She's Here...

...and we couldn't love her more.

Rose Virginia Babington

born

March 26, 2010

at

10:21 AM

8 lbs. 12 oz.

20 3/4 in.

I Think She is Ready.

1. A very kind friend took my children for the whole morning so I could have time to get some things done in preparation for Rose's arrival this weekend. She even fed them lunch. They had lots of fun and I missed them. Anytime my children have been in someone else's care I have been out. It felt so strange to be home and for them not to be here. I got lots done on my low energy without my efforts being divided. I can't think of anything at all that could have been more helpful today! It was especially comforting knowing that my children were having lots of fun (More than they would have been having here. Let's be honest.) with people they enjoy!

2. Dinner? Next question.

3. Lord willing this little lady will be a big sister before the week is over. I think she is ready.

Like A Glove.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

1. For lunch today the kids had turkey and tortilla rolls ups. Our dining room table is out of commission for the time being so we are down to eating things that have no possibility of making a mess.

2. Having Roman Pasta for dinner.

3. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

4. I have a lot of work to do but I am going to sleep. Nigh nigh.

My Friend Self-Control

I've been reading this book:

I am not very far into it, but so far I've found it very helpful. Today I was reading a chapter on self-control and came across these two statements that capture the blessedness of that virtue so well.

"Self-contol is our wall of defense against the enemies of our soul."

"We desperately need the grace of self-control to avoid sin's destructive cycles. When we recognize self-contol as the virtue that spares us from sin's negative consequences, we will welcome it eagerly as our friend."

Reading those words made me want to do just that. Welcome self-control as my dear friend.

Umm....

I have always been a little shy. Afton is not. She is not afraid to talk to strangers. She strikes up conversations with them all the time. Of course they usually think she is precious and I just smile. Lately, however, her comments have sometimes taken an inappropriate and, yes, embarrassing turn. Especially embarrassing for a shyish Mommy who doesn't make it a habit to talk to strangers. Here is an example from today. It took place in a very small waiting area where everyone could hear every word she said.

A: Mommy, can I get out of the stroller.

J: No, baby, this isn't a good place little ones to be running around. Just stay right there. We are almost done.

A: I wanna get out and go sit by that lady. (Points at a lady.)

A: Is she a nice lady?

J: Yes, she is a nice lady.

A: (Points at another lady.) But that lady is a naughty lady?

J: ( Mortified.) No, she is a nice lady.

A: No, Mommy, she is a naughty lady. Look at her hair!

At this point I got up and pushed the stroller over to Daddy and tried to recover. What kind of hair did the lady have? I know you are wondering. Perfectly normal old lady hair. Nothing the least bit naughty about it.

I May Not Know Everything, But I Know Myself

1. Today for lunch my kinds had provolone and whole wheat tortillas.

2. Not sure about dinner again. My menu system is in a tailspin right now. I hope to regain control of it tomorrow after a nice trip to the grocery store.

3. I do know that tonight my new treadmill is arriving. Many who have been to my apartment have expressed concerns about where I am going to put it. No worries, friends! Ron and I are both very good at Tetris and we have a plan. I will post pictures when it is all set up. The fact of the matter is that exercising outdoors with three little ones is not very likely to happen. (At least not for me. I may not know everything, but I know myself.) A bigger concern than how I am going to fit the treadmill in here is how I am going to fit in here without one!

Happy Birthday Afton Adele

1. Afton has a preciously tender heart.

2. She loves her sister.

3. She loves "teaching."

4. She loves eating "jewee" and watching her shows. This is her weekend treat with Daddy.

5. She doesn't like to see anyone sad.

6. She wants to understand EVERYTHING.

7. She likes to wear her "unnies only".

8. She hates not being able to brush her hair like Mommy and Sissy do, but she knows it is because she has beautiful curly hair.

9. If she wants to praise someone she often tells them the have beautiful curly hair no matter what kind of hair they have.

10. One of her favorite phases of late is "Not at all." which she says in a hilarious mysterious whisper.

11. She knows one way to always crack Mommy up is to say pretty much anything in that mysterious whisper of hers.

12. Her default response to anyone she meets is to LOVE them.

13. Every morning when Daddy is leaving for work she says "Daddy, I need to tell you a question. You need to find apples." We have no idea what she means, but now I am pretty sure he couldn't leave without hearing it.

