Sister's Photo Shoot

I finally had my official doctor's ultrasound a bit ago, and turns out the quality of the pictures were significantly better than my beloved Costa Mesa shop ... little sister looks infinitely cuter in these little pics.

Don't you want to kiss those toes and nibble that chin?  I sure do. 

Oh, and as my doctor's English isn't so good and my Japanese is non-existant, all the info I got from this ultra sound was that everything looks good.

I'll take that.

So in celebration I began our little girl's corner of the closet ...

Sometimes, when I am particularly ornery, I go and stand in the closet and simply admire. 

Can't wait to meet you, miss!

The Summer of Softball

Our first two years of marriage, Mark and I played on 2-3 co-ed slow pitch softball teams each summer.  It was so very fun, especially as Mark was typically one of the team's MVPs and I could beam and say, "Yep, that's my man."  I remember playing first base a few games and Mark playing short stop.  Oooo the magic.  We also played in the outfield together a few times. 

I quite enjoyed that time of life.

Well, since we moved to Cali, I have been pregnant or with a baby, and so have not been able to participate in sports like I used to.  However, Mark is going strong.  He plays church softball and is currently in his second season of city league softball. 

And actually, I like going to the games.  I like watching Mark dominate (and I feel for him when he doesn't ... and for myself.  Usually a poorly played game results in a frustrated, silent Mark).  He has thrown out a respectable number of people from center field.  He also nearly took a teammate's head off throwing to home.  This poor fellow got in the way, and from my angle, it looked like the ball beaned him in the head and he started to wobble on his feet and had to sit out.  Later we learned that the ball hit the brim of his hat head-on, and knocked it back.  It actually scratched his forhead up quite a bit, and he sported some scabs for a while.  Geez, Mark.  I've also heard a few guys complaining about catching Mark's throws; it hurts their hands.  Mark has inspired a couple of man crushes, I think. 

(Too much bragging?  Apologies ... Mark will certainly roll his eyes at me a few times when he reads this.  But it's all true, not a bit of exaggeration here.)

I love talking to the other friends/girlfriends/wives.  A few of them have kids.  I've made a couple good friends on that bleacher.

Mac loves the games.  Dirt to throw, sticks to draw and hit things with, a game to watch and yell at (most commonly, "Go! Go! Go!", "Hit it!", and "Made it, yaaaay!"), people to woo, dogs to pet, bugs to inspect, lights to point at, and a plastic bat and ball of his own to push around. 

One night they were supposed to play a double header, but one game was cancelled, and after sitting on the field for 15-20 minutes with no sign of the opposing team, we decided the second game was a no-go as well.  Mark was disappointed, but trust Janae Holland to save the day!  She got some of the ladies out on the field with the guys and we all hit the ball around.  I played the pregnancy card and wasted on those worried boys.  One was coming to tag me as I ran to third and I said, "Not the stomach!" so he went for my legs and I jumped over him.  Mark played first base with Mac in one arm.  Mac loved that. 

Softball nights are good nights for our little family.

One of these days I'll play slow-pitch again, but for now, I am content to cheer for my man and schmooze with my boy.

Potty Beginnings

There it is.  Mac's very own potty.

I found this at a yard sale still in the box and unused.  They only wanted 5 bucks for it, so I thought, why not?  Mark has been trying to get Mac excited about the toilet for weeks already.  Though I'm not planning on our little man to be ready for underwear any time soon (with the Gunn boys' track record, it will be yeeeeears before Mac will make it through the night),  I thought it would be nice to have it around for him to get used to and start to figure out.

And yes, he has used it.  He can definitely tell us when he needs to go to the bathroom, though he only does it about once a day or less.  Then half of the time he doesn't even do anything on the toilet; he just sits there and grunts for a bit, then jumps up and says "I did it!" followed by a quick "I flush!", his favorite part.

Good work, Mac.  I won't start putting pressure on him till we're good and settled somewhere -- as we might be moving this December -- but until then I want him to learn to love that potty.

Fourth of July

Oh the benefits of being friends with the Mayor Pro-Temp.  Thank you wonderful Shaw family, for including us in your fourth of July family get-together. 

Every year our city hosts their fireworks show at the local high school, and for the second year in a row, we have been invited by one of the city's chief citizens.  Not only, might I add, did we get in for free, but we even got VIP passes to enjoy a super tasty brisket dinner backstage.  Here Mac is chewing on it:

 Here everyone is standing to catch the massive bomber plane that flew low over the field.  Pretty neat.  Mac growled at it a lot.

 The show included lots of music and Tim and other big-deal-people getting up and saying how wonderful our city is.  Of course our eyes were glued to the stage with our friends on it, but otherwise, we played Yahtzee and Catch Phrase and snacked on a lot of junk food.

