A REAL Haircut

After my botched attempt at cutting Ryan's hair, it started to grow back in a funky way.  Kyle needed a trim, so I decided to see if one of the stylists could just shape Ryan's while we were there.  He looks much better, and it was so fun to see his tiny head popping out of the cape! 

Another Boy

 Guess what?  This fetus, like the other two, has a penis.

In honor of the big news that another boy will be joining our family this year, I got a little story for ya, Ags {and all others.}

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

Okay, okay.  This story takes place not really that far, far away at all and not that long ago, either.  Plus, that tag line's been done.  Let me start again......

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, in a downstairs apartment in Aggieland, two roommates started a club.   This was not just any club, my friends.  This was a club to end all clubs.  On that fateful night, in the late nineteen-nineties, The Scrote Club was born.

Stephen and Bob were roommates at A&M and often got to talking and cooking up wild ideas in the wee hours of the morning, between studying, soccer games, or their on-going Pac-Man battle.  The one idea that rose above all others and really decided to stick was The Scrote Club.  And, boy, did it stick.

As co-founders/co-presidents/co-chairman, Stephen and Bob named honorary members, mascots, and made plans in the name of males everywhere.  Manly adventures and all things "boy" were done under the banner of the club.  These boys had their "no girls allowed" club for quite some time, but eventually the 2 co-founding members of The Scrote Club got married.

Katie and I took all this Scrote Club talk in good fun, usually thinking many of the references to it were made in jest.  When we both had baby boys, the 2 co-founders congratulated themselves and welcomed 2 new junior members into the club.  We both got pregnant, again, and AGAIN both had baby boys.  There were Scrote Club pats on the back, all around.  Surely, with a 3rd pregnancy, there would be room for a little pink in our lives.  Sadly, the force is strong with these ones.  Once again, the power of the Scrote kicked in.  Katie had boy #3.  And today, the story of The Scrote Club has come full circle.  Another co-founding member of the club will welcome, YET AGAIN, another junior member.

And, here he is:

Damn The Scrote Club!  I'm beginning to believe that there was some secret blood pact made and I'm just now becoming aware of its lasting effects.  
  
You'll have to excuse me.  I'm just a little down about the idea that I'll never have a little girl.  Yes, I know there is much to be thankful for:  a healthy baby boy, a 3 vessel cord, hands that appear to be normal,  not having to spend tons of money on new baby stuff, already having experience with boys, having three boys that can play together, being half-way to a basketball team {a full team if we ever get together with The Hellers}, never having to teach a child how to use a tampon or deal with PMS, not having to worry about paying for a big wedding, letting Stephen do a lot of the scouting stuff and looking forward to a free weekend during campouts, and {hopefully} a little less drama.

However, I really was looking forward to having a little more estrogen around the house and maybe getting to use a little pink in my decorating.  I'm sad about not getting to pick out any cute dresses or having someone to have a mother-daughter date with.  Many milestones I've had in life have been through a female perspective, and I won't have a daughter to share in that. I guess the realization of letting go of one of those things I always hoped I'd have is getting to me today.  I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow.

Excuse me while I go fix myself a bowl of ice cream and drown my sorrows in a scented bubble bath, while listening to some Sarah McLachlan and Lisa Loeb.  

Pink or Blue?

Tomorrow we find out if our Mini Cooper 2011 with come in pink or blue.  Stephen's been saying boy all along, even though I think he secretly hopes for a girl.  I've been hoping for a girl all along, but am predicting another boy. 

Get your bets in now, and we'll see who's right!  {The odds are pretty good on this kind of thing.}

Will we be having another boy, or will our baby be a girl?

Kyle's Talk on The Holy Ghost

Kyle was so excited to come home from church last week with an assignment to give another talk!  This time his topic was, "The Holy Ghost guides and comforts me." With a little help from Mom and a few times to practice, Kyle did SUCH a great job at giving his talk!  He even had some of the parts memorized and can still talk about many of the things he learned about the Holy  Ghost.

Here's his talk:

Through a still, small voice, the Spirit speaks to me
To guide me, to save me from the evil I may see
If I try to do what's right, He will lead me through the night,
Direct me, protect me, and give my soul his light.

The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  He has a body of spirit, not flesh and bones.  Because He is a spirit, you cannot see Him, but you can feel Him with you.

The Holy Ghost is a special friend.  He can comfort and guide in many ways.

{Kyle held up the following to demonstrate the points.}

Candle--The Holy Ghost can light your way and help you know the truth.

Compass--Like a compass, He can guide you in the right direction and help you choose the right.

Blanket--He is a comforter--warm, safe, and peaceful.

I know the Holy Ghost can be a great comfort and guide in my life. 


