Boy or Girl? The verdict is in...

Aidan was right! Aidan and Ethan are going to have a baby SISTER in October!!! I can't believe it! A girl!!! My sweet daughter is coming into a home of two older bros who will surely be protective and a daddy who she'll have wrapped around her lil' finger. AND she's evening out our household---3 boys and now 3 girls (including Hondo). I can't wait to have a daughter to take shopping, get manicures with, teach how to bake our favorite desserts, and see grow into a beautiful woman. And while we wait, I can have fun buying pink clothes, bows and ribbons, and baby dolls. Wow, what a different world this is going to be! The ultrasound shots shown here aren't the greatest just because of the direction she was facing and the placement of the placenta. Everything looks, for the most part, healthy and functioning properly. Hopefully she will continue to grow and develop so that she'll be a healthy baby!

She's definitely related to us, her foot was HUGE compared to the rest of her body!!!

One final down, 3 to go!

James took his Contracts final today. Only three more to go and then we get to go on VACATION!!! I'm counting down the days (16). We've had a rough year and are in desperate need of a vacation. I can't wait! I can't wait! I can't wait! We DID book a trip to Cancun (like back in Jan/Feb) before we realized how horribly dangerous Mexico seemed. BUT our reservations were nonrefundable, nontransferable. Then we heard that as long as you were on the resort you were fine. So we decided that the trip was still on. Well, in comes SWINE FLU!!! Now not only is the trip to Cancun off, our nonrefundable plane & hotel tickets were REFUNDED!!! Woohoo! Thank you Mr. Contagious S.Flu! I've never been to Mexico, but I'm very comfortable with waiting for that chance. We decided to stay safe in the U.S. and go to Orlando. More about our trip later! Study away James, the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight.

Even MORE Great News!!!

Our family has really had it rough lately! Talk about being kicked while we are down... BUT we are FINALLY having a few visible miracles and blessings headed in our direction. Not only do James and I have our great news, but JEFF AND JULIE ARE PREGNANT TOO!!! We are 3 weeks apart :). I think I was more excited about their news than I was my own (well, our first response about our news was utter SHOCK, excitement came later!). They are going to make the best parents. I am very very very very very happy for them! Congratulations guys!

New Addition

I thought we'd make it an "official" announcement. James & I are going to be welcoming a new little addition to the family in October! We are very excited now that we have had a bit of time for it to sink in! :) Aidan is convinced that it is a girl. I honestly can say that I don't care either way. A girl would be so much fun, then again I LOVE my boys and would love to have a third little man to add to the clan (plus the fact that we have clothes galore for a boy...). I am so excited!!!

Law School Widow's Field trips

So, I've been a law school widow the past couple of weeks until James finished his appellate brief. He has been living at the library until midnight every night. Monday, we decided to take dinner down to Daddy so that we could actually see him! We went to a local park and the boys played while James ate his dinner. It was wonderful seeing James, even if it was just for an hour. We decided to do it again on Wednesday night. We went out to eat at Pei Wei's this time. Aidan continued to tell us that he didn't like his chicken until it turned into ongoing whining. And after eating a few lo mein noodles, Ethan began to throw food and chopsticks on the floor. It was a bit of a disaster. No nice conversation with my hubby, just attempting to control our messy children. We must have amnesia when it comes to taking our kids to restaurants. It's a disaster about 90% of the time, we say that we are never doing it again, and then weeks or months later we unsuccessfully attempt it again.

Anyhow, on the way home from dinner that night, the boys had their windows down in the car. Aidan was playing with his Lightening McQueen car and it looked like he was tempted to toss it out the window. I gave him a warning, saying that I will roll up the window if he tried to throw his toy out the window. A few minutes later, I saw something fly out the window. I stopped the car, turned around and had a "little talk" with Aidan. The windows were rolled up and we silently drove home. Then I heard Ethan saying something under his breath. Aidan said, "Be quiet, Ethan!" I listened even harder to hear Ethan saying, "Aidan... time out... Aidan."!!!!! I was dying! I can just hear my brother and sister when we were younger saying to me, "You're in troooubblleee! I'm telling Moooom!" And now here was my two year old egging his older bro on! I was rolling!

Ethan Edward is 2!!!!!!!!!!

It makes me sad that time goes by so fast! My little baby is TWO!!!! Ethan definitely has style. He came into the world in full force. Just hours after I taught the Sunbeam (Sunday school for 3-4 yr olds) class at church, he was born! The labor was three hours total. You were a pretty laid back baby. You were so curious about your big bro. Even from the beginning, Ethan & Aidan have been best of friends. Ethan has always looked up to brother and loves having a built-in buddy.
Aidan never showed signs of jealousy, he loved Ethan unconditionally from the beginning.

6 weeks old
3 months old
First Birthday

What a handsome two-year old!!!

Ethan loves to play with the big boys. He knows all of his brother's friends' names! He is such a big talker and is always singing his favorite songs (Happy birthday, Once there was a Snowman, ABC's), he loves to play in the sand and jump on the trampoline, his favorite thing in the entire world (besides his mom :p) is BALLS, he can to count to 10 in order, and he loves his crib (I don't know if we can ever permanently get him in a big boy bed!). He says the sweetest prayers and loves his family so much. Again, I cannot believe Heavenly Father has entrusted me with such an amazing little spirit! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EE!

Happy Birthday Aidan James!!!

I cannot believe how time has flown! Just 4 years ago (on Feb 28th--I know, this is a late post!) I remember thinking, I cannot believe my doctor and the nurses are letting James and I take home this precious little man! And now he's mom's little helper and is still a James/David mini-me. He is such a good big brother (most of the time), always trying to keep Ethan out of harm's way. He has really started coming out of his shell this past year. Playing soccer, always wanting to play with his friends, and LOVING school. He's becoming so social and autonomous (my 4 yr old should NOT be autonomous!) :) But it's so fun to watch him reach more and more milestones. He always wants to be on the go. Every night before going to bed, he asks me, "Mom, what are we doing tomorrow?" And I better have a fun day planned or he will be greatly disappointed! I am so humbled that Heavenly Father would entrust us with such an amazing person to raise. Happy Birthday AJ!!!!!! Aidan really really really wanted a Pump-it-up birthday party this year. I'm glad I agreed because it was FREEZING that day; an outdoor party would have been a big mistake! He had soooo much fun with his family and soccer and church buddies. It was the perfect party for him. Notice how they spelled his name wrong (even after I emphasized AidAn to the baker at the bakery! ah well).