Waiting on the Vote...

I have been glued to the computer all day. It is now 2:53 p.m. and a vote in the impeachment trial is coming close. I can't wait! The computer is the only way I have been able to sneak glances at my husband...watching the trial...seeing him briefly enter and exit the screen. I showed Abbie this picture of her daddy:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-impeach29blago4420090129100041,0,1067874.photo
She's been on the Senate floor before with Andy so she was pretty excited to see daddy at his work. You know, the big building with the 2 flags on top! That's how she distinguishes his State job from his County office.
He's in the background letting Blago onto the Senate floor. She has even sat patiently waiting to see a flash of him on the screen. She did ask where Obama was....sorry Abbie, no Obama!
So this is what we are doing today. We haven't really seen him since Sunday night. He briefly made it home on Tues. night to sleep. We came to my parents yesterday for some long needed interaction with some new faces. Hope to be headed back home once the vote is taken...hopefully soon!

So Proud...

No post about the kiddos today.

Today will be a little post about the other man I love. And though this man isn't quite so little and squeezable, I love him just the same!

Andy has officially started his new position. The following link is to an article about him in today's Alton Telegraph. He was also mentioned briefly in the Springfield paper yesterday, but not nearly as good as this article. Also note that the picture accompanying the article must be from at least a decade ago! He really needs to get them a new pic. He looks so baby-faced.

http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/president_22360___article.html/chairman_senate.html

***A copy of the article is printed at the end of the book.

Anyway, enjoy! We are so proud of him and all of his accomplishments! Today I am reminded of how lucky I am to have such a loving, supportive, smart, and ambitious man as my husband!

On another note, I was able to attend the inauguration for the newly and re-elected Senators, as well as the new Senate President (Andy's boss). Apparently I got my few seconds of fame, as I am told I appeared briefly on the televised coverage of the Inaug., when a Senator behind me was speaking. I have been told I didn't do anything embarrassing! Of course the Inaug. was of special interest since the Governor had to preside over it. It was really weird to watch him preside over Senate members who are ready to impeach him. A few of them made some rather derogatory comments about him. I can't imagine how he felt standing up there. As a bystander, I was uncomfortable for him. It was interesting to watch, nonetheless.

I also got to watch Andy and Molly in action on the Senate floor. Molly had the luxury of escorting in our very HOT treasurer! Hello, his pictures do him no justice! I enjoyed the day, and did I mention....no kiddos....I had peace and quiet the whole day! WOW!

Another One Bites The Dust...and other rantings!

On Saturday Abbie and Andy decided to get a new fish. She is having a bit of an algae problem in her little tank. Andy decided they would get an algae eater, or as she sometimes refers to it, a seaweed eater. They also bought another little fish to replace Cupcake, who has been missing for some time now as you may remember from an earlier blog post.
Saturday afternoon they were welcomed to their new home by Lemonhead and Obama. Andy said all was fine in fish world when he checked Sunday morning.
Sunday afternoon, though, things took a change for the worst. My mom and dad came over, and Abbie wanted to show Memaw her new fish (Memaw has fish, too). She showed her the little fish (which I learned was named Lightning) and after Memaw wiped the side of the tank a bit we found the algae/seaweed eater sucking on the filter. I noticed that Lemonhead was MIA. Oops, found him. Mom swept him out from under the filter. Lemonhead is in fish heaven. Abbie saved him for Andy to see. Under Andy's care, the Fish Angels came and took Lemonhead to heaven.
Sooo.....this morning I do a fish check. Lightning, check. Algae/seaweed guy, check. Obama.....sucked under the filter. I called Andy and informed him in secret code, that the President-Elect of fish had bit the dust. We decided to wait and see if Abbie notices. Andy thinks he can just replace Obama with an impostor look alike. However, since he won't be home until Thursday.....I don't know. The trip to my mom's just may save the day and buy us the time to get the new one in. I'm sure there will be more to follow. We aren't sure what the problem is in our fish land. I guess we should be lucky the original 3 made it a year.
Here's to brighter waters for Cupcake, Lemonhead, and Obama!

