Toppings

Okay. I am growing hopeful. I have two or three years to train my daughter to like the same kind of pizza toppings that I do. For five years now, since Andrew decided that he liked pizza, we have been ordering the same old BORING pizza toppings whenever we get the craving for pizza (usually about every other week). When we go grocery shopping and decide to throw a frozen pizza in the cart (you know, for those RARE occasions when I don't feel like cooking...heh), we always choose the same kind of toppings. Yes, you guessed it...pepperoni or sausage. Possibly pepperoni and sausage. Once in a while...a three meats variety. Oooh aaah. Uggh.

Do I eat it? Of course, because the alternative is buying a whole pizza for myself and then feeling like I have to eat it all since we paid extra for it. As a result, my waistline would grow even more than it already has over the past year and well.... that just isn't worth it. We tried doing "half mine, half theirs" a couple of times, but...they eat more than I do and we are left with four slices of supreme and two hungry boys.

Anna is going to have my taste in food, I've decided. I am going to work with her diligently so that when she gets old enough, there will be two votes for the yummy kind of pizza and we will be able to get our own! When we go out to eat, there will be two votes for Thai food or Indian food and I won't have to order another boring salad or burger at Applebee's. Oh yeah, and after dinner...there will of course be two votes to go Shopping.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

I sat here and tried to think about something creative or funny to write about. I sat for quite a while, snacking and snacking because I am starving since my daughter nursed for an hour straight during Andrew's windy baseball game today. I couldn't come up with anything because my brain still has what I like to call the "post-pregnancy mush" feel to it. Sometimes I even find myself taking loooong pauses during conversations to try to come up with seems like the simplest of words.
SO...I decided to just post a bunch of pictures and call it a post. :) I do want to say, however, that Anna now sleeps through the night. (I am still pinching myself!) Last night she slept from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. without waking up. Am I the luckiest mom in the world or what?! As a result, she seems to be starving during the day, nursing at every opportunity. She is such a cutie and Andrew is having fun entertaining her and giving her little kisses on the head. It is so fun to watch them together. This is what I have longed for! Praise God for His blessings.

Sarah The Brave (Well...Sort Of)

Yes, it's true...I did it. I actually strapped on a harness, climbed ten flights of stairs, stood at the edge of the platform, held my breath....and jumped. I think I suprised my husband, who was sure I would stand at the edge and look and then back up with a "no thanks". Secretly, this is what I wanted to do. :)

It has been nearly two years since Tim and I went on this trip to Mt. Hood, but I can still remember those few seconds where I thought I was dying as my body fell through the air, my eyes shut tight, waiting for what seemed like an eternity....until I finally felt myself flying back up in the air. I remember screaming a couple of times and then feeling so relieved when the whole experience was over. You can see in the pictures how I am holding on for dear life to the bungee cord. Tim, being much more of a thrill-seeker than I, dove headfirst off of the platform without a care in the world. Why did I even do it, you ask? Pride, a desire to impress my husband, and a need to be able to say "Oh, yeah...I bungee jumped once".

Baby Brain

Anna is too cute in her tub! She likes the water really warm and complains if it isn't warm enough. :) She likes to talk to the shampoo bottles (especially the one with the monkey on it). We have a nice little schedule going now and she seems to have settled into it nicely. She is even sleeping five hours at a time sometimes at night! She is thriving and we are surely enjoying her.

Sometimes I wonder what is going on in her little mind. Does she think I am nuts for the way I talk to her? Does she wonder why I don't know right off the bat what she is crying about sometimes? Does she wish people would just leave her alone sometimes instead of shaking her little hands? I think it would be neat to be able to read babies' minds. I still remember watching "Look Who's Talking" and wondering if there wasn't some truth to the thoughts of those babies. I guess we'll never know!

A Day to Remember

Well. What a morning we have had, Anna and I. My poor sweet little thing.

Anna had a doctor's appointment this morning, so I bathed her carefully, lotioned her chubby little arms and legs, and dressed her in one of my favorite outfits. I packed her bag, putting extra diapers, two extra outfits, Ziploc baggies for those diapers that you can't dispose of at the doctor's office, and an extra changing pad.

We arrived five minutes early to the appointment (I have to mention this, because it is a rare thing indeed!) and we were shown to our room right away. Anna's doctor has the neatest exam rooms, each with a different decor. Today, we were in the "penguin room" and Anna was fascinated. She got so excited by the wall mural that she got the hiccups and then wanted to nurse to get rid of them. She was wrapped up snugly in her fanciest chenille blanket that is so soft and cozy, wearing only a diaper since she had to be weighed. She nursed and then I sat her in my lap to burp her while we waited for the doctor to come in.

