What…we're about to have a baby??

     As I write this, we are 4 days away from my due date of November 19th. I'll admit, for a while I thought I might deliver early this time, but now I've come to the conclusion that he or she will make a late appearance like the other two. They just get too comfortable in there and don't want to come out to the real world.
     In preparing for baby #3, we haven't done much preparing. Dalton's parents asked us what our plan was and we didn't understand at first. Then we realized they meant our plan if the baby decides to come in the middle of the night. Well, I guess we'll play it by ear and see how it goes. I don't know if it's because this is #3 or if it's just our way of doing things but we are just pretty laid back thinking about this baby. We just keep thinking, wow, we're about to have another baby.
     Now that we're close people keep asking us if we're ready, if we have the house ready, etc. We just look at each other, shrug and say "I guess so." It's weird how I have forgotten things, even though I've been through this twice before.  As I was attempting to pack a bag for baby I was trying to remember what I will need. And then packing a bag for me brought up the same blank mind. And now as the time is near, I'm trying to remember exactly what it felt like when I knew I was in labor and I can't! I mean I know that I've been having a few contractions already, but really, how did I know it was time? It's crazy how fast the mind can file away information.
    Another thing that is in the back of my mind as we prepare for baby #3 is that at this point I'm passing from being 'like my mom' and entering territory that I'm not familiar with. I grew up with a brother…the two of us, a couple of amigos growing up together. This three thing is something I'm not familiar with and even Mom, as helpful as she is, hasn't had the hands on experience raising this number of kids. It's not that it's a big deal, just a weird feeling passing the number of kids your mom had; entering my own realm. But we have Mere Mere's experience with three, so Dalton will maybe be helpful ; )

     Last week I got a case of the dreaded stomach bug, and so did Ace. It was horrible! But something great came out of it, Mom came up and stayed a few days, which was so helpful. Just having an extra person here to help with the kids and give me a little break makes all the difference and we appreciated her help. The kids loved snuggling down with her at nap and bed time too, reading books together. 

    Having her here helped me to get in the mood to get baby ready (or maybe it was that full day of rest with no parental duties…thanks to Dalton and Mom…. that got me energized). We washed baby things, got the carseat ready, packed the baby bag and moved some things around. Since then I've also taken all of the "Ace" items from the baby room and we've made Cooper's room now the boys' room. It's nice to have a clean slate but a little crazy that we can't do anything else until he or she comes and we know which direction to go! 

Hanging out by the fire, staying warm.

          One issue we've had to deal with (ok with Ace we've never stopped dealing with it since he was born!) is the sleeping arrangement. Originally we thought we'd keep the baby in our room for a while so that Ace could sleep in his crib as long as possible. Well, Ace didn't like that idea very much and he's started to refuse to sleep all night in his crib. It's been frustrating listening to him cry and trying to determine how long to let him fuss before we relented and brought him to our bed. So last week, after Mom's visit we decided to bite the bullet and try a big bed for him. We put him and Cooper in the same (twin) bed and crossed our fingers. The first night he slept until 1 then we got him. The next two nights he slept all night! Then he had a horrible night (which could be due to getting shots that day) and last night he came toodling into our room after midnight (which is a good development, better than crying in the bed). So overall I think we have found a better solution than hearing him call for us from a lonely crib each night. He and Cooper like having a buddy to sleep with and we like knowing they have each other. Last night we put a queen sized bed in their room and took out the little bed. Now they have plenty of room and Mom and Dad can actually have a good place to sleep when they come visit. Win-win.

     For a little while I was desperate to go ahead and get this baby here; tired of being pregnant and ready to get started with this next phase. Now though, I'm feeling better and, since it's Friday, would just as soon he/she wait until Monday to come around. One last weekend to enjoy and get things done would be nice. Now if I'm still pregnant next Friday I won't be so laid back about when the baby arrives. If this baby waits too much longer it'll start interfering with fun Christmas things, and I'd rather he/she be able to participate! I really want to go to a birthday party in Wichita Falls tomorrow evening, but the Dr. said 'No'. But I'm really tempted to go against orders and give it a try. I mean, I'll know I'm in labor an hour before the baby's born, right? Surely I won't have a baby on the road between here and Wichita, right? Dalton said he thinks we should stay home. Mom said I could go as long as Dalton's ok delivering a baby. Where are all the adventurous people?

