Happy Fall from The Valentines!

We endured just over a week of sickness in our home full of strep throat, croup & general exhaustion with every member of our family.  We were thankful to be feeling better & could hardly wait to have enough energy to head over to the Pumpkin Patch in Celebration.

Our last experience with pumpkins was when were went to the Dallas Arboretum last fall.  Charlotte threw one up in the air, over her head & we saw it go splat right in the entry of the lovely Arboretum.  She had a little more respect for the pumpkins this time around & little sissy is not quite strong enough yet to hurl them up in the air so we (or the pumpkins) were safe to say the least : ) We stayed for nearly 2 hours & could have stayed for longer.  These two girls were so happy looking at all the different shaped pumpkins & all the colored gourds.  They carried them all over the place, tried to climb on top of the big ones & made sure they rubbed the dirt all over their faces multiple times throughout our visit.

I was laughing as I picked out their outfits knowing it was about 85 degrees outside. That just seems strange even being from Houston. Eloise had an adorable summer style but fall colored little outfit my mom had made for Charlotte when she was about 16 months old. We borrowed a dress & shoes from Char’s friend Macy & I whipped up a sash and a couple bows to coordinate the outfits. They looked precious…not that they cared one bit but, isn’t it important to look cute when you visit the pumpkin patch just in case there is someone their who might like to take a picture?

I never succeeded at getting both to look at me & smile at the same time but that was alright….they were happy to look at all the other mom’s taking pictures ; )

I think these are two of my very favorites….at least at this moment they are….

But I really love this one too since she actually smiled her regular smile….
and this one, my little Charlotte who is rarely serious these days & is looking older & older!


I had to include one of Eloise with her tongue out since that is pretty much a way of life for her ; )

So our first trip to the Pumpkin Patch was last Thursday & Jenny, Karis & Isaac were planning to join us but Isaac had a fever that just wouldn’t go away.  We awoke this morning to a chilly 50 degrees outside with a high in the mid 60’s & decided that it was a once a century chance to go to a pumpkin patch in Central Florida with weather like this! We picked up the rest of the Valentine clan & headed back to Celebration.

My adorable niece & nephew are NEVER short on smiles & are much easier to make giggle than my stoic two.  Get ready for some cuteness!

 
Don’t you think it would have been so neat to have a picture of all the cousins together? We did too but it was IMPOSSIBLE with a grumpy Eloise. Oh well, maybe next fall! Just kidding, I have a feeling it’s only getting more difficult with every baby (or two) we add! Also, this pumpkin patch said no strollers allowed so I can guarantee I am not taking that trip alone!

We are so very excited about our cool weather this week.  I think one reason I love it so much is because I know it only lasts for a bit! Here's to fall!

Expecting the Unexpected: Pink or Blue?

and the question that BEGS to be asked......................

and they are............

We can hardly believe that we are going to be evening out the numbers around here by adding two boys to the mix!  BOYS BOYS BOYS!!! That will be quite the change for us but we are so very excited.  It was also quite the change to see something that looked VERY different on the screen ; )

So, "Expecting the Unexpected" rings true once again.  Our hope was to wait until our sonogram today & have a photo & a little piece of paper saying what they were sealed in an envelope to take home.  We were thinking it would be fun to buy a couple pairs of boy shoes & a couple pairs of girls shoes then stand facing each other blindfolded with our hands out. We were going to have Jenny open the envelope & place the right shoes in our hands.  What a fun idea it was.

Turns out that the blood test I had done to asses for chromosomal abnormalities actually pulls a fetal DNA profile from my blood & it happened to show a "Y" chromosome.  Since the twins were determined to be identical we were pretty positive that it would be two boys. So it was an unexpected way to find out but to see it confirmed on that screen today was like the first time I heard the news. Boy oh Boy, I am going to be a mama of boys...TWO of them AT THE SAME TIME! That's all I can think about ; )

Another unexpected sweet blessing from the Lord happened the day we met with the genetic specialist.  We had found out that more than likely we were having two boys & were sharing the news with our family & a few friends.  Slight back tracking here but it is very important to the story. Graeme & Anita were the couple that Rob lived with when he was in Australia. If you remember, they gave us the pair of baby Uggies long before Charlotte was even conceived and diligently prayed for the Lord to fill those shoes with little feet. Read the whole story here.  So, back to present day...Graeme & Anita flew in for a visit just hours after our appointment. Steve & Jenny had picked them up & brought them to their house. We headed over for a quick hello before Life Group that evening & found Anita to be looking a bit like Santa Claus with a whole bag of gifts ; ) She had new Uggs for the girls, a coffee mug for me, some Tim Tams (oh my) & various other goodies.  Last but not least she pulled out something she kept hidden from me for a moment & said "these are for the twins." She opened her hands & held out these....

The pair of them just screamed twin BOYS to me & teary eyed I just looked at her & said "Oh Anita, you will never believe this but we found out today that they are more than likely going to be boys!" She of course was grinning ear to ear. She bought the navy pair the week she found out I was pregnant & said she was debating on what color & just felt God nudging her toward those.  Once she found out there were two babes, she returned & got a pair of the brown. I had been looking at all sorts of shoes to buy for our "big reveal" but this gift surpassed every little pair.  

