"Mommy? No More Geaming, okay?"

Today was beautiful and in the upper 60's and lower 70's so we had to get out of the house. (In comparison, it snowed on Sunday and took until Wednesday before we could see our grass again!)

We ran a variety of errands and then ended up at Bass Pro Shop. Xander could happily live in Bass Pro Shop. He loves everything about it. I'm always so amazed as I watch him, how much a... boy.. he really is. I mean, he has two big sisters! But he's always been this way. Anything that goes has always been his favorite: Airplanes, boats, trucks, whatever.

First we stopped at the huge fish tank. And he squealed with delight as each of the fish passed by our stroller. Solomon had a look of quiet fear on his face. He was watching those fish to make sure they weren't coming after him. But Xander? He squealed with delight each time one darted across the large tank.

Lainey had fun trying to match each fish to the poster listing the types of fish in the tank. She taught her sister that there wasn't a swordfish in the tank. That fish was a gar.

Then we walked around a bit and made another stop by the tank. Xander was so upset as we started pushing the stroller towards the door. "F-shhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he yelled as he kicked his feet in the stroller.

And then, we did his favorite thing ever. We let him sit on the 4 wheeler. He loved it. I struggled to stay in the moment because I kept seeing a teenaged Xander ready to go on a ride with me calling out to him to please wear his helmet! My baby is growing up so quickly!

He also sat in a boat. Vroom, vroom he said as he turned the steering wheel. He's never been on the water, but he sure knows what it is supposed to do!

Afterwards, we stopped by a model home. I schlepped all the kids in (after trying to stay in the van) and we took a look around. And then I took the children back to the car while Brandon stood talking to the sales agent.

And it happened. I looked down and there was a BUG on my arm.

Y'all!

I started screaming and waving my arms around. Lainey and Julianne asked what was wrong, Solomon started crying and Xander gave me a hateful "What on earth!?!!" look as he sucked his thumb.

And I finally knocked it off.

But it landed in my purse!

So I grabbed my bright pink Vera Bradley purse and carried it arm extended to Brandon. He saw me through the glass door and came outside asking if everything was okay.

I insisted that he MUST get the bug out of my purse and without skipping a beat, he pulled out my calendar and swiped the bug on the ground and then threw the calendar back into the purse and handed it back to me. He did all this while continuing his conversation with the sales rep.

I marched back to the van and got in. As I was buckling my seatbelt, I heard a tiny voice from the backseat.

"Mommy? No more geaming (screaming), okay?"

Yes, dear.

~Stephanie

PS: We are hoping to hear the results of Xander's cdiff testing tomorrow (Friday). I really don't want to wait through the weekend. Will you pray with us that we get those results back tomorrow? Thanks!

Closes?

Sometimes after the bustle of the day winds down, I sit in the quiet and process my day. And sometimes after I do that, I find myself smiling and giggling to myself as I secretly wish I could stop time for just a few days so I can soak up my children.

Tonight, as I was procrastinating finishing up my side job's assignment for today, I found myself replaying a conversation that took place during a double diaper change. (I change Xander then Solomon, one right after the other.)

I had my back to the girls because I was standing facing the boys' closet where our changing table and dresser are located. My hands were pulling up Xander's shorts when I heard Julianne's voice from behind me. "Momma, what is that up there?" I glanced over my shoulder quickly and realized she was eyeing a stack of clothes on the top shelf. They are the tiniest boy attire that we own and I had quickly plucked them out of an unsorted drawer before laying Xander and Solomon down for a nap that afternoon.

Turning back around to kiss Xander before I put him back on the ground and repeating the mundane task, this time with a smaller tushie, I said "Baby boy clothes."

Now, Julianne isn't one to just take the short answer these days. And as my hands flew over the snaps on Solomon's outfit, I heard a small voice ask, "Baby boy closes? For what?"

As I wiped Solomon's nose with a baby wipe I said "Maybe for the new baby."

And without missing a beat, Julianne said, "We are 'dopting a girl baby."

I quickly answered back, "Julianne, we don't know for sure we are adopting a girl baby," as lowered Solomon to the floor. I gathered some laundry and the two diapers and started to leave the nursery.

And she sniped a quip back. "So Momma, where are the girl closes?"

I told her they were in a bin and that I hadn't had a moment to sort through them yet, but that we didn't have a ton of girl things leftover from when she was a baby.