(Had to put it in B&W because I was looking not so good)

     In trying to get things accomplished before the baby arrives, we scheduled the boys some needed appointments. Wednesday I took Ace to his 18 month checkup (2 months overdue) and Dalton took Cooper to his first dentist appointment. Ace did great. He smiled at the nurses and enjoyed letting them listen to his heart. He was friendly to the Dr. and was very pleasant and more docile than usual. Then it came time for shots. They had an extra person come in to help hold his little legs since he was getting two (usually I only allow one but I weakened that day). He was all happy until they stuck him, then he frowned and they stuck him again and then he got MAD. I know he has a pretty high pain tolerance because of some stunts he's pulled here, so it wasn't the stick of the needle but the idea that these ladies who he'd been flirting with for the past few minutes just stuck him…twice. He cried, let out some big ol' tears but then perked up when they gave him a sucker.

Introducing Cooper to "Mr. Slurpy" 

Showing off his sparkly clean teeth

      Ace's appointment ended just in time for us to head over and catch up with Cooper at the dentist. I watched while the hygienist showed him all the tools and cleaned his teeth. He did so good and seemed to enjoy the experience….of course, because it was a grown up experience! He did have one cavity…I take full responsibility, and we're going to be extra stringent in our brushing routine so this doesn't happen again! At least they are all baby teeth…God is gracious to give us a second try with permanent ones. While Coop was getting his teeth cleaned Dalton was back and forth with Ace, who was ready to explore. Then I hurried off for my Dr. checkup, which was uneventful, and we all met up for pizza before heading home. It was such a nice morning getting to do all of that as a family. And honestly there would have been no way I could have successfully accomplished all 3 appointments with both boys and a bulging belly.
     So as we get ready for this baby's arrival we're thankful for the blessing that he or she will be, nervous to think it may be a girl, not because we don't like girls but because we both have no idea what to do with a girl (really), excited to get going on another adventure, dreading the lack of sleep that is inevitable, curious as to what we'll actually name this little bundle (still haven't settled on names for either), excited at the fun holidays will be this year, a little anxious about how/when he or she will arrive, and praying to God for His timing to be right and for us to be ready!

"But Jesus called for them, saying, 'Permit the children to come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." Luke 18:16-17

Tidbits and Growth

     The boys are growing and changing daily and it's hard to keep up with them and their funny moments. It's hard enough for me to keep up with posting about things going on in our lives, much less the important things that aren't events, but just tidbits.

     So I've been compiling a list on paper until I could get time to put them into words on here. More than sharing them for readers' benefit, I'm recording them here so that in 10, 20 years I can look back and still laugh and smile at the little blessings that are Ace and Cooper, and not wish I could remember what they were doing at this age.

Playdate with the Hydes!

Cooper:
    Elephants - He's obsessed with elephants. He pretends like he's an elephant and runs around with one arm as his 'trunk' picking up things and attempting to tear branches off my plants outside, then he makes what he thinks is an elephant noise, but it's actually more of a squeal. We went to the zoo a couple months ago and it was the highlight of the trip for him to see the elephants…baby ones too. He also loves watching his Wild Kratts episode about elephants and quotes all sorts of facts about them. To be honest, elephants are one of my favorites too, so I'm not too concerned with his interest…if it were snakes I'd be a little worried.

Playgroup zoo visit…not my best shot

    Re-enactments - Cooper has a big imagination and loves to pretend, mostly re-enacting real events from riding along with Daddy or going to town. This is pretty fun until he starts telling you exactly what to say to him, very scripted. For example: Mommy, when I drive this truck by you say 'there goes Cooper in his big truck'. And if we don't say it at the right time we get scolded and told to try again.
   Feed store - One day as we were playing with blocks, trying to think of something to build, I thought a feed store might be a good idea. So we built it around their play barn and used some of the different shaped blocks as different types of feed. I told him I'd be right back…had to go get my truck so I could load up on feed and as I left the room he folded his hands, his face lit up, and he squealed "This is going to be so good!!" He was beyond excited. And it was pretty fun backing up, giving my feed order and letting him load it with his skid steer. We took turns being the 'feed store man' until Ace came along and smashed our store. On another feed store note, we bought a small bag of dog food today and for about 20 minutes the boys took turns taking my order, hoisting the bag on their shoulders and loading it into my 'truck'. I enjoyed that game because all I had to do was watch from the couch (which is allowed when you're 6 days from having a baby!!)

