Our Gender Reveal

Wow what a whirlwind this last week has been! We decided a few months ago that we wanted to have a party to share the excitement and joy of finding out what baby number 3 would be. I started to call bakeries to see if they would be willing to do a gender reveal cake and found a lady that was very excited about it.

After scheduling the Ultrasound, we made up invitations that read "Pink or Blue, We have no Clue!" and send them to close family and friends inviting them to join us the Friday after our ultrasound to find out the gender of our little one.

Monday we had an ultrasound to check on baby's growth, any "soft" markers (meaning potential risk factors for cleft lip, organ malfunctions, etc) and of course to find out whether it was a boy or girl. But the hitch was that we didn't want to know the gender then and there. We asked the ultrasound technician to find out the sex and seal it in an envelope for us to reveal at a later date.

Then on Tuesday I delivered the results to the bakery and finalized the plans. We decided that if it was a girl the baker would swirl the cake with raspberry flavoring and if it were a boy the baker would swirl it with blue cake batter.

Friday I picked up the cake and the envelope that had our results. The baker had sealed the envelope back up but I was so tempted to look. But I didn't! (I'm really proud of myself for that!)

After getting the cake, attending some appointments, making dinner and tiding up our house. The guests started to arrive.

We had 40 people here! I didn't count them that night and I don't have pictures of them all but it was crazy! (In a good way) We had 19 children here and 21 adults. The children ranged from 11 months up.

After we knew that we had everybody here we decided to start the celebration.

Once we had everybody's attention we started to cut the cake. Brooke and Jaelyn didn't want to watch.

 Once we cut the cake we learned our surprise! It was blue. It's a boy!

We are super stoked to be adding a little boy to our family. Ready for trucks, cars, dirt, t-shirt and jeans. Ready for baseball, hockey and all other little boy games. :-)

Everybody that attended the party made the event so much more exciting. We are thankful to have the support and love from our family and friends who shared the moment with us. Lots of laughter and joy was shared that night. 

Bring on the the next few months! I'm ready for July already so I can meet our little man.

I need your help!

My hubby and I are expecting baby #3 and we need your help. I want bright and colorful bedding and he is stuck on something we had picked out with our first pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. Don't get me wrong...I still like it too but I want to do something different. So I will need you to cast your vote on which bedding you like best. We are trying to be gender neutral...so here goes..


Bedding A- Dr. Suess One Fish Two Fish

http://www.target.com/p/Sumersault-Baby-Bedding-Collection-Geo-Brights/-/A-11289592
Bedding B-Circles
(sorry I couldn't get the image to copy into here so this is my last resort)


and lastly Bedding C- Monkey



Ready, set, vote!!

Why I'm not so private about some things...

Anybody that knows me, knows that I'm a talker. I can talk about ANYTHING. I may even switch from 1st gear to 3rd in a conversation without even know it. My close friends and family can keep up most of the time.

Why do I like to talk so much? I don't know but I can tell you this, by me talking to people and sharing some things that others may keep private I learn a lot about myself and others.

The one major thing I have figured out is that in some way everybody has some "skeletons" or similar situations where you can find a relationship and sense of "I'm not alone in this".

I know some people may not feel right sharing certain information and believe me there is some information that I DON'T and WON'T share. But in my case sharing things that some may not has always been my way of coping, and finding understanding when I have come across a challenge I know I cannot handle alone.

Drudging up the past

I logged onto my email this morning to see that I had two new friend requests on FB. One person I thought for sure was some type of spam, hoax or just someone who wanted another friend added to their list. The other was a name I knew, a name I dreaded to see. Then I figured out the two were married.

Why did I dread seeing this name? First, the person has no direct relationship with me, one of their family members and I had the relationship. Second, this person and their family bring out a strong feeling of resentment from me.

I was young, naive and lost. I made a mistake and out of that mistake I gained a stronger sense of self a beautiful daughter and a relentless drive to perservere through the toughest of times without this person or their familys' help. But every so many years they pop up out of nowhere trying to gain some shred of connection. "Why?", is the question I ask and why now after 4 years!?

I'm resentful for the lack of support this person and their family have shown and their strong sense of rightousness they exude when they finally do connect with me in order to have a relationship with my daughter.

I should have mercy, I should forgive, but I won't be a fool.

Decisions

I have worked my current job since the beginning of the year. I took this job out of necessity of a part time job with good pay so I would be able to have the flexibility to be home with my girls more and go to school while they are in school. While the schedule has worked in my favor, the job is a stretch for me and my abilities. As I close out my first year I realize that I am not a good fit for this job. While I have been able to get by and get it done, I am not comfortable that I am doing it to the fullest capability.

So I have decisions to make. I'd love to stay home but we can't afford it. I currently have children I watch before and after school that supplement income that was lost by taking a part-time job and I know I am guarnateed at least one full time child for babysitting. I would need at least one more full time child to make it worth me staying home but childcare is not always a guaranteed income.

The job I currently have, has no benefits, no vacation, or retirement...so I wouldn't lose anything but income if I left.

Looking for guidance, insight, advice, anything. I see pros and cons with both jobs. Anybody have some insight they'd love to share?

Day Two of Thanks!

Today is day two of thanks for me- even though technically we should be on day 3! I'm always a day late and a dollar short!

Today I am thankful to not have a budget meeting at work this evening because I am not mentally prepared for it all.

:-)

So I'm really thankful for a relief from some stress.

What are you thankful for?

Day one! :-)

Today is day one.

Day one of being thankful- for good health and a supportive family.

What are you thankful for?