what's that thing in the sky?

it's the SUN :) although the girls still aren't completely 100%, we couldn't pass up a chance to be out and enjoy the warmth and sunshine! unfortunately, i didn't take into account all the wind (ella was complaining it was hurting her ear and layla was coughing so hard she was having a hard time catching her breath) and we only played about 30 mins! but since we've been inside for over a week - that's better than nothing!

ella decided to wear her pajama bottoms out :) at least they were clean ones she got out of her dresser!


layla is finally brave enough to walk over the wobbly bridge instead of crawling!


they were the only ones at the park today!


i was trying to get a pic of ella's hair. i attempted to give her another at home haircut . . it didn't turn out too bad!


it's easy to forget that layla has only been walking for 5 months!
she is still having trouble with the stairs but it's all coming together! she is definitely "i will do it when i am ready" child, no matter what we say!


Before bed last night Ella had an accident in her pull-up and when Danny asked why she didn't use the potty she said "daddy, i used the potty 3 times today already!" she has been doing such a great job! she even will use a public potty now which was a huge deal!! if we can the night-time accidents under control we'll have it made, but I've been told that usually doesn't come until around age 4 for most kids, so i think we are doing good! Layla wants nothing to do with the potty - she knows what it's there for but she's still content to sit her messy diapers all day so i think we have a ways to go with her :) oh well . . I've learned to, finally, accept that i cannot make my girls do anything they really aren't ready for and i assume that they'll be potty trained and sleeping in their own beds by the time they leave for college! if not - i really enjoyed dorm life and i could go for another round :)

I have begun what i am calling "big girl boot camp"! both girls are now sleeping in their room together, in their own beds, and even though it's a bit exhausting right now it's not as bad as i was anticipating! ella sleeps through the night just fine and layla only has been waking up about twice each night, but when she's awake she thinks it's party time so i have to lay in bed with her to try to get her back to sleep. last night she and i were up from 3-5am just hanging out "talking". i figured by doing it now we have a good 3 months to really get them in the habit! i am a huge fan of co-sleeping, baby wearing, etc . . and i'm sure if all the girls weren't so close together we'd have more time for it, and i'd still have them sleeping in our bed but two toddlers and a newborn probably won't fly :) and they seem to really enjoy being together at night so that's a plus!

assuming the position

over a week of being sick for Layla! hopefully the meds will kick in soon, but until then she's content to stay in her pj's!
pillow - check!
blanket - check!
thumb - check!
cup of milk - check!
and the most important - finger in the bellybutton - check!! :)

drum roll please . .

well after having narrowed it down to 3, we finally decided on a name for baby girl #3! we don't have the middle name picked out but we are naming her Norah. Ella has let us know that it was not her first choice but I'm hoping she'll come around in the next 3 months!


(look away from the stretch marks!!!)
28 weeks on Saturday! just in the past week, Norah has begun to move more during the day - i think she hears all the chaos and wants to get in on the fun :) whatever the reason i don't mind!
i've been pretty uncomfortable with some muscle pain and other things but nothing i can't handle :) or atleast nothing i am not handling! i have my final monthly appt next friday then it's every 2 weeks!!!!

They really DO share!!

I guess sisters really can share it all, from food to germs! BOTH girls had to see the doctor today and they both have ear infections in their left ears! This is the first time Ella has ever been able to communicate with us what was wrong - and was consistent with it for the last 2 days - so I am thankful for that!!! As always we are on the lovely "pink stuff" and drops :)





in the doctor's office. ella is measuring 42 1/2 inches!!!! neither one of the girls has gained any weight in the last 2 months! they just keep getting longer and longer!

sickies!

both girls have had colds for the past few days . . and they both decided to rest today :) yay mommy time!!

harder and harder . .

i'm looking forward to having a newborn who will just stay where ever i put her so i can get some cute pics of a child once again! it is just too hard to get good pics anymore - atleast for me, alhtough i'm more to a point where i'd rather have a video camera going all the time because it's the things the girls do and say too eachother that are hilarious and too good not to be caught on film! oh well...

danny putting ella to sleep with his structures materials :)


going furniture shopping for bunk beds :)


eating her ice cream!


her impromptu concert in the hallway!


i don't know if she was ashamed of her outfit, but she wouldn't look at me!


