Ava's room updated...

Ava's first outfit - She will be getting pictures done in this.

I'm proud of my garage sale finds! Lamp $1, small shelf free (Jack's idea to put her shoes from Chris and Alicia on there), changing table $5 (brand new Graco from Target), baskets holding her clothes (not free or on sale, but so cute!), laundry hamper $1, diaper bag - gift from Aunt Bek.

I already had the white shelves, pictures $5 for both, curtains I already had, curtain rod -Target gift card from the Fures for Mother's Day, crib and bedding (Dad and Mom and Craig's List), bumper Craig's List on sale, bedskirt free, mobile $3, blankets were gifts, rocking chair was my mom's when Nancy was born, carpet squares we had in the shed to cover the red carpet, and the rug was another gift.

pink lamp $3, bookcase I had but got that cheap a few years ago and got the yellow color idea for the walls from it and then updated the paint - so far it's just holding her hats and the lamp, but I'm sure she will accumulate stuff since she already has so much!

Another overall picture from the door

I have been so focused on Ava's room that yesterday we went to some garage sales, and Jack racked up with a horse for $10, a little white chair that sits with ours on the deck, and a Veggie Tales DVD. He said, "So is the white chair for Ava's room?" I said, "No, I think this chair should be for Jack." So that made him pretty excited. The horse's name is Bullseye at Daddy's suggestion. He had seen one at TJ Maxx the other day and pulled it around the store while we were shopping, and that was $25. This one is a lot nicer and much cheaper!

Jack sayings...

Jack was giving me a hard time at the store wanting everything and pouting when I said no we're just looking tonight. So we get home and I say, "You weren't very nice to me tonight." He said, "Sorry, mommy, sorry about freakin' out."

After swimming yesterday Jack said, "My ear is going potty."

Picking up phrases like, "Can I tell you a secret?" or "Can I ask you a favor?" He says, "So Mommy..." a lot before he talks.

Jack and Matt came in from mowing. Jack said, "Mommy, you have two dirty boys!" They were so cute; and yes, very dirty! Matt said they were singing at the tops of their lungs. I was sorry I missed it!

He was so excited all day today, and so I said, "Jack, you've been happy all day. That's so good." And Matt said, "What makes you so happy?" And he said, "Mommy." Very nice to hear after a long week!

He loves pancakes and calls syrup "sticky". More sticky, please!

I put Jack in the bath one day and sat down with some cheese and crackers to watch Bonnie and relax for a little bit. He must have heard me because he said, "Mommy? Whatchu doin'? You watchin' Bonnie?" I said, "Yes." He said, "What are you eatin'?" Me: "Crackers and cheese." He said, "I'm comin' out!"

He looked at me the other day and said slowly like he was thinking about how to say it. "You're stettin' my nervers." Come to find out, this means, "You're getting on my nerves." It didn't take him long to figure out the right way to say it though! He picks up quickly on the fact that you are laughing at him for saying something incorrectly.

He loves chips especially Cheetos. After dessert the other day, he wanted a few more chips. So I said, "OK, I guess." He pumped both arms and said, "YES!" Way more excited about that than dessert which he hardly ever finishes.

I asked him last week what he wanted for lunch, and he said, "Strawberries and fruit." He loves almost all fruit besides oranges. We eat grapes right out of the bag on the way home from the store usually until they're gone. He also loves corn and rice and bread. Still not a big meat eater since it takes him a long time to chew.

A gun is a pewter. "Can you find my pewter so I can pewt the bad guys?" Or, "Daddy? Can you help me with this pewter? It won't pewt!"

He got some army men from Grandma. For some reason, he couldn't say army men, and it kept coming out "argy men", and lately, it's also "arny men". But he practices when he hears it the right way until he gets it right. Kind of funny. "Ar Me MEN!"

He is very excited about his little sister coming and thought he would be able to play with her right away, so I just said, "Well, we have to be careful for a while because she will be little, and we don't want to hurt her." Quiet for a minute, then, "So...no fighting?" Nope, no fighting. Not until she can retaliate, I guess!

If he's talking and I'm not listening, he yells, "Mommy! are you talkin'?"

He is not afraid to ask the waiter for what he wants or for help in the store. I can't help but laugh when I'm muttering about not being able to find something in the store and he finds some worker and says, "Can you help mommy find....?" Or if I'm not hurrying him to the bathroom, he goes ahead and asks someone else to show him where it is. A little Roger Hanks in him, I think!

About 100 times a day, he says, "Mommy, what are we gonna do today?" Even when I've already told him. He doesn't really care what we do, just wants to keep talking about it. He likes to just say, "Mommy". He says it all of the time multiple times. And I love hearing it...for the most part!

He loves wrestling with daddy. We are working on how he asks for things because he's very demanding and particular about what he thinks should be happening. "Mommy, I NEED to watch Mickey Mouse." "Daddy, come on. We need to wrestle."

My favorite times I have found are either in the car talking and singing together or in devotions or hearing them wrestle. The laughing, talking, and singing are the best. He sings all of the time. Lately, he likes "Climb Climb up Sunshine Mountain", "I'm in the Lord's Army", Jesus Loves the Little Children", and "Yankee Doodle Dandy".

I might add to these as I think of more. It's hard to get them all down at one time.

