Let There Be Peace on Earth

... and let it begin with me...

Our church had a Christmas musical special Sunday, and those lyrics are what stood out to me the most. It reminds me of other great advice I've heard over the years. Like, "Be the change you want to see in the world," which has been attributed to Gandhi. Or Mother Theresa's simple belief that, "Peace begins with a smile." Unfortunately, I don't see world peace ever truly manifesting itself as we all picture it. Our world is just too fallen. But, in each one of our small corners of the world, we can begin to spread love and peace to those around us in hopes that it will be contagious and spread. However, there is more to it than just "paying it forward" or doing something nice for another person. Yes, that is the action of peace, but the spirit of peace is something that can be much more effective. When good deeds and acts of kindness are completed with a spirit of peace and unconditional love behind them, the effect of those actions are multiplied and it gives the one helped something more satisfying to pass along to the next person. Funny thing about the gifts of peace, hope, and love - their purest source comes from God alone. No matter how much I love my children, or how much I hope to bring peace to a family quarrel, I will never be able to replicate the perfect peace that comes from knowing our perfect God. This Christmas season, and throughout the year, please do continue to help others, to smile at them, and to show them love regardless of their differences from you, but be sure to pass on something a little more; something with a lasting impact - share with others the hope and peace you have because of the One whom we celebrate this time of year (no, not Santa) - Jesus Christ!

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid." - John 14:27

At the Christmas Parade

And sometimes the best way for you to spread peace is to hold onto peace yourself in the midst of chaos. Easier said than done, right? Those lyrics this weekend were a great reminder to not just spread the peace I have, but also simply where to get more of it! I'm exhausted, my body hurts (this baby seems so heavy!), and I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to finish my thesis before baby gets here. Thank goodness it's not due until February! Though, I don't know where the motivation will come from between now and then either. Anyway, this has all led me to a place of daily frustration. Basically, some days I feel like the world's worst mother because my almost-two-year old really knows how to push my buttons at times and chasing him around has become a task with my big belly in the way. I feel like every time I try to put my feet up to relax a bit, he's into something I told him not to touch, or do, or lick, or eat... whatever.

Happy Thanksgiving!

One day, a little over a week ago, was particularly taxing. It was just non-stop disobedience and by the end of the day when Jeff came home, I wanted to hide in a dark room from my little "darling." I had yelled way more than I wanted and at one point asked him to just go away and leave me alone because I couldn't take the whiny orneriness anymore! I felt so bad later, I wanted to cry. Poor little bubs gave me an unfortunate chance to redeem myself that very night. He woke up around midnight crying. I went into his room and he was crying, "Poop! Poop! No!" It smelled kind of funky so I just thought he pooped his pants. That was until he showed me what "poop" he was talking about. He had puked all over his bed! I felt horrible for him! After calling in reinforcements (Jeff got up and cleaned up all the puke), I cleaned off the kid, gave him some water, and laid him in our bed. My poor baby threw up a couple more times, but he was keeping water down and wasn't running a temp. It was his first time to really throw up like that, minus his infant spitting up days, but I wasn't too worried. Just felt so bad for him. I held him while he threw up and kept crying, "No! No!" The same way he does when he pees or poops in his big boy undies, like he's in trouble. I had to explain to him that he wasn't in trouble. When he finally got to sleep, he was taking up the whole bed (yes, I actually gave up my giant pregnancy pillow for a night so he could sleep with us!) and he wanted to cling to me all night. I don't blame him. Throwing up SUCKS. By morning, we were cuddled on the couch together so that I could comfortably hold him sitting up, with my big belly in the way, while he slept. I hate that he had that stomach bug, but it sort of gave me a chance to make up for my bad attitude that day. Yes, my son was being a brat, but I'm still working on the patience to handle it these days. Reflecting back on my reaction as a mom to give up my sleep and sleeping space to console my sick child and keep an eye on him while he slept, reassures me that I don't always get it wrong.

The Waylan Family

For my fellow exhausted mamas out there, don't dwell on those days when you feel you are at your worst. Instead, draw encouragement from those times you got it right and were the only one your child wanted in a time of need. We aren't perfect (and neither are our beautiful, little angels), but by golly, we sure can love the fire out of our kids!