14. She loves dancing.

15. Her favorite pretend friends are the characters from Little House on the Prairie, particularly Mr. Edwards.

16. Anytime she falls down she says, "I fall down like Carrie!"

17. She knows lots of songs.

18. She loves listening to "her songs" in the car.

19. She is a good sharer.

20. She has a teachable heart.

21. She works really hard at learning to be patient and brave.

22. She knows all of the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23.

23. She loves to catechize her sister.

24. After she finishes every meal she asks for "sumpin else."

25. She still loves her matesie and she still sucks her thumb. Mickey Mouse, not so much.

26. She wants to do everything her cousin Scout does.

27. She scares kinda easily and runs to Mommy says "Take care of me!"

28. She is full speed ahead.

29. She is really good at drinking out of a big girl cups but sometimes she still asks for an "ippy" cup.

30. She loves going to church.

31. She loves other kids all of whom she calls "friends."

33. She loves all of her family members and speaks of them often.

34. She copies Mommy all day long.

35. She listens well.

36. She is in a phase of saying lots of nonsense words.

37. She loves playing "driver's game" with Daddy. (Wii Mario Cart)

39. She calls ice skating "icing" and she does a hilarious imitation of it.

40. Her favorite song is "Once Upon A Dream" from Sicka Booty only she calls it "I Know You".

41. Sicka Booty is what she has called Sleeping Beauty since she was about a year and a half old and no matter how old she gets I will never let her stop.

42. She has a huge arsenal of bedtime stalling tactics.

43. She loves weddings and asks me all the time who she is going to marry and what her wedding is going to be like. A wedding to her is not the ceremony but the dress. "Who is going to put my wedding on me, Mommy?" is a question I am asked at least once a day.

44. Right now Silas Walker is the number one contender of who she will marry. She wants to marry Sissy, but I told her it needs to be a boy and it needs to be someone from a different family.

45. One of her favorite times of day is "watie" time with Sissy and Daddy.

46. She loves the library. (Too bad we can never go back. Don't ask.)

47. "Daddy, I berry love you."

48. She loves to hold Mommy's shopping list and to remind me what we need to buy. It can actually be quite helpful.

49. She loves to carry bags around and to pretend she is going on trips.

50. If you seem sick she will immediately cover you with a blanket and say, "Aww, what's the matter sweetheart?"

51. "If You Listen" is her favorite song to be sang to her when she is having a hard time going to sleep at night.

52. It takes her about 30 seconds to fall asleep for her nap. For bedtime it is a lot, lot longer.

52. Her favorite two restaurants are Chickie A and PoteYay.

53. She loves grocery stores that have cars instead of carts.

54. Target and Kroger are Targret and Krogret. I love that.

55. We have adopted so much of her baby talk into our family vocabulary that words like yotes and watie are all Ponder has ever heard and Afton continues to use them even though the real words are in her reach now.

56. She is trying to learn how to dress herself. She is so eager to do so that sometimes she get very frustrated.

57. She is very cuddly after naps and very happy when she sees how happy I am to see her.

58. She sits in a big girl chair at the dinner table now and at all restaurants.

59. She loves "reading" her Bible.

60. She loves actually walking on walks now instead of riding in the stroller.

61. She gets really sad and scared when reading the story of The Fall and Adam and Eve disobey.

62. She calls Adam and Eve Adam and Steve. (We have a Papa Steve and Uncle Adam in the family.)

63. She loves watching videos of herself.

64. She loves watching "Oww Charlie."

65. She loves making suggestions and ending them with "That's a great idea?!"

66. If you suggest something she doesn't like she says, "That not be a great idea."

67. She loves routine.

68. She loves Bible Story Time.

69. The lyrics "I've got the wonderful love of my blessed redeemer way down in the depths of my heart" genuinely crack her up.

70. She can keep a melody surprisingly well.

71. "That's a yucky one!" is her all-purpose phrase of dislike.

72. She tells us that things she doesn't want to do or use are "nigh nigh." (Carrots are nigh nigh. Toothbrush is nigh nigh.)

73. "I don't want tickled."

