31 Weeks, Caterpillars, and Curls

Here we are at 31 weeks, anticipating Stella Grace's arrival. I had not planned on taking this picture tonight, but sweet little Emily tried out her photography skills and actually got most of my head in the pic...not too bad! I'll blame my hugeness on the angle and such:) I am feeling terrific besides my customary reflux that has visited every time I house another human. Oh well, what a very small sacrifice. I will get to sleep one day...when I am 80!

I have another midwife appt. tomorrow and am now going every 2 weeks. Everything so far is going well. I was borderline with my gestational diabetes testing a couple of weeks ago. (I was borderline with Emily too.) But with Em, I took the long test after and found out I was totally fine...just had a false positive. It was a terrible experience b/c they had A LOT of trouble getting blood after the first draw. This go around, my midwife gave me options...what a beautiful thing. I could do the long test or I could monitor my blood sugar for a couple of weeks and see if it was just a false positive. I chose the latter and am so glad. Within the first few days, my numbers were really low and although I am still checking 3 times a day, I am fairly certain that the glucose test was a false positive. I can't say the finger pricking is much fun, but I was thankful for another option. And it has been interesting to observe what types of food dramatically raise my blood sugar. It has typically ranged anywhere from 77 to 93. But after Chinese food the other day, it was 120 after lunch AND after dinner...CRAZY! I will be steering clear of that for awhile:) Clear evidence that we are SO affected by what we eat!

In other news, Emily has had a "pet" caterpillar since we got home from the farm. She found him right before we left. He survived the journey home and is now twice the size as when she found him! We are really hoping that he will form a chrysalis and become a moth or butterfly. Emily originally named him "Hungry Herbivore" but then she changed it...now he is "Timothy." Ha ha!!

Little man has curls now! I thought it was just a matter of time. Months ago, before he had much hair, his hair would curl up after a bath or if his little head got sweaty. Now you can't tame it. Sometimes the top is a bit flatter but the back never is. It looks just like Em's did when her hair started getting thicker. She just had way more hair by his age (21 months) so her curls were more apparent.

Until next time...

Stella Grace...31 weeks!

Emily in the middle of explaining how much "Timothy" the caterpillar has grown.

She just got done hugging the jar here telling me how much she loves him!

My baby's sweet curls! For the record, this picture was soooo hard to take! I finally got him to look at a book...not a great pic but you get the idea:)

Obedience...at its Finest!

This "cheesey" face cracks us up everytime

Such a stinker...he would NOT stay still for a picture...what a surprise!

...and this is one reason he wouldn't stay still. Despite my very best and worn out efforts, he and Emily still sneak in some jumping time on her bed. I love that you can see he is actually getting some air under his feet in this pic! Oh and I realize how very "safe" it is that he is jumping with that thing in his hand...NICE!

What's a mom to do? I should have just gotten on the bed and joined them...No one listens to me around here:)

Merriman Farm with Friends 2010...Part 1

It was our third year to spend absolutley precious and cherished time with some of our dearest friends at the Henderson's family farm! This year the Moores were able to join us since they live on this side of the country now...although they had a long drive from Kentucky! (thanks Ginny and Kev!) We unfortunately were missing our sweet friends, the Bakers, who were also going to join us for the first time this year. After an unexpected and very sad loss in their family, they needed to stay back. We so missed them, but can't wait until they can join us next year.

There is a lot of preparation that goes into getting all of these families together every year, but the pay-off is SO worth it! There are so many things we experience when we get away together like this. Our children experience freeedom and fun together. We all experience the blessing of no agendas and no schedules. It allows for the sweetest and deepest of conversations and relationships to take place. Derek and I (and our children) have been blessed beyond measure with very rare friendships where unconditional love and accountability are abundant and we are so very grateful! I say it every year upon our return...I CANNOT wait until next year!

Lots of pics below and more to come later, but considering we took over 300!!! this is all I could do for now:) We'll just call this Part 1!


The Guys...minus Jonathan who had to head out early.

The Girls...we are missing Mandi:( (and Rebekah)

YES!!!...I do believe Kevin ate ALL of that!

The sweetest husband and Daddy in all the world reading to our babies!!

Eating the traditional ice cream the Williams make every year...yumm!!

Catching up was so fun...Kevin and Derek think they are so cool!:) They cleaned up after dinner for all of us...yes, that would be 12 adults and LOTS of children. Our husbands have true servant hearts!

Sweet Ginny! It was awesome to spend DAYS catching up!

TK wanted to do this nonstop...poor Derek! His back took a beating!

