Baby's First Photo

Guess who I saw today!!

Baby!

See the little peanut shape at the bottom of the screen?  That is the back of baby's head and back, and the markers are measuring baby's cute little spine.  Eeeeee!  So exciting!  Everything looks good, and the due date is January 6th. 

In other news, I take great comfort in knowing that my birthing plan is NOTHING like this- Woman to have ‘dolphin-assisted’ birth (though the Hawaii part sounds nice!)

Katie and I took all the kids up to Merry's house on Memorial Day.  We always have so much fun there, playing outside in the rain and mud...  Here are some pics from the day.

 

 

Monday Love Letters, on Tuesday

(because I was too tired last night to write a post)

 

Dear Andrea,

I love you.

Thank you so much for visiting me.  As always, it was wonderful to see you and hug you and hang out with you.  It was good for my soul!

And seeing our daughters enjoy each other was the cherry on top.  Watching them sing Taylor Swift songs or ride bikes or snuggle up to watch a movie together.... it was like a mini version of you, me and Allison doing the things that we love to do together.  Right? And Max was a little left out, but he didn't seem to mind too much!

Sorry that I didn't feel fantastic while you were here. Thank you for making dinner when I felt icky.  You are quite the perfect guest.  And thank you for hanging back with all the kids while I drove Joe to his many baseball engagements.

Again, I love you, and I miss you every day.

Love,
Me

Dear Baby,

I love you.

You are only the size of a blueberry, yet you are so, so loved and wanted!

I don't even mind that I feel sick all day, or that I'm super tired, or that not one single pair of my jeans fit me anymore, because you are happening! 

I can't wait to know you more, like, are you a boy or a girl?  We talk a lot about what to name you, and Max is pretty committed to Falcon, while Lucy thinks a flower name would be best, like Pansy or Daffodil.  Whatever we decide to name you, be it a Marvel character or a flower, I'm sure that the name will suit you perfectly.  And you are just going to love your brothers and sister, and your daddy too.  With these people as your family, there will never be a dull moment around here!  I hope you like noise, messes, and staying busy, because that is how we roll.

So, hang tight in there, sweet blueberry! I hope you are comfy!  We have a long way to go until your birthday!

 

With all the love in my heart,

Your Mama

 

Dear Sugar,
I love you.
I pretty much love you in every form- juice, candy, cereal, pastries. 
I know you aren't good for me, so I usually try to abstain as best I can, with just an occasional bag of jelly beans here, or a carton of guava juice there, or a quick stop at Krispy Kreme only on an extra special day.  But I've got a free pass to eat whatever makes me happy for the next 33 weeks, and I choose you! You! You!
Get over here, sweet thing!

Love Always,
Annie


Dear Tonight's Dessert,
I love you.
You were a big chocolate chip cookie baked in a skillet and then covered in 4 scoops of Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream and drizzled in chocolate syrup.
You. Were. Amazing.
Katie and I shared you, which was just perfect because sometimes too much of a good thing is a bad thing, if you know what I mean. 
Did I mention that none of my jeans fit?
We will be meeting again during the next 33 weeks, for sure.

Much Love,
Annie

 

The Mama Cop

Darn! I was doing so well on my "Blog Everyday in May" campaign! But then morning sickness reared it's necessary head, and exhaustion set in, and then several of my favorite shows have had season finales... so blogging quickly fell down the list of priorities. 

 

While we are kind of on the topic of finales, I am so happy that Cochran won Survivor!  Devon and I totally love him, and I've started following him on Instagram so that I can keep a steady flow of that "Harvard Nerd" in my life.  And did you watch The Office?  Were you a teary mess like I was?  Jim and Pam have officially taken over the Ross and Rachel spot in my heart. 

 

Okay, moving on.  Last night was a family movie night, and Max decided against wearing pajamas or any clothes at all. 

 

bad picture. sorry.

 

His rebellion didn't end with the dress code, and he was sent to bed early.  He was not happy about it.  He cried, "I'm sorry!  I said I'm sorry! I won't do it again!  I want daddy!...  I wish you didn't live here, mom!  You don't know anything! I don't love you!  I only love daddy!..." It went on and on and on until he finally surrendered to sleep, and this morning he loves me again. 