The Barros Family

And, by the way, I did get the stomach bug from Bennett. Worst. Day. Ever. The discomfort of being almost nine months pregnant and having to deal with fever, chills, body aches, and an upset stomach with a baby boy to kick it is pure torture... Thank God it only lasted 24 hours! I don't think I could have made it through a week or two of a full-on flu!

Thanksgiving with family was marvelous, though, and went by way too quickly! I can't believe it is already time to see them again and Christmas is already next week! I'm so thankful they are coming to me again (and that we are yet another week closer to baby time!). We have Christmas, then New Year, Bennett's birthday party, then a baby! Of course, baby boy could choose to make his debut anytime between now and then. I just want to make it through Bennett's birthday party, then he can came as early as that night if he wishes!

Bring on the Holidays!

32 weeks with #2

If womb life is any indication on how this baby boy's personality is going to be, then he is going to be one hyper-active, pain in the butt, night owl who is going to be ready to wrestle his brother before he can walk. Seriously. This kid is non-stop, heavyweight action. And by heavy, I mean, holy cow, this baby feels like he is just going to fall out some days! He's still got at least five more weeks of baking to do, but after that, he can come whenever he pleases because I do not remember this much discomfort so early in the game with Bennett. In fact, as I'm typing this I feel like I'm getting bruised on the inside with his kicks and punches! Just two years ago, around this time in my first pregnancy, I was going to a college football game in Boulder with my family and doing just fine. Now, I can barely get through a grocery shopping trip without wishing I could sit down (and knowing that I will be sore later). This second pregnancy has been without complications so far, thank God, but has certainly been much more uncomfortable and has caused me to force myself to just sit down and put my feet up at times for fear of bringing on contractions too early. I hate being treated like an invalid just because I'm pregnant and having people tell me what I should and shouldn't do, but at this stage, I think I'll just suck it up and allow people to do things for me! Ain't no shame in that game, right?

In all honesty, I am so blessed to even be able to get pregnant and to be growing another healthy baby. I can't wait to meet him and for him to join our little family!  It won't be long now and I'm actually looking forward to labor (shush, I know I'm crazy)! But it means that he will be here soon! I'm so anxious to meet him and see what he looks like! Adorable, I'm sure, but the anticipation is still exciting.

Baking cookies!

Sooo looking forward to having ALL of my family in town for Thanksgiving this year. It was looking like we were going to spend it apart because I couldn't bear the thought of a five-hour car ride to Miami this year (sorry, extended fam!), but they are coming here first to celebrate with us! It's been since August since we've seen any of them, so I am excited and so grateful that my family is coming to me this year. Considering I'll be right at full term during Christmas, I am obviously staying home. Not sure what the family plans are, but my mom is talking about coming up to help me out. At first I wanted to say no because that will be a long time to stay before baby gets here and we don't have a guest room anymore, but the closer I get to baby time, the more I want my mommy! It's hard to take it easy when you have a toddler to chase around, holidays to worry about, and a thesis to work on, so I am grateful for the help. My mom was the biggest help when Bennett came, so I know I don't want to do this without her!

Playtime!

Morning "coffee" with Daddy

Have I mentioned that my little toddler is exhausting? He is, but he is also such a ham and really knows how to crack me up while making me angry all at the same time! His vocabulary is getting crazy and he is an expert little parrot! So we now have to watch everything we say and do! We are still doing the potty training thing, but unfortunately, I'm too exhausted and easily frustrated at times to go full force. The great thing is that he pees mostly in the toilet! He can stay dry all day if I take him to the bathroom enough. The two issues are that he doesn't like to tell me when he needs to go (so I need to remember to take him a lot) and he refuses to poop in the toilet. We will sit on there forever waiting and nothing, but as soon as I put his pull up or undies back on, he poops... Perhaps I will have the energy to figure this problem out after the baby gets here?? For now, I think he has done a pretty good job and done really well for how inconsistent we've been with it (he still wears diapers when we go out and we are at church and stuff a lot). He picked up the whole potty thing really quickly (M&Ms sure do help). So for now, I am just going to do my best with it and keep praising him for using the toilet. For now, everything is just one day at a time in this house.

