December has been an incredibly busy, fun, stressful, and exciting month with so many fun events and celebrations. Sara, Zac, Claire and I went to a Christmas musical with Oma, Aunt Lisa, and Allie. It ended with the kids going up on stage to see Santa and receive a candy cane. It was so cute and really put me in the Christmas spirit.

Every year our church does what I call mini-nativity scene recreation. One lucky family is chosen based on the baby born closest to Dec. 1 to be the Holy Family. I thought after missing it by 2 weeks when Zac was born we were in the clear. Apparently not. So this year baby Jesus was a bouncing baby 8 month old with 3 older siblings. (And Eric as a pretty hot looking Joseph! Ow!) We are quite a progressive church. Last year Jesus was twins with 2 moms.




For this occasion Luke got his first hair cut. The mullet had to go!


We also got to celebrate Sara's 11th birthday. If you remember from a previous entry she was in negotiations with her parents for a cell phone. I am thrilled to say she won and has unlimited texting privileges. Yes! We celebrated with all the family at Oma's with another one of her beautiful homemade cake creations.


The Sunday before Christmas Eric and I gifted ourselves with a babysitter and a night out. The wonderful sitter arrived with fresh baked cookies and all the fixings for the kids to decorate while we went out. Wow! However we were punished for this indulgence when we came home to Claire screaming in pain, sick yet again. After a three hour visit to the doctor that involved blood tests, x-rays, and a thorough head to toenail examination we were sent home with yet another round of antibiotics with the hopes of a peaceful Christmas. The next evening we got a phone call from an on call doctor letting us know that a bacteria had shown up in her blood culture but it was yet to be identified and she indeed has mono. Seriously? Great! That explains the 33 visits to the doctor the past month. Fast forward to today, the bacteria was just a contaminant and the mono is over and really not as scary as we thought. But let me publicly apologize to every person Claire has come into contact with in the last month, i.e. the Early Childhood Center.


Our first of 4 Christmas celebrations began on Wednesday the 23rd with Sara. The family all came to our house for a brunch and mini-present opening.



Our second celebration was Christmas morning. Santa was very good to us as always! Zac got the G.I. Joe he asked for, Claire got her ballerina dress and slippers, and Luke got a super cool tricycle he had no idea he wanted! All of us got the Wii. I'll let you know how good that is when I actually get to play it. Butch and RoRo joined us for breakfast. They arrived at 9:00 a.m. and left at 9:33 a.m. - Butch style. ;)




Celebration number 3 was at Oma and Opa's house Christmas night. We ate fabulous food, played with cousins, and had so much fun opening presents yet again!

Our 4th and final celebration was the day after Christmas at Butch and RoRo's for breakfast and the last bit of presents. It was all so exhausting but so fun! I was sad it had to end.

To make me feel better, we got a sitter again. This time we double dated with 2 of our great friends. The whole event was orchestrated by Eric and began here.


Yes. Rock climbing. I was hoping that it would be the hobby I never knew I wanted to take up but I was wrong. Never-the-less it was fun, especially watching Eric. He gets so jazzed about sharing things he loves with friends. I was anxious to get to the great pub he mentioned that was up the street!

The next day we packed up the kids and went up to Big Bear to stay at Oma and Opa's cabin. After sitting in RI-DONK-U-LOUS traffic, we arrived to a beautiful snow filled town. Zac loved it and didn't mind that we didn't have boots for his poor feet. Claire declared she does NOT like snow, walked around in it for about 15 minutes, and wouldn't touch it since she had a band aid on her thumb and could NOT put on gloves. Luke stayed nice and warm in the cabin...which was wise since we had to leave unexpectedly the next day when he spiked a fever of 102.




Thursday we are going to see Disney on Ice with RoRo (her Christmas present) and January 14th Luke gets to visit the ENT Doctor. The fun never ends around here!

Despite the stress of all the sickness we have endured the last month, Eric and I feel so lucky and thankful for every person in our lives and every minute we get to spend with them. Thanks to all for a Merry Christmas and here's to a Happy New Year!

'Tis The Season!

Need I say more?

Things that made me smile BIG today!

We are at the dinner table and Zac is swaying side to side. He gets close enough to Claire that she turns and kisses his cheek. He stops, puts his arm around her and says, "That was sweet," then kisses her back!

And this.

