Chompy Chomperton

Woog has spent the last few weeks developing his Big Boy crawl and breakdancing skills... in the midst of his ability-building, he has sprouted 4 new teeth! Poor boy isn't quite sure what is going on with his mouth, except to say that it drools profusely and biting on things helps. Last week he got Big Daddy on the tummy. Yeeeouch.
Looking something like a slobbery piranha continues to fine-tune his waving (everything in the World of Woog is deserving of a hello... the trees, the dogs, the green beans he's eating for dinner... everything.) Woog has learned that not only is it fun to stand and dance and crawl, but climbing is great too! He practices by using the kitchen table chairs like an obstacle course...lumbering over each chair rung- until he arrives back at his starting point. Waving and smiling, he knows he's accomplished something. It won't be long until we are forced to duct tape him to the wall.
We've layed plans to begin work on the playroom...He'll have free reign of what would have been our formal dining room. Chalk wall, toys, bean bags and more...I think he'll enjoy it. I think I will too. ;)
In the meantime, we are steadily progressing- the next D Day looming like a giant belly (wait, it IS a giant belly)- towards some sort of organization. ** Where the hell are the car keys?** And as I continue to forget simple things like ATM pins and how to wash my hair, I know the forced planning will only help in the long run.
*Sigh*
Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

Santa was successful in his deliveries. All little ones were overjoyed and overloaded with gifts, sweets and Christmas ham.

Conclusion: it's much easier to have Christmas dinner when a parent is preparing the food. We were on our own this year. Still, no one left the table hungry or rummaged through the pantry minutes later looking for something better to eat. :)

I'm exhausted... but content that the holiday was spent with the ones I love (and the ones I miss were in my heart).

We wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Annual Gingerbread Contest...

This year we had 3 teams- Donovan pulled my name, Uncle had Ruby and Rylin and Meg teamed up with Tyler. Each gingerbread was unique and awesome... We haven't decided on a winner yet. Cast your vote!

WuWu Wong and Special Ed

Sometimes you just can't help but blink or make a funny face...

Santa's Pain-in-the-Ass Little Helper

Awww...he looks so sweet and innocent- little do you know that just moments before this pic Boz was barking his ass off and woke the baby. I've threatened him with pond-punting, Gypsy theft and more, yet nothing seems to assuage his instinct to bark at decibel 50,000,000. Nonetheless, you can't help but want to squeeze him...to death.

Almost Finished Wrapping...Thank You God

The stockings are hung, nearly everything ( I think ) is wrapped...I told Big Daddy, if our family expands anymore I will require either A) a new house with a bigger mantle or B) a tropical getaway. :)

Leah and Kovi Sittin in a Tree...er, on Mom's Lap

Leah and Kovi were playing nice at the Church Christmas party...Though he's put on a frumpy face for the picture, I really think he was just camera shy.

A Chilly Walk Downtown

We decided to walk through Greenville's festive downtown on the coldest night of the year. Woog had the best seat in the house- looking something like an amputee with his little legs tucked neat in the center hole of the wagon, he flapped his gloved hands and bounced up and down. It was a nice walk...though by the end most of us had frozen snot icicles stiffened to our upper lips. Woog survived it all with a coo and a wave skyward- Good Night Moon.

10 oz.. But Kicks Like A Mule

She's the size of a large mango...I'm curious to know a tropical fruit with so much leg oomph. She's either training for the Newborn Bicycle Olympics or maybe she exhibiting signs of the piss and vinegar that is to come. Will she fall victim to the second child syndrome... brains and ball-busting?

This morning the Woog was hollerin into the monitor..."hello, I'm awake and now you are too!" (I swear I heard him giggle) and she began kicking with all her tiny fury. What the heck man. Are they trying to double team me already?

Here Comes Trouble

Woog spent the morning being destructive...tearing everything off of the change table shelves, terrorizing Dub and so forth. Still, even when he's naughty, he's so fricken CUTE.

Hark How the Bells...

Donovan's choir entertained with beautiful Christmas songs...He was the cutest kid there. ;) Kovi spent the night facing backward in the church pews (we were in the nosebleed section) and hamming it up for all the folks sitting behind us. He danced and waved and laughed... What a fun night. Poor Meg ending up sitting up front sniffing the farts of a very rude concert goer.

BathTime is SUPER

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5192068021624737639

My Two Favorite Boys

So, I'm submitting this as the MOST beautiful picture ever made in the entire world...ever.

Drum Roll Please....

At Auntie's, everyone's a WINNER! You have awesome pie skills!

And The Winner Is...

Donovan's Kewl Key Lime Pie?

Tyler's Reeses Creamcheese Yum Yum?

Ruby's Banana and Nilla Waffer Delight?

Rylin's tasty Cherry Pie?

Pilgrims and Indians

Our little Dances With Ninny ate his first bite of Daddy's turkey and Grandma's sweet potatoes. Like a hungry little bird, Woog flapped his arms and made his famous "O" face- his way of asking for more...

