Meet Alice

Yes, that's right. Alice is a frog. You see, two days ago Ben was twiddling his thumbs sitting in the security booth at Harvest. As he was staring out the window, along hopped a spritely amphibian in the direction of the gate. Being a good security guard (and boy), Ben ran outside to apprehend the green culprit. Knowing full well how much Emma would love said frog, now in custody, Ben brought it home... so begins the saga of Emma's first pet.

Ben took Emma to the pet store to pick out a home for Alice. Thinking of Emma's typical girly tendencies, Ben suggested the aquarium with the purple top. Surprisingly, Emma snatched that one, returned it to the shelf, and picked up the green one, stating it was Alice's color. After picking up a water dish and some crickets, Emma was ready to get her new found (literally), friend home.

(Emma acting like a frog)

(Emma's excited about Alice...can you tell?!)

kids say the silliest things

Some recent quotes from Emma:

"I want to catch that squirrel and squish him."

"I'm so glad Norah popped out of your mouth." (Not going to correct her with how far from reality that is)

"Mommy, I smell your breath, I'm going to turn my head."

PSALM 139

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my

mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was bring made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there were none of them.

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Our precious little girl is here! It's amazing to reflect on this verse from Psalm 139. I remember reading this verse to Emma when she was first born. Even though pregnancy can be a very trying journey for me, it's so worth it. God let me be a part of the miracle of life and for that I'm extremely grateful. He allowed my body to sustain a life for 10 months; now that's some thing to marvel at.

Ready to Leave and Be HOME

After 2.5 days in the hospital, we were ready to head home and begin our life as a family of four.

No turning back now...

Emma was sleeping when we got home because she was fighting a cold. I didn't care, I rushed in her room and woke her up. I, of course, was balling, which confused her a little. She got out of bed though in a great mood as soon as she heard Norah was waiting to meet her big sister.

Emma LOVES when Norah holds her finger

(I got this off of a blog I read. Unfortunately I've been a woman who has judged other moms, thinking my way is better or that I know how to solve the issue they are facing in parenting. I was kidding myself because I am still figuring this out, and if anything, realizing we need more mothers to stand by each other than be in competition over who's kids are better, etc. Shame on me for ever thinking my parenting style would work for someone else. Lord help me if I share any advice out of pride, but instead only out of love and a willingness to see situations from the other person's perspective.)

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Jen Klein writes in her recent article on CNN.com....

"C'mon, you've done it. You judged another mom on her choices, maybe even a close friend. You likely felt a little guilty about it -- but the judgment was still there. The way moms -- well, women in general but especially moms -- judge one another is one of those dirty little secrets of mommy social structure, and it's not so secret.

Being a mom is incredibly hard work, and there's no way to be absolutely sure you are doing it right. Kids don't come with instruction manuals and checklists. There is no annual performance review with incentive awards for successes and improvement plans for less-than-successes.

For many of us, it will be decades before we have a real sense of how we did as a mom.

Amid that incredible level of uncertainty in this oh-so-vital job, it's no wonder we look to other moms for support, reassurance -- and maybe some smug self-satisfaction.

Insecurity about our own efforts combined with the appearance (good or less-than-good) of others' efforts makes conditions ripe for judgment and lashing out. Even among close friends, it's easy to slide into this not-at-all productive dynamic -- whether we want to admit it or not. Best friends or worst enemies -- or both -- the social dynamic among moms is a complicated, two-faced beast. It's the "mommy mafia."

Ah, yes, the mommy mafia. Enforcers of local social structures and norms and judgers of all who dare to do things differently. The mommy mafia can be brutal.

There's a little bit of the mommy mafia in each of us. Throw in one or a dozen of the hot-button issues in parenting today, and it's a potentially combustible situation -- the makings of a mommy mafia turf war!

Working-outside-the-home or stay-at-home, breast or bottle, cloth diapers or disposable, organic or processed, public school or home school, or any one of a myriad of topics from pregnancy to adulthood.

You make your decisions and hope you got them right, but a friend or a "frenemy" makes a comment or gives you the stink-eye and you doubt your decisions all over again -- or you're the one making the comments or giving the eye to a mom who dared to do it differently from you.

When we have any kind of insecurity about our own parenting decisions, pointing fingers at the choices and parenting decisions of others is the easiest thing to do. It deflects attention from issues in our own parenting situation that might rightly need more personal thought and attention. Whether we are convinced that one way is the right way -- or we are still trying to convince ourselves that our decision is the right one -- it's base insecurity that drives this lashing out, this mommy mafia on display.

The mommy mafia, however, is more about perception than anything else. The enforcers are real, but the basis on which we enforce is myth: the myth of the perfect mom, something none of us will attain.

Here's the thing: We're all figuring it out as we go along. Every last one of us. There is no single right way to parent and we all parent differently by necessity -- and none of us are perfect. We all have a different set of circumstances, different strengths and weaknesses, and a different set of lenses through which we make decisions for ourselves and on behalf of our families. From the ones you have judged to the ones who have judged you, we're all doing the best we can, imperfections and all.