Luke's Baptism

The last couple of weeks have been a blur of sleepless nights, surgery, urgent care waiting rooms, thermometers, Tylenol, snot, tissue, humidifiers, co-pays, soar throats, albuterol, hydro-cortazoan cream, Neosporin, and a lot more snot. In between all of that fun we managed to celebrate a beautiful Thanksgiving at Chad and Lisa's house, decorate our house for Christmas, go out to dinner for Chad's birthday, and then yesterday, celebrate Luke and cousin Zoe's baptism. Dad made a guest appearance in robe and all to lay his hands on their heads and make them official. Zoe wasn't too sure about this virtual stranger holding her and putting a wet hand on her head. I think for a 20 month old, she handled it quite well. Luke only needed to be plugged with the pacifier once after I tried to wipe his snotty nose before the actual baptism. Eric told me afterward that when I handed Luke to dad, Luke made a face like, "Hey. I know this guy!" That look on Luke's face almost made Eric loose it. I got teary when it hit me that this was it. No more baptisms for us. This is the last time dad will do this for Eric and me. Wow. Last time's are poignant.

Sara

One of the coolest kids I know, Sara, recently got a personal email address. This has opened up a new communication with her that I am really enjoying. Sara will be 11 years old in a few weeks and is already a teen in so many ways. She told me she is currently in negotiation for a cell phone! The best part of emailing with Sara is not what she writes in the actual email, although the words are always a fancy font with lots of animation, but her subject lines. Here are just a few:

Booya
Sup
Hey Hey
Sooo
im ready!

Love it!

In Case You Didn't Know...

Claire: I'm in charge of this WHOLE WORLD!

Zac: Actually Claire, God is.

Have to share...

Claire

As I am buckling Claire in her car seat the other day she asks me about my wedding ring.

Me: Daddy gave it to me when we got married.

Claire: But you're not married.

Me: Yes we are. Daddy and I had a wedding where I got to wear a pretty dress and all of our friends and family came to celebrate.

Claire: You are not married because you're a prisoner.

Me: A what??

Claire: You're a prisoner.

Me: (curious) How am I a prisoner?

Claire: Because you have to work and teach students. You are a prisoner.

Me: I'm a prisoner because I work?

Claire: If you are married you don't have to work any more and you aren't a prisoner any more.

Ummmm. Too many Disney movies perhaps?

Luke

I am home alone with Luke attempting to do house work. I put him in the living room in front of his baby gym with toys dangling from it and pop in the best babysitter ever...Baby Einstein.

A few minutes pass and I peek in to check on him. Luke has completely knocked the over the gym and plugged himself with a pacifier. His eyes were glued to the T.V.
Awesome. Back to work for me!

Happy 6th Zac!

Birthdays. Fun, but admittedly lots of work!

There are so many issues when it comes to a November birthday baby. Here we are at the beginning of the year at a new school and it's time to make the invite list to the party. I have yet to receive a "Condit Caller" (phone book) so what to do? Invite the whole Kindergarten? Sorry. We are on a tight budget here. Especially since Zac's choice of venue (Pump It Up) charges for each kid over the planned amount. Zac made his list of friends and I spent the following 2 weeks secretly introducing myself to parents and passing them the invite praying that a child who wasn't invited didn't see. (By the way - never doing that again!)

The official celebration began last Wednesday when I went to Zac's class to share the home made brownies I made per his request. His teacher, Ms. Thompson, put a crown on his head and hugged him 6 times for each year. The kids snarfed down the yummies and were all so polite and thankful. I think he has made some really good friends. Shwooh! What a relief!

He came home that afternoon to receive his new (huge) bike (with hand breaks...yikes) and a well timed package from the Henderson crew in Kansas. We went to dinner at Pizza and Stuff and finished off the night with ice cream at Bert & Rocky's. Awesome!

Sunday the birthday party time had arrived. Everyone except 2 people on the list made it! (I feel some sort of personal achievement.) It was so much fun and I didn't have to do anything! With a baby at home and an overworked husband that was the best! The kids jumped and climbed until they were wet with sweat! There were only a few bumped heads and 2 ice packs needed but mostly tons of fun. New friends and old had a blast and spoiled Zac with such well thought out gifts. As I type, he is creating a masterpiece with one of the art activities RoRo gave him. We just ate the last bit of Oma's cake that was created to perfection, as always, and I have finally organized all of the gifts. Thank you notes here we come!