Self-named, Chief Um Pow Pow made his own feathers- using Auntie's laundry basket lid as a shield made him the perfect little Indian Brave.

Beautiful is She that has Stolen His Heart...

Little toes (just over a centimeter) and little nose... she's 4 oz, healthy (despite my incessant sickness). I watched her heart beat and literally felt my heart expand. Life is AMAZING!

It's a GIRL!

Oh Happy Day... the doctor confirmed this morning, we're expected a set of ovaries. :) Funny, years ago Big Daddy and I were accosted by a forceful Gypsy in the middle of Balboa Park in Madrid- she read my palm (against my will, people) and told us that we would have a boy and then girl, in that order. She then demanded $40 US. WHAT? I've always remembered that with no particular suspicion as to its truth, still...?
Winners of the 'guess-the-sex-of-our-child' game were:
Meghan (called it from the beginning)
Mom (hoped for it from the beginning)
Karyn
Ruby (knew it was a girl and even named her "Regan" from the very start)

The Beginnings of A Bump

Pants are snug, have swapped out the triangle-shaped underware for sensible granny squares and busted out the (thought I wasn't going to see this bin for, like, years) maternity digs. It's been a blessed week of vomit-free engorging. In that time, baby #2's house has expanded.
I'm thankful to see shaped take form- even if the shape is rotund. (I guess that beats a rombus). Because Woog takes up whatever time I'm not puking or working, I've not focused much on the new baby. Now, a mere glance footward is a sweet, 4 inch reminder.
We've begun the 'name game.' Truthfully, I dread it...what if I pick the wrong one, what if it turns out to be Emo slang for a cheese log, what if... and so the mind reels.
Popular candidates at this early juncture include; Neva, Lennon, Sayer, Kix, Becker and ~. Geez, sometime I wish we were Borg and just had numbers.

Thank You Grandma

Grandma has pulled off yet another Halloween Costume Spectacular... Respectively, the Mermaid, Piderman and White Rabbit (initial headpiece placement aside) are so very pleased with their costumes and have asked if they might celebrate Halloween immediately. "I NEED it to be Halloween, Auntie. Today. Right now. Make it Halloween," Rylin said prancing up and down the hallway practicing his Piderman web-shooting wrist thing. Instead of waiting two days, he marched out the front door with his Piderman head candy bucket and started to make for the neighbor's house. If I had power like that, everyday would be Saturday and milk would only come in chocolate.

Weeee Are the Champions My Frieeends!!!

Not one, but TWO Champs in Da Hoouuse! Not only were D and T's respective teams good enough to place 1st in their divison and make it to the Championships, but once they got there their teams DOMINATED! Woo Hoo! We're SOOOO proud... the night was long and chilly, but the excitement never slowed. Way to go boys!

The Great Pumpkin

It was a gorgeous day for pumpking picking... Not too far from home is Niven Apple Orchard and Pumpkin Patch. This Sunday all of us drove down with one goal- to find our own great pumpkin. And we did, nearly cleaning out the place! :)

The patch had lots to do from a kids play area to barnyard animals. They had the cutest baby donkey I've ever seen. We plotted to steal it, but we couldn't figure out how to fit in the car. Ruby really liked the baby pig and baby cow but gagged when she stood next to them. "I (gag) like the (gag) babies, but they really, (gaaaaaag) really stink." Yes, Ruby. They DID stink. BAD.

Smell aside, it was a great day. When we got home, Big Daddy prepared a huge pre-Thanksgiving feast and afterwards we all carved our pumpkins. Justin and Jon win for the scariest, but Meg's was really creative. She got a green pumpkin and carved Frankenstien. Cool!

Fall in Full Swing

A couple of weeks ago, Greenville hosted another family-friendly event- Fall for Greenville. Everyone came along and sampled yummy eats from various downtown eateries. Meg and I had Thai...delish! Justin sampled from one of our favorites, Island Jerk...they have the BEST jerk chicken and rice and beans. Jon had pumpkin creme brule from Soby's (yum, yum) and the kids had pizza. Even the Woog enjoyed a tasty treat... he drank a TON of pomagranite juice from a new resturant called (surprise) Pomagranite. *Slurp* At the end of the day we were all tired...especially the Woog, who, as you can see just had to put his feet up.

Only 30 Weeks To Go...

We're calling it Deuce (but not forever)
and it's the size of a big Brazil nut...

The Best Things

1. Kovi's Love Songs- which almost always end in a gloriously sloppy raspberry
2. Kovi's Mouth-Fart Noises- he makes so many different ones...maybe it's a sign that he'll play horns
3. Kovi's 'Good Morning Mom' Face- heart-melting
4. Kovi's 'I'm Soo Tired I Passed Out Like a Drunk' Pose- looking at him sleep that way makes my back hurt
5. Kovi's 'I'm Reeeeeally Happy to See You' Face- his mouth makes a perfect oval, he gets spirit fingers and pumps his arms and legs up and down simultaneously and says "oh, oh, oh, oh"
6. Kovi's 'Hunting For Boob, But My Eyes Are Closed So I Look More Like a Blind Baby Wombat' Face
7. Kovi's Discovery Face- he learns something new every minute... AMAZING

Picking Apples In North Carolina

We spent a lovely afternoon at Sky Top Apple Orchard in Hendersonville, NC. The weather was perfect for picking apples, petting goats and drinking cider. The big boys were especially good at navigating the treetops were the last remaining Gala apples lived (but not for long!). We filled our baskets with Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji and... Kovi- the sweetest fruit of all :)

Next week we're off to the Pumpkin Patch!