On another note, I am still in the midst of the January blues. Since taking this new job Andy has been incredibly busy. There has been much to do with rearranging staff, eliminating staff and hiring staff. There has been much to do with the upcoming Senate President Inauguration, which as new Chief Of Staff, Andy obviously is very busy with. And then there is that whole bit with the impeachment of our infamous Governor, oh yeah. Throw in the beginning of a new Session and well, my husband has been MIA.
Now, I knew 5 years ago when Andy and I started dating that this was the life I would live. It's a small price to pay to spend your life with someone you love, but that doesn't mean a girl can't whine once in awhile. His job has provided a lot for us. The building of a new home, the finishing of our basement, the ability for me to stay at home.....which is a whole other point in itself.
I always thought I wanted to stay at home, but the walls are closing in on me this fine January. Did I mention I HATE January?!?! Everyday I pick up the same toys, yell the same things when the kids fail to listen, I load and unload the same dishwasher, wash and dry the same clothes in the same washer and dryer, change the same diapers, fix lunch and dinner at the same time. The monotony is taking a toll this month. As Aladdin said about living on the streets, and Jasmine said about life in the castle, Sometimes I just feel trapped. I'm trapped in January! Yes, we still watch Aladdin daily!
Do I go back to work? Certainly not full time. I just can't stand the thought of someone else taking care of my babies. And isn't it amazing how when you aren't with them for a bit, you really miss them? Do I go back a few days? I don't know. How do you do social work a few days of the week? It's a tough job to find. Plus, there is still all of the above to be done when I get home from work. Andy certainly helps out, but again during the months of January-May he is pretty busy with Session. Andy suggests I have someone watch them a day a week and have some Me-time. Sounds like a great idea, and very generous, but do I really want to pay someone to do the job I'm supposed to be doing???
So, we are off to my parents for a few nights as of tomorrow, while the Inauguration is held and the impeachment goes on. I'm hoping I at least see Andy tonight. Until then I'm trying to focus on the positives of my life. A great husband, a healthy family, a new baby coming, good friends, you get the picture. Oh, and if you are bored, PLEASE, PLEASE come visit us!!

Back To Reality

Well, our Christmas began on December 20th, and six Christmas' later, it ended on January 3rd! And I must say, next year we need to slow down and enjoy Christmas in OUR OWN home. It's too hard to get back in the routine of naps and bedtime, not to mention the dirty clothes and toys that pile up. That means expect changes next year, as in mom, dad, Drew & Aimee coming here.......I guess we'll see.

So January is a bummer for me. It's cold. It's dark. It's boring. It's LONG. Session begins.....uhhhh. There's nothing to look forward to. Okay, except Andy having MLK day off, plus my cousin Jenny is visiting for a week from Vegas. That constitutes a trip home to Greene Co. for a visit and free child care from my parents. And, okay, the Jon and Kate preview shows they're moving, so that's fun. Oh, and the Hills spin-off has started, The City. The new Real World starts this week, AND the new America's Best Dance Crew begins this month. I guess at least there will be some good TV, but really am I too old to watch these MTV shows?

Let's see anything else new here? Can't think of anything. I hope to post some Christmas pics soon, but that requires moving them from the camera to the computer......and frankly I'm to blah-ish for that tonight. Enjoy just these couple......and thanks for suffering through my January blues!

Here Comes Santa Claus...

We took Abbie & Will to see Santa over the weekend. The Lions Club and American Legion sponsor a "Breakfast With Santa" annually. Abbie was so excited to go. When we pulled up to the City Hall she asked if we were at the North Pole! I had to remind her we were still in Bunker Hill, and Santa was here for a visit. She was very curious about how he would get home, where the reindeer were, when they were leaving, etc. Oh to be innocent and young again!

So, we get inside and Abbie clings to Andy. Will goes and stands a few feet from Santa and stares with awe. We try to inch them closer, and they are both scared to death.

Andy manages to snap a pic of me and Will. He was horrified. He clung, wiggled, and cried as I held him.

We decide to do our "breakfast" and see how things go after for Abbie. They also each got a present to open from Santa.

Abbie's friend from Pre-K came. Her name is Abby as well. They decided to sit on Santa together. Abbie spearheaded this operation so secretly I think she was ready to check Santa out. Abbie also sat by herself, but as you can tell by her open mouthed funny face she wasn't totally comfortable. And to think next year we will have added another Manar to sit on Santa's lap...

And, It's A.....