Because of all this celebration I hardly had time to reflect on the 6 years it has been since Zac entered this world. But the other night I lay awake for a while thinking. I thought about the third night of Zac's life when the chaos of a new baby had begun to settle. It was the middle of the night and I remember looking down at him in the bassinet. I can see it so clearly. I was suddenly hit with an overwhelming sense of love that has forever changed my life. Happy Birthday Zachary!

Chef Mom

Most of my motherly duties I quite enjoy. But packing school lunches isn't one of them. I find that I look forward to when Zac's school is serving chicken nuggets or corn dogs. But Claire's school doesn't provide lunch so...today I thought I'd get a little creative and NOT pack a sandwich. I thought a plethora of choices would be a very satisfying lunch. Wouldn't you love yogurt, cheese, a nutri-grain bar, fruit, and milk?

Claire: Mom? Am I going to school tomorrow?

Me: Yes, of course.

Claire: Am I eating lunch?

Me: Yes.

Claire: Then pack me a SANDWICH! (Picture a fist pound on the table per syllable.)

Me: OK. What kind of sandwich?

Claire: Peanut butter and jelly...like always! (Fist pound, eye rolling, every word sort of sounded like, "Duh you idiot!")

Point made.

A Thank You Note

Dear Tylenol and Motrin,

The last few weeks, since I threw my back out, have been trying. But you, the great FEVER REDUCERs/PAIN RELIEVERS have been there through it all. You may not have relieved one bit of my pain, yet the simple act of taking you made me feel as though I was doing... something.

You were there for me when we were camping last Sunday morning after I had been up all night listening to those precious 20-somethings drink beer, smoke pot, and philosophize around the campfire. All. Night. You were there on Monday morning approximately 3:00 a.m. when Claire had 103.6 temperature and chills. Then again you were there for her every 3 hours until, well, today. You were there for Zac when he woke up the morning of his school's costume parade and Kindergarten performance when his temperature was 102.7 and every 3 hours or so since. Then finally you were there for Luke's first fever last night on Halloween.

Yes, these times are hard. But thanks to you both (and Eric, Butch, RoRo, Oma, and Opa) we have persevered.

Love always,
Maria

P.S. Eric is off to the store to buy more of you. See you soon.

What A Difference A Year Makes!

I knew there was a difference on the way to soccer practice a week or two before school started. When we pulled up to the field Zac looked at me and said, "Mommy, on the way here I started getting upset but I told myself that I can do it and now I'm not sad anymore!"
Trying not to laugh out loud (or do a back flip)I smile and tell him how proud he makes me. Of course I also picked up the cell phone to call and ask Eric if he had given Zac some sort of "give your self a pep-talk" pep-talk. He didn't. Hmmmm...
Now he has made up a song to the tune of "Na Na Na Na. Na Na Na Na. Hey Hey Hey. Good-bye." He sings, "We can do it. We can do it. Oh yeah-ah. We can do it." I think the "we" is referring to Claire since he insists she sings along.


Real Kindergarten is going well. Since I teach in the same district I knew there was no way I could take Zac on his first day. My biggest challenge was getting 3 kids and myself out the door and to our various locations. I barely had time to think. It wasn't until I stepped foot on to Vista property and all of Zac's friends (who are now my students) start yelling, "Where's Zac?" My heart ached and the tears sprung. Did we make the right decision? These kids are so sweet and they were such good friends to Zac. He could do first grade, maybe? I know all the teachers here so well and it is fun to see him... Ok, flash forward to today and I am happy with our choice. Grandpa Butch is doing a great job walking with Zac to school. Perhaps even a better job than me since Zac scolded me for not waiting where Butch waits. He is making new friends already, probably the one's he'll have for life.
No longer is he a Vista Viking but a Condit Condor.



Claire has moved up in the world of preschool to the Rainbow Room and she goes every day. I was a little concerned that she would start liking school a little less because of the new schedule but boy was I wrong! No matter what time I show up it seems to be too early for her. She is kind enough to smile and hug me but is in NO hurry to leave and let's me know it. She's our little independent woman already!


Luke J. is 5 months old now. He likes to roll around. He is close to sitting up on his own but still does the occasional tip. No longer can you hold him while you eat at the table because he is in the "grab everything in reach" stage. Cereal and food are his new treats. He appears to hate it when the first bite enters his mouth. He makes a face as if you just stuck a big piece of dog poo in his mouth! But soon he is mouth open, ready for more! He got his first cold last week which called for a trip to Urgent Care on Saturday. I experienced my first breathing treatment and a puffer sent home. Despite his rattled breathing he still sleeps all night and gives anyone who will look his way a huge, full body movement, grin. Oh, and we can't forget his first tooth. Finally a reason for all this drooling!

