A Tail of a Tale

So, we're all girls around here...all but Joe of course. 

Needless to say, the girls don't really know about what makes a boy "different."  

So, I was babysitting the other day and Norah was in the room when I was changing the diaper of a little friend.  

She looks at him and gaffs a bit.  She says, "Ha.  Mommy, look at him's bottom.  He has a tail."  

I'll leave it at that. 

Pink or Blue?

We don't know.

And by we,  I maybe just mean me.

We had our ultrasound yesterday, and told the doctor we were going for a surprise.  My mother-in-law was there and said, "If you need to pull me in the hall to tell me, that's ok."  I shouted, "NO!  She can't keep a surprise!!"  She smiled...knowing it was true.

But, though I am really excited about finding out in the moment, I totally would have loved "accidentally" figuring it out yesterday.  The girls were with us, and he had the screen tilted to where they could see it much better than I could. So, I definitely didn't figure anything out.  The girls were really enjoying trying to see things, they all saw the head, back and heart beating really well.  I loved watching their faces.  

The nurse asked them what they wanted, and Sophia said quietly, "A brother."  But then I asked, "What do you think the baby is?"  Sophia with a sheepish grin:  "A girl."  

Norah was rubbing my belly the other day and said, "Your baby in here?  Where's her bow at?"  I said, "they don't come out with bows on, you have to put those on."  She looks at me with that, aww, poor Mommy just doesn't understand look, and says, "Silly goose, yes she does.  Now is her bow up here??"  I said, "Sure."  

Now, though we didn't find out, I'm not convinced that Joe doesn't know.

I couldn't see the screen when the doctor said, "Look away and I'll get an idea real quick."  And I knew Joe would definitely NOT look away.  So I was harassing him and watching his face.  He got a definite impression one way or another.  I couldn't decide if his face was the hiding the excitement face or the slightly disappointed look.  I gave severe guilt-trips about lying to his wife in the car ride home.  He swears he doesn't know and that if he had an inkling of an idea, it was Girl.  But, he also told me before the ultrasound that I'd never know the answer if he figured it out.  

He's kind of a butt that way.  

Oops.  Did I say that?  

Joe's mom had a feeling, and I know she couldn't tell anything by sight, because she didn't even see the head when it was a big round circle.  But, she felt, based on how quickly the doctor said, "OK, I think I have a good idea." that it was a boy.  

Who knows???  Well, maybe Joe.

I know we'll both be fine with another girl.  We love our girls.  They are each unique, sweet, funny, and precious.  And girlie...oh so girlie. 

But some days, when the drama is thick, the whining's intense, and the tears are rolling....I can't help but wonder if our house would change some with a rowdy, messy, stinky boy.  

Our baby's healthy.  Thank God.  

And that's all that really matters.

Enough with the Serious

OK, I had to get those last two posts out, but I still want this blog to be about the funny and sweet moments...as often as I have brain space to put them out there.

Let's see:  

Norah:  (Hers are a little gross...you are forewarned).  We've been potty-training and it's going 90% well with the pee-pees.  1% well with poops.  Which means, she either puts a pull-up on and poops when needed (on her own), or she stool hoards (seriously...she's pretty constipated from this), or she poops in her panties, which on one lucky day for me happened twice!  Yippee!!  So, on that day, I hear Jossie yell from the office, "Mommy!  Norah has poop on her finger and is wiping it on the computer!!"  Wish I were kidding.  

At least it was on the screen...easy to remove and disinfect.  

Then tonight, she's been sick with a virus of some sort; high fevers, a little snot/cough.  So, she was walking by me licking her lip and I notice the glisten of snot, and I say, "Do you want me to wipe your nose?"  Norah: "No" (still licking).  Me: "Tasty?"  Norah:  "I like to lick it."  And away she went outside.  

Sorry if these are just gross to you.  I find them amusing, but I'm a body-humor amused sort of gal.

One that isn't gross:  We went swimming at a hotel pool with Joe's parents one night.  The girls did  good.  Norah was very brave for her young age and wanted to swim on her own the whole time (with a life-jacket on, of course!).  We were leaving in the car later and she said in a happy voice, "That was a lot of fun."  Then she sighs contentedly and says, "I'm so glad I din't go down the dwain!"  We laughed.  Like, how long had she been thinking of that possibility while swimming?  

Jossie:  At the girls' school, they do weekly presentations in their classes.  For Sophie, they are a specific topic each week, and Jossie's class is show and tell each week.  So, one week, Sophia had to discuss what she wanted to be when she grows up.  Jossie says, "No fair!  Why can't we do that?"  I said, "Well, yours is show-and-tell, but you could bring something that represents what you want to be when you grow up."  She got so excited and yelled, "OK!!"  She ran into her room and excitedly emerged about 30 seconds later and said, "I want to be a spy when I grow up.  I'm going to show them my super spy eye!"  She used her fingers to spread wide her eyelids on one of her eyes.  "I use my spy eye to see through people!"  

Oh, you've got to love her.  She is so funny and creative in the things she says.  I just crack up at her sense of humor.

For Easter, Jossie got an "I Spy" book in her basket.  It's about finding hidden pictures, basically.  She was thrilled!  "How did the Easter Bunny know I wanted to be a spy when I grow up?"  smile.

Sophia: She's so sweet sometimes.  She can laugh at things, but she's definitely more of a melancholy by nature.  She thinks deeply about everything and needs to know an answer about EVERYTHING.  I joke with her that she's still in the "Why? Why?" stage.  I won't lie, it's exhausting sometimes, but I'm thankful for her inquisitive nature.  She's very sweet-spirited too.  She always wants to do something for somebody.  "Mommy, PLEASE can we go bring cookies to the neighbor ladies?" 

After the Haiti earthquake she wanted to do something.  So, she decided to get a few of her friends together and put on a Cinderella play in our living room that was a fundraiser.  Joe's parents and Grandma Reta came, and the parents of the friends came, and they all gave money.  It was a cute little play for throwing it together very last-minute.  And, she raised $75 that our church gave to medical missions teams going to Haiti!  I thought it was so sweet.

Then, the other day, I overheard her talking to a friend.  She was saying that we do have a heart that beats and pumps blood, but that's not the same " heart" as our spirit/soul.  She says, "Our spirit is what knows God and loves God, and it's our spirit that gets to go to Heaven."  I kind of dismissed it as "cute" until today in worship when I started thinking of the significance of a 6-year-old having this deep knowing that she has a spirit and that her spirit loves Jesus and is redeemed.  She already has a bit of understanding about her being forgiven and deeply loved by God no matter what she does or goes through in life.  It made me cry and realize how special it is to know and receive God at such an early age.