Dungeness Spit

We couldn't resist a perfect, fall, seattle day so we took the ferry over to the peninsula and headed to Dungeness Spit - an 11 mile "hike" (i call it a walk) along the beach out to a lighthouse. we were able to see two seals playing out in the water - very cool, but too fast for the camera! the girls weren't quite up for the full 11 miles but we had a wonderful time on the beach - ella liked the ferry ride the best! and thankfully we have satellite radio in the van so we could still listen to the AU game on the way home :) War Eagle!!

i didn't stay outside on the decks too long w/ layla and norah but ella couldn't get enough of the strong winds! it scared layla and believe it or not, norah seemed to enjoy it as well, but i wouldn't let them stay!





scenery from the boat - really couldn't have asked for a better day!



pix from the beach



this is what you walk along for the 11 mile round trip hike to the lighthouse - once layla got used to it and calmed down she really enjoyed being by the water!


we didn't get too many of the girls and i - atleast not good ones :)


house crashers?!? we came upon, what looked like someone's home - literally - made out of sticks and things and the girls thought it was a clubhouse of sorts!

TGIF!

we had a wonderful friday today! went to the mall, baked a chocolate cake, and settled in for a movie and popcorn! what could make the day better for 4 ladies?!? :)

ella has become quite the little baker w/me - but still enjoys the batter the best - but so do i!

they want her to be fat, right?!?! :)

after we were done, i caught her in the kitchen, getting the dirty spatula out of the sink to try to scrape the last bit of chocolate off . . i couldn't be more proud!




we had some leftover red icing - not exactly the right color choice for AU - but it was all i had and i wanted to practice my writing - also working on the smooth icing technique . . slowly getting there

ready for our movie!

- - - - - - - - - -
excerpts from ella:
my camera had been missing the last 2 days and i finally enlisted the help of the girls b/c i was pretty certain they had been playing with it. after asking her numerous times about it, this is what ella said:

"mom, do you ever think you're just crazy?"

the funny thing about this - i am one of those people who loses things often (especially during pregnancy) - actually they aren't usually lost at all - they are right where i put them - so it was pretty funny when she said this to me - she knows me so well :)

mary poppins meets snow white going to a christmas party in the rain!

i hate the last minute errands i have to run that would take me only 10 mins on my own but takes over 30 with the girls .. like today .. i was, very unexpectedly out of wipes at a very bad time, so i had to make a quick wal-mart run and i didn't have the energy to make layla change out of her dress up clothes, so this is who was walking with me through wal-mart :)



the umbrella was actually needed since it was pouring at the time - making that errand all the more fun! if only wal-mart had an express drive-thru lane!!!!

my shrinking peanut!

i took norah in for her 15 month check-up today and apparently she is losing weight -usually a big no-no :) she's off the charts w/ height but b/c of the loss she's back down to being in the 10% for weight . . so now it's time to put on the fat!!

the dr. hadn't even come in yet - she just knew what was happening :(

her moral support and comic relief:)

weekend pix/videos

so it was another close, and not so pretty win from Auburn this week, but War Eagle! Ella says it best . .

friday's appt

the ultrasound friday was pretty textbook. danny and the girls went along (because what toddler doesn't want to be couped up in a tiny office for more than an hour?!?), but the girls did really well. they got a kick out of seeing the baby and the tech we had was really good about telling them what was what. i think most people know we did find out we are having another little girl, very healthy! and before anyone asks . . NO! there will be no more Brindisi babies in this house - and i can 100% guarantee that! now, for your next question - danny did not go out and get drunk this weekend and i think he will survive :) i know there is a sense of disappointment, in everyone possibly, but like i explained to ella - this was God's decision and He wants us to have another little girl, sooo . . i have/am learning not to question things i have no control over! now onto finding a name! i've got a few i like but still trying to convince danny :)

oh and yes, we've thought about the 4 wardrobes, and 4 weddings, and 4 "cycles" ;), and everything else that will come with having 4 girls in 5 years . . but (and this is on my good days) i can't wait for it all :) and don't let danny tell you any different - these girls (norah included) adore him!! they actually call him Prince Charming and throw parties in his honor when he gets home from work - i'm pretty sure having daughters will/is working out pretty well for him :)

tuesday marks 20 weeks! halfway point!!! and i know i'm not showing, but my dr. said my weight is fine and since the baby looked perfect we are not going to stress about it! afterall, i keep my metabolism rate pretty high with the daily craziness around here :) and i know in another month they will be plenty of belly to go around!

her first little pic! judging by the u/s we are still on target for a Feb 8th due date - i'm thinking i will be a v-day baby! all our girls are stubborn and never come out when they're told!

foot - still feeling the bubbles and have had a few kicks here and there - nothing constant yet

we literally spent all afternoon at the dr's office friday so we took the girls out for a "celebratory" dinner at Red Robin - Yummy!!!

and the verdict is in . . .

we beat the odds - it's another GIRL!!!!! i've got pix to post but it's been a long afternoon and we've only been home about 30 minutes and i've got kids to tend to :) but everything looked very wonderful and normal!! i'm 20 weeks on tuesday! halfway there!!

all too true!

