Never Seen this Before

I was raised on a tape recording of this song, which I now have, and my kids listen to on a regular basis. It's the BEST!!! Gets your toes a-tappin'. I was raised on a variety of music, so I've carried that into my adulthood and believe that my children should be exposed to it all. Very FUN! Enjoy!

And now for a bit of a break--back to the '80s

I loved listening to Howard Jones back in the day!!! I used to have the black beret too--is that something I should admit?

This came on my playlist, and I was bee-bopping to it, so I thought I'd find the video to share with you. The hair is really something, but I'll have to admit, a bit tame for back then.

Seven More Classes - Eternally...Ugh!

It seems that the last two times I completed courses, and I was asked how many more classes I have to take, I responded with "Seven more."

I just checked with BYU to make sure I'm completely on track, and they added in a class I had dropped earlier on. My oversight or misunderstanding I'm sure, but UGH! So, go ahead, ask me...

Yup! Seven more (after I finish the one I'm currently taking, of course).

Here's what lies ahead for me at this point. I really only have one that I'm dreading. There are a few I'm looking forward to and a few that I'm just kind of eh about.

• Teaching Children to Read (currently taking - will finish by end of April)
• Introduction to Family Processes
• Children's Literature (thought this would be perfect with the unpredictability of a new baby)
• Principles of Statistics (everybody say "UGH!")
• Organizational Effectiveness
• Financial Planning
• Literature for Adolscents (my final reward to putting up with all the garbage)
• Capstone course
  
  

The plan is to graduate in the summer of 2011. Pray for me and cheer for me, okay? I need all the help I can get.

Less Than 100 Days

I noticed that my little countdown thing-a-ma-jig says that I have one-hundred days until Lachlan is born. Wahoo!!! All of my previous children were born in the fall and winter, so this summer thing is going to be different--and nice in so many ways. All of my previous children were induced too, so I won't make it to July 7th. I just deliver them too quickly. Z has been taught how to deliver babies since #3, so he'll probably get a refresher course this time too. So, for now, let's just say it's going to be less than 100 days. No, I'm not panicking....yet.

As I face that 100 day milestone, I think of all the things I need to and HAVE to get done before the time comes. I'd love to streamline our entire house and get rid of so much junk. One thing's for sure, our darned garage has to get completely cleaned out. Aren't you sick of hearing about that dumb garage. I've cleaned it out partially about five times since Christmas break, but it just keeps getting added to. I'd better do it soon, or I won't have the energy to do it. I just a piece of a sectional that has no place to go. If I can figure out where to take it, I will. For that matter, I think we'll part with the entire couch. That would leave our family room with nowhere to sit, but it's mostly a playroom for the kids anyway, so they would have all that room to mess around in. Since we're redoing the floor in there anyway, I don't think this is such a bad idea. The flooring guy comes tomorrow.

One of the reasons I'm excited about having a summer baby is that my kids'll be home (for the most part). I won't have to rush about taking them from place to place, they'll get to hang out with their new sister and be available to help out. Although Z will be working, his schedule is much more flexible. Our last three children have been born without the benefit of my mom coming to help take care of the other kids and the house. I loved it when she would come--such a calming influence. I'm not completely convinced that she hasn't been here for the others in spirit.

So, my feeling at this point is that it's training time for the Hess kids. They are wonderful about doing what they're asked to do when they're asked to do it, but I would love to set them on auto-pilot, so they know just what is required of them and they just do it without being asked. Five of them can surely run a household, don't you think?

They already take turns on making dinner each night of the week. A is begging for a night, but I haven't been brave enough to take that on yet. I think what I'll start to do is have him be my helper on my night (Monday) and make simple dinners that he can plan.

Once school gets out, I figure I'll have at least two (maybe three) good weeks to train them up. Q will be gone to Girl's' Camp the last week of June and back right before Lachlan is born (if things go according to plan), but I just need a good game plan that won't be hard to stick too. Are my expectations too high?

