Because They Don't Just Make Fun of Republicans

SNL usually goes all out in making fun of the right-wingers of the world--and though I've enjoyed their humor in the past--I enjoy this one a little more =)

Zebra Grrls

It's all getting a little more *real*

It is so nice to be settled into our house!

I was a major head case when we were moving in and didn't take ANY stinkin' *before* pictures--I WISH I had! It was horrible and now it's so pretty!

(What a difference the removal of 4 inches of carpet--we're talkin' 60s orange/brown/green shag--ew--layers of dust, the 4 layers of window treatments on EACH window (shades, blinds, 2 sets of curtains and valances...on each one!! and lots and lots of painting of wood paneling!)

What a difference a lot of hard work makes!

If we finish painting the hallway and putting in the bathroom floor all of the major *right now* projects

will. be. done.

hallelujah!!

Ezra's crib is together! His clothes are in his closet and dresser! Pictures are flying up on the walls! It's a good thing!

I haven't had time to think about being pregnant and expecting our arrival b/c I had so much I wanted and needed to get done! I'm really looking forward to putting my feet up and "enjoying" (as much as it is possible) the last few weeks (3!!!!) of pregnancy!

I've definitely started to hit the *wall* pregnancy wise and am exhausted most of the time. I feel alright otherwise and have been having good baby/mommy check ups--Praise the Lord!

Please pray for my sweet SIL and Brother whose baby is having kidney problems in-utero. My nephew is due the same week as Ezra! Please pray for healing and that the Doctors have wisdom as to the best treatment for little Ethan and his dear Mama!

Thank you friends and goodnight!

And Now For Something Completely Different....

Cute baby boy Christmas stuff from Mini Boden!

I can't wait to meet my little one!

I Don't Want To Talk About It But....Really?!

The Nobel Peace Prize?!

For what, exactly?

(And I just threw up a little in my mouth)

The. end.

But I'm All Full Of Love!!!

Maeve's favorite new game is to tackle hug Amelie.

Repeatedly.

Over.

and.

Over.

Amelie enjoys the new game--she can't seem to get enough hugs, usually!

After enduring the tackle-hug game for a good 10 minutes Amelie announced to Maeve,

"Maeve! I love you but that is enough hugs! I am all full of love! I don't have any room left for more love!"

=)

Because I Had To Share

Well...I didn't *have* to, but I wanted to. =)

p.s. I'm not against vaccines in any way--but this one, I think is scary!

I Did It!

I finally figured out what to order for Maeve's birthday and placed an order yesterday!

I was looking for a small climby-slidey-outdoorsy-thing-that-would-fit-on-the-porch but everything was over $100 and we usually don't spend any more than $50 for birthday or christmas! So, on clearance, we found this!

Cherry Blossom Market (Little sister of the Rose Petal Cottage!)

It comes with a little cash register and has room for her little chair inside! I hope she likes it and Amelie has already helpfully informed me that SHE likes it so we'll be all set either way =)

My Husband's Choir Singing The National Anthem For The **PHILLIES!!**

Nesting Freak Out

* I have unpacked every. single. box. and I can't find my boppy cover! I have a naked boppy people! ahhhhhhh!

* The lamp and shade I bought for the nursery do not work together. I have a shade-less lamp people!!!

* I need a freakin' monitor that doesn't cost $70--what's the deal with those things and why are they so stinkin' expensive?! I've never lived anywhere that was big enough to necessitate a monitor for my babies so I'm at a loss!

* Also--need to buy a sling and hire a sherpa--b/c with two little ones (and one slightly less little one) I'm going to need all the help I can get toting things!!

Thus ends my freak out, for now. =)

Amelie Says...

"Three kids is a lot of work! It will be hard for you to do everything that all three kids need since you are just two people. I will become the third helper and I will help with Maeve and Cinnamon. I can help by waking them up when you need me to and getting you things and helping feed them and get them drinks. I can also play with them and read them books. It will be a lot of work--but I like to help!"

How did I get lucky enough to have such a fantastic 4 yo?! =)

A Sweet Surprise

A few days ago my friend Amy emailed to ask if I wanted to have lunch yesterday--you know, to recover from our recent move etc. Of course I said yes and yesterday she picked me up and drove me to a local town for lunch! It was a bit more complicated than that since that town was having a huge book festival and we had to park blocks away and drive in circles looking for a spot =) I was very surprised at how committed she was to eating there since we were having such a hard time just getting in to town! It was a beautiful day and we walked to the cutest restaurant ever

*The Painted Cottage*

(I tried to put pictures up of their insides but they're all techy and complicated and won't let me copy them =).

Upon arrival she looked inside the restaurant and just kept walking through it--I was thinking, let's eat! I'm hungry!

(that's the pregnant lady talking)

but she just kept searching and we came upon a lovely room in the back--painted with beautiful murals and all of the sudden I saw all of my friends (even my Amish friend from far away!)! Which was weird b/c I wasn't expecting it!

I was thinking, "Wow--they're celebrating the fact that I've lived through my move!"

It honestly didn't occur to me that anyone would celebrate my sweet baby Ezra with a beautiful luncheon until I realized the little *E's* on the table were in recognition of him!

I can't tell you how special and loved and happy and SURPRISED I felt seeing all of my beautiful friends gathered there to surprise me! I've NEVER had a surprise before and apparently--I am not good at them--because I was so surprised I didn't even really come to terms with the surprise until today =)

(I promise to refrain from using the word surprise again in this post =).