Then the fireworks began.  I am so glad I caught Mac's face in this picture.  He has always loved fireworks, but they are usually fairly far away.  Apparently being right underneath them as they explode is another story.

 Mac raced back to the wagon and attempted to pull it away, but we caught up with him and convinced him to watch the fireworks from the safety of that sturdy little wagon.  (Thanks mom!)

 But eventually Daddoo (as Mac now calls him) seemed even safer, so Mac spent the duration of the show latched on to Mark, nervously picking at Mark's neck.  Eventually Mac loosened up a bit as Mark pointed out all the good colors.  Here they are seeing white:

 Here they are seeing red:

Once they were over Mac was quite bummed.  He kept hollering about the fireworks ... and I wish I could tell you exactly how he says it, but it is actually much too vulgar and I just can't put it on here.  We've been pushing him now to just call it fire.  That word comes out much better.

We love our country and all the good people that are in it.  We have been blessed in every way here; I can't imagine being anywhere else.  Thank you thank you, to all of those who have sacrificed in the past and who sacrifice today to make this place what it is.

Prepping to Certify

I have done it! 

I just attended my last birth to certify as a legitimate doula.  If you are wondering what a doula is, please go here and look on the side bar for my posts regarding doula info. 

All I need to do now is finish reading a couple books, send in all my notes and paperwork, and I am set.  Such a good feeling.  It all happened just in time too, because as my belly expands, people's faith in my abilities seems to diminish.  I'm sensing a real slow-down coming up here.  Once my belly flattens, I will have a brand new baby girl in its place.  I'm quite sure I'll need some time before I can be ready to put myself at someone's beck and call 24/7 for the 4 weeks surrounding their due date. 

So then what will the future hold?  How will I use this, how far can I take it?  If we move back to Utah, will anyone even want a doula?  Nobody around there seems to know about them.  I have no idea how often I will be able to use this new skill I have in my possession, but I am certainly glad I have it.  It is incredibly helpful for me regarding my own children, and even if I never attend another birth, I know that I have really made a difference for those brand new families I have worked for up to this point.

It is just such an honor to be able to help out during such a life-changing moment.  To see a couple work so hard together for something they care so deeply about; to watch the tears, the anger, the helplessness, the triumph, and the awe when they finally meet that little person ... there is just nothing like it.  It's the next stage of their love story, and heaven knows I love a good love story.  Cupid does some great things, but this doula business definitely feels like I am one-upping him. 

I really do hope that I'll be able to continue working as a doula throughout my life from time to time, but it isn't the number one priority for me right now.  The plan is to moderately advertise myself, help whoever needs it, and one day when my kids are older and I have the time, I'd like to volunteer at hospitals or birth centers for people who can't afford the care they'd like.

Who knows what I'll do with it.  Maybe I'll become a nurse.  Maybe I'll become an instructor.  Maybe I'll still teach high school and then do this on the side.  Maybe I'll only ever use it again for my own babies. Regardless, I'm sure glad I have it.

Little Miss

Yep, it's a girl.

Why is Mark always right?  He is 2 for 2 now.  I think this situation is an unfair one because his dad is on the other side, getting to know our kids before they come to us, and cheating by somehow whispering to Mark what each one is going to be.  I don't think I should make gender-guessing a competition any more.

When my family came up for our big Thomas family reunion, they decided they just couldn't wait another week to find out what their second little grandbaby would be.  So off to Costa Mesa we went, where for a measly $25, you get 10-15 minutes of oogling your tiny one on the screen. 

It took drinking orange juice, walking, touching my toes, coughing, rolling from side to side, and finally telling jokes (to get me to laugh) to get a split-second glimpse of what our baby is.  And to respect all her efforts to be so very modest, I just can't put the telling photo up on the internet.  But here is a lovely profile:

 Two cute miniature feet:

 And a head shot, with her little arm up on her face.  She kept rubbing her face with her arms while we were watching.  Despite the creepiness that these black-and-white ultra-sounds give off, I did end up thinking she was pretty precious.  I wish I had a picture of her legs.  They looked like frog legs and she kept crossing her ankles.

 When we first found out, I won't lie, my initial reaction was nervousness.  I have a boy.  I know how to raise him ... at least up to the age he is now.  I have everything for him.  It just felt simpler to have a little brother to goof around with Mac, especially when they're around 13 or so and the adoring adults in my family have other smaller ones to spend their time on.  Family reunions might get boring.  A boy just made sense, right?

Mark's first reaction was, "Of course she is." 

Mac was running in circles and eating a banana.  Not sure how he felt about it.

