Daddy's hat

Tuesday morning, it was coooollldddd here. Not Minnesota cold, but pretty stinkin' cold nonetheless. JB was getting ready to brave some just-above-freezing temperatures for his morning run. Isaac thought that trying on Daddy's running hat was just the greatest game ever.

Some photos from Monday

I'm a bit behind on posting photos. Here's a few snaps from Jocelyn's weekly visit. She's such a sweet kid and so easy to watch.

Sigh. I feel like a broken record. "No lick Scrubby, No lick." We know occasional kisses are part of the game, but we are really trying to stop him from thinking that kissing children into oblivion is okay with us. Poor Scrubs. He tries hard but just can't resist! Oh and he does not lick adults -- just kids!

I really don't know what is happening in this picture. Jocelyn decided to a headstand and Scrubs wanted to investigate that she had good form I think.

Here's a cute one of Isaac on the couch -- typical Isaac smile.

And here he is in the middle of a heartfelt laugh!

Bummers, Prayers, Praise, leg cramps, and a schedule change

Not sure how you can put the word "Bummer" in a title with "Prayers" and "Praise" and "leg cramps" and "Schedule change" but, it is, after all, my blog, and I just did it . . . so there! I suppose technically you can put any words you darned well want to together in a blog now can't you? No one says it has to make sense.

However, so that you do not think I have completely lost my mind, I will attempt to connect the topics into one, fairly cohesive, blog. (At least in my own mind it will be fairly cohesive.)

The bummer is that I got an email from Target saying they mistakenly labeled their seats at the ridiculously cheap price that I bought them for. They are $279.00 not $43.00. I am welcome to replace my order at the corrected amount. No. I don't think so. Does anyone else think the ability to change your price is a bit strange? I mean, technically, they could have seen how many people scooped them up and decided that their price should have been higher as an afterthought.

Oh well. Not much I can do about it except say bummer.

Praise is that JB's DOP (duration of pregnancy) patient had her baby during the day yesterday instead of into the evening or early morning or even tomorrow. This is especially amazing since she arrived at the hospital last night showing no signs of labor approaching and was delivered by lunchtime! Praise the Lord for her and for the ability to have a bit of family time last night.

Prayers are for our good friends here on Eglin. They are going in for their IVF harvest this morning! I know how exciting, terrifying, and overwhelming that is. Please stop and say a prayer for them. Pray especially that they will get just the right number of eggs and that just the right number will fertilize and just the right number will survive and grow to meet them on this Earth!

Okay so the leg cramps. First of all I have always been someone who has struggled with leg cramps. From my toes to my knees to my calves to my quads. You name it, I have cramped there. These often come during the night, but many times I am plagued by them during the day as well. If you are a close enough friend, you have probably witnessed my strange hopping and groaning at some point in our relationship. I was warned that these nasty things can occur or get worse in pregnancy. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. I am now cramping throughout the entire night with great gusto! What was once a once a week or maybe every other week occurrence is now a nightly times, like FIFTY, occurrence!

Now I know there is a lot of advice out there for leg cramps, and I appreciate it. But quite honestly, if you suggest it, I guarantee you I have tried it. For me, the only thing that even slightly helps with my cramping is to not have my feet pointed (which means a loose fitting blanket and no sheets.) I eat bananas out the wazoo so this isn't it. I still found myself stumbling around the bedroom at 1:30 in the morning last night with the granddaddy of all cramps -- the dreaded knee cramp. Ugh! Tell me how stretch a knee! Needless to say, between not being able to get comfortable, and waking up nearly every hour with a cramp, I have been a weeeee bit more cranky than usual.

And schedule change describes the new month that awaits us. JB will be working in Pensacola (about 90 minutes from here) Tuesday thru Friday for the next four weeks. He will also be working from 1pm until 10pm. Most people have said this is a good rotation, however, driving 90 minutes one way four times a week, is a bit much, especially at 10:00 at night. We'll flip our family time to the mornings, a luxury of me working from home, and adjust fine, but it will take a bit of getting used to. It wouldn't be a bad thing if JB's last November DOP went during the day one of those days to help him avoid a day of driving. :)

So there you have it. Bummer, prayers, praise, leg cramps, and a schedule change . . . all wrapped into one neat blog!