Ava's room

So we have consolidated Matt's office, taken off wallpaper and painted, moved in Ava's things, and this is where we are so far. She is so spoiled! Jack loves her bed and wearing her hats. He has been so excited about everything we are doing for her which helps. I hope that continues! There are still a couple of things to do such as hanging stuff on the wall and maybe getting a rug or something for the floor which is red old carpet. But overall, I am happy with the results. It took a good 2 weeks in which our house was a mess. Matt said it was okay since she's not coming for a while; but I said, "I can't relax with the house this way, and I need to relax before she comes!" I hope it is not indicative of how difficult she is going to be, but most kids have their difficulties, right? Jack's room was so easy, and he's not always easy.

So we have done all we can do at this point, and it is better than it was; so there you go. I do love the yellow. We were able to find some great deals on Craig's List since most everything in the pictures is either from there or a garage sale or something I had already. But thanks, Mom and Dad, for indulging your little girl and investing in your granddaughter's bed and bedding! She will love it, I'm sure, and will be able to use it for a few years anyway. Eight weeks until she gets to use it! Can't wait!

So all of her clothes are clean and ready for use, and today I will be cleaning all of the equipment (swing, carseat, etc.) that has been in storage. So we should be ready for her by next week! HA

Fun in the Sun!

We've had a great time playing outside! We had about 10 kids here the other day playing in the little pool and slip n slide. I think today we might get into that again! Yay for warm weather that we can do these fun things!

My mom gave Jack some cookie dough that looks and shapes like play doh, so this is about as creatve as we got. But it was fun and yummy!

9 Weeks

I scheduled the birth of Ava Jane for July 19th, so that will be her birthday unless something unforeseen happens! We are so looking forward to it and to her coming. We have been working on consolidating Matt's office so that she has a room to sleep in. Trying to make it cute. It's not coming together as easily as Jack's room did, but little by little it is coming along. And we have a little time still to get it ready. Now we just need to paint and accessorize. Accessorizing is the fun (but could get expensive) part. What I wouldn't give to be able to walk into Pottery Barn Kids and actually buy something! That's the cutest store ever! Maybe someday!

Looking forward to a beautiful week. The weather should be great for playing outside, and we haven't been able to do that for a while. So we are looking forward to some outings this week that we have planned.

10 weeks to go...

Since I'm counting down, just thought I'd let everyone know only 10 weeks to go! I'm 30 weeks along today. Whoohoo as Jack would say! We had a great mother's day yesterday with great church services, yummy dinners, gushy cards, and time with family! The best! I love how loved Matt and Jack make me feel (along with both sides of the family). It makes me proud and happy to be the woman in their lives. I'm also looking forward to having a daughter with whom I can have that relationship, too!

So we're getting very excited in our house for her arrival. Jack said last night sighing, "I want my sister." It's hard for all of us to wait! But she's much better off where she is than if we had her to look at. I'm feeling good and just looking so forward to the end being near. The date is July 19th. I'm starting to get her massive amounts of clothes in order. Matt said, "She has more clothes than I do, and she's an amoeba. It's just not right." HA So yes, that's true although most have been given to us. Nice! So today I'm hoping to organize them and put them in her dresser and sort of start getting her "room" ready. She will be in the study for a while which we are hoping to fix up a little before she is born. But she won't care, I guess. I'm the one that likes fixing the house up. Since I'm never in that room, I usually just shut the door and don't look at it. But as I told Matt, "If I have to spend any amount of time in here, I want it to be pretty." So we'll see!

11 Weeks!

11 weeks to go until Ava will make her appearance. Looking forward to her being here! I recently got an urge to decorate Jack's room (too much HGTV, I guess), so here are some pictures. I am happy with how it turned out, and all we really did was paint, new curtains, rearranged and consolidated. I packed away his baby stuff and now let him have his games (his big boy stuff!) in his room. He must like it because he kept saying how beautiful his room was. And it didn't even take 2 full days of working on it. So I was inspired to continue and redo the study, but Matt says this is all for now. Little by little, I guess. I don't know if these are the best pictures, but I just stood in each corner and took one. I don't feel like it got everything, but oh well. You can get an idea. The first one is from the door.

So a couple of funny Jack sayings lately:

Yesterday, it was too quiet, so I said, "Jack? What are you doing?" "Nuffin'" "No, what are you doing?" "Just relaxin'." And he was! Just lying on the floor in his room. HA

He's very independent which makes me proud and sometimes sad, so one Sunday I was actually going with him to Jr. Church because I was supposed to help; and he said, "You don't need to come, Mommy." Oh well!

In other news...we've been having some great services at church. God is working in our church, and we seem to be growing both spiritually and in numbers! What a blessing! We now have close to 20 members in our Homestarters Sunday School class which means lots more kids running around our church, and I just love it. There's at least 20 small kids now for Jack to grow up with and eventually be in the youth group with. So that is very exciting! But in the meantime, we are starting a playdate in the park this week in which the moms and their kids can meet once a week and visit and play. This could turn into more of a ministry, but right now we are excited about this fun thing to do for the summer. We found a great park close to the church that is semi-secluded, so we are looking forward to this. I always try to catch up with all of the moms; and since there are so many now, this will be an easier way to do it. So far, they seem to be interested; so we'll see how it goes.