Happy Spring!

Hope everyone brought in Spring by enjoying some warm sunshine and grass beneath their feet! You know we did :) We also worked our tails off trying to do some prep work & some cleaning up in and around the yard. We had a wonderful weekend at home and some much needed "just us" time to be together.

Although I was on my last leg Friday afternoon & didn't think I could muster the energy, I managed to get by the store so that we could grill out and eat dinner on the deck Friday evening. Given my current "condition", me cooking in our kitchen or eating food's that been prepared in our home's a rare thing in the last month. So it was so rewarding to fix a meal (from start to finish) at home & get to sit & relax to enjoy it. Might not sound like a lot, but it was the cat's pajamas for me on Friday!

On Saturday we let Deddy sleep in & John & I spent time together relaxing. I thought I was going to flip through my new Better Homes & Gardens (a newly declared fave Sat. morning pastime - reading cover to cover), but lo & behold we put in John's newest movie, "Ice Age 3" & we both got into it. I think the final count last night was probably between 8-10 times that it played all the way through this weekend. So, a big thanks to Mimi - we (yes, the whole family) love the new movie. It's got a lot of LOL moments and is just plum enjoyable :)

After breakfast John & I got our shoes on & headed "out-dize" to plant some flowers. My lil' helper got to "help" for a while but after one too many reminders of which bucket was Mama's (the one filled with the good dirt) and which was John's (the one w.even more, but only so-so dirt) we collected ourselves (hence, me picking up the dejected, crying child & carrying him inside) and headed in for lunch/nap-time.

While John napped, the yard marathon continued till I pooped out & went in for a lil' afternoon siesta...Seth continued to work. When John & I got up from our naps, back "out-dize" we went. He & I played, Seth continued to work :) Saturday night we went to eat Japanese express which hit the spot. What was even more great than how good it tasted & the unlimited magical white sauce, was that we got to sit "out-dize" to eat. It was another lovely dinner in the lovely spring sunshine. Aaaaahhhhh, deep sigh - there were a lot of those this weekend.

Sunday was me sleeping in (thank you Seth) and we didn't make it "out-dize" till after John's nap. The yard marathon resumed w.Seth fertilizing & spreading grass seed post-trip to Lowe's. I decided to redo our rock bed, meaning remove all rocks & replace. There were a lot of DAMN rocks! Um, yeah - it got old fast! But, once all the rocks were out, I couldn't just walk away, so w.my helper close by w.his lil' spade & knee pad (I know they're his b/c he constantly mentions, "mine") I put each & every D*#% rock back in. I did it so well that I ran out of rocks & had to go find more - joy! Seriously, it wasn't that bad & looks a million percent better, but I could have done w.out the 3 time outs we had to give John for flinging dirt around like it was fairy dust. That & looking at me smiling as I say, "No John, do not touch the rocks!" (repeat 5 times) as he continues to touch & even pick up the rocks - the boy has "spirit" that's for sure!

For all the times I think I'm going to turn blue from repeating myself, I laugh at the lil' booger so much. He has so much personality, it just doesn't seem fair. And all his lil' vocabulary is just beyond precious. Said it before, but we continue to be enamored & amazed at how much he's growing & changing. My hands down favorite word from the weekend - John's severe over-use of the word "Dadiii" - heavy on the "e" sound at the end. To go from smiling as he would tell Seth over & over that his name was "Mama" (which also amused me) to saying Dadiii incessantly is hilarious. And it's not just that he says it, it's the way he says it - if he's not hollering it, he's saying it w.this serious face & so much authority in the tone - it just makes me laugh :).

And obviously, the BIG news has now been shared, so we're counting our blessings & continuing to pray about that. Looking forward to hearing a lil' heartbeat at our next appt. on April 6th. I'm continuing to be nauseous & hyper-aware of all my bizarre food/smell aversions, but I'm just taking it in stride & thankful for the good days. Got a lot going on at work (big projects, moving offices, etc.) so between busy there & at home, not a lot of time to sit & wallow. My belly's already sticking out a lil' but it's not a cute pregnant sticking out by any means. More of a squishy pudge at this point, but I'm taking that in stride as I loop that rubber band around the button on my britches & search the closet each morning for a shirt that won't show the squishy bulge :) I will go ahead & say that I know each pregnancy's different, but the foods I crave this time as well as the smells that offend me are different than w.John, so it leads me to believe Baby Fish could be a lil' girl but I'll be waiting along w.every one else to find out! We'd be ecstatic either way, but that's just what my gut's telling me. My gut's pretty weird right now, so I guess it's kinda silly to trust anything it tells me - ha.