Mellow cup drinking

Isaac has been a bit under the weather the last few days. He hasn't been cranky, just very mellow with a good bit of a cough. Here is a video of him chillin' with Daddy before church on Sunday morning.

What an answer to prayer!

I have been scouring Craig's List for many weeks now, trying to find a new car seat for Isaac. The one he is in now only goes up to 22 pounds. So . . . time to find a new one as he is pushing 20. However, I soon realized that "toddler" car seats were used for a long time and therefore rarely sold second-hand. The ones that were sold second-hand looked like they had been through a war zone. (And I worry they smelled like that too.) From all we could figure, we were going to have to buy a new car seat for Isaac. And, Elijah would need one within six months as well meaning we were looking at a $400-$600 bill by the time we purchased two seats.

Then last night, I got this email from Joia who passed it along from her family member. Take a look at this deal. (Although, by the time you view this link, the deal may be gone.) This is for a Britax Marathon car seat (one of the best on the market). These are $300 seats, on sale for $43 with free shipping!!! FORTY-THREE DOLLARS!

Needless to say we ordered last night. And forget ordering one seat. We ordered two! You can't pass up on this deal. I am always so blessed when, with patience and prayer, God simply opens the doors and provides you with exactly what you need in his timing. Thanks to Joia and Denise (the mother of triplets!) for bringing this to our attention. Soooo exciting.

Now I just need to focus my prayers on finding a double jogger without a fixed wheel. If he can take care of a car seat, I'm confident this isn't out of his league by any means. :)

P.S. Actually I just checked. The seats are sold out this morning -- already!

It's a record!

Scrubby officially went 2.5 hours out of his crate, in the laundry room, unsupervised, while we went to church this morning. We returned to find everything in its place. Of course, we had moved out the rug, the shoe basket, and the laundry basket, but still! We all know Scrubs is capable of finding anything to get into, and he got into nada! It's only taken 18 months to get to this point! You go Scrubs!

Date night!

Yesterday, JB and I went on a date! While we were gone, Isaac hung out at Clay & Brittney's house with their two adorable daughters: Madison and Jocelyn. We are so blessed that despite the fact that we do not have family here, we have so many wonderful people to babysit for us. We really are blessed to have some "family" away from home.

I love bringing Isaac to Brittney's because, quite honestly, I don't think for one second about his well-being while I am gone. Brittney is amazing with children, and I know he is thoroughly enjoying all the attention his two big "sisters" are lavishing on him. I'm going to be very sad when they leave next summer for their new assignment. Clay is a third year which means summertime will send them on their way . . . away from us! :(

Anyways, Brittney took some photos of the day's activities, and I stole a few from her blog to share with you.

Isaac hanging out with big sister Madison and Doctor Clay while Jocelyn is napping. Look at Madison playing with Isaac's feet. :)

What a cute picture of my chubby boy and a beautiful little girl. Every time we see Madison she seems to get even prettier.

I love this picture! I don't think Jocelyn is too happy with the division of labor here.

Isaac looks like he just loves all this attention from the gorgeous ladies. How much better can it get?!

So what did we do on our night out?!

Well, first we went and saw the new James Bond movie. JB loved it. I, thought it was, well, like all the other Bond movies. It kept my attention and I was interested in what was happening, but I was always a bit confused as to what was actually occurring in the plot. In addition, if you didn't see the Bond before this one, you'll be even more confused than I was. It really carried over from the previous movie.

After the movie, we decided to use our gift certificate to Ruth Chris Steakhouse. We had only been to Ruth Chris once before and that was for a pharmaceutical dinner. (This is where a company comes in and treats you to a meal while they tell you about the drug they hope you'll prescribe to patients.) Normally, spouses cannot attend these meetings, but because I am a medical writer, I am allowed to go. I've been to 3 or 4 of them since we moved here, and they are always an amazing spread! Of course, my retirement from the RLS Foundation in January will mean the end to these opportunities. Bummer!

