Baby Gender Reveal

Ladies and Gentlemen, the big day finally arrived!  It's time to find out whether we can expect sugar & spice and everything nice or whether it's time for Travis to finally get a little ally to help him navigate this sea of estrogen he's been swimming in.  

But first let's check out this adorable face!  Seriously, the child looks JUST LIKE Merryn did!  And that SMILE!  *Sigh* Can you believe the ultrasound tech captured a smile?!  I just melted into a puddle of maternal bliss.

Without further ado, I'll let the girls do the honors:

That's right folks!  We'll be joined by another little lady in May!

 And for those of you who have notified us that what we thought was a Down syndrome awareness blog is actually a toddler fashion blog, well, I guess we upped the ante.  So now I have three little dolls to adorn in coordinating ensembles while attempting to pull off a perfect photo shoot...perfect photo shoots that usually go a little something like this:

And next year this family of four posing in front of our Christmas tree will be a family of five!  We.  Can't.  Wait!

Merry Christmas 2013

The 2013 Christmas Card Reveal

* This post has been brought to you by pregnancy insomnia.  At least some good can come from being wide awake at 3am!

With each cross-country move Travis' job mandates, our network of friends and neighbors grows - as does our Christmas card list.  When you have all those people watching their mailboxes to see how these two cute kiddos have grown over the past year, there's a certain degree of pressure to come up with a creative card idea.  (I realize the only people actually shivering in the December cold next to their mailbox anxiously waiting to see this card are the grandparents, but for the sake of hyperbole let's pretend it's hundreds of our closest friends and family.)  It's even more creative pressure when you've got a pregnancy announcement to make as well.  Ah but it's a fun pressure!  It truly is.  Mama Hop goes out and finds matching frilly dresses (Christmas Card 2012 click HERE), we set up the big photo shoot (Christmas Card 2011 click HERE)  and we pray for the best (although sometimes unanswered prayers turn out funnier - click HERE).  

Ladies and Gentleman, it's time for the 2013 Christmas card reveal:

I said this Christmas card project is fun but I never said it is easy!

What is up with this frilly scratchy potato sack she wants me to wear?!

Gasp!

 Mother, the ivory in my dress clearly does not match the ivory in my tights.  You absolutely mustn't embarrass me by mailing a photo of me in this dreadful ensemble!

 Shoes on the sofa?!  Why that's strictly forbidden!  Mom, this pregnancy has depleted you of your proper judgement!

And even though the previous post convinced me that attempting to photograph the girls together was a bad idea, we're still working with toddlers here.  Separate isn't much easier:

 When it came time for the "bun in the oven" portion of our photo shoot, I knew I needed reinforcement so I called in my two experienced photography assistants.  Remember how successful the Flamenco Photo Shoot was with their help(click HERE)?  They really deserve a raise.

First we had to undo the severe brainwashing Merryn had received about absolutely never going near the oven because "it's hot!".  It took a lot of convincing to get her to stand within 5 feet of our oven.  Then, we had to somehow convince Josie that it was in her best interest to want to participate in this photo shoot at all.

  As usual, Josie had better things to do...

 ...we're talking pressing issues that our little flight risk had to tend to, and they didn't  involve starring in a family holiday card!  Time to bring out the big guns: Aunt Leanne!

Chase, block, drag, re-position, repeat...

 Even "Thelma" needed a little redirection (I know what you're thinking, 'No!  Not Thelma!')

 There are only so many shots you can take of toddlers before you encounter the Law of Diminishing Returns.  When the toddler you had to beg to approach the oven bends over and sticks her head in said oven, it's time to call it a day.

And that, my friends, is what goes into our annual Christmas card photo shoot.  We hope you enjoy the results.  

Now we're eagerly preparing to host Travis' family for the holidays so if you don't hear from us again beforehand, Merry Christmas (and Happy Holidays) to one and all!

Just Wait Until We Have Three (insert exasperated sigh here)

I had an idea for a Christmas card photo that was inspired by something I'd seen online so I started making the preparations for the big photo shoot.  When faced with two obstinate toddlers and a deadline, preparation is key.  

What could possibly go wrong when you're working with adorable cherubs like these???  Oh, I don't know, perhaps one toddler awkwardly embraces her sister in a reverse choke hold...

 That's not where the WWE action ended, folks.  Josie pinned Merryn right down on that wrestling mat *ahem...sofa.  This was NOT the Christmas card I had envisioned.

