It seems like it has been FOREVER since I've written a journal entry...OK, it has been forever...almost a month!
We have had some ups and downs and have done a little traveling thus explaining the lack of journal entries.
The
beginning of May, we headed to NC to spend a week with Pa T and
Lin-Lin. We went to the beach for a couple of days which was really
nice. The kids seemed to enjoy it so much more this time around. It
was a little windy so it made it feel a lot cooler than it was, but we
still managed to make it in the pool one afternoon and walk on the beach
another. Sophie has absolutely NO FEAR
of the water. I don't know how many face dives she did, but it didn't
faze her one bit. It confirmed that we definitely need to get her into a
swim class this summer. Josiah had lots of fun playing in the pool
even though his lips were blue as can be. He had a couple of firsts
when we went to the beach...he rode in a go-cart with Daddy and played
putt-putt. This weekend, we are taking the youth to play putt-putt and
someone will be joining them and is WAY EXCITED!!! I think one of my
favorite things was seeing the dolphins swimming along the beach line
first thing in the morning. Maybe one day I will be able to swim with
the dolphins---hint, hint, Chris if you are reading this! 
While
in Goldsboro, we had our teeth cleaned. This time we had Josiah watch
Chris get his teeth cleaned, so next time he can go ahead and get his
done. He was ready to get in the chair and have his teeth cleaned when
Chris was done...I think that is a very good sign. We tried to go pick
strawberries, but there weren't very many ripe ones. So Josiah got a
lesson in how strawberries grow. He did find a tiny, red strawberry
that he couldn't resist picking. I figure that is part of the how
strawberries grow, so I let him pick it. He carried that strawberry
around with him most of the day. We visited the school where I used to
teach. While there, it made me appreciate that the Lord has blessed
our family with the ability to be able to stay home with our kiddos.
Sure, we don't go on fancy trips, and we have to manage our money more
than others do, but it is so worth the gift of being able to stay home
with Josiah and Sophie and soon Baby G. We also visited a few friends
which is alway nice to hear what has been going on in there lives.
One
funny I need to share from our trip came from Josiah. While coming
into Goldsboro, I told Josiah, "We are now in Goldsboro." He said,
"God's Boro." I said, "Not God's Boro, but Goldsboro." He said, "You
mean Jesus Boro." All Chris and I could do was laugh out loud. He is
our little comedian! I have a feeling he will be keeping us on our
toes!
On a more recent note, we took Sophie to the doctor for a
weight check and she gained 1 lb and 4 oz. So no blood work, and we
don't go back until her 18 month check up. She is a whopping 19lbs now,
but we are so thankful that we don't have to have any blood drawn. She
continues to be such a free-spirit and LOVES life...and shoes! Chris
commented the other day if I would have ever thought that after the
first four months of her crying and screamed that we would have such a
happy, care-free girl. I told him that I was really surprised by it
because she was just showing us back then who was in charge. She is
doing really well with following directions though and even though it
might take two times of telling her not to do something she is learning.
She is also learning more and more things "school" wise. She knows 12
different shapes and is starting to tell me the names of letters. She
also is able to point out 52 of her reading video words. It is amazing
how much kids can learn--another reason why I am thankful that I can
stay home and teach our kids these things.
As for me and the
pregnancy...well, I had a rough week about a month ago with morning
sickness...and let's just say it wasn't nausea. Then I went three weeks
of feeling pretty good. Then last week, I got sick again. I thought
it was morning sickness, but once I started getting cramps after eating
and getting sick in one form or another, I decided to call the OB. She
said that since it was almost a week that I need to go ahead and make an
appointment with my regular doctor. So my doctor is running a few
tests on my stool. Depending how those tests come back, I might have to
have an ultrasound of my gallbladder. I have started feeling the baby
move, but hadn't for a couple of days, so I was worried. Our OB was
great and had us come in to look for the heartbeat. It took awhile, but
the OB finally found it...the sweetest sound I've heard in awhile. The
baby is sitting REALLY low, so that is why it was so hard to find the
heart beat. I do have to admit that today has been a good day as far
as eating goes, so hopefully my stomach issues are from an infection of
some kind. On a more exciting note, we go on June 20th to find out what
Baby G is, but we won't be finding out until July 2nd when we have a
reveal party. We already have names picked out, but we aren't sharing
those yet either. You will need to come back the beginning of July to
find out what we are having.