Thank you friends for a lovely afternoon and a delish lunch! And although I think you all are strange for ordering breakfast food in the middle of the afternoon, I'll allow it because I love you all so much =)

(Sorry, Shelly doesn't *do* breakfast =)

Thank you Brie for being the lovely lady behind the operation and setting me up for the best surprise ever--I'm so glad you're my friend--seriously, so glad!!

And now that I've finally finished putting Ezra's dresser together I'm going to put away his new clothes! Woot!

Shelly...

...LOVES this dresser her Parents-In-Law gifted for Ezra's impending arrival!!!

....HATES the cam-lock system used to piece it together

(and the 36 mini screws that hold the back on).

....CAN'T WAIT to fill it with baby boy clothes tomorrow!!

(as long as I've recovered from the ordeal of piecing it together by then =)

"Conversations" With Maeve

While passing time in a waiting room with Maeve I was inventing games. She enjoys counting so I got her started and it went a little something like this:

Mommy, "One...."

Maeve, "Two! Three! Four! Five! Six!

Siete! Ocho! Nueve!

Ten!"

Um...I'm thinking all the Dora we're watching has been a little counter-productive =)

Mr. Wonderful And The Night He Directs The National Anthem For The PHILLIES!!!!! (And a little bit of Amelie too =)

Tonight my husband gets the honor of having his high school choir perform the national anthem at the Phillies game!!! Not only are the Phillies the current World Champs, they just won their division again this year! Mr. Wonderful is a life-long fan and soooo excited to be going and hopefully meeting some of those famous Phillies!!

I'm so proud of you honey and happy for you!!

Amelie is going along with Granny and Pop, Uncle Ryan and Aunt Micayla (and cousin Ryleigh) to watch and help cheer! And believe me, she practiced cheering alllllll day!!

You guys look so cute in your Phillies gear!

p.s. I'm home with sicky Maeve =( But I'll be there in spirit =)

Maeve The Marvelous And The Great Birthday Debate

The fact that my sweet little Maeve is turning 2 in a few short weeks hasn't completely slipped our minds, but we haven't really been planning for it either.

I am a BIG plan-ahead, buy-ahead, prepare-ahead kinda girl and I just haven't even had the brain to "go there."

I've been trying to think of ideas of things she would enjoy for a birthday gift that her sister doesn't already have! I'm totally in love with the

Rose Petal Cottage (and the accessories, of course--cause who doesn't want to watch Maeve pretend to do laundry and take care of a baby doll ?!?=) but can't convince my husband that we need to spend that much =)

Do you have any 2 year old girl ideas?

I need to do some research =)

But seriously, I can't believe how very big my baby girl is getting! *tear*!

Shelly's Snippets

* I'm feeling much better about life now that we're closer to settled in our home--there are still many little projects (including the fact that my husband and I have been sleeping in the living room due to the fact that our stinkin' box spring didn't fit up the stairs!!!) but most of the big-need-to-do-it-right-now stuff is done.
* I'm going to announce that it's officially Fall-there's def. a chill in the air and I"ve made a few stops to my favorite coffee house. I kinda like it (although, I miss the ease of our summer schedule).
* The girls have adjusted PERFECTLY to our new house. I am blown away--I thought they would be stressed but they're very happy, sleeping well, etc.
* Amelie loves school--she's doing well and making lots of friends--I'm so happy for her! It's awesome!!!
* My husband is cute. Muah honey!
* The nursery still isn't done but I look forward to working on it in the coming days--I'm not thrilled with the paint color I picked but it will have to do for now as I'm officially SICK of painting!!
* 4 WEEKS LEFT!! Can't wait to meet you baby Ezra!!
Happy Wednesday!!

Home Is Sweet

This morning I woke up happy, content and almost fully moved in our new home.

I'm so glad to be here and that I'm still pregnant (but I'll likely only be glad about that for a few more weeks =).

Praise God we're in--I'm so thankful to be here.

Happy Monday!

Bad Blogger

Oh. My.

This week has been

interesting

difficult

exciting

frustrating

scary

exhausting

exhausting

exhausting.

My precious husband has been at the "new" house for hours and hours every night for days--his head hasn't hit the pillow before 1:30 am for the last WEEK! He is exhausted but doing such an amazing job refinishing our floors and getting our home ready!

I was able to paint a few rooms and somehow wore myself out to the point where I had a major asthma attack. I don't generally have problems with asthma as I've mostly outgrown it. It really has knocked me out. I went to my general doctor who way under-prescribed me and then to my OB who was ready to send me straight to the hospital. I convinced her that I needed to wait to go until my Mother got in from NY (she heard my cough once and packed her bags to head down!). My OB prescribed new, stronger meds. for me and they really did the trick which is wonderful b/c I"M FREAKING MOVING PEOPLE!!! Ahhhhhhh!

So I avoided the hospital but now my nebulizer is my best friend and constant companion. Eh.

By the way:

So. Many. Boxes.

I was super overwhelmed, discouraged, sick, overwhelmed, discouraged, overwhelmed...um, you get the picture...

Having my Mom here has really helped and even though I'm still having "moments" where everything feels all piled up we're hanging in there.

We've had lots of help and one dear lady from our church even stayed until 12:30 in the morning painting my kitchen walls--talk about a servant's heart!!

This has been such a humbling, dreadful, growing, learning experience. I'm so thankful to have a truly supportive family.

Ok. That's it. Time to relax and maybe pack one more box.

G'night!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY(S)!!!!!!

Happy Happy Birthday Madre and Padre!!

God bless you both in the year to come! So thankful that you both were born today!

Oh, and rest up--because I've got a longgggg list of house-related projects for you this weekend =)