74. She is not a princess, she is Tinkerbell.

75. She puts a crook finger up to her head to "think about it."

76. She loves helping with "Munion" at church.

77. She loves playing with "fudoe" (Play Do).

78. She loves coloring.

79. She loves going to class and bringing home pictures for Daddy.

80. She loves Sunday School.

81. She is getting pretty good at helping pick up the front room.

82. She wrote a song about picking up and it goes like this "Clean up! Clean up! Clean up, everybody, and share."

83. She doesn't like to be left alone ever for a second.

84. She loves birthday parties and is already looking forward to turning four.

85. She is very protective of her Sissy.

86. She loves being read to.

87. She loves the idea of helping Sissy learn potty.

88. She can go potty with no help at all and hasn't had an accident in nine months.

89. She presses her boundaries to find out what is and is not okay, but for the most part is very obedient.

90. She is quite impressionable.

91. She has an amazing command of words for her age.

92. She knows all her animals and colors very well.

93. She knows her ABCs.

94. She can count to 20.

95. She is kind.

96. She experiences everything very intensely.

97. She has great zeal.

98. She cares for others.

99. She is three years old.

100. She will always be our baby girl.

My Birthday Cake Portfolio

I like making birthday cakes for my kids. I have never been accused of being a perfectionist which makes for some interesting cakes, but it also makes making "interesting" cakes no big deal and a lot of fun. Below find all the cakes I have made so far. Looking forward to making as many more as I can! (More on our precious birthday girl tomorrow on her real birthday....FYI three years ago at exactly this time I had been in labor for 18 hours with just 11 more to go.)

(Afton turning 1)

(Afton turning 2)

(Ponder turning 1)

(Afton turning 3)

I Think It Is Finally Sinking In.

1. Today for lunch my kids had bananas and peas and milk.

2. Not totally sure what we are having for dinner tonight. I am leaning toward black bean stoup. Here is the recipe. It is really, really good. I never have tried the Monte Cristos in the recipe, but I am sure they are probably good too.

3. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the best books I have ever read half of. If it is so good why don't I read the rest? Not sure. Its moment kinda passed. It may have another moment again someday.

4. I can't wait to have this baby. Somehow I lost weight from this week to last. (Let me assure you it was not from not eating whatever I want or doing any physical activity beyond that which sustains my life and preserves the lives of my children.) I read that weight loss can be a sign of impending labor. "A loss or leveling off of weight may occur in the last few days before labor starts..." I think was the exact quote. My question is what is meant by the last few days? Like 3 days.....awesome. Like 20 days.....no duh. It's the last month of pregnancy. In that sense, of course, it is the last few days. I have been googling everything else I feel to see if it is a sign of impending labor as well. Pretty much it is all just symptoms of pregnancy. Yep, I am pregnant alright. Anyway, I am thankful that this pregnancy has been smooth and that all signs point to a healthy baby girl. I can't wait to meet her. I feel more ready to mother this child than I have with any of my other pregnancies. I have gotten a chance to see twice now how fast babydom slips away, so I plan on savoring this infancy rather than being eager for the next milestone or my first chance to sleep all night. One of the (many) things that makes baby-ness so precious is how quickly it is gone. "Enjoy them. They grow up so fast." I can't go to the store with my kids without an old lady coming up and telling me that. I think it is finally sinking in.

Spring Won't Let Us Down

1. Today for lunch we ate at Chipotle with Ron. I love days when we go out to lunch with Daddy. Such joy. My love for Chipotle is well documented.

2. Tonight for dinner we are having spaghetti and garlic bread.

3. Here are a couple of interesting statistics. I read that only 2% of babies are born at home. That seems quite low and yet I knew five babies born at home within six months last year. Also I am pretty sure I can see about 70% of my yard now. Spring won't let us down!

Hmmm.

1. My kids don't eat chicken nuggets for lunch everyday or even every week. Just everyday that I have time to write my blog. Hmmm.

2. Tonight for dinner we are having good old fashioned loaded baked potatoes. Potato based dishes always so go badly for me, so we will see.

3. Today at the obstetricians office the receptionist told me that the doctor said to go straight to the hospital to have the baby. "That sounds awesome," I told her, "but are you sure that is my chart?" It wasn't. Bummer.

Spice Is my Favorite.

I mentioned earlier I wanted to to do a lot of baking this holiday season. I did as much as I possibly could but I didn't really do much in the end. Still it was lots of fun and very yummy. I think I want to make it a tradition every year. Much more convenient when I am pregnant and all those extra calories don't matter as much, but hey, that is what my new treadmill is for, right? Anyway I didn't fall in love with any new recipes during my experience, but I re fell in love with one that I learned last fall. I love it for two reasons -- because it is ridiculously easy and amazingly delicious. Easiness is a feature I appreciate in my extra curricular activities at this time in my life. So here is my go to pumpkin muffin recipe (if you are indiginified by the use of box mixes read no further) :

Take any box cake or muffin mix (I have used yellow, chocolate, and spice. Spice is my favorite.) Follow the directions on the box replacing the oil with a can of pumpkin. How easy is that. And it is SO yummy and SO moist. Love it. Also good with chocolate chips! Yum!