possible I may change my mind once I look into his wee little eyes. For that reason, and also to avoid any rude reactions we may get - which always irritate me - we are keeping it secret until he comes. I'm not flattering myself that everyone is just dying to know the baby's name, but I wanted to acknowledge the suggestions and thanks for the help!

Update

1. Bryce was not home early from work yesterday. In fact he was quite late. But he's going to go in late tomorrow. Because...
2. ...while Fynn is better, Ewan is not. He's already sicker than Fynn was.

*Sigh*

Good things

To make up for my earlier rant, and to put myself in a better mood after Fynn threw up again all over his crib and bedding, and Ewan had an accident on the floor, I'll now post some things that are good right now and that I am grateful for.


1. John showing up to pick Ben up a little early, bearing an ice-cold 20 oz. Coke. And he didn't even take me up on my offer of $1,000,000.

2. My new table and chairs, which I plan on posting about soon. Too long I endured a peeling table from Goodwill. No more. Ikea to the rescue. My kitchen looks so nice.

3. The dogs are staying in the yard. For now.

4. The littlest baby is moving more and more every day and making his presence known.

5. We are getting a brand-new, FREE double stroller from some incentive program at Bryce's work. YAY!

6. Fynn is napping. Hopefully to wake up puke-free this time.

7. No one else is sick (crossing fingers).

8. I think I figured out what happened to the fish. Pretty sure it swam way up into the shell in the bowl and got stuck. Which, you know, is sad, but at least I know. Whether it was suicide or not, I can't be sure.

9. On my table are several good fashion magazines just waiting for me to peruse.

10. Bryce promises to not be late from work.

11. I dreamt I had adopted another rabbit. Woke up to find it wasn't true. Always a bonus.

*** Updated to add one more great thing - Just now, I flipped on the TV to see if Oprah had anything good on, and Ewan, sitting on the couch coloring next to me, randomly said, "Yeah, Oprah's a fake." He swears he never heard anyone else say it, that he made it up himself.

Boring, I know, but that's all I had for now, without getting totally sappy. Which I don't like to do. So there you go.

Grievances

1.  I can't sleep at night due to pregnancy insomnia, an overly affectionate cat, and vigorous coughing up of my lungs.  Very tired.

2.  The two dogs I had previously taken to Mary Ann's had to come back due to serious over-crowding at her house.  I'm making them stay in the backyard.  But they keep escaping.  

3.  So very tired.

4.  Fynn threw up on me this morning.  All down inside my shirt. Yum.

5.  No energy to clean.  Much cleaning to be done. 

6.  A vase full of colored rocks fell off of the fridge and all over the floor.  Great fun.

7.  Ewan's fish disappeared.  Into thin air.  Cat not responsible.  Weird.

8.  Some animal pooped on Ewan's bed last night.  Complete mystery as to which creature or when.  Due to this and the fish incident, beginning to think a raccoon lives in there. Only partly joking.

9.  Sleepy.

10.  I'd pay someone $1,000,000 to bring me a Coke.  Not that I have a million dollars.  But still.

To make up for my horrible pessimism and negativity, I'll publish a list of good things later.  Much later.  After sleep.  

Quest for the Holy Grail

Ugh, it's late, and I want to be asleep.  But I remembered I needed to check Ashley's blog for Chloe's birthday pictures, so I popped up really quickly.  While I was looking, I was reminded of something that happened at the party that irritated me.  One of the people asked the sex of my baby, and when I told her, she said, completely dismayed, "OH YOUR POOR THING!"  And she didn't mean anything by it, and it's not like it's a lone incident.  It's just the cherry on top of lots of comments I've gotten, both from strangers and from acquaintances, who I know mean well, and it's not really offensive as much as "IHHH!"  (Ashley knows exactly how that should be pronounced.)

Anyway, it boils down to this:  when did giving birth to a girl become the Holy Grail of pregnancy?  I admit I wanted a girl, but it was more for naming purposes than anything.  I have the hardest time naming my boys, and I have the perfect girl's name all ready to go.  But I'm thrilled we're having another boy!  It's gonna be so fun (hard, but fun).  I always knew I would have tons of boys.  But people will ask me, "Do you know what it is?"  And when I tell them it's a boy, they always look so deflated and disappointed.  "Oh, well you'll get your girl next time."  Um, what?  This is a person who is coming to be a part of our family, and he belongs here!  That's totally awesome and exciting and just indescribable!  Boys are so cool.  One of my favorite sounds in the world is a little boy imitating a race car, or roaring like a tiger.  I love their cowlicks and skinny legs.  I love their dirt grimy hands when they cover mine.  And I love when Ewan, in perfect imitation of me and every member of the Anderson family, grabs my arm or hand, squeezes as hard as he can while gritting his teeth and says, "Squeeze you 'til you pop!"  They are just awesome, and in case there was ever a question, once I found out it was a boy for sure, it was like, "Oh, of course, I knew you were coming.  We've saved a place for you."  