 For those who are currently pitying Merryn; don't.  Girlfriend maybe be younger and she may have less hair, but she's scrappy and she ain't goin' down without a fight!  Two can play this game:

 Still NOT the Christmas card I was intending.  This had turned into one big "Oh yeah??!  Take THAT!"   Ladies, ladies, LADIES!  Is this how Jesus would want us to celebrate His birthday?!?!

 When all was said and done, there were no joint shots of my two little darlings in a warm holiday embrace with radiant smiles.  The closest we came was this awkward shot which violates several household rules, including, but not limited to, the "Don't stand on the sofa!" rule, and the "Don't make goofy faces while pointing to your teeth!" rule, and the "You're not Justin Bieber - pull your pants up!" rule.  (insert HUGE exasperated sigh here).

In retrospect we drew a few important conclusions: 1.  Straitjackets may come in handy 2. Preparation is NOT the key.  There's no preparing for what a toddler will potentially throw at you.  Prayer is more like it.  Pray for patience, pray for a sense of humor, and pray for a Festivus miracle.  3.  And for those of you with empty uteruses, wine wouldn't hurt.  

Oh boy I can't wait until I'm working with three!

Stay tuned for the big Christmas card reveal!

Aunt Leanne Names the Baby

Aunt Leanne has three and half years of experience at this aunt job and she thinks she's quite the authority on the subject of babies.  For as long as I can remember, she's been very interested in babies and children.  She's always fussing over babies in church and at the grocery store.  She just can't help herself.

Aunt Leanne and newborn Josie

Without needing anyone's permission, Leanne scoops up my children and nurtures them with full entitlement.  She never hesitates to offer her input on parenting either ("F+.  You should put her in time out FOREVER!").  

During their last visit, my mom and Leanne were walking out the door one afternoon and Leanne looks me right in the eye and very seriously proclaims "Elizabeth, I want you to know that I support you in this (gestures to my stomach).  I am here for you.  You have my support"

My mom and I just exchanged confuses glances like 'Huh?!  Where did that come from?'  It was so random!  I felt like an unwed teenager who was seeking approval!  But I couldn't help but giggle and say "Thanks, Leanne."  It was a very kind albeit strange statement but Leanne's unpredictability and candor are among her best qualities!

Aunt Leanne and newborn Merryn (notice the absence of my mom's hoovering arms the second time around.  LOL!  Leanne will probably carry baby #3 around in her backpack and no one will notice)

With the same entitlement and authority that Leanne grants her support for this third pregnancy, she also has taken the liberty of naming baby number 3 (Pardon the background noise - we were in Starbucks):

My favorite part is how if Travis doesn't like that suggestion, Leanne will choose a different one.  So I guess he has veto power but no jurisdiction over actually coming up with a name for his own child.

We actually do have a name selected if it's a boy.  But Leanne doesn't like this name because it's a family name, hence, it's already "taken".  That's why she plays the Aunt Leanne trump card.  Something tells me even if it IS a boy, and even if we DO use the name we've selected, Aunt Leanne will call him whatever she wants to - just like she does with the other kids!

As for girl names, Leanne likes "Suzy"...That's a lovely suggestion but we're still receptive to others.  Merryn thinks the baby should be called "Baby Bottle" and Josie thinks the baby should be called "Taylor Swift".  Um, yeah...so the jury is still out!

Ultrasound and Pregnancy Photos

Well, our big secret has been revealed: we are expecting Baby #3 in May!  In case you missed Leanne's announcement, you need to check it out (click HERE).  I wasn't sure how she would announce it but I knew no one could deliver the news quite like she did.  She did not disappoint; especially when she explained how they get the baby out - OUCH!

Here's our first official picture of the new kiddo.  The family resemblance is undeniable, isn't it?!  Ha!

 And here's what will likely be the last picture you see of me pregnant,  so enjoy it.  I'm not one of these stand-in-the-mirror-in-nothing-but-a-sports-bra-and-take-weekly-selfies kind of gals.  Don't get me wrong - I love a good baby bump photo as much as the next person.  I just don't love being the subject.  If my last pregnancy was any indication, just Google "Shamu" and that's a pretty spot-on depiction of what I'll look like.

We will find out the gender at the end of December IF the baby cooperates a little bit better than this one did...