Pastor Emeritus

Dad got Emeritized today. (Yep. Not a word. I made it up.) During the service today he was recognized with a nice ceremony acknowledging him as Pastor Emeritus immediately following the sermon. In the sermon Pastor Rob talked about a group he participated in early in his career where pastors got together and rather than talk and support one another they all tried to "one up" the other. So when dad was asked to speak he said, "I was going to talk about my book entitled, Humility and How I Achieved It, but I won't." As always, the congregation got a good laugh. I am always so impressed at his ability to say something witty yet appropriate and then follow it up with something sentimental. I guess after 50+ years of public speaking you get pretty good at it. Finally they gave him a beautiful plaque and honored him with a tearful standing ovation. I say it's about time! Go dad!

Go Mom!

The other night we enjoyed a family meal at Oma and Opa's house. Claire was in the play room with Zac and her cousin Allie. They all had pretend microphones and Allie was in full performance mode; dancing, singing, and shaking her hips. I wanted to get in on the action so I started dancing and chanting, "Go Allie! Go Allie!" Not wanting to leave the other's out I yelled, "Go Zac! Go Claire!" Unamused at my attempt to be cool, Claire simply says, "I'm not Go-ing."

Best Family Gathering EVER

Now that we have been home from Kansas for a little over a week now, my post vacation blues are lifting. I always seem to need a few days to recover from being with Mark, Susan, and the kids. Every time we are together takes right off from where we left things. It's as if we live down the street rather than hundreds of miles from each other. When I tell people that ALL (11) of us stayed under one roof (or as Mark would say, "Susan's house") they can't believe it. I know. They are saints!

Now I do suffer a little from blog envy. Susan is a spectacular writer and always manages to have me laughing, crying, or both in her blog. I am so glad that she was able to recap every day of our trip here.

Since we have been home Zac is now a Pokemon addict thanks to his cool cousin Andrew. Claire wants to pretend our living room is a basement since that is where she and Thomas had the most fun. Eric has added more Jayhawk items to his wardrobe and continues to look online for affordable housing in Lawrence. Luke has no memory of the trip but will surely enjoy the photos taken of him patiently riding along in his car seat. :) Me? Well like I told Susan I was inspired by her very organized and beautifully decorated home. I started with my kitchen. Last night I used an ice cream scooper and a crystal serving dish I didn't know I owned. Thanks Susan!

We're Done!

Today was the last day of swimming lessons! YEA! If you think I am excited, you are right!
Here is my list of reasons why swimming lessons are fun and not-so-fun:


NOT
wet bathing suits
50SPF greasy sunscreen
allergy to sunscreen
goggles that are too loose
goggles that are too tight
allergy to goggles that are too tight
wet towels
lost shoes
heavy bags that don't fit in the stroller
3 month old in the hot stroller in the hot sun
screaming like you are being tortured (Claire)
crying like mom will never return (Zac)
fighting other mothers for the 4 chairs actually in the shade



FUN
cute bathing suits on cuter kids
laughter
big accomplishments
smiles and waves
wet hugs
sno-cones
splashing in the baby pool with family
making friends
great looking swim teachers ;)
boat ride for the last lesson
memories

We are very proud of Zachary for passing Level 4 and very proud of Claire for not passing Level 1 but surviving it! :)

Summer

Summer is flying by at break neck speed. I fear that all of the big plans I made will never happen. Home organization, baby book, etc. But none the less I am enjoying every second (crickets, bees, and the like.) Eric is teaching summer school but is home early enough to hang out with the family. Zac tried a Golf Camp for a week and reluctantly enjoyed it. Claire has enjoyed some short days at preschool and coming with me to the Claremont Club so I can get this Luke weight off! During all of this we have had fun seeing Sara in between all of her travels and summer camps, spending time with friends, the kids have spent quality time with Oma (even an overnight!, and Luke J. goes along with all of it. Such a good boy! (20lbs. now at 3 months! Yikes!)

Last weekend we went to San Clemente beach with Butch and RoRo. We are so lucky to be able to join them in a beautiful beach house that their very generous friends open up to us. Since Eric is teaching summer school we only spent a short weekend there but had a blast. I actually sat at the beach for longer than a 2 hour stretch of time courtesy of an easy up, helpful husband and parents, and well behaved children. I loved it.

