Status Report

I have been feeling a little lousy lately (but hey, at least I get a baby out of it, right? ☺). The other day Brian asked me in dismay,

"Mom, why are you always just laying all over the house?" It made me laugh because it sounded as though he had found me face down by the back door, or something. I explained that I was okay...just that the baby brother or sister was growing and it made me feel sick, sometimes.

We looked up pictures on the Internet at what the baby looks like at certain stages of gestation. They boys' reactions were rather humorous and a little unsettling as well. At about the 9 weeks gestation mark I pulled up a picture and Brian gasped and said, "That, is your baby?" The look of shock on his face seemed to accuse me of trying to pull a fast one on him, because he had never seen a baby look like, that. Evan glanced and nonchalantly said, "Mom, the baby looks like a lizard." Then, Adam shrieked and yelled, "What is THAT?" in reference to seeing the umbilical cord. I assured my boys that it is completely normal for a baby to look like...well, a lizard, if you will, that early on in the pregnancy.

They seem suspicious that I may be mistaken.

Evan told me flatly that even if this baby is a girl, he and his brothers will do everything in their power to make sure she is a tomboy. He said, "We won't have any kind of princess stuff or Barbies around here...we are going to make sure she is tough!" At one point we had the following conversation:

Evan: "Mom, I'm serious...even if it is a girl we won't let her be a 'girly' girl."

Me: "We'll see..."

Evan: "What was that name you said you might name her if she is a girl?

Me: "Uh, Cara?"

Evan: "No."

Me: "Um, Robin?"

Evan: "No...the name I really didn't like at all..."

Me: "Ohhh, you didn't like the name Allison..."

Evan: "Yeah, Allison. Mom, if you have a girl and you name her Allison, I am going to call her, Al."

You see what I am dealing with here, people?

Unfortunately,I laughed at Evan's saying he would call a baby girl, "Al". I need to try not to encourage the child. I should have simply said, "Go 'way kid, you bother me." but, he catches me off guard with his humor. I must confess, I love that about him.

So...there you have it. Life is good.

And I promise that even though I don't feel very well...I have never been found face down by the back door.

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Guess Who's Pregnant!!

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ME!!!

Oh, c'mon doesn't everybody take at least 2 tests to make sure the first one was really correct? Uh...taking a picture of yourself closeup enough to see that second pink line on the pregnancy tests really accentuates one's pores and uneven skin tone, huh? Well, at least the double chin, that we all know existed prior to conception, but will be blamed on the pregnancy in the months to come, isn't in the closeup picture.

I love how the ultrasound technician labeled our baby, "THE BABY". I mean...I would have preferred she labeled my child with something along the lines of, "The most perfect, wonderful, gorgeous baby that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing on the ultrasound equipment." (My 3 older children were born in Virginia, so that is why I feel she has free license to call this child the most wonderful...because she didn't have the pleasure of photographing the others). But, I guess, "THE BABY" will suffice.

We. are. THRILLED!! ☺.
Our bundle of joy is due on August 8th. It's gonna be a fun summer in the fiery depths of Georgia for this whiny girl.
Now, please don't take this personally...but I have to go throw up.
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2008 In Review...you know, basically all of the things that I meant to blog about but didn't. (Brace yourself, there will be lots of photos).

Here we see what can happen if you use the exercise ball to, "fly like Superman." It's okay, Adam...they say, the ladies love scars.
The annual wearing your Easter basket on your head. Jaime this picture made me think of your post.

I posted in 2008 how Evan's Hokie pinewood derby car made it to regionals. I never followed up by reporting he took 4th in the regional competition.

Evan cracks me up. I was trying to take a picture of all of the belt loops he has earned so, I had him turn around and he said dryly, "Hey Mom, I'm not smiling in this one." in response to me pestering him to, "Smile please!" for all of the pictures I had just taken.

Planting the Garden in early April:

Doesn't Mike have great calves? (Don't delete that when you read this, honey)

Adam looks thrilled. ☺

I don't like planting the garden. I wouldn't mind it, except for the fact that it is outside...in the mugginess of Georgia...with bugs present. Basically, it is one of those things I only do to be obedient to the Prophets of our day. I have to say, though, I had a lovely time, in spite of myself. Mike used the time for us to discuss spiritual things. He shared with the boys how the seeds we were planting can be likened to our testimonies of the gospel and how weeds are like sin.

