So that's what it feels like!

I've been moaning and groaning about how uncomfortable I'm getting lately. I mean, carrying around an extra 30+ lbs of weight plus chasing after an active 1 year old is really starting to wear on me. And because I can't really do anything about these circumstances, I've resorted to complaining...and poor Justin gets to hear it most. Now don't get me wrong...I know he thinks he understands how tiring it is, but he really has no clue because he has never been in my shoes before....

Anyways, this weekend we watched one of Lauren's Mommy and Me pals, 7 month old Cameron. Everything went fine, although poor Mr. Cameron is teething and this normally easygoing guy wasn't so easy going this time. Anyways, I'm fixing him a bottle in the kitchen when out walks the Hubster, looking like this:


Yeah, he's a super dad all right! Cameron thought the Bjorn idea was fabulous and was quite content being carried around the house. And Lauren, being the Princess that is, decided that this little guy shouldn't get all of her daddy's attention so he needed to figure out a way to carry her too!

After about 5 minutes of carrying the two tots around, the Hubster asks how much Cameron weighs. I tell him about 15 lbs or so...And then he says, "What about Diddle? How much does she weigh?" I tell him 20 lbs. So he gets quiet for a moment and says "D@mn, no wonder you're tired alot! I'm carrying 35 lbs and I'm exhausted!". Aha!!! Finally, he gets it! After toting the pint sized Princess around all day, plus carrying Baby Boy Brownie, you really start to feel the soreness and exhaustion setting in!!

Alright, Miss Piddle Diddle just woke up from a nap so it's time to cut this short but here's a couple pics of yours truly...7 months prego and waddling like a duck :)

Another day..

FYI, the sappiness won't last long. I predict my smart arse will be back in full force by the second or third paragraph...

I have such an amazing family. I really do. Not just the extended kind, but my close knit family of 3...soon to be 4. This feeling often creeps up on me in the middle of no where and I can't help but feel like the luckiest woman alive. And I'm not talking about going anything extravagant... just enjoying the little things like having family dinners together, taking walks when the weather's nice, and just enjoying the life that we're living. I'm feeling this contentment today, as I've such a nice time just doing "what we normally do". Alright alright, sappy Shell is done :)

I'm not sure what's going on around here but the weather has been unusually pleasant. I'm used to the sweltering heat, the kind that makes your clothes cling to your disgustingly sticky body and makes your toes sweat (and smell) something awful! Anyways, I digress... So because the weather has been so live-able lately, the Hubster and Luis took advantage and spent some time outdoors. Now my idea of spending a nice time outdoors includes a hammock, a wine cooler and the latest issue of Parents (I know, I know...I live on the edge). Oh, and a Cabana Boy wouldn't hurt. But when your one of the weirder kind (read: man folk), you're idea of spending time outdoors means washing your car. Why anyone would want to wash a car is beyond me, but heck, I got a clean Durango outta the deal so I didn't complain!


While the glutton's-for-punishment washed the cars, Miss Busy Body and I hung out nearby...I attempted the corral the pint-sized sprout and intently tried to prevent her from tasting and nibbling on all things dirt and plant related.


However, Miss Curious Georgette had other plans and tried her best to sneak in a nibble or two during the milisecond that I happened to look away. I tell myself that the dandelions she managed to inhale provided added protein for the day...


And in between the crawling, walking and scooting she did all over the bright, clothes-staining grass, the Diddle tasted (errrr, investigated) the rocks:


helped her daddy pour out some car wash soap:


and attempted to give herself a sunburn on her scalp. Apparently having red, painful, flaming skin is more appealing than wearing hats that keep the sun outta your eyes and off your pasty, white skin. (Unfortunately for her, sunscreen was applied and the hat was non-negotiable).


See? Squinting makes more sense than messing up your 'do:


So after the rides were sparkling clean, dinner was prepared and a mess was ready to be made. Knowing that spaghetti and an active, mischievous squirt don't mix, the child was stripped down to her "diapy" and allowed to dig into her 'ghetti and garlic bread:


This tongue action is the result of intense concentration:


And when you're no longer interested in the mess that you've created before you, simply toss it off your plate and hope that either 1) no one notices or 2) the dog cleans it up before momma notices:


Once marinara coated the blinds, the walls and the child herself, Miss MessyPants was taken to the tub to de-grease herself. It was like a science experiment in my bathroom tonight....within minutes of setting the spaghetti-drenched girl in the tub, the water became crimson. Nothing says clean like bathing in a tub smelling of Italian pasta :)


Oh, and because her hair is getting so fine and long, I took a few pics. Notice those curls!


Thanks to a couple of teeth brushing advocates in the family who insisted the tot have a "big girl brush", the Diddle acted like a good girl and brushed her "teef":


Yay! Mission complete!


And having the remarkable ability to transform herself from happily brushing her teeth to annoyed in two seconds flat, Miss Cybill was quickly removed from the tub after she attempted to launch herself out of it:


I guess now is the time where it'd be appropriate to write about how exhausting and busy the day was. But I think the bazillion of pics I've taken today covers that portion of the post. So with a Hubster sitting next to me, impatiently waiting for me to get off the "puter, I'm gonna cut the sappiness short and say what a nice, typical "family" day we had :)

We're having a baby.....

I love this profile picture of Baby Brownie!

We were SO not planning on finding out baby Brownie's gender but when I went in for the Ultrasound yesterday, the tech asked if I wanted to know. My head was screaming "Noooo!" but my heart was screaming "Yesssss!" and as you can tell, the heart won. And needless to say, I am so stinkin' excited!

So, wanna guess what the Hubster and I are having???


Come on, guess!