Well, I have a little boy who has finished his TV show for the day and is ready to move on, so I guess I should go.
Well,
the last couple of weeks, I have been feeling you move around. Most
of the time it is a little flutter. A couple of times, it has been a
repeated thumping. I enjoy and find much comfort in feeling your move.
It lets Mommy know that you are doing OK in there. I can't believe
that you will be 13 weeks tomorrow...you keep doing what you do
best...GROWING!! Mommy will try to do my best in keeping your sister
from crawling all over my belly...she loves to get in a lap though. 
In about 7 weeks, we will have an ultrasound and get to see what you
look like...this is one of Mommy's favorite times. We aren't going to
find out right away if you are a boy or a girl. We are going to have
the ultrasound tech write it down on a piece of paper and then we will
have a reveal party at the church and found out then along with the rest
of our church family. Well, I guess I will go. Know that you are
already loved very much. Keep moving around in there.
Well,
I am a little behind for this journal entry. It seems like I am way
more tired and sick than I was with Josiah and Sophie. Maybe it is
because I have two little ones I'm chasing after, and I can't go curl up
in the bed like I did with Josiah. Each time I'm spending time with
John, I try to remember having morning sickness is a good thing--that
means the baby is growing and doing what it needs to do. For some
reason, it doesn't make me feel a whole lot better though. Chris has
been SUPER...like always. When he gets home in the afternoon, he takes
over. The last couple of days, cooking has been a little hard. I have
had a hard time with food cooking, so I try to go to our bedroom away
from the smells.
Here I am on a rabbit trail...my whole point was to write about Easter 2011...must be having a pregnancy moment.
We
got up Easter morning and the kids did a little Easter egg hunt
inside--it was kind of yucky outside. Then they looked inside of their
Easter basket. We are the practical parents and got them new pajamas
and some books. I'm not a big fill the basket with candy kind of mom,
so they get books and clothes. After eating some cinnamon rolls for
breakfast, we got all cleaned up to head to church.
This was the
first Easter since we have moved to VA that Chris and I were in the
service. The last couple of years, we have been serving in the nursery.
It was so nice to sit through an Easter service. Something that was
even nicer was to be able to ride in the same car to and from church!
The Greenwood family got all decked out--take a look at our Easter
picture in the April 2011 album. The family amused me by color
coordinating our clothes. I figure it won't last too long, so I might
as well do it while the little ones don't have much voice!
After church, we went and got some lunch. I was craving a sandwich and
since I can't eat deli-meat, we headed to Subway so I could get a
chicken sandwich. When we finished lunch, we headed home and took a
nap. That afternoon, we had some friends from our Home Fellowship Group
come over. They were ones who don't have family in the area, so we
thought it would be nice for us all to hang out. Each family shared in
the cooking, so that was a huge weight off my shoulders. We had a good
time of fellowship and had LOTS of good food to eat.
This
year we continued the tradition of doing the Resurrection eggs. Josiah
definitely absorbed a lot of what was going on...Chris will be writing a
separate journal entry on a conversation they had. Sophie enjoyed
looking at all the things in the eggs and telling us about them in her
special language.
As you can see, we had a pretty good Easter celebrating our Risen Savior!
Well,
I am finally able to sit down and write a journal entry from our trip
to Florida--it is amazing what you can get done when kids are in bed and
the hubby is at a church meeting. Let's see if my pregnancy mind can
remember all that happened while on our trip.
We weren't 100%
sure we were all going to be going to FL Saturday night. We were eating
dinner and out of no where, Josiah got sick all over. When we were
cleaning him up, we realized he was running a fever. We started fervently praying because we knew if he was sick, he couldn't get on
the plane. Neither one of us wanted to tell him that Sunday morning.
The Lord answered our prayers. Just before we headed to bed, I went to
feel Josiah to see how his fever was doing, and he didn't have one!!
When he woke up Sunday morning, he was his normal self. All morning, he
kept asking if it was time to go get on the plane--he was
sooooooooooooo EXCITED to say the least!!! Both of the kids do an
AWESOME job flying--God has truly blessed us with some great kiddos. We
got to FL Sunday afternoon, and we just hung out and tried to get
settled. Monday morning we spent some time out by the pool. After
lunch and nap, we headed to the Holy Land. I don't have much to say
except that it was soooooooooo CHEESY!!! Shortly after arriving there,
we found out that it is owned by TBN--I don't think I need to say
anymore. After seeing multiple pictures of Jane, it explained it all.
