I'm in love...

...with my dishwasher! Aren't they great? I just made a dessert earlier today to bring to a friend's house, and I just popped all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and away I went! A dishwasher and washing machine are two household items that you don't realize how much you appreciate them until they are gone. I didn't have a dishwasher in my apartment in college, so I know what it is like to be without one!

The past few weeks I have been getting really bad headaches. They are tension headaches where the muscles in my neck are so tight, they give me headaches. I used to get them a lot when I was working (due to my posture at work), so I had to get regular massages and that helped a lot. After Tayva was born, and I stopped working the headaches really almost went away. During this pregnancy though, they have seemed to come back. So, today, I got a massage in attempts to lessen the frequency of the headaches. We'll see if it helps over the long run. I have to say, that in the last 2 years, I have only had one massage, and that was right after Tayva was born, so I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the massage. Plus, my aunt gave me a gift certificate for Christmas, so it didn't cost me anything!!!! (which makes it all the better!) It was fabulous!

Tonight, I went to a friends' house to work on some stuff for MOPS, then Bob and her husband joined us for supper (and the kiddos too, of course). We just made tacos at their house, and I brought dessert. I brought fruit pizza which her family loved, so she requested that I post the recipe on my blog, so here it is. (I have to say, it was pretty good!!)

Now, as I sit here, the wind is howling, and I mean howling. Yesterday, it was so nice here, and now it really feels like the middle of winter---brrrrrr!!!!

Not much new

Last night we went to a surprise 40th birthday party for our friend. His wife put the whole thing together, and he had NO idea. It was great! Yesterday morning, Bob's mom called and said that his dad was going ice fishing, and she was wondering if she could come over and watch Tayva for us! How cool is that? So, we got to go to the party just as a couple-so fun! Of course, and as always, from the minute I left Tayva, I couldn't wait to get back to her!

Tayva now thinks that her yogurt is lotion, and everytime she eats it, eventually, she smothers it all over her hands (and sometimes on her face and in her hair) and says, "lotion, lotion".

Ok, I guess I don't have too much else to say. Today was a good day!

The Heartbeat!!

We'll for those of you who don't know or haven't picked up on it in my previous blog posts, Bob and I are expecting another baby!!! We are so excited. As I stated in the post a few days ago, I haven't been feeling well lately. Having said that, I have been feeling on-and-off better for the past 2 weeks or so. I have still have some rough days where I either feel nauseated, really tired, or have a headache. Overall though, I have been feeling MUCH better than a few weeks ago.

Today, we had our second doctor appointment, and got to hear the heartbeat. It was fabulous to hear that little heartbeat--it was beating at 160 bpm. Everything checked out well at our appointment, so we are thankful for that.

It is kind of ironic because Focus on the Family has been focusing on the sanctity of human life all week. They have been discussing the topic of abortion. It is amazing to me that people are willing to kill babies that are the very age of the baby inside me. I KNOW that the baby inside me is a human life that God has created and is beautifully forming day by day. I don't even see how anyone can call it a "fetus". Especially after hearing the heartbeat today, and hearing the baby move around, I am totally missing the logic behind calling it a "fetus"-unbelievable!! As you can tell, I am very passionate about this topic. Honestly, I think that many people are
"pro-choice" just because they don't know the facts.

Dr. Dobson had on some amazing guests this week. One was an OB/GYN who was the director of a large abortion clinic in NY and performed thousands and thousands of abortions--including aborting his own child! He said he had no problem with abortions until the technology of ultrasound came about. He requested that another doctor "video" with the ultrasound machine while an abortion was performed. What he saw on the ultrasound video was the beginning of his change in opinion on abortion. He said that while the abortion was performed, he could see the face of the baby grimacing and that the baby opened it's mouth, and he said immediately he said, "that baby is screaming" This series of broadcast was riveting to listen to. They also had a guest who speaks and is a sort of "apologist" about abortion. He talked about that we need to explain to people why we believe what we do about abortion, instead of coming across as condemning. This was all so informative to me.

I would suggest you take a listen to any of the broadcasts from the last week on the Focus on the Family website at
http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000864.cfm

At the lower right portion of the screen, it says "Recent Broadcasts", and the whole selection from the week is right there.

We thank God for the human baby life that he has blessed us with !! The baby is due August 11th!

No mice!

That's right, the exterminator found no mice-yippee!! I gave him some cookies as he left, so hopefully my plan worked!
I did get energized this morning before he came and got some cleaning done. Also, last night when my husband got home, he assured me that the house really wasn't that messy. I think I tend to be over-sensitive about that stuff. Anyway, Brian's visit went well, and I am thankful for that.

I just can't do it!!