All in all, it was unexpectedly sweet to find out the gender when we did, to share the news with two people who prayed for us & to receive that gift that was more meaningful than anything I could have imagined. 

Onto those two little guys that have taken up residence in my growing belly....

Baby A

Baby B

They were so funny on the ultrasound both sucking their thumbs & wiggling around. Baby B was sitting on Baby A's head the entire time & it looked like A was trying to squirm to get into a new spot that might be a bit more comfortable. I would too ; ) We could see a faint membrane between them & all the measurements of babies & fluid were right on target for nearly 16 weeks.  It was a little too early for the full anatomy scan but we were able to confirm that both hearts have four chambers & that the umbilical cords each have three vessels. We will return in three weeks for our next visit. 

There are many things I am so very excited about as I think about having two boys.  One that is really high up on the list of "exciting things" is that our girls are going to have two little brothers just like I do! I LOVE having brothers.  They were a blast to grow up with even if they brought a live snake in my room or drove me crazy as a team on our many trips from Houston to Dallas.  They along with Rob make me laugh harder than anyone I know....especially if it is all three of them together ; ) They are close friends today that make me smile when they call to chat, ask for advice or leave me a message in song.  Oh I love them dearly & I can't wait to see Charlotte & Eloise grow up loving & being loved by two little brothers. 

There is a lot of excitement within our families right now but I must say that the person who should be most excited is my nephew Isaac.  Isaac has a big sister & a total of seven girl cousins. He has been the lone ranger on both sides of the family until now.  These three boys will be just over a year apart if I make it to my due date.  Who knows, maybe they will share the same birthday! Whether he really understands or not, he sure does a loud screech when others are acting excited.

Rob shut down any talk about names until we were sure of the gender so I can hardly wait to get serious now that we know! Boy names are really challenging for us. I would venture to say that girls would already have their names by now. It's so funny, I was convinced Charlotte was going to be a boy & it was a shock to me when they said she was a girl. It only took about 5 seconds to switch into girl mode & now two girls later, I of course cannot imagine life any other way.  We would have been just as delighted to see two baby girls inside knowing how much we have enjoyed life with Charlotte & Eloise in fact I think that is what we were more prepared for! So, seeing those boys catapults us into a whole new world that will hopefully be filled with lots of dirt, some snakes (not in my house) & little boys that tell me they want to marry me when they grow up ; ) I am thankful today knowing I get to be a mother of sons. Praise the Lord who designs our family just as he desires & equips us for caring for the little ones entrusted to us. 

Thanks Christi (who is now open for business) for documenting our celebration. We are grateful for your talent!

Oh Baby Aubrey, we can't get enough of you!

Following our visit with the Boyer Family, we got to spend time with my cousin Amy & her precious little Aubrey Elizabeth.  Amy & her husband Cody were in town staying at a Disney Resort while Cody attended a conference for work.  This left the ladies free during the day on Wednesday so we kidnapped them & spent the morning in Celebration, picked up lunch then headed to our house for the girls to nap. Us mama's actually snoozed for a bit too. We cooked dinner together & ate before dropping of Amy Beth & Aubs at their hotel.  It was a fun filled day!

We got to meet Aubrey last fall when we visited Dallas but she was just a wee little babe at 3 months old so it was beyond fun to see her in action crawling all over, pulling up & playing with Charlotte & Eloise. She turned one in August & is pretty much ADORABLE!!

Not too many words needed as the cuteness is revealed....

Enjoying a picnic snack in Downtown Celebration. I think these two look similar with their expression : ) 

Charlotte loved holding Aubrey, probably a bit more than Aubrey loved to be held!

Our top two photos from our attempt to get three kids to look at the camera at one time.  I can rest assured we will not have any photos of our four under four looking at the camera come 2013 : )

And beautiful Amy & Aubrey....

After a stroll around the lake we stripped the girls down & put them in their swimsuits to enjoy some playtime in the fountain. Aubrey was quite surprised at how it felt!

Eloise was pleased to have a baby smaller than her to love on...and to splash since she is usually the recipient of unwanted water in her face. She would hold her hand up to the water & then turn around & stick her tush against the stream causing a BIG spray in Aubrey's face. Haha!

Char cheered Aubrey on when she would be brave enough to stick her hand in the water.

Charlotte & Eloise got SO brave & ran to the center for an ultimate shower!

We could not stop laughing watching Aubrey get sprayed while she giggled & acted like she wanted to get away but could not move fast enough.

These three played so well together & were precious. It made us think about how much our moms enjoyed us playing together as kids. Me, Amy & Allison (Amy's older sister)  are the first three cousins on the Loftin side of the family. I was born first, then Allison 3 months later & then Amy only 18 months after that. We were quite the trio who had fun playing but fought like crazy. I don't remember a lot of the fighting but there are stories : )

Here we are somewhere around 1986 or 1987 I am guessing. I wonder who was getting our attention to all be looking to the side : ) Allison is expecting her first baby at the end of December or early January. She is having a girl too! Can't wait to get all 4 girls together!

