An average rutabaga

Little Mia is bigger than that I just thought it was funny that the website that sends me updates on my growing girl in-utero describes her this week as "the size of an average rutabaga".

Although, as you can see, little Mia is probably about the size of a large rutabaga. (Okay, I don't have any idea how big that is but she can't be much larger.)

Oh how I love the neck wrinkles. It makes me want to sit and snuggle her all day. I get to see her again Thursday so I'll have to wait. She was mad at me for unwrapping her. :-) Here's the famous cheek dimple.

This morning as I was praying through an old Puritan prayer, I was convicted by this,

"There is one thing that deserves my greatest care, that calls forth my ardent desires. That is that I may answer the great end for which I am made- to glorify thee who has given me being, and to do all the good I can for my fellow men... Most men seem to live for themselves, without much or any regard for thy glory, or for the good of others..."

I was just thinking this weekend about how much of my day is spent thinking to myself. Too many selfish thoughts. Sometimes my calling as a mom of little ones calls me to be unselfish but doesn't necessarily cause my mind to respond in joy. Especially in times where I'm weary of John's job and our schedules.

So, instead of just trying real hard today, we decided to go and kidnap some friends from their momma for a little while and give her some time with her new born. Not that she's a mom that would complain it just popped into my head and I think it was one of those "just do something" moments. Plus I was a little excited that we finally have a vehicle that will haul all of them. So a good time and lots of high fructose corn syrup was had by all. Don't tell Ria.:-)

Ta-a

Yes, you read it right, that is my title. Have you ever seen that as a persons name?

I know two, TWO, people who have met children with that name. Wanna guess the pronunciation?

Tadasha.

I'm not making this stuff up people.

Kara said that it isn't a dash so the child's name should be Tahyphena! hahahaha!

Also, like a terrible aunt, I took pictures of baby Mia today and then left my camera at my moms. darn darn. You should be sorry for yourself. She is so beautiful.

Baby Zuerner

Little baby Amelia (Mia) Renae is here and I'll post pictures of her tiny 5 pound 6oz self very soon. She was 4 (unfair) weeks early and she is perfectly healthy. I'd like to know if Kate knows some L&D nurse secret that she isn't sharing with the rest of us on how to have babies 4 weeks early and healthy!! I tried once and it didn't work out for us. :-)

blogged down

There are so many things that I think of posting and then never get around to. After awhile I start to get all clogged up in the blogging brain about what it is I was going to say and I just read others. :-) (btw~ is it ever correct to write "a while" or should it always be "awhile"?)

• Dora has become my bug detector. She feels it's necessary to tell me every time she sees a bug in the house. She tells me often.
• John Patrick had his final birthday party with family on Sunday. Even though the homemade ice cream was more like a milk shake it was lots of fun. And just to stay consistent with doting on Melissa's recipes, I made her chocolate cake and wow. it's good. The only thing is that I wanted to take it out to ice the whole thing and I don't think it's that kind of a cake. okay, I know it's not because half of it fell on the counter when I tried to get it out. A little extra icing makes everything alright.
Hanging out around the corn hole game with the boys

Lots of hugs for the gifts from Elly. :-)

• We took the plunge and bought an Odyssey minivan. We left the house to look at an Excursion. We drove a few different things and landed on the minivan. It was not the horrible experience I thought it was going to be. I start to really sweat over spending more than a few hundred dollars and I was afraid I would feel like I should be quiet and go with whatever John wanted. You know, because that's never the way we operate but I felt like on this issue I should and then I would end of driving something and regretting it. I know, logical. But, John was totally relaxed about everything and we both agreed on the minivan. The only downfall? It happens to have a DVD player. Which John and I also swore we would never own. I was afraid the kids would be asking every time we got in the van if they could watch something. But they accepted it very easily when we told them it was only for very long car rides. As in the ones we never take.

We had some extreme bubble blowing last night.

There were sound effects.

It's a contact sport sometimes.

In other types of news: Maybe you already have a pancake recipe? This is one that I would be sad without. I've been making these and enjoying them since John and I have been married but last weekend I actually bought buttermilk rather than mixing it myself. oh my. Just that made me decide to share this recipe. It is from the kitchen of Peg Gautraud. enough said.

2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 cups buttermilk, 2 eggs (the more you whip them before adding the better the pancake)
Mix and fry. If it's thick (which it will only be if you use real buttermilk) add water.
My variations depend on my mood that morning. If I'm feeling healthy and/or guilty from all the high fructose corn syrup my kids have had, I use half wheat/half white and cover them in applesauce rather than maple syrup. Or, if I've had too much sugar lately myself and I'm lacking the will power to cut myself off from the addiction, I add Cinnamon and apples. yum.

And last but not least, John Patrick lost his first tooth on Monday night. Can you call it "losing a tooth" when your dad pulls it for you? It's more like having it extracted but whatever. It was very lose and John Patrick said "sure" when John asked if he wanted it pulled. I was disgusted. They had their boy moment.

making memories

We had lots of daddy time this weekend. John's cousin came to visit along with his 5 year old daughter so we spent plenty of time playing and enjoying their company. With cousin Reagan.
John Patrick turned 5 on memorial day. (more on that later) I thought we would have his first "friend party". He really only has 3 friends that are boys so I decided since dads were probably off to make it families too. :-) Here's one shot of the "little" party we had. I had to chuckle when John asked how many kids were coming and I casually answered, "Only two families." Then upon further consideration I said, "I guess that still adds up to 12 kids though, huh?" Haha. We had an absolutely wonderful time. Water balloons, squirt guns, a pool, pizza, watermelon and cake adds up to a great party in my book.

Playing with his new Lego's. Notice the cannon shot sound effect he's working on.

I'll just go ahead and admit it... I'm a sucker for an 18 month old. Every one of my kids gets a little spoiled at this age. They are just so darn expressive and curious while still sporting the pudgy babiness. I can't get enough of it. Here are a few shots of the current 18 month old.

I'm not sure what this look meant but it seems to me someone better sleep with one eye open tonight.