17 Months

I can't believe that my little girl is 17 months old. She is almost a year and a half! It still amazes me at how fast time has flown with each child. The time seems to go by faster each year. Lauren is now starting to say a lot of words. She can now say: birdie, tree, train, all done, may--may(for banana), woof-woof(for dog), frogie, duck, and please. She can also point to her toes, belly, nose, ears, and mouth when asked. She loves to dance and now she puts both hands above her head and does ballerina spins (I think we are going to have to put her in a dance class pretty soon). She loves making funny faces and she screams whenever someone takes something from her. She will use just about anything as a purse i.e. my sandals, Curtis' underwear, pull-ups, hats, and t-shirts. She loves clothes, shoes, and dollies, such a girly-girl. Thank you Lord, for blessing us with this beautiful little girl.

Bowling and Moving Up

Kevin's parents flew in this weekend to spend some time with us and what a whirlwind weekend it was. On Saturday, we all went out bowling. No, I did not bowl, but Curtis bowled for the first time. It was a fun time and the kids had a blast. Curtis now wants to get a pair of bowling shoes and go bowling again! Here are some pictures:

Mr. Bowler

Waiting patiently for his turn.

Curtis got a spare! Way to go!

Lauren had to get in on the action as well.

In other news, Lauren is now in the toddler class at church. Yesterday was her second week in the new class and she loves it. When we walked into church, she ran straight for the class. My baby is growing up too fast. Have a great week.

It's All Downhill From Here

So here I am in my 20th week of pregnancy and it's halfway over. Now the numbers get lower and lower and we get closer to the due date. I'm still nauseous, and if this pregnancy keeps going like Curtis' then I still have another five weeks of the nausea. For the last week, I've also gotten reflux and it's getting uncomfortable to sleep. Kevin laughs at me because I'm starting to waddle. At least I don't feel like a beached whale, just yet! I am now officially in maternity clothes, yeah, no more trying to squeeze into my regular clothes because my maternity clothes are to big. Before I forget, here are some pictures from Christmas. Enjoy!!

Lauren and cousin Natty. What secret's are they sharing?

I also have some baby predictions. Of course, I think that we are having a boy; I think Tim and Arinda are having a boy; Terry and Kathleen are having a boy; and Jon and Ali are having a boy and a girl. We'll just have to wait and see how many I get right.

Ultrasound Pictures

Well we had our ultrasound this morning. Zach looks good. The kids didn't seem too interested in what was going on, though. Once the tech gave us pictures to take home, Curtis went out into the waiting room to show everyone saying, "Look, this is Zach. I'm the big brother." It was really cute. I go back on the 19th to meet with my doctor and go over the results. So without further ado, here are "Zach's" pictures.

Here is the full body shot.

The foot

The face and arm. This baby doesn't have the chubby cheeks that Curtis and Lauren had at this stage. It will be interesting to see what the baby looks like.

Happy New Year!!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and new year. The kids had fun, but got a little overwhelmed with all of the presents. Kevin and I ended up opening their gifts! It was also nice to think that next Christmas there will be three children to celebrate with. Speaking of children, this baby is moving around alot! I can't believe that I'm in my 19th week already. It seems like every pregnancy goes by quicker and quicker. Curtis has also named the baby. Yesterday, he told me that I was having a boy and that his name is Zach. I'm not sure where he got the name, but I think it's cute. Lauren has been on soy milk for almost two weeks and she was doing real good, but for the last couple of days, she has had a little bit of blood in her diaper. So if her pediatrician is at church on Sunday, I will talk to him about it. Please keep praying for Lauren, and that we would find out what is wrong.

Taps

Today, I went to the funeral of my best friend, Myra's, grandfather. It was a graveside service and despite the cold and the rain, it was a nice service. The most emotional part, for me, was the playing of Taps, and the folding/ presenting of the flag to Myra's grandmother. Being a Navy veteran, Taps just chokes me up. It was an emotional day and I'm ready for a nap! I will close with the words to Taps:

Day is done, gone the sun,

From the lake, from the hills,

From the sky.

All is well, safely rest,

God is nigh.

Fades the light; And afar

Goeth day, And the stars

Shineth bright,

Fare thee well; Day has gone,

Night is on.

Thanks and praise, For our days,

'Neath the sun, 'Neath the stars,

'Neath the sky.

As we go, This we know,

God is nigh.

Prayer Request

We need some prayers for our little Lauren. She has had rectal bleeding for a month now and we can't get it to stop. So far we've been giving her apple juice to keep her stools soft, but she is still bleeding. I took her to the doctor today and our next plan of action is to take her off of whole milk and try soy milk to see if she is allergic to whole milk. We also have to give her mineral oil every day. If that doesn't work, she is going to need to have a barium enema done to check her intestines. We are hoping that we won't have to do the enema as it will be very uncomfortable for her, but we need to find out what is causing the bleeding. So please pray that the Lord would heal her...Thank you.