Elephant birthday

I LOVE elephants. When I saw this ticker, while making the pregnancy one...well, I couldn't help myself!!!

ham & jelly

Hi! ... the kids just went down.

We played outside on the swings and got bit by 'squitos, so I sprayed them with OFF, than we went for a walk and they ran through some neighbors' sprinklers. Afterwards we came back inside and they requested ham and jelly sandwiches. (when asked, "peanut butter & jelly, or ham & cheese?) ~sigh~ so, we ate that while watching "Little House on the Prairie" (b/c the dining room table has all my sewing stuff out and I didn't feel like clearing it away).

Well naturally, the kiddos had to take a bath, to wash off all the OFF. The tub was filled and bubbles were poured. I was just getting comfortable, thinking, "I'll let them play a bit before I wash them", when Spikey observed Kiddo squirting a whale and squealing, "the whale is peeing!!!" Next thing I know, he is grabbing himself, and yes, peeing. (herein lies the dilema, do I just ignore - since it's all going to be diluted in that great big tub of water?) No!!! Of course not!!! So, I empty the tub and decide that they can shower. I turn the shower on, wash them up and get them out. Now Spikey is not happy about getting out. "NOOOOO!!!!!!" (adamently shaking his head) He runs into the hallway, pouting "hrmf!" than, yep, next thing I know, he is grabbing himself and peeing... AGAIN!!!!! ugh!!!!

Clean the hallway, wipe him down, get them dressed in pj's read many books, say our prayers and kisses goodnight!!! I would love to shower but I'm afraid to since they're not quite asleep yet. Guess I'll go back to measuring and pinning and sewing.

101

101 days left to go... that seems like forever right now.
Granted, I'm not ready- but still...
I'm going to whine for a minute, stand by:
I'm just huge! I'm only going to get bigger and bigger & bigger until I'm ENORMOUS!! And than I'm going to grow even more!!!!!!!

Okay, I think I've worked myself up to have a little pan dulce (that's sweet bread, y'all, like a pumpkin-stuffed empanada) from San Antonio.

back from the beach!

After a week of being a beach bum and poolside referee, I am back- with pictures!

Here I am (in the bikini- yep, my tummy's never been tighter~) with my sisters, Gina and Lora. Our favorite past time since we were learning to walk on the beach, is to sit in the sand and "glop" our legs and feet. It's all about the right consistency between sand and water that is glopped all over the legs and feet- resulting in very soft skin!!

And here is Lil' Lora putting her tummy out there with my baby brother, JP. Y'all will just have to believe me when I tell you, I'm bigger than she is.

Spikey is just not too sure about those loud waves. Even though the car is very hot, he is going to take his sweet time getting out.

Kiddo, on the other hand, just took to the water like a fish! or... mermaid.

Lots of family bonding, 14 of us in a little 1000 sq ft. condo. Cousins staying up late and waking up early 'cause they don't want to miss a thing. Lots of food and games- Mexican train, dominoes, of course. No sunburns! Just a few more freckles...

On sisters and bellies

Yesterday I spoke with my sister, Gina who recently went on a Womens' ACTS retreat in SA,TX. She sounded amazing. It was like a fire was lit in her heart, and a cup of warmth and heaps of love were added to her persona. She told me that it truly changed her life. She feels loved- by God. Truly loved exactly where she is spiritually, emotionally, physically. What a gift!

I pray that the spiritual high she is experiencing will carry her over into her new parish. She and her family are in the process of moving to FL right now. While this can be a particularly stressful time for most all of us, she is looking to new opportunities for her and her family. I'm so glad for her. (not to be Pollyannaish, sorry!)

I cannot wait to see her and my other lil' sister, Lora, who is flying in from Portland tomorrow. Lora is about 20 wks pregnant with her first bambino and it is so cute and exciting to see her grow and anticipate this little guy.

Whereas, being pregnant with my third, it is hard to be cute and excited about the growing belly. I catch myself resenting the hugeness that is taking over my body. Than I remember, this is LIFE! How can I feel any negativity towards the growth and movement of the little soul that rests in my womb?!

My friend, Jacquie, sent these beautiful words to me shortly after our miscarriage and I have written them in my heart.

Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty (1892—1975):
“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor
of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built
something more magnificent than any cathedral—a dwelling for an immortal
soul….The angels have not been blessed with such a grace.”

Back in the Saddle again...

Holding my reins once more... la la la... you know the rest...

After a brief and much needed hiatus from posting, but never from lurking, I am rejoining the world of bloggers. I miss the strange and oddly intimate companionship that one finds when one bears one's thoughts and feelings online. So, I'm going to just, in a wierd way, please-bare-with-me, catch up my blogger friends.

So. Hi! How are you? I haven't called, but I have thought about it so many times. I'm doing okay. I have my good days and bad days. After we lost one of our twins, I deleted the previous blog... not really wanting to associate myself with myself. Strange, I know. Anyhow, it's been a month and each day gets better. Except when I run into a friend who has not heard the news. Than it's really awful. Like a slap in the face.

"You don't look like you're carrying twins!!"

"I'm not- we lost one of our babies last month."

ackward pause...


if they're really smart, they'll stop right there with an,
"I'm so sorry, I did not know or I certainly would not have brought it up."

if they're really idiots they'll want to know all kinds of things about the loss, like what happens to the baby, or worse, how did the doctor tell us...

Now- I have some very close friends who absolutely asked me these things in the first few days. That is okay... I was still very much in a dense fog of grief and reliving those moments with our doctor constantly. But from someone that I haven't seen in 6 months?? In the middle of a party?

Anyhow, his name was Henry. I think we would have called him Hank. So, Hank is our special family saint in heaven. I ask him to pray for his twin sister every day- and the rest of us, too.

In re-reading my post, please know that I am ever-grateful for your prayers and I hope it's not weird or anything. I just needed to get that out there- because when last we talked... we were on the verge of twins.

So, now, I am 23 weeks along. Baby Girl is kicking and wriggling around. She is absolutely adored in utero by her big sister. Kiddo will come up to me with a cheese stick and say, "mama, my sister needs a snack, so eat this." or a glass of water saying, "mama, my little baby is thirsty, drink this." Today, she scolded me for lifting up her 2yo brother, Spikey. "Mama, you cannot lift him! That will hurt the baby!"

ay-yi-yi! so maternal at age 3.5!

So, right now... my house is a mess. It is driving me CRAZY. Dinner dishes on the table, food on the stove, toys scattered like a Spikey storm ran through them, and my husband... he's in his favorite chair watching his team, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Heat in the NBA finals. And me.. well, I'm spending some quality time online, of course!

Fe and Rika- y'all better get back in the groove and start posting your random thoughts.

I'm sure I probably lost the rest of my bloggin' buddies- but if you happen by- just give me a shout. It does so much for the ego.

Now, I'm going to try and make sense out of the mess around here, and than treat myself to some pistachio gelato that I bought for me alone and my Gino knows nothin' about it!! hee hee!! :)