Ultrasound #2

This week was a busy baby week. I had a normal check up, my glucose tolerance test, and a 2nd ultrasound to check out my low lying placenta. Check up was good and I passed my GTT (hallelujah, I don't have to drink that nastiness again!) although I do have to start taking iron supplements. I'd much rather that then be diabetic, so no complaints here. The ultraasound was a little tricky....apparently my placenta is somewhat mysterious. The tech had a hard time telling for sure where it ended, so she called in the radiologist, and since he was not the same doctor who read my first ultraasound report, he couldn't tell either without having something to compare it to. So, I still don't know if my placenta is too low, but neither of them thought it was. Zoe is still breech (breach?) though, so if she doesn't flip at some point, it really doesn't matter because I'll have to go c-section anyway. I've heard lots of people say that there are a lot of perks to having a c-section, and the scheduling factor is awfully appealing even now, so I know I'll be fine either way.

Probably more exciting than all that.....they started work on our house this week! Monday my friend Renee texted me a couple of pictures of the builders starting work on the footing. It's not much to show on a photo, so we're waiting until they get some plumbing in, or something more than just lines of concrete in a bunch of mud, but nonetheless, it's exciting! It's great having our friends living right down the street so they can keep us updated without us having to drive over every day when there may be nothing new to see. We've started buying smaller furniture and things for when the house is ready, little bits at a time. We just can't wait to have our own house with room to invite people in and see how God can use our house and our availability for Him!

And now I'm off to clean this little apartment. I am a wee bit worried that as bad as I am at keeping this place clean, a bigger home just means more mess. But I keep telling myself that A) there will actually be a place for everything in a real house, and B) I will care a whole lot more when it's actually MINE. We'll see.

10906

That's our new address....or will be, once our house is finished. If you haven't heard yet, we are building a house, and we're hoping it will be done in May. We're REALLY hoping it will be done before Zoe arrives. (Which reminds me, I don't think I ever announced on the blog that we're having another girl! Zoe Kaitlin will make her debut just as we are packing, closing, moving, and finishing school. We like to do things with style, you know. And as much insanity as possible, apparently.)

This shot is from early in January, the first snow we had. Doesn't compare to what we got over the last few weeks, which I unfortunately didn't capture on film. But if the almanac is right, I will get a second chance this winter, as there is supposed to be an even bigger snow storm sometime this year. Joy.

Here's a picture of our lot. We got a great spot that backs up to a water reserve area, so we have a nice view and no one can build behind us.

Our building permit and address! This just went up this week.

And this is Ziva's new big girl bed. She's had it for probably a month now (maybe a little more?) It's super comfy and a "real" big girl bed...none of that toddler stuff anymore. She has taken a few tumbles, and she prefers to sleep on top of the quilt instead of under it, but all in all it was a great transition and she likes it. The only down side is that when she's supposed to be taking a nap, she inevitably spends an hour + reading books since they are in such easy reach. It's too much temptation. Friday we had to stay home because she was sick Thursday night, and after the third time I went to tell her to stop reading and go to sleep, she said "But Mommy, I'm just not good of that." She seems to have developed a belief that if she says she's not good at something, she magically will be off the hook. If only it were that easy. :)

And this is the new storage unit we got to replace her old toy bins. These are great because A) they're just so cute, and B) all the toys stay hidden, instead of piled up in open bins in an unseemly manner. So Ziva's room is all set and ready to transfer over to the new house....we're working on the rest of the house slowly but surely.

Funny story

Today we took Vince to the doctor. He's been sick for weeks and turns out he has a sinus infection. While were waiting in the lobby, Ziva attached herself to an older couple who "took our seats" when I was up at the check-in window and Vince had to run back to the car for something. She was talking to them non-stop and had the lady read her book to her. Right as Vince returned and I was finishing up at the window, we heard her ask the lady "Is that your baby?" while pointing to her stomach. Oh. My. Fortunately, the lady just laughed and said, "No, I'm just fat." I'm not sure how to teach the subtler social dos and don'ts to a 2 year old. After the couple was called back to their doctor, we tried to tell Ziva it's not nice to ask people other than Mommy if they have a baby in their stomach. The guy sitting across from us started laughing, and he said the whole thing was really funny, especially because it wasn't his kid. So we had a funny moment to pass the time this morning.....we were laughing about how you always hear about people inappropriately asking someone if they're pregnant, and now we are those people....or at least her parents!