Claire wanted NOTHING to do with the ocean and made sure she didn't get within 20 feet of the water line. But she so loved digging in the sand and making sand castles.



Zac is a great ocean explorer. He has enough of an appreciation for the ocean and all of its mystery to be cautious. Makes supervision much easier.



Butch was able to sit on the beach for a total of 2 minutes. I lost count of his trips up and down the hill from the beach to the beach house and how many times he called me or mom on his cell phone. Try calling him now. He will answer no matter where he is: bike riding, mowing the lawn, driving, important meeting, church...


RoRo was extremely helpful holding Luke and digging with Claire while Zac played in the water. She too likes to use her cell phone. :)



Eric played a lot with Zac in the water then regressed a bit when he decided to do some body boarding that he hasn't attempted since high school. Don't worry, he survived. He even gave Zac some lessons.



Luke enjoyed some quality shade time in this fancy tent courtesy of Aunt Rachy.



The biggest news of the summer is Eric's new job! He will be teaching at Claremont High School in the fall. Although he was very content at his current school, the move is great for his professional growth and for our family. Yay! We are all very proud of him!

Now we are enduring swimming lessons. Zac is a champion swimmer. Claire? Well let's just say that I now know what sheer terror sounds like. We'll save that for another post!

In 2 weeks we are all off to Kansas. We can't wait!

Break Dancer

I was enjoying a little Black Eyed Peas, "Boom Boom Pow", when Zac ran out of his room in his "break dancing clothes." I think he's got potential!

Pest Control 2

Now that the crickets have all been found (probably) you would think that I could relax. But no. Not a chance.

There I was (yesterday) sitting happy and content with Luke in my arms, Claire to my side, and my rambunctious 5 year old playing outside when my peace was destroyed. (Yes I am being dramatic.) When Zac comes running in the back door out of breath.

Zac: Mom! You won't believe this. I was checking on my pumpkins and I saw a HUGE bee hive.

Me: (Not believing my son who is typically full of...it) Uh, huh. Close the door. You are letting in the hot air.

Zac: Mom, I'm SERIOUS! It's in the Oak...wait, what is that tree called?

Me: The Mulberry tree.

Zac: Yeah. It's in the Mulberry tree. Come see, come see!

Me: Are you telling the truth Zac? What does it look like?

Zac: Big and brown with lots of bees. Come and see!

Me: Fine.

I walk out and see nothing. Zac pulls me to the north side of the yard and stops. I still see nothing. Zac points to his pumpkin patch and tells me to stand right there.

Then I see it.








Seriously? Why me? Makes you want to throw up a little, doesn't it?

Yes it is still there with apparently no plans on leaving. Of course we don't want to kill them so we are hoping they will do their thing and leave.

FYI - Spraying them with water doesn't work.

Pest Control

The three kids and I came home today after a full morning of play, swimming, and lunch ready for a well deserved nap. I get Luke into his crib, Zac contained in the living room and walk with Claire to her room to sleep. She immediately starts crying about something "brown moving!" I roll my eyes irritated and then realize that the "brown moving" really is. It's a giant cricket. I call Zac who immediately runs in to save the day. I walk with him to the living room to put the cricket back in the OPEN bag of crickets sitting next to the computer...

Flashback to last night.

Me: Eric. The bag of crickets is open.

Eric: Well they need air.

Me: Can't they get out.

Eric: They won't get out.

Me: (Heavy sigh and eye rolling.)

Back to today.
Zac puts the giant "brown moving" back in the OPEN bag. We go back to Claire's room where she is on top of the bunk bed pointing at the other 2 crickets. Zac once again came to the rescue and Claire went to sleep.
Zac and I spent the next 45 minutes collecting crickets from the boys room, my shower, the bathroom, the hallway, and the living room. We had to leave the 2 giant sized crickets up on the ceiling since neither of us could reach (and we tried). Zac only washed his hands 3 times during the hunt. I only screamed and jumped 3 times.
Satisfied with our work we finally laid down to rest... But first we had to get another 2 crickets.

Eric is home. He has found a few more crickets that we missed. 2 are still on the ceiling. And as I sit here typing, the bag of these beautiful pests, is leaning against the computer screen.