She was satisfied with my answer but I heard her say softly before I left the room, "Well... then I guess we have to go shopping for girl closes, huh?"

I love that she says closes instead of clothes. It's the whole pluralization/possessiveness thing that she hasn't quite grasped grammatically yet. And yet, I love that she is able to form an argument of sorts and problem solve. No girl closes? No problem.. I know how to solve this-- Let's shop. And again, I love that she is so excited about a new sibling.

One day, when she says clothes, I'll long for these days. And it's after processing my busy days, that I realize that this is a season. A season that won't last forever.

May we all embrace the season we are in now.

~Steph

Baby/Children Love is Contagious

So Julianne has prayed for a little sister since we started our first adoption in 2009.

Enter Xander.

She continued to pray for a little sister when I found I was pregnant.

Enter Solomon.

When we told the girls that we are going to start the process to adopt again, Julianne asked "Mommy, are we going to get a girl this time?"

I explained that I didn't know and that we might get a boy (we don't plan to specify gender this time either). Then I told her no matter if our baby is a girl or a boy, we will most certainly get the child God intends for our family.

Her response was:

"Well, Mommy, we could get a girl AND a boy at the same time. I know that is called twins. Wouldn't that be SO much fun? What would we name the little boy?"

I just had to laugh.

Wise vs. Smart

I was busy changing Xander's diaper and Julianne was talking to Solomon.

This is what I overheard:

Julianne: "Solomon... don't cry... Momma will be right back. We have to wait our turn you know..."

Solomon: (lips quivering and then let's out a huge wail)

Julianne: "So Solomon.. what can we talk about? You have a nice name.... Everyone says Solomon was wise when they hear your name.... So..... (looks around) what is 2+2?"

Solomon: stares intently at Julianne.

Julianne: "Lainey, I think Momma named him wrong... He doesn't know 2+2!"

Lainey: "Julianne, he doesn't know how to talk... Xander only says a few words! And he can't do Math!"

Julianne: "But Daddy called you smart when you did your math!"

I think we need to discuss wise vs. smart huh? And tell her for the 1 millionth time that he'll have to learn to be wise...his name didn't give it to him!

Thank you Father, for my children, that keep me on my toes and keep me laughing. You know exactly what kind of hard night I had with the hives and yet today, I was given yet another story to laugh about involving my children. I can't wait to share how awesomely You've provided for our growing family. Your blessings continue to pour out as we follow Your will and ignore the world.

~Steph

PS: Friends, I have an appointment tomorrow with an allergist. Please pray for me to have some answers. I'm on month 10 or so of hives and nothing I've tried has helped. I was supposed to go without antihistimines for three days before this appointment and somewhere around hour 50 I had to give up... Not sure what that means for tomorrow.

Overheard in the Bee House...

I've heard some hilarious things lately and I really want to journal them before I forget them.

We were discussing our appointment for the ultrasound with the children... Lainey has been adamant that she wants another brother. She started praying for a brother after my miscarriage in early 2007. Then when we told her that we were going to start the process to adopt in 2009, she started praying for TWO brothers. When we found out that we matched with Xander, I told her there was a baby at the hospital for us and she asked immediately "What is my brother's name?" Oh childlike faith. Well she always takes the opportunity to tell me that she prayed for a brother and got Xander so SURELY God has heard her prayers for a second brother right?

Usually when she says this, Julianne gets huffy, crosses her arms and said "NO! I prayed for a SISTER!"

Someone will have a lesson about unanswered prayers tomorrow. *wink*

I guess DeLainey decided that she needed to start showing God some advantages of us being blessed with another baby boy... so the other night as I was walking by her bedroom door I heard "Dear God... please give momma a baby boy in her tummy... so she doesn't have to do so much hair before church." Thatta girl.. trying to plead your case yet remaining practical.

I've heard the following over the last few days..

"Dear God.. Please give my momma a baby boy in her tummy...."
- so that she can buy more shorts and pants. She is tired of buying so many dresses. (The girls only wear dresses these days so buying shorts and pants for Xander has definately been different. LOL)

- so that Xander will have a buddy to do yardwork with when we have a big yard. (Way to look ahead.. we live in an apartment right now LOL)

-so that we will have the same numbers. (She is very into "teams" right now.. and a boy would leave the boy team even with the girl team.)

