Byrd, Barney, and Baseball

For those of you who don’t know, I am a pretty big baseball fan. Well, not just any baseball, really just Chicago Cubs baseball. Earlier this week I heard two Chicago Cubs players were going to be in Des Moines playing at the Iowa Cubs (the Chicago Cubs Triple A team) on a rehab assignment. One of them being my favorite player Darwin Barney who bummed his knee while sliding into home plate.


And Marlon Byrd who was hit in the face by a pitch during this game

I really wanted to see them play but it was a Monday night, my husband was working, and I really didn't want to find a babysitter at a moments notice. Not wanting to wrestle a one year old by myself I called a few friends (also Cubs fans) to see if they wanted to go to the game. They did, score. Before we left for the game we found out it was $1 hot dog night. How hard could it be to entertain a one year old at her first baseball game? Can't be that hard... I'll bring snacks, she'll eat a hot dog and people watch. Lets just say things didn't go as planned.


When we first got there she was very interested in all the people and music. But she got bored pretty quickly. Soon she was getting up and down out of her seat, saying hi to the people all around us, trying to pick up peanut shells from the ground, sticking her hand in my pop trying to get the ice, accidentally grabbing the arm of the lady next to us (whom she shared an armrest with). Thankfully it was a slow night at the ball park and we just moved up a row where we couldn't bother anyone. Every child under the age of two is considered a "lap child" and get in for free. I can't imagine taking her and making her sit on my lap the entire time. Oh my.

Surprisingly we did make it to the 8th inning... Yay! Go Cubs!

Lauren is always quick to make friends. Here she is with her new friend Ryan.

The game wasn't a complete wash out. I did enjoy myself. I am thankful for good friends, a friendly daughter who acts like a one year old (however, I did have to practice lots of patience:), nice weather and summer baseball!

I'm sure we'll make it to another game.... in a year or two.... and with Daddy :)

Baby Sea Turtle

Nick and I are excited to announce that we are expecting our second child. And Lord willing we will be ringing in the new year 2012 as a family of 4. G2, also known as Baby Sea Turtle, (more on that later) is due around December 30th making me 13 weeks pregnant. We are truly thankful for the blessing of children and think Lauren will be a great big sister. After being 9 months pregnant in August with Lauren I am thrilled to be due in the winter and entering my third trimester in the fall. Hopefully that means less swelling? We shall see....

Unlike my pregnancy with Lauren (no morning sickness, no nauseousness) this one has been filled with exhaustion and nauseousness. Maybe that is a sign it's a boy? Nick would like to think so but we will be thrilled regardless. I am very much aware that every pregnancy is different but I am looking forward to the start of the second trimester and hope to be welcoming back my energy and appetite soon.

So back this Baby Sea Turtle thing...when I first found out I was pregnant with Lauren I took my first ultra sound picture to my sister Angela to tell her the good news. Well, at the time I was only 10 weeks pregnant and an ultra sound picture looks nothing more than a white blob. I thought it looked like a little peanut but she thought it looked like a seahorse. Which then coined the name... Baby Seahorse.

Look like a seahorse to you?

Lauren at 3 months

So when I told Angela that we were expecting again she immediately started thinking of a sea creature for G2. And although she doesn't think him/her necessarily looks like a sea turtle in the picture below:

we have to continue on with the theme... every child will have a "sea" nickname. Weird? Maybe. But they do swim in water their first 9 months.... :) AND one of my favorite movies of all time is Finding Nemo...which is why we will call him/her Crush. Pretty rockin' nickname, right? It's okay to be jealous :) ... We look forward to seeing our little one in a onesie like this one day. And when Angela gets married Aunt Crystal will look forward to nicknaming her children! :)

With all jokingness aside, we would really appreciate your prayers for a safe and easy pregnancy; a healthy (full term) baby and an easy adjustment for big sister Lauren.

Workin' At The Car Wash

Summer is in full swing...and at our house that means our drive way becomes a car wash. There are many pro's to this:

1:) We don't have to pay $7 per car at the automatic car wash
2:) It cools you down on a hot day
3:) An old ice cream bucket, soap bubbles, and a wash cloth can keep a one year old entertained for a VERY long time.

Here are a few pictures of Lauren helping daddy wash the car.

Lauren has many silly faces these days but the "say cheese" face is definitely her favorite. It is called the "say cheese" face because whenever you tell her to "say cheese" this is what happens. Although, these days, we no longer have to "say cheese". She pretty much does this face whenever you have a camera pointing in her general direction. This day I believe I said something totally boring like, "Hey Lauren, Look at Momma!"

Here's a good example of how an old plastic bucket with soapy water can keep a toddler busy. Her slide was very dirty.... :)

Sneaky Sneaky

So this morning while I was putting a load of laundry in the wash I turn around to this:

Lauren had pushed a chair from the kitchen table over to the oven where I had a fresh batch of blueberry muffins cooling and helped herself to one. Mind you, she had just eaten one for breakfast 15 minutes before but apparently she was still hungry. Don't worry the oven nor the muffins were hot.

Here you can see her standing on the chair asking me to take the paper off. Such an ornery girl... but they must have been pretty tasty.