very blessed.

baby day.

Woosh, it's been a baby-filled day. As if my ministry and livelihood wasn't centered around maternity & fetal goodness - when I take a day off, I have to push it full to the brim with bebes. But it's worth it.

Last night my sweet husband allowed me to go have a little spend the night with miss kal (since her husband was out of town), since we haven't done that since before we both got married and we won't get to do it again... um, ever? We talked about her twinsies, church planting, tres*, and the Lord. It was really nice.

This morning we woke up early to go to her special ultrasound and let me tell you mamas of singletons - we're ALL getting gypped. She gets to go once a week to look at every little detail of those boys! Today was her "short" ultrasound and it lasted an hour! It was amazing! Those boys are tooooo cute for their own good.

If that wasn't enough - I got to hang around Bellevue & wait for the newest Cowan boy to be born. Poor Kel & Jason (and the girls) have been fighting a bad flu all weekend, but they all made it through the c-section safe and sound! I'll let them do the official announcing on their blogs, but I can't help but tell you one big detail: he is HANDSOME. So handsome.

Then I made the drive back to the metropolis of Puyallup to play with my little ones and the whole way home, all I could think of was how excited I am to have this tres. Oh - my sidenote from before. Have I told you we've TOTALLY, DEFINITELY named him? We have. And we're totally, definitely not changing it. Just Nick and I were saying tonight how much it is him - his name. I think we'll be keeping it semi-private still, since I get weird and protective when I hear people saying my in-utero-names - but I am practicing calling him his actual name more often with family & close friends. We've even tried to get the kids to say it, since neither of them are necessarily great at pronunciation, and they're close. Definitely close. Elias will even rock Glor's doll and say the name as he pats the baby's back. Gloriana - she just yells, "puppup", bites the baby's nose and throws it down on the ground. Hm, we'll work on it.

idol brackets

So, last year Nick and I joined the Stinsons & the Cowans doing an Idol draft bracket to pick our winner. Of course this year - we had to follow suit. (Nick wants me to mention that HE won last year) As often happens, a hilarious email chain started. I decided that the chain should be made into blog form. 42 emails were exchanged today... about American Idol. Or, just general nuttiness. I may need to skip a few, I mean - 42?

Nick: Jasmine anyone... She is still in it right...Gaylord Focker's kid (jorge is the only one off right?). I will just write her in.
Kalle: so nick is clearly not even watching this year
Nick: Kalle...put this on your wall and frame it. (he attaches his picks)
Kalle: nick, you are crazy if you think that weird dancing megan is going to make it to number two. she was in the bottom last week! but i do agree with you on danny.
Nick: Kalle you are sleeping on Megan.
Kalle: the idol expert has spoken
Jason: not sure she was actually in the bottom... but they did drag her out there and compare her to the girl who was... or was she actually? i don't remember them saying that.
ps. when did shawn get taken off the thread?
Kalle: lol that's hilarious. where DID shawn go. I guess we kicked him off for the insane assumption that jason had time to do a point bracket. what was he thinking??
you're right. i stand corrected. i dont think they ever said it was the official bottom two. I just thought that's what that meant. If she makes it to the last two I'll kill myself.
Jessi: I love her crazy weirdo dancing.
Nick: I hope she dances all night long...all night...all night long..
Jason: i hate it. and won't be happy if she makes it far either.
Nick: They will clean her up do not worry...Can we talk about the real problem and that is ADAM! Make-up aside he screams like an 80's big hair band...I want to throw up in my mouth every time!
Jason: ditto. gross. the makeup is like cake.
Kalle: I really really really dislike him. I actually hate the sound of his voice and do not understand why the judges are so about him. I mean, yea he has a range, but so do I-it's called screaming.
Jessi: I hate adam too. He needs to go to a29 bootcamp. Also, I now strongly dislike kalle because I just realized she was emailing all of you as she pretended to be involved in our phone conversation. Hm.
Kalle: i am dying laughing right now. For the record jessi I am in incredible multi tasker and was listening to everything you said. i was intensely involved in our convo. I prob sent this while you were denying your son another snack:)
and i do not think they would let him in boot camp due to the graphic same sex make out session pictures of him that are circulating the internet
Kalle: are we still friends jessi? i know sometimes these email chains make you nervous that we have now all officially divorced each other...but now i'm the one who is worried.
Jessi: Ill let you sit & wonder like I always do.
Jason: drama.
what if we men did this. nick, are we still friends? you said i was mean. me so sad. you hate me. i hate you now.
are we still friends?
Nick: I am dying laughing.
Jason: wait, you didn't use an exclamation point. does this mean you mean it in a flat toned way meaning that you didn't like what i said? did i hurt your feelings? are we still friends?
Kalle: first I'd like to say though you are really nailing me right now bc I have actually thought some of those very things.(ie you didn't use an exclamation point, are you mad?) you have also basically made us women out to be five year olds. "me so sad" ?? come on. We can still use correct sentence structure even in our highly emotional states.
Jessi: Agreed, kalle!!!!:)
We are very emotionally fueled and socially responsible women who are capable & needed:):)!!!!
Xoxo! Lylas.
Jason: sorry, didn't mean to make you sound like 5 year olds. that was more me just being lazy. and i am only messing around anyway! love you all and love the random silly threads that always develop.
Kalle: And now I feel very certain that we are friends again due to all the exclamation points and smiley faces! Thank you for reuniting us Jajon
Jason: nick, in case there was any confusion from before, let me settle it like this: lylab
Kalle: LOL jason, I dare you to make that your signature on all your emails.
LYLAB
Jason Cowan Starbucks