Lost Tooth

Zac is a "story teller." That is our nice way of saying that he is full of --it, most of the time. I like to think he's...imaginative. Anyway, because of this trait, we often have difficulty believing him. Shocking, I know. So when he told us he had a loose tooth, well, we didn't believe him. Wednesday I decided to take a look at this "loose tooth." Oops. He was telling the truth! In fact it was so loose that it was bleeding a bit. At dinner time he was super dramatic about how he just couldn't eat anything. We tried to convince him to pull it out but he was not having any of that! Soon Zac and Eric started playing around like dads and kids do. Eric began poking Zac in the lips, teasing him. Suddenly Zac turns away with eyes as big as saucers. Sure enough he spits out the tooth! Feel free to try that with your child. It was effortless and apparently painless! Yay Zac
!

Fake Kindergarten

The school year has come to an end. That means Zac's first year of "fun pretend Kindergarten" is over so he can go to "real Kindergarten" next year.;) The celebrations began a couple of weeks ago at Vista's annual Multicultural Day. Zac's classroom studied the Caribbean. He painted fish, made a shell necklace, a drum, maracas, learned a dance, and much more. The children put on a short play called Hey! Get Off Our Train where Zac played a tiger. He did great reciting his memorized line. The last day of school was quite eventful. After his successful run as a tiger, Zac got to push his performance skills even further. He performed a group dance at the school's talent show. This is called folklorico. I later thanked the mom who coordinated the dance for teaching my little "white boy" such a fabulous dance! You can see more pics on Picasa. Zac's whole class performed the Macarena. I got the last bit on video. Here you will get to see a glimpse of our son being a clown (and he is not alone if you check out his friends). I have no idea where he gets that from!

The end of the day Zac's teachers put on a recognition ceremony. All of the parents piled into the classroom with various recording devices in tow. When it was your child's turn, you were given permission to stand up and take the token shot. Here's ours.

I was not alone as I sat there with tears in my eyes. Mine for different reasons than the others. I feel so lucky that Zac got to experience what I believe to be the best Kindergarten program around with three of the best teachers/friends I know. He will be my only child to attend Vista, where I teach, and I am so glad we got that experience. Making the decision to move him was a hard one! But now I am anxious to find out what it is like to just be mom.

By Luke J.

Today I am 8 weeks old! I have decided that my family is pretty cool. I'm giving them a few smiles here and there and I make cute little "talking" noises that gets them pretty excited. I've spent the last few nights in my crib and I only wake my mom up once. She seems to like that a lot!

Besides eating, my favorite time of day is bath time. I never cry, even when my mom accidentally makes the water too hot, oh, and too cold that one time. I can't wait until I can get these arms to splash the water out of the tub the way my big bro and sis do!

Speaking of them...they are pretty great. Claire is always telling me what a "good baby" I am and she loves to shove the pacifier in my mouth even when mom says not too. Zac is always kissing my head, rocking my car seat, and shaking really loud toys in my face even when mom says not too.

Dad likes to walk me around the back yard. He uses lots of big words about the plants and wildlife that I don't quite comprehend. Maybe someday. I love being outside with him!

Car rides aren't my favorite. The dumb shade makes it so I can't see anything and I always have gas and my tummy hurts. I've decided that screaming through the entire ride at the top of my lungs is the only way to get me out of that thing!

All in all life is good. I can't wait for what's next!

Suffer through the video and you will finally see me smile. My mom asks that no one teases her about the narration!

The Moby Wrap

I went to the Village which is Claremont's down town with my friend Iona recently. We went into a trendy new baby shop and soon realized we would buy nothing there because it was too pricey. I soon spotted these baby carrier's that I had seen around town (the Moby) that cost $70 (too much). The owner came over and asked if I wanted to try one on. Since Luke was with me I thought, "why not!" After she trained me in the elaborate art of the wrap, we put Luke in. It was so great! My enormous baby felt light and it was really comfortable unlike my other carrier I had at home. She pointed me toward the non-organic fabric Moby's for only $39! I was sold! When choosing a color the owner informed me that Brad Pitt was seen wearing a black one...a good way to get the husband to wear it.


Twins aren't they! ;)

Great Grandma

Although I am still suffering from blog phobia, I thought it important to share a special moment.
My children's only living Great Grandparent, Mily Tucker, has been living quite close to us for the past few years. She is 83 years old and has quite a legacy of Tucker children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Two of her daughters are moving her closer to them about an hour away. My mother-in-law,Diana, has been her main caregiver and decided to throw her a little going away party. Great Grandma's request was a pic with all of her great grandkids. Only a handful, ranging in age from newborn to 10 years, could come on short notice. All of us were expecting a photo shoot from hell (to be blunt). We were wrong. The kids were all smiles and happily posed for quite a few shots. (Maybe the promise of cake after the picture helped?) My favorite picture is of Mily with her newest great grandchild Luke.