But then Mom, Rachel and I went shopping and all my nervousness about girl things washed away.  Girls are so fun to buy things for.  When I came home with the giant bags, I think that was the first time Mark experienced any apprehention about it all.  Oh, except for the day he came home from his gynocology class and had learned about teen pregnancy.  "If this is a girl, I need to go get some of my dad's guns," he said.

Welp, we are excited of course to have our baby girl coming to us.  Right now Belen (call her Bel) and Elsa are our top two names, but we haven't nailed it down yet.  I know I know, plenty of time, but we knew Mac's name before he ever existed, so this feels odd to me.

And my body must be reacting to Mac's constant use of my growing abdomen for a trampoline/landing pad/punching bag, because I have been gaining weight and it is all going to my trunk.  My waist disappeared.  Now there's a substantial amount of cushion protecting my baby girl, and I really can't complain too much about it.

I feel her little wiggles all the time, and last night, Mark felt them!  I'm thinking it has a lot to do with his experienced chiropractor-ness; after all, if he can put a finger on my back and feel that something is 1/64" to the right, then why can't he feel our little lady through all my chub and muscle and guts?  Pretty sure it was a solid month or so later on that anyone besides me could feel Mac's acrobatics.

We are excited to meet her this Thanksgiving!

My Little Monster

Having an almost two year old is so very fun. 

I'm being serious!

 We get to wrestle.  A lot.  We find tossed food in all sorts of interesting places.  Bubbles, drawing, and Cars are all a must.  Old dandilions are magical and hunting them down will entertain for hours.

 I get to really re-think my use of the English language.  Right now, "Teek-oo" (thank you) means "Give me that."  Yes, he says it as he rips something out of your hands.  "Seh-nuh" (see ya) means "Come here."  That's because we say that to him when we're leaving and trying to get him to follow us.  He says "Yay" and claps when he wants us to approve something he has done, and yells "Stuck!"  When he needs help getting on/off/out of something.  "Ah-neh!" (amen) is the best part of a prayer and should be said loudly, no matter where you are.

 He's getting a serious opinion on things.  He loves his blue Sunday shirts and never wants to take them off.  He also hates putting on and taking off shoes, unless you mention going outside or finding your toes.  He thinks the marks that too-tight shoes leave on his feet are "Woods!" (words) and that makes the shoe-removal more exciting.  He wants cheese, not cucumbers.  He wants berries, not broccoli.  He even picked the bean sprouts out of the chow mein we had the other night. 
He also loves to make faces.  He makes this ornery face almost every morning and then laughs histerically right afterwards.  He does a very good scary version of this, where his head faces the table and then slowly he looks toward you and you can only see the tops of his eyes ... creepy, but he finds it hilarious.

Crazy how a few months ago he was a sweet little lump in my arms, and now he's attempting to become a person already!  Hopefully we can get this opinionated little man headed in the right direction.

Oh, and my favorite thing he does right now?

Kisses.  Lots of kisses.

A Real Live Girls' Night

Who doesn't love a night out with the girls to talk about boys, family, kissing, and play Pretty Pretty Princess? 

Well it's been quite some time since I've experienced one of those nights, and thanks to my awesome friends and some crappy events surrounding one of their birthdays, we decided such an evening was well over-due.

And it's going to become a tradition.  A much bigger one; we need more ladies in on this.

Anyone have any other fun ideas for a monthly girls night?

Don't you want to join?

Thomas Family Reunion

Every two years my dad's family gets together for a magnificent family reunion.  It's been a few years since I've been able to make it to one, but this year they came to us!  We stayed in a fancy beach-side hotel in Oceanside and quite enjoyed each other.

In our hotel, Mac spent most of the time yelling at cars and, most excitiedly, the train that went by every fifteen minutes or so.

 The beach was cold almost every day, but that won't stop my little sandman.  He had a great time.

 Most of our free time was spent at the pool.  Everyone likes a warm pool.


The newest Thomas great-grandbaby:  Bond.  Bond Milne.

Oooo Bumpa, our patriarch.  Mac's namesake ... sort of.  Bumpa's name is Jess McAllister Thomas.  And he always has the best hair.

I caught some real live sister-love.  Makes me miss Jamie.

 The boys started up a game of "catch-the-football-while-jumping-into-the-pool".  It was all fun and games till some mean lady stuck her arm up mysteriously as the ball was heading toward Uncle Jeremy ... and got hit.  She proceeded to cuss everyone out and claimed she would beat them up.  Jeremy told her to have some class and a few other things.  Guess who threw the football?



Mark was able to come up for a day!



 Yep, it was my darling  Mark who almost killed this poor ornery lady's arm.  Oops.

