A family day update

 This montage will be a little Isaac-heavy;  he is the newest, after all, and we all find him so darn cute.

 Hannah took this picture of her and Ben.  Look closely at the eyes:  more green than blue.

 Three of the boys on a sick day.  Jacob was home from school (an event that Joseph loves) and Isaac's nose was in a perpetual state of running.

 Isaac's first time eating at the table and not in a high chair.

 His first time surrounded by siblings while eating at the table.  (Curried chick peas in coconut milk with rice for those interested.  Isaac ate it with great relish while the others finished with less than flying colours.)

 Contemplating the rice.

 A little bit of personality shining through.

 Joseph demanded that his picture be taken.  This was the result.

 Two shots of one of Isaac's favourite places.  Keep in mind that she only outweighs him by 30 pounds.

 Hannah's hair has reached a length that we can do fun things with it.  One of her favourites is a bun.  She has a beautifully shaped head so I couldn't resist a profile shot of the bun.

 This boy can find his way into anything.  The latest is the apple box.

Another shot of the biggest sister.

Never Fails

It's as if the February Scourge is written into our blood.  This particular bug lies latent within unsuspecting Afelskie immune systems waiting for the onset of the F-month.  One of the smarter bugs watches the calendar, notes that January has been traded in for February and, just like magic, the throwing up begins.

And this always coincides with marriage prep weekend.  Why do I even bother booking a babysitter?

The merciful side of this latest bug (our first in a while) is that the throwing-up stage is very short, as in hours.  Joseph threw up a few times last Saturday morning and was already sneaking food and water by lunch with no ill effects.  And then we had a respite of five days in which Isaac, Jacob and I developed colds and I thought, "Maybe, just maybe, we'll make it this time."   But then I woke up this morning to find Hannah on the couch clutching the blue bowl (synonymous with the stomach flu).  So, here we are again.

Marriage prep begins on Friday night and Dave will fly solo in the evening while I go it alone on Saturday afternoon.  The engaged couples will just have to take our word for it that we can stand to be in the same room together.

At least Dave has more time to finish his report cards - something he is always in need of.

9:45 has come and gone

At the very end of the ultrasound I asked the tech if she could check for the baby's gender. 
She passed me a consent form and called Dave in.
And then she checked the little bottom and said, "Well, it doesn't look like there's anything there."
And I said, "Do you mean it's a girl?"
And she said, "Yes."
And I said, "Can you check again?"
And she did.
And she said, "Still a girl."
And I said, "Can you check just one more time?"
And she did; and she said, "Still nothing there.  Looks like a girl."
And I almost hyperventilated.
And Dave smiled.
And then I told everyone at the grocery store (because I go there everyday). 
And when I got back to the van, Dave was still smiling.
So am I.

9:45 am

Today at 9:45am I have my ultrasound at which, in the words of a dear friend, we will have this baby sexed.  I will keep you posted.  Also, you may have noticed the new baby widget at the side which keeps me from losing track of this pregnancy.  Also, you might also have noticed that the baby is called Dave's baby.  I tried any number of combinations of our baby, Dave and Elena's baby, Afelskie baby but nothing would show up but Dave's baby.  So, Dave, come June you will have some additional duties other than teaching and general maintenance around the house.