swimsuit shopping

is great when you have a baby girl to shop for!

Yes, I realize someday she'll hate me for putting her in a ladybug bikini, but how could I resist showing off that belly?!

a boy's fascination

Wow, I haven't posted in over a month! And while March was extremely busy, I don't really have time to write about everything we did just yet. For now, here's a pair of poems (as it's National Poetry Month) that remind me of a certain boy I know.

The Little Boy to the Locomotive

by Benjamin R.C. Low

Big iron horse with lifted head,

Panting beneath the station shed,

You are my dearest dream come true;-

I love my Dad; I worship you!

Your noble heart is filled with fire,

For all your toil, you never tire,

And though you're saddled-up in steel,

Somewhere, inside, I know you feel.

All night in dreams when you pass by,

You breathe out stars that fill the sky,

And now, when all my dreams are true,

I hardly dare come close to you.

The Locomotive to the Little Boy

Boy, whose little, confiding hand

Your father holds, why do you stand

Staring in wonderment at me,-

Poor thing of iron that I be?

Your unsophisticated eyes

Are full of beautiful surprise;

And oh, how wonderful you are,

You little, golden morning-star!

Poor thing of iron that I be,

A mortal man imagined me;

But you- you drop of morning dew-

God and his heaven are globed in you.

photo meme

Amy tagged me for a photo meme recently, so here goes. The rules are: Go to your sixth picture folder and pick your sixth picture. Pray you remember the details. Tag five others.

My sixth folder is labeled "Around the House- Spring 2006" and the sixth picture in it (taken on May 28, or so says my computer) is this:
My husband holding a crying Magic Boy, who was almost exactly three months old at the time. Coincidentally, Happy Girl is almost exactly three months old right now, so I figured I'd post a picture of her crying, too, just so you could see how much they look alike.

Not buying it? How about these pics?

(I swear, my kids are usually happy. Although the pictures in this post seem to suggest otherwise.)

And just to make things interesting, here's a picture of me at the same age. (In the interest of fairness, I tried to find a picture of my husband too, but I couldn't. Trust me, though, my kids look nothing like him.)

Is it just me, or are my genes completely overpowering? I mean, Happy Girl and I were even born with the same hairdo. It's kind of freaky.

Anyway, I'm tagging the following people (if any of you have been tagged already I apologize, but I checked and didn't see that you've done this particular meme yet):

1. Rose Red
2. emma
3. Nadine
4. Kathryn
5. You! (Yeah, I'm cheesy like that.)

Can't wait to see your pics!

baby photos

Just thought I'd share some pictures!

The fat little fingers...
the chubby cheeks...

the big eyes...

the smiles and laughter (yep, she laughs now!) of one very Happy (not to mention sleepy) Girl!

what to say about the big event?

There were visitors,

handknits,




Baby Mittens, made by me during the Ravelympics

Saartje's Booties, made by Jen

Baby Surprise Snowsuit, made by me and nearly completed in time (stupid snaps).

Also, alpaca hat, made by me.












and of course pain. Lots of pain.

But would I do it all again, for my beautiful Happy Girl?

In a heartbeat.

happy birthday!

"Happy Girl" was born Sunday, October 26, 2008 at 1:32 pm. (The doctor wanted me to be done in time for the 1:00 football games. I'd say we were close enough.) She weighed 9 pounds, 2 1/2 ounces (a bit more than the estimated 7 pounds 7 ounces of five days before), and she is already living up to her name- being quite happy (or at least content) most of the time.

She has been nursing almost constantly, but that's my arm, I swear.

I'll try to give some more details soon, but in the meantime, I'm going to get some rest! I'm so glad to be home- and so grateful for my three wonderful, healthy children!

a little boy's paradise

Our town had Touch-A-Truck day today. Kids were allowed to sit in and climb on over 30 trucks (not to mention play with buttons and levers and of course, blow horns). There were all kinds of different vehicles just waiting to be explored- fire trucks (new and old), bulldozers, line trucks, plows, car carriers, tractors, an ambulance, a giant dump truck, even a ride-on lawnmower. Let's just say Magic Baby enjoyed himself a bit.

Hubby's cousins own that last one, and they gave Magic Baby a hat, which makes him look like less of a dork than the sun hat does (although personally, I think it makes him look way too grown up, too).

Then, on the way out, there was a baby snapping turtle just sitting on the path. (Somehow my husband can find animals wherever we go- even if he's not looking for them.)

The turtle was cool, but not nearly as exciting as all the trucks (in Magic Baby's opinion, anyway).

Overall, another great day- and I'm even blogging about it in a timely way! Go me!