Went to the doctor today for a check up and ultrasound.
This was the one.....we could find out what we are having.
Everything checked out great. Baby looks good!
It's A.......
BOY!
A mother's instinct must always be right. I knew it. Abbie isn't as devastated as one would expect, considering her demand to have a sister. She decided we should name her new brother Diego.....um, NO.
Andy & I are just happy to be blessed with another baby, though I must admit a girl is so much more fun to shop for. Andy suggested I could just buy more for Abbie, so I think that's what I'll do! The girls will officially be outnumbered, but I'm sure we will still Rule!
Oh, and for those interested, I have finally started gaining weight. A whopping 7 pounds in 4 weeks. Faster than I gained with the other two...watch out!

Sneak Peek..

Here's a sneak peek into what our Christmas card picture will look like this year. It was pretty difficult to get Abbie & Will to be serious at the same time, and sit still long enough. They are dangerous together, really! We bribed with suckers and cheese puffs....you may notice some cheese puff remnants on Will's face.

And not to be left out, I have included a pic of baby #3 in my ever expanding belly.

Hola!

Abbie got to meet Dora!

Dora was at the mall in Alton. We took Abbie to see her. She did a good job waiting. Luckily, we didn't have to stand in line. You were given a group letter and just had to come back when your letter was up. Granted, we were there for almost 4 hours.....but we did do a bit of shopping and ate. She had a good time. She did notice that Dora didn't talk to her. As you can tell by the pictures, Dora's head was huge. She could barely walk without 2 people assisting her. Needless to say I don't think "Dora" could see very well or breathe very well, let alone talk in her costume. Anyway, Abbie was excited, so mission accomplished.

In the Christmas Spirit

Tonight I took Abbie & Will to a family night at the school. Andy had a meeting and couldn't come. Will was a handful!

Abbie made a gingerbread house. Will ate from the bag of candy. We have included pictures of her "home" from almost every angle. She is very proud of it!

Abbie made gingerbread scented play dough. Will played in the water, flour, and spices.

Abbie colored and cut out gingerbread clothes and men. Will colored somewhat on the paper...until he discovered he could color the table.

Abbie ate a gingerbread man. Surprise---Will did what he was supposed to and ate a gingerbread man!

Abbie made a gingerbread man ornament. It was a gingerbread man cut out of sandpaper. Then she rubbed a cinnamon stick on "him" to make "him" smell yummy. Will ran around the room.

That was enough fun for one night. Abbie & Will got a gingerbread man cookie cutter and a Christmas book. Abbie had a blast! Will....I'm not so sure.

After we left I drove around town for awhile and we looked at Christmas lights. They particularly like the blow-ups. Their Nono has a ton in their yard....and I mean a ton--literally!

Before we left the house tonight, our financial company called and wanted to conduct a "short" customer satisfaction survey. I politely said we were getting ready to walk out the door, and it was a bad time.

Abbie kept asking when we were leaving. I kept telling her it wasn't time.

She busted me. She said, "but you told the person on the phone that we were walking out the door." Oops!!

In other news, Will got his haircut today. No biggie, he has had a ton.

The shocker is, Abbie got hers cut.

This is only the second time, and the first time doesn't count because she seriously had no clue it was being done. We told her it was just getting combed.

Last night I told her that in the morning we would be taking Will to get his cut, and did she want hers cut.

She said no, she was growing out her bangs.

I said not your bangs, the other hair.

She said, you mean on my arms?

Okay....not sure where that came from.

No, this stuff. I held up her hair on the side and back.

She agreed.

And she was still up for it today.

She sat perfectly still and got about 3 inches cut.

Not sure if you can tell by the pics.

Good night!

Aladdin Overdose

Will is in love with Aladdin. We have to watch it all the time. I'm not a huge Disney fan, but I have suffered through it. This actually was the first time I have seen it.
Watch. Laddin. Watch. Laddin. Downstairs. Come on.
This is what he says over and over and over....until you finally give in.
In other Will news, he is also counting to 4.
We are working on the colors, but when you ask him what color something is, he just says "color."
I did hear him tell Abbie that one of the Christmas ornaments was purple, and he got it right. Hopefully he's on to something.
Otherwise, Will is still my cuddly little mommas boy. I don't want him to get bigger. I love his chubby little cheeks and hands and how soft his skin is.

