It’s A Boy!

Well, it looks like what we thought we saw on the 12 week ultrasound was indeed there because today we got confirmation that Baby#3 is a boy!

I love this view because you can see the chambers of his heart.  I don’t think I’ve had a profile view with such a good heart view in the past.

A boy, see?

Going back to the fact that I like the top view, Jacob and I particularly enjoyed seeing the focused heart views with all 4 chambers visible at once.  Maybe I just have a mental block, but I don’t remember seeing that previously and I think it is just such a testament to how awesome our God is.  It was so clear, functional, and perfect, yet tiny compared to any of my patients.  He measured out to be right on track at 20 weeks, making him about 13 oz, so to see the heart so clearly on ultrasound is impressive to me.  Maybe it’s just the Mom in me.

Now, what to name him…I guess Josiah’s vote of Valerie is off the table!

Good Times With Daddy

Each year we intend to go to the local Touch A Truck event and each year we miss it for some reason or another.  Touch A Truck is where there are all sorts of large vehicles – rescue vehicles, monster trucks, utility vehicles, and the like – for kids to explore.  This year I had to work, but Jacob took the boys without me.  They had lots of stories to share with me when I got home…mostly that they got to eat candy!

One side of this monster truck was jacked up on a trailer so amazed little boys could walk under it.

I’m pretty sure the military has rules about not wearing your hat crooked, but this kid always wears his hat wrong.

Just like his mommy…doing a good lameness exam on the fake horse.

Heave!  Ho!  Up we go!  UF vet med’s emergency preparedness group brought it’s true to scale and weight model horse so kids could practice lifting horses who are in trouble.

 

Another day, Jacob was fixing his truck but was having some trouble, so he got some help from his junior mechanics.

Bee boxes have more than one use!

Our babysitter is out of town some this summer, so Jacob took the boys on a big adventure with him one day while I worked.  He took them with him to sell his honey.  They love it anytime they get to ride in his truck and this was extra special because they were hauling a load on his flatbed.  The place that buys his honey is located in Lake City where my brother, Jesse, just started his job at the newly opened Volvo heavy equipment dealership.  They had just gotten their first shipment of equipment in, so the boys stopped in for some lunch and exploring.

Posing with some of Daddy’s honey crop.

And he got to sit in a semi!

Then off to have lunch with Uncle Jesse…I have no idea what Josiah is getting to look at, but I love that my brother loves him.  I talked to Jesse the next day and he told me how much he enjoyed their visit and wondered when he’d get to take them on adventures.

Poor Elijah was fighting fevers that day and not feeling so hot.  His bear was his constant companion.

The story I heard over and over from all involved was about the puddle of water the boys were throwing rocks into.  Apparently it was the most exciting part!  Jesse had dumped the water out of the bed to take it for a drive, but once they came back, the puddle held more appeal than the $300,000 piece of heavy equipment!  Jacob wants me to note that it burns 11 gallons of fuel per hour just idling.  I think that is supposed to be impressive :)

Cousin Play!

Mom invited Savannah and Nathan over to her house one weekend and we, in turn, invited them to our house to give mom a break.  Josiah LOVES having them come over to play with his toys in his room.  Our house was a disaster area with toys everywhere.  It was a rainy weekend, so we were mostly confined inside.

Josiah had begged ahead of time for Uncle Jesse to bring Savannah’s Gator with her so they could go on a caravan ride.  Jesse can’t say no to any of Josiah’s pleas, so he hauled it on over!  So, when the rain stopped, we went muddin’!

We dispersed for naps, then met up at Grandma’s after naptime for more fun.

Elijah could play on this old tractor of Bill’s for hours if we let him.

He loves driving the Gator just because it is different.

He thought he was such a big boy driving the Jeep.  Too bad he doesn’t steer!

Her hair is always out of control!  :)

Mother’s Day

This year Mother’s Day was pretty much just another Sunday except that we went to Sonny’s (I know, Sonny’s!  Really?) with Mom, Bill, and Mrs. Dot after church and that I got some pictures with my little heroes and of my 14th week with my newest hero (or heroin?  Not likely.) 

I thought about posting the entire series of pictures trying to get my little men under control.  Elijah was pulling my necklace like it’s a train whistle and squeezing my nose, while Josiah ran through every “cheese” face he could come up with, but just looking at them tired me out!

14 weeks!  I promise there is a pot belly there, but I think the pattern on my dress and the foliage behind me hide it well.  (I’m horrible at these poses!)

It’s The Little Things

Sometimes I find that the simplest things in life bring me the most joy.  This post describes one of those types of days that occurred a couple months ago.  I didn’t have my camera handy for all of it, but you’ll get the idea.

We started off going strawberry picking at Roger’s Farm down the road from our house.  We did this a lot this year, but this particular morning Jacob was able to join us.  Unfortunately I didn’t take a single picture of our picking outings this year. 

After Jacob dropped us back off at the house and went to work, the boys and I headed out for our routine Jeep ride/walk.  This time of year, there are all kinds of beautiful flowers and weeds to look at while enjoying such great weather.  We checked out each and every kind of flower and weed, followed the plentiful dear tracks, and checked on the progress of the blueberry and blackberry bushes.

I can’t tell you how many blossoms these boys have picked for me this year.  So sweet!

       

Even the stinging nettle was pretty!

 

 

 

 

Blueberries are coming along!

 

 

 

 

Blackberries are in blossom!

Then we came back to the house for a little bit of silly tricycle riding.  Josiah is actually really great at riding his bicycle, but the tricycle still seems to have a place for fun.

I love this over-the-shoulder look he often gives me when I call him.  I have many pictures of it.  It says to me “Yes, mom?  Cant you see I’m a busy boy? But I love you, so I’ll still give you the time of day.”

This is his fake “cheese” smile with squinty eyes and almost a grin.

Elijah is trying with all his might to reach the pedals and go!

After naps, we headed out into the pasture for an “adventure walk.”  The first thing Josiah insisted on doing is visiting the deer bones we had found earlier in the morning :)  Boys!  Then we blew on some dandelions and ran around – them, not me, I sat and took picures.

  Pocket treasures!

And we ended our outside playtime for the day with veggies on the Jeep.  Somehow the Jeep makes everything taste better!  Jacob thinks I’m crazy, but I like to pretend I’m fun :)

Of course every day has it’s simple pleasures, but not every day has so many.  There are many days that I scrub bathrooms, do laundry, or some other mundane task while keeping an eye on these boys playing outside to see if Elijah’s fussing about Josiah is warranted!