Do you have any good plans that you follow? Do you know of any good websites that could help me out here? I'd LOVE to hear any input you might have--either what you've done or how you were raised. Thanks!

Coughing and Coughing

Sore throat's gone, but a cough remains. Not one of those nice, polite coughs, but the barky, obnoxious kind. My insides feel like they're going to tear out, so I hold my belly as I start hacking. It's a lovely sight.

I just read yesterday that Lachlan's now at a point where she can hear and react to outside sounds. She's been very active lately. Well, no wonder! I'm freaking her out with my barking. Poor thing!

Just Thinking About Summer

Yay!!! He can hear again! I was really starting to worry. T's back to his mischievous self again, so I guess that means he's feeling better. So glad for antibiotics.

We're back home again. Getting away is always great, but I'm so glad to be back in my own house. G has a basketball tournament--three games--tomorrow. Should be lots of fun. Just can't believe how fast spring break has gone by.

This is always the time of year when I start to think about summer vacation and what we're going to look forward to. Lachlan's birth so overshadows all of that for me right now. I can't seem to think about running around at all this summer. I'd better get thinking about something or my poor kids--at least plan in some trips to the library. Poor G--seems that books are his source of oxygen. Q isn't far behind with that attitude, and it seems that DJ is picking that up too. Without a TV in the house, there's going to have to be some outlet for them.

The one thing we're all excited about it the Hamm family reunion in late July. That'll be our one big get away. Usually there's COSA--the school administrator's conference in Seaside, but that's been cancelled from Z's schedule this year what with all the school district budget issues. I'm wondering if he'll take some time off for the new baby. It's not like I'm not going to have plenty of help with all the kids out of school, so this will be a different ballgame. He usually has Friday's off during the summer, so I think what I'll encourage him to do is take the kids and do something fun each weekend. I'll work them like crazy Monday through Thursday, and they can have their reward come Friday. Sounds good, doesn't it? Then I can have some quiet time in the house--just me and the baby.

Poor T!

Today is day four of T's inability to hear. He's been on antibiotics since Monday evening, but each day seems worse. He woke up in the middle of the night last night at the beach house (unsure of where he was) and headed out into the house looking for me crying all the way. Surprisingly, no one else seemed to wake up. I was in the same room with him before he left. I got out of bed and followed a ways behind him calling his name, but he couldn't hear me. Part of the problem is that with the sore throat, I'm starting to lose my voice.

The throat is much better this morning. I asked Z for a blessing in the middle of the night.

So, for now, I'm hollering so T can hear me, or at least, so that he'll hear something and turn around and read my lips. He's doing a lot of that I'm noticing. This has happened to two of my other kids earlier in their lives, but not this bad.

Just Whining

Three of the kids started complaining of sore throats when we got them home on Monday evening, but they seem to be doing better--or at least they're not complaining. My throat started hurting yesterday on the way to the beach, but I didn't think much of it until about three o'clock this morning. Ugh! I swore it had to be strep, and of course, the first thought was about Lachlan. How would that affect her?

I called all around to find an urgent care clinic and finally found one in Depot Bay. As time to leave got closer, of course, I started to feel much better, so I cancelled the appointment. At this point, I really don't think it's strep, and since various advice nurses have told me that there would be no harm to an unborn child, I'm not as stressed as I was. So, for now, I'm nursing it with all kinds of hot drinks, gargling with warm salt water, etc. It's not feeling better, but hopefully with time. For now, I'm swallowing pins every time something goes down. If it's not better by Friday, we'll leave a bit early, and I'll go get swabbed.

Anybody have any other good solutions for sore throats?

Where Much is Given

Let's see.... kids are gone, husband's inhaling and exhaling that deep sleep kind of breathing next to me, house is dark and quiet (and will remain quiet until this evening; a luxury I won't get to experience again for another who know's how long with a small baby?), and where am I? Sitting here blogging. What's up with my inability to sleep past 6:30am? CRAZY! This is not how it should be. Little Lachlan is tickling my insides. She's liking that I'm up, and I'm thoroughly enjoying feeling her move.

