Third post of the year!!

I just realized that I have only updated this family Journal TWICE this year, which is just plain awful. I need to be better about that.

I have of course, been crazy busy. Since that is how I roll. I started back school in August, and so far I have finished one class and am starting on the second. I hope to have the second class done by the end of this month, then I will only need to complete four more classes by the time that the baby gets here in January. I am a little behind because in August I also had to study for and pass a certification course to become a trauma nurse for work, and then went on a little vacation to Omaha with Colin and Finn. I wanted one last little family trip with the three of us, before we add another baby to the family.

Speaking of the baby, It is a girl! I am so excited, and I already have a little closet set up for little Adeline full of pink sleepers, hair bows, tights and pretty church dresses. I am over the moon that we will have a little girl to love up on soon! She is a giant thumb sucker. We have just a tiny complication that there are only two vessels in the umbilical cord so we have had four ultrasounds already, and the last two ultrasounds, her hands were always near her face or in her mouth. Colin is hopeful that since she is a thumb sucker, she might also be a cuddler. Finn has never been very cuddly even as an infant if he was awake he wanted to be moving, or playing or looking around, he would never let me just snuggle him.

Sweet Baby Adeline

As with most things related to healthcare, I am a little to well read about these things (meaning anxious about everything I know could possibly be or go wrong), so I knew all of the complications that could go along with only having two vessels in the umbilical cord. I was especially concerned about cardiac anomalies as my Brother in Law was born with a coarctation of the aorta as a baby, but I saw a perinatologist (high risk OB doctor), and he thought the baby looked as healthy as could be. Now I can relax a little bit, hope that there aren't any growth issues, and try to enjoy all the extra ultrasound pictures.

Finnigan is doing well. He is saying a lot of words, and we are working on shapes, colors and numbers at this time, as he has already mastered his ABCs. He's doing very well. He knows 1-10 - although he always skips seven, and every number after 10 he calls "tee-teen." Now that he is learning numbers, he asks for "Four cookies?" though, instead of just asking, "cookie?" Hee hee.

He's not showing any interest in potty training at all, and he's still not really talking in full sentences yet though. Each kid develops at their own speed, but I worry that he's going to have speech issues like I did as a kid. I was in speech therapy up until the second grade, and still slip back into my speech impediment when I am sleepy or if I try to talk too fast. Luckily, people usually just think it's an accent. =) We have been reading extra books at night, and working on flash cards for speech literacy. And I bought him a little baby doll for three dollars from Once Upon a Child. For two reasons, one to try to teach him about babies before we have a little one living with us, and the second reason was that it comes with a book about potty training, along with a little doll potty so I can try to get him to understand the concept of potty training before we attempt it when he's more developmentally ready for it.

He seems to want to remain in denial for now that there is a baby in my tummy. He cries and runs away whenever we try to talk to him about it, or show him my belly or ultrasound pictures. 

Below are some random pictures from this summer, Including vacation to Omaha. We went to the zoo, the children's museum on a wilderness safari, and to an aviation museum while were were there, as well as an old shopping village in downtown Omaha. We had a lot of fun. Finn passed out in the car a lot because he wouldn't nap well in the hotel so there was a theme there in quite few of the photos.

Finn also had swimming lessons and a music class this summer, and enjoyed playdates with his friends. We went swimming a lot at the YMCA, and tried to get outside as much as possible. I am sad that winter is coming soon and his life will slow down a little, especially as momma's belly gets bigger and side walks get slicker =).

Carousel at Union Park

Wading pool At Union Park

Train at the Blank Zoo.

Finn Loves Hats!

Monkeys at the Omaha zoo.

Train at t Omaha Zoo.

Digging up Dinos At Omaha Zoo.

Children's Museum in Omaha

Train At the Children's Museum in Omaha

These stupid birds were the lamest part about the safari, and they blocked us from moving for a good 20-30 minutes because they wouldn't get out of the road!

Popping bubbles at the Science Center

Maker Faire at the Children's Museum

Vacation was a lot of fun, but now I need to focus on getting our place ready for the new baby. We have 1000 square feet and two bedrooms and Finn's room is tiny and are storage is pretty much maximized so I need to rid of us of things and organize the house so we have room for all of the contraptions that come along with a baby. And, of course christmas is coming! I need to get Finn another toy box before then if I can find a decent one at a thrift store. For christmas, I plan on getting him art supplies (Need), a fort kit (want) and outfit or two (wear) and a personalized book off the internet (read). I am super excited for christmas this year. Although, I actually have to work for 12 hours christmas day, so I am not sure when we will actually celebrate it. I am starting to shop for it already, and am literally dreaming about Christmas at night. It's my favorite time of year!!

I still need to buy Finn's Halloween costume, but he helped me pick it off the internet. He wants to be superman, although he calls him, "Supperdaddy!." That was so cute that he convinced me, even though Superman is my least favorite super hero.

I will need to upload some videos from this summer before I can post them. I will make a separate journal entry soon with plenty of video,

until then,