Where to Start?

Oh, there is much to share.  I am so behind, I can't even think of where to start!  We just returned from a nice, long trip up to Canada.  We spent time with Jordan's parents & even managed to sneak in a three-day getaway up to Quebec City for a church planter's retreat!  We were very graciously invited to this retreat, and it was such a blessing to us.  QC is a beautiful city and we spent time with some wonderful, godly people.  Our girls DEFINITELY did not suffer while we were absent, as Gramm and Pops spoiled them rotten.  For a little humor, you can read about their time with my in-laws here.  You'll laugh.  That is, if you have EVER been around children, you will laugh.  Jordan's parents live in a beautiful city (Ottawa, ON), and we had fun exploring the awesome sights.

(yea, we stayed in the most awesome hotel ever.)

Now that life has returned to normal, we are back to a fairly scheduled routine peppered with random happenings.  One such happening is that Emily is finally getting herself into a standing position (exciting, I know!).  You may ask, how can she be walking and not be able to do that?  Good question.  I don't know.  But she's doing it now, and she's just so pleased with herself.  Em also loves to pick lint out of her toes.  This girl...   *sigh*  She leaves a small trail of crumbs behind her wherever she goes, but she's happy as a clam most days.  Because of that, I'm happy to clean up :)  I love watching her walk (or waddle) around with her hands on her tummy and a little grin on her face.  She loves to ask to see the baby, and I still can't make out 80% of what she's trying to tell me!  Em's very attached to her daddy these days, and she will weep if she doesn't get her hands on him whenever he's home.  It's pretty cute.

Elyse has such an imagination!  She loves to chat on her little phone and make statements like, "Well, I was just calling to say 'hi'. . . How are you doing?" and "Well, Emmie was up on the table, and she fell off and got a baaaaddddd booboo, and she took a nap, and. . ."  It's quite funny, and, NO, Emily did not fall off the table.  My mom got the girls a treasury of Eloise Wilkin's Little Golden Books, and she LOVES a picture in the book that has a baby sleeping at the foot of the parents' bed.  She also just happens to be very sad about bedtime lately (perhaps because we shared a room in Canada?), and I feel there must be a correlation.  I hope this fear of bedtime disappears quickly!  I love when she reads to Em and talks to her just like she hears me talk to Em... "How's my sweet baby?  I love you so much..."

Elyse loves to do "ring around the rosie" with Emily now, and it usually ends in some major falling down.  Quite funny.  As well as they've been playing at times, they've also been fighting quite well.  Emily has totally figured out how to push ALL of Elyse's buttons, and it's all I can do to keep from laughing.  It's those little shoves she gives Elyse right during prayer time, or the way she steals her snack when Elyse walks away from it for one second... It's hilarious.  Don't misunderstand, Elyse finds a way to play the game, too, but her "pestering" is a little less provoking.  Our side-by-side stroller can be a huge source of contention these days, and it's probably for the best that a new little person will be taking Elyse's place this spring :)  "Mommy, Emmie's touching me!!!" is getting old already.

Elyse and Em are very excited about the baby.  I'm almost 19 weeks along, and you can definitely tell I've got a cantaloupe-sized uterus in me.  No doubt about it!  The girls love to kiss my stomach and even blow raspberries on their poor baby sibling.  I'm sure he/she will come out crying in self-defense.  I wouldn't blame the baby one bit.  I'm craving spicy foods and coffee, but my favorite snack is yogurt, berries & granola.  Buffalo chicken grilled cheese might be the best thing I've put in my mouth ever, and this poor baby will probably hate spicy foods someday.  Oh, I definitely have cravings for anything sugary or fruity, too.  HELLO, I am pregnant!  Yes, we plan to find out the baby's gender.  I can't wait!  He/she is moving a lot, and I think that's my favorite part of pregnancy.

That's the scoop here.  Can anyone tell me where this fall is going???