I've been reading a few friends' blogs today, and although we had a BLAST yesterday, there's this funny side of me that's sad about missing our own ward. I would have loved to have seen Heidi's new haircut in real life. Tonya covered and taught for me, but I would have loved to have heard her lesson; I'd love to hear her every week. Would have loved to have spared the family that usually sits with four kids while they sat with ten--what troopers! What amazing friends!

I really am recognizing how blessed I am to live in such a great ward and to have come from such a great ward. So many exceptional people in this world! How does one life become so blessed with so many wonderful people? Wow!

But then again, yesterday, I sat behind Rory and her amazing family. I saw her little ones in real life--not the photos from her blog. I saw Lynda and the boys that never stop growing, and her husband (the bishop?!). Wow! Now that's really something to see in real life. We were young college students when we first met. There were so many others who I got to hug and be with in real life. Inside I was crying (proud of me for not letting it all spill out on their shoulders?) for the desire of being with them daily like I once was.

I just can't explain how full my heart is. Lately the words, "Where much is given, much is required" keeps popping up into my brain. If I could learn to follow the examples of these great people....if I wasn't so stubborn and rebellious (let's blame my gene pool, shall we? I'm talking way back. My parents are also GREAT people who should be emulated as were my grandparents from what I've heard).

One of the speakers yesterday shared the following newspaper article (I verified it on snopes.com; it is legit). It's been around for a long time because I know I've read it before:


Subject: An editorial on Mormons - Santa Clarita, CA

I have heard and seen enough! I have lived in the West all my life. I have
worked around them. They have worked for me and I for them. When I was
young, I dated their daughters. When I got married they came to my wedding. Now
that I have daughters of my own, some of their boys have dated my daughters. I
would be privileged if one of them were to be my son-in-law. I'm talking
about the Mormons. They are some of the most honest, hardworking people I have ever
known.

They are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called religious people
I have encountered. They study the Bible and teach from it as much as any
Christian church ever has. They serve their religion without pay in every
conceivable capacity. Not one of their leaders, teachers, counselors,
Bishops or music directors receive one dime for the hours of labor they put in. The
Mormons have a non-paid ministry - a fact that is not generally known. I
have heard many times from the pulpits of others how evil and non-Christian
they are and that they will not go to heaven.

I decided recently to attend one of their services near my home to see for
myself. What a surprise! What I heard and saw was just the opposite from
what the religious ministers of the day were telling me. I found a very simple
service with no fanfare. I found a people with a great sense of humor and a
well-balanced spiritual side. There was no loud music. Just a simple service,
with the members themselves giving the several short sermons. They urge
their youth to be morally clean and live a good life. They teach the gospel of
Christ, as they understand it. The name of their church is "The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints". Does that sound like a non-Christian
church to you?

I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got answers
that in most cases were from the New Testament. Their ideas and doctrines
did not seem too far fetched for my understanding. When I read their "Book of
Mormon" I was also very surprised to find just the opposite from what I
had been told I would find.

Then I went to another church's pastor to ask him some of the same questions
about doctrine. To my surprise, when he found out that I was in some way
investigating the Mormons, he became hostile. He referred to them as a
non-Christian cult. I received what sounded to me like evil propaganda
against those people. He stated bluntly that they were not Christian and that they
did not fit into the Christian mold. He also told me that they don't really believe
the Bible. He gave me a pile of anti-Mormon literature. He began to rant
that the Mormons were not telling me the truth about what they stand for. He
didn't want to hear anything good about them.

At first I was surprised and then again, I wasn't. I began to wonder. I have
never known of a cult that supports the Boy Scouts of America. According to
the Boy Scouts, over a third of all the Boy Scout troops in the United
States are Mormon. What cult do you know of that has a welfare system second to
none in this country? They have farms, canneries and cattle ranches to
help take care of the unfortunate ones who might be down and out and in need of a
little help.