This was another structure we built…church, 

complete with a nursery and children's church room

     "So, how was your day?" - This is the standard question that Dalton gets when we sit down to lunch and supper. Cooper cocks his head to the side, looks at Dalton and asks the question. Then Dalton answers with as much detail as he can muster and we get on with the meal. Now it's pretty cute because Ace chimes in and says "Well…." indicating that he wants Dalton to tell him about his day.
    Rodeo - Another game we've played with the toy horses and trucks and trailers is rodeo. Cooper likes to load all of the horses up, haul them to the rodeo and then we 'buck' them or rope on them before loading them and taking them back to the pasture.
   Skiing - Wow, this list has been on the desk for a while!! Cooper skied for the first time this summer. He skied on Dalton's feet. I wasn't there because it was really hot and I wasn't in 'bathing suit' condition with my bulging belly.
    Word-play - Cooper sometimes gets confused with words and it comes out with some pretty cute results. One instance is when he was looking at the cows behind the house. They are the registered cows and Cooper said "Look mamma, it's the cash register cows." Another time he put the piggin' string around my arm and said he caught a pig. I said I wasn't a pig but he replied "Yes you are, it's a piggin' string."
     Big boy talk - He loves telling me all about things, even if he doesn't know what he's talking about. I keep saying we have an 'Arliss' on our hands from Old Yeller…he can tell a big windy for sure. He's always interested in knowing how things work and then proceeds to tell me about it. The bad thing is that he will argue his point very passionately…even if it's wrong. Makes it hard for me because I want to argue back. We're working on this.
    Weird Kid - Cooper really likes equipment and he pretends like he is a backhoe, excavator, skid steer all the time. It's great when he's scooping up folded clothes and taking them to his room to put away. It's not so great when he's rumbling around the grocery store making equipment noises and getting funny looks from other customers. Dalton said that he's afraid he's going to be the 'weird kid' that takes his imaginary play and obsession with equipment a little too far. I told him I hated to break it to him but I was that kid in elementary school, except my obsession was horses. Who needs other kids when you can have a whole great world alone?

Ace:
     Words, words, words - Ace is a talker already. He loves to mimic and can say so many words, many more than Cooper at this age, so we are always surprised to hear him learn a new one. He's also starting to say multiple words together like "Daddy truck", "Daddy here", "Cooper's truck", etc. Another favorite of his is "Have it" and "Get it" as he holds out his chubby little arm with fingers pinching together like he's grabbing the air.
     Booya - speaking of words Ace is learning, one that Dalton wasn't too fond of when he picked it up is "Boo-ya". But he sounds so cute saying it we don't make him stop!
     Swiper the Fox - Cooper likes to watch Dora (though now that we've paused our TV service, he doesn't watch as much as before..thank goodness) and Ace has picked up on the Swiper routine. He (and Cooper) runs around, acts like he's hiding behind something, sticks his head out and says "Huh" then runs up and 'swipes' something from us. Then he says "Aww man" like Swiper.
     Happy Birthday - Ace's favorite song to sing is the Happy Birthday song. He can sing it pretty well and loves birthdays when he has others join in. Actually Ace loves singing lots of songs. He loves music and trying to sing along.
     No to school - Cooper is a sponge and loves to learn in the traditional sense. Ace is a sponge but does NOT like to learn in the traditional sense. As soon as he realizes that I'm trying to teach him something he bolts away. That's ok though because he has time. And today I was encouraged because I realized that he knows some shapes, despite acting like he doesn't whenever we try to teach him. He just doesn't want to let on because then he'll be accountable!!