Thanks for visiting with us Amy & Aubrey! We love you! Charlotte asks nearly everyday if we can go back to the fountain & see baby Aubrey, as if she lives there ; )

LOVE the Boyers!

You know how it goes with us & visitors.  One checks out of The Valentine Hotel & another checks in! Sometimes this happens on the same day : ) I took Gaga & G. Gran to the airport around 9am, tidied up the guestroom, put fresh linens in the bathroom & made a quick trip to the grocery store.  Around 3pm, there was a knock on my door & I opened it to find none other than the BOYER FAMILY! They squeezed us in between a cousins wedding in Tampa & a visit with Philip's grandmother in Miami. We had two nights together to catch up & it was wonderful. 

There have been various posts about this family over the course of my blogging days but quick recap... Jocelyn & I lived across the hall from each other freshman year at Texas Tech. We are both Labor & Delivery nurses, have been pregnant together & are married to men that have so many similar interests  it's laughable. Bottom line, I love this woman. She is such a dear friend to me & one that I miss terribly. 48 hours of togetherness was something to be thankful for but definitely not enough to make up for the full year between our last two visits! I sent Jocelyn the email following our ultrasound on September 27th, just a week before their scheduled arrival.  She quickly replied with what felt like a huge hug & a good cry via email. She said to let them know if we needed them to stay somewhere else with all that was going on.  We said The Valentine Hotel was open for business! I was thankful to have close friends in our home to share life with in the midst of some uncertainty. Just another bit of seeing God provide everything that we needed while waiting to hear test results.  Here we are at the park with Philip the photographer making us laugh. 

And onto those adorable kiddos....

Levi & Charlotte are 10 days apart while Joel & Eloise are almost 4 weeks apart. I do find it strange that Charlotte & Levi were born on the 13th & 23rd of July with Joel & Eloise being born on the 3rd & 30th of May : ) My husband thinks I am weird for even noticing things like that or that it just about killed me that Eloise ended up with an even number in her birthday while the rest of us are all odd numbers ; ) Anyway, all that to say, the kids are VERY close in age & after spending a few days with what might as well be two sets of twins, I'm a little nervous about what's ahead! Maybe nervous isn't the right word. I think I experienced a slight reality check & was made aware of how busy (and loud) our home is going to be with 4 kids under 4. It will be crazy & it will be a blast.  I have been around some little boys but we are mainly surrounded by girls in our neighborhood.  I must say I was shocked to see how differently they play.  Philip & Jocelyn do a great job correcting those sweet boys who are mostly obedient but they are BOYS! I was just laughing watching Charlotte quietly set up her tea party & Levi dumping a whole container of play food on the top while Charlotte looked at me sadly & said "Mommy, he is making a mess!" They were so noisy & so fun.  I love their little voices & their obsession with lizards & frogs. Between the four kids it looked like a bomb went off in the playroom after just 15 minutes.  

Eloise & Joel, oh my, these two are so ridiculously cute with their dimples.  I think they might be a perfect match for each other ; )

Charlotte & Levi were quick to buddy up & have a great time. There was a lot of chasing, laughing, yelling & even some tackling.

oh yeah, and lots of silliness...

They watched some frogs on the screen...

and Toy Story....

The Boyer's left the day before Jocelyn's 30th birthday so we HAD to celebrate. We decided on Indian Food which we all love & were not aware of how much the other couple enjoyed it until it was brought up by the hungry husbands. Philip reviewed the menu online about 100 times before making his selection of multiple entree's, multiple side dishes & LOTS of spiciness! We fed the kids while the boys went to pick up our dinner thinking we could have some uninterrupted visiting. Haha....might have been a good reminder as well that I can pretty much count on being interrupted for a long time ; ) Char & Levi watched their movie while Joel & Elo insisted on being held.  They are the babies & were pretty cute. Our feast was amazing & we packed up some leftovers for a repeat lunch the next day.

Once the babes decided they could walk around while we finished up, they did some hugging...

What a cute little pair, they were happy to climb up on the step stool in the bathroom together when it was tooth brushin' time. 

When we had a little bit more room in our bellies, we moved onto dessert to officially celebrate the big 3-0 for Jocelyn.  She & I share a love for the combination of chocolate & peanut butter so it was an easy decision to make these cupcakes with mini Reese's on top.  I had flashbacks to one of her birthdays in college where me & Cheryl made a cake & thought it would be a good idea to dump a bag of Reese's Pieces into the mix.  Who knew they would sink to the bottom & burn? This years dessert was much less of a flop  : )  Once we finished that, we got the kiddos in bed, the boys moved out to the porch for a little cigar smoking & the girls got snuggled up on the couch to watch The Business of Being Born & get into our Labor & Delivery mode of chatter.  It was quite relaxing.

What a sweet family.  We were sad to say farewell as usual but were reminded of the depth of the friendship we share that seems to be unaffected by the miles between us.  The boys are already planning a hunting trip in December & while us girls are thinking about how fun it would be for a weekend away someday when we can time having/nursing babies right. It may be a long time before we can be free at the same time but wow, that will be an amazing trip!