Hairs Cut for Choir

I had time to get some sewing done!  I had a $5 gift limit set before me...and I had to max it out! ; )  It was for Ethan's Mother's Day Out program..and he got a girl's name, Abigail.  (I cheered!)
So..I made her a string backpack, and we got her a silver/purple fluff/feather tiara to put inside.  Fun.  Here is a picture:

It's a Fancy Nancy fabric, and the inside is lined with lavender toile.  So cute!

..and I finally got Mary Claire a wintery pump pouch made-she wanted the snowmen. : )  I still have candy cane, gingerbread men, blue snowmen, green/ornament Susan Winget fabric, and red snowflake fabric..will I ever get those made too?

And then, today?  Haircuts, Toys R Us, and a Christmas choral concert! : )  The kids love the new haircut place: Pigtails and Crewcuts.  They had a train table, a separate room (that was quieter) for big kids or for little kids.  There were televisions/videos/Playstations at each salon station, and three cars for the little kids to sit in for their haircuts!  And since we took all three kids, at one point..they were ALL getting their hairs cut. ; )  

And here are my darlings ready for the concert.  (Doesn't Clay look different?!  I love that hair off his ears!):

Ethan was so cute!  He wanted a tie like his big brother ; )

Even Ches went to change into a blue shirt. ; )  (My picture with them is bad..I now have a pregnant face.)

Here is what Ethan did during the wait time...Angry Birds!  And he has gotten good.

The kids in choir.  Clay and Mary Claire are the second and third from the right.

The very impressive adult choir.

I thought I had a picture of the brass ensemble that performed..but maybe I was too busy watching?  They all did a wonderful job-the music was beautiful! : )  I hope they kids continue in the spring choir.  (I mean they have the uniforms now..) ; )


And I'm still doing fine.  The baby is kicking my bladder really effectively now, so I'm assuming he's getting pretty of calcium (legs are stronger), and his muscles are well-developed. ; )  Obviously I'm looking pretty pregnant since new people know I'm pregnant-you can really see it now.  I had a lady comment to me today after I told her that it's a boy that she is really partial to girls.  Umm..what do you say?  Especially when I would've loved a girl?  I said nothing.  (Didn't know what to say, so I said nothing..Isn't that what momma teaches?)

Before church today, I was setting up a room in the back to teach Children's Liturgy during church, and Clay was back with the altar servers.  He came and asked me to be a server since there were only four kids there (have to have 1, 3, or 5..don't know why).  I was so surprised he wanted to serve.  Are we making a breakthrough? : )  I mean he likes it, or he wouldn't be on the schedule, but he's never asked to do it when not scheduled.  And he knew by looking there weren't enough?  Hark, was he observant?  HeeHee, I'm so happy for him.  (Of course, I agreed.)


I think hungry tummies are calling..It's dinner time!  I better go.  Have a great week, peeps!  We only have two weeks till Christmas!  : )

Oh Baby!

Oh gosh.  Did I have a little girl crying like a baby yesterday.  Everyone else took it well, but my sweet little girl, who didn't get the sister of her dreams?  Not so well.  It did not go as planned. : (

I had picked up Ethan and his friend from preschool, and after I dropped off Andrew, I told Ethan about our Boy News.  He still thought it was a girl, so I had to explain that it was indeed a boy!  He was all excited, and I drove home.  Right before we got home, Andrew's mom called to tell me Andrew's bag was still in my car...and then we pulled in the driveway.  There were the big kids off the bus.  And what did Ethan do?

He rolled down his window, leaned out his head, and yelled, "It's a Boy Baby!"  Of course, I had to get off the phone to field the disaster I'd started. : (  Mary Claire ran in the house crying, and Clay plugged his ears.  He'd told me that he wanted Me to tell him after school, and Mary Claire?  Mad.  Sad.  Annoyed.  Extremely disappointed. : (

I knew I should've waited to tell them all at once.  I was mad at myself.  I ran in-and Clay was fine.  He just wanted to hear it from me.  But Mary Claire was on the loveseat crying her eyes out.  I had to sit and love on her for a while.  She just doesn't understand why she can't have a sister.  I told her that she kept praying for a sweet girl just like her, and that God can't make two girls just alike-she's an individual!  She'll be special, and still be my only little girl.  Nothing seemed to help, but then she asked in a wee voice if she could have some baby blue ice cream.  (This would be Braum's birthday cake ice cream with chunks of real birthday cake and blue frosting.)  Umm..could I say no?