 

Oh, the joys of motherhood, right?  I am too often the bad cop, and sweet Devon is so good at being the good cop.  Daddy can be such a hero.  I get it- he is my hero too. 

 

But I remembered the cards.

 

So, a few days ago, when Lucy came home from school with two cards, one for me and one for daddy, my heart swelled.

Devon's card says, "I love you" and my card (roughly) says "I love you more".  Hehe! We had a good little laugh, and we thanked Lucy for such sweet and thoughtful cards.

 

We are about to blast off into a busy Saturday of a baseball game, a birthday party, and an annual bbq.  I am the only "cop" on duty, so it is likely that by the end of the day I will need to pull out the card from Lucy and remember that I am loved, sometimes even a bit more than daddy. :) 

Our Teeny, Tiny, Big, Exciting, Very Special News

May 3, 2013

The test is waiting upstairs, in a box, in a cupboard.  It has been there for two days.

I'm pretty sure that I'm pregnant, and I hope that I'm pregnant, but once I take the test, or "pee on a stick" as Devon so eloquently says, there will be a definite result, and my life will be changed forever, or not.  I guess I'm just nervous.

And the uncertainty is beginning to be unsettling.  I might be...  I could be... Maybe...  It is almost time to know I am or I am not.

All week long I have teetered back and forth between feeling that my body is my own and is unoccupied, or that there is a poppy-seed sized piece of my heart beginning to grow and change our family and our lives. 

Hmmm.

Are you in there, kiddo?  Are we doing this?  

May 4, 2013

Yes!

 

The plus signed appeared before two minutes had passed, and Devon and I both had big, goofy smiles across our faces.  We are having another beautiful baby!  I just can't believe it! 

I had wanted to hold this little secret close for a bit.  I don't know why- it just seems like a special thing for Devon and I to savor alone before we tell our families and friends.  But this news is too great to keep under wraps!

Tonight we told the kids, and they were very excited.  Lucy's face lit up and she had the most genuine happy glow on her sweet, round face.  Max was happy too, and he announced that he is hoping for a boy.  Joe was surprised and thinks that a new baby is awesome. 

This is going to be such a fun adventure!

A Sunny Day in Seattle

We have some special visitors!

Andrea and her sidekicks Elsie and Brynn!

 

 

These very special friends drove up from Oregon.  We wanted to show them a good time today, Seattle style, and fortunately our weather was just right for playing outside!

The Great Wheel!

 

 

 

 

 

The Market

What fun will tomorrow bring?

Mother's Day Tea

Today I had the pleasure of attending the Mother's Day Tea in Max's preschool class.  Maxy was sitting on the class rug waiting for me, and he was so happy to see me arrive!  He first showed me the portrait that he painted...

Looks just like me, right?  I love it!

Then he showed me our seats.  He had made placemats, a card, flowers, and a vase with his own thumb prints and finger prints used to make butterflies, bees, flowers, and caterpillars.

All the moms and kids gathered on the rug and the teacher read the book Is Your Mama a Llama?

 

Then all the kids lined up and sang a few songs for us.  It was very sweet.  Very, very sweet!

 

 

We enjoyed some strawberry shortcake, tea, lemonade, and cuddles.

 

 

 

It was delightful!

Thank you Max!

Mom to Mom

Dear Mom,

 

I really hope that I was nice to you when I was a teenager.  I hope that I didn't roll my eyes at you or ignore you or do that loud sigh thing.  I hope that I never made you feel unappreciated.

 

I probably did do all of those things, and I am infinitely sorry.

 

Teenagers are so rude.

 

Isn't it weird that cute, little kids become edgy, self-centered, know-it-all teenagers who take out their angst on those who love and care for them the most- their mothers?  It's just not fair! 

