My litte...wait, My big Melon!!

Today I am 31 weeks Preggers!

AHHHHH!! YEAH! That means at the most, baby Sawyer will be in my arms in less than 7 weeks from this morning! This is exciting because I can't wait to hold him, kiss him, see what he looks like, show him to Griffy, share another BIG moment with Ryan, witness a miracle, see a glimpse of God....and I have to say GET THIS MELON OUTTA MY TUMMY!:)

This morning I got my weekly "baby center" email which stated that my baby at 31 weeks should be approximately 3.3 pounds. I went into my doctors today for a weight check ultra sound and they predicted that baby Bean weighs about 4.9 at the moment. Oh, just a touch larger than average...just growing at a rapid speed...just waiting for him to explode right out of me! Haha! The tech said he's on his way to being bigger than Griffy (10 lbs 14 oz). PLEASE NO! It was awesome to see him again, although he's too big to really understand what you are seeing on the ultrasound screen now. Griff & my mom came in too, and I think G man was very confused about what he got to see, considering we told him we were going to look at his brother....more like some black and white blobs! Poor guy, he was so patient through it!

I have to say, if that's the worst news I get for the rest of this pregnancy, I'll take it! So far all looks good and healthy...heart beat is strong, organs look good and all is in the right place! So blessed!

I will keep you posted...sometime soon, there will be a plump new little Eccleston on the way to our house!

Please pray I can stand the stretching I am going to need to do here in the next few weeks, that blood sugars stay in control and that he arrives safely!

5 years ago...

5 years ago Ry & I were on our Honeymoon! I can't believe that much time has passed! It seems like yesterday and a million years ago all in the same breath! We were just laughing the other night about how on our honeymoon we said that in 5 years we would come back on vacation to the same spot and we would start thinking about having some kiddos! Baaahahhahaha! In reality we were sitting in a restaurant 5 miles away from our first son, and 1.5 months away from meeting our second in the good ole state of Illinois. Thankfully, that we both agreed we wouldn't have had it any other way! The last 5 years have been such a beautiful mess of really tough, really wonderful, surprising, happy, silly, foolish, wonderful life we have been blessed to live through. We both shared our "high" from the last 5 years and both of our "highs" revolved around a low that we made it through as a couple figuring out how to trust God. It's amazing to look back on a life together and realize how much God has guided and walked beside us so that we could get to today. It's such a blessing....and even better to share that life with the person you love most in the world. So, lots has changed in the last 5 years...the state we live in, the # of people in our growing family, our jobs, our goals....US! but what hasn't changed is that we both still are in love with the Lord and that in turn has helped us seal the deal on loving each other.

...and come on, how couldn't I when I am still getting carried away by him:)! Love you Ryski, you are my sunshine!

Here's to you little boy!

My dear sweet 2 year old:

In 1 week you will be 3. 3 YEARS OLD! That simply cannot be. As I am planning for your brother's arrival next month, I can't help but think all about the day that you arrived in my life. Both dad & I had that day on our list of "HIGHS" when we talked about our favorite memories from the last 5 years of our marriage at our anniversary dinner last week. Your life, the last 3 years and 9months:) of it have changed, molded, strengthened, challenged, and made us grow in ways we could have never imagined. Can I begin to describe the way, depth, amount that I love you? I don't think so....just know that I do.

I wanted to make sure and catalog for you some classic "griffinisms" from year #2. All these little things...and so many more make you the little boy, sweet son & crazy toddler that dad and I love and shake our heads at.

There is absolutely no way to describe you at 2 without this little guy....in this last year you have become a die hard "CARS" fan. You are obsessed with any and all things Cars! You started off calling him "Ca Chow" but lately have been calling him "Lighting", which is actually breaking my heart...I miss Ca Chow!! We have bought what seems like hundreds of these little cars and you always bite the front...I have no idea why, so here's an up close shot of your constant companion, bite marks and all.

Your fleet of cars comes with us everywhere...one in your hand at all times! To the store, into friends homes, to gymnastics class, and sometimes if your lucky you even bring them to the breakfast table. I always have one in my purse just in case:)!

Ready to eat, cars all lined up and watching!

Here is a pic of you "changing the tires" on Mac. Another obsession of yours. You change the tires on absolutely EVERYTHING that has tires!

...and even though you are 2 you are no cleaner of an eater than year #1, so we have to have a complete wipe down after each meal, and you HATE it! On the plus, your tonsil & adenoid surgery fixed that horrible drooling problem you have had since you were born, so great!

Here is you watching one of your "moooobees" (movies) complete with lighting cup in hand.

You say the cutest things, like whenever the sun comes out from behind the clouds you yell, "sun wake up mommy!", "play me daddy!" and "hug you!" and you constantly ask us to "kiss it" any time a little boo boo is found. You love your "Party Like a Preschooler" CD and constantly ask Dad & I to play "5 little Monkey's Jumping on the Bed" and love to sing it too! Your favorite books are "The very Hungry Caterpillar", "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" & of coarse the MANY truck & cars books we own. You love to drive your cars around the house, wrestle with your dad, "cook" with your mom & romp with your friends whenever we can.