Writer's Block?

I have one minute to write and apologize to my 1 maybe 2 loyal readers (mom and Susan...thanks). I have many fabulous anecdotes I would love to blog, but can't seem to find the time or the words. Hopefully I will be back to normal soon. I have a good excuse right? :)

2 Weeks Old

It was 2 weeks ago that we added the newest member to the Tucker Clan and it has been a whirlwind. Life is now beginning to take on it's new normalcy which involves slight changes to bedtime, mealtime, bath time, playtime, and car loading and unloading routines. Nothing too traumatic so far. I only had one "breakdown" last week when I wasn't able to get the nap I was so looking forward to. I actually cried while speaking to Zac. Oh how I wish I had a camera for the look on his face!
Luke hasn't had any big milestones yet but he is already showing signs of his intelligence(of course). He really is such a good baby. He sleeps, poops, and eats like a champ! I don't know how I got so lucky all 3 times??

He had his first play date. (Eliza Rain, 2 months)



He finally met his big sis Sara.


He went to see Zac sing at the Claremont Shop and Dine event.


He even made it to Claire's ballet class and his first birthday party for his friend Amira who turned 1 year! He has been very busy!

I can do without this Swine Flu scare. I feel like I shouldn't go anywhere or touch anyone and that Zac and Claire should be locked up. But that isn't realistic. Life must go on. I am just doing my duty by keeping the Purell Hand Sanitizer company in business during these hard economic times. :)

Luke Jacob Tucker

He's here!
As I sat in bed Monday night enjoying one of my favorite shows, Dancing with the Stars, I had my first contraction. Actually my first contraction that didn't feel like the ones I had been feeling since December. I got up and straightened my hair just in case. As they progressed I put in my contacts. Then later I added a light foundation so I wouldn't look too hiteous in pics. ;) At about 11:30 (8 minutes apart) I decided to go tell Eric that it may be time.
We got to the hospital at 12:30, April 14th to find out I was about 4-5cm dilated. Mom and Dad rushed out because I had been warned about how quickly the third delivery would go. Well 11 hours later, after lots of pain, misery, and tears, all 9 pounds, 15 ounces, and 23 inches of Luke arrived.

A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words

Here I am in January.



Here I am today at exactly 39 weeks.



1cm dilated, constant contractions, but still no baby.

Isn't it time yet?

Wednesday I got out the dreaded breast pump. Zac was coloring at the table and watching me out of the corner of his eyes. I turned it on and was testing out all the parts when he finally asked, "What is that?" I explained and his reply was, "I'm glad I'm not a girl!"

Thursday Claire and I pull up to mom and dad's house and as I'm getting out of the car I cringe as a contraction begins. Claire says, "Oh. You're having a contraction mommy?"

Friday night Sara is here. Immediately at 8:00 I announce that it is time for bed! (I had been counting the minutes). Sara looks at the clock and says, "At 8:00?" Eric, who has had it with a grumpy wife, simply says, "Yep!"

Please let this baby come soon! We are very ready!

Fooled Again!

After my first week off of work I am feeling rested, both mentally and physically, and admittedly a teensy bit bored. But today was everything except boring.
Claire started her first ballet class this morning. I found a cheap, 8 week program through the city for 3 and 4 year olds. It was perfect! She was so excited once we got there and she figured out what was going on. She was one of the littlest girls but was a great listener. She followed the teacher and had the best time! And yes, the "Homer tongue" was in full view when concentration was essential!

After lunch I took Sara with me to what I thought was a meeting for All Our Children International, a nonprofit that I am on the board of, but really walked into a surprise baby shower in my honor. One of my best friends, Rachael, is the president of the NGO and totally fooled me! I thought it was strange when I pulled up and saw my friend Iona and her new baby. I just figured that Rachael invited her to be a part of today's meeting. I was seriously that clueless!
I so enjoyed seeing my mom, mother-in-law, and all of my good friends (who I have now learned are fabulous liars!) come together to help celebrate. I got a ton of diapers and other adorable baby things that only get me more excited to meet this new family member! I can't believe that I have been completely surprised two times now by the very people I told to NOT do anything for me. And why is it that both times I chose to wear a sweatshirt and jeans that day?

Got Jesus?