Abbie is, well, Abbie.
She's the boss, the mom, the dress up diva.....enough said. I'm loving her independence, and I'm loving when she keeps Will busy. Those two are inseparable when they are awake.
She remembers everything. Recently, while we were at my mom and dad's, my dad wanted to give Will a haircut with the Floby. I vetoed the idea.
This week, Andy asked when I was going to take Will to get his haircut.
Abbie said, "Remember when Papa was going to cut Will's hair with the "Floaty?"

I'm still pregnant. Surprise! That's about all for me. I can't wait for our doctor appt. on the 15th. We should find out what we are having!

Andy is busy as usual. He will be accepting a promotion. This was in the Capitol Fax newsletter today. It's the State House "paper." We're pretty proud of him. That's all for us!

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2008
Please, do not share the subscriber-only password or redistribute this copyrighted material in any way. Violations will result in an immediate suspension of your subscription. Thanks.
CAPITOL FAXby Rich MillerVoice 217.529.6811 Fax 312.896.9456 thecapitolfaxblog.com
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3, 2008

STAFF CHANGES APLENTY Word is that the Senate Democrats’ top budget staffer, Andy Manar, will become the new chief of staff when Sen. John Cullerton is formally elected to the Senate Presidency.
Manar is given high marks by his peers and by members for his knowledge of the budget and of politics in general. He’s also chairman of the Macoupin County Board and was close to the late Senate Majority Leader Vince Demuzio, a towering figure in Illinois Senate history.
Manar would replace Jill Rock, who has served as chief of staff since 2005. Cullerton reportedly wants to do whatever he can to find jobs for everyone who is replaced, and it’s looking like there may be several replacements before it’s over.
More staff changes in Friday’s edition. We have had so many session weeks the past two years that I should probably remind everyone that Capitol Fax is published three days a week during non-session weeks. So, there will be no Fax tomorrow.

First Day Of School

Trying to catch up on pictures....

This is Abbie's First Day of Preschool. I think she needed some sunglasses!

She was so excited to go. Andy & I went with her for the orientation. She didn't want us there. She asked why we had to come. I told her we needed to pay and talk to the teachers about her class. She asked me if we could just pay and leave! Do the teenage years start at age 3?

Her class is really small. She goes to the preschool at our church. There are only 5 in her Tuesday class. On Fridays they combine the 3 & 4 year old classes, so there are 11 total that day.

Next year she will get to go 3 days a week. She loves it!

I See London, I see France....

So, seriously, two months later and I'm still laughing about this. Abbie & Will love to go get in my underwear drawer. I really don't understand why. This is how Abbie came out one night. Either she is really small, or my bottom half is really big!

Wasting Time

Here are a few pics from the Annual Bertels Halloween/Birthday Party. Abbie got to ride Nick. She just loves horses. And Will had fun on the hay ride. Doesn't he look so big?
So essentially I am wasting time. Will is sick. He ran a fever all weekend and yesterday. We visited Dr. Kathie yesterday and learned he had an ear infection. He is permanently glued in my lap. I figured since I am only able to sit, why not catch up on pics and such? I'm going to try to get some more up today during our next lap session. However, nap time is calling now. I'm off to do something productive while the little man sleeps!

Halloween Pics

This is going to be my second attempt to add pics....let's see how it goes.

The first one is Will the Sock Monkey.

The second is Abbie the Mermaid with Ronald McDonald.

More later. Off to move furniture to the basement. It's DONE!

New Word

Today after Preschool I asked Abbie my normal stream of questions:
What did you do today?
Played.
With who?
Alayna.
Who was the candle snuffer?
Lonnie. Miss Crystal calls him Lonnie Bo Bonnie....she laughs.
Who was the calendar helper?
Me. Miss Crystal put a turkey on my head....she laughs.
What month is it?
November.
What day of the week is it?
Tuesday.
Did you talk about Thanksgiving?
Yep. Miss Mary Jo brought in a cornucopia.

I laughed. What a word to hear from a 3 year old....pronounced absolutely correct. Just struck me as funny.

Andy's Birthday Gift

Andy's birthday was Saturday. On Thursday, I took Abbie & Will shopping to get him a present. While we sat and ate our lunch, I asked Abbie what she wanted to get him.
Here were her thoughts:
A car, she said. Nope, he already has one.
A truck. No, not a truck either.
I don't know.

I intervened. I asked her to think of things daddy liked.
She sat and ate some more fries.

I know, she said. Let's get him Star Wars: The Clown (Clone) Wars movie. She was so proud of herself! (He recently has introduced her to Star Wars. She loves it. She likes that her daddy watched it when he was little).