I hate to say goodbye to year #2 Griffy. It went by way too fast, but I am so looking forward to all the things that year 3 holds for us...preschool, a brother, potty training (fingers crossed) and SO MUCH more! I love you so much little man.

Here's to YOU!

XOXO,

mom

If you know me well, you will know why I went to 4 different Baby Gap's & desperately searched the internet for this lil' gem for my new man to wear. Can you believe it? I may be subjecting him to my crazy whims...but hey, at least it doesn't say "my momma's for Obama" or "fire Nancy Pelosi". Nope, it's no political propaganda, it just professes my love for the color orange & the tiny woodland creature, the squirrel. Cherry on top? His thought bubble says "nutty"! Welcome to life in our family Sawyer!

I finally found it on Gap.com super on sale & got free shipping, so it was meant to be!

a new family member

Nope....little bean is not here yet, not that I don't wish this post was to announce his arrival, he still needs to cook for about 7.5 more weeks (which seems FOREVER & soon all at the same time!!)

This post is to say goodbye to our faithful Jeep who has survived 5 years from this family and welcome our new....yes, mini van. I can't believe it myself. The Jeep was bought right after we got married and has carried us through a lot - a move out of our apartment to our first house, from Mayberry to Chicago, from the hospital when Griffin was born to home, and even endured a whole gallon of whole milk that leaked all over the carpets of it on a trip. My favorite feature? What we lovingly referred to as our our "circus mirror" because one of the drivers in our family...I won't mention who:)..but it wasn't me, hit a construction barrel on an exit ramp and instead of getting it fixed I bought a piece of fake "cut to fit glass" and glued it in the hole. It was actually more dangerous to look into the mirror to judge who was behind you because the fake glass was kind of like a mirror in a fun house, than if there had just been a hole there (my mother was beside herself over this). It also had it's fair share of bumps and bruises. She was a mess but she was our faithful steed. After a fall of a few too many fixes and the growing #'s in our family we decided it was time to say good bye to the ole Jeep. Griff & I were sad and both shed a little tear as we drove away from her. Ryan was ecstatic and never looked back.

So, bye bye Jeep and HELLO swagger wagon. We went all soccer mom on you and got ourselves a grey used mini van! It is awesome for Griff, he can get in and out all by himself and I can't wait to just pop open that door and lift Sawyer's seat right in without any shimmying:)! It's going to be awesome for trips to the lake and Nebraska too...no more can't see out the back window packing for us...well actually considering how I pack...maybe! Haha!

The mini in it's new home

Griffin with HUGE smile in the mini:)!

Ry sent this video to me the other day, and I had to post it for you because if you can't laugh at yourself then life's no fun, right??

...and seriously, we feel so blessed to be able to have a family to drive around in (as Griffin would say) "my new mini van"!

...and dear new car smelling, perfectly clean mini van, I can't wait to see what memories we have collected in you when it's all said & done! I am sure they will be sweet...and hopefully not as stinky

for good...

Ever wonder where/how/why certain people come into your life? There are some that come in & come out, some that you wished you could have developed deeper relationships with, some that stay for a long time & then there are those that are "for good"! . I am so sorry to use another song reference, but I when I think of Casey, I think of that song, For Good, from the musical WICKED....the chorus says, "because I knew you, I have been changed for good", and that my friends is true.

This girl & I on paper, don't look at all like we would go together, but somehow when we met in college we became 2 peas in a pod. Case is from a small town in Nebraska and grew up on a dairy farm. In fact the first time I went to visit I looked out the window in their house and there were the cows grazing in the open land behind it. She is extremely intelligent, and graduated from college as a water engineer, one of a few females in her class. She also has this huge heart for people, the earth, traveling, adventure. I am from Naperville, IL a suburb of Chicago. It's pretty large and packed to the brim with suburban life. I was an education major in college and instead of tackling math problems I made a lot of poster boards and got boggies wiped on me (not to discredit my education, because I seriously did work really hard) but I was a part of an almost all female class. I love people too, but I really feel comfortable with small groups I know well, I am a total home body, and my adventures seem to revolve around surviving the doctors office with my toddler. All this though has never seemed to stop us from having a friendship that goes beyond all these differences, miles and direction our lives are going in.

Even better is that she married someone equally amazing who happens to be great friends with Ryan (and I love him too). In fact, Ryan & I were set up by Casey and Zach sophomore year of college. The four of us conveniently named "the super couple"adventured through a lot of ups & downs in college and formed unbreakable bonds. We made it through my diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, a hospital visit for me where I discovered 3 kidney stones and threw up on the floor almost all over Z's shoes, break ups, getting back together, fights, intramural sports for every season, Husker football season (the boys & girls each made it through for our own reasons), getting engaged, getting married, being married and chasing dreams along the way. Case & Zach moved to Colorado after they got married 2 months after Ryan & I!

