Picture Update

Hello friends, it's been a while! The boys have been taking deliciously long naps lately, so I'm going to attempt a long overdue update with lots of pictures. This should definitely make up for my absence because I have serious issues with adding pictures in blogger and this will probably take me a week to get finish and get everything lined up correctly.

We took our annual family beach trip to Sea Grove in June. We all had a blast and I'm still sad that we're not there. I'm having beach withdrawal and I'm trying to figure out some way for us to squeeze in another beach trip before the new baby arrives. This is our family picture-it had to include our 2 dump trucks because they are a big part of the family lately.

I was about 6 months along in this picture. This pregnancy has been a doozy compared to my other two. I have just felt completely run-down the entire time. I'm ready to have this baby! We are still waiting for the big day to know the gender. It's been killing me having to pass on all the bargain baby clothes I've seen while shopping lately. I don't have any instinctual feelings either way on the gender so I will be as surprised as anyone when we find out. This baby is very active and so far very healthy and we are thankful for that.

Jackson took swim lessons for the first time. He did great. The first day was a bit traumatic, but I think that was due to the fact that we were late and I pretty much had to walk into this new, hot, humid place and throw him in the water with his scary looking man teacher. After that day, he warmed up quickly and enjoyed doing his "scoop hands" and floating and even jumping in from the side of the pool.

Alex had shoulder surgery the first week in July. This was surgery to repair an injury he got while playing in the ocean last September. I was scared to death about the surgery and the recovery, but he has done remarkably well. His shoulder is doing great and he has hardly whined at all! It's amazing what they can do with arthroscopic surgery-he just has 3 tiny incision marks and hopefully he'll be able to throw a baseball again soon.

Patrick has had quite a learning explosion over the last couple of months. He is talking up a storm and putting words together. He'll repeat pretty much anything we say and is learning his colors and he loves to hum. He loves trains, trucks and race cars just as much as his big brother and has really started to enjoy reading time. He has also started to show a lot of interest in the potty. We spend a lot of time hanging out in the bathroom, but haven't had any success yet.

Alex finished our newest home improvement project, the mudroom, the week before his surgery. It is awesome! This space is the walk through from our garage and actually used to be our laundry area before we moved that upstairs. It's great to make use of that wasted space and have lots of storage for sports stuff, purses and backpacks.

Hope you're all having a great summer!

Sleepless Ramblings

A naked Jackson woke me up at 3 this morning with wet sheets. All that moving around while I changed his bedding and cleaned him up and got him dressed and back to bed woke up our third little peanut. So as I was lying in bed feeling our baby swim around inside of me and thinking about the future I was unable to go back to sleep.

We have our big ultrasound tomorrow. We are still set on not finding out the gender, but I still have just as much excitement. I can't wait to see the baby again. It has been a long 13.5 weeks since I have seen that tiny, beating heart and it will be so reassuring.

It's funny how different subsequent pregnancies are from the very first. With the first you spend so much time marveling at the changes in your own body and dreaming of how your life will change and hoping you can do it. Now, I am still in awe at my body and the changes it goes through and the fact that it can support and grow this new life, but I have more confidence in myself. I know this place and these feelings. I can do this, I just hope I can keep my other little guys' worlds from being turned upside down.

I haven't had much time to dwell on worrying with this pregnancy, but I do have the same worries as last time. Will I have enough? Enough time, love, patience to give them all what they deserve? I know it all miraculously and beautifully ends up working somehow, but that doesn't keep me from fretting over these things sometimes.

I can't wait to meet this new little bundle and discover a new personality and witness another special sibling bond. It has been amazing to watch Jackson and Patrick and see how natural and special their relationship is.

I feel lucky that I will get to witness many more moments like this one. Being a mom is beautiful thing and I can't wait to fill our house and hearts with more love! Please think of us tomorrow and pray for a healthy baby.

Finally!

It's official! My babiest of babies started toddling last week. (Technically, he's not my babiest of babies considering the bun in the oven, but I'm not one to get technical and I really don't need any reminders that Patrick is not a baby and is growing up, thank you very much...)

I read a statistic that 90% of babies are walking by the age of 15 months. Apparently, Patrick finally got that memo. I really think he took so long to walk because he can't do that and push a little car or train around on the ground at the same time. That's his favorite past-time.

I've been waiting to post this until I could get a good picture of him walking, but every time I pick up the camera he starts crawling. This is the best I could do.

So Long

Today we sold Lettie's SUV. We are both sad to see it go. It was a very good car, and we never wanted to get rid of it. But, we either get rid of it or we get rid of one of the kids. We thought about it for a few weeks, then we chose to keep every kid. I hope we've made the right decision but only time will tell. Here's a picture from the Craigs List ad:

We are working to get the replacement car later this weekend. The new car fits our needs to hold more car seats. I know you're anxiously awaiting me to tell you what we're getting. Here's a hint: it has 2 sliding doors and it will rock your face off.

What we haven't been blogging about

I guess I should start with the biggest news first. The Burns household game plan is changing from a man-on-man defense into a zone. #3 is due October 14th and we are pumped! I have already gained 13 pounds. Wow...

Patrick still isn't walking, but he's very close. He will walk all day holding a finger and he has taken 3-4 steps at a time on his own. He has holes in all of his pants, so I'm definitely ready for him to walk now.

Alex and Pop built a swingset for the boys. It is awesome! We still have some additions to add to it, but the boys are loving it.

Jackson went to the dentist for the first time earlier this month. I'm so mad that I forgot my camera because he was so good and he looked so cute sitting in the big examination chair. He loved it and didn't want to leave. It definitely went better than I expected it to.

Patrick's newest word is "mine!" He doesn't really know what it means, but it drives Jackson crazy because he'll say it over and over and over.

Jackson has started to loudly and honestly observe other people of loud stature in public. A couple of times recently he has blurted out "HE'S BIG!" when he sees a large person. It's very embarrassing and when I tell him not to say it he says "But, he IS big!"

Alex and I were recently nominated for parents of the year when another diner at Chik-fil-a frantically brought to our attention that our son was licking his spilled ice cream off of the floor. Can you imagine how great it will be when we have 3?

New Game

We have a new game in the Burns household.  It's called "Pretend to be asleep" and it is awesome.

  

Alex always wins.

The Big 3

Happy Birthday to Jackson!

I can't believe my first baby is 3 today!  

He's been such a big boy lately.  He loves going to "school", counting, playing with trains, painting and singing.  He's a big help with all of Daddy's projects and when Mommy is cooking.  He's a super big brother and has been doing a great job being polite and kind.  He has a sweet heart and loves to cuddle.  He makes us laugh-a lot. 

He is such a joy to us!