He's 5

Dear Calvin,

It is the quintessential picture of motherhood: driving to Stop and Shop to pick up a birthday cake with my Birthday boy in the backseat, listening to the 12 o'clock Beatles block and hearing them sing,

"there were bells on a hill, but I never heard them ringing, no I never heard them at all, 'till there was you."

And crying.

Big, juicy tears rolling down my cheeks from underneath my Target (try-to-look-fancy-overly-big) sunglasses.

Looking over out the window and seeing my reflection in the glass of the building across the street.

And thinking . . .

How did I get SO LUCKY?

How did I get you?

I always think of how You Gave Me the best birthday present on YOUR very first birthday.

You gave me the role of Mommy.

Thank you for the day that you were born. For the sweetest cry that I had ever heard. Thank you for laying in the hospital bed beside me. Just us. Thank you for looking at me with those black, chocolaty eyes, and saying with them, "We know each other, and I love you." I didn't know until that moment that my heart had been ALMOST full. You see, it was close, but not quite there yet.

Thank you for forgiving me as I was anxious and uncertain about how to do anything that mothers do. Thank you for being content to have my attention and affection. You have always been so easy to please: just give you love.

Thank you for:

• twirling my hair with your index finger
• giving Wyatt one of your birthday presents so that he wouldn't be sad
• trying to scare me when I make dinner
• using creative words in your vocabulary
• telling me, "Your Mom is a nice woman, but she doesn't buy good chocolate milk."
• whispering in my ear every morning that you love me
• Being passionate about whatever you are interested in
• Asking me questions that I am not even sure I know the answer to
• Forgiving me for my motherly foibles
• Delighting in anything about monkeys
• Letting me hold you still even though your arms are so lanky and your legs tumble over my lap
• Smiling at me so that I can see your dimples
• Reminding me that Heavenly Father is near us when we are near children
• Swimming with enough trepidation that it allows me to swoop in and "save" you from time to time (mommies like to know they are needed)
• For wanting macaroni and cheese for your birthday dinner

Happy Birthday!! Happy Birthday!!!

A Page From My Diary

Dear Diary,

What a day!!! I really thought that my nap on the couch this morning would keep me rested for the entire day, but I still managed to squeeze in two mini-naps later on. I'm lucky that the boys are self-entertaining. What can I say, but thank you Word World. Thank you.

The best part of the day had to be the feet swelling. I LOVE this part of pregnancy. I find that to look down at my feet and see sausage toes is one of the true joys of bringing a new baby into this world. I also love the antibiotic that I'm on. It tastes great!!! But I AM into penicillin.

Ever since Noah started back to clinic and is gone from before the boys wake up until after they go to bed, I have found that this apartment just seems to get bigger. The 200 square feet that we have to play in is more than enough space!!!! In fact, I am going to rent out half of the living room as a bedroom to someone in need. A bum maybe?? Or maybe just a college student. Who knows.

I'm doing well on adjusting our families bad eating habits. I realized as I was standing at the check-out line at the grocery story with a bag of candy corn, Halloween marshmallow peeps, Milk Duds, a frozen Sara Lee pie, powdered donuts, and organic skim milk that I have arrived!!!! I think that I had every important food group: seasonal sweets, marshmallows, chocolate, fruity-sweet, baked yummies, and healthy hormone-free dairy. Because let's just be honest here: if you are going to die of something, wouldn't you prefer that it be from too many doses of sugar, preservatives, and fat? We steer clear of the hormones and only eat REAL junk. You should, too.

The boys were cute today. They each told me that when the new baby comes they are going to do all kinds of nice things for him, such as: not pinch him (Phew!), put a binky in his mouth, let him sleep in their beds, give him a haircut, and feed him. My heart welled up with pride when I heard their sweet ideas. I have to admit that those things would probably make me just as happy. I only hope that the adjustment from two to three kids isn't as bad as everyone says that it is. But really, how bad could it be? It's not like I don't know how to take care of baby. Maybe the third time's really a charm. Well, in six days I will be 37 weeks and full term, and then we will know for sure.

Yours Truly,

Katie

P.S. Two Tough Guys. I'm shaking in my boots!

You Think a Degree In English Would Serve Me Better

What I would rather be doing instead of completing my distance education Grammar class assignments:

1. Go into labor without an epidural.

2. Have a C-section without an epidural.

3. Throw Up.

4. Anything.

5. Run a marathon in the rain with a blister on every single toe.

6. Get whiplash.

7. Watch three solid days of Antiques Road Show.

8. Relive every single awkward middle school moment.

9. Get a bikini wax.

10. Sit in jail.

11. Get thrown-up on.

12. Work at Chick-fil-A.

13. Listen to Barry Manilow.

14. Scrub the toilet.

15. Babysit twelve small children by myself without knowing when their Mom is supposed to come and get them.

16. Pay the full price toll to the Verrazzano Bridge.

17. Sit in a room without windows in humid Tennessee without A/C.

18. Accidently get a butch haircut.

19. Trip in front of everyone I know and fall down.

20. Relive the moment at the beach a year ago when my top fell down, and I didn't even know it.

21. Eat liver.

The "Momster", 35 weeks, Summer - Don't Leave me!, & What We Look Like When We Sleep

The "Momster"

Last seen on the 12 hour car ride to Tennessee. It just so happened to scare Wyatt.

Here is the face that Wyatt gave when he saw "The Momster." (though this face is from a previously documented experience). It is the face that shows up when he hears of owls, monsters, and mummies. I love how this face always says, "How am I going to get out of here alive." The funny thing is that he always follows this face with a comment like, "I'm not afraid of The Momster." Uh-huh, okay, I believe you.

35 weeks

Sorry, I'm just not brave enough to show the pictures. I've had way too many comments like this: You sure look like are about to pop. How far along are you!? Be sure to lay off of the soda or your baby will get too big. I'd be surprised if that baby didn't come early.

BUT, you will be pleased to know that I think that I am ready for this baby to come. I am getting so excited to meet him and see what he looks like and see how he fits into our family. The boys and I bought him an expensive gift of 2 binkies. I hope he likes them. Seriously, because I don't like being the binky.

Summer - Don't Leave Me!!

As my tan line has started to fade and the evenings seem to be getting dark too early, I find myself wishing for just a few more weeks of sunshine and sunscreen. Look at those cutie pies just running barefoot!!! The warm days were too few.

What We Look Like When We Sleep

Don't act you have not done that. Don't sit here and read my blog and not relate. You know that you use your digital camera to see what you look like doing x,y, or z. Noah and I now know what we look like when we sleep. Or fake sleep. I think that Noah's is dead on.

I think mine is a bit of a stretch. In fact, it makes me wonder if any girl can ever knowingly be a a part of a picture and not try to look her best. I think I was going for serene, peaceful beauty. In steady I got nose-flarey, on the cusp of a smile. And really, who sleeps with an almost smile.

I really sleep like this. Laughing. Always laughing. Because everything is funny to me. Even sleep.

Adorable Goobers

Eat Monkey Bread For Breakfast

We did, and we're not sorry.

Monkey Bread

3 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine

DIRECTIONS
Mix together 3/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.
Quarter the biscuits with kitchen shears. Dip shears in water after each cut to keep the biscuits from getting too sticky. Dip biscuits into sugar mixture, and place in a greased tube pan. Do this until all biscuits are used.
Melt butter or margarine, and mix in 3/4 cup sugar. Pour mixture over biscuits.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.