Miscellaneous Recent Stuff

Just a cute picture of my new little blue penguin and her daddy. This is sad, but I finally got around to upgrading poor Joanna from her INFANT towels to real kiddo towels. This is so much cozier! We also just picked up a "back-up" lovey. Shhhh.... don't tell Joanna. Even though the new one looks newer, she loves 'em both! Here they are together:
Driving the car is so much fun! Joanna LOVES playing with all the buttons and clicky things in the car. I was cleaning it out this week (before saying goodbye) and I let her run around inside it. It was better than her running around the front yard unsupervised and she had so much fun in the car jungle gym. :)

A recent feed-yourself yogurt breakfast. I'm not sure she actually ate anything; she just used it as a masque of sorts. Ewww.

History in action:

Ah, a Mommy!

I LOVE this -- ruffle jeans with pink cowgirl boots!!

We took care of Didi this weekend. First thing over there on Friday, and Joanna found David's broom.

Hi Didi!

School Pictures!

Here are the latest school pictures of Joanna. I swiped them off of the photographer's website, so the quality's not good -- but you get the idea. So, I of course uploaded them so that you could all enjoy the beauty of Joanna, but I also need your help! Post a comment and tell me which one(s) you like and why. Matt and I each have a favorite, although we might be changing our minds. :) We'll probably only get prints of one of the pictures. We love this photographer, and think she is WONDERFUL with the kiddos, but the pics aren't exactly as affordable as your standard school pictures.

"Mine"

Just in the last couple of days, Joanna has begun to say, "mine." She's starting out small, mostly calling her blanket and her lovey "mine," and sometimes she plays the "mine game" with Gran. This is where Gran goads her into arguing "mine" back and forth. So far, it's cute, and I know it's a sign of her growing independence and individuality. Yea for that!

Another sort of recent development has to do with my growing belly. Personally I love that I look good and pregnant. Sure, my back hurts (kind of a lot) and carrying Joanna is nearing impossible, but I think the belly is very cute! Anyway, I've had tons of comments recently that imply people don't think I'm going to make it to my due date, or even close. Like this conversation: Kind-hearted person: "When's your due date?" Me: "January 8th" Person: "Ha! Yeah, right!" Perhaps I'm exaggerating a little, but I've had at least two people respond like that, and many many more react with disbelief that I'm not closer to being due! While it doesn't really bother me, it's not a very helpful thought for someone who wants to delude herself into thinking she'll make it through Christmas! And of course, I may. I may even make it past my due date (or at least into January!) There's a little part of me that is excited about the possibility of having Baby Sister before Christmas, though. I wonder what the Christmas dinner is at the hospital? :)

Sick Update

Whatever it was, Joanna seems to have gotten over it very quickly. She took that little nap on Daddy last night, then woke up to throw up again. That was about 6, and it was the last time we saw her throw up. She was immediately a different girl. She was smiling and playing and up walking around. Maybe it was something she ate since she got over it so quickly. She was asking for water, so we gave her some pedialyte -- "juice." We gave her a bath and put her to bed normally. I didn't hear a peep from her all night. I discovered this morning that she did throw up one more time some time in the night, but I'm not even sure she woke up for it. The grape pedialyte was the only clue (ewwww, I know!).

I'm sad she can't go to school today -- really really sad (for her, you know). She seems back to normal this morning, so hopefully we'll be back on schedule this week for our regular stuff.

We've got lots to do to get ready for Nana and Popo coming in this Friday. Yea!! They're coming to take back their van, and I figure I ought to return it to them as clean as I got it. :)

Sick

**The following may contain imagery not suitable for those with very weak stomachs.**

It seems Joanna has her very first stomach bug. Poor baby! Although 20 months old for the first one is pretty good, I'd say! She's thrown up a couple of times before due to motion sickness, but it was just once each time. This was much more intense. It made her very sad. :(

She seemed fine this morning, and she ate a good lunch. She took a nice long nap (my first clue). Other things I realized were clues later: when she woke up, she was extra clingy with me, and she didn't ask for food. She even wanted juice instead of her usual after-nap milk. I'm very glad for our laminate floors this afternoon! They are much easier to clean than carpet, that's for sure! She pretty much just layed on me all afternoon, sitting up to throw up every now and then. She looks sick, poor thing! She's been pretty much attached to her daddy since he got home, even taking a little very late nap on him. I'm hoping she'll sleep okay tonight!