Alright, I'll make it a bit easier... here's a couple Ultrasound pictures:


See Baby Brownie's cute little face??? And the waving hand?

Alrighty, here's another:


Any thoughts?? Will a foot picture help you decide?


Okay okay, I'll give in....




Almost...........






No, really......this is fun :)






I'm thoroughly enjoying myself here..........






Okay, here we go..................





The Hubster and I are having a baby BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yeppp! I have to admit, I was initially hoping for another little girl. The thought of two little girls, so close in age, sounded wonderful to me. But when I saw that sweet little face on the Ultrasound, yawning and sucking his thumb, I instantly became head over heels in love with him!

And like his sister did when she was getting her Ultrasound, Baby Brownie Boy was all over the place, twisting and turning like a little wild man! But once the tech was through with her measurements, he began to yawn over and over again! Seriously one of the cutest things I've ever seen.... Here he is being sleepy (hey, that's a good sign...I'm sure he'll be sleeping through the night right off the bat...haha!):



And lastly, here is the money shot that sealed the deal for us. There is NO denying he's a boy, although it's hard to tell in this picture:



The best news is, Baby BOY Brownie is measuring right on track and seems perfectly healthy and happy :) As for a name, we're not even close. We talk about it quite often, but nothing seems to "fit" just yet.... But when we decide on something, you all will be the first to know :)

Yay for the BLUE team!

Mish mash of stuff

Uh huh, that's what happens when you set Miss Clingy Britches down for a nanosecond to go to the bathroom....can you say "meltdown"?!? Hehehe...

Actually, although you can't tell from the pictures above, Miss Piddle Pot woke up the past 2 mornings pretty chipper and happy. Her voice sounds much better, and her nose is returning to that cute little button it once was...no more redness, running or sneezing! Yay! This morning she gobbled down some toast and a few strawberries like a champ, demanding to be fed more once she had finished...yeah, she's never been one to resist food!

We're still taking it easy though...lounging around the house and quietly playing with some new Birthday toys. Lauren still insists that she be held 24/7, which is getting really challenging with this third trimester exhaustion and protruding belly. And when I must set her down (hello exploding bladder!), she acts as if her world has come to an end! So, momma got smart and brought out the swing. Sure, she's over the weight limit and far too old to be as content as she is in it, but she likes it and I'm not messin' with a good thing! Now when the never-ending bathroom break calls, I just plop her in there for a minute and she's happy as a clam (with a bear of course!)


As for me, well, I'm doing great now! I was still feeling pretty crappy up until 2 days ago and knowing I've felt this way, my mom stopped by with goodies in hand! Miss Princess girl got lots of fresh fruits and I got these:


Have I ever mentioned I love Daffodils? Thanks mom :)

I still have a bit of a cough but it's really nothing to complain about. Little Baby Brownie is a kicking machine recently, so I haven't had much opportunity to complain about my cough...heck, I'm in the midst of being pummeled by our future soccer star :) Which reminds me...

Because Miss Busy Body has been so sick recently, she's discovered how nice it is to be cuddled and snuggled....a far cry from the child who can't sit still long enough to take a swig from her sippy cup! Anyways, I happily oblige and cuddle her as much as she'll allow because I know the day is approaching when she wants little to do with mommy's snuggling. So I'm rocking her to sleep this morning for her nap, kissing her sweet little forehead and singing lullabye's. I would caress her little cheeks and then gently sweep her bangs out of her eyes. I was totally enjoying this moment with her and mentally tucked the memory away for future use :) And as she lay there soaking it up and drifting off to sleep, WHAM! Baby Brownie kicks super hard and actually startled Lauren!! Sure enough, a party had begun in my belly and Baby Brownie must have been letting me know that he/she was still there and not to be forgotten! It's a rather odd feeling to be putting your baby to sleep as another one is attempting to wake her up :)

We're off today to run a few errands now that the two of us are back to normal...let's just hope Piddle Diddle remembers how to shop like the little pro she is!

Little Miss Sicklett gets new jams

Well, we're still infected over here but I think I see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Miss Piddle Pot has been on antibiotics and ear drops for a full 24 hours now, and I think they seem to be helping. She was pretty miserable to the remainder of yesterday but when Daddy and Grammy got off work, she was all smiles and giggles....apparently, mommy gets pretty boring when you have to look at her 24/7. But I swallowed my pride when she perked up and seemed to feel better. She even ate dinner last night...Chicken and Veggies, a far cry from the packaged Mac N Cheese she's been wanting while sick :)

So the Hubster and I took advantage of Miss Princess' newfound happiness and we went and grabbed a bite to eat. I felt somewhat human again, which was so awesome because I haven't been out of the house for the past week. We went to Mimi's and had such a nice time eating, chatting and just being us. I miss that sometimes, ya know??

Anyways, on our way home, we stopped by Sears to browse the baby pj section. You see, Miss Busy Body is only 12 months old, but she's too tall and lanky for 12 month jammies. After attempting to shove and cram her little legs into the jams one too many times, we decided some 18 month sized jammies were in order. So we headed to Sears, where we happened to have a $25 gift certificate, and picked up two sets of little girl jammies; a silky-ish pink duckies set and a red and white strawberry footed pair. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about baby pj's that make my heart melt :)

After our "night out on the town", we arrived home just as my mom finished bathing the Piddle Pot. After being dried off, cuddled, and lotioned up, my little Sicklett was dressed in her new "I love duckies" pajamas. She looked really cute and so, when Sleeping Beauty woke up this morning, I snapped a few pics:


She's still not feeling 100% better, hence the lack of smile and sleepy eyes... even the swing didn't elicit a little grin! But sick or not, I still happen to think she's the cutest baby ever :)