eXtreme potty training

So today is our first official day of potty training boot camp! We are armed with M&M's, Thomas the train big boy underwear, and pull ups! Ethan is willing and able to go potty, we have just not been consistent. He loves going pee pee standing up, and is getting better about going #2. However he just isn't telling us when he has to go. So we are hitting it hard starting today. Hopefully he will be potty trained or at least MOSTLY potty trained by the time the new baby gets here in February.

"Watch this, baby"

This afternoon Ethan talked to the baby for the first time. I was laying on the couch and he was standing next to me playing with his mega blocks. He discovered that when he pulled the blocks apart real quickly that it made a suction pop sound. He kept doing it and laughing. Then he looked at my stomach and said, "watch this, baby", as he made the noise. He laughed and said, "do you like that?". I just laughed watching him interacting with his brother/sister already. Then just a few minutes later he said, "huggy baby" and laid on my stomach. How stinkin' cute is that?! Let's hope he has this same love and infatuation when he/she actually arrives!

Lately I have been experiencing writer's block. I want to write more on my blog but I feel like I have nothing to say. Summer is winding down and I am SO ready for Fall. I can't stand the heat, let alone being pregnant in the heat. I am 14 weeks tomorrow and the baby is moving like crazy. I felt him/her move early on but the past 4 days he/she has been moving a ton. Just a little muscle twitch type feeling, but it's like he/she is dancing a jig! I don't know if it is my hopes talking, but I feel like it is a girl this go around. Of course we'll be happy either way! Ethan has said it is a sister since day 1, so we'll see if he is right.
Anyhow, On a very different note, I think more and more lately i've realized how many hurting people are in this world. I mean we hear so much on the news that we've become numb to it. But just in my family I can see hurt between unknown medical issues to an uncle who has been a battling alcoholic almost his entire life. It pains me so much to see people hurting and with such big needs, but what bothers me the most is those that don't have a relationship with the Lord. Being a Christian doesn't mean that you are a naive person who is happy all the time and doesn't experience pain. But that we have a hope and a reason. We have peace and comfort in the midst of trials. I just pray that those who are hurting and in need reach out to God for comfort instead of trying to find peace on their own. Some of the wealthiest people in the world have learned the hard way that wealth, drugs, alcohol, and more does NOT satisfy, but when they have turned to faith they realize a relationship with God is what satisfies our every desire. Just check out this website: www.Iamsecond.com for stories of every day people and celebrities who have found hope in the Lord.

Butterfinger cake

My parents watched Ethan for us yesterday while we went to our church's lake day! We enjoyed being there and not chasing around a rug rat. My parents then cooked us dinner when we came over to pick Ethan up. Dad made a great dinner with all of Matt & I's favorites: Pork chops, macaroni and cheese, potatoes, and applesauce. To finish out the night dad pulls out BUTTERFINGER CAKE!!!! He had made my new favorite dessert as a surprise. We are definitely spoiled by my parents. Love you mom and dad!

One of my favorite times of day

One of my favorite times of the day is putting Ethan down for a nap or down for the night. Ever since he was itty bitty I started singing to him before bed. First it started out as just one song, but through the past year or so we now have a nightly play list that we have to go through. We lay in his big bed, snuggled together and sing various songs. Some of the traditional ones are ABC's, Jesus loves the little children, and Jesus loves me. I always ask him, "what's next?" and he makes requests. Ever since a few weeks ago when we went to Camp Willow Run, we now have 3 or 4 from camp we have to sing. I just cherish this time. We sing, are silly, give kissies, hugs, snuggles and just enjoy each other. He has always gone to bed wonderfully and he is genuinely happy when it's time to go to sleep. We also have a tradition to give a kiss before I get out of bed, then I always kiss him on the forehead and cheeks before I walk out. If I try to walk out without doing the second wave of kisses, he lets me know! As I shut the door I always say, love you. And I just melt when he says, "yove you mommy, night night" as I leave. I know this won't last forever. It would be kind of weird if he was 16 snuggling in bed with his mama singing songs before bedtime. So I am cherishing these times and loving every minute. If going down to sleep takes 30 minutes, so be it. I won't give these times up for anything. Except when occasionally he wants only daddy to put him down. We will even have all 3 of us snuggled in his twin bed singing and cuddling before bed some nights. We won't be able to do that too much longer when this belly of mine starts taking over the bed.
What is a nightly tradition you have with your kids or significant other? Matt and I have our own....every single night we kiss before we go to sleep. It makes it interesting for those few nights we may have gone to bed in a disagreement because despite our anger in the moment we stop. Say I love you and kiss each other. Because at the end of the day nothing else matters except how much we love and care of each other. All arguments and differences aside.
I love my family so much and feel so blessed!

Butterfinger Cake

I have not made this recipe, but I have eaten this cake and it is SO good! This recipe was in my new bible study called No Other Gods, by Kelly Minter. It could quite possibly be my new favorite dessert.

BUTTERFINGER CAKE

Preheat oven: 350 degrees Serves: 16

1 box Devil's good cake mix
10 oz. cola or diet cola
1 egg white
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
2 T. peanut butter
8 oz. Cool Whip
7 Nestle fun-size Butterfinger candy bars

Combine cake mix, cola, and egg white. Bake according to cake mix instructions in a greased 9x13 pan.

A few minutes before the cake is to be done, combine sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in a saucepan. Cook and stir on low to make creamy and warm.

When cake is done and still hot, poke holes in top of cake with a knife and pour peanut butter mixture over top of cake. You may have to spread the mixture a little to help it go down into the holes. Sprinkle top with half of the chopped Butterfingers. Cool cake completely.

Cover with Cool Whip and sprinkle remaining Butterfingers over top. Keep in fridge until ready to serve.