In college we lived together for 2 years in an old house downtown Lincoln. Lots of nights we would lay in my bed drinking disgusting gas station coffee drinks & talking through life, faith, God & what we wanted for the future. I always wanted to get married and have kids and Case always talked about she & Zach's desire to travel and live/serve in Africa. And here we are, both couple about to celebrate our 5 year anniversaries, and we made it there. I don't think it happened the way either of us would have imagined, but maybe all for the better. Ry & I are about to have baby #2 and here we are at the airport in Chicago, sending Zach & Case on there way to....

yep...Africa!

Can you believe that? They moved there! They sold and packed up all their stuff. Left their home & life & jobs in Denver. Moved across the world to help rehabilitate kids in Africa. I have never actually seen someone chase their dreams, their calling & follow God even though it hasn't been easy like they have. I am changed by these two. I was even before they did this. God put them in Ryan & I's hearts from the very beginning and we know they are part of his plan for our life, but getting to see them embark on this adventure together has been such a privilege and blessing for us. We are so proud. We wish the ocean suddenly didn't seem quite so big, but we also know that now Africa is going to get a little "for good" too.

We love you guys, and miss you & can't tell you how thankful we are for you!

Our prayers are being sent your way!

kissing baby bean "bye bye"

crabby...

Today I am crabby...

Oh SO crabby.

In my defense I am tired, I am large & in charge preggo & my blood sugars are not very cooperative at the moment.

At lunch today Griffin took a bite of food, looked up at me and said....

"mommy, dis lunch es lishious!" (translation:this lunch is delicious)

I so wish I could tell you it was something I carefully prepared from each food group but it was made and delivered by the sweet little sandwich makers at a local joint we like to call Jimmy Johns.

I looked over at his little face (covered in chocolate from the ice cream bar he stole out the the fridge and shared with Maci at a location in our home I have not yet discovered) and smiled. That, paired with a few swift kicks from the bean made me realize that things really can't be that bad.

...and they aren't!

BUT I need a nap, so first things first....here I come bed!

I am getting over myself. Ok, God willing by the end of the day, I will be over myself.

"family moon"

Wow...April is gone and now we are on to May! I can barely believe it! In about 2.5 months we will have another little life at our house and I am really looking forward to just that, having all my boys under one roof, just settling into life together. BUT in the mean time there's been & is a lot of life to live. We decided to use the rest of Ryan's vacation days for the year (which ends this month in ConAgra time) to go on a "family moon"! It's kind of like a honey moon but with the rest of your family, so now that I am thinking about it...it's not really like a honeymoon at all:)...haha!

(**As a side note:last night on the show Modern Family they went on vacation and the mom with 3 kids told her husband, "honey, this is NOT a vacation. I am traveling with 3 children. This is a business trip!" Ry & I both laughed and related to her & the countless memories we have of our parents loading up all of us and hitting the road for "vacation"!)

We just did some relaxing up at the lake house and even though it was mostly rainy & a little cool we had a great time doing...well, nothing. The boys wrestled, we watched movies, cooked, ate out, took naps & a couple of the nights we all crammed into one of the tiny lake house beds. Those mornings I woke up to Griffin kicking me in the back and Ryan sleeping on the couch (haha!)! It was a nice chance to just get away the 3 of us though, it's hard to imagine that it won't be that way much longer! The highlight of the trip was a little pit stop at the Michigan City Zoo which we had no idea even existed and it was really cute!

We stopped at the tiger cage first and were amazed at how close we could see them. They are HUGE and really amazing! Sadly, we apparently made the 2 tigers there uncomfortable because one sprayed some really sick juice out at us (and I won't go into details about where it was shot from...so gross) and then in charged the cage and ROARED at us. I think we were all seriously scared it was going to bust right out of that little zoo. Griffin will most definitely never forget it, he still talks about it..."tigers are very mad.....roarrrrrrr!" I am pretty sure he'll never feel the same about the big striped cat. He hugged Ryan's neck the rest of the visit! Even Ryan said he got a huge adrenaline rush and being the man he is, he seriously wanted to go back & see if he could face the tiger again...me, I was in no circumstance going back close to that cage...I am already waddling, I should at least give myself a head start, don't you think??!

G feeding the goats, because of the tiger it took us 20 minutes to get this close!

"Do you wear red pajamas?" Griffin wanted to know. One of his favorite bed time stories is Lama lama red pajama! So cute!

It was a memory:)! And like all family vacations there were tantrums, glitches in the plans, and expectations that weren't met with our days off together...but you know what's great about life & family?? You can never really remember the details of that stuff...you just remember this part....

Happiness....sigh!