- so Xander doesn't just have to throw a ball up in the air and catch it himself. He can actually play catch with someone. (I guess my little Tball player forgot that girls CAN play ball... and whatever happened to playing with daddy?)

- Because there are already two Daddy's girls.. and our Daddy only has two hands to hold and two legs for us to sit on. (Has she really seen Daddy's that have more than that? She makes Brandon seem incomplete or hindered. LOL)

We are very excited about our appointment tomorrow. I'm praying we see a healthy, wiggly baby. Once we see that I'll be happy to know the sex.... but having had a child that refused to show us at the big ultrasound appointment, my heart isn't set on it. I am thrilled to be pregnant and to be carrying yet another little person... and I love, love, love seeing the little baby on the screen! I know that we will ALL love the baby no matter what gender our little baby is! No matter who is been praying, it will be exactly what God has planned for us.

Snow, Pizza and Dave Ramsey...

Last Saturday morning we woke up to a thick blanket of snow outside and Brandon suddenly decided that we were going to go out to eat for lunch. *snicker* So he headed outside to dig our van out and the girls climbed into the love seat to peek out the window and give Momma the play by play of Daddy vs. Snow. Even they could see that Daddy wasn't winning and Brandon came in and announced that we weren't going anywhere for lunch. And then he got a pizza craving. So he called around and found out that Papa Johns and Pizza Hut were both delivering. We like Pizza Hut just a touch better and they had a better special so Brandon ordered while the girls were playing outside in the snow.



The girls didn't last long, so they came in and I changed their clothes and settled in for a snowed in day. The pizza man arrived, Brandon tipped him generously and we started making plates. It was Lainey's turn to pray over our meal.. and this is what we heard:



"Dear God... thank you for our food let it nourish our bodies, and protect our baby in mama's belly... oh and please bless the pizza man that came and brought us pizza in the snow. In Jesus' name, Amen."



And then she remarked, "Momma... do you think he is a Dave Ramsey listener too?" Puzzled I said, "Honey, why do you think he listens to Dave?" (Yes.. Dave and I are on a first name basis. LOL) "Well," she said, eating pizza between her thoughts, "Only a true Gazelle would deliver pizza in the snow."



Yes, honey... now that you've explained, perhaps he is a Dave Ramsey listener.



Thank you Father, for my insightful children that consistently keep me on my toes. Thank you that you've introduced us to Dave and that my 6 year old gets it. And yes, please bless that pizza delivery man through his journey today and in his future.

The apple.. ahem.. strawberry? doesn't fall far from the tree.. And my name is Julianne!

So the Sunday that Auntie Karon was coming in, we dashed around town running last minute errands. She is incredibly hard person to shop for. But what girl doesn't like chocolate? I mean she's a woman but do we ever really outgrow our need for chocolate? I sure don't think so.

I knew Augusta didn't have a Godiva and my aunt is FAAAAR too practical to buy Godiva for herself. BINGO! A great gift right?

Brandon had a huge smile on his face and said "NO chocolate covered strawberries for the baby!" as he looked down at my belly. I leaned over and said "Did you hear that Baby G_____ (name not announced) Daddy says NO chocolate strawberries."

Suddenly from the back, I heard "I is allowed to have strawberries... and my name... is Julianne!" Silly girl thought I'd called her the wrong name and told her she couldn't have strawberries. It was hilarious!

Well Godiva is in our outdoor mall... and it was cold so we rushed in and made a mad dash across the mall (of course we couldn't park near the Godiva.. we aren't natives and have no idea where Godiva is in relation to the various parking lots!)

As soon as we opened the door to enter Godiva, my girls both started sniffing. You can SMELL the chocolate there. Julianne began pushing air towards her nose and inhaling deeply and then she began to look around. She looked a little like Charlie when he entered Willy Wonka's factory.

We picked the gift and Brandon stood in line to pay. He cannot resist batting eyelashes and so he got two cones of chocolate covered strawberries. One was dark chocolate and one was milk chocolate.

When we got to the van, I gave each girl 2 stawberries and I stressed for Julianne not to eat the tops. A few minutes later, we were stuck in traffic and I asked Julianne where her strawberry tops were and she said in her carseat. I asked her to pass them up to me and this is what I saw:




Not a single drop of chocolate or strawberry left on the tops... and that my friends, is how I know that she was not switched at the hospital. She is definately mine. ;)