Out of the mouths of babes...

During this pregnancy, I've been having issues with spider and varicose veins - but only in my left leg.  My right leg likes to swell up.  It's lovely.

My three-year-old has taken notice of these phenomena.  We were sitting in the bathroom, waiting for him to do his business (you can find us here often throughout the day) and he was taking stock of the blemishes on my legs.

"Mommy, you have a freckle right there, and a bruise right there."

"Mmm hmm.  Sure do."

"Mommy, that foot is bigger than the other foot."

"Do you think so?"  Come on, sweetie, let's wrap this up in here.  Time for you to take a nap.

"And Mommy?  Your leg is cracked.  Look - you have cracks in your leg.  Lots of them."

I'd love to be there...

Ryan is away on business through tomorrow evening in New York City.  He sent me this picture earlier this evening of the M&M Store near Times Square...  Oh, the little joys in this girl's life!

The last, and only, time I was in New York City was a little over three and a half years ago - when I was pregnant with Caleb.  I really enjoyed those two days we were there, and would love to go back someday.

The next time I go, seeing several museums as well as trying to get in on a taping of a TV show will be on my list, as well as a 'culinary tour' of the city.  Why not?  Especially when your husband taunts you (really, he was just sharing a bit of his joy) with a picture of the dessert he had tonight from a corner bakery near Radio City Music Hall.  Pumpkin cheesecake, people...pumpkin cheesecake.  Ooh la la!!!

Prayer & hope...

Hey guys,

Will you do a favor for me?

Please put a sweet lady, I'll call her "M", on your prayer lists.  She is the mom of a dear friend of mine, and today was diagnosed with 'probable' stage three cancer.  More will be known after a round of tests on Monday, but today's news was understandably hard to take.

Please also keep my friend and her family in your prayers as well, as they walk this road alongside her mom.

My friend is hoping that the doctors and the treatments they are talking about will go a long way towards making the tumors a size that is operable.  She is hoping for more than a year and a half to spend with her mom.  She is hoping her mom will survive so that her grandson (my friend's son) will be old enough to remember her.  She is hoping for more.

I asked her if it was okay for me to hope - and know - that we have a God who is bigger than cancer, who can heal her mom completely.  I asked her if it was okay for me to pray for the 'big guns', even though it is nice for "M" to be at the world's best cancer treatment hospital with world-class physicians.  It's nice, and definitely a comforting bit of knowledge ... but we have a Great Physician who can and will hold "M" in His hands and is fully capable of taking this cancer completely away.  Miracles can and do still happen.

Hope is a very powerful thing, and God is certainly there and mighty to save.

Splish, splash...

It's amazing what this dynamic duo can get into within just a few moments. This is what I came across yesterday morning - and I was hit with the decision: do I scold them and get them out of the bathroom, or do I grab my camera and at least supervise the cooperative play time?

By now, you know what I decided.

I love Logan's expression in the picture on the left. This was the first picture I took of them - I think I caught him just a little bit off-guard!

Would you believe that the little one was the first one to put bubbles on his head? Big brother got the idea from him, and actually let LoLo put a majority of the bubbles on top of his head. (oh yeah, great fun!) It was a soapy, watery mess in that bathroom! So much fun, though, to watch them play together. They've been doing more and more of this - the playing together part - and it makes my heart so happy! (FYI - I eventually closed the bathroom door and had the both of them help me clean up the mess. Or should I say clean up the clean?)

They're a hoot to watch in the bathtub, as well. It won't be long until we're all singing "Rub a dub dub, THREE men in a tub" in this house!

For your viewing pleasure, here's that third one we've talked about this week! Kind-of looks like he's blowing kisses, huh?

In the round...

My guys gave me a new camera lens for my birthday, and I am totally loving it.  Last week, during naptime (of course...that's when I "play") I tinkered around taking belly pictures of myself.

It's just for fun, but I may have to somehow hide these pictures in about 3.5 months - when I'm REALLY big.  Maybe I'll just take some more belly pictures at that time just to remember what that particular point in time was like.  This is the last pregnancy, and I'm feeling the need to chronicle a few parts of it more than I had with either Caleb or Logan.

For now though, I'll hit 'publish', grab a Dr. Pepper and Tylenol at 8:15 in the morning, and hope the boys are OK with their mama sitting on the couch (or maybe outside under dark sunglasses) nursing a migraine.  The "halo effect" is starting...

(by the way - I look a TON bigger in that second photo than I am in real life...weird)

A pattern...

One... February 13, 2006

Two... November 28, 2007

Three... sometime around September 26, 2009

The title to this blog will not need to go through a 're-branding process'!  We found out today that our third BOY is doing very well - kicking, waving, and growing perfectly!

Prayers will be appreciated starting now on my behalf... this is one testosterone-charged household!  We wouldn't want it any other way, though.  Fun and crazy - now, times three!

Grandpa...

Right now as I type, the man you see above is undergoing heart bypass surgery.  That's my Grandpa, JB Marshall, my dad's dad.  Pop went up to be with Grandpa starting last Saturday and will be there for the remainder of the week, and my aunts and other family members are up at the hospital in Wichita, KS with Grandpa as well.  

My cousin Katie has been posting updates on Facebook.  I'm very thankful for Facebook today! :) I know Pop will call when Grandpa is out of surgery, but it's nice to see updates from her point of view too.  You see, she just finished with med school and is starting her residency!  Way to go, Katie!

Grandpa Skeeter - I am, and have been, praying for you!  

UPDATE:  Grandpa came out of surgery at about 5:40 this evening.  All went well to this point!!