Baby Dude is here!

I just wanted to dedicate a post to my pal Lindsay and her wonderful family (the Page family). They welcomed a PRECIOUS baby boy into the world yesterday! Jude Michael Page (or Dude, as his brother Roman calls him) was born last night weighing in at 7lb 6oz and 19 inches. I am so thrilled for them! I'll post a good picture of him later.

Yay God!

The B-word

These days, you can't be too sure of what the B-word is in our house. Emma is having some difficulty saying "sandwich"...any guesses which b-word comes out?

But I am actually talking about the "budget" word. It is a word from which I have run most of my life, but something that I am finding to be a necessity now. I have realized that, for me at least, I do a lot of pride-swallowing to be on a budget. No more than $50/week on groceries. The lowest cell phone plan available--and I talk on the phone a lot. No cable (as of the end of this week). No Starbucks. Ouch.

I have realized, though, that this is a sacrifice that I love making because of what I get in return. I get to stay at home and take care of Dan and Emma. And I LOVE it.

And as my husband pointed out tonight, it is something that has become a game for me. Who is going to have the best deal on meat this week? Where can I find the least expensive, best quality clothes for my money (Emma has outgrown all of her 2T stuff, and I am growing into my non-existent maternity wardrobe)? Where are the best places to go in Charleston for free? And, on the occasion that we eat out, which restaurant is having "Kids Eat Free" night? It's like a treasure hunt!

So I'm not expert...yet. But I am slowly learning how to make my family's money go as far as I can.

My Little Cinder-lala and her Prince Charming

There are certain days when you are more proud than others to be a wife and mom. Not those days when you lose your patience with your two-year-old or get angry with your husband because he hung your clothes in the wrong place again. I am talking about those days when you see a glimpse of God doing something amazing, and you realize that He allowed you to see it.

The one thing I desire most for my daughter (apart from a strong relationship with Christ) is the knowledge and understanding that she is a lady. That means that she looks like a lady and acts like a lady. And what I desire most from my husband in his role as a father is to teach our daughter that she is a princess and should be treated as such by any man. Well Emma DEFINITELY wants to dress and act like a lady, and my husband (with a reminder every once in a while that burping and farting are not acceptable around girls) tries his hardest to show Emma what a Daddy's love really is. These are two areas that I pray about and encourage both Emma and Dan in.

And yesterday, I got to see the most beautiful sight. I saw my precious daughter get dressed up in her princess clothes and say to me, "I wonderful, Momma." Yes you are, my sweet girl.
And then I saw she and her Daddy walk to the living room, hand in hand, and share a special dance. No music, no lights, and for no particular reason other than that her Daddy shares many special dances with his little princess. I wish I had a camera, because it was such a beautiful moment. I saw a glimpse of my Father's love. Not just my earthly Daddy, because he makes sure to know that I'm still his little girl. I am talking about my Father God who loves me, holds my hand, and shares special moments with His princess.

What a precious sight.

Hmmm...

I haven't posted in a long time, but I guess that we haven't really had a lot going on. Life has been calm lately, and that is the way I like it! Here are just a few updates:

1. I'm still feeling the nausea and fatigue from being preggo. I'm 10 weeks along, though, so hopefully that will all be ending soon.
2. Emma still doesn't want to use the potty. When I have the energy, we're going to do the 75-75 potty training technique (leave them out of a diaper for 75 hours, and pay $75 to clean everything that they are going to mess up because of accidents).
3. Dan's job is going well. It's nice to be home everyday when he gets here.
4. Our small group is still studying Luke. We are on Luke 4 right now, and it has taken us from December until now to get there. But I have learned A LOT in these last few months.
5. We get to go to Rock Hill for Easter. We haven't been there in five years, so it will be nice to spend time with my dad's ENTIRE family (about 50 people)

So, nothing really exciting...But I am taking that as a blessing!

The Big Day

October 2 is the BIG day. That's when we'll see baby #2. So, it's a little later than we originally thought, but they will most likely induce early. The doctors induced a week early with Emma, and she was 8 lbs. 9 oz.--We're not too worried about a small baby in this family!

And in other non-baby news, PRAISE GOD for His blessings. We are so thankful that He has provided for us yet again...This time, in the form of a tax return. We are working really hard to pay off some debt and save some money, which is difficult because we have lost a lot of income in the last four months. But we are reminded yet again that God keeps His promises as our Provider. Yay!

#2 is coming (not that #2...)

Well, I guess I have waited long enough to announce it (for the two people who might not know): we're having another baby! I am really excited, really tired, and really sick of the nausea. Our expected due date is September 26, but that may change later this week after my appointment. I go in on Thursday (Valentine's Day, for those of you who celebrate) for my first visit with a new doctor. Emma will be with me--that should be fun!

I can't wait to find out what we're having. With Emma, I knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that we were having a girl...I never doubted. This time, I have no idea. We asked Emma what she wanted, and she said she wanted a baby boy. I asked her what kind of baby she thought was in Mommy's tummy, and she said a "baby durl". We'll see.

On a side note (and quite a funny one), Emma lifted up Daddy's shirt yesterday to announce that he has a baby in HIS belly. She then said that she has a baby in her belly. I don't think she gets it yet...

Pictures from Disney World

Sorry there's no music...I couldn't get iTunes to cooperate. Enjoy!