Seriously

Owen,

You have got to start using the potty.

Mommy

I have changed four poopy diapers today. The thing is, this is normal for him. They were not spread out either, they occurred only about 30 minutes apart. Too long to leave his diaper on and let him finish, but not long enough so that I can get things accomplished other than changing his diaper. ARRRRGGGG!!!!

Here are so pictures of him from today: He actually had a poopy diaper at the time, though I didn't know it.

Linus

He really loves this little piano, but hates having his picture taken, so I had to sneak this one. ;)

Don't mind the mismatched clothes. He likes to pick out his own pjs so he looks like this all the time.

School

I am registering Gavin for kindergarten on tomorrow. We currently send him to a private school and will continue this for him next year. Tuition has gone up several hundred dollars this upcoming school year and with the new baby coming, we have decided to not send Owen. I am not thrilled about this, because I can definately see a difference in my sweet little man since beginning school this past September. However, Eddie and I have agonized over this, and we feel that it is crucial that Gavin goes and if we have to choose, then he definately needs it more than Owen. Owen will only be "just" three in the Fall and Gavin was 3 1/2 when we started him and had less of a foundational knowledge than Owen already shows a year younger. I am just praying that this is the "right" thing for the boys. Hopefully the next year, we will be better prepared to send them both to private school. Owen should not be behind as far as academics, I am just concerned over the social aspect.
Why private school? I have my BA in Elementary Education. I taught in our local school district for two years and am against many things in the school system. I realize that private schools have downfalls as well, but still feel that their education there will superseed anything they receive from the public system.
Some things that I am not happy with in the public schools are as follows:
Students are no longer grouped by ability. (There are studies that support both sides of this argument, but I do agree with ability grouping). The honors students succeed in spite of the teacher, the average student is the one that is taught to, and the below average student usually falls behind. I know that the No Child Left Behind act and individual teachers are trying to change this, however, it hasn't worked; yet.
Low parent involvement
The teachers cannot do it all. I discipline my kids and help them with their homework at home. However, not all parents take this responsibility seriously, so the teachers are stuck doing it in the classroom and not providing enough active learning opportunities. (Again, this is not the teacher's fault) In Private School, you find more parent involvement inside the school. It is crucial to the school's existence.
Teaching to the Test
Our state is on the lower end of the spectrum as far as test scores nationally. Teachers are very much encouraged to teach to the test(of course, noone will tell you they do this). Their performance and adequacy as an educator is judged on how well their students test at the end of the school year.
Large Class Sizes
Gavin will have no more than 10 students in his class next year. In a public school the numbers would be closer to 30 students. This allows less one on one interaction between the teacher and student and more empty periods throughout the day when students are not finishing activities at the same time.
Okay, Dad, I am finished my rant. ;)

23 Weeks

Due to all my recent nesting(which includes severely cleaning all closets in our house), I have somehow managed to pull a muscle in my back and cannot get any relief. I know Motrin would take care of the pain, but is on the list of "to avoid" drugs in the handbook that my OB provides. Tylenol isn't doing much, neither are any of the backrubs that all my boys keep giving me. ;)

On a happier note, I am one of four ladies at my church that are currently pregnant with baby girls. Three of us are within + or - a month of each other. I really wasn't expecting a shower with this baby. I don't have "tons" of friends so my list of invitees would be fairly small. However, one of my favorite ladies in the church asked me this Sunday if I would mind if she did a joint shower for Amanda and I. Of course not. Who would say no to a baby shower? Amanda is due a couple of weeks before me. This is her third as well and her first girl so we definately have no pink but are dying to get it. ;P

Gavin is getting excited(I think). He is still embarrassed of having a sister. However, he keeps telling me that he can't wait until she comes out. I am thinking he may change his mind several times about this in the coming months. Especially when she gets here and can't get down and play with him right away like Owen does.

Here are EmmaKate's 23 week stats:

Week Twenty-Three
Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since he hasn't begun to form body fat.
Bones located in the middle ear harden.
Your baby is able to hear. (Dads, did you know: low-frequency sounds mimicking a male voice penetrate the abdomen and uterine wall better than the higher frequencies of the female voice?)
The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation.
The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. She has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars.
If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival, his odds going up with each passing day. .
The average baby at this stage weighs 1.1 pound (501gm) and is 11.38 inches (28.9cm) long.

Just some Pics...

There isn't much to report. I have been too busy nesting. LOL I thought I would share some pictures. Gavin and I have fun together with the camera. Owen, notsomuch. Be forgiving of the messy faces and the toothpaste in Gavin's hair. It has been a lazy Saturday. ;p

Daddy and his baby girl!

I am serious, he never felt the boys move until sometime in my third trimester. I am just not used to this. Tonight, she was really stretching and bumping away in there and I said, "Eddie, come sit by me so you can feel Emma Kate". He felt her!!!