Well Ruth Chris' was amazing -- even more amazing then our pharm. dinner allowed for. We were seated in a comfy circular booth and were treated to amazing service and even more amazing food. The only bad thing is that our gift certificate required us to spend a minimum amount of money in order to redeem the allotted amount. I thought this minimum would be impossible to reach, but it was reached rapidly and quickly. It is quite a pricey place. Definitely a "very special night" outing and not somewhere we will probably go again for many years to come. We do have one more of these gift certificates, but since it doesn't expire, we'll probably use it when we retire or something! Or after the kids have been put through college. :)

One thing we realized while we were at dinner was how few times we have gone out without Isaac. In fact, this was the first movie (other than a movie we attended with the CareGroup) that we have been to see together since he was born, and only the third time we have been to dinner alone since he was born.

I have always been determined to make sure to take time away from the kids and spend time with my spouse, and we have done this a few times since Isaac was born. But life has been so busy with travelling and JB's work . . . and tiring from a new baby and another new baby on the way . . . that we just haven't done this as often as we would like.

I think the other thing is that Isaac is so good. At the age he is at now, he goes to restaurants, shopping, etc. without causing us any issues so we therefore just don't think ahead to securing a babysitter, despite the fact that we have plenty to choose from. (I really hope all these sitters are as willing to be of service when there is an Isaac x 2 present. That's when we will really need them!)

So anyways, it was a great date night and something we'll have to do again soon. Big kudos to Clay & Brittney for giving us the opportunity to spend some time just the two of us. It was way needed and we came home excited to see our boy and very refreshed.

Couldn't pick just one . . .

Look closely at the one above -- there's two little teeth on the bottom row! You can click on the picture for a more detailed view!

Prayer of an infertile couple

I have two friends in the midst of an IVF cycle -- an adventure I know all too well. I know sometimes my story can be discouraging for people when they ask me how many times we tried IVF. Four. Four negative attempts. I try to encourage people, especially before we found out about Elijah. Don't worry. Not everyone is like me. Many people have positive results. I'm just not one of them.

I have so many friends who had positive results on try one. Try two. This is my prayer today for both of these women. One is getting ready for number two. Number one for the other. I pray for positive results -- for no pain in the outcome.

I flash back to one of our infertility support group meetings in Minnesota. My friend Roberta's friend just got a positive pregnancy test on her fifth, and final, attempt at IVF. I was just getting ready for number one. Number five? How did her heart travel that road five times?

And yet my heart traveled it four. I still don't know how I was able to get up, dust myself off, and have the strength to walk back into that doctor's office again. Each attempt slightly different than the others. Each one more tiring. Each one more wrought with the desire to not give up or to give up. Which should I do? I'd pray. Lord if this isn't for me, please take this desire. You can have it. I don't want it. I just want peace. Another phone call. Another negative.

I know in other ways our story can be uplifting. Despite four negative IVFs and four negative IUIs, a positive pregnancy test with no doctors present. (Well, unless you count my husband. Ha!)

I so do not want any other woman to get that call that their test is negative. Each of my result days is etched in my memory so deeply. May my two friends get the call that I never received. Positive! It worked! Parents at last!

I ask that you pray for my two friends and for so many other women who are grieving and waiting today. My heart is so burdened to pray for them, and I think of them so often throughout the day. I often don't have the words, only this longing to take from them any pain and give them only happiness. I wish that I had the power to give that. Even though I know God's plans are so much bigger and better than our human minds can comprehend, I want to say I know best. I want God to hear me the way I want to be heard. I want him to answer my prayer the way that I think they would best be answered.

I pray that they do not feel pain -- only happiness.

I pray that they do not feel alone despite how isolating this journey can be.

I pray that you give them the desires of their heart.

I pray that they do not have to face disappointment.

I pray that you surround them with people who can hold them up and support them.