Dressing himself :)

"Helping" make dinner

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! :)

Trick or Treat! Smell My... Wait, What?

It's Day 2 of potty training here in the Barros household and I'm doing my best to hold down the fort. We are currently at a standstill as we wait out the toddler's next move. His strategy seems to be holding it as long as possible before slightly wetting his "big boy undies." He then proceeds to run up to me shouting, "No!" while trying to simultaneously remove said undies and run to the bathroom. From there it's at least another 10-15 minutes of playing with toilet paper and nonsensical talking before he finally lets it loose and finishes the job. To date, we have three potties in the toilet. Zero #2's. While I introduced him to the potty months ago, I had not planned to take on this mission just yet. Here's my report on why I felt it a good idea to exhaust myself with this endeavor:

It was last week. A Saturday morning I believe. The husband rose early to go feed his new horse. In the process he managed to awaken the toddler. I heard him fuss for a minute after his dad closed the front door, but there was silence afterwards. Assuming he had gone back to sleep, I, too, closed my eyes again. Not much time had passed before I checked the video monitor to see if the toddler was in his bed back asleep. No sign of him. He must be quietly playing in his room, I presumed. So, I took my time getting up, putting in my contacts, brushing my teeth, the usual. From there I make my way to his room. He hears me on the move and yells, "Ma!" I'm coming, I'm coming, I think as I waddle his direction. As soon as I get to his door, he points to where his books are thrown all over the floor and keeps saying "Ew! Yuck!" The room smells like poop. The toddler is completely naked. Great. It turns out the little creature had removed his clothing, his diaper (but at least he threw it in the trash!), and because he couldn't figure out how to put another diaper on (there was evidence he had tried), he decided it was a good idea to POOP ON THE FLOOR. It didn't just make on the floor, however. He had also managed a nice pile of poop on one of his books. I believe the title of the book was called, "You're My Miracle." Yup. That's exactly what I was thinking at that moment... I guess this kid is going to make a good outdoorsman because you could tell he had plopped a squat and pooped in a nice neat pile (mostly). So... I got everything cleaned up (including the toddler), threw away the book, and started my awesome morning...

This kid... I'm not sure what's more exhausting. Potty training him or dealing with him taking his diaper off every chance he gets. So, I finally gave in and started the official potty training. I know he will regress after little brother gets here, but I might as well get the ball rolling if I'm picking up poop and cleaning pee sheets already (yes, he has also taken his diaper off in the middle of the night and wet the bed...). We woke up at seven this morning (he slept in a diaper) and he had a full diaper and a poop. I put undies on him and they are still dry at almost 10 AM. I've sat him on the pot several times this morning to no avail. Guess we will just continue to wait it out!

In other news, as you may have heard, Jeff bought himself a horse! It's a six-year-old painted named Apache. He is sweet, but not completely saddle broke just yet. So, he is going through training as well! We are hoping he makes a good family horse for the boys to ride when they get older. Right now, it is really Jeff's pet and project. It will be a few months before I get to enjoy our new family pet! Probably not a good idea to go horseback riding right before (or right after) giving birth.

Update on Camp Potty: Bennett just peed all over my carpet. Not even 60 seconds after he had told me he needed to potty and we sat on the toilet for a while! Again with the "No!" yelling as he is peeing his pants and looking at me... Good thing I have my little carpet cleaner sitting out and ready to go! (Did you really think I could write a blog post in one sitting with a potty training toddler running loose?)

Then, of course, there is Halloween to talk about! Bennett went as a little bull rider, Jeff as a rodeo clown, and me as a fat, pregnant lady. Bennett was adorable and it was so cute seeing him and daddy together in their costumes! Bennett couldn't get over the make-up on Jeff's face. Bennett helped me make my shirt with his little footsies. It was fun. He dressed up in his costume that Monday for Story Time at the library. Then we all dressed up for Kidfest at the church Wednesday night. That place was insane! There was tons of people from the community. It was awesome! We painted some pumpkins the next night, then just stayed indoors Halloween night, ate a yummy dinner, and passed out candy. I think Bennett had more fun handing out candy to trick-or-treaters than he did getting candy on Wednesday night! He loved seeing everyone in their costumes and making animal noises at the ones dressed up like animals. Every time the door bell rang, he ran to the door, opened it and shouted "Trick or Treat!" Then told everyone Hi and Bye! It was hilarious.

