Well, with all the changes that have been going on in our lives, about a week ago, we got another piece of news that was a pleasant surprise.
After several months of trying, taking time off to balance bodies and eat right, we got some news that we did not think we would get for a while. 
We are carefully incubating baby #3. We are very excited about this new addition, although it has made some changes in our plans for next school year. Baby Landis will make his/her arrival in November of 2011. His/her expected due date is on Daddy's birthday.
I thought we were excited about Eve and her arrival, but with all our changes the excitement around this little one is truly unspeakable. I have been dying to tell the world, but at the same time wanted to take caution. So hello, world, this is the Absent Minded Professor speaking... and my family is growing once again!
As I think back over the last 11 years at what family meant to me when I was first starting to become an adult and have a family of my own, and what it means to me now, I begin to wonder. I wonder if I was really that stupid, or if it was because my parents at the time were that stupid that I had no choice but to be stupid too. 
No offense, Mom, I am sure I will experience my teenagers thinking I am completely ignorant as well.
However, now at the ripe old age of 32 (my elders can laugh now). I have been enlightened as to what family means. I have also been come to realize that if I am working all the time, then someone else is watching my family grow and I am missing it! With this said, I have turned in my resignation, and have decided that it is time once again to put my family first. For those of you who know me well, this will not be an easy task. (I hate what "house wife" means.) However, starting in June, I will be a wife first, and a mother first again. Everything else will become second.
With my new found wisdom, I have also experienced some bitter sweet moments. Our Youngest has decided that it is the time in her life that she becomes a big girl. She has potty trained herself. She now runs to the bathroom past who ever might hear while screaming, "I potty now!" Along with being a big girl and using the potty, she has also put herself to sleep in her big girl bed.
Since she is basically growing up on her own, we decide
d that today was the day to make her room a big girl room. So we gathered all of her toys from the various places they are strung out all over the house and decided make her room a little girls room. The crib came out and all baby type items. The toys were carefully put away, and then we began to celebrate.
Oh but wait, there is more... like any good family, we made
sure her books went too. We found a place that would be friendly and fun. Used some mats from Uncle Shawn and baskets from Aunt DeeDee and made our own little reading nook. Here she can lay and read to her favorite baby. The fun has finally begun.
When giving credit where credit is due, we also have to thank Uncle Anthony for the trip to Costa Rica last year. This is where 
we found numerous cloths for very cheap that have an infinite number of uses. They have been bathing suit wraps, blankets, curtains for the car, a sarong, changing table, seat belts for horses and Harleys. That is just to name a few. Today their newest job is a baby doll hammock to keep the babies and stuffed animals put away neatly.
As we sit and give thanks to all that we have new, we await patiently for the next adventure to appear. We have no clue what is waiting for us next. But as always we will accept it with open arms.
Wow! I do not even know where to start with in the whirl wind of emotions that I feel tonight. My house smells like my great Aunt Mary's house Thanksgiving morning, and my baby is growing up too fast.
Morvin and I found a little supermercado near the house and have found the closest thing to Aunt Mary's chorrizo ever. We have decided to use it and add it to our breakfast casserole tonight. With the smell of the chorrizo cooking, my mind starting wondering to running through Aunt Mary's house on Thanksgiving morning to get some tea cookies off the back patio. You can hear men speaking Spanish over a competitive game of dominoes as you listen to the women sound like hens clucking as they spoke quick Spanish over the oven. Aunt Mary was always moving in this busy kitchen and if she wasn't stirring or cutting, she was sweeping.
Then to top it off before we started cooking, Eve protested her crib and insisted on her "big girl" bed. We have had a full size bed in her room for guests since she was born. Tonight she refused to sleep in her crib. Instead wanted to sleep in the big bed in her room. So, we made it, and tucked her in. After cooking the chorrizo, I went to check on her and there she was cuddled all up with her dolly and sleeping tight. I am super proud of her for growing up into such a brave girl. However, I am mourning the loss of my baby. It seems as though she was her yesterday and gone today!