it's not every day...

... that one of your best friends finds out she is having twins!

I'm so glad Kalle & Shawn finally broke the news! They are having some sweet twinsies! YAY! 

I've told Kal this week, they are definitely a couple that deserves double blessings. They've been really faithful to the Lord in so many ways and I'm so glad that they know what a treat and special honor they've been given. Children in general, are such a gracious gift, and two at once - wow. Thanks, Jesus. 

For whatever reason, the Lord has let us be together for this season & I couldn't be more grateful. I'll probably be about to pop when those little babies make their appearance but I am going to be there, be there, be there. Love you guys!

Fun Two Days

Thursday: work=boo
date night=awesome. PF Changs with the honey, spicy scallops & brown rice.
Staci & Ally babysitting=amazing.

Friday=amazing all around
work out with Regi="fun", challenging, and thigh slimming. baby Connolly worked hard.
Starbucks with Kal= lots of Jesus, an afternoon saying things like "the Word is so refreshing, I just want to open my Bible & rub it all over my face!"
nap with Elias=great. beautiful. i love my son.
Greek fest with Kal & Shawn= yum.yum.yum. also - thanks Shawn for going polygamist for the night.
Taking Elias in a massive crowd for the first time=yikes. yikes. don't steal my baby, please.
Missing Nick while he was in seminary= sad.

Weird & Funny Little World

Please enjoy the following two snippets:

a) Elias threw up out of his nose today. Twice. I was drying my hair & he was sitting in his bumbo laughing (because of course he loves the hair dryer - it's his favorite toy). All of a sudden, he started grunting really horribly as if I he was passing a small child through his rectum. Since this is typical of his potty time, I kept drying my hair - only to hear a splash seconds later and see watery-milky throw up dripping from his nose. "Surely - my gentle warrior son did not just throw up out of his nostrils...", I thought. I looked at him closely and agh! HE DID IT AGAIN, right in front of my eyes. The doctor said it's fine, he just had his mouth closed (from the grunting) and so all the pressure came out somehow else.

b) Two nights ago we were having Spade Night with our BFF's - Kal & Shawn. While looking for something in our cabinets, Shawn came across what he assumed to be a "baby beer funnel". Why he thought we would have one, I'm not sure - but he was certainly dismayed to realize his new toy was really the attachment to my breast pump. Hilarious.