Merryn is going to be the BEST big sister.  She already has a "Big Sister" shirt and if she had her way, she would wear it every day.  In fact, that's how we announced the pregnancy to Mama Hop - we had Merryn wear the "Big Sister" shirt when my mom was here in October.  Unfortunately, Mama Hop just assumed it was a hand-me-down shirt from Josie and she thought nothing of it.  That idea was a bust!  LOL! 

 Merryn is very excited about the new baby, although we suspect she assumes I'm carrying a Cabbage Patch doll instead of a human being.  She said "Mom has a baby in her belly and I have a baby in my bed!"  We've been talking about the baby frequently and the other night Merryn exclaimed "Let's get it out now!"  Poor thing is going to have to hold her horses...

 We're not sure if Josie understands the whole pregnancy thing but she is very interested in the babies she encounters in public so we know she'll be thrilled to have her very own baby to dote on.

 And as for those who wonder what the heck we are thinking having three kids four and under...well, some days I am among those wondering what the heck we were thinking!  But I remind myself that ever since we embarked upon this journey called parenthood, we have known happiness, fulfillment, and love in ways that we never experienced before starting a family.  It's not always easy, but it's always worth it.  We are over the moon in love with these two little girls of ours and we are so grateful for the opportunity to welcome another child into our family.

As everyone is well aware, my sister has been the most influential person in my life.  I love her beyond what words can explain.  So I believe siblings are a true blessing and I am grateful to be able to give my children the opportunity to experience this type of bond.  I'm already looking forward to holidays decades from now when Travis and I have adult children and their families flood into our home and fill the place with activity and noise.  I picture them reminiscing about their childhood saying "remember the time we..." and dissolving into laughter.

Alright, alright...I better wrap this up now before the hormone-induced sappiness gets too nauseating!  Thank you to everyone for your kind words and well-wishes.  Stay tuned as we explore the complexities of baby names with special guest, Aunt Leanne.

Aunt Leanne and the Big Announcement

The best Aunt Leanne video of the year is finally making it's debut here on CCE.  It would have been posted sooner, but it started out as a 12 minute interview so there was a lot of editing required to get down to the (mostly) pertinent stuff.  Without further ado:

Merry Christmas and Happy Thanksgiving (in no particular order)

Okay, where were we? Ah yes, Christmas.  First Christmas, then Thanksgiving. I know, I know - it doesn't make any sense but that's how it worked out this year so play along...Since Mama Hop and Aunt Leanne won't be back for Christmas, Mama Hop planned a lovely meal and gift exchange at the condo.  Upon walking in, we were greeted by red and gold gifts scattered about.

Mama Hop and her trusty elf had clearly been busy wrapping presents.  Here's that trusty elf with her cherished "brother" - aren't they lovable?

 Josie's most anticipated gift was Big Hugs Elmo.  Because of her affectionate nature, we knew she'd love it.  Besides, who doesn't love Elmo?!  

 The biggest box was for Merryn - it was a pretty impressive peddle car.  I'm sure you'll see her driving that bad boy around the block come Spring.

 But despite the grandiose nature of that enormous box, Merryn's favorite gift was her preschool prep book from Mama Hop.  She sat and flipped through that thing forever!  We have quite the little scholar on our hands.

 Fast forward to Thanksgiving.  My mom and I were reminiscing about how the last couple of Thanksgivings we spent together were really hard.  Thanksgiving 2010 was the last time I saw my Grandpa before he passed away, and Thanksgiving 2011 was the last time I saw my father before he passed of cancer.  Both men were in really poor health with bleak diagnoses which made the holiday difficult to enjoy.  There's always a fear that those difficult memories will undermine the joy on future holidays but that really was not the case this year.  Having my mom's cousin, John Perry, and his family join us gave us something new to look forward to that certainly enhanced the festivity and boosted our spirits.

 As previously mentioned, Thanksgiving was not without its blunders.  First, I dropped a whole bottle of wine in the driveway.  After I cleaned up the broken glass, Travis dumped a bucket of water on the wine to attempt to clear the mess and avoid a Cabernet stain.  That resulted in a nasty ice patch forming right where we all parked.  Then John Perry sliced right through the foil roasting pan while he was carving the turkey - I'm sure it was nothing more than an empathetic gesture to make me feel less foolish about the wine debacle.  Either way, it was pretty funny.

 The girl's had a great time with John Perry's son, "Godfather" (his real name is Jeff but my girls don't know that.  Ever since their baptism, he answers to "Godfather").  Apparently all kids love Godfather but Merryn took a particular liking to him.  You see this picture below?  He snagged her a piece of turkey while his dad was carving it.  He then proceeded to provide her with an endless supply of Cheetos.  She was glued to his side throughout the rest of the day.

