Happy Birthday Curtis!

Five years ago today my "baby" was born. Labor was LONG and HARD and emotionally and physically draining...and we were just dying to see if we were having a boy or a girl! As soon as Jacob lifted the baby into my line of vision I was able to make my exciting announcement "ITS A BOY!!!!" and he was finally in my arms! What a glorious moment it is to see the love husband and wife share manifested into flesh! Jacob and I fell in love all over again as we shared these first glimpses at our precious son. We were absolutely delirious with excitement and exhaustion all at the same time. I knew it then but I know it so much more now that we are so very blessed by this baby! As I look at Curtis today I can not believe I have been a mommy for five years! I can still picture my enormous belly with two little bumps sticking out just under my right ribs, he was such a kicker then, now hes our little kangaroo kicking his way to sleep every night. He is ever our cuddle bug constantly nursing back then and sleeping nestled into mommy's armpit every night. And does he ever still loves his snuggles with Mommy and Daddy! I pray he never grows out of that personality trait! You have such an honest and gentle soul I pray that God gives us the wisdom to protect your innocent heart always. We love you so very much sweet boy and are so proud of the little man you are growing to be! You are our constant joy and delight and we are honored to be your parents. Happy fifth birthday love!

December 18th Daybook

Outside my window... its nice and cold. Its not always cold here for Christmas but it looks like thankfully this year it will be. I love being able to wear sweaters everywhere...especially now when I am outgrowing most other things.

I am thinking...about having a lazy Sunday morning with my boys. We have been having mostly lazy days lately. We went to mass last night with my family so this morning we are going to stay in our warm jammies and read lots of Christmas books. Maybe I will even get out some hot chocolate...yummy!

I am thankful...For help from my parents yesterday. Jacob has been out of town since Wednesday and I was thankful to have some help with my sweet and energetic boys. I went out to a super long lunch with Father Drew. It was a wonderful lunch full of fruitful discussion and valued advice from a dear and holy friend! He definitely left me with lots to ponder!

In the kitchen...not too much cooking going on here. I took the kids on a date Thursday night. Friday night we had movie and pizza night (read...mommy was super sick and trying to survive until bedtime :) ) Saturday night we had fuzzys tacos with my family. Tonight we are having dinner at my parents for Aunt Kristy's birthday. And my amazing friend Kesa dropped off a meal unannounced yesterday...I am so very thankful to have dinner ready for another "Mommy's super sick and trying to survive until bedtime" day! I absolutely realize how very blessed I am to have friends like her! What a giving heart she has!

I am wearing...warm and comfy PJ's and am unashamed that I will most likely be in them the majority of the day :) that's pretty much the usual around here until I get back to feeling human again.

I am creating...gingerbread houses this week with my boys. With graham crackers of course...really who likes gingerbread anyhow?!

I am wondering...if we are having a boy or a girl. Also wondering what we will name this sweet baby. We usually have names set by now but we are far from that this time. We will definitely decide between now and our next appointment on January 10th as we may find out the sex of the baby that day. Any ideas?? We are trying to decide between Catherine or Emily for a girl and have no clue for a boy...

I am reading...my Magnificat and thats it. I bought Jacob a Kindle Touch for Christmas so I am hoping to get a book for myself on it in the next few weeks. I would really like to read the book that Elizabeth Foss is recommending: Grace for the Good Girl.

Towards living the liturgy: Jacob has been calling every night at eight so he can read us our Jesse Tree scripture for the day and say an advent prayer for us. Its so hard to have him gone and especially during this wonderful tradition. I'm thankful that we have the ability to pray as a family still though.

I am looking forward to...lots of fun Christmas activities this week! The nutcracker ballet with Curtis and my mom tomorrow, making gingerbread houses, going to the Alvin Christmas Train, looking at Christmas lights, Schwartz family Christmas at Uncle Denny's, and of course Jacob coming home on Thursday!

One of my favorite things...snuggling under a warm blanket with my boys next to our Christmas tree and reading a classic Christmas book.

Here is picture thought worth sharing...

2011 Photoshoot

Seriously this is THE BEST picture I think we have ever taken together. Really, I think its even better than our wedding pictures!

We are thinking of using this one and making it into a canvas to hang over our mantel...its between this one and the other one of our whole family standing in the trees. Would love your input on which one to choose!
Love this one of our sweet boys!
our big (almost) 5 year old!
too cute for two!
the Christmas picture :) Love how the boys are holding hands here...couldn't be any sweeter. Our amazingly talented friend and neighbor took these pictures for us again this year. Thank you so very much Sabrina (Sabrina K Photography) for your generous giving of talent!! We couldn't be happier with our pictures!

Baby #3 Update

Saw our beautiful baby again yesterday :) we are 12 weeks on Thursday!!!! Praise be to God! The baby was really moving around during the ultrasound. The boys came with us and really enjoyed seeing the sweet little one. Nicky said "baby swimming" and Curtis loved that the baby had his/her hand up by its face just like he always did in his ultrasounds. He says the baby is going to be just like him. I told him "I hope so!" cuz he sure is a sweet big man! We go back to the dr. in four weeks and he said he thinks we will find out the sex of the baby that day. We are really excited to see if this awful morning sickness lives up to the old wives tale and its a girl. I think I may be the only one not surprised when its another boy though. Even the dr. and his nurses are guessing girl this time. We shall see what the Lord will provide. Obviously we will not be disappointed either way! I am just so very thankful to have a healthy baby. Its been such a miracle watching this perfect little baby just growing by leaps and bounds between every appointment. I feel so fortunate to be with a dr. that is so ultrasound happy. We get sneak peeks every single visit!