I pray that their home is filled with children -- the children that you have destined for them to parent.

I found this prayer online. I pray it today for my two friends and for all the other women in the midst of their long waits. For me it was five years. In some ways, it feels like a lifetime. In other ways, when I kiss Isaac's chubby cheeks, I forget that I travelled it at all.

Prayer of an Infertile Couple

Creator of us all, only you know how much we want children. Please, please bless us with a child; a child to lavish our love on and care for in so many ways. It is our dream and I pray to you with an aching heart.

I assumed that when we were ready for babies, we would have them. How could it be that month after month I feel so sharply the pain and disappointment of that "failure." The Bible does not comfort with words like "barren" to describe that ancient disgrace.

I am happy for our friends who call us with the joyous news of their expectations, but it is like another pain in my heart. I want to be there to celebrate with them but my battered emotions are numb to the joy of another baby shower, another baby gift.

Give us the patience to support each other in our sorrow and may this pain bring us together in the grace of our marriage. Bless us with ability to see more clearly where you are calling us to serve in this time in our life, when our sorrow sometimes outweighs our generosity and our self-focus lets us forget others. Be with us, heal us and let us feel your love blessing this marriage.

Amen.

Thanks Brandon & Kristen!

Our good friends in the Polar North, Brandon and Kristen gave Isaac these scrubs when we went for our visit. He is finally big enough to wear them. It's hard to see them in the picture, but they are sooooo cute on him! The pants are still a tad long, but his little buddha belly fits perfectly in them.

It's hard to believe that Isaac was this tiny when we took the trip to Minnesota in June. Wow -- time flies!

Speaking of our little Isaac's Buddha belly, both he and I went in for our check-ups yesterday.

First, Isaac. He is now nearly 20 pounds which is about 81st percentile. He is 27" tall (as compared to 20" at birth) which I believe put him somewhere in the 70th percentile-- but I actually can't remember. He still has a small head -- 37th percentile. His head doesn't look that small to me so the only thing I can figure is that there are some kids with some really big noggins out there!

Isaac did great at his appointment despite the fact that we were there a very long time. Doctor G. was late getting in, she asked if I would let a medical student practice on us first, and we had to do two appointments. All in all it was a 2.5 hour day! However, Isaac is never short on the receiving of attention. We gets tons of visitors during our trips to the Clinic, and Isaac never disappoints with his big grins for anyone who wants to hold him or play with him.

We are still waiting for a referral to go through the computer system to see the plastic surgeon regarding his ear. We are hoping to possibly secure an appointment today. I am nervous about having this done but know that it is best to have this taken care of before he can grab his ear at will.

As for milestones, he is at age with everything except rolling over. While he has rolled from his stomach to his back a few times, he has yet to roll from his back to his stomach. It appears he has the ability to roll but lacks the desire to participate in this activity. Dr. G. said we will give it another six weeks before discussing if anything needs to be done to see why he is a bit behind in this area. Quite honestly, his lack of rolling is probably due to Mommy's failure to put him on the ground enough. He sits all the time now but gets so upset when lying down, that I don't do the exercises enough. Dr. G. made me feel better though. She put him on his stomach, and Isaac did exactly what he does for me. He laid his head on the table and just cried. Dr. G. looked at me and said, "Okay. You're right. That is quite pitiful. I'd have trouble leaving him too." :)

Otherwise, aside from the rolling over, Isaac is the picture of health! We opted out of getting our shots done yesterday as it had already been a very long afternoon. We'll go up one day next week (when Daddy can be there too!) Daddy has consistently found an "excuse" to avoid attending the deliverance of shots, but we are determined that this time, he has to participate so Mommy can take a break from the tears.

As for Mommy, she is doing well. My weight is a little on the higher side so I have to try and watch it during the last ten weeks. Dr. G. also believes the continued pain I am having to the right of my belly button (or umbilicus as they call it in the doc. circles) is due to the umbilical hernia scar tissue that I have. As that gets stretched and as Elijah kicks and head/butt bumps it, it causes some pretty good discomfort.