Great thinking Abbie! That's what you can get him. Secretly, I knew he was planning on getting this for her. Perfect for the two of them to bond over.

We kept eating. She piped up again.

And I want to get him a Star Wars Potato Head. Remember we saw them at the store, she asked. (We had just seen them not to long ago at Kohls).

I laughed, on the inside of course. How cute! Okay, we'll get him one of those too.

So to Target and Kohls we went. I can't forget to mention the card she picked out as well. She chose a Transformer one. Another one of dad's old favorite toys. After that, we went home and baked him a cake...chocolate with no icing. We wrapped his presents with construction paper and she decorated the paper.

By the time Andy got home from work, the girl was busting at the seams. She was so excited to give him her presents. I don't think he had time to say hi to her before she took him the presents. She stood right next to him while he opened them. It was so incredibly cute! Needless to say, he loved them. They immediately played with Darth Vader Potato Head......or Dark Mater as she calls it!

Too Cute

We have been staying at my mom's since Friday night. Andy is out on campaign. Each day Abbie has picked her outfit out. Yesterday was a pretty interesting combo!!
So this morning she comes out in jeans, tennis shoes, and..............
her "Vote For My Better Tomorrow" shirt!!! How appropriate! Of course this led to a talk about the importance of election day and what it means. Don't forget to vote today!

The Candle Snuffer and Will's First Story

Let's start with Abbie....
Lately she has really been in to calling us the names of objects. She thinks it is absolutely hilarious. For instance, "You're a bed!" "You're a chair!" You get the picture. Last week she was going through this game with me, and said "Mom, You're a Candle Snuffer!" That's it! I busted up laughing. I asked her again what she called me, yep, she said it again....candle snuffer!
My next question to her was how in the world she knew the term candle snuffer and what did it mean? She defined it correctly and told me that Miss Crystal told her. She wouldn't provide any more info...most likely because Andy and I were laughing. It's just not a term you expect to hear a 3 year old use! A quick email to her teacher explained where this came from. During Devotion Time at school they light candles, afterwards the kids take turns putting the candles out....I.E. They are termed the candle snuffers. Apparently this is the most coveted job at school. Who knew?
Will has told his first story, and is still telling it a month later. During a visit to Nono & Nona's (Andy's parents) Will had an encounter with one of the horses. Andy and Will were giving the horse treats when one of them got his lips to close to Will's fingers. The horse didn't bite him, but it scared Will. His story goes like this.....all with a whiny voice......Fingers, (He holds up his fingers) Horsey, Bite, Bo. Bo was the horse who "bit" him. For a week he had a variation that went like this, Fingers, Shirt, Horsey, Bite, Bo. He was convinced Bo "bit" his shirt too. So there is his first story.....For the record, he still wants to see the horses every time we go to their house. He must not be that traumatized.
Which reminds me of Abbie's first story. Hers went like this......Snow, White, Eat, Nona, No, Yellow. Then a phone call to Paula from me. Abbie & Nona had played in the snow a bit, Nona gave her a bite of the snow, apparently told her not to eat the yellow snow. And that was her first story.

10 Week Appt.

We went to the doctor today for my 10 week check. We should have been able to hear the heart, but did not have any luck. Apparently I have a tilted uterus, though that never affected hearing Abbie & Will's heartbeat.
Dr. Gildner ordered an ultrasound just to be safe. We're happy to report that Baby #3's heart was beating away. The child put on quite a show for us flailing and kicking around. Looks like all is well. Abbie really hoped that Dr. Gildner was going to take the baby out today. Oh, how I wish! Back in 4 weeks.

It's Been Awhile...

So, I have really been slacking on the posts. I have to admit, though, that not much has been going on in the Manar home.
Abbie learned fire safety at preschool. She has been having "fires" in her play kitchen. She knows to stop, drop, and roll. She will tell you how to get out if the door is hot. She even told me not to go back inside for any toys, that you can get new ones. Looks like we are ready for any fires!
She has been teaching Will some of the songs she sings in school. He is particularly good with the hand motions. It is amazing how much he adores her. Whenever we drop her off at school he asks for Abbie for at least a half hour after.
Will went for his 18 month check up, though he is really 19 months. He had 1 shot, and has to return at the end of the month for his flu shot. He weighed in at 26 lbs 10 oz this time. He was 331/2 inches. His vocabulary is really exploding. Abbie got her flu "mist" in her nose. She actually cooperated and did really well. It probably helped that Nono was with us.
We are ready for Halloween. Will is going to be a sock monkey...just like his own favorite sock monkey. Abbie is going to be a mermaid. She is concerned that her hair isn't red like Ariel's.
I go to the doctor tomorrow for a checkup. We should get to hear the heart. I already have a fairly good bump. Yes, I know, and only 10 weeks.
That's all for now....