The coolest part of the place was the Noah's Ark display that was in
the parking lot---and you don't even have to pay for that! The rest of
the day was spent just relaxing and hanging out with the family. Tuesday
was a rainy kind of day, so we spent most of the day hanging out at the
house. We did go out to lunch, but other than that it was a quiet day.
On Wednesday, we got up and went to Sea World....we had so much FUN!!!
The kids absolutely LOVED their time there. Sophie surprised us the
most by how much she enjoyed the dolphin show. My sister was holding
her because we were sitting in the splash zone with Josiah. Now, Sophie
is one who enjoys her food and most of the time she will choose food
over whatever else is being offered. Well, when the dolphins started
doing their thing, she was totally captivated by them and forgot all
about eating. She screeched the whole time, clapped when everyone else
was clapping and when Uncle Toady wasn't paying attention, she would tap
him and point to the pool. I am so glad that we took them to Sea
World--they had so much fun! Wednesday night, Chris and I and my sister
and brother in law headed to Medieval Times for dinner. Chris was
completely beside himself. I am so glad that we got to do something
that he enjoyed so much since this was his vacation, too. Thursday was
another relaxing day. We spent the day by the pool or at the
neighborhood park. On Friday, we got up and went to Animal Kingdom.
Josiah was so excited about riding the train. We also went on the
Safari ride. His favorite animal to see was the giraffe, and Sophie
liked seeing the elephants. Each time she say one, she would raise her
arm like it was an elephant trunk--we taught her to do that. For lunch,
we went to the Rainforest Cafe---a really cool place to eat. The kids
really liked all the animated animals. After a nap, we spent the rest
of the afternoon by the pool. Saturday morning, we got and got ready to
head back home. Again, we were totally blessed to have super children
when it came to flying. We enjoyed our time in FL and doing something
new as a family and spending time with family, but as always, it is nice
to be home and sleep in your own bed.
So
I have been journaling quite a bit over the last few weeks, but hadn't
been writing it down here because we hadn't shared that we are expecting
Baby #3. Now that the secret is out, here is what has been going on:
March 1st
Well,
I just took a pregnancy test about 3 minutes ago...and? We are
EXPECTING Baby G3. OK, my hands are so shaky right now that I’m having
the hardest time typing. The last few days, I’ve really been struggling
with wanting to take a pregnancy test. I know I was totally being
distracted by it. I spent quite a bit of time praying about it last
night—telling God sorry for being so distracted. In and out of sleep, I
would dream that I had taken a pregnancy test and each time it came
back positive. So I got up at 5:15am (because I REALLY had to go to the
bathroom and you are supposed to test first thing in the morning) and
just asked God if I had His blessing. I felt like I had a green light
unlike the HUGE red light I felt yesterday while I was at Target to buy a
cheap pregnancy test because I didn’t want to use an expensive one this
early.
So the way that I told your Daddy---I texted him.
He isn’t big into the cellphone thing¸ so I decided to see how long it
takes him to check his messages.
Well, I’m sure I will
post more later. We love you G3 and are so very thankful that God has
chosen us to be your parents. Know there will be LOTS of prayers lifted
up for you during the next few months until we meet you and many more
after you arrive.
March 5th
Well,
it’s just been a few days since we found out that Baby G3 is growing
inside of me. I called to make an appointment to see the OB, and it is
scheduled for April 18th—I will be in my 10th
week. Why does it feel like I am already showing? They say that with
each pregnancy you show sooner and sooner—I guess they are right. We
are going to wait until the beginning of April—maybe even April 1st to tell our parents. J
Tomorrow would be your Uncle Richard’s 42nd
birthday. He was killed in a plane crash in August of 1992. Mommy
will be saying some special prayers for your Mimi because I’m sure it
will be a hard day for her. If you happen to be a boy, then you will
somehow be named after your uncle. I wish you, Josiah and Sophie
could have met him—he was a little wild and crazy. I know he would have
been a great uncle.
Well, that is all for now. Please continue to pray that G3 does what he’s supposed to do—stay put and keep on growing.