She also suggested I wear a belly band throughout the day so as to prevent the discomfort I am having in the evenings. She said some women's uterus just "hangs" and hurts and this strap could help keep me "pulled up" and not uncomfortable. We'll give it a try.

My stomach is measuring at 30 weeks even though today I am at 29. Elijah's heart rate was in the 130-140s. Doing well.

So that's the baby and baby-to-be updates in our house. Have a great weekend everyone.

Taco ring:

I have had a few people ask me if the Taco Ring was easy and if they could have the recipe.

First of all, if Wendi cooked it, it was easy.

Secondly, I can't believe I am doing this since posting a recipe sort of goes against everything I stand for as a "typical jock", but here are the easy instructions, courtesy of my friend Erica!

Taco ring:

• 1/2 - 1 lb. cooked ground beef depending on how bulky you like it
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbs water2
• 8oz pkg crescent roll dough

The rest are just optional sides:

• 1 med green pepper
• 1/2 head lettuce, shredded
• 1 med tomato, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• Sour cream

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 375° F.
• Combine meat, taco mix, cheese, and water.
• Arrange crescent triangles in a circle with bases overlapping and points out.
• Sompe people leave a 5" circle in center and fill the pepper with salsa for display.
• Spoon meat on triangle bases. Fold points over meat and tuck under.
• Bake 20-25 min until brown.
• Cut off the top of the pepper. Fill pepper with salsa and place in center of ring (if want)
• Mound lettuce, tomato, onions, and olives around pepper. Garnish with sour cream.

Bunches of busy

There has been a lot going on around here. Too much to just write about in paragraph form, so . . . out come the bullets!

MONDAY

• I watched Jocelyn in the morning.
• I watched Keenan in the afternoon while Joia went to our "Moms in Motion" class. I decided that while she was at class, I'd take all the boys (Isaac, Keenan, and Scrubs) on a walk so that I was getting some "Motion for Mom" time too! I've done this twice now and really enjoy it. Keenan and Isaac seem to enjoy the stroller and petting Scrubs while we walk.
• JB hung out with a few of the guys he is working with after work. Even though it's hard to have him gone all day and then again in the evening, I know he enjoyed the opportunity to get together with some friends.
• I decided to get some work for RLSF done in the late-night while I waited for JB to get home. This was a great idea! Both Scrubs and Isaac were asleep, the house was quiet, and I was able to work without distraction for nearly three straight hours.
• Confirmation occurs that our little boy is indeed getting two teeth! You go Isaac!
• Scrubs continues to look out the window, wondering when he can play with his buddy Deuce again. His wound is healing but still has a few more days to go! Poor doggie.

TUESDAY

• I called Tiffany mid-day in a bit of a panic after every window in my house burst into a loud rattling three times in a row. "Bomb drills," she informed me. What is this? Do they think this is some sort of military base or something?!
• JB had the day off so he watched the boys for me while I had lunch with my friend Becky. I am so blessed by the friendship she and I have been able to develop. Our love for the Lord and our journeys with IVF have really united us! She is getting ready to start IVF. I am so blessed to be able to stand by her on this journey. It is very healing for me to be able to use what I went through to help someone else. It makes me feel like our road was not walked in vain.
• Half our evening is spent bringing our van to the shop. Things are not very close to base around here. Any trip seems to take about a half hour. Anyways, the van is still in the shop. Looks like it needs a new transmission. The good thing is, we had heard the 2002 Odyssey's can have transmission issues so we got them to throw in a free warranty when we bought the van. That's a relief!
• We get some major grocery shopping done after dropping the van off. Isaac loves the grocery store.