Even if I have to call him "No-name Taylor."

Sonogram pictures

I've been planning on getting these scanned forever, but every time I got someone to help me do it, I'd completely forget to give them the pictures. So here they are now, and thank you, Missy and John for scanning it when I finally remembered to pass them on!

This one shows his face best, and the next one shows his little hand.
And this next one is how we know it's a boy!

And my heart stopped

My favorite magazine of all time is Lucky. Love it, love it, love it. I end up marking 75% of the pages and saving them for posterity. Things I love and want someday, or will buy something similar. As much as I love it, it's only occasionally that something on the page is so fabulous that it makes me stop in my place and stare for a long time. Usually I stare for a while, then stare even longer when the price is more than Bryce makes in six months, which happens quite often in that magazine. But then there was this ring:
I just LOVE IT. And seriously, I just stopped and stared. Then I grimaced as I looked for the price. And it was $20. And then I found it on the website. And I called Bryce right then and said, "Be prepared to whip out the debit card when you get home, because I am soooo buying this mother." And it came in the mail today. And I love it. And we are friends. And I'll wear it. And I'll stare at it. *Sigh*

I wonder if I can adopt all of them...?

Have you ever seen a red panda?  Seriously, and I do not say this lightly, one of the cutest things ever.  But not as cute as this story.

Help me name the baby!

Obviously, I love Irish/Gaelic names.  I love both of my boys' names so much.  Ewan Bryce and Fynn Christian.  Both Bryce and Christian are family names, and I kind of wanted to follow that same pattern, but I might have to break it this time.  I love the name Liam, but after a little research, I really feel like it's gotten too trendy for me.  My whole idea was to name him Liam Kelly.  That's just not going to work for me, now, even though here he is constantly referred to as Liam.  The other name I found that I like is Cael or Caelan.  But I need a middle name!!!  I can't think of anything.  And obviously I can't do Cael Kelly.  So, if you know of any good middle names for that, or if you know of any good Irish names I'm not thinking of (that aren't too popular), shoot me some ideas.  With both kids, when I finally "heard" their names in my head (thanks to Ashley for helping me put Ewan and Bryce together.  And I fell completely in love with the name Fynn after seeing the Ethan Hawke version of Great Expectations when it first came out.) I swear it was like angels singing, they were so perfect.  I want the same experience for this one.  It's part of the reason I wanted a girl; I knew I was going to have such a hard time finding another boy's name I love.  Mary Ann is on her way this morning to Ireland for a lovely trip.  She's also going to keep her eye out for me.  Maybe a baby name book right from Ireland...

Bargains for baby

I always cheat myself out of the big "purchasing" moments in my life.  I refused to go to prom.  I didn't buy a real wedding dress when we got married, but had someone make one that I really didn't like.  Then I didn't buy any kind of a nursery set for either of my two boys when they were born.  With Ewan we were strapped for money, and I just bought stuff here and there, super-cheap, not-good quality stuff.  Then with Fynn, I think since he was the second, the idea of a fabulous nursery theme wasn't on my radar.  But I decided that with this baby, I really did want him to have a nice, matching crib set, especially since he'll be in our room until we move someday.  We won't even put him in the crib until he's four or five months old, but Target had some of its cutest stuff on 50% off clearance, so I just *had* to get it.  Hopefully it will be around for a little longer so I can keep adding pieces.  You can see the things I did buy here and here on Target.com, although it's not on clearance on the website for some reason.  It's probably only exciting for me, and the baby couldn't care less, but I'm just excited I finally was able to indulge in the moment and have a matching set for him.  

Mean mommy

Yesterday, I fixed a nice dinner, one that was full of things Ewan normally loves to eat.  Pork chops, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese.  But Ewan has been in this odd habit lately of suddenly saying he "hates" his favorite foods, and refusing to eat.  Sometimes he'll have eaten at least 3/4 of a meal, then suddenly put his fork down and say, "This is gross!"  So last night at dinner, he pulled this little trick, and as he often claims to be hungry right before bed to get a piece of buttered toast, we told him there was no way he was getting anything.  We were also about to go visit my parents, so we told him no cookies or snacks there at all.  