March 20th
Hey,
Little Baby! Well, we made it safely back from our crazy trip to
TN/GA. While we were gone, Mommy really started feeling morning
sickness. I’m not going to complain though because morning sickness is a
good thing—that means you are growing like you are supposed to. Last
night was a rough night…I had a hard time falling asleep because I was
so nauseous feeling. Daddy was super understanding though and was very
sensitive to Mommy—I want you to know you are so blessed to have Daddy
as your daddy. Since Mommy didn’t sleep very well and was still feeling
a little icky, Daddy took Josiah and Sophie to Sunday School for me so I
could stay home and rest—I told you that we are super blessed to have
him in our lives! We have about 3 more weeks before we tell everyone
about you---by that point I will be 9 weeks along. Don’t know if we can
hide you for that long since I’m wearing these nice SeaBands to help
with the morning sickness. Mommy is so excited to have you growing and
can’t wait to meet you. Even though I’m so very excited to meet you,
you need to stay put for a lot longer!!!! Well, I guess I should get
going so I can go get ready for church.
March 21st
Well,
we have told all the grandparents and one set of great-grandparents
about your upcoming arrival. There is a lot of excitement! We won’t
tell the rest of our friends and family until the beginning of April.
It has been kind of funny the reaction of some of the grandparents. We
got Josiah a t-shirt that said, “Big Brother” on it—nothing unusual.
Then we got Sophie a t-shirt that said, “Big Sister” on it. It was
amazing how long she wore it without anyone really noticing what it
said. Chris actually had to mention Sophie’s t-shirt before it clicked
in. J Auntie Corey sent some maternity clothes back with Lin-Lin for
down the road—little did she know that down the road was going to be
sooner than later!
April 1st
Well,
it has been quite a week. We have been trying to get me and Sophie
better again…and keeping the boys healthy. We have had a cold and
Sophie has been teething—she has 3 teeth that have come through and a
couple more working their way out! I have had some morning sickness and
nausea, so as you can see, we have just been surviving. I have been
trying to pack for our trip to FL—we leave in 2 days!!! Josiah is
extremely excited—he can’t wait to go see the whales and dolphins so he
can get wet. It looks like we will be sitting in the splash zone if he
has a say about it. J The next couple of days will be busy—painting
the nursery at the church, packing and getting the house in order before
we leave. I will be excited about Sunday 3:30pm when we are sitting in
FL.
We
left last Sunday after church to head to TN to see Chris' grandparents.
We only drove half way to Christiansburg, VA. While we were there we
had dinner with some very dear friends, the Dempseys. It was so nice to
catch up with them over dinner and to meet their newest child,
Gretchen. OK, she is 17 months, so we had a LOT of catching up to do.
I really didn't want to leave because I was enjoying the fellowship so
much, but the kiddos needed to go to bed. On Monday, we got up and
drove the rest of the way to TN. Sophie got to meet her
great-grandparents and great-aunt for the first time. I think they
really enjoyed meeting her. Josiah warmed up to all of them rather
quickly and had LOTS to tell them. After visiting for a little bit, we
headed to the hotel to get settled and give the kids a bath. We went
back to Granny and Pa Potter's for dinner. After dinner, we headed back
to the hotel and went to bed. On Tuesday, we got up and got ready for
the day. We headed to Waffle House for breakfast---they don't have
those in NOVA, so it was a special treat. We then headed to Granny's
church and played in the gym. We chased some balls around and had a
grand ol' time. While we were there, Uncle Joe came to visit us in his
patrol car. Josiah enjoyed getting to look at the patrol car--you can
look at a couple of pictures that I took. We went to get some lunch and
then took the kids back to the hotel to take a nap. After nap time, we
got the kids ready for bed and then headed back to the house for dinner
and a visit. On Wednesday, we got up and got ready. Then we headed
over to the house to say good-bye to the grandparents. We then started
on our journey to GA to see Granny Whoosh and Papa Gig. The drive down
the mountain to Chattanooga was absolutely beautiful. We stopped at the
mall in Chattanooga so we could let the kids stretch their legs and get
some lunch. After lunch, we got back in the car and the kids...and me
fell asleep. Once we arrived at Granny and Papa Gig's, Josiah was ready
to play and share all kinds of things with them. We spent the afternoon
playing and had dinner. On Thursday, we got up and played on the deck
with a pop-up train--there are some pictures in the March album. Late
morning, we went to the playground. The kids had LOTS of fun playing.