Wednesday

• Living with one vehicle isn't as easy here as it was in Minnesota when we were without children and could walk everywhere. A lot more planning is needed now to facilitate getting everyone where they need to be. I take JB into work in the morning which requires waking Isaac up to get into the car. Oh well. Good thing the kid goes with the flow!
• It is my turn to host the wifia lunch at my house which I do on Wednesday afternoon. I call on my great friend Erica to save the day, remembering the taco ring she made at my house when she came to visit. Mine wasn't quite as good as her's, but it did the job! I added a second ring to make sure we had enough. Sarah and Andrea weren't there so JB and I had some for dinner that evening. Here's a picture of my taco ring (courtesy of Joia):

• Scrubs is growing up more and more! He is especially good with kids. Here is a picture of him eating some treats from Keenan. Keenan lovvveeees to gives Scrubs his treats and could care less that this results in a lot of slobber. William, on the other hand, is a bit smarter. Forget that dog slobber, I'll just throw the treat and the dog can find it!

• Wednesday evening was Care Group. I really love our Care Group! I am just not so good at starting an activity in the evening lately. I really do "turn into a pumpkin" as Tiffany likes to say even earlier then I used to! I'm quite useless by about 7pm. Unfortunately, Care Group starts at 7pm which is after both Isaac and my own bedtime.

Thursday

• Thursday has just started but there are still bullets to share! Firstly, JB got paged early this morning as another one of his ladies has gone into labor. An early morning page is a good thing. You hope it will not conflict with your evening plans if all goes well. This is especially hopeful in today's case because we have our once-a-month ladies book club this evening and John is not only scheduled to watch Isaac but Keenan as well while Philip is on nights. Hopefully this gal won't take two days!
• Only bad thing about an early morning page when you only have one car? Having to get your sleeping baby out of bed to take Daddy into work. Isaac didn't think this was a very impressive idea at all, but he just snuggled into my shoulder and willingly allowed himself to be strapped into the car seat for an early morning drive.
• I have my OB appointment this morning. Isaac has his six month appointment as well. We are hoping to get him into the plastic surgeon this month as well for the beginnings of discussion about his ear tag. I'll update you on both appointments post-visit.
• I'm watching William today for a bit while Tiffany goes in to get her foot looked at. That gal is still in a boot! What an adventure that has been.
• More bullets to come soon . . . the week is just barely half over . . .

Nephew Nate funny

Aunt Gabbi: "Do you know where baby Elijah is?"

Nephew Nate: "In Aunt Wendi's tummy."

Aunt Gabbi: "That's right."

Nephew Nate: (Thinks for a minute). "Mommy, did Aunt Wendi eat him?"

Fun-ness

Today promises to be a great day, if only because it is Veteran's Day, and JB happens to be on a Clinic rotation which means the Clinic is closed, and he is home! Yipeeee!!! I am so excited to get to spend a day in the middle of the week with my husband.

Right now, JB and Scrubs are out training for their half marathon. I think today is a fairly short run -- 3 miles. JB trains 4 days a week, and Scrubs trains with him. Sundays are his long run. I've heard rumors that there are some other docs who are interested in joining him for the race, which will be in March. It'll be a lot of fun if there are a lot of people running together. I'm excited to watch him with all my boys in tow.

Thought I'd start your morning the way my morning started -- with Scrubs and Isaac bonding together in Scrubby's chair. I couldn't manage a good picture of both of them at the same time, but here's a few pretty good ones. I'm not sure Scrubs thought this was a good idea, but he was patient and loving at the same time. He is an amazing dog with kids -- much better than he is with adults.

Doesn't Scrubs look like he thinks this is the worst idea ever? What the heck are you people making me do now?

Speaking of Scrubs, he had a bad dog day yesterday which included throwing himself into the glass of our screen door when a new mailman came by in an attempt to say hi or bye or something! Other behaviors included eating a crayon and refusing to come in from the yard. I was so frustrated by night's end that I asked JB to stop by with Brandon, our neighbor and fellow dog-lover after they hung out together last night. So they did.

The doorbell rang, Scrubs sat in his designated "place," and when permission was granted,walked up to Brandon, accepted his treat, and laid down, as if this was how he always greeted new people! Are you kidding me?! It was like he knew he was being tested! Brandon looked at me like, "Why did you need me to practice door greeting with your dog?" I tried to explain the whole throwing himself against the glass and scaring the substitute mailman half to death, but it sounded rather pathetic after his stellar performance in front of Brandon.