 

It is only a coincidence that Mother's Day is right around the corner as I write this very heartfelt note, but there really isn't a better time to say thank you for enduring my teenage years.  Thank you for disciplining me when I needed it- gosh, did you ever think I'd say that?  Thank you for knowing where I was at every moment of every day.  Thank you for taking an interest in my friends.  Thank you for regularly taking me to Chevy's for dinner, where you would somehow get me to open up and talk about "stuff" over chips and salsa.  Thank you for not letting me date until I was 16-  again, never thought I'd say that.  Thank you for not allowing me to take rides home from school with those older boys-  nope, you were there after school, everyday.  You were really great.

 

Now that I have a teenager of my own, I am trying to do everything the way that you did it, but it is really hard, and, to be completely honest, it stinks sometimes.  Not sure if I will survive the next 4 years, so in case I don't, I just wanted to let you know that you parented with grace, and I love you very much. 

 

 

 

 

Kingdom Project

I'm trying to blog everyday in May.  Have you noticed? 

 

Something pretty cool happened on Sunday. 

Max, Lucy and I went to church- but that's not the cool part,

and I was assigned to be a greeter and hand out programs- but that's not the cool part,

though I did make a new friend- which was pretty cool,

and a picture of us was put on the church's facebook page- but that's not the cool part either.

 

I know what you're thinking.  My hair looks weird.

 

The service was about "becoming the ruler of your moolah," citing The Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25;14-30.  It is an interesting story, and in short, it is about a man who is going on a trip, but before he leaves he calls three of his servants together and entrusts his money to them while he is gone.  Two of the three servants invested the money and doubled it, while the third servant was afraid to lose the master's money so he buried it and hid it, and eventually, once the master returned from his trip, the first two servants gave account of how they had invested the money and were praised, but the third returned the money untouched and was scolded for being a "wicked and lazy servant."  "'Why didn't you deposit my money in the bank?  At least I could have gotten some interest on it.'... To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance.  But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away."

 

All of that being said... the lesson about money is 1) God owns it and God loans it, and 2) I'm accountable to God for how I use His money, and 3) if I don't use it, I lose it.

 

Okay, I'm getting to the cool part.

 

Jesse, the pastor at Rain City Church, asked for five people to come up on stage.  I guess that I was feeling bold, so I stepped up.  Jesse handed each of us a hundred dollar bill.  I hadn't held a $100 bill in a while- it sure felt nice!  Where is he going with this?  I wondered.  

 

Well, this is being called the Kingdom Project, and here are the instructions:

1. This is God’s money that He is entrusting to you.
2. He wants you to invest into His kingdom with skill and courage.
3. We want to get a report from you at the end of the summer on what you did.

Whoa!  The pressure is on!  So, with this money I am praying for ways to grow it, and I am praying for ways to use it.  I know of so many worthy causes that could use funds, and I am completely open to suggestions and ideas!

 

I am really excited about this project, and I will be sure to keep you updated! 

 

Note to self:  Do not bury the money and then return it.

Why does Ben look so smug?

 

 

Monday Love Letters

Dear Moment When Joe Was Doing Homework and Max and Lucy Were Playing Together Quietly,

I love you.

It is not everyday that a moment like you comes along.  I was so taken by surprise, just sitting in the other room, folding clean towels, when I realized, Hey, it is quiet.  And that was when I knew that you had captured my heart.

Don't be a stranger.

 

Love Always,

Annie

Dear Record Breaking Heat,

I love you.  I think you're hot!

What a glorious day!  I knew you could do it- I knew you could beat the previous record from 1957.  79 degrees?  Ha!  That was so 57 years ago!  Yep, you reached 87 degrees today, and you knocked my socks off, literally and figuratively.

We played at the park, we got wet, we sat in the shade, we opened all the windows in the house, we cranked the a/c in the minivan...

We enjoyed every minute of you, and I even used you as an excuse to buy Jamba Juice for lunch :)

 

Much love, (you record breaker, you!)

Annie

Dear iPhone,

I love you. 

Not only are you a major improvement on my old, battery-dying, cracked-screen Android, but you are pretty darn awesome on your own account.  Your camera is what I love the most about you, but I can tell that you have so many more features that I've yet to discover.  What an exciting future we have together!  Oh, oh!  And FaceTime is so great!!

I've really enjoyed the apps Logo Quiz and iHeartRadio.  Tell me, what other apps might I enjoy?