Both boys:
    Favorite toys - Skid steers…yes that's right my boys enjoy playing with toy skid steers most of all; maybe it's because their Daddy did a lot of work on the skid steer this summer/fall. Tractors, trucks and trailers come in a close second though! I blame this partly on the fact that we live right on a road that is constantly filled with big trucks and dump trucks hauling equipment from one oil location to another.
    Rough housing - Oh man these boys are rough! They love to wrestle, jump off of anything that they can find, chase each other around the house, throw pillows at each other and probably more if they were allowed. It's going to be a high energy house for a long time! That's ok though, it does wear them out for good naps.
    Riding - They love riding with their daddy. I can't wait until I can join them! Cooper has graduated to riding his own horse….while Dalton leads him. He loves it and so does Ace because it means he gets to go for a ride too. I don't mind either, since it gives me a little time on my own.
     Rio dancing - We really like the movie Rio, particularly the music. It makes for some great dancing for my "samba masters"!

 Grooving and moving

     Underwear guys - They love being in their underwear (or less) and it seems that Cooper never can make it until lunch with all of his clothes on. Dalton is always amazed if he comes home for lunch and Cooper has pants and a shirt on. The boy uses any excuse to strip down to his comfy undies. Ace enjoys the freedom too but since he's learned to take his diaper off I have to keep pants on him!

    Playing together - It's the sweetest thing to see my boys playing together so well. Yes, they do argue over toys or get on each other's nerves at times, but for the most part they get along wonderfully. It's a precious sight to peer in Cooper's room and see them both playing on the floor together. Makes a mama's heart swell with love.

Feeing a bird at the zoo

Fall craft, finger painting leaves on a tree

Other tidbits:
    Getting caught! On one of our feed runs with Dalton we hopped on the back of the truck and rode back there for a little bit while he putted around looking at the cows. Then who drove up to see a pregnant me with the two boys on the back of the truck?? Billy. It was a little embarrassing but we just waved and went on with our business. (I know what you're thinking…where's the picture of this?)
    View from the road: The boys and I get bored in the house so we like to play outside a lot. After a while playing in the yard we get bored and venture into the horse pen. It's there that we wander around, picking up sticks and just killing time. Lots of people drive by, including Dalton, Monte and Billy multiple times. I sometime feel a little silly but what are you going to do? Then one day Dalton said that  he was a little embarrassed of me because I had on my oversized shorts, compression stockings and big Tshirt (complete with bulging belly), peering under the cat barn looking for kittens when he drove by. He said I looked like an old man out about to mow my yard. I could have been offended but instead I just laughed because he was probably right….I've tried to keep my compression socks out of sight since then. He also gave us a good picture of what it was like when he drives by. He said that he looks in the yard and we see him and all stop, freeze and stare him down as he drives by….it must be quite a sight! Good news for him is that winter is coming so we won't have as many opportunities to embarrass him publicly.
      Swing:  Mom and Dad got us a swing for our birthdays and it has been a great addition. For a while we kept it on the front porch so the boys and I would go out often and sit and watch the cars drive by. Or I would take a book outside and read while the boys napped. I joked with Dalton that every time I'm on the porch Monte drives by and I'm sure he thinks all we do is sit out there. Now we've moved it to the back and it's nice to have a place to stretch out while the boys play.
 

Making Happy Thanksgiving turkeys with their hands for the grandparents. 

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known among the nations what He has done." 

1 Chronicles 16:8

Harvest Party / Halloween

     Fall is here and we celebrated last weekend and this week with a Harvest costume party and trick or treating with friends, oh and carving a pumpkin for the first time as a family.

     I decided to make homemade applesauce as a party favor and hand it out in mason jars. It was a lot of work peeling those apples but the cooking process smelled wonderful and the end product was great! I think I'll try not to buy applesauce in the store again, now that I know how easy it is to make at home.

     We had our 2nd annual Harvest Party last Saturday night. It was a big success and about 40 people came, a good mixture of kids and adults. I made a big dessert table again, but forgot to take a picture before everyone came. We had caramel corn, mini pecan pies, cake balls, acorns, leaf shaped sugar cookies and more. For supper we served enchilada soup and all of our guests helped out by bringing the extras needed, like drinks, chips and dip and add ons for the soup.