Happy Halloween!

Joanna's been working on how to say, "Happy Halloween!" It's pretty cute to hear. Of course, you'd only know what it was if you knew what it was!

Joanna dressed as a little flower fairy for Halloween last night. (Yup, the same flower fairy who went to Ren Fest.)

This time I decided to try painting little purple flowers on her face. She did so well while I was painting! Generally, 20 month olds are not so good at sitting still and not touching the paint. Hi Daddy.
Action shot:

We went over to Mamma and Pop's house for the evening. We got Joanna all dressed in their driveway so they could get the full Joanna fairy effect.

"I'm ready!"

Check out the wand and hand blurs:

Daddy the workman and Joanna the fairy.

"Happy Halloween, Mamma!"

The costume only lasted about 20 seconds longer -- oh well! She was much happier just playing in her onesie. Mamma and Pop got Joanna some non-candy goodies for the evening. Here is Joanna and Pop playing with the finger puppets! Joanna is so cute -- she'll put one on her finger and say, "Heh-wo!"

After the first trick-or-treaters left. She was VERY intrigued.

Glenda, Mamma and Pop's neighbor, brought Joanna over this little bucket (with some goodies!) and a little prayer baby doll. By this point it was around 8:00, so we'd given Joanna a bath and gotten her in her PJ's. We walked outside without any of our stuff to just check out the passers-by and the decorations. Joanna got to the end of the driveway, turned around, said "Baby!" and ran back into the house for her baby and the bucket which she had left in the living room. It was so precious!

Walking in the street -- wow!

Trick-or-treating at Mr. Fred's house next door.

Checking out the loot! "Hmmmm.... Mommy likes M&Ms, Daddy likes Reeses'"

Back at home, posing in our "costumes." Joanna is a sleepy girl; Matt is a worker-man,

and I'm Matt, or wearing Matt's scrub's anyway. I decided comfy was the way to go!

We had such a fun time! Mamma made us yummy soup and cornbread. We had veggies and fruit, and of course, candy! It was a nice way to spend a Friday evening. Joanna went to bed a little late (around 9 -- not too bad), and of course woke up at the normal time. Oh, well, the sacrifices we make for candy-day.

Today we ran around getting errands done. At around 11:45ish we drove from KW to Atascocita and Joanna took a car-nap! She was so sleepy. She took a normal 45 minute nap and woke up refreshed. Matt and I had stopped in Humble for some fast food and were eating in the car when she woke up. When I looked back and saw that she was awake, she said, "a bite?" So of course, we shared. That's her new way of asking for food. She has always been such a mooch (and still is). When she sees anyone eating, she says, "A bite, a bite!"

Hope you all had a fun festive Halloween and got to eat lots of candy and watch crazy people in funny costumes.

Pregnancy update

Tomorrow I will be 30 weeks! Wow -- it really has gone by fast! Well, part of me feels like I've been pregnant forever, but mostly it has gone by quickly. :) I have my 30wk check-up tomorrow, and Matt's coming too! Yea -- since Joanna will be in school, it's almost like a date! I really like to get the 8:30 appointments so Joanna and I can just go quickly before school/work, but it wasn't available this week. Oh well. Last time (at 28wks) I had my 1 hour easy screening for gestational diabetes, and I haven't heard anything so I'm assuming I'm diabetes free. Yea!!

At work we've started prepping for my absence, whenever that will be. I'm really hoping to make it completely through Christmas. January is normal for work stuff, but December is pretty busy with Advent and Christmas Eve services. I'm starting to make sure all my files are on the server at the church and I'm not the only person who knows about my stuff. Unfortunately, I'm really the only person who does Media Shouts. There are a few other people who know some about it, including a couple of the ministry staff, but I'm the only support person who messes with it. I don't think it's been decided who will take over that particular fun duty while I'm on maternity leave. I'm hoping to come back to my duties pretty quickly, but I think they're planning on living without me for 4 weeks. Since I'm part-time, I have a major incentive to come back quickly: paycheck!! I told Hal (our business administrator and my boss) today that when I'm gone I won't be dead -- I'll be reachable and able to help! I really am glad though that he's on top of making sure things will run smoothly without me. I will have other things on my mind when Baby Sister comes!