I don't think he fully understood the point of the "sprinkler"

Precious little Annelise!

Can you just feel the love...TK looks slightly annoyed

Em and I had been talking about habitats and ecosystems so we had a perfect chance to see a great example.

Fishing at the pond with Daddy

All of the kiddos...minus the little ones

With the exception of sweet little Annelise, this is a great pic of all of our children. We have REALLY multiplied over the last 3 years:) It is hard to believe that little Stella Grace will be with us next year and will be around 9 mo. old...WOW!

I just LOVE this stinker!

Silly boy

Emily and Caleb...quite the Dynamic Duo...they LOVE Superheroes!!

Timothy reaching for his little buddy Jack

This kid scares me because of how strong and fearless he is!

Naming Baby Girl #3!

With each of our children, we have desired to put a lot of thought and prayer into their names. Names are so important to us and the process usually takes us awhile. We are so excited that we have a name for our newest baby girl.

When I opened my eyes this morning, I was immediately reminded of the day. My precious Great-Grandmother's birthday is today April 16. She was born in 1901 and lived a VERY full life. She loved telling stories to all of her children, many grandchildren, and many many great grandchildren...even to her great, great grandchildren...about all of the things that she had experienced throughout her life. And she was loved! Oh how she was loved! I don't know of any other person in my life that has been so loved, honored, and cherished by so many people as StellaGrindley ! She died at 102 and could not have had a fuller life. Most of all, she was a woman that sought after the Lord with her whole heart! So many people came to know Jesus Christ through her. I truly NEVER heard her speak an unkind word about another person. She had the sweetest laugh, was an amazing cook, always wore dresses, and I still can remember her smell! Mostly I remember the way she loved me. And the way she prayed for me. During my very hardest years, I know that it was her prayers before the Lord that eventually brought me to Him. Because of her steadfast faith, my life has been redeemed by an amazing Savior that she served wholeheartedly!

I have the sweetest memories of spending the night with her. I can remember the smells and the sounds and her sweet voice. My mind goes there so easily. She always told me that I was the only grandchild that she let sleep with her in her bed. I know now, as an adult, that may have not been the full truth but I really do still believe it!:) When I think of the legacy that she left, I am so encouraged and spurred on in my walk with the Lord. When I make decisions or struggle emotionally in my marriage or with my children, my mind goes to her. I think of what she would tell me if she were here and what her Godly wisdom would be. It sets my feet straight and clears my mind ultimately reminding me of what God desires my legacy to be! I cannot wait to hug her sweet neck someday in Heaven and rejoice before the Lord with her!!

Ironically, this sweet day was preceded by a difficult anniversary for Derek's family. Five years ago yesterday, Derek's Aunt and Uncle lost their lives in a car accident. They have 3 amazing kids that have walked a difficult road over the past 5 years. His aunt's death was obviously tragic and shook the whole family. Derek's sweet grandmother had to endure immense pain as she walked through the death of her daughter. It was so painful to witness. His grandmother is a strong woman though and I see joy in her now that wasn't there even just a couple of years ago. Though I don't have the memories of childhood with Derek's grandmother as I do with my own, I have known her since I was 21 years old. So over the past 13 years, I have thankfully made many memories with her and seen her gracefully walk through lots of hard things. She is a testimony of how the Lord consistently walks with us and never leaves us.

I love many things about Derek's grandmother. She has a really cute way of covering her mouth when she laughs. She is a very talented artist and still paints beautiful things. She is extremely generous. Even though, she speaks very little English, we KNOW that she understands A LOT more than she reveals as evidenced by her throwing out hilarious phrases like "take it easy!" She has mannerisms that I respect greatly. And she loves our children so incredibly much! They bring her so much joy and that fills my heart. Emily loves her Halmuhnee so much, and the fact that Timothy totally destroyed her house on our last visit and she still calls him a prince, blows my mind!! He will grow to love her immensely too! Most of all, I know that she loves the Lord and walks with Him. I want that for my children and am so thankful that she is that example to them. Derek's grandmother is the only great-grandmother our children will ever personally know and what a gift from the Lord she is to our whole family!!

Because of these two amazing women's lives and faith we have chosen to joyfully name our daughter after them. Baby girl is now Stella Grace Kramer! Stella is after my great-grandma and Grace is Derek's grandmother's "American" name that she took when she came to the states from Korea. We are so honored to know that our little girl will grow up knowing that she was named after these precious women! Lord, thank you for their faith in You and that You called them by name so that our legacy would be one that points to YOU!