The Mormon church has donated millions to welfare causes around the world
without a word of credit. They have donated thousands to help rebuild
Baptist churches that were burned a few years ago. They have donated tons of medical
supplies to countries ravaged by earthquakes. You never see them on TV
begging for money. What cult do you know that instills in its members to obey the
law, pay their taxes, serve in the military if asked and be a good Christian by
living high moral standards?

Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Mormon youth get up before high
school starts in the morning to attend a religious training class? They have
basketball and softball leagues and supervised youth dances every month.
They are recruited by the FBI, the State Department and every police
department in the country, because they are trustworthy. They are taught not to drink nor
take drugs. They are in the Secret Service - those who protect the President.
They serve in high leadership positions from both parties in Congress and in
the US Senate, and have been governors of several states other than Utah.
They serve with distinction and honor. If you have Mormons living near, you
will probably find them to be your best friends and neighbors. They are
Christians who try to live what they preach. They are not perfect and
they are the first to admit this. I have known some of them who could not live
their religion, just like many of us.

The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than evil
propaganda founded in untruths. Others had successfully demonized them
to the point that the general public has no idea what they actually believe and
teach. If you really want to know the truth, go see for yourself. You
also will be surprised.

When I first moved here some 25 years ago there were five Mormon wards in
Santa Clarita. Now there are 15. They must be doing something right.!

Anonymous - Santa Clarita, California


On snopes.com it says who wrote this letter, and it was surprising. I thought I'd withhold it here, though.

I feel blessed to be counted among these people. I feel great joy at being able to rub shoulders with them more than just weekly. The young women I work with are these people already at twelve years old. My kids are these people. Wow! What more could I want out of life?

There is an Hour of Peace and Rest

We dropped the kids off at the Beasley's house (thank you Rob and Christy) yesterday morning. We returned back home, changed into church clothes and headed to the temple. As we left there, it was fun to see all the couples outside getting wedding portraits taken--thinking that 17 years prior on that very day, Z and I were doing the same. Oh how far we've come in 17 years, and we still get along and like being around each other.

We went to lunch at Olive Garden (Z's idea, and a sacrifice for him). Z doesn't love Italian food like I do, but he chose it for me. Nice guy, huh?

We spent our afternoon looking at vans and then went to a movie at the old Valley Theatre. We saw Inkheart. Z hated it; I was entertained. He is much more mature than I in his tastes.

Before we went to bed, we decided for sure that church would happen in Monmouth for us today, so we left around 7:30am and arrived in time for church at 9am with a few minutes to spare. To be honest, before I got out of the car, I was a bit nervous. It has been eleven years since we've moved from there.

That nervousness lasted for about as long as it took to enter the chapel. We were suddenly among friends--dear friends. Z and I lived in Monmouth from August 1992 (six months after we were married) until June 1995 (when Z graduated from Western Oregon University and was hired as a teacher in Beaverton). We moved back to Monmouth in July of 1997 and returned to Beaverton in July of 1998 after my mom's cancer diagnosis.

We were invited to lunch by four different families. We had people saying, "Come, sit by me," in each class we went to. How wonderful to be loved! I hope everyone reading this has a ward like this, or if you don't, that you will be this person to others who enter the doors of your ward or congregation. We are trying too. Z and I so rarely find ourselves as the visitors that it was a nice breath of fresh air.

We returned home after being showered with so much love, it was hard to leave.

So, our future plans, we will go shopping for flooring tomorrow. I know, fun, and I'm sure you're all jealous. Ugh! But, these are the things you do when you don't have little ones to take with you. We'll probably go to lunch again and just enjoy being together. If I have my druthers, we'll go out to breakfast too. I find that to be truly relaxing. Tom's Pancake House is one of my favorite places to go, but we'll see. It's just nice to fly by the seats of our pants for a change. I have my doctor's appointment at 4:30pm. We'll go pick up our kids after dinner.

I really love this time away, but I miss them. Three days is just about long enough for me.

On Tuesday, spring break will truly begin for our family. The plan is to head down to Lincoln City for a few days and just hang out--go to the beach, go to the park, hit the outlet stores, etc. We also purchased to models that we'll put together as a family for Z's mom's model railroad that she has set up running all over the property there. Should be good times.

