GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

So the good news:

Luke is going to be a big brother in September.

The bad news:
This pregnancy started out really easy... well practically symptom free... very little fatigue and just about no morning sickness. Then, at about 6 weeks, I felt the all too familiar retching feeling in my stomach that I got with Luke, and it's been down hill since then...
I am back on medications that do little to nothing for the sickness, and struggling to keep down anything... solid or liquid. Throwing up 15 or more times a day is definitely not pleasant, and it leaves me feeling thoroughly wiped out and exhausted. I won't be surprised if we need to make another trip to the ER for IV fluids with this pregnancy. I feel like I'm replaying my first pregnancy over at this point.
Unfortunately this time, I have the added task of still needing to be functional so that I can take care of Luke. It's all proving to be quite a challenge.. and a miserable one at that.

Jake and I really want 3 children, but I'm starting to really hope that this one is a girl, so that we will have one of each, because then I think I'll stop there. Although I'm grateful for how easily we've managed to get pregnant each time, and that I have a healthy boy, with another hopefully healthy little one on the way, pregnancy is not a good experience for me. In fact, it's probably the most miserable experience of my life, and it takes a toll on my body that I never imagined it could. I love my sweet boy, and I know I will love this little one just as much, but I think I might be done after this. I can't imagine putting myself through this a third time. I had so hoped the 2nd time would be better, but so far that's proving to be wrong. I guess not everyone is built for pregnancy. I'd rather be a happy, healthy mother of 2, than an unhealthy, struggling mother of 3 or 4

So that's our exciting but currently miserable news.
Here's hoping it gets better soon...

DADDY'S BIKER BOY

Yesterday we were over at our neighbours house, and Jake decided to take a spin on their sons off road motorbike...
Then he decided to take Luke on it too. It made me pretty nervous at first because I wasn't sure how well Luke understood that he'd have to hold on, but he did so good, and had a fun ride around our back yards with his daddy.

LITTLE PLUMBER

Yesterday, I was in the living room, and I realised the house was quiet... as all moms know, quiet is never a good thing. LOL. So I went in search of my little mischief maker to see what trouble he was getting into.
This is what I found... I just had to laugh!

We've had a bad clogging problem with the toilet in the master bathroom, for a few months now... it just clogs up on a random flush, for no apparent reason.... it's a nightmare to try get unclogged again, and after just a few days of using it, it'll just clog up again. Anyway, so in recent months, Luke has probably seen his daddy hard at work plunging our stupid toilet... 

He is picking up new things soooo fast! Just this morning, I found Luke trying to slice his apple with one of those round, bladed apple corer and slicer thingy's... guess we'll need to keep that in a new place because he can reach into the drawer.

A SWEET TEACHING MOMENT

Luke is growing up so fast, and I am amazed at how much that little 20 month old mind takes in and absorbs. He is watching our every move, and learning so quickly.
For a few months now, Jake and I have been trying to teach Luke how to be reverent and say prayers with us. We have been trying to teach him to fold his arms, and be quiet and still for family prayers and blessings on the food.
Some days we aren't as good about getting him to say blessings on the food with us, because quite often, we're trying to get him settled with his plate as fast as we can because he's starving and cranky, and we're still hurrying to get our own plates ready etc. However, despite our sometimes pathetic efforts to teach him, his little mind has been learning.
A sweet thing happened last week, that made my heart melt. I took Luke over to his friend Brent, for a play date. While we were there, Crystal and I sat the boys down at the table to have their lunch. A few minutes into their lunch, Luke stopped eating, looked up at Crystal and I and folded his arms like he does for prayers. It was as if to say, "Hey, we forgot to bless the food"
We immediately went ahead and said a prayer to bless the food.
It was one of those heart warming moments, that made me so proud to be his mommy, and that also made me feel slightly shameful that my 20 month old had to be the example in that lesson of reverence and gratitude.

I know most of us think that God has given us our sweet children, to raise and teach as best we can, but I think in many ways, it's just the opposite... perhaps he sends us these precious little spirits because they are so fresh from God, so pure and faultless, that they become our teachers.

HANDSOME LITTLE MAN ALL DRESSED FOR CHURCH :)

A while ago I mentioned in a blog that Luke was starting to attend 'nursery' at church. He's been going for 2 months now, and it has been a rough transition.
Every Sunday, Luke has just sobbed his little face into a red, splotchy mess, and my heart has been left at the nursery door. I've been so grateful for my sweet friend, Tricia, who is the nursery leader. She has been such an angel in helping Luke to adjust.


Last Sunday, I took him to nursery, and he cried as usual... but only for about 2 or 3 minutes.
To my absolute delight, Luke went to nursery today without a complaint or single tear. He went straight to the toy cupboard and that was that. I think 2 weeks in a row, calls for celebration, and it's probably safe to say that he has finally adjusted to being a nursery goer. I'm so thrilled.

