Updates, pictures, and how we are- you know the stuff that makes up the everyday

Pete has been applying for jobs, post-docs and industry jobs, it has become a job in and of itself. I think he is almost done, for now. He has heard back from two industry positions already, so that is exciting. One is very exciting and is really the only non- academic job he has ever discussed with enthusiasm. In about a week and a half he has a phone interview with this company and if it goes well they will contact him a week or so later to arrange flying him out for an all day interview. Jack has even started praying for Pete, which is sweet. His prayer is something like, " Dear God, Please let my dad get a job because I know he wants one, and I want him to have one too. It would be neat if he got a job at ---- because we use it all the time and really like it. Amen." So maybe with kid prayers thrown in things will turn out alright.

I am 8 weeks from my due date and during that 8 weeks 3 members of our family will have birthdays.  Meg will be kicking us off in just a few weeks followed by Luke and Jack. We like to cram all the birthdays in at the beginning of the year-- you know just for fun. Poor Thomas does not enjoy this though because he and I are the only 2 members of the family with birthdays separated by quite a few months from all the others. He thinks this is very very unfair and talks pouts about it almost every day.


Meg is obsessed with my phone and the iPad and needs to be using smashing both at the same time.

Cute Meg using Mom's phone and you can kinda of see the iPad by her feet

Even sick Meg needs to have both

Her favorite person in the world is her daddy. She will just sit in his hole, space between him and the couch, and be very content. She isn't like that with anyone else.

 Here she is with this game she invented. She puts these star shaped gems in the toy like a bank then closes it, once this was done she repeats over and over again. She did this for about 30 minutes.

Luke and Thomas are great buddies, and in case they forget years down the road, here are a couple pictures to prove it.

playing with marbles

coloring and wearing matching clothes- they love to match

With the crazy winters here, and us not really having a yard or any space, we felt that getting the boys involved in some type of consistent activity would be a great idea. We signed them up for gymnastics and after just one class they both love it a ton! They are in separate classes, but the classes meet at the same time, which is great for mom. Here are some pictures.

Jack has started Tae Kwon Do again, but I don't have any pictures of that. He will also start basketball this weekend. Maybe I will get some pictures of that. Poor Jack, I realize that as he gets older I have fewer and fewer pictures of him. He does have the most baby pictures though, so maybe it balances out?

The weather has been insane since school started back. I believe Jack has only had 3 full days of school, two snow days, and the rest delays. He actually says he likes the delays best because he doesn't have to make those up, and the day is super short. The temperatures have been in the single digits/ negatives quite often and with the windchill also in the negative I haven't let them go out everyday. When they are allowed out they love it!

Other things here:

I was looking to see what clothes Meg had for her 12-18 month age range when Luke noticed there were no baby boy clothes anywhere. He was really very concerned. He asked what the baby would wear. I told him we didn't have any baby boy clothes anymore but that we would get some before the baby came. He still wasn't satisfied and thought I should really get him some right now. So when buying Meg clothes for her birthday I decided to throw in a sleeper for the baby. When they arrived I showed Luke I had an outfit for the baby. He was very serious and said," Mom, you have to take that with you to the hospital because they will ask if your baby has clothes."

Before Christmas there was concern that the baby could have Down's Syndrome due to neck measurements in multiple ultrasounds. We did a blood test and the results came back in the very low range. They also noticed that the placenta and umbilical cord are not attached 'normally'. The umbilical cord is attached at the very edge of the placenta and is inserted at a slant. This could make it more difficult for the baby to get the nutrients he needs and limit his growth and with the umbilical cord being at the edge it could get kinked easier making it hard(er) for oxygen to get to the baby. So in two weeks I start having weekly stress tests. So far I am growing ever larger, and so is the baby and he is moving just fine. Oh and I failed my 3-hour glucose test.  Which makes me diabetic during this pregnancy. Though really I assume, minus Jack, I have been diabetic during all my pregnancies because I have some huge babies. I am mostly saddened by the fact that this means for the first 12 hours or so after having the baby I will only be allowed to eat crap food, and after having a baby you don't want a salad or grilled chicken, no you want a milkshake and a burger. Ok, that is what I want. Plus coke- a very large coke. Sadly, this will not happen right away.

Mark this on the TMI list or not, but I have signed release forms to have a tubal ligation as soon as the baby is born. He said an hour after delivery I will go to the OR and boom that takes care of that. Still, just to be sure Pete agreed to have his surgery too, but when he will get around to seeing a doctor I have no idea.

So that is our life. It has been super busy but also kinda dull. Sorry folks. I am sure crazy wild things will start happening soon because things are never dull for long.