What's going on with the mini-Kramers!

We have been able to get outside more and enjoy the weather and get out lots of energy! If you know my kiddos, you know that is WONDERFUL!!! Specifically, Emily and Timothy are doing great. Timothy is saying more and more new things every single day. He LOVES to read and usually puts up quite a fit when he has to go to bed and his time reading is "all done." To say that TK is energetic is beyond an understatement! He is all boy. He loves to "sing" and dance. He loves to jump on the bed and the trampoline (and actually jumps with 2 feet off the ground...CRAZY!) He is extremely affectionate and loves to give kisses and hugs. He also enjoys pulling his poor sister's hair. But he is very quick to make-up with a big hug and what is supposed to sound like, "I'm sorry!" He climbs on everything and anything in between him and where he wants to go becomes an obstacle course for him and he ALWAYS chooses the path of least resistance:) A sweet friend let me borrow a book that has helped me to understand my sweet boy, his needs, and how God designed him and I have loved it. I highly recommend Wild Things-The Art of Nuturing Boys to anyone raising a little boy! Overall, our little guy is doing so well and we are loving watching him in this stage...we just wish we would stop bruising up his face and head with all of his crazy antics.

Emily is amazing and I love her more every day! She is reading now and it blows my mind how quickly she picks up on new things. About a month ago, she started gymnastics and has loved it. At times, she becomes frustrated in her class because she can't do things as quickly as she would like...she especially has trouble on the bars. Her favorite, of course, is the trampoline:) I am pretty sure that she has grown at least a couple of inches since Christmas. We can't believe how tall she is. She is still super strong-willed and independent and if that ever changed I would be so sad. She gives us a run for our money sometimes, but I couldn't imagine her being any other way. She is also one of the friendliest and most outgoing little girls I have ever known. She asks me every time we are in public if she can go say hi to a total stranger. She'll ask their name and then its like she has known them for years...cracks me up! Emily still loves all things boy. Just today she picked out blue Thomas the Train sunglasses. Don't get me wrong the girl loves her dresses, but she wants to wear tennis shoes with them and climb rocks. I LOVE that about her! One of her favorite things to do outside is find worms after a rain and put them back in the dirt so they won't die! Of course, she is currently super excited about Stella Grace's arrival. Emily puts up with a lot from her stinker of a brother and I can't even imagine how becoming a big sister again is going to help shape her into the little lady that God is calling her to be. She is SUCH a fun little girl and I am in awe of my love for her.

A Plethora of Dancing!!

Timothy was so cute "reading" the other night! He was just jabbering away. He does actually use real words, but when we tell him to "read" this is the result...too cute! And I just love how sweet Em is with him.


The following videos of the kids dancing are so absolutely hilarious! I know there are a lot of videos, but I promise they are so worth it! Below the videos is another post from today with Belly Shots! Happy Weekend to everyone!!

This Little Girl is Growing!

Well, I am currently a couple days shy of beginning Week 21 with this sweet baby girl and feel great...FINALLY!:) I haven't had any migraines in 2 weeks and my sinuses are clear. Hooray! I started to feel her move about 2 weeks ago but the movement was so slight. Now I am feeling her bump around lots more, but they are so gentle...for now:) I am enjoying having more energy and feeling more like myself. I have been meaning to get some belly shots up and just haven't taken the time to do it. I have had some requests...ahem Rachael:)...so here you go!

Timothy and Emily are doing great. Both of them are in such a fun stage! I am sure everyone says this about their kids, but I am amazed at how much they love each other. When TK had his 18 month shots this week, Emily was almost in tears and sometimes he actually wants only her to comfort him. I pray that they will always love each other like that. I think that is one of the best things about multiple children...knowing that they have each other! I can't wait to see how their little sister fits into the groove of things. We are blessed and I am constantly reminded of that!!


Our little worker "Handy Timothy"...on a side note, he plays with this more than Emily, even though she BEGGED for it for Christmas. Go figure:)

The look on his face cracks me up...I wish I knew what he was thinking!

Sweet Emily...with a BABY DOLL...she does like some girly things!!

Here I am in all my belly glory! Baby Girl #2 at almost 21 weeks! (Please forgive the no make-up look...I am not as tired as I look:)

Funny Emily!

Emily says things daily that make me and Derek look at each other and roll our eyes and laugh. She is the only four year old that I personally know that uses words like "realistically" and "actually" and "perseverance" and my personal favorite of the day "indeed."