She is Learning

Abbie has been going to Preschool since the beginning of September. She goes twice a week for 2 1/2 hours each time. The preschool is through our church, so along with the fundamentals of preschool education, she also learns bible lessons. Today she got out one of her children's bible story books. She opened to a picture of Noah's Ark. She asked me if I knew who Noah was. I told her to tell me. She said he built an ark and let animals on, a girl and boy animal each.
Upon further flipping through the book she also showed me Adam. It is nice to know that she really is learning in the short time she is at school.

More Yuckiness....

Yesterday we made it a family fun hour on the bathroom floor. Abbie & Will thought it was necessary to join me. Luckily, they didn't have to witness me vomiting. It was a close call. Abbie was right there next to me, asking me if I didn't feel good, if I was going to puke, and finally why the new baby was being so mean to me. She said "that baby needs to stop!"
Apparently last night before bed she also asked Andy when her other mommy.....the nice mommy.....was going to be back.
Bless her little heart, and everyone else who has to deal with me, but I think we have a bit more to go.
On a more positive note, I did call the doctor today and request some anti-nausea medicine. Hopefully this well help some.

My Belly

Abbie has been looking at the ultrasound picture. I showed her the tiny blip that is the baby.
She immediately wanted to know why the baby didn't have a face. I had to explain that the baby is too little for us to see a face yet. She was curious about all the "stuff" in the picture.
I was explaining to her that it was a picture of my belly and the "home" in my belly where the baby stays until he/she is big enough to come out. She looked at the black and white pic, and asked why my belly was gray? She told me my belly should be pink with sparkles on it. Then she asked to see my belly to make sure it wasn't gray. Not sure about the pink, sparkly belly. Who knows?

In For A LONG Ride

Today was my first Doctor appointment. Going by my 1st day of my last period I should be 9 weeks pregnant. I told the doctor I wasn't sure how accurate this was for a few reasons:
1. I had been taking pregnancy tests as soon as my period was late in mid August. They had all been negative. However, I wasn't sure if they really had been negative or if I wasn't reading them close enough since my last positive test was on its way to the trash as what I THOUGHT was negative.
2. I found it odd that I was just now starting to feel sick. Typically this happens for me right at the beginning of my pregnancy. This wasn't jiving with the whole 9 weeks bit.
So, combining those 2 factors, I was beginning to wonder if maybe I was more like 6 weeks preggo. That would explain why the line was so faint in the positive test. I would have JUST been pregnant.
Long story short, the doc couldn't get a heartbeat. Not a huge deal this early on, but I asked for a sonogram to better determine where I was in this trimester. External sonogram, no luck. This simply wasn't looking good for a 9 week preggo. Internal sonogram, yep there is the sac, yep there is a teeny tiny blob that measures.......6 weeks!
I knew I had been feeling too good to be true. Totally made sense with the recent nausea. I'm glad everything is well with the little one so far, but 6 weeks???? When you have been thinking you're 9 weeks????? GRRRR!!! Due date went from April 23rd to May 17th.
That's all I can muster up for now.

Stripey is Found!

Stripey, our cat, has been missing since sometime yesterday. We weren't really sure the last time we saw him. Abbie & Will are notorious for letting Stripey out. This is a bit of an issue since Stripey has no front claws and is not meant to be outside. Lately, when he has escaped, he hasn't made it very far before he comes running to the door. Even if he is in hiding briefly, a few good shakes of his treats, and he is running for the door.

Last night he simply could not be found. I was pretty sure we would never see him again. To be honest, I felt too sick to even worry about him. Though, it did cross my mind a few times that my cat was running defenseless outside.

Tonight, around 6:30, Andy was going to get me a Sprite and some laffy taffy (cravings, yes) when he opened his trunk for some odd reason. Stripey was sleeping in the trunk! I believe he is a bit traumatized! A lot of meowing and aimless wandering since he has been inside. My poor kitty! We have no idea how or when he got inside Andy's trunk. It had to be sometime Saturday afternoon.