In closing, here is a video capturing Isaac's new skill: leaf grabbing.

Have a great Veteran's Day everyone!

A bit of celebrations

***Disclaimer: this is a heavy post for anyone dealing with infertility/pregnancy loss. Please feel free to skip this post and return tomorrow if you are in a difficult spot right now. I'd completely understand. I almost didn't post this at all but decided a disclaimer was a fair compromise. I am sorry for anyone that this post may hurt. My heart knows the pain ... and remembers the pain.




Sunday morning sent Bara back to Boston! We had a wonderful visit and thoroughly enjoyed catching up. Bara is so great to talk to, and we always enjoy all the lessons and information we can share and learn from each other. So much of what we discuss is cultural, and this visit was no exception.

Speaking of culture, I have a question for all you blog readers. Is it culturally inappropriate to have your guests take a cab if you are able to pick them up or take them to the airpor?. Bara really wanted to just take a cab to the airport on Sunday morning (we didn't let him!) because his flight was so early, but JB and I told him that for us to stay in bed while he took a cab would be rude. Is that true fellow Americans?! I believe our cultural tradition is that the only time it is acceptable to have a guest take a cab is when you are unable to pick them up or the distance is very great. Correct?

All right, back to the Sunday celebrations . . .

Sunday afternoon, my great friends here in Eglin decided to throw a triple baby shower for Andrea, Joia, and myself. Not only is it strange to be pregnant, it's even stranger to have a baby shower for me and this baby inside of me. I still remember when Joia and Andrea both sensitively shared their joyous news with me, still careful with my heart. What's so amazing is that while they were being sensitive, I was pregnant -- and just had no idea. What a strange turn of events.

The party was at Jodi's house. However, Andrea decided she didn't want to come and instead wanted to go into labor the evening before -- three weeks early. Little Chloe Christine arrived early on Sunday morning. Andrea wasn't able to make the shower (imagine that!) but we all headed to the hospital to bring some of the shower (and shower goodies) to her once we were done eating and celebrating ourselves.

Here are some pictures from the afternoon.

Tiffany and Jodi (the official shower host -- this is the third baby/bridal shower she's hosted since we've moved here. What a gal!)

Here's me and Joia sporting our winter looks.

Tiffany made each of us a BE-uuuu-tiful blanket for the babies. Mine is not quite done yet (thus the reason I don't have a picture of it.) But here is a picture of Joia's to let you see what the finished product will look like. Mine will be the same, only in blue. What an amazing gift!


Joia and me goofing around during the gift celebrations.

Brittney gave me swim suits in a plethora of sizes. Both my boys are set until they are two! What a great gift idea.

I decided to give Joia some newborn girls' clothes. She doesn't know what she is having and won't find out until the big day, so I thought, what the heck, if it's a boy, she can return them, let's let her have some pink stuff for a little while. Joia will be thrilled either way, but I know we are all silently hoping the little Dooley is a gal! (At least I am!)

The two gals who decided NOT to go into early labor and instead show up for the shower. Doesn't Joia look so radiant? I love this picture of her.

Here's a photo of our gang with Andrea at the hospital. We brought her a few of her presents, some flowers, and of course some food (chocolate!!!) Andrea looked great, her labor went great, and Chloe is doing great despite being nearly a month early.

My hubby!

Okay, tagged by Joia a few days ago, here is my attempt at being loyal to the tag.

1. Where did you meet? At Fort Lauderdale Christian School. I think I was about 9. However, the first time I really have any memories of him was in fifth grade or so when we were on the same basketball team together. JB doesn't remember this.

2. How long did you date? We started dating in December of 1993. We dated until February of 1994 and broke up for, a weekend I think. We got back together in February 1994 and dated until the summer of 1994 at which point we broke up again. We got back together sometime in late 1994 and continued dating until we were married on June 20, 1998. So I think in total we dated about 4.5 years.