Last night Eric and I took the kids to see the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda, Africa at the church. Spectacular doesn't quite explain it and I wish I had photos to share. The children ranged in age from 7 to about 12 and they have been orphaned by AIDS. They train for 6 months and travel in the US to raise money for their new homes (among other things) that were created by a reverend and his wife. The children were so beautiful and the music and dancing were so much fun. The program also displayed video footage of tragic things happening in their country as well as more hopeful. Needless to say, Eric and I took turns weeping. Zac and Claire were riveted and appeared to really enjoy it.
A few of the children spoke and when they did they told that they no longer suffer because of Jesus. "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." They really spoke and sang a lot about Jesus! Eric and I feel like we don't really need to go to church for a good 5 or 6 months because we got more Jesus in the 1 1/2 hours we were there than we have in a long time.
My favorite part of the night was when Claire turned to me and asked, "Who's Jesus?" All I could say was, "I'll tell you later."

Lately I haven't been quite myself. My aches and pains have been wearing on me, work is difficult because of the horrific situation we are in because of the budget crisis, and I did I mention my aches and pains. ;) Admittedly I could really use a little perking up.
Yesterday I reluctantly made my way toward the regular Wednesday staff meeting at my school. When I opened the door I found all of my co-workers standing in front of me, throwing balloons, and yelling "surprise!" I was truly that. I walked in the room and saw posters saying congrats to me and the baby, a yummy cake, more balloons, and an extravagant gift or two. It is overwhelming to me that amidst economic stress, report cards due, parent conferences, and just life, these fabulous people took a moment to celebrate me and my growing family.
(Especially when I told them not too! =) )
So perked up I am! Loved I feel! I only have a few more days at work per the request of my doctor (and my body) and I can't wait to meet this baby.
Thanks to my fabulous friends at the best school in town!

Sweet Boy

Recently we decided that Zac can have the choice whether to take a nap or not (but he still has to have "quiet time"). He has always been a great sleeper but had begun to take shorter and shorter naps. Since I am extremely pregnant I was afraid that this change would put a damper on my nap routine. Last week I fell asleep on the couch while Zac quietly colored at the table. Since I am such a light sleeper the next day I decided to lay in my bed while he played quietly. He didn't disturb me at all. I realized that I have got a pretty good deal here! All I need is about half and hour and he is responsible enough to play alone for that time. Today I asked him if he wanted a nap and of course he said no. He just wanted to play with his snakes. I slept for about an hour (oops!) and when I woke up this is what I found.



When he woke up I asked if he had a good nap. He was quick to inform me that he didn't take a nap and that he only closed his eyes for a little while. When I inquired about the one sock he told me that he was half man, half werewolf. He is such a sweet boy!

Family Visit

My brother and his family came to visit last weekend from Kansas and I finally have a minute to breathe and post about it. We are all still recovering from withdrawals. Especially Zac and Claire!

We spent almost every waking hour together enjoying the kids playing so well together. It was so great to see the cousins play without any intervention from us adults, especially the 5 year old boys. Zac and Andrew are only 4 months apart had the BEST time together. They called their favorite game "special agents" where they would sneak up on the adults in the living room and scream and run away if we glanced in their direction. Claire and Thomas tried to get in on the action and I think they each got trampled only once. One highlight was the visit to the Long Beach Aquarium. Mostly because the kids loved it so much (and Eric!) but also because I managed not to be pushed in a wheelchair as was suggested by the family. :)

The best day ever was Claire's 3rd birthday where I was able to have every person I care most about in the world (minus Opa) at my house for a little celebration. A very rare treat and a great photo op!

Big Baby

Last Monday Eric and I went to the doctor to have a 3D ultrasound of the baby. We did this previously with Zac and Claire and I was prepared to NOT do it with this baby because, well, it's expensive. Eric reminded me how I am always giving my parents a hard time because there are 3000 pictures and memorabilia of Mark, a little less than that of Claire, and close to 0 pictures of me. It doesn't happen often, but Eric was right. I am so glad we did it because it is truly amazing!
Like every doctor visit I was asked if I'm sure of my due date or if I'm diabetic because I am just so ____ big! I assured him that I am positive of my dates, I'm not diabetic, and I am just blessed with big babies. This one is no exception. At 31 weeks they think he is about 5lbs. and will be at least 9lbs. at birth. Awesome!



The baby was not cooperating and kept covering his face with his hand. The doctor poked, shaked, and zapped me for about 45 minutes to get good pics. I think the baby had finally had it!