t minus 7 days. roger that.

hello interwebz.

today i am 39 weeks pregnant with my sweet lil' baby grant.  i really don't have any complaints.  i'm feeling pretty good - with exception of the complete and utter exhaustion, acid reflux and aching hips - but nothing that isn't to be expected at this point.

i'm getting up to pee between two and three times a night.  my third time usually always comes at about 430am and i really struggle to get back to sleep... but i can't decide if that is because kevin is sawing logs or i'm 39 weeks pregnant... bwaahaha.

we have a temperpedic bed and temperpedic = heaven.  fo' realz.  i feel like it's a pool.  you know - when your in the pool you are all weighless and floaty and then when your big pregnant booty steps out of the pool (or in this case off the temperpedic) realty slaps you in the face and BAM - you're 39 weeks pregnant.  take that.  how's that feel bee-otcch?  and it hurts.  like bad.  alas.


i'm very very VERY excited to meet mr. g-baby though.  i'm anxious too - because it really could come at any time.  i "access the situation" everytime i wake up to pee because my water broke in the middle of the night with nora.  :)  nothing yet.  LOL.


i really do hope grant stays put until after christmas at this point, though.  the hospital is on "lock-down" because of whooping cough and that means that the potential for me to have a baby on christmas and not be able to see nora AT. ALL.  is there.  and that sucks.  i just want to make nora's christmas a happy one.  aaaannnnddd i think having a birthday on christmas is the pits.  you know, long term for grant. :)  so we'll see what God thinks, eh?

holy macaroni! it's been 7 months!

first off - i'm so sorry for completely ignoring my little space on the interwebz.  i've been, well... busy.  bwaahaha.

since there really is just toooo much that has happened in these last 7 months - let's just pretend i was updating the whole time.  we'll start from today and move forward.

i'm pregnant.  and due and 14 days.  surprise! :)  LOL.  big things are coming for our house and we couldn't be happier.  

i know these aren't really technically fantastic photos - but it turns out that a 37w4d pregnant lady in heeled boots running to and from her camera in 35 degree snowy slippery weather with an 8 second self timer doesn't produce gold. who woulda' thunk?

bwaahahaha. alas. something is better than nothing.  without further ado, here is my favorite:

and the runner-up (i missed the angle - you can't really tell i'm as pregnant as i am...)

i'm feeling rather proud that i got anything at all.  i haven't been feeling up to taking many pictures lately - especially of myself.  because that means i have to do my hair and take off my most favorite pajama pants i've been rocking for the last three weeks.  alas. :)

today i very graciously give the glory and the gratitude to God for the opportunity to grow our family and double the pitter-patter that roams this house.

i just can't contain myself! :)

look-sie what arrived in the mail for ms. lula today!!

gahhhhh!  seriously... i can't stand it! is that not the CUUUUTEST swimsuit you have EVAH seen?

lula + this swimsuit = cuteness overload to the max baby!

hurry up summer!  i can't wait for you!

fo realz, winter. you have overstayed your welcome, mmkay?

lula and i have cabin fever.  there are only so many thomas coloring books to color and elmo pages to paint, people.  :)

today we opened up the doors and let the no good very bad winter in.  for a second.  until we froze.

the girl (and her mama) just wanna go outside. 

today i give the glory and the gratitude to God for our warm house and the love that resides within it.

cousin-ly love

this last weekend we hosted three of my favorite people on earth - my nephews jordo and cob-monster and my niece who lula calls "knee-knee."

it always makes for a fun time.  take the pitter patter of lula's feet, times it by three and you've got a whole lotta' fun.  the kind of fun where bedtime is a complete tragedy because lula never wants it to end.  i seriously love it.  my heart sings. :)

we had a full day of fishing and dressing up like frogs at the museum, then into my jetted bathtub where the bubbles almost spilled over the sides and into their semi-matching thomas the tank engine jammies for a crazy 5k around the house.  

and then it was bedtime.  the monster said, "waz dat fun?  yah?  huh?  yah? ok, lula.  i loves you."  and he gave her this hug:

:swoon:  i seriously adore this picture.  even though technically it is a complete mess, i chopped off the monster's foot and his stinky smelly full o' holes blankey is in there.  this is life.  and no one lives it like the kids, am i right? :)

:love:  thanks for letting us borrow your kidz, b & j.  we adore them.

today i give all the glory and the gratitude to God for these kids and the bond they will forever share.  and the simple fact i get to watch it all play out everyday.

a little bit o' lovin...

i miss my dad everyday.  (he succumbed to cancer just 13 short days after i found out i was pregnant with lula).  i often times find myself picturing him holding my sweet lil' lula, reading her a story, tickling her, cuddling her.  i know she would have adored him.  and he would have LOVED her.  it would have been a very special relationship, i'm sure.

on that note... you know what i love?  

grilled cheese sandwiches.

dipped in ketchup.  fo realz.  try it.

