I've been a little MIA in the blogging world lately. It's not that there's been nothing to blog about, it's just that when the kids are asleep, I usually am as well. This pregnancy has been an especially difficult one for me so far, due largely to the fact that taking care of two kids is twice as demanding as taking care of one--that and I have been having some killer headaches this time, which hasn't happened much during previous pregnancies. But I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know the prize at the end of these 9 difficult months is more than worth it, and it could be much worse, so I can't complain (well, I can, but I shouldn't...) Below you will find a few videos of the kids that we captured recently. Nothing too exciting, but every time I watch them I can't believe how fast my babies are growing up. They keep Ryan and I very busy these days. Now that the weather is turning colder, I don't know what we'll do without our frequent trips to the park. The mall might have to be our replacement for the next few months...
I love this picture of the three of them holding hands. Anyone who knows Ryan well is aware of what a dedicated family man he is. He has proven that time and time again, and most recently as he has quietly taken over almost all of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry---not to mention taking care of the kids (and me) as soon as he gets home each night, while still carrying all of his own responsibilities, never complaining about all the extra work. I consider myself a nothing short of a genius for marrying this guy.
Isaac on the slider at the playground
Maddie doing the same thing...
Isaac rolls down the hill
Fearless Maddie on the slide
One of Maddie and Isaac's favorite past times.
Last night Ryan and I saw Wicked, and as cheesy as it sounds, it was seriously a dream come true. I have wanted to see this musical for almost 5 years...I have all the songs memorized.I was bracing myself for disappointment last night because my expectations were through the roof. Let's just say I was about as far from disappointment as you can get. When we got to the musical, we found our seats, which by some miracle were on the second row (What? We got the cheapest seats possible! $25 tickets and we were on the second row?)I was in awe the entire time. I could have thrown a piece of popcorn and pegged Elphaba in the nose! She has always been my favorite character in the musical, and she was stunning last night, as were all the others. I just kept thinking, "What would it be like to have a voice that beautiful and powerful?" I was blown away. If you get a chance to see this, I highly recommend it! Special thanks to both sets of parents for the great b-day gift and to Matt and Erin being so kind to watch the kids for us!I'm already planning a future girls' weekend with my sisters in NYC---in the distant future, of course--Wicked will be on the agenda.
Have you tasted a Honey Crisp apple? I'm convinced they were once the forbidden fruit---sinfully delicious.
We headed north to the Center Grove Apple Orchard with some friends this morning. It is one of my favorite Iowa fun spots, and this year did not disappoint. We swam in the corn pool, jumped on a gigantic air pillow, rode tricycle tractors, and drank apple cider slush and ate a raspberry caramel. The kids had a great time and I came home with 1/2 a peck (6 lbs.) of Honey Crisp Apples. Doesn't get much better than that.
Once she got her turn on the tractor, she wasn't going to give it up for anything...notice the "shadow" lurking close behind her.
Maddie with her buddy, getting ready to jump into the corn pool.
Pretty sure she's having a good time.
This picture reminded me so much of one I took of Isaac just last year in the same location...
Quite similar, don't you think?
She couldn't get over how the corn felt between her toes.
We're too excited to keep it a secret any longer--the newest addition to our family will be arriving early next spring!
*Confession: The ultrasound picture is one I swiped off of Google images because frankly, I'm too lazy to scan the pictures of our baby into the computer. This one gets the point across, right? Just know that our baby looks similar to the one in the photo above, except that their profile is much cuter and their brain is much bigger.
This picture, courtesy of the talented Chrissy Jo, is my current favorite of Maddie.
Here are a few updates on what Maddie is up to and in to these days:
Still fearless as ever--she loves the park and climbs all over everything and dives down the tallest slides, face first, by herself--giggling the whole way down. Just yesterday we went to a park near our house and she insisted on climbing up the stairs to the gigantic tunnel slide(I followed very anxiously right behind her) and diving down it without any hesitation. I cannot remember the last time I saw this girl show any sign of fear about anything--that makes me very afraid.
Wants to be doing anything that Isaac does. She follows him around like a shadow and he loves it. If he is singing "Wheels on the Bus," she does her own version right along with him, adding a "Beep! Beep!" at the end of every verse. They are really starting to entertain each other more and more every day.
Because she is Isaac's shadow, she is convinced that she can do anything that he does and is just as big as him. This causes her to take a lot of tumbles--notice the bruise below her right eye in the photo above--those are ever present these days.
She's learning new words every day and she yells them at the top of her lungs to communicate whatever it is she wants you to know. Her articulation needs a little work, though. For example, I have heard her say "gacias!" for "gracias" several times, but she prefers instead to just say "ga!"---it's easier and she can yell it louder if it's only one syllable, I suppose.
Of all the words she knows, "no!" is still her favorite, and whenever she says it, she means it.
She loves Elmo, baby dolls, Dora the Explorer books, Karen Katz books, cars, balls, and anything she can push around (strollers, ride-on cars, etc.)
She insists on feeding herself and yanks the spoon out of my hand if I try to help her.
She will throw a fit if you take something from her, but if you say, "Maddie, can I have that please?", 9 times out of 10 she will hand it right over (we drill this into Isaac's head on a daily basis).
She is anything but shy and will say hi to almost anyone who makes eye contact with her. One of her favorite pastimes is standing on the deck outside our apartment, greeting everyone she sees coming and going from the complex.
If she wants milk, she will stand next to the refrigerator and yell "leche!!!!" at the top of her lungs until I open the door for her. I always make her bark "por favor!" a couple of times before I'll give it to her. Some one's gotta teach this girl manners.
Maddie still loves the water. I'm pretty sure I saved her from drowning a hundred times this summer at the wading pool where we spent a good chunk of our days. Just yesterday she submerged her head into the water and started blowing bubbles while taking a bath.
She has more spunk, sass, attitude and personality than ever before and we don't know what we'd do without her.
I love this picture of the three of them holding hands. Anyone who knows Ryan well is aware of what a dedicated family man he is. He has proven that time and time again, and most recently as he has quietly taken over almost all of the cooking, cleaning, and laundry---not to mention taking care of the kids (and me) as soon as he gets home each night, while still carrying all of his own responsibilities, never complaining about all the extra work. I consider myself a nothing short of a genius for marrying this guy.