I'm also planning on working on the baby's blanket (if you see the picture at the left, it's the multi-colored one at the bottom). I'm wondering who will start the Stratego tournament this year. We'll see how many games I can get in on this year. Sad thing is, last two times we played, A (the six year old) kicked my booty. A little humbling never hurts, I guess.

Nothing Really

I want to post. I really do. I just have nothing (but everything) to write about. Too much in my brain to filter it out to make any sense at all--nothing that anyone would be interested in reading.

• Z and I have been married for 17 years tomorrow.
• One of my children (not the one morst of you'd probably think) got a less than stellar report card. Not a good thing in the home of an educator. I warned said child that s/he'd better give dad a head's up, so they don't get the knee-jerk reaction that would be coming their way otherwise. Not sure if that happened yet, but it put a damper on my great feelings of spring break.
• I went to retrieve a report card from one child's backpack and found three old lunches there--molding and returning to the dust from whence they came. Ugh! The smell. Yet, still, I refuse to clean them out. Not my responsibility. Same child left a molding lunch in the ol' backpack over Christmas break one year. It was truly delightful by the time a new one was being placed in the pack for the Monday after vacation.
• Z and I are "running away" for the weekend.
• We are shopping for new flooring for our family room. Not sure if I shared (that would have been a good post if not). Grape soda, two two-year-olds and wool berber carpet DO NOT mix--just a bit of helpful advice for anhone out there who might need it.
• My kids HATE the new board of chores that faces them everyday after school. I personally LOVE it, but isn't that how most things are in life between parents and kids. Sigh.
• I'm getting to be the size of a house, but maybe that has something to do with letting Weight Watchers ideas fall to the wayside...oh, and the banana split my hubby so lovingly brought me from Dairy Queen last night (that I inhaled) and the eclair I purchased myself from Bales today for doing such a good job saving money while shopping with two little boys (c'mon who wouldn't agree that I deserved a treat). I guess I also deserve the increased poundage it's offering me.
• While I was out shopping today, a good friend in my ward dropped off the cutest box of baby girl clothes! SOOOOO exciting!
• Since Albertson's is no longer accepting competitor's coupons, I branched out today and ventured to three different stores. The boys were excited because that meant three different cookies, and as a mom who indulges in banana splits and eclairs on a regular basis, how could I stop them?
• At Safeway, I bought $29 worth of stuff for $5.90. Yes, that's an 80% savings. Thank you Albertson's for making me go elsewhere.
• I got a two-hour nap today. Thank you, T for sleeping that long too.
• Lachlan kicks about two inches above my belly button now. She's using every square inch I can give her--atta girl!

Okay, so how's that for a random list of stuff. Nothing worth blogging an entire post about but that's life in the madhouse.

Addtional note...child with the report card just reported about speaking with Z. It went something like this, "I've learned that if I talk to him while he's at work, he doesn't freak out as much probably because he's in public." Oh, how wise. If only that same kind of wisdom could have worked earlier in the trimester. Sigh.

Messages from Mom

I learned from my dad after my mom passed away (March 17, 1999), that my mom always stopped to pick up stray pennies. I don't remember exactly why, and he didn't know until he found a little poem about it amongst her things.

Right after she died, it seemed like everywhere I went I'd find a penny laying on the ground. This might not seem like a big deal since pennies are often discarded, but I would always pick them up and give my mom credit for the little greeting she was sending my way.

It has been months since I've seen any pennies just laying around, and I hadn't thought much of it until yesterday.

Needless to say, I woke up thinking about my mom--it being ten years since her passing. Z called me after dropping Q at school and asked if we had paid for her AP test. I told him I hadn't and didn't even know when the deadline was. I looked it up on the school website and found that it was March 17th. Ugh!

I got the boys in the car and headed to the high school. I parked in front and got out. As I walked in front of the car, there perfectly centered in front of my front bumper was a nice, shiny message from my mom. I picked it up, said, "Hello, Mom," and carried it into the school with me.

