Insert Your Own John Denver/Incest Joke Here

You know how whenever there is something you're not supposed to talk (read: blog) about it is The. Only. Thing. you can think about???

Ohmygodwe'removingtoWestVirginiajesusitfeelsgoodtofinallybeabletosayit!

Translation: We're moving to Morgantown, WV sometime in the spring. We're putting an offer on a house this week. We'll be 45 minutes from both sets of parents.

Double translation: Life is crazy.

Almost Four

I can't believe Sammy is almost four. When I snapped this photo the other day, in my head I thought it was going to look like this one from three years ago. When I uploaded the photos and saw this little man-child looking back at me I was shocked.

He is big. He's a underpants-wearing-school-attending-bike-riding-no-napping-video-game-playing full fledged kid. And I love every hair on his giant head.

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For more best shot Monday photos, visit Tracy at Mother May I.

Maggie Eats

A few weeks ago Maggie went from waking once a night to waking two, three, four times a night. Mama was not happy, to say the least. Around the same time, she started shoving everything in sight into her mouth. If I'd hold her on my lap while I was eating or drinking, she'd reach and grasp for whatever I was consuming.

Even though I waited a little longer with Sam and Lulu, I could kind of tell she might be ready for some solids. I bought some rice cereal and prepared to be shut down by the babe. With my elder children, the cereal was summarily rejected for days on end. After her first bite, I thought I was going to get the same treatment from Maggs...

But after a second or two, well, she decided that rice cereal was AMAZING. She pounded her first bowl.

That was Monday. Tonight when I fed her the now nightly bowl of cereal, she was grabbing at the spoon and pulling it to her mouth. She cannot get it in her toothless maw fast enough. She gobbles every bite I offer. And guess what? She isn't getting up as much at night anymore. Since Monday she's been getting up only once at night. I'm hoping that within a few more days, she'll be sleeping through the night (or at least getting close) again.

Wish us luck!

31 Years: A Retrospective

I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the way things have gone so far...

Happy birthday to me!

Maggie, Month Four

Dearest Darling Maggs -

Month four is upon us, and you have been in rare form lately!

You are thisclose to rolling over, and in fact you may have done it once the other day. It was hard to tell if you made it all the way over or not, as you were pinned on your arm and very unhappy about it. You've also been spending more time in the bumbo and hanging in the exer-saucer here and there.

Look! You are big!

It amazes me how quickly you've become a real baby. A real drooling, laughing, screaming baby. You grab for toys and chew your fingers and blow raspberries. Your vocalizations are out of this world. Your favorite sound as of late is one we like to call the exotic-cat-bird sound. It's quite loud, really. Luckily it is also quite adorable.

This was a big month in terms of meeting new people. You finally got some face time with your uncle Danny and your Great Grammy W. They were both enchanted with you, as were you them.

You also got to spend some quality time with your godmother Aunt Denise.

But your favorite person is this fella:

You can't get enough of your big brother. Luckily for you, the feeling is mutual. He is constantly telling me how much he loves you. Sometimes he cries at bedtime because he can't give you kiss, as you are already in bed.

A long time ago, before I was pregnant with you, I wanted another baby so badly. Your daddy thought he was ok with just two kids, but I just knew in my heart of hearts that our family wasn't complete yet. Something, someone, was missing. And when you came along, it was like everything fell into place. I'm not religious, but there is this bible verse that goes something like, 'Before you were born, I knew you.' I've always known you, Maggs, and when I look into your green-gray eyes, I think to myself that I'm the luckiest girl alive because I get to spend the rest of my life knowing you.

Love, Mama

The Sour Patch Kid Experiment

Last night my sister-in-law came over with some candy for the kids. She had Swedish fish, watermelon candies and sour patch kids. Lucy was determined to have some of the 'lellow' candies, i.e. the sour patch kids, so we decided to let her try them. But not before I got the camera...

It wasn't so bad initially...

But then she started chewing...

And that's when things started to get hilarious...

She kept closing one eye, as though that would make the sourness go away...

But no...

Finally, she gave up and just started yelling...

But then, contemplating...

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand giving it another go.

The Magical Mystery Smell

There is a malodorous scent in my kitchen.

The source of the stench is unknown. I spend an hour yesterday emptying out the fridge, evaluating every single item for freshness and wiping down all of the shelves and drawers. And yet, the smell remains. If it doesn't go away within a few more days, I might be tempted to pull the appliances out and see if there isn't something dead or spoiled behind them. Between the cat, who can still catch mice with the best of them, and the kids, who frequently squirrel away sippy cups of milk or half eaten sandwiches, there is a high likelihood of finding something rotten.

This smell is no good, no good at all. We're selling our house (another post, another time, but the main reason I've been a little more quiet lately) and I don't think that a putrid smell is what the realtor had in mind when he suggested a homey aroma for our open house.