     A super funny moment was when my dad, dressed as Si Robertson, looked up and saw Louis walking in….dressed in the same costume. We all had a good laugh and made sure to get the two in a picture together. Unfortunately I neglected to get pictures of the grandparents and grandkids by themselves. It was too much fun that I forgot to take enough pictures, shame on me!! 

      Cooper's friend Lucas came as a shark, ready to eat some fishies!

I was a bee and Dalton was my 'Honey'

The boys were a UPS man and a little fisherman

The Robertson men, along with a bat and the Cat in the Hat

The shark brought some fishermen along, as well as a lobster 

Another bee made an appearance with her beekeepers 

Dennis the Menace came too, with Margaret, Mrs. Wilson and the 'mean guy' 

We had the star of 'Mama's Family', minus gray hair, and her bum, kitty and 50s girl

 An airline pilot and his flight attendant flew in for the festivities too

And the great and powerful OZ even came with Dorothy and Glenda the good witch 

No party feels safe without super heroes, but we had several 

Andy's Mom, Bo Beep and her sheep, Buzz, and a toy soldier came too

     I attempted a couple of new games this year. This one was a relay race where the kids filled up pails of popcorn and ran down to dump them into a bowl. Whichever teams bowl was filled first won….except our bowls never got full so we eventually had to call the race.

Go Cooper!

About to make the dump 

     Sop why did we have to call the race? Well, the kids stopped filling up the pail and started eating the popcorn! They were all having a big time. It was pretty funny.

     My second attempt at a new game went a little better. It was another relay race, with dads at one end and kids at the other. The kids ran to the dads with a pumpkin in hand, handed off to the dads, who ran back and gave it to another kid. It actually went pretty well and everyone had fun. Dalton's team won, yay!

     Of course we had to have a pinata, which the kids were super excited about. Only one kid got hit in the head with the bat…Cooper, and he was ok. We also played pin the nose on the pumpkin, another fun game for the kiddos. For the adults I had jars filled with candy, once again. Everyone guessed how many they thought were inside and the closest guess won.

     Overall it was a great party. I was tired by the time it was over, and my feet were pretty swollen, but it was all worth it. So fun to have friends over and play together! 

     The next night Dalton and the boys carved a pumpkin together. We haven't done one before so it was a momentous occasion. Cooper refused to grab a handful of the pumpkin 'innards' while Dalton was cleaning it out. He was too grossed out by it.

     Ace was ready to lend a hand though. The hardest part of the entire process was keeping the carving tools out of Cooper's hands. He was really wanting to dive in. Dalton carved a traditional Jack O Lantern face, but the mouth turned out a bit big because each time he carved a tooth it fell out! So we have a pumpkin with a big mouth….seems that we have several big mouths around here. 

The finished product! 

     The kids got to try out their costumes one more time on Halloween. We got them dressed and headed to town for a bit of trick or treating. Both of them had the line mastered before we even left.
Cooper showed off his package for the camera.

Attempting to get both boys looking was too much, but you get the idea

Oh yes, in case you forgot I'm pregnant. Though in this picture it looks like I stuffed a basketball under my shirt for Halloween. This is my almost 38 weeks picture.

     After going by Sonic for some 50 cent corn dogs, we headed to the Heartfields' to visit before we met up with friends. They were serving pizza to the kiddos and our boys decided to have a second dinner. UPS men do need lots of nutrition to make it through all their deliveries.

Ace was ready to go get some candy. Once we got started and he figured out the drill he was all about it! He would race up to the bowl, grab candy and wait for more. We had to pull him away a few times, but his cuteness saved him from being frowned upon for his manner. 

The trick or treating crew, it was quite a feat keeping track of them all!

     Overall it was a great week celebrating fall and all that comes with it. We enjoyed the friends, family and fun and now we'll be enjoying the treats for a while too. Now that all of that fun is over and it's November, we're into full 'get ready for baby' mode….though I don't know if we'll ever be ready by the time he/she gets here. 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not agains flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:10-12