Family Picture

Here is our family picture for the church directory. It is actually the one where Owen looks the least mad. We ended up not buying anything and left with only our free 8x10(which was horrible quality). The lady was really nice until I told her that I was sorry but I couldn't justify spending 79.00 for the cheapest package when Owen wasn't smiling in any of the pictures. Then she was really sharp with us. Sigh, she was taking pictures of a church...

Cups!

I love these little cups that Kyler gave to the kids for Christmas. They drink out of them all the time. I actually picked the boys' names hoping that they would not be on things like this which would mean they are very common. However, these are so cute that I don't mind anymore.

22 Weeks

This was a busy week for me. I have been nesting, nesting, nesting! I have also been shopping!!!! It is so much fun preparing for a daughter. She is an active little thing which is really good since each time she moves I get that reassurance that she is okay in there.

Week Twenty-Two
Your baby weighs close to a pound at this point!
Your baby can now hear your conversations more clearly than before!. When you talk, read, or sing, expect her to hear you. Studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero.
Eyelids and eyebrows are fully formed.
Fingernails have grown to the end of the fingers.
Be prepared for all those "Why" questions coming! Your baby's brain has entered a stage of rapid growth, especially in what's called the germinal matrix. This structure deep in the middle of the brain serves as a kind of factory for brain cells and disappears shortly before birth. But the brain's amazing expansion program continues until around the five birthday.
With some help from mom, baby's liver is starting to break down bilirubin, a substance produced by red blood cells.
If your baby is male his testes begin their descent to the scrotum.
Primitive sperm have formed and he is producing testosterone.
Length is 10.94 inches (27.8cm); weight is nearly 1 pound (430gm).

Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

This is what my boys are thinking right now. They are not as estatic as their mommy and daddy about the upcoming arrival of their little sister. They both have assured me over the last several months that it was a boy baby growing in my belly and that I did not need an ultrasound to tell us that. It is cute and funny to me because I know that God will change their hearts and that they will just adore this little girl.
Yesterday, Gavin told me that he was very angry at God because he had asked Him for a baby brother. He doesn't like "girly and pretty stuff". This was a wonderful opportunity for me to share my faith with him and show him the heart of God. I told him that his Daddy and I have prayed so much for a baby and just wanted a healthy baby since we loved them so much and saw how much fun that Gavin and Owen have together. We wanted to increase that love in our house. I told him that God answered our prayers for a healthy baby and that even though we love this little girl, we would have been just as happy with a boy baby as well. I also mentioned that God gave him a brother in Owen and that sometimes when we ask God for something, He gives us what we need which sometimes may not be what we want.
This is tough spiritual stuff for a five-year old.
Owen just said, "No sister; I want BOY!"
I just pray that I can/will be careful not to dismiss their feelings but also show them what a joy that a little sister will be to her big brothers.

It's A Girl...

I am in love!

I am shocked to say the least. It really seems so surreal to me. Eddie and I are just thrilled. I couldn't stop smiling as she finished up the u/s and for the rest of the day it was the same. While she was doing the scan, she kept going over the leg measurements and cord and everything, but was very quiet about the sex. I was thinking it might be a girl since the scrotum didn't jump out at me like it did with the boys. Finally, I just said to her, "Well, I don't see the penis", she then exclaimed, "That's because it's a girl!"

21 Weeks, I can't believe it!!!

It is finally here. This is a major milestone since I get to see the baby tomorrow. I am absolutely thrilled. I am also a nervous wreck. I am praying for a healthy child.

Week Twenty-One
White blood cells are under production. Leukocytes (or white blood cells) form our body's defense sytems. They help fight infections and diseases.
Your little one's skin has changed from translucent to become more opaque.
Your infant's tongue is fully formed. If you were able to peek you might catch your son or daughter practicing giving you a raspberry!
If your baby is a girl, her womb and vagina are formed. Unlike males, females have a limited supply of eggs in their lifetime. At this point your daughter will have 6 million eggs. This amount decreases to approximately one million by birth.
Baby swallows more this week. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel. This is good practice for his digestive system!
Wake and sleep periods become more consistent. Some research suggests that baby sets her internal clock to match the outside world's even before birth! Your eating and sleeping habits as well levels of light and noise serve as her signals.
Length is now measured crown to heel.
Baby measures about 10.51 inches (26.7cm) and weighs nearly 12.7 ounces (360g).

Two More Days...

Until we can see this little soul growing inside me. I am so excited that I can hardly wait. WOOT!!!

Progress Reports

I received the boys' progress reports this week. Gavin's was written with S=Satisfactory, N=Needs Improvement, P=Poor. Owen's was a phone conference with his teacher, whom I absolutely adore.