We had to take some girl clothes back anyway, and sooner was better than later, so we all went for ice cream, then back to Carters.  We did some exchanging (and the boys did some chasing in the store..), a restroom visit, and we were on our way.  Here are some of the outfits we got:

Clay picked this one out. ; )

Mary Claire chose this one...she has a thing for tigers!  I can't imagine the bright orange, but she REALLY wanted it, and gave me the sad puppy dog eyes.  Guilt bought this one.

Obviously we have a thing for the little pictures on the bottoms.  I guess they are either on their tummies, or all hunched over your shoulder when you burp them, so you have something cute to look at. : )

We asked Mary Claire if this was offensive before we bought it, but she said no. : )

Today is a new day, and I think the dust has cleared.  Now the big dilemma is the baby's name (the boys voted Zachary, and Mary Claire insists on Maximilian).  I can't decide.  I prefer Carter, but Ches doesn't like it.  (could it be Carters having an impact on my pregnant brain?)

Here are a couple of bad pictures from my ultrasound (If you use a flash, there is a glare.  If you don't, it's blurry!):

This is our undebatable boy picture.  No Doubt.  (It's a picture looking from below, and his legs are pointing to the left, and up to the right, with his boy parts in the middle.)

This is a profile-with his hand by his face, and the white by his chin is the left elbow kind of at a distance.  He kept moving, so we couldn't get a perfect one!!

Life does move on, and now Mary Claire is already thinking about her next birthday (and showing her new brother to her friends!).  I think the ice cream/shopping combo works really well!  (I've always had great success with it myself.)  ; )

And..I got Denise's towels done! : )  Here is a picture:

I did the white with pale colors first, but then..needed some lime and red (and it photographs so much better!) ; )

Today I'm just thankful.  Thankful for floors to clean, crumbs to clean up, carpets to vacuum, and laundry to wash.  Thankful for more movement today.  Thankful for our friends' and families' prayers.  Thankful for another pregnant day.  God bless you where you are today. : )

It's a...

Boy! 

Oh gosh-was I surprised.  I totally thought the ultrasound doctor was wrong at 13 weeks..seemed impossible.  But, maybe he was better than we give him credit?  Hahaha!  Or he was preparing us?  Totally.

We are excited, and soooo thankful that our sweet baby boy is healthy.  Everything looked great today.  The placenta is low again..it's on my cervix, but it should move up.  I'll have a c-section anyway, so I think it'll be fine. : )

I have already separated out the girl clothes I got on Black Friday with the kids.  I'll take those back in the next couple of days, and get some more boy clothes.  I have to say, I did cry for the first time today separating them, but I'm okay.  I'm so thankful to HAVE a baby, to have a HEALTHY baby, and that we're still making it!

We talked about names..since Ethan feels it is über important to have a name!  We have a few: Maximilian Nicholas, Maximilian Xavier, Zachary Nicholas, Carter Nicholas (Ches doesn't like so much), and William Xavier.  He loves Cole and Chase (because they play for the Phillies!!), but I'm not crazy about them.  I think Maximilian Xavier or Nicholas is in the top spot...we'll ask the kids for a vote too. : )  

..and we have to tell them!  I was going to call the nurse to tell Mary Claire on her 12:00 blood check, but there is a substitute nurse, and I didn't know how Boy would go over.  I'll tell them all after school. ; )  Praying for happy responses and good attitudes from all!  God chose what we needed, and He knows our long term plans.

Just thankful for today, and to be here in this spot right now!  Thank you SO much for all your prayers for our family, we can feel them.  We have J-O-Y on this happy day! : )

Joy, Joy..Winner, Winner! : )

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner! : )
...And the winner of the monogrammed towel goes to:

Denise! : )  Congratulations, Denise!  I just need to know which design you liked better (ornament or wreath!), and the letter you want inside it! : )

We've already had a busy day, so I apologize for not posting earlier!  We saw Arthur Christmas last night (Very good!), and got to bed late. Today the kids had their first ACO (Art Center of the Ozarks) concert for Breakfast With Santa at the ACO.  They did a wonderful job, it made me cry! : )  Sweet, sweet voices singing songs of Jesus' birth and cheerful sing-a-longs.

Here are a few pictures:

Before they sang ; )

They put on Santa hats to sing carols..and they got to use song sheets!  (They have to have their concert music memorized!)

Clay

Mary Claire (you can see shy she wants songs memorized..they never look up!)

Aren't they getting big?

And the day continues..  Now we are all heading off to ride the Christmas Train!  Mary Claire is singing beforehand with her school choir.  We have to get going! : )  Merry Christmas!