Well, I'm gonna work on uploading some pics from the weekend. I will go ahead & apologize for my boogery appearance in them - um, let's see - well, I could give you all the reasons I look like a booger, but this entry's gotten long enough :)

Hope everyone has a great week, sorry to have been away so long - it's been a lil' rough going, but hopefully the worst is quickly fading behind me.

ps. this story people made Seth & I both laugh ~ very appropriate for Spring ~ enjoy...

Not sure when you stop thinking dandelions are beautiful, but figures it's somewhere around the time you get a job & can afford lawn chemicals

Hello World!

Hi there!

Mama said I might as well get my "blogger feet" wet, so here goes...Baby Fish blog entry, take one!

I was first discovered on 2/19. Mama & Deddy had been spinning wheels all day wondering about some "things" that just weren't adding up. So off Deddy went to the store (cause Mama's a big scaredy cat) for "the test". After a few deep breaths and some schmooching on my big brother John, Mama went to the potty. Though she already had a feeling in her heart about me, they were looking for some confirmation. After a couple of minutes, Deddy was the 1st to take a peek, followed by Mama. There were some tears and some deep breaths that followed what they saw:

Her & Deddy told my Nana, Mimi & Pop Pop first. They were all very excited about me! I went and had my 1st picture made on 3/9. Dr. Roche said I was showing off b/c wherever she moved w.her lil' ultrasound "wand", I kept turning so she could see me. My lil' heart was pumping away & my lil' arms & legs were wiggling too. Mama & Deddy were so tickled to see me...Mama turned and said, "Hey there buddy" as soon as I popped up on the screen. Here's me in all my glory:

Dr. Roche said my due date is 10.16.2010. Mama made me my very own "announcement" to share with all our family last weekend. She said something about John having one & me needing one too. Here's me & my big brother:

Let's see, what else?! I've been pretty busy these last 9 weeks growing & changing - they say I'm about the size of a grape or large olive right now. Mama says grape cause olives sound especially yucky to her right now. Actually, a lot of stuff is pretty yucky to her these days! She keeps us full of ginger ale & crackers trying to fight lots of nausea!

I look forward to keeping you updated on all the neat changes I will go through before my birth day. I can't be sure, but I already think I got some pretty neat parents. They were a lil' surprised at how soon they would be having me, but I keep hearing them say the word blessing over and over and over again. Thank goodness my big brother John's already got them warmed up for me - it will be twice as much fun and entertainment once I get here.

Please keep me, John, Mama & Deddy in your prayers in the coming months. Pray for my healthy development, pray for John's continued health and anticipation of his new role and for Mama & Deddy's already SO FULL hearts to grow b/c their joy is going to be doubled!

Wiggles & love ~ Baby Fish

PS. I think we'll find out whether or not to be thinking pink or blue sometime mid-May ~ either way, Mama & Deddy say they'll be so proud & happy!

psssttt...

Mama said she's coming back from hiatus, maybe as soon/late (depends on how you look at it) as tomorrow...bear w.her - it's been a big week and a big month, full of big things!

That said, moon's out, which I know means night-night time - so I'm gonna sneak back to bed.



Sweet dreams & whispers of dinosaur growls ~ John Tyson

Mama's on hiatus...

So, I'm here to say happy 2nd week of March! Hope everyone's looking forward to & already enjoying some of this WARM WEATHER!!!!! We sure are :)

Our last 3 weekends have been full of grandparents & it's been amazing. I've loved having everyone come see & hope they'll keep it up (mama says to insert a wink or hint-hint here)!

She did throw us a bone & finally uploaded some pics from the last couple of weeks. You can see me & Pop & our most recent visitors, Nana & Pappaw. Mama had to work a consignment sale at church on Saturday, but b/c she volunteers, she got to shop early on Friday night. I don't really know what a consignment sale is but she's welcome to go anytime if it's up to me!! She brought me TONS of new ANIMOOOOS...from dinosaurs to tigers, it's the most awesomeness EVER! She also got me some other toys, a new frog chair and a ton of shorts & t-shirts for summer. The coolest part about the clothes (if you have to find something cool about clothes) is that almost EVERY shirt has an ANIMOOOOO on it - how cool is that?! :)

Ok, it's almost time for my lunch but I wanted to let everyone know we haven't fallen off the earth, Mama's just on "hiatus" this week. Go check out my new pics & have a great week!!

