Thank You Eduard!

If you pay any attention to the weather, you might have noticed the tropical storm Eduard we just experienced down here. I had just finished complaining about the heat and lack of rain when it hit. When I heard it was coming I made all the neccessary preparations--gas, flashlights, and food. I have to admit, though, I was pretty excited. We spent yesterday indoors enjoying the lack of sun and cooler weather the storm brought. And it rained all day long!!! I am so grateful for all the rain we got and so are my plants and the grass. Well, it wasn't nearly as bad a storm as we thought it would be. That was the best severe weather I could have asked for.

It's TOO HOT!

When I was ten, my mom was pregnant with my little sister in the dead of the summer in Mississippi. She used to walk around the house saying, "It's too hot." Not only was it what she said that me and my siblings found funny but how she said it--in this high pitched, dramatic fashion. We have never let her forget and often look back on those days giggling at Mom's intense reaction to the heat that summer.

Well, now it's my turn. This is my third pregnancy taking place in the summer and the most miserable by far. I was pregnant with Avery in Virginia and with Sarah in SLC/St. Louis. This is by far the hottest place we have ever lived. With temperatures in the high 90s, high humidity, and very little rain, I am almost positive I cannot possibly survive the summer. I hate the heat and I hate being outside. My body temperature is at least 10 degrees higher than normal and I am tired of sweating all the time. So I walk around the house the same way my mother did 20 years ago complaining that "It's too hot." Yes, I am dramatic about it and yes I position myself under the fan with the air conditioner on every chance I get. I can finally empathize with my poor mother.

Am I missing something?

So, in preparation of my roommate reunion in a few weeks and for an interesting topic of discussion, I finally read Twilight. With all the buzz, I was pretty excited and probably had my hopes up a bit higher than I should. With that being said, I was bound to be disappointed and I was. I really didn't get what was so great about the book. I have read my share of fantasy and I know the difference between reality and fiction but I couldn't help putting myself into Bella's character. I decided that Bella and I have nothing in commmon and I cannot relate to her character at all! That is unusual for me because I love to read and can usually find something I relate to in the hero or heroine. I am not saying I hated the book (I finished it didn't I?), and the vampire thing was interesting enough. I guess I just wasn't feeling the romantic notion of young love and vampires.

The risks of getting bigger and bigger...

Because I have had the opportunity to experience both a c-section and natural birth, I am desperately hoping to have a natural birth again. Recovering from a c-section is, in my opinion, a nightmare. That opinion is based on only having one child to care for during the recovery--I cannot imagine having to care for three in that condition. Needless to say, I have been very concerned with the amount of growth I am experiencing during this pregnancy. Preferably, the baby should be small. Genetics and past experience dictate that producing an average size baby may be difficult for me. My mom had big babies and Avery was just over nine pounds when she was born. I was fortunate Sarah was only seven pounds. My last appointment combined with the results of the ultrasound were discouraging. I gained quite a bit of weight in one month and the baby was measuring large when we found out his sex. Also, I have been browsing through pictures of my last pregnancies and have discovered that I am bigger now than I was with the other ones. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

About 6 1/2 months pregnant with Avery

About 6 months pregnant with Sarah

About 6 1/2 months with baby boy (Scary!)

Happy Birthday Sarah "Bean"!

I cannot believe my baby turned 2 years old yesterday. I have never seen anyone so excited about a birthday as Sarah was. We started the morning with some birthday pancakes. Later that morning, we had a small party with just our family. After nap time, we finished off the day at Chuck-e-cheese.



Just two short years ago, Sarah impatiently greeted the world. After two hours of labor and three pushes, she was born and she was perfect. She continues to be an impatient, fiery redhead with a very strong personality. She loves her sister and wants to copy everything she does. She does not like to be pushed around or forced to do anything. Lately, Sarah has developed a very strong sense of self--everything revolves around her. She asks "What about me?" and constantly says "mine". Her language skills are excellent and even though she screams a lot, she is able to communicate quite well. One of my favorite things about Sarah is how loving she is. She does not hesitate to give hugs and kisses and say "I love you".

Happy birthday my Sarah! I am grateful everyday that I was blessed with your sweet spirit in my home.

Caffeine and Pregnancy

There is no question that I have an addiction to sugar. I love sweets and I always have. I know it's something I should give up or at the very least, cut back on. It's hard though. I have never had a caffeine addiction though and for the most part, I stay away from soda and other forms of caffeine altogether. Lately, however, I have been craving this...


Good old fashioned Coca-cola from the fountain, in a bottle or in a can. I love the taste of it. I have been doing my research though on the effects of caffeine on my unborn baby--NOT GOOD. So goodbye my brief addiction. I will think about you often but no matter how loudly you may be calling my name, I will not give in. At least until the baby is born.

Summer Fun

We just said goodbye to Mark's family who flew all the way from Canada to visit all of us here in Houston. Needless to say, we had a great time hanging out with all the aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. The girls stayed up way past their bedtimes most nights and slept in late the following mornings. We partied hard and were sad to see them leave. We are all back on schedule now and I can finally get back to posting.

Mark's sister Melissa was able to come down with her husband Joe and new baby Jessica. Mark and his brother Kevin had the wonderful opportunity to bless the baby on July first which is Canada Day (Independence day in Canada).

The girls and I went to our community bike parade the morning of the Fourth of July. We had a blast with the bike riding, prizes, popsicles and fireworks tattoos.