I'm so proud of Kyle and his eagerness to learn and share what he's learned with others!

Love this kid!

Research Park

 One evening while we were in College Station, everyone went to a baseball game but Ryan and me.  Instead of just heading back to the hotel, I decided to drive around for awhile and see how Aggieland has changed in the nearly {ahem} TEN YEARS since we graduated.  {I feel so old!}  One place I couldn't wait to show to Ryan and visit again was Research Park.  Not only does this park have some beautiful trails and peaceful places to sit by flowing water, it is also the place where Stephen proposed to me so many years ago.

Ryan and I set out on a journey to find the spot where our family history began. 

 We crossed  a bridge and walked and walked. 

It wasn't too long before we found the special spot--a tiny island in the middle of the water, under some trees.

After seeing that historical marker, we decided to go check out some ducks.  Ryan was much more interested in that, and the dogs jumping into the water to chase the ducks.  

 Finally, it was time to leave and go grab something to eat while we waited to see how the Aggies played. 

Until next time, Aggieland. 

Ryan's New Favorite Toy

I hope Ryan continues to be an easy-going, easy to raise child.  Although he's started to enter the stage in life of throwing little temper tantrums, {he displayed one at the doctor's office, and she just said, "he's right on track for throwing fits."}, he is still mostly easy.  When he's hungry, he eats.  When he's thirsty, he's happy when someone gets him a drink.  When he's tired, he grabs his blanket and starts trying to climb into his crib.

Ryan does enjoy playing with toys and will read a few books--he doesn't like to sit with me and read them; he just wants to look at them by himself.  But, his favorite toy is not really a toy at all.  This kid LOVES to watch movies!  This is new for me.  I tried to get Kyle to watch a movie when he was younger so I could take a shower or get some housework done.  I don't think he has had the attention span/desire to watch an entire movie until the past few months.  Ryan, on the other hand, begs to watch a movie.  He'll get done with lunch and start pointing up stairs and go straight for the DVD player.  Luckily he doesn't know how to turn the power on and off by himself, but he sure knows how to pause/restart it.

It's amazing to me everyday how different my two boys are and how they each develop their personalities seemingly from the beginning.     

RAIN!

 Houston has been in a major drought lately.  Today, finally, we got some rain!  We were all so excited that we decided to run out and do a happy dance!

"Yearly" Checkup

Between moving, waiting for insurance to kick in, and trying to get an appointment as a new patient in a popular pediatric office, we're just a little late on Ryan's one-year well-check.  We're so far behind that our doctor actually decided to just count this visit as the combined 12 AND 15 month visits.  Needless to say, poor Ryan had a little catching up to do--mostly on immunizations.  The poor guy had 6 shots today, but took them like a champ. 

As far as stats go:

Height: 29.25 inches (8.92%)
Weight: 20 lb. 12.8 oz. (8.35%)
Head Circumference: 18.23 in (29.27%)

As our doctor was explaining Ryan's growth chart, she said something like, "he started off in the average weight at birth, but then decided he didn't really want to stay on that path.  He started down the smaller path, except for his head.  So, he's got a big brain and a short body.  He's a short and stout little smart guy!"

I couldn't have said it much better myself.

Father's Day

 I reminded Kyle to go tell his dad "Happy Father's Day!" this morning, and he asked, "is it his birthday?"  {Kyle is REALLY into birthdays lately and keeps asking for a daily total of the countdown until his own--"Is it time to turn the calendar yet?" "Is it almost my birthday?"}

"No, it is not his birthday, Kyle.  It's Father's Day."
"Is it a special day today?"
"Yes."
"Oh!  Happy Father's Day, Daddy!"

We had already given Stephen his Father's Day presents because Kyle just couldn't wait, but the boys and I made a special card just for him:
 

I also wanted to get a picture of all of my boys together. That didn't work out so well, but it's still blog worthy.  

We decided the best route was to take separate pictures.
Kyle loves talking about how he's getting bigger and can do more and more things "just like Daddy."  He also sang in church with the primary for the first time today.  And by "sang," I mean--stood there looking handsome. 

I know these 2 boys love their Dad very much!  I'm so happy that Stephen loves them, too, and for what a great dad he is.

I'm also grateful for the Dads Stephen and I have and the roles they have played and continue to play in our lives!

Happy Father's Day!

Swimming Firsts

Kyle loves being in the water, and since he's able to have so much time for swimming each week, he's getting better and better.  It also helps to have people who are actual swimmers giving him pointers.  After pointers from just about everyone, Kyle has finally started to master diving!  He's gaining confidence and is able to dive all the way to the bottom to pick up toys.  

Ryan also had a swimming first this week--floaties!  He LOVES being able to float around on his own and kicks and dog paddles his way around the pool.  It's A-DORABLE!