I know that each day brings a new adventure. May tomorrow bring a calm adventure with out too many more big girl changes! I do love the self sufficient mind that Eve has.
My last couple of posts have been about my little miss all grown up, and have over looked the young man who also resides in our house and adds a great deal of wisdom to our family. He has recently earned the opportunity to go shopping with the money he has been saving in his wallet.
Our shopping trip took the whole family to Target, where Wayne walked up and down the toy aisle thinking out loud, "oh! Wow! That would be cool." "Nope, I don't think it is worth that." Until he saw it, an Iron Man Mask! He had to have an Iron man mask, because he would be able to pretend to be Iron Man. So, we added it to our buggy and kept walking. We went all the way through the toys and into the sporting goods section. There we found a totally cool (and GREEN) glow in the dark bat and ball. This was awesome, until he realized just on the other side of the aisle was the jackpot! REAL bats, and REAL balls, and even a Glove..... So after spending time finding the right bat and gloves, and looking at the balls, and a tee, Wayne learned that he did not have enough money.
Let the negotiations begin! Wayne wanted (of course don't most kids?) his cake and to eat it too. He assumed that we could get him the baseball stuff, and he could still buy his mask, and have money left over. We quickly reminded him that he was there to spend his money, and that we would pay for what is left over after his money is gone. However, he was going to have to decide. An Iron Man mask, that he would play with for a total of 3 hours and never play with again, or everything you could need to play baseball something he wanted for a while.
After some tears, talking, and really thinking about it.... he had decided on the baseball equipment, and that he could save up the money for the mask and buy it some other time. Who knew shopping for what you want was so painful? (Besides his mother who HATES to shop!)
Finally at the register, ready to count out his portion of the bill, as he started to hand the lady the money, a sneezing fit came on. This brought out a whole new aspect of the trip. I think through the experience of spending his own money on whatever he decided..... he has learned that shopping is a headache (filled with decision making) and when you actually spend your money it causes an alergic reaction which leads to a sneezing fit. Ahhh... the joy of spending time with the kids to help them learn life's little lessons!
Eve loves all things pretty: pretty hair, pretty clothes, and pretty panties. Through her love of these things and wanting to be a big girl, she has begun to teach herself to potty. This has been a fun and exciting adventure, but has also caused some frustration.
She has begun to go potty at home all on her own and has very few accidents during the day. We started with letting her earn her big girl panties by going potty, but this weekend have officially put her in big girl panties for the whole weekend. The only exception is when we went to visit friends. Yesterday, she made it through the whole day with only one accident. Today she has had two accidents but has made it to the potty both times she went number 2. All of her success makes us very proud of her.
However, with the success of potty training, there is also failure. Eve appears to struggle with going potty at other people's house to include the babysitters. So this weekend we focused on a new set of rule to help encourage her to go anywhere. We shall see how this work. However, we are not buying any more diapers or pull-ups! So it will have to work.
The routine:
1. Start the morning off in pretty clothes and big girl panties.
2. Ask her where she needs to go when she goes pee pee or poo poo. (She can tell and point.)
3. Remind her that if she keeps her pretty clothes clean, than she can wear them all day. Otherwise, she loses the pretty clothes.
4. Give her lots of praise (Yay! Eve look at you! You are a BIG GIRL!") and a "potty bear" all natural gummy bears. Thank you Earth Fare!
5. Take her every 30 minutes to an hour!
Hopefully with the new routine, lots of practice, we will have success everywhere we go. I know we are super proud of Eve. We will continue to help her achieve success in her newest quest and encourage her success.
We are carefully incubating baby #3. We are very excited about this new addition, although it has made some changes in our plans for next school year. Baby Landis will make his/her arrival in November of 2011. His/her expected due date is on Daddy's birthday. 