These two can even look cool while planting. Just ask them...they are happy to demonstrate.

Father/Son Campout (May 3rd, 2008):

Mike told me that right after this picture was taken Adam tried to playfully snatch the bat Brian was holding, which, of course, upset Brian...and a full on wrestling match between all three boys commenced inside the tent. Ask me how lovely it was to have everyone, "gone camping" for the night.

Poor, sweet Adam. The year 2008 was one of repeated head wounds for him. Don't worry...the black eye wasn't from Brian's bat making contact with it in the tent. He got this shiner from tripping into the wall at home and getting a huge, "goose egg" on his forehead that drained down into his eye socket.

This picture Mike took at the campout makes me teary. It really captures Brian in the year 2008.

Pollen in Georgia:
The pollen is so thick in early spring in Georgia that everything is coated in yellow. After a rainstorm this is what washed off of the front of my van and the trashcan. Blech.

A Freak Hailstorm on May 20th, 2008:

I know my hands aren't that big, but still...hail the size of quarters and dimes was raining down. Evan and Adam were on the school bus when the storm hit. They explained how loud it was when the hail hit the metal roof of the bus. Evan laughed as he explained how everyone started screaming, and how the bus driver had to yell over the frantic screams, for everyone to please calm down so he could concentrate enough to pull over to a safe place until the storm passed. The hail was so loud on the roof of our house...I cannot imagine how loud and scary it was for the bus passengers. I asked Evan why he thought the fear on the bus was funny? He explained that he didn't think it was funny at the time...it was just funny once he was safe at home.

Evan received his Arrow of Light:

Our Ward has an actual, "bridge" that a Cub Scout can walk across to "cross over" to becoming a Boy Scout in a small ceremony held at the church. Here we see Evan's feet in the, "crossing over" ceremony.

We had several Sundays in June where the temperature reached 103 degrees. One such Sunday after I pulled into the driveway, Brian took a while to hop out of the van. When he finally appeared he had tried to unbutton his shirt because he was so hot. He couldn't get the collar button undone on his own, but he told me, "Hey Mom, just leave my shirt like this...now I can be Super Brian." Here we see Super Brian walking a dog we were dog-sitting right after we arrived home from church. The streets of Georgia have never been safer since Super Brian arrived.


Beach Trip of Summer 2008:

Roughly an hour and a half into a 9 hour trip to the beach Brian exclaimed, "I can't just sit here all DAY!!" I turned to Mike and muttered, "We're doomed."

Pretending a large uphill bridge was a roller coaster.

While at the beach I got a staph infection in my foot. My ankle swelled and I got a red streak of infection up my leg. The receptionist in the triage area looked at my foot and said in a strange accusatory tone, "Owwww...that looks infected." Obviously they keep him on staff because he is brilliant.

The ER doctor that treated me was named Dr. Quinn. I laughed when she introduced herself but quickly caught myself and asked her, "I guess you get lots of comments about being Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman?" She smiled and said that she did, indeed.

Mike avoiding my camera in the ER waiting room.

Evan and Adam got to go deep sea fishing with Grandad, Mike and Uncle David. Grandad lent the boys hats to help them from getting sunburned.

Feeding the birds off of the deck of the beach house.

Playing in the pool.

Evan and Jade.Evan and Adam kept making revving noises and pretending to drag race with the floaties.
Grandma and Grandad Marshman with our boys and cousins Erik and Holly.
Cousin Holly

"Oil and Water" was what we nicknamed these two because that is about as well as they mixed. They were pretty hilarious, though.

Cousin Erik.

Heading to the beach.


Everyone loved riding the waves Evan had his first 11 Year old Campout with Dad:

Adam Got Glasses:

We think he picked out some great frames.

Evan joined the 6th Grade band and began playing the trumpet:

They had their first concert last December. Everyone got to dress up for the holiday theme and decorate their music stands.


Brian made a gingerbread house (well, graham cracker) at school and informed me after eating two gumdrops off of the roof that he does not like gumdrops. "I spitted them out, Mom."


We attended the amazing, "Lights of the South" for the second year in a row. Brian kept asking if we were at the North Pole. When we explained that we weren't he started saying that we were at the, "North Pole of the South". I believe he had a point.


We hope you enjoyed all of the things I meant to blog about in 2008. Perhaps, my New Year's resolution should be to keep up with my blogging better in the new year?

Nah, we all know a silly New Year's resolution won't inspire me to post more frequently. ☺