a friend sent me this! if you are a mom now, i know we've all had this moment (i've actually had several of these "off duty" moments) and if you are not a mom - well, you WILL have this moment of "ah-ha" and you realize it's a lot harder than it looks :)

http://sisterswithflair.blogspot.com/2010/09/moms-off-duty.html

tomorrow is the big day!!!

well, it's the first "big" day before the really big day arrives in february :) we have our ultrasound scheduled for 2 tomorrow and then (because that's not late enough for me in the day!) i have to wait until 3:30 to see my dr. for my regular visit and then take into account that i have to drive home during the start of rush hour, from downtown, and, of course, feed the girls when we get home :) i will be calling/posting everyone as soon as we get home (b/c many of you know i don't use a cell phone) - i just have NO idea when that will be!!! is everyone as excited and pumped as i am?!?! :) judging by the poll all of you think this one was danny's "hole in one"!! hahahahaha! i know he's wanting a son soooo . . we'll see! and yes - we do already have names picked out so i'm sure that will come in the next few weeks as well!

i want my skype!

danny and i do not use cell phones, we don't have a lap top, no blackberrys or even TEVO . . but the one thing i have found i cannot live without is skype! this has become our daily ritual w/ my mom so the girls and i can make believe we are not 3000miles away :) and yesterday layla decided to read/share the new books we had checked out from the library w/ grandma. technology definitely has it's advantages!!

mama say what?

we all know "kids say the darndest things" but lately when i hear the things coming out of my own mouth i am equally as shocked, normally b/c it's preceeded by something either ridiculously funny or gross or cute that the girls have said . .

"no, i don't want to smell your feet"

"no, i really do not want to smell your butt"

"no i will not smell your fingers" (do you see a pattern w/ my sweet layla?!?)

"i don't think you can see the baby through my belly button"

"yes grandpa has a penis" (there's an image i love having in my head! this is still stemming from our "peanuts and china" conversation)

"i'm sorry you think the garlic potatoes taste like waste" (i actually said this while laughing pretty hard at the dinner table)

"yes, i'm sure people who speak russian like kool-aid as much as you"

"i don't think 'toot' is a good name for the baby if it's a girl. no, not for a baby boy either"

"i'm not fat. the baby in my tummy is getting bigger. yes, i know it's making me look fat."


-----------------------------------
DEEP THOUGHTS WITH ELLA:

(while sitting in church she leans over to me and says...)
ella: "Mommy, who is God and who is Jesus?"
me: "Jesus is God's son"
ella: "oh" (long pause) "but i thought Mary and Joseph were Jesus's mommy and daddy?"
(now i begin to sweat - how do explain THAT to a 4 year old)
me: "they are"
and i left it at that to see what she would say and she dropped it after that point . . i'm sure we'll be revisiting that again soon :)


ella saying her prayers at night . .
ella: "mommy, did you know God made everything? he made the plants and animals"
me: "yes, i did"
ella: "do you know what he made best?"
me: "what?"
ella: "me!"


while driving in the car . .
ella: "mommy, if you drive too fast the policeman will give you a ticket and then you have to go to jail and who would make me dinner? (long pause) actually, daddy would probably take me to wendy's so it's OK if you go to jail"


0ella talking on her phone . .
"nope, nothing freaky going on here"
(WHAT?!?! i'd LOVE to know where that came from)

lazy weekend

we stayed around the house this weekend . . watching football and watching the girls :)

it's been chilly - but not that chilly!



glamour girls - they took the curlers out about 5 minutes later


channeling her inner diva


i'm 19 weeks along on tuesday - and began feeling the baby kicking over the weekend! nothing constant but i can definitely tell there's something moving around in there now - he/she actually began kicking while i was screaming at the TV during a football game :) and my pooch sprung up overnight! still fitting into my "skinny" (i only call them this b/c they're not maternity) jeans but you now i have the look of a woman with a beer gut or muffin top :) i'm sure in the next week or two it's all maternity clothes from now on! we have our big appointment friday - ella and layla are finally coming around to the idea that it is very possible they could have a little brother and are OK w/ it - i guess i should, too :) i'll be sure to let everyone know what we find out! it's going to be a long week!!

annual "together" pix

i try getting one pic made each year of all the girls together. 2 out of 3 smiling isn't too bad for me :) this was the first time ella and layla really enjoyed getting their pictures taken . . it was cute to watch! they got many great poses together!

tiny dancer!

today was a first for my ella! she started ballet! techinically she is doing tap/ballet/baton/tumbling . . it is the most jam packed hour for a 4 year old they could come up with - but ella LOVED it!! they put on a holiday show in december (cannot wait!) and then a big end of year recitial in june! they only let you watch the class every other month, one time, so we didn't get to see her today but we stayed in the lobby just to make sure the first time went well. the teacher told me she was very well behaved and tried everything and seemed to get the hang of it pretty easily so we'll see where we go from here :) layla actually cried when ella went off without here! after a few minutes of convincing that she would indeed come back, she settled down . . i wonder if that's an indication of how school will go?!?

making sure she could put on her ballet shoes by herself




already striking a pose


norah used the free time to practice climbing. she is beginning to figure out how to get down - yay!



layla giving me a "WAR EAGLE" for the game tonight!

than she used the time to practice her own dance moves :)