Good thing Stripey is going to live with my mom and dad soon. I think he needs a home with a bit more TLC for the furry "kids."

Apple Orchard

Today we went to the Apple Orchard with Abbie's Preschool. She had a blast. She picked a lot of red apples and threw a few green in for good measure. She also liked looking at the BIG pumpkins! Her class will go to a pumpkin patch next month. Will came along too. He had fun running around with all the big kids. He managed to pick an apple or two as well. I forgot my camera. Our friend Whitney snapped a few pics. I'll share these when I get them. The nausea is starting to come in waves. This is the part I dread.....I have started popping my preggo drops. They seem to subside some of the nausea. I go to the doctor Monday so I'll keep everyone up to date. Let's all pray that miraculously I am much farther along than I think!
Oh, and Abbie has decided she might like twins! I think I'm going to cut off Jon & Kate Plus 8 watching. I don't need her to get any other ideas!

Question of the Day...

From Abbie of course.
The pressing question today was "Where is my baby sister going to pee?" "Is she going to have to pee on the floor?"
Nooooo, she'll wear diapers. Not sure where this one came from!

Catcher?

Today, as usual, Abbie asked if her baby sister was still in my belly. I gave her my normal response, "Yes the new baby is still in my belly, and the new baby will be there for a long time until he/she is big enough to come out."

Abbie asked, "And then she'll fall out?" "Will she get hurt?"

I told her that the doctor will catch the baby. She decided that she wanted to be the one to catch the baby when he/she falls out!

Oh, if only the birthing process was that easy!!!

Abbie's Grand Plan

Since telling Abbie we were going to have a new baby, she has been super excited.

Her first plan included a baby for everyone....1 for her, 1 for Will, and 1 each for her dolls Erica Chada, Ching Pow, and Ching Pow's sister....yes these are her dolls names.

That's a whole post in itself.

Anyway, daily she has asked me if the new baby is still in my stomach. Tonight she asked again. Then she told me that when her new SISTER comes, she wants to share a room with her. She then proceeded to tell me that her new SISTER can sleep behind her, she'll sleep in the front, and she will NEVER let her fall out of the bed.

How I hope this new found love continues after the new baby is born......brother or sister!

The Missing Fish??

Last year for Christmas Abbie got a fish aquarium from her Aunt Katy. Shortly after, we took her to pick out her fish. Because it is a small tank, she could only have 3 pretty small fish. I don't recall what kind they are. There were 2 neon pink fish and one neon yellow. The yellow quickly became Lemonhead. One of the pink ones became Obama...Abbie is a huge Obama fan. The final pink one became Cupcake with the help of our good friend Molly.

For the last month or 2, one of the pink ones has been missing. Abbie really hadn't noticed. Last night Andy finally cleaned the tank, and Abbie addressed why there were only 2. Without even missing a beat, she asked where Cupcake went. So, it looks like Obama lives on! I wonder how she could tell them apart?

Still In Shock

Most may know by now, but for those far away family and friends, Andy and I are expecting Manar #3.

Yes, you read that right.

We truly are insane.

We just found out Friday night. The FOUR pregnancy tests have confirmed the news.

I'm not so sure why I'm shocked. We had been kicking around the idea since mid-July.

I think I'm just still letting it sink in.

Especially since the first test I took Friday, I was sure read negative....that is until 2 hours later as it was headed to the trash can that I spotted the tiniest of lines.

Seriously they were so faint. I even called Whitney over for a third reading opinion!

It might have something to do with the $1 Dollar General test...yes $1.

Rest assured, the $4 was much more user friendly on the eyes.

Anyway, by my calculations I should be around 6-7 weeks. I'm calling the Doc tomorrow. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime I'll take any prayers for a sickness free pregnancy.

I caved...

Well, I did it.

I finally caved and made a blog.

My cousin, Nicki, is always bugging me to start one--so here I am.

I guess this is as good of a time as any considering I'm just never going to get to those scrapbooks...or baby books for that matter!

So here is my attempt to keep you up to date on the fascinating days in the Manar household.

Be patient with me. I'm not sure how dedicated I'll be to putting posts up. My goal is to at least record some of the crazy things the 2 younger Manar's do!

Get ready for a good read!