 Mac entertained masses by playing "Find-the-'black' ", which entails flipping a black hair elastic around the room and trying to find it.  Otherwise our evenings were spent talking, watching movies, painting toenails, snacking, and playing games.

Sporting our reunion t-shirts.  They say "Thomas Proud" and have a sweet cartoon-version of Nana and Bumpa in their youth.  Nana's beehive hair makes the shirt.

 One morning we went to La Jolla.  Beautiful!  Wish we could've had more time there.  I'm definitley going back.

Mac and Macy loved burying each other's feet.

We made dinners for the clan, and usually squished into someone's room to enjoy.  Our last night Bumpa and his brother, Uncle Dan, told stories and that got the siblings laughing for hours.  It was very enjoyable to witness.


Mac called this group of cousins "Guys" and loved it when they came around.



 Our last day was spent at Knott's Berry Farm.  Even Knott's was more magical with the family around.  I've never seen Mac get so very into the rides!  Family just makes everything better.

We absolutely loved our little family vacation, particularly as it was so close to home.  Lots of memories made and stories told.  Love, laughs, and sarcasm everywhere.  We love our Thomas family!

FHE Project

Recently some of the gals that live around here decided to get together and make some family home evening lessons.  The masterminds of it all figured the best way to do it was to get 12 mamas involved and put each of them in charge of one month.  Then we would make 11 copies of the lessons for the month, and then get together and exchange.  By the end we all had a year's worth of FHE nights all planned out and ready to go. 

Genius.

Of course, it ended up being an even more enormous project than it should have been as nearly all of us procrastinated.  The night we exchanged lessons was spent venting and griping and literally applauding each other's efforts.  I myself spent the last couple nights cutting and pasting until 2 a.m. ... felt just like I was in college again.  Or maybe kindergarten, but with a legitimate deadline.

But now that I'm finished, I will say it was most definitely worth it.  Here's the email with our rules in case you are interested in starting up a similar project:

"Ok, it looks like we have our group of 12 people to do the FHE project...so you can now start on it. I've given the month, your topic, and any holidays or events to keep in mind as you make your lessons. Following the assignments I'll go through more specifics of what to do.


January (Book of Mormon Prophets) - Naomi
February (Charity/Service)(Valentines Day) - Katie
March (temples)- Shawna
April (Jesus Christ) (Easter)(General Conference) - Sunni
May (Pres. Monson/Latter Day Prophets)(Mothers Day) - Allie
June (CTR/Honesty and Integrity)(Fathers Day) - Lindy
July (Plan of Happiness/Families/Pioneers) - Shannon
August (Articles of Faith) - Kristin
September (Missionary Work) - Jeanette
October (Prayer) (Halloween)(General Conference) -Luisa
November (Gratitude) (Thanksgiving) - Sarah
December (Jesus Christ) (Christmas) - Karen

Our completion date will be Thursday, June 23rd. That gives all of us about 5 weeks to do it (and Naomi...we can work out a different date for you). On June 23rd we can meet in the day or evening to hand out all our lessons to each other.

Whatever you decide to do with your 4 lessons, here are some guidelines to follow:
1. Keep in mind these lessons will be used for kids from 2 to 6 years old. That is a big age span, but just try to choose things where parents will be able to apply it to their children.
2. You are only coming up with 4 lessons. (You don't have to come up with scripture or dessert). But if your lesson is just simply telling a story, then please come up with an activity that goes with it, like a game or craft. Otherwise, your lesson might be taught through an activity or some kind of presentation. Please type out explanation of your lesson and activity.
3. Using different materials can be fun...like felt, or puppets, popsicle sticks, etc. Make sure you give all supplies needed to do your lessons. The idea is that everyone will be handed an entire year's worth of FHE lessons that are ready to go. For example, I saw an idea at Thanksgiving time to make turkeys with popsicle sticks where you would write what you are grateful for on each stick. So you would need construction paper and popsicle sticks to make it. Make sure you provide those materials for everyone in the group. That way we are each handed a years worth of ready-to-go lessons.
4. Do any necessary assembly and/or coloring. (Of course if part of the activity is for the children to assemble or color, then you don't need to. But if its supposed to be done ahead of time, then please do that for the other 11 people). A tip for coloring: color one picture and make color copies of it...that way you only have to color one.
5. Google FHE lessons to find websites with ideas. A couple I know of are sugardoodle.net and scriptures4kids.com
I hope these guidelines help and don't seem overwhelming. Don't feel like this is some huge project you are taking on. You can keep it very simple and just print off a game handout you see on a website...and that will be great. Or if you feel like being more creative, then go for it. I'll send out some email reminders as time moves on."

Shannon, Luisa ... bless your hearts.