Surprisingly, he didn't beg for any snacks there, even when it was discovered they had Oreos.  But he suddenly got it into his head that they were going to fix him a "nice dinner."  We kept telling him he couldn't eat anything there, but he could have some of our nice dinner when we got home.  He kept begging and pleading, "PLEASE!!  I want to eat a nice dinner HERE!!!"  I repeated my refusal several more times, and he finally stopped asking.  Toward the end of our visit, Fynn was getting quite hyper and destructive, Ewan was getting hyper, and at one moment at the end of my rope, I said, "Okay, we're leaving, you two are..."  I was planning on saying "driving me crazy" or something like that, when Ewan turned to me.  

"Starving?" he suggested.

Recharging batteries

Ever since this post, I've been very much a homebody and trying to just stay home and enjoy my boys. I think I wore myself out the entire month of May. The combination of me with the boys ended up in at least one doctor's appointment each week, sometimes more, and I was getting in the car every day and either running off to the store, or to a play date, or running errands. All this while suffering some serious pregnancy exhaustion. Then I had a little personal upset at the end of the month, and for about a week, I was just an emotional mess. So without real intention, I basically took the month of June off. I didn't really plan it, but I was just so emotionally and physically worn out, that I had no desire to go anywhere, do anything, have anyone over - nothing. And you know what, it was so nice. I'd gotten so wrapped up in "me," going to the store because I wanted to, running the boys around constantly, and I even think they were a little worn out and frustrated, too. So the past month, we've mostly stayed home and played together, organized some things, and just tried really hard to get on a real routine. I know I feel so much better and happier, and just rested up. I'm watching Ben again for the rest of the summer, and that has really helped me get us back on a routine, and the days are so much smoother - it's been a blessing. I'm sorry if I've put anyone off or seemed like I was being anti-social, but it really was what I needed to charge my batteries, and I'm feeling much better now. So maybe this 4th of July will kick off a little more social me. Although, I will say, I just simply cannot over-schedule myself anymore. I'm still going to be a bit of a homebody, only doing things outside the house a couple of times a week.

Anyway, just wanted to say all that, and now for a couple of cute pictures:

One day in their room, they'd gotten very quiet, which of course made me nervous. But I found them just sitting together, reading books. It was very sweet, and I'm so glad I got the picture.

Something very interesting was going on outside today, and I think it was a cat on our car. Ben and Fynn enjoyed it a lot. Fynn found good use for the Mr. Potato Head bucket.

Feeling bad about getting my way

I had dogs growing up, but they were mostly confined to the backyard, so it has taken me a while to realize - even though I love animals, I am just NOT a dog person. Unless it's someone else's dog - then maybe - but I'm not promising anything. Anyone who has read my posts knows I really, really don't like my dog. At all. Trust me, I've even said much worse about her in person than I have on here. It started out okay enough, when we first got her nearly three years ago. But she would chew on my stuff, and Ewan's as well. She chewed four pairs of my shoes during one period of time, and they had all been brand new. She would sneak in Ewan's room, take a toy out of his basket, and we'd find it under the kitchen table in shreds. I tried to like her and be kind to her, I really did, but after all the chewing and the hair that literally fills up our vacuum canister every day, I just couldn't pretend anymore. Add to this the fact that about six months ago, (she has gotten so spoiled to being inside), she seemed to decide she was not ever going to go out back again. We can't keep her back there, even for small amounts of time. She jumps the fence immediately, which has been very annoying for me. It came to a head last week when Animal Control came to my door and told me I was lucky he wasn't ticketing me, but that next time he would. You should see how ridiculous our gate looks from all the stuff we have piled there trying to keep her from climbing, and I wanted that man to go look and see! How could he even think of writing me a ticket?! The only thing that has redeemed her presence in my home is that she barks at strangers and anyone suspicious, so we always feel safe and alert when she's around.

Last year, when I was babysitting Ben, we noticed she'd get really odd around him, and sometimes act quite aggressive. So I would keep her out back all day until he left and let her in. Fynn was still a very wee guy during this time, so I never was able to see how she "felt" about him. But as he's gotten older, it has become apparent she DOES NOT like him, although she loves Ewan. I've been a little nervous about this, but Bryce and I both agreed that no matter what, if she EVER, even once, snapped or growled at Fynn, she was gone. No tolerance. On Friday night, Bryce took Ewan to the movies, and Fynn was having fun just following Sugar from room to room, giggling. I never let my kids hurt or bother the animals, and this was no exception. He was doing nothing that even warranted me to fuss at him, or what she eventually did. All he was doing was sitting up against her back, and it would make him laugh when she'd get up. All the sudden, I thought I heard a growl, but wasn't sure. So I watched her closely, Fynn merely walked within one foot of her, and she growled and snapped her teeth at him. I put her outside immediately, and she is now in Craigs List and PetFinder for a new home. We just absolutely won't have that at all. It feels funny here without her (she's staying at Mary Ann's) and I feel like I "got my way," but this isn't how I wanted it.