We got the girls bunk beds over the weekend! Once they are set up and the room is put together the way I want i'll post some pics! i'm in the process of trying to get the place ready - i guess you could call it nesting - but at the same time we've lived here 3 years this summer and never done anything to fix it up so it's time!!!! and yes, i know now that i'm trying to get it all together the way i want it, most likely means we'll be moving in a month :)

nothing really came from the job interviews danny's had the last couple of weeks but he is still keeping his eyes and ears open all over the country! we are still hoping to know what's happening at his firm at the beginning of the month - hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks!

Another one down!

YAY! We got the letter in the mail today that Danny passed the 4th test he took!!! He's taken 5 out of the 7 and is hoping to take the final 2 before the end of April! He only has one left to actually study for because the final exam is nothing but drawing so hopefully he'll be able to feel a bit of relief (studying wise) within the next 2 weeks!!

is spring on it's way?!?!

this is what we woke up to yesterday and went to church in. i think peter contontail is going to have a hard time getting down the bunny trail in less than a month with snow still all over the place :)

funny face!

goofing around! ella is going through her scarf phase so we decided to match :)


i told ella to smile for the camera and this is what i got :) she thought it was hilarious!!!! she was laughing at the picture and saying "look, there's ella picking her nose"! i know, not the most attractive, but she always keeps me laughing!!!!


I had my monthly dr. appt yesterday and all is well. we are beginning to countdown to the end - 2 weeks from today marks the beginning of my 3rd trimester! next month is my final "monthly" appt and then i'll be going every 2 weeks!!! a little freaky since i am no where near being prepared!! i'm ready for labor and all that comes along with the medical side of actually having the baby but i am no where near mentally prepared to have 3 little girls all 3 and under!!!! not to mention i have absolutely nothing for the baby to wear (except for 3 onsies - 2 that have been given to us!!!) and no car seat and no where for the baby to actually sleep at the moment . . we have a LOT of prep work to begin!!!!!!!! i've already made a promise to myself that after this baby is born, even if we swear up and down never to have anymore kids, i am not getting rid of anything!
the baby has definitly found her groove and is moving more and more - mostly still at night. danny has begun feeling the kicks as well which i always think is fun :)

danny is finally beginning to feel like himself again, i think! he went back to work this past tuesday and he's still on some meds and has a lingering cough but other than that he's doing 1000 times better than he was last week!! we are still in the waiting mode of what's happening with his job. we are hoping in the next 2 weeks to have a handle on what's going on - atleast whatever "handle" you can have on the job market at this point :)

pix from the week

just hanging aroud the house!



making cookies and eating the dough - of course!




a day out and about! we took nicole to pike place market, alki beach, and the space needle and EMP. it was sunny but cold and windy. ella was upset when we had to go home and "leave seattle!" she is such her daddy's girl . . she loves to be downtown!

she wanted to play at the beach until she realized just how windy it was!



top of the needle!




the view through the telescope. we've been sooo mnay times that i didn't take too many pix, although it was a great day to see it all! can you make out Mt. Rainier in the distance??

Cousin Nicole is here!

My cousin is in town from Birmingham for her spring break this week. It snowed on and off all day so we stayed close to home but I'm hoping we'll be able to get out and do a bit of sight seeing one of these days!

Fun in the tub!

Sunday's events . .

Playing before church.



This was Mackenzie's jacket that she gave to Ella and Ella used to LOVE to wear it! Layla was going to wear it on Sunday (since Ella has outgrown it) but Ella was not quite ready to part with it :( So I let her wear it, even though when she sat down she was soooo uncomfortable in it and she couldn't button any of the buttons - it was snowing outside :)


Eating a quick bite to eat at Wendy's after church so we can head to the airport!


The new "fad" - lollipops!!!



Waiting paitently in the airport for cousin Nicole to arrive.

Belly Pics

This was taken 2 weeks ago: 23 weeks


This was taken last night: 25 weeks


I have popped!! I have my monthly appt this Friday and all is well! We are going back and forth between a few names. The girls love lifting up my shirt and yelling "hey baby!" to the belly :) I'd like to give her a proper name!

After much needed rest all last week and over the weekend, Danny went back for his follow off visit with the Dr. today and is headed back to work tomorrow. They have an office meeting scheduled for a week from today so we'll see what comes out of that!

taking a time out

danny still has his job - no worries, but he is at home all week on bed rest after getting very sick over the weekend and was diagnosed with pneumonia yesterday.

layla has decided that sleep is for wimps and instead enjoys keeping me up at night now - i'm going on 3 nights of no sleep - which i could look at it as she is preparing me for what i know is looming right around the corner :)

and i'm trying to get the place ready, and germ free, for my cousin Nicole who gets in on sunday for her spring break next week

soooo . . i don't know when i'll post again but we're still here :)