Maintaining A Sunny Disposition

In spite of very recent substantial paycuts and a sorry marketplace, I resign myself to stay the course- Positive thought breeds... well, I don't really know at this point, but it sure beats crying about it. The Woog is trying to staunch the proverbial slaughter with his angry singing and mouth fart noises. It helps. Dublin is even doing his part- distracting us with his swamp breath and penchant for kissing. The future is...looming? I hope (positive, positive) I KNOW it looks bright....ish.

He tried to Touch It

I was holding The Woog as I galloped for the toilet... (please let me make it) With my tiny cupcake planted firmly at my hip, I hurled. Mid-stream, the baby makes a move to grab that which is streaming from my insides. OH MY GOD- Get Out of That! Meanwhile the Three Stooges, Boswell, Dublin and LuLu are nose-deep in some serious investigating surrounding the toilet, behind my feet, crammed between the garbage can and my right ankle.

Sweaty and faint, I flipped the lid down and sat. A puke-free (amazing) Woog grabbed a handful of hair while the three pups took turns licking my feet.

Sympathy is relative.

IT Has Arrived

In the words of metal band Disturbed, the sickness is rising... *urp* Thought I'd escaped the evil clutches of "morning" sickness. HA.
My recent upheaval (titter) had something to do with the smell of dog food, but once safe scents like Gerber Organic Apple Sweet Potatoes and Armani's Aqua de Gio only bring about the excitement of an over-active gag reflex. Lovely.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Seller, it's not you I can assure (gag, choke, repeat)...it must be the 36,800 oz of Ted's Volcanic Acid Hot Sauce I downed for breakfast cause that's certainly what it feels like" (recent conversation with client)
Strangely, I am comforted by these signs- our Maternal-Fetal Specialist told us that the worse I feel (pretty worse), the better the pregnancy has implanted. Pretty sure this kid has already started gardening.
Poor Kovi. I'm going to have to start feeding him with a gas mask over my face- "Ker-shoo, ker-shoo...Kovi, I AM your Mother, but you are not a Jedi yet." How's that for mealtime memories.

I Have Some Guilt Now That They're Dead

He bit me so I retaliated... I killed him. And his wife. I even went so far as so squish his house with all his little ones still inside it. I feel kinda bad.
Still, the stupid wasp gets the last laugh as I hunt and peck with a handicapped left hand (where the hell is the k?)- the right a useless, pain-filled flipper. Stupid wasp.
Each time I bump it I want to run out front, find his remains and squish them some more- just him though, cuz I feel pretty bad about offing the family.

Dolphin Update...

Dolphins are 2-0. Highlights... Tyler the Tank sacked 2 linemen at once! A few downs later, though, he, full of fire and fury, accidentally sacked one of his own receivers. Oops.
Jon, aka Daddy Dolphin, held posts for the game and near the end of the 2nd quarter got tangled up- so much so that he took a header on the sidelines nearly taking out a teammate.
Hey, no one ever said Dolphins, or their daddy's were graceful.
High flipper five on the win boys! I smell playoffs...

My Timing is Kinda Off

It's cool to be so in-tune with my body- I just "felt" pregnant. Fine. But calculating back (uh...how many weeks ago did I bitch out my husband for leaving a sinkfull of dishes?) I had estimated that I was closer to 8 weeks, not the 4 week, 3 day number the doctor confirmed today. So I might not have escaped morning sickness afterall...it just might not have arrived yet. Crap.

Double crap because I have to face all of those early pregnancy anxieties, particularly relevant to our situation. Since I feel so great, I'm now more concerned.

Dude, motherhood is the ultimate rollercoaster. Up and down, up and down... makings of nausea so fantastic that even peanut butter shakes from Sonic won't help. Now that's bad.

Tossing the Pig Skin

Tiny, but mighty... Donovan (17) is one of the smallest on his team of 6,7 & 8th graders, but his heart more than makes up for what he lacks in stature. He's fast with good hands and although he is still learning the plays, he wants so much to participate. I think it will be a good year for the Eagles. Besides, he tells me the girls totally dig football players. Oh geez!

Are You Ready for Some Football...

Blue 42, Blue 42 Hut Hut...

Tyler (49) represents his team with true tenacity and sportsmanship.

Already 1-0, the Dolphins are off to a great season!

When I asked if I could paint my belly with a picture of a dolphin for the games, he told me, "Auntie, girls don't paint their bellies." Oh. I see. As one of his team's biggest players, he knows how to strike fear into the hearts of wimpy 4th graders... "Grrr, I'm like a tiger, er... dolphin."