Sophie wanted to do all that Josiah was doing--slides, swings, climbing,
etc. After playing, we went and got some lunch. We had a lazy
afternoon of taking a nap and just playing. Papa Gig, Daddy and Josiah
headed to the driving range--Papa Gig bought Josiah a toddler size iron.
Chris didn't take any pictures--I say, "BOOO!" to that. Chris said Josiah had LOTS of fun playing golf. I can't wait to see him in action.
Tomorrow,
we are heading to Marietta to see Chris' other grandmother before we
head back to VA. We are going to drive half-way again...the kids just
seem to do better. It has been a great vacation with the family--it
definitely has gone by too quickly, but it has been nice to relax and
spend time as a family.
February 16th
Josiah
is now wanting to put his battery operated train together by himself.
He was able to line the wheels up just right. When he got done, he said,
"I am a very good conductor!" We have been putting socks on Sophie's
hands to stop her from sucking her thumb. Yesterday, she was very
determined to get them off. She put the end of the sock between her
teeth and pulled them off--what a very smart girl! Today, she was eating a
banana. I cut them up into small pieces. When she had all the pieces
gone, she wanted more. She didn't want them in small pieces though, she
wanted to bite the banana just like me. So I went ahead and let her try
and she did a GREAT job! Today, Josiah wanted to help me sew some floor
pillows. He was putting the pins in the fabric just like I did--it was
so precious. We enjoyed the beautiful weather today by going for a
walk---Josiah talked NON-STOP!! I asked him if he was excited to go
walking again, and he responded, "I am so excited, Mommy!"
February 17th
This
morning Josiah got up extra early. So I brought him into our bed to
rest for a little bit. Well, he had a terrible case of the wiggles. I
kept telling him it was time to rest and not to play. Once Sophie got
up, I was talking with Josiah about how he needed to get his rest. I
also told him I wasn't very happy. He then told me that I needed to put
a smile on my face. I asked him why he thought I wasn't very happy.
His response as he tapped his cheek was, "Think.Think.Think." I told
him to go ahead and think and get back to me. A few minutes passed, and
I asked him why he thought Mommy wasn't very happy...his response,
"Satan make Mommy not happy." WOW! Out of the mouths of babes! He
pretty much left me speechless!
Sophie has started saying,
"apple" and "lion" when she reads her favorite book. Last night, I
asked her if she wanted juice for dinner. She crawled over to the
fridge. I opened the door and she pulled a juice box out of the
drawer--she is growing up way too fast!
February 20th
On
Friday, Chris and I had a mini getaway. I spent 4 hours in the spa
getting pampered and then we spent the night at a hotel. This was
Sophie's first night away from us--she did an AWESOME job!
The other day, Josiah heard the dog next door barking. He said matter-a-factually, "That dog is roofing!"
Tonight,
Josiah and Sophie took a bath together. They were absolutely
adorable!! Sophie started splashing the water. Then Josiah started
doing it, too. Each time he would splash, Sophie would do one of those
deep belly laughs! Our bathroom sure was wet, but it was worth it for
the wonderful memory that was created.
February 22nd
Sophie had chocolate milk for the first time today. She liked it so much that she drank half of her cup in one big gulp!
February 23rd
Sophie
has really started walking today. She is standing in one spot
balancing, can start walking and then stop and even turns around.
February 25th
Today
we went grocery shopping. As soon as we walked down the aisle with the
apples, Sophie started saying, "Apull." She was so excited to see the
apples instead of just in her book. We then went to see the train.
When we got there, I asked her if she saw the train, and clear as day
she said, "I see it."
February 26th
This morning as I
was getting ready, I told Josiah that I needed to go take a shower
because I was going to a baby shower. He told me that he wanted to go
take a shower, too. I told him that a baby shower was like a party. He
then told me that he wanted to go to church so he could eat some cake,
too!
February 27th
Sophie is officially walking now.
She will crawl every once in awhile, but walking is her choice way of
getting around. She did have her first injury today. While at church,
she tripped and split her lip open. She wasn't very fond of me putting
an icepack on her lip, but she didn't mind me letting her suck/chew on a
piece of ice. I feel so bad that her little lip is swollen and split
open, but it was bound to happen sooner than later.
Well,
that is it for today. We will be going to TN soon to see Chris'
extended family. They will be meeting Sophie for the first time. Then
we will head to GA to see Chris' mom and step-dad. We are excited to get
away for a few days as a family. Pray for safe travels.