OK, tomorrow morning, our exterminator is coming to check our mouse traps. When we first moved into the house a few years ago, we had some mice get in the house. So, we called Brian. I really like Brian-he is super nice. Anyway, tomorrow he is coming to check the mouse traps. (he comes periodically for maintenance and to check things. For those of you who are grossed out by having a mouse in the house, we haven't had a mouse in the house since he has been coming to our house.) So, when he comes, he checks everywhere--I mean in those dirty little corners that you never let company see, and those rooms that are designated only for storage, and no other eyes should ever see such a room except yours! Well, I usually try to have these areas semi-clean when he comes, but for tomorrow there is NO HOPE!! Since I haven't been feeling the best the past 4-5 weeks, those "unnecessary" places to clean, have been left alone. Needless to say, they are in the worst shape ever. I feel so overwhelmed that the place is going to be so messy when he comes! I am trying to just let this go, and relax about it--I mean, really, why should I worry about it? That is what I try to keep telling myself, but it is so hard for me not to stress about this.
Oh, and by the way, as I am writing this, Tayva just spilled a whole baggie full of crackers on the stairs--she is now saying "Whoopsie, Whoopsie". Back to my dilemma--I am feeling like I should just say "forget it, I just can't get it done, and have him see my messy house" Ugh--this is so hard for me!!
I think I will go make my family some fresh homemade chocolate chips cookies because I always say, "most things aren't so bad that a little chocolate can't cure" Oh yeah, then I can eat the chocolate chip cookies while I am watching the Biggest Loser tonight--that'll make me feel good! HA, HA Maybe if I give Brian some of the chocolate chip cookies tomorrow, he'll leave saying "yum, those cookies are good" instead of "gee, her house was a mess!" OK, I think I will give that a try--forget the messy house, and go make cookies. I think we'll all be happier with fresh cookies anyway!

I once was lost..but now am found

I found the shoe!!! Can you believe it? It was under Tayva's crib! Who knows how or why it was under there! Silly girl! I am just glad I have the complete pair of shoes again.

Mommy's Lip Gloss

"Yep, I got into mommy's lip gloss, and boy was it fun!! Don't I look pretty??"

Tayva LOVES to put on my lip gloss these days. When I put chap stick or anything on my lips, she says, "lips, lips", and begs to put some on. It is so funny.

Oh, and I still haven't found those shoes.

Who knows??

Lately, Tayva has been really good at hiding/losing things, and then I have no idea where to find them. For instance, I knew she put her toothbrush somewhere, but I had NO IDEA where. Finally, I went to Target and bought a new one. So, her toothbrush has been missing for about a week. (don't worry, I had another brush that I used in the meantime for her). Anyway, today, she was playing with one of her toys, a shape-sorter, and sure enough, she pulls our her toothbrush, and says, "brush, brush".

I bought some brown shoes for her a while ago, you know, the "shoes that go with every outfit" shoes. She wears them all the time. So, the other day, she was walking around the house, and she took one shoe off, and brought it to me in my bathroom. I was just getting ready to take some things into her room, so I told her to help mommy and take her shoe into her room for me. So, after I put the things away in her room, I went to put her shoes away, and the only shoe to be found was the one shoe still on her foot. Somewhere between my bedroom and her bedroom, the second shoe got lost. I have NO IDEA where it is. I have looked and looked, and can't find it! I have asked her where her shoe is, but the just looks at me puzzled.

These are just a few of the "lost and found" stories at our house. So, where is the other brown shoe??? WHO KNOWS!! I am sure it will turn up somewhere, sometime. Until then, we'll have to substitute one of her other pairs of shoes with her outfits-ha!

Baby Doll

Tayva got a baby doll for Christmas, and ever since then, she LOVES her baby. She sleeps with it every night, and cuddles with it. It is so cute- so gives it hugs and kisses. She puts her arm around it as she falls asleep.

She is really developing a fun personality. She initiates play and teasing with Bob and I, and we have so much fun with her. What a blessing she is!

These are some pictures from a few months ago, but I thought they were so cute, I had to post them. She is wearing her daddy's shoes.

I'm Back!!!

I'm Baaack!!!! Well, I am back to blogging after a long break. I look forward to sharing some of the things that happened over the past few weeks with you. We had a WONDERFUL Christmas with lots of family and good times. Tayva got to see ALL of her aunts and uncles over Christmas which was wonderful. She frequently says each of their names as if she wants to go play with them. Just today, she said, "Seth?" when I was buckling her in the car, as if she was telling me, "Mommy, let's go see Seth!" I had to explain that Seth is no longer here, and that he and Aunt Laura had to go home. The other night, she woke up in the middle of the night, and Bob went in her room, and through her tears she said, "Dustin?" Again, it is like she is asking "Where is Dustin??" It is really sweet, and a little sad, because I know she had so much fun with them, and I think she really misses them and wonders where they are.

Now, for those of you aunts and uncles that I didn't specifically mention, TRUST ME, she has asked for you too!!! She has asked for every cousin and aunt and uncle on both sides of the family. Family is wonderful, and we are so blessed.

I have to tell you one other thing--Tayva knows the Fruits of the Spirit by heart!!!! It is the coolest thing! I need to video her saying it. In the mornings, when she wakes up, she starts saying them: "love, joy, peace, patience etc..." She started learning them because Bob would say them, and she would repeat them after him, and all of a sudden, one day, she started saying them on her own. Seriously, it is the best thing ever to hear her say them--too cool!