The floaties are great except when trying to climb the ladder to go down the slide.  With a little help from the cameraman, Ryan is able to go down the slide without the worry of sinking to the bottom!

 Swim time is getting more and more fun with these two boys!

Another Project

 It gets hot in Houston!  One way to try to keep energy costs down and to try to cool the house a little easier is to put up some sun blocking curtains.  This task has been put off for many years, but since there's some extra helpers around the house, what better time to get another item checked off the to-do list?

The boys were excited to help--or at least to climb up a ladder. 

This is the living room before:

 The dining room before:

We had a few snags along the way.  As Hubba said, "There's ALWAYS something with curtains.  I HATE curtains!"  The rods we originally got just weren't right and the finials wouldn't stay on the ends.  We had to change out a few screws in order to drill into the window frame.  The curtains alone were just a little too short, so we had to make a third {and fourth} trip back to the store to get valances for over the top.  But, 2 days and a few murmurs later and another project is complete!


The living room after:
 

The dining room after:

Impatient Bathers

 A few nights ago was a little crazy.  We were late getting dinner on the table, which set the whole evening routine off kilter.  In an effort to get somewhat back on track, I headed upstairs to run the bath water, while pulling out PJs for both the boys in order to have everything ready and waiting after bath time.  I went to call the boys to come upstairs for a bath when I heard some noises coming from the bathroom.  Apparently, Ryan was in a hurry to get back on track, too, and beat me to the bathtub while I was still in the other room! 

The next thing I knew, Kyle was in there and couldn't let his little brother do something fun without him getting in on the action, too.  

Bath time sure was fun that night!

Astros vs. Braves

 The Braves came into town this weekend, and we were able to score some great, cheap tickets for the game. 

We got a babysitter for Ryan and headed out to the AIR CONDITIONED stadium!

Kyle LOVED the big tv!

 He also enjoyed his first ballpark hot dog!  {It took him a few tries to figure out how to eat it!}

The Braves won, which was sad for all the home team fans, but there were plenty Braves fans around us to help cheer on the visitors! 

Mom & the Boys

 I know Stephen gets tired of me wanting to take pictures, but I can't help it.  I know these moments when my boys are so small and I'm able to hold them in my arms are fleeting.  I want to capture every moment that I can.  I love these 2 little guys!

Pregnancy Countdown: June

I am 18 weeks pregnant today, almost half way there! There are still a few days that I feel a bit of nausea--thank goodness for Zofran!--but I think I just might be through the sick part!  I'm walking a mile in the mornings, 5 days a week and trying to do a little "real" swimming everyday--not just lounging in the water or laying out--in order to stay in better shape this time around, especially since I never really lost all the weight I gained with Ryan's pregnancy! I'm pretty sure I started to feel the little tadpole moving around down there about a week ago.  It's comforting to be moving to that part of the pregnancy where I'm not only less sick, but I can also feel the baby and have more knowledge that things are going they way they should be.

Here's the prego picture from May, and here I am today.   

Curb Appeal

 There's a few extra hands on deck around here, so it's a great time to fix up a few things around Grandpa's and Grandma's house.  Rebecca is also a plant expert, so having here in town led perfectly to starting the home improvement projects by sprucing up the front yard. 

Here's a few before pictures.  The grasses around the trees were mostly dead along with their brothers, bordering the bushes on one side of the house.  Also, the lights along the bushes had been whacked to bits by the lawn guys. 

We started by clearing out pine needles and other debris from in and around the front bushes and by prepping for mulch.  {The boys thought the bags made a fun walking path.}

 Then, Steveo and Kyle got behind the bushes to start spreading the first of the mulch. 

Rebecca was super-excited about the entire project.  {She's working on transplanting the grass from around the tree to fill in in front of the bushes.}

Stephen was NOT super-excited about the project and hopes to be able to pay someone to do his yardwork in the future.  {Maybe he's just not super-excited about all the pictures I was taking.}

 Here's what is left of the lighting system we pulled out of the ground:

Kyle was a great helper.  Here he is helping Grandma unload plants out of the car.  {We actually decided to end up taking these plants back rather than plant them around the trees.  There were just too many roots and not enough loose soil.  Maybe someday a retaining wall will be a project and plants can go around the trees then.}

Hubba spread a little more mulch--he's just about finished with one side!

 We pulled the dead parts out of the grass in order to prep it for replanting. 

 

There were, unfortunately, a few injuries for the day.  Grandpa scraped up his arm.  

Ryan got a battle scar across his eyebrow from falling down and smackin' a hoe.

Fast forward SEVERAL hours later, a few more trips back and forth to Lowe's, a major change in design plans, lots of sweat, a little blood, and a few tears, and here's the finished yard:

Success!