You complete me, iPhone. 

 

Yours forever,

Annie 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Snapshots

lake sammamish

84 degrees fahrenheit

very happy kids

 



(joe in red)

Gratitude

People magazine- guilty pleasure, right?  Love it.

The results are in, and Gwyneth Paltrow has been crowned World's Most Beautiful Woman.

Silly, I know.

The Beauty says, "I feel very lucky that I'm no longer in my 20's.  Being a mother and getting to experience my life from a place of gratitude make me embrace the process of getting older and that every day is an incredible gift."

I couldn't agree more!

Gratitude came easy today.  The kids and I started the day in the sun at Joe's baseball game, and we ended the day in the sun at the park. 

While Joe hung out with a buddy in the shade, Max and Lucy ran up and down this grass hill, and then they took to rolling down it.  The result was that they were covered in grass stains, and tonight they went to bed with rosy cheeks.

What a fantastic spring Saturday :)  I am so very grateful.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

You know how when you finish a great book, you are just dying to talk about it?  I guess that is why book clubs exist.

Well, I just finished a book that I am dying to talk about!

 

Whenever I finish a book, I look around to see if anyone can 1) witness the fact that I finished a whole book! I am so impressed with myself! and 2) endure to my poor attempt at recapping said book. 

 

I won't even try to recapture the message of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller.  But I will say that I give it two thumbs up and that it has inspired me to live a better story.  If you've read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

 

 

 

Here is a small taste for you.  A nibble, if you will...

"The most often repeated commandment in the Bible is 'Do not fear.' It's in there over two hundred times.  That means a couple of things, if you think about it.  It means we are going to be afraid, and it means we shouldn't let fear boss us around.  Before I realized we were supposed to fight fear, I thought of fear as a subtle suggestion in our subconscious designed to keep us safe, or more important, keep us from getting humiliated.  And I guess it serves that purpose.  But fear isn't only a guide to keep us safe; it's also a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life."

Please, someone, read this book!  It is a quick read :)  And Miller is a great storyteller.  Maybe I can get Devon to read it...

 

 

 





Keepin' it Real

Lucy is learning to read and write, which is fantastic, and it is so amazing to observe.
Today as I was cleaning, I picked up one of Lucy's small notebooks, and it was mostly filled with pages of scribbles, except for this special little note:

Perhaps she was trying to say "mom you smell wonderful" or something like that.  But I'm okay with "mom you smell".  We like to keep it real around here!

Happy Birthday to Mom!

A couple of months ago, my sister and I hatched a plan.

We called my dad- our dad- and offered to be our mom's birthday gift from him.

"Want to fly us down for mom's birthday?  She'll be so surprised!  She'll be so happy!"

Yes, she was very happy, but she was not surprised.

I think the conversation went something like this:

Mom- I think I'd like to go to Palm Springs on my birthday.

Dad- Oh, okay. We could do that.... but  I already have something planned for your birthday.

Mom- You do?  Really?  Are you flying the girls down?

She can read his mind.  It is pretty amazing.

Anyway, my sister and I each hopped on a tiny airplane, met in Portland, hopped on a bigger airplane, and arrived in California, where all California girls truly belong, right?  This gift for mom was really a gift for us too! 

It was such a nice visit with family, and we did all sorts of celebratory birthday stuff with mom while I took a small break from being a mother myself-  Devon and Grandma Donna covered my shifts here at the Rantz homestead.  Thanks guys! 

 

Check out my newest nephew, Beckett.  Mmm Mmm Good!  He is so delicious!  Mom called birthday-dibs on him.

We had birthday dinner at Goomba's in Grass Valley, and then cake at Seth and Carlee's house, and my dad may or may not have coordinated a medley of songs to sing to my mom, accompanied by Adam and Seth on percussion and background vocals, and Molly and I may or may not have contributed some vocals too.  It wasn't my finest moment, but it was a sweet gesture from my dad.

 

I brought home lots of hugs from my parents, Adam and Jill and their kids, and Seth and Carlee, and I spread the love around to Devon and our kids. 

 

And mom had a very happy birthday :)