I'm so grateful to be the mommy to my little monkey... he makes me so proud, and he teaches us so much! I only hope that we can be as great teachers and examples to him through his life. :)

FROZEN FRED

Despite living in the USA through multiple winters, I have never built a snow man. Who knows why! It just never made it onto the agenda.
Well, after our monster snow fall (monster by North Carolina standards) this past weekend, we had plenty of snow on the ground to make a snow man...
Today is a blue skies, sunny day, and the snow has melted to a more manageable depth, so we headed into our front yard and built what is mine (and Lukes) first snow man.

We thought that because Luke seemed hopelessly bored inside, and has been whining to the point of near insanity for the last couple weeks (we assumed it was cabin fever), that perhaps a little fresh air and fun in the snow would be what he (and we) needed...but NOPE... we should be so lucky... instead, Frozen Fred was erected while listening to the ear wrenching, grating sound of Luke's never ending whining!

Whining aside, Jake and I still managed to have a good time building our snowman...


ROLLING A SNOWBALL... THESE THINGS GET HEAVY!

BEING LOUD!

 SITTING ON UNFINISHED FROZEN FRED

 DADDY BUILT ME A SNOW CHAIR TO SIT IN

 FROZEN FRED GETS A MOUTH (and carrot nose, oreo eyes and a leafy toupee)

 HANGING OUT WITH FROZEN FRED

 SCAVENGING FOR BITS OF FROZEN FRED'S OREO EYES

 MEET THE COMPLETED FROZEN FRED

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

I started this holiday season with great hesitation. Jake and I were going to be home for Christmas for the first time since we got married, and it's only the second time that I've ever spent Christmas without family (whether mine or Jakes)
I've always been a pretty big Christmas fan... I love the spirit, the excitement, the family time, and I'll be honest... I love a little bit of the glitzy stuff that goes with it too (as commercialized as that may be. lol)
I wasn't sure this year though, how things were going to go for us. No family to celebrate with, and no traditions of our own yet made... we were going to be winging it.
We decided on a simple Christmas... an easy lunch, and a few Christmas movies. Despite my reservations about our 'alone' Christmas, It turned out to be one that I very much enjoyed. Yes, we missed out on family gatherings, and yes, Luke missed out on the craziness of playing with all of his cousins at his Grandma and Grandpa's house, but Jake and I had a wonderful day together enjoying Christmas OUR way! I suppose at some point, every couple needs to start developing their own family traditions... this year was a great start for us to do just that!

 I decided to invite the missionaries over to join us for Christmas lunch. We are far from family, and so are they, so it seemed a great way to share a fun Christmas lunch with someone else.
I tried my hand at a beef pot roast, with carrots, potatoes and celery, in our Crock Pot (slow cooker), baked a loaf of cheese and onion bread, made a side of my moms special green bean mush (the only way I'll eat green beans) and made one of my favourite desserts... peppermint fridge tart... soooo yummy!
Everything turned out pretty good, and needed very little preparation, so I was able to do it all on Christmas Eve, and just start the Crock Pot early on Christmas morning...

Christmas morning, we all got showered and dressed, and then got onto the webcam, so that Luke could open his presents with some of my family watching. His Gogga, aunty Mandy, and great Ouma were all on the camera. He looked so adorable in his little Elf outfit (we got it on clearance the day before Christmas. lol)
Our little man got very spoiled. Needless to say, his play room will be getting a bit of a clean out this coming week, and some older toys will make their way to the attic until the next baby needs them.

The rest of the day was just lunch, games, toys, chatting to family, and a movie... a perfect Christmas day really! :)

READY TO OPEN THE FIRST GIFT... IT'S A BIG ONE

SUCH EXCITEMENT!

 THE CUTEST LITTLE ELF I'VE EVER SEEN

 OoooooH! A MOTORCYLE

I WANTED A PRETTY TABLE SETTING, BUT ON A TIGHT BUDGET...
MY NAPKIN 'RINGS'

 CENTER PIECE...
Vase I already had, filled with left over Christmas Baubles that didn't go on the tree

 SIMPLE, BUT IT WORKED!

 MY OLD SCHOOL SANTA IN FRONT OF OUR LITTLE TREE

 WHAT A HAPPY LITTLE HELPER... We love you my little sweet heart :)

 I TRIED MY HAND AT MAKING CHRISTMAS COOKIES THIS YEAR... NOT BAD FOR A FIRST TIME! :)

Our Christmas was not a white Christmas this year.. though that is not uncommon for North Carolina! The day BEFORE Christmas, we were out in the back yard playing in the leaves with Luke.

HOWEVER, the day AFTER Christmas was a VERY white day... I am quite surprised at the amount of snow we accumulated in one storm in North Carolina... over a foot already!

And now Christmas is over, and we are heading on to the New Year.
We've had a great holiday season so far, and Christmas was so much better than I ever thought it would have been. I'm quite excited for our next one.  For now, we'll just be enjoying our mountain of snow, and Jakes week of vacation until after the New Year...