 One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving 2013 is that I learned to use the timer on my camera.  I set up the tripod, push the button, and the camera waits a few seconds before it takes 10 consecutive shots.  The biggest benefit of the timer is that the photographer (me) can run and get in the picture.  The biggest drawback is that there is no one up by the camera singing and dancing around like a fool to attempt to get the children to look and smile.  I mean, it's hard enough to get everyone to look and smile when the photographer is behind the camera:

 Travis and Leanne were kind enough to help me practice using this new camera feature.  The 10 rapid-fire shots along with Leanne's unwavering commitment to her job as a model, contrasted by Travis' complete failure to take any aspect of this task seriously totally lent itself to the funniest flip book ever:

I love those two!  And while I got about 39 terrible family photos with plenty of crying, whining, blurry images, and eyes gazing anywhere but at the camera, I managed to get one tolerable Thanksgiving shot thanks to Leanne standing next to the tripod emphatically re-enacting scenes from High School Musical with a toy microphone. Merryn looks underwhelmed but at least she's facing forward!

Mama Hop & Aunt Leanne's Visit in Photos

I'm leaving on a jet plane...bellowed from the depths of Mama Hop's lungs as she waved goodbye from the airport yesterday.  No, actually there were no cheesy sixties serenades but I could totally picture that happening.  Watch - she'll do it next time just to embarrass me.  I only joke to distract from the sadness that that their departure leaves.  But before you get too down in the dumps, hear me out:  Aunt Leanne will fill several more posts with her signature charisma and humor, and when we run out of that, we have what will likely be the best post of the year so stay with us!

These past 10 days with Mama Hop and Aunt Leanne flew by, as time tends to do when two smiling faces show up to pick up your toddlers every morning so you can enjoy some much needed R&R (Ha!  Who am I kidding?!  R&R translates to doing laundry and running errands without toddlers in tow and that, my friends, is a mother's definition of a vacation!)  Check out Mama Hop & Aunt Leanne's tundra gear: 

 That fur on Aunt Leanne's hood makes me giggle every time I look at it.  All week, I would glance in my rear view mirror and see nothing but  an enormous lion's mane of faux fur engulfing her adorable face.

You know the girls enjoyed every minute of their time with Mama Hop and Aunt Leanne.  

 From bathing to dressing, from braiding hair to putting on footwear, from zipping coats to buckling car seats, Mama Hop and Aunt Leanne took over and surrounded these girls with fun times and love. 

Josie was particularly delighted to be in the presence of the only person who appreciates endless displays of affection as much as she does.

While I was off Christmas shopping and attending to my domestic drudgery, the girls were having a fantastic time at the condo.  Mama Hop even let the girls help her bake cookies.  She's much braver than I am, folks.  And I can't help but giggle when I go to retrieve my children and Mama Hop and Aunt Leanne's incredibly orderly, adults-only dwelling, looks like it's been hit by a hurricane (Hurricane Merryn to be exact).

Ah but even though Merryn gets a F+ for tidiness, Aunt Leanne can't help but love her.

With the holidays upon us, it was time to start decorating over at our house.  I got myself in way over my head by jumping on board with this decorative mesh craze only to realize that after six unsuccessful tree-wrapping attempts later, it was never going to be Pinterest-worthy.  Lucky for me, my personal creativity consultant was in town to save the day.

Thank goodness her trusty sidekick was there to help (that is, if "helping" entails resting on one's laurels, sipping hot chocolate, singing along to Christmas music, and cheesing it up for the camera).  You've gotta love Aunt Leanne!

I'm very pleased with the end result!  The Christmas tree inhabits the awkward corner of our kitchen nicely and the house now contains the perfect amount of holiday cheer.

Kind of makes you want to break out in the José Feliciano classic, "Feliz Navidad"...

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart!!!!

Sorry, I can't help myself.  I love that song.

 I think the only thing this place is missing is wine glasses.  We could really use a few more wine glasses.

Be sure to tune in to the next post to witness all the fun we had at Thanksgiving and our Christmas gift exchange.  "Thelma" and Leanne did the gift wrapping.  Talk about entertainment.  

And don't forget to check back soon to catch an exciting, hilarious and unforgettable, "must-see" Aunt Leanne video.