Recent Pics (click here)

Dinosaur growls & "dit u's" ~ john tyson

TGIF & then some...

Happy Friday!

This has been a good week in the Fisher house. We've found ourselves going to bed earlier & a certain someone has found it in him to sleep past 5am - a collective sigh of relief, even if for just this moment!

I never got around to a "fun things" post this week, so you didn't get to see all the fun John had playing in his Bob the Builder tent last Saturday w.Pop Pop. You didn't get to see Pop Pop on hands & knees getting into the tent either (priceless by the way). John had a big ol' time playing his favorite, "I dit U!!!" over & over again. I don't know who's smile was bigger :)

So, I'm certainly thankful it's Friday, but I'm more writing today as a reminder to be thankful every day. I went to my monthly circle mtg. last night at church and as always, came home full-hearted. I feel beyond blessed to be a part of such a loving, faithful, caring, not afraid to cry and yet always looking for a laugh group of women.

As we wrapped up with our monthly passing of our "change" box ~ each person offering their prayer concerns and praises, I was so humbled by some of the prayer requests lifted. Between the jobless & jobs taking mama's & deddy's out of the home for weeks at a time to the babies & children fighting for their lives - some losing the battle to prayers and praises for parents being biopsied, diagnosed & treated for the horrible of all horribles - cancer...my heart was aching. But my heart was also lifted that at the center of all that, faith was still in the Great Physician and comfort was found in knowing His hand is truly over all that we do.

There were things on my heart too last night & not that their significance was trumped by seemingly worse situations (we all have our crosses to bear), but my perspective on my own concerns was given a much needed gut check. I guess my point is, when your burdens feel like the weight of the world on your shoulders...take a moment to try and empathize w.the walks people are taking in more difficult "shoes" and it may help you pray more effectively, worry less & find rest in knowing God knows the needs of our hearts and if we open up to Him, he will certainly fill us in all the ways that we need most.

So, today I'm specifically thankful that Seth & I are both employed. I'm thankful that even though we take turns saying good night, that we're each home w.John most evenings to hold hands and pray, eat dinner together, get splashed at bath time & kiss our son goodnight. I'm thankful that our parents are not only still w.us & John, but that they all have their health. We're even further blessed by the loving grandparents we have that warm our hearts at the very thought of them. I'm most thankful that God doesn't give up on us even on those days when we forget to be as thankful as we should, when we lose sight of who's really in control here and when we fall short of showing His light through our words and actions.

I hope that everyone has a blessed weekend & thanks for letting me get a lil' "preachy" this morning. Looking forward to some WARM SUNSHINE this weekend - I'll take what I can get 'til Old Man Winter finally gives in & knows he's worn out his welcome...

In You, where the hungry feast at the table
The blind frozen by colors in view
The lame will dance, They'll dance for they are able
And the weary find rest
Oh the weary find rest in You

I put my hope in You
I lay my life in palm of your hand
I'm constantly drawn to You Lord
In ways I cannot comprehend...

Life at the moment...

Happy Monday...This is not a "fun things" post, but more of an "our life at the moment"...

We now (as of a lil' over a week ago) no longer need our alarm clocks. John's lil' world is so exciting these days and there's so much to see & do, his internal alarm won't let him sleep past 5am. Yes, that's a 5 before that am, and it's no joke. We can put him down at 7 or 8:30 - doesn't matter. Wake up time's still the same! We're praying he's just anxious for spring like we are & getting a head start on daylight savings.

When he gets up, we've given up on bringing him to bed w.us b/c he's not the least interested in being still. Instead, we've tried telling him that he can play in his room (we turn on the light) with his puzzles and books. Since we can't physically drag ourselves out of bed this early, we usually try & lay in bed till 5:45-6ish. During this "free time", John runs up & down the hall, moving from our room to his (access to other rooms is off limits). Yesterday morning, being the smart lil' booger he is, Seth gave him the "play with your puzzles" speech, so John brought his puzzles one by one into our room to play with on the bed. We have to be amused at his lil' logic...amused or delirious, hard to decipher at this point :)

As usual, when adapting to a new sleep routine, there's generally a lucky parent who gets to retreat to a couch so as to avoid this 5am whirlwind and catch a few extra winks of sleep. Since I've now started waking up @ 4am in anticipation of hearing our lil' booger, Seth's been gracious enough to let me try for the extra sleep the last few mornings. Bless his heart, really!