Random Updates

Curtis finished up his soccer season last weekend. The crocodiles had a great last game and a really nice team party at Spring Creek BBQ. The kids on this team were really spectacular and we were all a little sad to see the season end. I have already seen some of the parents since then and am sure we built some lasting friendships. Coach Jason had some really wonderful things to say about our little Curt Burt too. He commented on how he was always there with a cheerful heart ready to listen. I couldn't care less at this point how well he can play soccer but it was sure nice to hear that his character is whats making him shine. He really is a darling little man. It was really neat to see him cheer his friends on at the games and I am so very glad we signed him up. He says he wants to play T-Ball in the spring so we are looking forward to trying something new.

Morning sickness is still in full force for me. I keep thinking its going to let up soon (11 weeks yesterday) but so far its only getting worse. To say its been a challenge to manage the house, kids, school, extracurricular events, and advent while trying to manage the morning sickness would be an understatement. Jacob is going out of town next week on Tuesday and will not be home until the following Monday. I am not quite sure how thats going to work for us. He is really working hard to provide for us and help me in any way he can. Not sure how I can do it without him next week but I guess I will have to figure it out! I did have a wonderful surprize this week though as two of my dear friends popped by with little baskets of love. One brought a delicious pot pie ready for dinner that night and another brought a package full of common remedies for morning sickness. I am so very blessed by the beautiful friends I am surrounded with!

Speaking of beautiful friends I hosted a wonderful feast of St. Nicholas party here on Tuesday. I absolultly didn't think I was going to be able to pull it off this year. Jacob helped me out a ton with the grocery shopping and craft preparation. Jessica came early to help me get it all thrown together. And the house was clean enough to be full of 28 beautiful bustling children :) It was a new record crowd this year! It is something we all look forward to each year and I am so thankful to have had enough help to not have had to cancel it. The kids enjoyed painting St. Nick ornaments, eating brunch, listening to St. Nicholas stories, and watching an adorable St. Nicholas movie. It was a great morning!

I had lots more I wanted to post about but honestly I don't have the energy today. Praying I'm out of the worse of it next week...will write more then :)

Happy Birthday Nicky!

My baby turned two today. Hard to believe its been two years since we became a family of four...and now we are looking forward to being a family of five! Nicky had a great day that included "ice ream" twice, chicken nuggets for lunch, spaghetti for dinner, and lots of family around to spoil him he was a happy boy! We told Curtis last week that he could decide on what present he wanted to get for Nicky and we would help him use his piggy bank money to buy it for him. Last night Jacob and Curtis headed to Bass Pro Shops to buy a pop gun...those little guns you pop a cork in and out of and it makes a super fun sound. He gave the cashier five dollars in quarters :) and she gave him a gift bag and wrap for free. He could hardly wait to give it to him this morning. It was a really special brother moment. Curtis told him that he had to be really careful with the gun because he spent a lot of money on it! I love you my sweet baby boys! Thank you for lighting up my life and keeping me laughing always! Always kiss me goodnight!!!!

Psalm 127:3

I have a beautiful plate with this special Psalm on it: "Children are a gift from the Lord." What a spectacular gift they are! Tonight we were sitting down to dinner and as I glanced at the table next to us I noticed a young teenage girl glowing in her seventh month of pregnancy. My first thought was thank God that she had made the choice to carry her child. Thank God that she was mature enough to make such an adult decision. Thank God that she has a support system where she feels like she has the option to give life to this child. My heart aches for the millions of women who didn't make the same choice. I thought about all the millions of questions this young woman must have had when she took that pregnancy test. What ran through her mind as she sat there realizing that her life had dramatically changed at that very moment? Did she feel alone? Scared? Shocked? Distraught? How did she tell her family? What was the reaction of the father? I can't even begin to imagine all the ramifications she has experienced at each step along her pregnancy. How many hateful looks and comments has she received from the world? What courage she has! I asked myself, Does she realize what a miracoulous gift her child is? Does she realize that no matter how he came into existance that he has a soul and a purpose and a design and was hand picked by God to be given life through HER. Maybe his will is for an adoptive family to be blessed by her gift. Maybe she will have the resources and the courage to raise him as her own. Maybe he will bless the world in ways she never dreamed of. Thank God that this beautiful young woman choose life! I wanted to tell her how precious her baby was. How thankful I am that she had enough courage to carry him to term. I wanted to hug her family and thank them for sticking by her through times I am sure they never hoped for their baby girl.

I thought of my own pregnancies. I have taken five pregnancy tests in my life. Each one has been positive and each time I have jumped with Joy at the life within me. I have monetary and spiritual support. I have an amazing family and husband who squeals with delight with me as I share the news. How truly blessed I am. This child growing within me is such a delight to my entire family. Fear, shock, distress, anxiety, those are all things have never been a part of my pregnancy tests.

As our family lit our advent wreath tonight we read about Mary and Joseph. Their engagement, their plans for marriage, and the angel Gabriel who rocked their world. What was Mary thinking when she heard she was with child? Did she ponder how this would affect her family? Her engagement? Her friendships? Her life? The bible says she was frightened when she heard the angel. He told her not to worry that God had found favor with her. She courageously said YES to God's will. She stopped in that moment realizing that her life was not her own and focused all energy into HIS will. Becoming a tabernacle to the precious body of Christ. May she give us all the Grace to do the same. May she bless these courageous woman who have chosen life and all those who support and embrace her in her time of need.

God help me to remember that my children are a blessing. Help me to remember those women who could use my support and assistance to give life to their children. Help me to always say YES to God's will immediately, without thought of myself, with perfect obedience, and courage. Bless this Advent to be a reawakening to the gift of life. A time where we can SLOW DOWN and enjoy one another and focus on the gift of HIM.

My joy and my delight these children are. Thank you Thank you God for finding me worthy!!