This morning as she was climbing up in the chair at the counter I asked her if she was trying to get her baby doll. She responded, "Indeed I am." I glanced at her half expecting that she was trying to amuse me. Nope, she had already retrieved her baby and was onto something else. She didn't expect me to think it was funny. She was just conversing as normal. Have I mentioned that she CRACKS me up!?! Indeed, she does!!:)

Thrilled to Announce...

that we are expecting our second BABY GIRL!!!! We had our ultrasound yesterday and everything looked perfect. Derek and I cannot fully express our gratitude for our healthy baby girl! It was so wonderful to see her heart beating strong and to see all of her little parts. We even got to see her sucking her thumb (pic below). That never happened with Timothy or Emily and we loved seeing that sweet little hand!

Emily was absolutely beside herself with excitement. Timothy just points to my belly button when we ask him where the baby is. We are so excited to see what our family will be like once we welcome this little girl! Timothy gets to be a protector of 2 sisters and Emily gets to be a big sister to a little brother and sister. I am just so thankful!

I am feeling much better than I was a couple of weeks ago...definitely more like myself. The baby is growing a lot (which means I am too:) and finally felt the baby move this past Sat. It was the typical first fluttery feelings but I loved feeling her move.

Some cute pics are below. Forgive the lack of quality of the ultrasound pics. They are pictures of pictures. Thank you for your prayers for our baby and our family!

Baby Girl's Profile

Emily tackling her brother...he LOVED it!

Emily loves to draw these days and this is a picture she drew of me (with my glasses on:) She is so sweet. I love the look on her face...so proud!

Derek and Timothy watching some VeggieTales together while I finished cooking dinner.

Emily and TK were watching the same Veggie Tales with one another. I think it is so cute how they love being under fuzzy blankets. My mom got each of them a new fuzzy blanket for Valentine's Day and they loved them! I got one too:)

Dancing and Escaping!

We have gotten some great video lately and this is a sampling. New post below as well, with pics:)

Just a Little of What We've Been Up To!

I am so excited to finally be able to access some of our pictures that I had to get some on the blog tonight. I have so much to catch up on! There are Christmas pics, Em's bday, my bday, baby updates, Timothy's crazy dancing skills yet to be noted, Timothy's crazy crib escape antics also yet to be noted, and on and on. I really have to get our blog up to date with our current lives!

For now, the update will have to suffice with these cute photos of my babies. More to come...:):)

One of our MANY dance parties over the last couple of months...the kids are hilarious!

TK during a dance party...I think he fell while dancing with the broom:)

My son has THE best laugh ever! He is such a funny little guy...I love this face!

All of Emily's buddies at her birthday party with a great friend of ours, Brian, a local firefighter. Emily chose a fireman birthday party for her 4th birthday and it was so much fun. Brian was very gracious to come and talk to the kids in uniform. Emily has a slight, ahem, crush on "Mr. Brian" since the party.

After a fun family dinner one night at Mellow Mushroom, we had a major treat after...ice cream dipped in chocolate. Timothy got to eat some of his sister's and oh my was he loving it! I LOVE this picture. Em is such a wonderful big sister...most of the time;)

My Poor Abandoned Blog!

If anyone is actually still reading this thing, my most sincere apologies! The last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy and that lead to a delay of posting about Christmas, Em's birthday, Timothy's new craziness, and Baby #3 happenings. But today as I tried to do a little catch-up, I realized that I am not able to post pics on the blog right now...a little hang-up with our computer. Hopefully, we will get it resolved soon and I can post Christmas pics and Emily's birthday pics. Until then, you will have to trust that we are alive and well! Check back and hopefully I'll have pics up soon!!

If you care to check these out, Sean (D's bro) took some great Christmas pics while we were there. We actually didn't take many pictures. Sean was great at getting lots of pics so you can check these out. If you want to see them, you will have to copy the link and paste it in your address bar to get to the link. It does work that way...just tried it:) It's an extra step, but worth it b/c they are super cute!

http://picasaweb.google.com/seankramer79/Christmas2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCL3Zp9nj56G1eg#

http://picasaweb.google.com/seankramer79/Christmas200920?authkey=Gv1sRgCM-n_9bi04H0Tw#

http://picasaweb.google.com/seankramer79/Christmas2009DROID?authkey=Gv1sRgCPryj-aeu82e8gE#

Lots to Post...This Will Have to Suffice!

We have so much to post about, but Derek was able to upload this from his mobile tonight and I just had to share it. If you know Timothy, you know this has became nothing out of the ordinary for us!:) I love all of our responses as he is in action. Funny stuff!