I told Seth this morning, that I think John's lil' world is so exciting to him right now that he probably doesn't want to sleep any more than absolutely necessary. He's fully come into his toddler spirit and while frustrating at moments, we are so delighted and amazed at all the lil' things he says & does. I had to laugh when Seth was trying to let John help him feed Chester & Salem this morning. I couldn't see them, but I could hear the whole interaction. As with a lot of our "conversations" w.John lately, they go something like this:

"Hey buddy - wanna help (insert task)?" "Ok, hold this - no, this" "Here, like this" "No, don't touch that...close the door!" "John, close the door" "JOHN, CLOSE THE DOOR" "No, not right there - here buddy, like this" "Ok, that's enough" "JOHN, THAT'S ENOUGH" "Don't do that" "Here, let's put it back" "John, we have to put it back" "Close the door" "John, shut the door" "JOHN, CLOSE THE DOOR!" "John, get out of the trash can" "Do not touch that - it's dirty" "GET OUT OF THE TRASH CAN" (he starts to get a lil' pissy at this point) "Don't hit me" "Don't hit Salem" "That's fine, hit the cabinet" "Do not throw that" "DO NOT THROW THAT" "No Sir!" "Ok, go sit down" "GO SIT DOWN"

Ok, I laughed reading back through that...that's pretty much verbatim :) Strong-willed doesn't begin to describe his lil' tenacity.

For all the repetitive, not fun, conversations like above there are ten times moreover the awesome lil' interactions where he's the one doing the "talking". Seth's favorite thus far, when wrestling or playing, John's started saying, "I dit u" (I get you), which is beyond precious. It's his 1st real sorta sentence/phrase & how appropriate for our lil' dinosaur that it be something so playful, yet aggressive!

Sidenote about dinosaurs: he LOVES them. He loves anything that makes a "RAAARRRRR" sound. I had to buy him a lil' Dinosaur shirt I saw the other day at Target, pictured here. As suspected, he went bananas over it! We let him put it on yesterday after church & I've never seen a lil' boy more enamored/proud to be wearing his green dinosaur shirt! However, when I was folding laundry yesterday afternoon, he saw his yellow tiger shirt & wanted a wardrobe change. He's all about the animals - it's about precious. Of course I let him wear his yellow tiger shirt this morning (as promised) and there he was again, beaming like he'd just won a gold medal (note: the olympic reference).

I digress, back to the cute vocabulary. Another sweet thing, John refers to a lot is "ott-siiii" (outside). He loves to be outside and when he's out there, he likes to keep remarking on the fact that he's "ott-siiii". It's so sweet. He likes to run around the yard, climb around on the back deck, carry his chalk around (never know when you might have some impromptu writing/drawing come up) and he constantly makes "buhh-bil" (bubble) requests. Once he's showed you where they are (in case you've forgotten), he will point out his beach chair, which he likes for you to unfold for him so that he can sit & enjoy the view while you blow bubbles till you make yourself dizzy.

Another thing John says a lot is, "moan" (Come on) with his lil' hand cusped or while tugging at your arm, shirt, etc. He likes company in what he does :) He's been saying this a while, but his adamance increases every day.

I wish I could recount everything, but those are the highlights that come to mind this morning...sorry, lack of sleep deteriorates brain cells! Despite the loss of sleep, we're still enjoying beyond measure this lil' sunshine in our lives. I went to get him from the nursery yesterday at church and I walked from the baby side to the toddler side & there he was w.his buddy Eli (who also goes to his school), just chillin' at the table, grubbin' on some goldfish. He turned & saw me, lit up like Christmas, but had a moment's hesitation as he pushed back from the table..."Mama or the goldfish?!" As he barreled into my arms, I was thankful I'm still a lil' more exciting than a goldfish snack. My arms and heart never feel as full as when they're wrapped around that lil' boy who continues to capture me, both heart & soul.

"Fun things" to follow - possibly tomorrow. Somebody doesn't haven't any pics unloaded yet. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend - looks like more snow's headed our way. I'm beginning to think this winter COULD last forever...maybe this snow will be Jack Frost's last hoorah, here's hoping!

PS. If you're reading/keeping up w.us via this blog, please feel free to leave a comment or click in 1 of those nifty lil' boxes below the posts. It's as simple as clicking (you don't have to log in, identify yourself, etc.) It just lets me know I'm not "talking to myself" - which I'm not above doing, but I wouldn't mind some reassurance every now & again :)