That's not to say I'm not totally thrilled she's gone.

Tagged

Shannon tagged me, and it's all about me and Bryce. Try not to fall asleep, now.

Whats his name? Bryce Patrick
How long have you been together? Depends on how you define "together," but I say eight years, married for five.
How long did you date? Three months before he left on his mission, five months after. Wrote letters in-between
How old is he? 29
Who eats more? Me
Who said I love you first? Don't remember, but pretty much at the same time.
Who is taller? Bryce
Who sings better? Me
Who is smarter? Depends on the kind of "smart." I'm smarter with words and reading, he's better with math and organizational things
Who does the laundry? Me
Who pays the bills? Bryce
Who sleeps on the right side? Bryce (does anyone really care?)
Who mows the lawn? Bryce, but I would
Who cooks dinner? Me, when I feel like it.
Who drives? mostly Bryce
Who is more stubborn? I don't know...
Who kissed who first? Kissed each other
Who proposed? Bryce
Who has more friends? He has more long-term, old friends, I have more current, new friends.
Who is more sensitive? Neither
Who has more siblings? Me, 8, Bryce 2
Who wears the pants? Mostly me, but for the really important stuff, like money and budget, he has to or we'd be broke

If so desired, I tag Ashley, Missy, Erica, and Sarah Young.

Overdue picture upload

There have been several pictures I've wanted to post, but right now I am the laziest person on the planet, so I'm just getting around to it. Some of these are a couple of months old.

Ewan concentrating very hard on constructing a "crash" with his trains. He loves the crashes, they are his favorite thing ever.

The finished project. Billy, the orange train, was done in by a parachuter. There was also some damage to vegetation in the area.

This is my floor after Fynn ate lunch one day. Seriously, after one meal.

This is from Bryce's birthday when me and the boys stayed up late to make his cake. I didn't think the pictures had really turned out, but I found this one tonight. The way the dog is posing, and Ewan is concentrating so hard on stirring, I just think it is so cute. Of course, that dog lives with Mary Ann, now...

Swimming in the kiddie pool.

Just a good shot.

I have to pull Ruby off of the blinds half a dozen times a day. What you can't see is how they have broken off at the bottom, just this side of white trash territory. I still love her, though. You can see through the window how our dear tree is trying to grow again.

We planted some sunflowers around our mailbox, and the first bloom is particularly spectacular, I think.

A fine-looking young man

Ewan's physical self-image is pretty healthy, I think.  Today, getting ready for church, after we'd fixed his hair and put on the finishing touch of his shoes and socks, he stopped in the hallway and looked at himself in the full-length mirror for a moment.  Finally he said, just very simply, as if remarking on the weather, "I look good."  Then I guess he decided to pass the good feelings onto me.  After I put on my dress, he looked at me, very impressed, and smiled.  "You look cool.  I want a hug."

Free money and stuff that comes with it

Bryce and I will be signing a gas lease on our house early next month.  If all goes the way it is supposed to, we'll be coming into a sizable (for us) chunk of money.  The majority of it (like, almost all) is going to pay off some bills and buy some baby gear, but we are reserving one lovely little snippet for us to get Wii Fitness.  Some of Bryce's old pants don't button anymore, and I'm about to have some SERIOUS baby weight to work off, so we're very excited about it.  I've never been a work out at the gym girl, or a person who works out at all, really.  So my hope is that with our competitive spirits and the whole "game" aspect to it, it will make the working out fun and do some good for us.  I know that may not be exciting, but I have absolutely NOTHING else to post about.

Etsy, I love you

Bryce took Ewan out of the house for a little while, and Fynn is asleep, so I found myself with - gasp! - nothing to do. So since I know what the baby is now, I decided to do a little Internet window shopping. All I have to say, and I say it in a wail, is: why didn't I know about Etsy when I had the first two boys?!?!?! I have a feeling I'll be browsing Etsy a lot in the future. So much cute stuff, and this wasn't even the tip of the iceberg.

This owl onesie. It's killin' me, it really is.

And this cowboy burp cloth.

Why do I love pirates so much?

And owls, again? I want this in my size.

I'm totally happy that it's a boy, because that's who he's supposed to be, but oh, man, if it were a girl... I would never let her take this off.

Why can't I sew????

Can't forget the big brothers.

I'm learning to love bugs since I had boys.

And I'm sorry, but this is just cool. Really really cool.