Christmas pics

We had our family Christmas yesterday, and Ziva opened her presents from Grandma and Grandpa Ramirez. Here are a few of the action shots....she loves her new toys!

She has been playing with "her computer" or her easel non-stop today. I can't count the number of pictures she has painted and colored. She loves it! After we opened presents yesterday, we had a special Christmas breakfast and then later made Happy Birthday cupcakes for Jesus. It was a good day.

Christmas vacation, finally!

Today we were accused of being azy about taking pictures. And I'll have you know, we haven't been lazy about taking the pictures, just about posting anything on this blog. So sorry. Here you go. :)

Today was our first official day of Christmas break (for me and Ziva). My favorite thing about school breaks is that we're home with Vince on his days off. Since he will be working on Christmas, we're doing our little family Christmas tomorrow. We let Ziva open one present tonight, a tent with a sleeping bag, backpack, and headlamp, and she's sleeping in it tonight. Brings back fond memories of (not) sleeping on Christmas Eve with all the excitement looming in the air.

Nothing major in life to report. I'm still pregnant :) 17 weeks today. Most days I really don't feel like I'm pregnant...the only reminder is that I'm already starting to lose my belly button. People keep telling me, "Oh, you look great!" But I'm not buying it. I feel huge. Which really makes me dread the end, but babies are worth it. Anyway, hopefully I'll start feeling some movement in the next week or two, and we will have an ultrasound to find out the sex after the first of the year. And then maybe we'll tell you the name. Probably we will. You all know how we are about secrets.

Here are a few photos from the last several weeks:

We bought our first Christmas tree this year (can you believe Vince and I have never had one in our 3.5 years of marriage? Either we didn't have the room or didn't have the moolah.) To make up for lost time, we bought it about two weeks before Thanksgiving, and yes, we put it up then. But we didn't decorate it....right away. We made the decorating a whole big thing like we did when I was a kid and made cookies and hot chocolate and played Christmas music.

The finished product!

Here Ziva is helping me make banana bread. I think the flour situation got worse before we were done, but isn't that the point of baking?


And here she is with her Christmas story book from Grandma and Grandpa. She loves it and we read it at least once every day. And at the end she almost always says "Thank you!" after Grandma and Grandpa say "Merry Christmas Ziva" Pretty cute.

So there's a start to my (hopefully) vacation blogging time. No promises once school starts back up again, but I will try to put lots of Christmas pictures up over the next couple weeks. Love to all!

Thank you, Jesus, for washable markers

Dinner Conversation

Here's the scene: last night at dinner, Ziva declared she was full after just a couple bites. I took three green beans from her bowl, set them on her plate, and told her that she needed to eat at least those three before she could get down. If she did not eat them, she would go to bed early (we're finding this to be the only consequence that even remotely fazes her). After a while, the conversation went like this....

Ziva: I want to get down.
Vince: You need to eat those green beans or you will have to go to bed early.
Ziva: (a beat) I want to go to bed early.
Vince: I don't really think you want to go to bed early.

(Out comes the lower lip, and Ziva begins to pout and cry)

Vince: Ziva, you need to stop being fake. That won't work on me. (Pouting continues) Do you know who the biggest faker is?
Ziva: Yeah (still pouting/whining/crying)
Vince: Who?
Ziva: Me (STILL pouting/whining/crying)

And at this point, the discipline loses its effectiveness since we're both laughing. And Vince corrected her that no, HE is the biggest faker. At least she comes by it honestly. :)