Pigtails and Tattoos

Adelae's hair is finally long enough for true pigtails! I've had lots of fun doing her hair the last few days. She's also developed an addiction to tattoos. I'm not sure where she got that from! HA! So, the other day she had her two new favorite things, pigtails and tattoos!

Her pigtails are a little crooked. I took this right after her nap.

What did the ketchup say?

A Life Affirming Moment

Do you ever have one of those moments when you think "This is it. THIS is what life is all about?"
I had one of those today. I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Adelae, as always, was "helping." A really good song came on the radio. (I honestly can't remember which one it was, but it was something from when I was in high school.) One of those songs that's filled with good memories and always takes me back. We stopped our cooking to have a little dance. As I was holding hands with my little girl and looking down at my ever growing belly, I thought "This is it. THIS is what life is all about."

Ear Piercing

I've debated long and hard about getting Adelae's ears pierced. I know a lot of people get them done when their little girls are infants, but I decided that wasn't for us. Then Ben decided that Adelae should be old enough to ask for them. Well, I don't think he counted on our little girl being such a smarty pants. About two months ago she started looking at my earrings (or ear pretties as she calls them) and asking if she could "have that." I was convinced! Ben wasn't quite so convinced. It took me almost a full two months, but I finally did it. I think the proverbial straw was when Adelae looked at him with those big blue eyes and said "Please Daddy? Please pretties? Pretty please?" So, on the off chance that he would change his mind, I call Adelae's Nana and off we went!
Adelae did really really good. She was a little nervous at first, then she cried, but that only lasted for about a minute. As soon as she saw herself in the mirror, she was fine. Now every time she passes a mirror, she has to stop and look at her pretties. Then she says "Adelae got one!" Pretty cute stuff!

Before--Not sure what's going on.


During--Just a short little video


After--She got a certificate for being so brave!

Now That's COLD!

This is what I woke up to this morning. The top reading is the outside temp, the second reading is the inside temp, the third is the time and the fourth is the date.



Yup...that's a NEGATIVE 16 outside! And 60 inside! If you know me, you know I HATE to be cold. HATE IT! So, today Adelae and I are wearing long john bottoms, sweat pants, long sleeved shirts with sweatshirts over top and two pairs of socks! I've realized that I can't do anything about the cold, so I may as well just deal with it. Oh, I should mention that while it may be -16, it FEELS like -35!!!!!

Forts Sure Have Come A Long Way!

I can remember building sheet forts when I was a kid. We used the couch, backs of chairs and whatever else we could find. Then we would find a sheet (or two) to use as the roof. It was so much fun! It was like having our own little house. Kids only, of course! Adelae, like most kids LOVES forts (or ports as she calls them). Ben is the master fort builder in this house. One day we had one that was almost the entire living room. For obvious reasons, that one had to be taken down. Ben had a great brainstorm the other day and built Adelae what I'm positive is the best "port" ever. Adelae sure thought so. Her exact words were "WOW DADDY! A PORT!" Every morning when we come downstairs we have to check the fort and make sure that it doesn't need any repairs. (The roof tends to fall down in the night.) Then, and only then, are we allowed to start our day.

Our Little Bean

I know I'm a little late getting this posted, but it's been pretty hectic the last few weeks! I went to the doctor on December 22 for my very first prenatal checkup. After the problems I had while pregnant with Adelae, I was a little nervous. So far I haven't gained a pound! Actually, I lost two pounds! (The doctor assured me that was fine). My blood pressure was a little high. When I heard that I thought "Oh great...here we go again!" However, I did remind the nurse (and myself) that I was living out of a suitcase at that point. (The appointment just happened to be during that week we didn't have power.) She said that the stress could very well be a culprit of the high blood pressure, but they would keep an eye on it. We did have a bit of a scare when the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler. He sent me off to have an ultrasound, just to be on the safe side. The ultrasound tech had no problem locating our little bean. We got to see and hear a nice strong heartbeat. It was 167 bpm, which is just perfect! It was a huge relief for both Ben and I to actually see the baby.

Here is our very first picture of baby #2. Ben thinks it looks like a lion cub!

Another Year Has Come and Gone

2009 already! Yikes! 2008 was a great year for us. We moved out of the city and back to the country, Adelae continued to grow like a weed (both physically and mentally) and we got pregnant with Baby #2. As always, there were lots of ups and downs, but that's what keeps life interesting! I gained a few friends and lost a few friends. I continued to learn more and more about myself and my husband. I once again learned how much the love of a family shapes my life. I am an incredibly lucky woman! I'm so excited for 2009! I can't wait to see what the next 12 months hold for us as a family!

Christmas Videos

As promised, here are a few videos from Christmas morning.