it was my dad's *special recipe* and it is so mother-lovin' good. :) 

hey-yo spring :)

lula loves the park. what almost two year old doesn't right?

she has a special place in her little heart for the swings. she always has - from birth. even when she was in the fussiest of moods a little diddy in the swing could always lull her off to sleep. these days, though, the swing doesn't put her to sleep - it induces fits of giggles. and we love every. single. minute.

the temperature hit the big 5-0 mark and we took full advantage. :) we are oh so looking forward to spring.

today i give the glory and the gratitude to God for nice weather, swings and good old fashioned family time. :)

winter is the pits :)

winter is the pits come march in montana.

we are pretty much feeling like winter has much overstayed its welcome.  we are ready for spring!  spring brings the sun, flowers, bike rides and good times.  right?  am i right?  of course i am.

this is what the "winter bike ride" looks like in our neck of the woods:

gah... i can't get over the cuteness. :)

see - we are the ::insert our last name here:: that DO wear our helmets.  because we are safe.  take that j. :)  bwaahahaha!

today i give the glory and gratitude to God for beautiful scenery just steps out our house, bike rides in the winter, helmets (of course) and snacks that will never make it into the mouth. :)

happy friday!

pop a squat and read a book

thankfully, nora has always loved books.

she loves me to read them to her and then she reads them to me.  she especially loves books with anyone from the gabba gang, elmo, ernie and bert, and buzz lightyear.

today she was reading animals at the zoo (out loud) in the playroom and i captured this:

today i give the glory and the gratitude to God for books. :)  and reading time.  and my sweet lil' lulabird.

and now: picasso lula

my sweet lil' lula loves to paint.  she does.  anytime she is having a bad day or a full on fit if i say, "lula, you wanna paint?"  time stands still, the fit is automatically over and she looks up and says, "yesssss."

and so we do.

except today was a little different.  today she decided she'd like to taste the rainbow... so to speak.  and decided it didn't taste as good as it looks.  at all.

and so - today i give all the glory and gratitude to God for the non-toxic watercolor paints.  because they are awesome. :)   bwaahahaha.

lula and cowlicks :)

nora needed a haircut.  she really was on the verge of a mullet and as a young lady in montana - that just won't do.  her bangs were in her face and it was just time.

so we went in to the premier children's salon in the downtown district and set nora up with yo gabba gabba softly serenading her on their multiple screen tv system, a raspberry sucker and a "magic cape" ::cue ta-da's!:: to catch her hair.

then we sat her in the CUUUUTE little red pedal car chair and that is when all hell broke lose.  fo' realz.  she was mad FURIOUS!  i attempted to console her by doing my normal drunken hippy dance and singing along to whatevah song the gabba gang was singing - but no dice.

and so - i decided to just let her do what she was going to do and just take pictures.  and soooo... she screamed into the very nice and patient beautician's ears the WHOLE TIME.

needless to say - we left a big tip.  bwaahahaha.

today i give the glory and the gratitude to God for the nice lady that cut nora's hair, cute lil' shops downtown and pedal car haircutting stations.  because seriously ya'll it was cute.

my reason for breathing

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
{Elizabeth Stone} 

this is one of my all time favorite quotes.  it is just so true.  God created me to be a mama.  i know it now more than ever before.

this is my sweet lil' bebe who owns my heart.  her name is nora.  and she is divine. :)

fo realz' though - isn't she the most beautiful baby you've evah seen?  she looks just like her daddy.  thank you God for that, eh? :)  haha.

she will be two soon and it just blows my mind that she is already that old.  i can remember being in the hospital when she was just hours old waiting for a nurse to come in and tell me to feed her.  and i can remember the shock and huge sense of responsibility i felt when i realized no one was coming to tell me what to do next.  she was ours and we were hers. 

wow.

i can't describe in words what it is like to watch nora throughout the day.  we are oh so incredibly blessed in that i am able to stay at home with her while my sweet doting husband brings home the bacon.  she is at the age where her vocabulary is exploding and she loves to explore and learn.  she loves yo gabba gabba, her uncle brand and annie's cheddar crackers like there is no tomorrow.

it makes my heart smile when she clasps her little hands as we pray and shouts, "AMEN!" when the prayer is over.  except its really more like, "auuuhhman."  so cute.  or when its nighty night time and she calls out for her daddy at the top of her lungs so that she can outstretch her neck for a daddy kiss.  i've never felt joy like that in my life. 

and you bet your boots i am thankful.

Heavenly Father i just come to give you the glory and the gratitude in blessing our lives with our sweet little baby nora.  we adore her and we know that without Your placing her into my belly it just wouldn't be possible, and Father, i thank you for that.  it makes my heart sing to watch her grow and learn each day, Lord.  Father i lift up kevin and i and i pray that you give us the guidance and wisdom to raise nora in your light, love and promises Lord.  i pray that she grow up knowing and believing your truth Lord.  Please bless our little girl with a long, happy, healthy life full of potential Lord.  we love you, today, tomorrow and always.  in Jesus precious name, Amen.