House Construction, Day 1

When I left for work at 8:30, this was the scene.

When I stopped by for lunch at noon I saw this...

And when I got home at 4:30, we were living under the big top! These guys really mean business!

So This Is What Normal Is Like...?

Last week I had to go in for my AFP test. This is the test that tells you whether your baby is at a higher risk than normal for Downs Syndrome or Neural Tube Defects. If you knew us when we were pregnant with Lexi, you will recall that this is the test that came back with a 1:98 chance of the baby having Downs, and then after the ultrasound they increased the chance to 1:49. It was pretty much the worst week of our lives (at that point!) when we had to go in for an amnio and then wait around for the results. The amnio came back showing that she was perfect as could be, and it was a great relief.
So, when they asked us if we wanted the test this time around, Ahren and I didn't even have to stop to think about it. Although it was scary to live through, we were glad to have the opportunity to know what might have been. Especially with NTDs, it is important to know before the birth of the baby so that you can prepare, and also not cause more damage during the birth process. We've been told that Lexi's tethered cord was technically a NTD, so while there is really no greater chance of this child having a NTD, it would really be ridiculous of us to pass up the test.
So, once I had the test I kind of forgot about getting the results. We're going in tomorrow for the BIG ULTRASOUND, but today I thought about it and just HAD to know what the results were. So, I called in and was told that everything came back NORMAL!!! Normal. Isn't that an awesome word? The nurse actually thought I must have been calling about something else since I was scheduled to come in tomorrow (I guess most people don't call for these results). She asked me if there was another test result I was waiting for and I said, "Nope, that's all I needed to hear." :) Tomorrow we find out the sex of the baby, but today is really the big news day for me. It actually feels a little strange, this "normal" thing. Let's just hope it stays this way, as I'm sure it will. :)
Be sure to check back tomorrow for the other big news...Girl? Boy? Tomorrow we'll know (I hope!)

Bedtime Thoughts...

Tonight as I was putting Lexi to bed, she asked me to hold her hand for a minute, which is part of our nightly routine. The rule is that she has to close her eyes, or I won't hold her hand, so I gently reminded her of this tonight. Her response...
Lexi: I'm just looking at your fingers. Why do we have fingers?
Me: So that we can touch things and pick things up.
Lexi: Like when we want to play with a toy?
Me: Yes, exactly. Now, please close your eyes.
Lexi: What about lips? Why do we have lips, and mouths, and noses, and eyes, and cheeks, and chins, and eyebrows, and tummies, and bums?
Me: We'll talk about it in the morning.
Lexi (rolling over and closing her eyes): Okay...

Here We Go...

As I sit here typing this post, men in large trucks are arriving one by one to my house. They are coming to cut a very large whole in our attic roof, which in about 8 weeks will be a big, empty, and not quite finished master suite. I have that combination excited and scared out of my pants feeling...and I'm pretty sure the cats are feeling the same way.

Here we go...

...Okay, before I had a chance to hit "publish" the guys came and went! There's too much rain in the forecast, so they just delivered the dumpster (which was fun for Lexi and me to watch!) and then left. Hopefully they'll be back either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Professional Flower Girl

This update is quite overdue. We had a very busy weekend with Auntie Julie and Uncle Dave's wedding, which then lead right into a week of Lexi's cousins in town, and finally into both Mommy and Lexi coming down with terrible colds. I guess all that fun took it's toll. But, I cannot let another day go by without reporting on how well Lexi did at the wedding!!!

Lexi was a flower girl along with Dave's niece Fiona, and Dave's nephew Seth who was the ring bearer. Lexi met both other children the night before the wedding, and within about 20 minutes Lexi and Fiona were inseparable. The rehearsal went well, but we were still slightly concerned about how they would do when the church was full. I am proud, and a little surprised to say that those kids did so well that it actually looked like they had been training their whole lives to do the job. Lexi and Fiona walked hand in hand down the aisle with Seth right behind them to gently remind them where to go. The perfection was only topped when the two sat quietly in the pew and each asked to read the Bible. At the end of the fantastic ceremony, Lexi, Fiona and Seth again walked hand in hand back up the aisle. My Dad caught a video of each walk - they are priceless!

The wedding was in the evening, and it was a long and busy day to prepare, but Lexi handled it like a champ as always. We stayed until the very last dance, and that girl just never wanted to give up. She danced the night away, with just a few short breaks for cake or a Mommy or Poppy snuggle.

The wedding itself was perfect. Julie was the most gorgeous and well composed bride I've ever seen. She and Dave were beaming the entire day, and it was a pleasure and honor to be there with them. It was also a lot of fun getting to hang out with "the girls" all weekend - mostly in the salon getting ourselves beautiful. Overall, the weekend was a bigger success than I could have imagined. Here are a few of my favorite pictures...though there are many more great ones.

Lexi gets her hair done at the salon...

The gorgeous bride...

The girls get ready for the photo shoot...

Lexi and Fiona walk down the aisle...

Lexi, Fiona and Seth snuggle up...

Julie with the kids...

Lexi and Poppy dance the night away...

She's So Encouraging

On Thursday it was cold and rainy when I picked Lexi up from Yaya's. I was tired, and not feeling even slightly motivated enough to be "fun, entertaining Mommy". So, I asked Lexi if she had watched any cartoons at Fadia's that day...
Me - "Lexi, did you watch toons at Yaya's today?"
Lexi - "Yea."
Me - "What did you watch?"
Lexi - "Um...my favorite one...what's it called?"
Me - "I don't know."
Lexi - "Yes you do!"
Me - "Okay, Um, Barney?"
Lexi - "no"
Me - "Caillou?"
Lexi - "no"
Me - "Sesame Street?"
Lexi - "no"
Me - "I don't know Lexi..."
Lexi - "Yes you do! Try again!"
Me - (Why do I go along with this??) "Dragon Tails?"
Lexi - "no"
Me - "I don't know"
Lexi - "Yes you do, try again!"
Me - "Lexi, did you watch for a long time, or just a few minutes?"
Lexi - "Just a few minutes, while we were waiting for lunch to be ready."
Me - "Okay, do you want to go watch Barney?"
Lexi - "YEA!"

Off He Goes...

Ahren just left to take the CFA III. I've been awake since 4:30am because I was so terrified that he was going to sleep through both alarms that we had set. I know he's going to do well; he has so much confidence this year. So, now I sit on pins and needles until he calls at 4:30 to tell me he's done and on his way home, and then we both try to forget about it for the next 10 weeks while the CFA Institue sits on the ungraded exams just to torture us.
No matter what, I am just so proud of him. He's been working at this for five years, and despite some very frustrating periods of time, he's never even come close to giving up.
On his way out the door he said, "It's been half a decade. Aren't you going to miss this??" Not even a little bit...