Gavin needs to Master his letter recognition, number recognition, counting, cutting, holding a pencil, and writting his name for four year preschool. So far, he has Satisfactory completed most of those tasks. He still has a couple letters that he does not consistently recognize and then some letters have not been covered in school this year. Yay, Gavin!!! He has a lot of friends and is very good about taking part in class.

Owen is in preschool focusing mainly on socialization skills. They do work on colors, shapes, letters, and numbers. I was shocked yesterday in the car when Owen just counted 1-10 out of the blue. 1,2,3,4,5, 7, 8,9,10. He did skip six, but it took Gavin until he was 3 1/2 to do that. To be fair, I did not enroll Gavin in preschool until he was 3 1/2. Ms. Lisa said that Owen was the smallest and youngest in the class and that he and the other children know it. He will often sit in the bigger girls laps and let them hug and kiss him. He loves being the baby. Ms. Lisa has to tell all of them that Owen is a big boy and he can do things himself. He is very shy but since Christmas has begun to come out of his shell and will even talk very loud in class. However, if she asks him a question she must say his name but look away from him to get him to speak. For some reason, eye contact with my little sweetie just turns that shyness on full-force.

It looks like we have Honor students in the house! ;) Teehee.

Mr. President

Recently I started using hot curlers on my hair. I haven't used them in years, but with the winter dryness my hair falls straight and limp. The boys like to crowd in around my in the bathroom as I am getting ready(this drives me nuts). Gavin looked at me and said, "Mommy, you look like the President with those things in your hair". At first I thought he said Princess(who am I kidding? Haha) so I repeated Princess? He exclaimed, "Noooo, President". Oh my word! He then went on in Gavin fashion to say that "The two round things on this side and then two round things on that side with the hair hanging down". It takes a bit of deciphering but I finally realized after gazing at myself long and hard in the mirror that I indeed looked like George Washington with my hair that way(just black instead of white). Kids can sure keep you humble.

How wonderful is this!!!

I can feel the baby move from outside of my belly today. Yay!!! He or she is being very active tonight. I have felt him/her move about 20 times in the last 30 minutes. The movements are getting very forceful, too. You can just tell that the little bones are strengthening. It is so cool to be pregnant. Well, tried to get Gavin to feel, but he kept moving his hand and finally just got tired of sitting next to me. Now, Owen is currently rubbing my belly as it is his nightly routine and I am wondering if he will feel the baby even before Eddie does. Eddie is currently working nights so he isn't able to sit here with me forever trying to feel movement. ;p

Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

I seem to have a lot of my energy back. The weather here has been awesome, today is supposed to be a high of 75 degrees. Even in the South, that is pretty hot for February.

Yesterday we decided to head to the park after lunch. I met Christie, Kyler, and Katie there and we hung out and let the kids play and play. We spent about three hours there and boy were the boys exhausted when we drove home. I am such an advocate of getting little boys and girls outside to play as a means of exhausting that energy they have. I do enjoy that fresh air, too.

On this past Saturday night, we went to Bounce Around. It turned out to be a really nice place. They had three bounce castles set up with slides, obstacle courses, and an open bounce area, then a rock climbing wall, and video games. It was $5.00 for each kid to have unlimited bounce time. We stayed for about 2 1/2 hours. Both of the kids LOVED it!!! What irritated me though, was some of the older kids there. Owen was really in the thick of it, climbing huge walls and rolling down the huge slides; however, he is two. Eddie and I really had to get angry at some of those older kids for either falling on Owen's legs or scrambling up the climbing walls basically on top of the poor kid. Next time we go, I will definately plan it for sometime during the school day so that only toddlers and preschoolers will be there.
I really wish I would have brought my camera. Next time.

20 Fabulous Weeks

I get to see little baby in 8 more days. Woohoo!!! I am just praying for a healthy, healthy baby.

Week Twenty
You're half way there!
The rapid growth stage is about over. While things have slowed down, this next stage is vital to survival.
The baby's heart grows stronger. Find a quiet place, lay flat on your back. Locate your own heartbeat by finding your pulse. Next lay your hand on your belly. You may be able to distinguish the two heartbeats!
His legs are reaching their relative size. With the increase muscle develop occurring as well, you will start feeling much more than tiny flutter kicks soon!
Immunities are being transferred from you to your baby now. These immune cells will protect her from viruses you've already had for up to six months after birth!
The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch are now developing in specialized areas of the brain. Production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections.
Your baby may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, she can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that baby becomes accustomed to during her development stages often are calming after birth.
If your baby is a girl, her uterus is starting to develop. She has approximately six million eggs in her ovaries. About one million will remain at birth.
Baby is about 6.46 inches (16.4cm) and weighs around 10.58 ounces (300g).