Before and After

I've finally gotten around to transferring the recent photos off of my camera. Here's Alan and Ellie on their exciting first day of school!

It's amazing how much can change in four months:

May

August
(40 pounds later)

My belly has gone from baby bump to baby mountain!

(Also, my hair color has once again changed - sheepish smile.)


In related news, Alan and Ellie are starting to see me as a walking baby carrier rather than a human being. When I pick them up after school they run straight to my belly and say, "Hi baby! I missed you! How was your day?" Every once in a while they'll remember I'm there and give me an unenthusiastic, "Hi mom." It's pretty cute that they're already so loving to the baby. (=

Ellie's 5th birthday

Alan eating a bright red cupcake at Ellie's party



Attalie (Chad and Selena's baby) chillaxing at Big Surf



Nathan, Ellie, and Zach eating birthday treats

Ellie riding a floating alligator with random kids

Enjoying the kid's play area

Looking stylin' in cousin Attalie's glasses

Showing off her birthday presents

Lana and Attalie before swimming

Uncle Chad and Ellie showing off the b-day cake

Striking a birthday pose

School days are here again! Alan and Ellie are both loving their teachers and seem to be adjusting to the back-to-school routine. On Ellie's first day of kindergarten, she set down her backpack, flew onto the playground, and never looked back. Alan's 2nd grade teacher seems to be one of the sweetest ladies on the planet, which is great for Alan. He always thrives with gentle and kind guidance. He told me that she promised them on the first day of school that she would never yell at the class. It takes one patient teacher to make that promise to a class of rowdy 2nd graders.

I usually hover around my kids every day after school and try my best to prod the details of the day out of them. Most often, they give me vague details like, "I saw the principal in the hallway," or "I had a huge slice of pizza," or "I played on the playground." But every once and a while I get a somewhat detailed view of what their day was like. I'm sure all of the prodding drives them crazy, but I love to hear about their time at school. If I could wear an invisibilty cloak and follow them into their classrooms, I totally would.

Things seem to be going well with the pregnancy. Only two more months until our little dude (still not quite sure of his name yet) will arrive! I think that we've collected most of the baby things we need via Goodwill, hand-me-downs, and Wal Mart specials. Maybe it's because this is my third pregnancy and I'm getting a little older, but I don't remember having this many aches and pains with Ellie and Alan. I feel like a waddling old granny that can't ever get comfortable. At least the nausea is mostly gone though. I'll take back pains and leg cramps any day over a sick stomach!

Ellie celebrated her 5th birthday last week with a fun little family party at Big Surf. My mom and brothers and sisters drove up for the day and we spent the late afternoon enjoying the water park. We took advantage of the 10 dollars per person special, which was a great deal! It was a fun surprise to see that Sara and her kids were at the park too. They were taking advantage of the discount like we were and Alan was able to swim with his cousins!

Ellie had a lot of fun and was a very gracious gift reciever. Every time she opened a present, she exclaimed, "Thank you so much! This is what I've ALWAYS wanted."