And if we all did parent exactly the same way? Sure, the noise around parenting issues would be much quieter, but it would also be a much more boring world. But those differences don't have to slide into mommy mafia turf, either. Learning to accept that we're all different and imperfect as parents is hard, however, especially when we want so much to do a great job.

It starts with accepting ourselves and the choices we have made. We each make a set of choices based on our life, knowledge, resources, and the information before us. No two sets of circumstances are exactly the same either, even within the same family -- and when you are making decisions for your family, the response of the local mommy mafia should be the last thing on your mind.

Once we get to personal acceptance, it's a short hop to real support of one another as moms. Banish the mommy mafia and reject the turf wars. Be the best mom you can be, but accept your imperfections and just keep working at it. You'll likely find you are more resilient and have less need to lash out -- and that's just plain good parenting."

EASTER!

What a GREAT weekend! Emma loved coloring eggs and hunting for them too! She especially liked what she found in the eggs! Surprisingly I only had to tell her one time not to eat anymore, so she shared the candy with Daddy and Uncle Chuck. So generous!

We took an after dinner walk...too much yummy food and candy...

Emma did a GREAT job walking Sammy...her first time walking a dog!

Not once did she let go of the leash.

Easter photo...not a fan of how prego my face looks, but we had to take one. (I think all the candy I ate was redirected to my cheeks.)

Emma's Little Photo Session with Daddy

Emma asked Ben to take these photo's of her. She's ready for her close up!

Just Keep Trying!

We've been working on not giving up with Emma lately. She gets really frustrated when she tries to do some thing and it doesn't work exactly the way she wants it to (or how fast she thinks it should). She wants so desperately to be a BIG girl, but doesn't realize how hard it can be some times. Things are so easy for daddy and mommy, so it should be that easy for her too. It reminds me of this past summer (it's nice to look at pictures of warmer weather during the wintertime), when she tried to ride a bike. She couldn't keep the momentum going, so she would just sit there and go nowhere. As a mother, I just wanted to help her, but Ben likes to remind me to stop coddling her.

In my mind Emma's growing up too fast, but not fast enough for her. So when new situations come up and she needs help, I will encourage her to just keep trying!

Starting off Great...

Frustrated....

Taking a moment...

Trying to stay grumpy...

Giving in a little for mommy...

She can't stay grumpy for that long...

Frustrated that mommy kept "making" her smile...

She got back on and look at that face! Success!

Ladies and gentlemen! Introducing...Norah!

Choosing to Laugh instead of Cry!

(A lesson in learning the peace and calmness from my previous post.)

Ben is out of town this weekend, of course, what does that mean for a mommy at home with a toddler? Well, no sleep because I thought it would be fun to have a sleepover in my bed. (Maybe when she gets older or at least not when I'm pregnant and barely get sleep as it is). We kept ourselves pretty busy most of the day, but when I got home, I felt the no sleep come on with such force; I was able to get to the couch before it knocked me on my butt. It didn't matter because every 2 minutes, Emma asked to use the bathroom. (I had no idea she drank so much today!) What happened next?! The toilet decided to go crazy! Thank God she was off it before I flushed, otherwise her bum would have been soaked. As I was figuring out what to do with the toilet, Emma asked to use some lotion. Sure, anything to get her out of the bathroom and distracted. At that moment, I was completely overwhelmed with the situation, that I didn't care what she wanted...take it! Did it get any better? Nope. She comes running in the bathroom slathered in lotion; apparently she squeezed too much out and didn't know where to wipe all the excess. I about freaked! But after a moment of helping her wipe off the lotion (she smelled like apricot for most of the night) and putting off the toilet issue until Ben gets home today (I got it to the point of at least flushing), I found how comical the whole situation was.

I didn't have my camera, otherwise I would have tried to catch it all in photo's, but just imagine in your head. A sleep deprived mother. A toilet overflowing. And a toddler who was covered in lotion (yes, given to her by me...I take full responsibility for that one).

Hope you are able to laugh about the crazy moments in your life too!

Reflection #1 on having another little girl

"To be known as a woman who experiences God as He truly is and trusts Him fully with the deepest, most intimate details of her life. To be a woman so confident of God's goodness and strength that calmness and peace radiate from her, warming the cold places in all who stand near her- I want to be such a woman." Jan Winebrenner

I love this quote! I pray as I continue this journey of motherhood with Emma, and now another little girl, that I would be an example of such calmness and peace. By God's grace I will be that woman and they will be too!

I'm SOOOO excited to be having another little girl!

Christmas Eve!

We spent Christmas Eve with Jess' mom in Milwaukee. It's the first time in years, where all the kids were home. Jess' brother Chuck has been in South Korea or Japan the past several, so it was nice and surreal to have everyone under one roof.

Any visit with Grandma wouldn't be the same without her giving LOTS of kisses!

Look at my surprise face!

Grandma showing her loot!

Ben got this awesome shirt from Jedidiah. (online store) You can buy shirts that help support different organizations/causes. This one is for Invisible Children, so some of the proceeds from the shirt sale went to their cause. It's like giving the gift of LOVE twice!

My lovely mom playing santa with all her gifts!

Look at that face!

A Baby...like the one mommy's having!

Emma LOVED her box of princess things from Uncle Eric! She loves wearing pretty things!