It's A BOY!!!

So we went in to get the baby checked out today. He looks healthy and very active. VERY ACTIVE! Oh, yes, I did say boy! Beth is a little disappointed because she wanted a baby girl to share her room. Eric is happy, and thinks we should name the baby "Gordon" from the Island of Sodor. (He picked Gordon after I told him there was no way we would call the baby Thomas.) Here is a profile shot.
Here is a shot of him stretching. You can see his feet braced against one side, and although it is hard to see in this picture, his hands are above his head pushing against the other side. (the dot of stuff you see above him is the cord.) This could get painful as he keeps growing.
We are all happy and healthy and ready this kid to get here. (I'm ready for Beth to stop trying to tickle the baby through my stomach.)

Beth's First Hair Cut

Well, it took me forever but I finally did it. Beth got her first hair cut last week. We cut about three and a half inches off the back but only about a quarter of an inch off the sides. Just to even things out.

Before

After

Dang, who said she could grow up?

Odds and Ends

I am waaaaay behind on our posts, so I'll be playing catch-up over the next few weeks.

After we told the kids Mommy had a baby in her tummy, Beth insisted she had to have a baby, too. Hey, if I could pull off being that huge and that cute, I'd be happy!
Mom and Dad Alleman came up around conference time. We didn't get many pictures but here are two of my favorites. Grandpa reading Eric a story...

. . . and Grandma cuddling with Eric.

For Easter (more on that in a later post) we gave the kids Tangled. They LOVE it! Both kids get really emotionally involved in movies. At the reunion scene, Eric turned to me and said, "I think I'm going to cry!" He's such a sensitive little guy.

And here is Beth being herself. What more can I say?

Welcome to the World, Maggie!

After a mad midnight dash from Nevada, Mary gave birth to an adorable baby girl. Maggie is here! Ta-da! She was very kind to her mother by having a small head.

Beth was overjoyed. She insisted she was a "big girl" and should get to hold the baby. I don't think she could smile any bigger.

Of course, Ryan's smile was pretty big too.

Eric was VERY careful.

"Mommy, can we keep her?" or "When is OUR baby coming out?" were common questions this week.

We loved having the new Mommy and Daddy and baby stay with us, along with my Mom and Dad. You guys are welcome anytime!

Beth's B-Day

OK, so this is a smooooch late. But you know my motto: "Better late than never." (Either that or, "You gonna eat that?")

We have a little girl who is now three years old. (Actually, she acts like a turbulent teenager trapped in the body of a three-year-old. Honestly, her mood swings could give you whiplash!)

I was not really up to a party this year, so we invited some good friends over for a small get together. We had the long balloons you use to make balloon animals, but I only know how to make swords. So we gave every kid a weapon and let them go at it.

This is Eric, Rory, and Alex dueling it out. They loved it!

Here are the four Musketeers. What a dangerous bunch! Be on the lookout . . .

This next one is really fuzzy, but if you can make it out, Beth is waiting at the table for cake and ice cream. All we had to do was mention ice cream and she glued herself to the table. Notice she's wearing the much-coveted Birthday Hat.
Here is a better picture of Beth right after she blew out the candles. You may notice there are more than three candles on the cake. That's because we left the cake and extra candles alone in the kitchen with Eric. As he explained it to us, "More is always better!"
This is one of Beth's favorite gifts. Rory and Alex gave her a Play-Doh cupcake set. She adores it.
Later we had a little family party where she opened gifts from grandparents and such. We even had a visit from Great Grandpa and Grandma Alleman. They brought art baskets full of paper, colored pencils, crayons and all kinds of fun stuff for the kids. It was a really fun, busy day. Thank you to all who called or came by to help us celebrate our one-of-a-kind Beth.

Number Three!

We are expecting baby number three! Estimated delivery time is in October. Right now both kids are voting for a boy. (This changes often, in Beth’s case.) I think Ryan and I would like a boy just because, between Beth and me, we already have enough estrogen in the family.

Boy or girl, we are very grateful and excited—excited to get past the first trimester! Morning sickness, blah! Eric has started asking me, “Mommy, why do you keep throwing up? It’s gross.” How can I argue with that?

Here is a nearly indistinguishable first picture of our little one.

Apple Tea

My kids are so sweet. I have been getting over a little stomach bug and have been down the last few days. Today Eric and Beth were having a tea party upstairs (with imaginary tea because giving them water makes too much of a mess). Well, they felt sorry that mommy couldn’t play, too, so they took the apples they were eating, chewed them up, spit them out in a little tea cup, and brought me some “apple tea” to make me feel better. I am so loved.