3. How long have you been married? We were married ten years in June of this past year. That is 3,792 days or 10 years, 4 months, and 17 days. :) (I used some online converter to figure this out.)

4. What does he say that surprises you? When he shares how much he enjoys/loves Isaac, I am always surprised. Mostly surprised that we are parents and also surprised that he thinks Isaac is just as cool as I do.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? Probably his eyes. He has very cool green eyes.

6. What is your favorite quality of his? Probably his leadership. I trust him 100% -- even though he sometimes thinks I don't since I get a bit "worry-warted" and ask a million times about the same thing.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Mostly he calls me "Babe."

8. What is his favorite color? I always think this is a weird question. I would guess some sort of green, but I actually have no idea. I don't even know what my own favorite color is.

9. What is his favorite food? He is a "foodie." He likes food of all sorts. But I would say currently he most enjoys sushi.

10. What is his favorite sport? If he were going to play a sport on a day for fun, he would want to play soccer. In the past, we have enjoyed playing some co-ed volleyball together and pick-up basketball. We also like to watch any sporting event if it is a "big game." Tennis, volleyball, basketball, anything.

11. When and where did you first kiss? Homecoming night in late 1995. We were at my house.

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Travel and anything active and outdoors.

13. Do you have any children? Yes -- finally. Isaac is the most awesome son ever! He's six months old! We also are waiting for the finalization of an adoption from China and expecting another son in January.

14. Does he have a hidden talent? Well most of you know he was a graphic designer before he was a doctor. He loves art and is very good at it but doesn't get much time to do it. His Dad is also a contractor so he has taught JB a lot of that type of work. I think JB can do/fix anything that isn't related to cars -- he doesn't enjoy that. He also hates plumbing, although he is pretty good at it if he needs to be.

15. How old is he? 32.

16. Who said "I love you" first? He did. Totally shocked me. Never saw it coming.

17. What is his favorite type of music? Christian of the more "modern" sort.

18. What do you most admire about him? I think I admire how good he is at everything he does. Being a doctor, mowing the lawn, cleaning the bathroom, being a father. He just does anything he puts his hand to well.

19. Do you think he will read this? Yep, although he isn't as good of a blog reader since we came to Eglin. The base doesn't allow access to blogs.

Saturday in the Sun

We took Bara down to Desitn today. Did some errands, went to the beach, and had lunch and dessert together. Here's JB and me. Thanks to Kristi who is the sole owner of every bit of my outfit!

Bara and JB

Most up-to-date picture of me. Twenty-eight weeks and counting.


Where's Waldo . . . er . . . Wendi? Well, that's me sitting on the steps. (Look very closely!) Isaac fell asleep in the stroller so I hung out while JB showed Bara the beach. I also like this picture because it shows the dunes really well.

Bara in the Gulf of Mexico. His first time I think!

Another one of Bara on the beach.

The most beautiful beaches in the U.S. (In my opinion!)

After the trip to the beach, we went for sushi at Sushi Siam. They had these great couches that Isaac could sit on while we ate. He loved it!

Isaac balancing while Daddy shows Bara how to use chopsticks.

A close-up of the chopstick tutorial. While he was learning, the waitress came and brought him the "kiddie chopsticks." But Bara didn't need them. He did pretty well for his first time really trying -- without the kiddie chops.

Isaac and Daddy chilling during lunch.

Bara comes to Eglin

On Thursday afternoon, Bara made his debut on Eglin AFB! We are so blessed that Bara decided to use some of his very limited vacation time from his surgical residency at Harvard to come and visit us here in Florida.

Thursday evening we took him to the Greek restaurant right outside of base. He said that some of the food actually tasted pretty close to Syrian food! Then last night, after JB got off of work, the three guys went to the grocery store while Scrubs and I took a nap. John made wonderful grilled paninis and vegetables for dinner. It was delicious!

Here are some pictures from our grill out time last night. Today we plan to head into Destin to show Bara some of the most beautiful beaches ever.