Anna's pediatrician walked in and Anna looked so relaxed and comfortable, wrapped up in her soft blanket, cheeks full and rosy from a good feeding. Her little chubby arms were hanging out over the top of the blanket and she had this little satisfied half-smile on her face. No sooner had the doctor commented on how relaxed and happy she looked, than Anna made a loud gurgling noise and messed her pants.....up out of the top and back of her diaper, all over her best blanket. Yes, my friends...the blanket is white. The doctor and I were giggling, and Anna, much to my dismay, just kept filling her pants (well, actually, they were already full) and grunting. How can such a sweet, lovely baby make such a gross mess??

I cleaned Anna up and asked for a trash bag to take the blanket home in (should I be carrying those in my diaper bag?!) and then handed Anna over to the doctor to be examined. While Anna was getting her ears, eyes, and mouth checked, she got a little excited and grabbed the doctor's stethoscope by accident. She got so startled that her little hand flew up towards her own face, leaving a long scratch from a sharp little fingernail that her mother (oops) must have missed during the weekly nail clipping. She screamed in pain as the cut started to bleed.

After she calmed down and her exam was over, the nurse came in with (yep, you guessed it) four needles, ready to poke my little girl. Anna, by this time, had started to doze and was awakened by the sharp stinging of the needles in her chunky little thighs. She looked at me in horror and screamed and I told the nurse to say something so that Anna could hear her voice and know it wasn't ME that was giving her those shots! Anna cried and cried and finally calmed down so that we could walk out to the front desk.

Thirty minutes earlier, we had strolled into the office smiling, chatting about the sunshine with the receptionist, and looking forward to a good day. As I left with Anna wrapped in my coat, her blanket and a diaper in a clear (and stinky!) plastic trash bag in my hand, and a long bleeding scratch down her cheek, I chuckled to myself and knew that there would be other days like this to come. :)

Working Out

Check out those muscles!! Anna is finding her strength and we are so impressed. :) She turned 10 weeks old yesterday and I can hardly believe how quickly the time is passing. Sometimes I still look at her and can't believe she is here. The last two months still seem surreal at times. She is smiling so much now and Andrew is really starting to enjoy his little sis. He calls her "beautiful" and it melts my heart. He tells her goodbye when he goes to school, greets her when he comes in, and prays every night that she will get a good night's sleep. What sweet children I have!

Smiley

How cute is she?! Check out those chubby cheeks. Anna is doing great and is even sleeping better at night. I can't believe she is already eight weeks old. I love each stage as we come to it, but this one where she is learning to smile and coo is especially fun. Sometimes she startles herself with what comes out of her mouth and that is fun to watch, too. Cute, cute, cute....what else can I say? :)

Our Growing Boy

Andrew turned eight this month. I keep looking at him, trying to remember what he looked like when he was born and how it felt to hold him. It is amazing to me how much children change in such a short time! I realize this is nothing new and that people say all the time how fast kids grow....but when it is your own kids, it is still pretty amazing! I look at his adorable face and can see a glimpse of that little baby boy with the skinny legs and the long dark eyelashes that the nurse handed to me in the hospital eight years ago. He has grown into such a wonderful, caring kid who is unbelievably intelligent and talented. (Sorry, I have to brag a little.) He just finished a great basketball season (see pictures) and is looking forward to another exciting baseball season. He is in the Chess club at school, still loves reading (he is working on the second Harry Potter book), breezes through math, and helps lead singing at church once a quarter. God has truly blessed him with many talents, which is wonderful....and yet a big responsibility. Tim and I have our work cut out for us, teaching him how to use those talents to glorify God.

