Odds and Ends

Our big gender reveal ultrasound is less than a week away - scheduled for next Tuesday. I'm so excited. Hopefully this'll spur us to get working on baby names. I think that whatever we decide, name-wise, we're going to keep it a surprise until after the baby is born. We've never gotten to keep the gender a surprise, so this is one little thing it'll be fun to have for our last time (and yes, it is our last time, regardless of how "cool" James thinks an 11/11/11 baby would be LOL). The boys want it to be a boy but think it's a girl and the girls want another girl but think it is a boy. James and I go back and forth. As of two days ago, James was guessing boy and I was guessing girl. In other baby-related news - we got our test results back for the second half of our sequential screen and the numbers came back great. Our Down Syndrome risk went from 1:199 after the first test to 1:4200 after the second test. And everything else was within the normal range for my age, so we are looking good at this point. Poohba's movements are getting a bit more noticeable which is a relief for me because he or she has been definitely on the quiet side compared to some of our other babies. I've also started noticeably showing, which is fun too.

In other news, we've GOT to have these nightly Olympics-watching marathons come to an end soon, both James and I are dragging in the mornings LOL. And our DVR is filling up (blessed, blessed DVR). The kids played in Piano Festival last Friday and all earned Superiors, so we're very proud of them. Hero has Violin Festival this Friday and after Festival I've promised Allegra that she can start violin lessons. And on a totally random note - I asked Ian to do his hair for school this morning and out of nowhere he decided he wanted to rock a mohawk. Hero was aghast that I let him wear it to school that way. But hey, you're only in kindergarten once.

Valentine's Day

I've been remiss in my blogging duties. It's been busy, but not inordinately so. I think I'm just feeling pretty worn out right now. Hero's been trying in a 10-year-old-trying-to-assert-her-indepence kind of a way. This is the slow time for James' business, which is stressful. It's also the slow time for MY business, however I should start picking up by the end of the month. Colin's not doing much as far as potty-training, but we are down to his last box of diapers and after that we will not be buying anymore, so we'll have to really get serious (please God, make it easy on me, as I'm not ready to deal with poopy pants right now). Allegra, Hero, and Ian are prepping for piano festival this Friday and Hero and Allegra have been upping their figure skating practice sessions because they've committed to doing their first competition in June. They are completely loving watching the Olympics on television. Cecily has learned to wave and it's SO cute. I love, love, love this age. James and I got to go out for Valentine's Day dinner (thanks to Nana and Papa for babysitting). We went to PF Chang's (such a stereotypical pregnancy craving, I know) and enjoyed a relaxing linner, as James called it (at 4:00). Then we went to the mall and stopped into the Disney Store before they close for good here and also went to Motherhood and I got some great new summer clothes. Buying summer dresses makes me wish for fine weather (and yes, I had to include the pictures of the dresses I bought just because I love them so much LOL). Speaking of pregnancy, it's flying by pretty fast - I'm 17 weeks today and our big gender u/s is just two weeks away. I had the second half of my sequential screen yesterday and am anxiously awaiting the results. Most of the time I don't stress much about the elevated risk we got back from the first tests, but it's constantly in the back of my mind, so getting a definitive answer late this week or early next will be such a relief (and please pray for me that I don't need an amniocentesis because that procedure scares me, for some reason).

Happy Birthday Ian

Ian turns six today. He celebrated yesterday in Kindergarten and today we'll do cake and presents at home (and we're thinking we'll pick up some Chinese takeout at his fave place but that'll be a surprise). Of course, once we REwrap his presents. Because his little brother's already given him a helping hand by unwrapping everything while he was at school. He's spent his day hanging out with his sister and trying to teach her to play video games. On Sunday after church we'll go out to Red Robin, the restaurant of his choice. It's hard to believe that Ian's six already, but at the same time that phase of my life (normal size family, still in college) seems SO long ago.

Pointe Shoes!!

A couple weeks ago I got to get fitted for pointe shoes for ballet! I was so excited. I could barely wait to go. Once it was time to go I was jumping around because I was so excited. When I got to the place where I would get fitted I was jumping out of my seat. The place I went to to get fitted was at Onstage Dancewear. When I went in there were a couple of my classmates getting fitted. Finally it was my turn to get pointe shoes. Somehow I only had to try on one pair and that was the pair I got. You normally have to go through at least three pairs until you get the right size. I ended up getting a five and a half b. There was a girl across from me who had to try on at least twenty pairs before she found hers. Well it was really fun and I got to wear them last Friday.

So Cool!

Well, probably only to me, but I'm fascinated by the fact that Cecily looks like me. None of my other children particularily resemble me, but I've thought that Cecily does since she hit 4 or 5 months old. James was in denial, until my mom emailed a baby picture. Poor Cecily, right?! ;-P

What's Shaking?

Not much really, but it's been too long since I've posted, so I think it's time for a quick update. Colin is potty-training (kind of, it's definitely a one step forward, two steps back process). Cecily is starting on finger foods and surprised everyone by "stealing" her brother's grilled cheese sandwich while he wasn't looking. Ian signed up for T-ball, which won't start for a while, but it's going to be kind of strange to do boy things after so many years of being a quintessential girl mom. And we did the first part of the sequential screening test which included a long ultrasound, meaning we got to see Little Poohba again. It was fun to see the baby. Some of the results came back a little elevated for risk (not enough to be concerned, but we'll definitely be waiting anxiously for the second part of the bloodwork to be done around 18 weeks or so).

Minutiae

Wow look at me go, being all chatty on the blog! I promise that one of my New Year's resolutions wasn't to be more active on the blog, but I've just felt compelled this week to post random stuff. I think I'm all juiced up due to horomones or something but hey, I'm sure I'll enjoy looking back at this stuff someday. You do truly forget the day-to-day stuff as time passes. Speaking of New Year's resolutions, I didn't really make any formal ones. But I do have some informal thoughts. 1.) I want to be a more honest, forthright person. I've already kind of mentioned this one, but to elaborate on it, I think that my unwillingness to step on toes has led me to be too timid. And that timidity has meant that instead of being upfront with my grievences I'll just either keep them in or talk about them on the sly. I don't want to be that kind of person anymore. While indulging in gossip is part of the human condition, I think, I've always instinctively felt a heap of guilt whenever I do it. So I'm going to do my best to eliminate it from my life. To more honesty in 2010! 2.) I want to spend more times enjoying my kids and the simple things in life. 2009 kind of forced us into doing this anyways, but I'm still definitely a work in progress. I always think of good ideas to spend time together - family movie night, playing games with the older kids, or doing a puzzle on Sunday evenings, but I seldom carry the plans out because life just tends to get in the way. But no more excuses. And 3.) 2010 is the year that I'm in control of my life (insofar as God allows me to be, of course). Whether it's finances, or saving money, or better time management, or even eating - I'm going to be in control.

And, I know I've said this before, but what fun is a post without pictures, so here is Ceci enjoying some M&Ms that Colin dropped - all over her new Janie & Jack outfit of course. But who can resist smiling at that chocolate mustache?