What a nice way to start the day--thinking she might be thinking about me too.

Beyond Frustration

I would like to go on record to publicly announce that I am not nor will I ever be super woman.

I am TIRED of chasing this two-year-old. How will I ever do it when I have a small infant to care for? I am seriously doubting my abilities.

For those of you who have perfect children, I don't admire you. You have it easy. You won't understand a thing of what I'm saying, so if you have perfect children, please don't reply to this post.

It's just a frustrating morning, and I can't keep up.

The Blessings of Eternity Begin Now

As I logged on to enter this post, "When I'm 64" by the Beatles started playing. Very fitting for what I want to put here. I love that song. I put it on my playlist because it reminds me of my son, G, who also loves that song. He's such a cute kid. If you've never gotten to meet him, I hope you someday will. I feel blessed and lucky to be his mom. I assure you that all that he is has nothing to do with me. It's because God made him who he is. He's a great blessing to me--always making me laugh. I hope you all have children like that--that you just know God placed in your life as a gift to make you happy.

I don't mean to single him out. All of my children make my heart happy. All of them provide their challenges but all of them are such huge blessings. What would I do without even one of them? I'd hate to have to find out.

I found, when my siblings and I gathered together as we knew our mother's death was imminent, how interesting it was that each of us had our own role to fill. My sister was the compassionate supporter. My oldest brother was the protector. My second brother was the doer--filling all the physical needs--the gravesite, the casket, etc. My third brother was the silent strength. I was my mother's advocate. My younger brother was my dad's support. These pieces fit together to fill every need. It was amazing to realize, but I also saw that those personalities had always existed in us. We had always been those things, but it was in time of greatest stress that they came through clearest.

It is remarkable now to see those same traits in my own children. I can see what needs they will meet as they grow and as our family changes and progresses. What a miracle! What an amazing part of an eternal plan!

My good friend, Bambi, sent me this today. I will admit that right now it doesn't take much to hit my heart strings in just the right way. This did it for me.

***

The Price of Children

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Here is something absolutely positive for a change. We have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time we have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice.... !

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't include the cost of post-secondary education.

But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year,

* $741.38 a month,

* $171.08 a week.

* A mere $24.24 a day!

* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is: don't have children if you want to be 'rich'.
Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!

* Glimpses of God every day.

* Giggles under the covers every night.

* More love than your heart can hold.

* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.

* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.

* A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.

* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.

* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up.
You get to:
* finger-paint,

* carve pumpkins,

* play hide-and-seek,

* catch lightning bugs,

* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,

* watch Saturday morning cartoons,

* go to Disney movies, and

* wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,

* taking the training wheels off a bike,

* removing a splinter,

* filling a wading pool,

* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* First step,

* First word,

* First bra,

* First date,

* First time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match..

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll ever make!!!!!!!!!

***

With the age range of my children being what it is, I feel like I take part in these things every single day. When I read about "butterfly kisses and velcro hugs," I tried to picture what a "velcro hug" was. I then realized it's what I get every morning. When we gather for family prayer, halfway through, without fail, T gets up off his knees as he says, "Hi, Mom!" and comes over and puts his arms tightly around my neck. He stays this way through the rest of the prayer.

So, I have come to one conclusion...

I don't ever want him to grow up. I don't ever want that sweetness to end.

Temptation

I just couldn't resist today. To this point, the only things I had purchased were boy-ish things for this baby. I just KNEW it was a boy. Now that it is a girl, I realized today that all these many years that have passed in which I looked longingly at the cute ruffly, pink girl things knowing I had no reason to buy them (except for friends) had now passed. For some funny reason, I had to talk myself into buying the little pink newborn size shoes with the daisies on them. After I talked myself into them, I found matching onesies and a matching dress.

T took them out of the bag and told me they were "Lachlan's shoes." I asked him whose they were just to hear him say it again, and he replied with, "Bruce's." Ugh! He'll get it eventually, I hope.

The kids can now feel her kick when they put their hands on my belly, so that's a lot of fun.