Andrew, for the third time in a row, wanted to have his party at the Rollarena. Having a Birthday in the Winter is difficult because options are limited. He Loves to skate, though, and got rollerblades for Christmas this year, so the party location was a no-brainer this time. When Andrew turned five, however, he had his mind made up that he wanted a pool party at his Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood club pool. We explained to him that he would have to wait until Summer, and he did just that. We hosted a "Andrew turns five and a half" Birthday party that year and had a blast. Twelve kids showed up for Andrew's party this year and they all boogied to the Hokey Pokey, twisted and turned under the limbo stick, and held hands with a buddy for friend skate. I chuckled, watching kids put rented skates on that I am sure are the Exact same skates that were there when I was a kid. I wonder how many layers of disinfectant spray are actually on the inside of those shoes. Maybe next year, Andrew can do some research on the bacteria inside the skates of the Rollarena for a science project. :)

Tubby Time

Tubby time is one of my favorite times of day. Each morning, somewhere around nine or so, I give Anna a bath. She hated it at first, but is growing to appreciate this ritual. After her bath, I give her a lotion rub down which she does like, and then she always wants a little post-bath snack. :) After eating, she has a little conversation with me, talking and cooing as much as she can (which isn't much, but I can see the rest in her eyes)! I am loving this stage!

Andrew had a great birthday party this last Saturday and I will post new pics when I get them uploaded! I can hardly believe my litte boy is eight. He woke up on his birthday and I asked him how he was feeling and he said, "Great. Eight is great!" What a kid. I love them both so much that sometimes I feel as if my heart will burst. Is this how God feels about us, I wonder? Does He look at us the way I look at my children? I know logically that His love for us is even greater than our love for our children, and yet this concept is hard for me to actually understand. We are so blessed to be His adopted sons and daughters and to be loved so very much. *sigh*

Today is a good day. I love my kids. I love my husband. I love my Lord. I miss my sister and her kids....but I know they are doing what God wills for them by serving Him in Africa. I miss my little brother, but he is coming to visit in March for two weeks! I love my parents and love that they live close by. My daughter is currently sleeping on my chest after two and a half hours of evening fussing (a regular ritual now), and there is no better feeling than her relaxed little body curled up, holding my shirt and breathing against my neck. I am feeling sleepy and happy and grateful. These are the moments I focus on when Anna wakes up at 3 and stays awake until 6. :) I shall end this rambling blog now and go get some sleep in case that happens tonight!

Growing and Changing

Anna Jane is growing soo fast! Pictured above, she is shown sleeping on my shoulder on the couch (our regular afternoon routine), at three weeks. The next two pictures of her are at four weeks. The other pictures (below) are taken between four and a half weeks and five weeks.

We took Anna to the pediatric cardiologist because her pediatrician heard a heart murmur. She looked so tiny and pitiful hooked up to the EKG machine. She passed all of her tests, but did have a "finding" according to the doctor. Between the two upper chambers of her heart is a small hole that didn't fuse when it was supposed to. The doctor said it will likely fuse on its own, but we need to have it checked again in six months. This is pretty common and doesn't cause any problems, but it was still stressful to see Anna's tiny heart on the echocardiogram.

Before her tests, the nurse asked me to undress her and get her ready to be weighed. I picked her up and said to my mother-in-law, "I guess nine pounds, three ounces". We took her in and I put her on the scale....and she weighed nine pounds, four ounces! I beamed, proud that I am supplying her with some quality food!!

Andrew sat down next to me today and I asked him if he wanted to hold his sister and he said, "Sure, I'll hold my sis!" I almost had to pick my jaw up off the floor because he Never says that. So...for only the fourth time since she was born, Andrew held Anna today. He had been holding her for about thirty seconds when she gave a good squirt and filled her pants. Andrew laughed pretty hard and handed her back.

Anna has started smiling once in a great while and when she does, my heart just melts. I still look at her every now and then and get tears in my eyes because I am so thankful for her presence in our home. She is amazing. I am not getting much sleep, I have to admit...but other than that, life is pretty good around here. God has truly blessed us!!!

Thumb or Pacifier??

Anna has decided that she would love to be permanently attached to her mother. She did have a big growth spurt over the last few days and nursed every hour and a half (yes, I'm exhausted), but now she just wants to latch on and not drink between nursing sessions. She actually looks annoyed when the milk starts to let down sometimes. Heh. Rather than have a fifteen pound baby at one month, we have decided to introduce other sucking options. At this point, she is still so little that neither option is readily available to her without our assistance....so we have a decision to make!

The thumb sucking is sooo adorable and I can hardly keep from kissing her over and over again when she gets her thumb (with help)....but the thumb unfortunately will still be around when she is five if she so chooses to use it. On the other hand, I wouldn't have to search around for the lost pacifier five times a night once she learns to get her thumb on her own. Andrew used a pacifier and had such a hard time giving it up that I hesitate to encourage one with Anna. Any suggestions or advice, anyone?? Please don't tell me just to keep nursing her every half hour....I'm already dehydrated. :)