* Cheri's addition: it was actually still warm when we ate it, and it was just as delightful!

Baseball beast

We got this short video of Ethan hitting some baseballs. Of course I didn't grab the camera until the end of him hitting the balls. He had been doing it for 20 minutes and was creaming one right after the other, but he got tired and mix that with no nap he started getting a bit of an attitude. So, for his Daddy's sake, know that he kills the balls 90% of the time, but when he's tired and done... he's done! Will he be our early retirement??!! HA!

Date weekend

This past weekend my parents took Ethan camping with them so that Matt and I could have a nice weekend the 2 of us. Friday my mom picked Ethan up around 4:00p.m. That night Matt and I went out to the Melting Pot which is our traditional anniversary place to go! We enjoyed some very yummy fondue. (The new picture to the right on my blog is from that night) The cheese is our favorite, so this year we decided to order extra cheese and not get the chocolate. We are so full by dessert that it isn't enjoyable anyway. We had a great time and loved the yummy food! After dinner we went over to our awesome friend's house (in case you didn't know, our awesome friends are none other than Cary and Amanda Penrose!) and played cards and watched a movie! Saturday we slept in, I was actually able to sleep-in until 9:00! I haven't slept in that late for a long time. Saturday was pretty low key. I actually got a bit stir crazy because I am used to being on the "go"! Matt could sit on his rump all day and do nothing and be perfectly content, but I want to be going somewhere or doing something. So he won out and that afternoon we enjoyed a 2 hour nap! My in-laws called us and invited us to dinner at Cracker Barrel, yum! So we ate a great dinner with them and then headed over to our friend's Brad and Brooks' house! We really enjoyed sitting around with them for several hours just talking! We had planned on playing a new game with them that we haven't played before but we had a great time just talking and never got to the game! Sunday we woke up and went to church, after church I went and ate lunch with some ladies from our church. It was a lot of fun and very yummy as well! Matt had softball practice, so I went to Target and did some shopping on our annual tax-free weekend! I then went to my parents house where I waited for my little boy to come home!!! When they got home he was hyper! So he ran around while I helped mom work on my niece's quilt! I drew a big dolphin and a hibiscus flower on fabric so that mom could cut it out and sew it together on Lauren's quilt for her 2nd birthday! I am sure it is going to turn out great!
Anyhow, while we always thoroughly enjoy our weekends or nights to ourselves we always miss our little booger! Thank you mom and dad! I know he had a blast and we appreciated having a quiet weekend to ourselves!

**Red font indicates change to post after original entry! Gotta please my readers! (View comments if you want to have a clue as to what i'm talking about!)

First doctor appointment

Yesterday I had a dr. appointment for the new wee one inside of me. The appointments were running an hour and a half late. So instead of sitting right next to a bunch of other women in awkward silence, I broke the silence. (Not to worry, it wasn't in a bodily function type way. Ha.) I started talking to the woman beside me and she started opening up. It is amazing how much people really would love to talk if it weren't for the unspoken i'm-sitting-in-a-waiting-room-don't-want-to-make-eye-contact-or-speak kind of rule. Sadly the lady was at a follow up appointment because she just miscarried. A few other women started talking as well and we were all sharing past childbirth stories and questions/comments about our new pregnancies. I actually thoroughly enjoyed my time waiting. My favorite was a Chinese woman that came and she had the funniest sense of humor. I shared with her how i've been to China and she is actually from where I visited several years back. Anyway, I finally got called back and they did some doctorly things that i'll spare you the details on and then it was time to listen for the heartbeat. Well she couldn't find it. The doctor looked at me and said, "Do not worry, this happens all the time, let's go do a quick ultrasound to see if we can find it". Do not worry?! Are you kidding me?!!! She might as well have said, ok go ahead and worry because I know if I tell you not to that you are going to worry anyway! I was worried because a dear friend of mine miscarried recently, and the lady I sat next to waiting had miscarried. So I called Matt up real quick and told him to say a prayer that they had to do an ultrasound to find the heartbeat. Right when I hung up this verse from the bible quickly came to mind. "Be still, and know that I am God!" I was comforted but then immediately started thinking what does that mean? Does that mean, be still and know that I am God because you just miscarried or does that mean be still and know that I am God and don't worry everything is fine. Immediately it came again, "Be still, and know that I am God!" I resolved in my heart, that no matter the circumstances or the outcome, that I am going to be still. Stop worrying. And trust that He is God and He has my best in mind! If God forbid, I were to have miscarried, I trusted right then and there in my heart that God would have given us peace and comfort and that we would have made it through that time.
After a few minutes the doctor quickly came in, set up the ultrasound and there I saw my little one's heartbeat beating away. There was no better feeling than that moment.
I don't understand why some babies live and some don't. I won't even begin to try and answer that life long question, why do bad things happen? But what I do know and trust is that God has a plan. A plan for our best! He has a plan for His glory to be revealed. I have to trust that no matter what comes our way... bad or good, that He loves us. He will be our comfort and peace. He never promised that life would be easy. But He did promise to give us His peace that surpasses all understanding. He did promise to love us to matter what! God IS good. We may not understand timing or reasoning, but in the end I know and trust that it will all be for His great plan which is far greater than we ever could imagine! I will end with a quote from one of my favorite songs, Blessed Be Your Name.

"You give and take away, but still I will say BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!"

Giant Swing

Ethan watched the campers and decided he wanted to try the giant swing with daddy at camp this past week. He did way better than I thought, though when they first dropped he said, "daddy I scared". But that was the extent. I was expecting screaming & crying! What a big boy!!

p.s. I let a camper record this with my camera so it is a little shaky and we had a huge storm come up across the lake on us, so the video ends abruptly! They all had to run to the gym, so you can hear the girls' disappointment at the end! HA!