My tough boys!

Trick or Treat!

Pumpkin Painting

We did get some unfortunate news this month. Jeff's dad is dealing with skin cancer right now. After losing his mom three years ago (this month!) to the big C-word, it was a pretty emotional thing to hear. Luckily, it sounds like they may be able to cut out all of the cancer because it is only on the surface. Jeff takes him to the city next week for the surgery, so please be praying that they get everything and for a quick recovery! Bennett loves playing with his Po-Po so we have to make sure he is in good working condition before letting our toddler tackle him again!

21 and 27 weeks

This pregnancy seems to be going both quickly and slowly. The great thing is that I have had no complications and my blood pressure has been perfect so far. I have been much more uncomfortable this time around. Baby boy is sitting so low and I'm already waddling around like a duck with hip dysplasia. I can't wait until he gets here! Just two more months! I can't wait to see what he looks like. Bennett was such a surprise with his blonde hair and blue eyes, so I'm am wondering how alike or different these handsome brothers are going to be. And, surprisingly, I'm really looking forward to the whole unmedicated, natural birth thing again! Trust me, I haven't forgotten how painful back labor was with Bennett, but I know that it is only a temporary pain and that the reward is totally worth it! My biggest worry now is finishing my Master's thesis and my final Master's course this winter! I have until February to finish my thesis and I only have one chapter completed. I was actually giving myself a little pep talk in the shower last night as I soaked my aching back in the warm water. I feel like the little engine that could, repeating, "I think I can. I think I can," as I chug along. No worries, right? Just have the holidays to worry about, a toddler to keep alive and potty train, Christmas AND a birthday party to plan and shop for, my Master's degree to complete, and a baby to finish growing. All while my patience and energy continues to wear thinner and thinner as January approaches and my big belly gets in the way. How does anyone make it through life, or even the day, without having a personal relationship with Jesus to turn to? Seriously.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Why I Love Belly Buttons

My Bennett Belly

Belly buttons are amazing. No, seriously. They are a scar of life that every human shares. A reminder that we all grew and were formed in the same way. Currently, with my growing belly, I am able to see the inside of my belly button. For those who are or have been pregnant out there, you know what I'm talking about. For hairy-bellied men like my husband, they will never see the inside of their belly button (and probably never get all the lint out)! For those of us who have seen our belly buttons "up close," you'll notice just how much it really looks like a scar. The skin in there is kind of bunched up and shiny looking. Like an old scar. Just for reminiscing's sake, I'll sometimes examine an old scar on my body and remember the way in which I obtained it. What I was doing. How much it hurt. How long it took to heal. I have a small scar on my cheek where I scratched at my chicken pox when I was six. There's a very thin white line on my shin where I slipped on a rock walking across a river sometime in grade school. I also have a scar on my wrist where a hot biscuit pan got me while I was waitressing in college. While scars may hurt at the time, it can be fun to have them as reminders.

So, I found myself doing the same thing while admiring my belly button the other day! Okay, so I didn't sit down on the couch just to stare specifically at my belly button, but I was having fun watching my belly jump as baby boy kicked and flipped in there. That's when I thought, "Hmm, I can see my belly button again." This happened with my last pregnancy, so it's not like it was a surprise. But this time I got to thinking about what a belly button really is and was reminded of seeing my first baby boy for the first time. Seeing that umbilical cord attached to his belly - his lifeline to me that had kept him nourished and growing for nine months. I remember watching Jeff cut the cord. He said it was tough! That was a serious connection Bennett and I had. Then I remembered watching that cord turn black and start to wither away over the next few days and weeks. Bennett's little belly button must have taken some time to heal because I swear the kid had a little black scar in there until he was at least a year old. I often wondered if it ever bothered him. Sometimes scars hurt or are sore during the healing process. He never seemed bothered by it and of course he couldn't tell me anything about it, but I still wondered.

Toddler Belly

Then I got to thinking back a little further. Almost 30 years further. Of course I can't remember my life as a new human being, but I know that my belly button went through the same thing. At one point, it is what connected me to my mother and how I grew in her belly. I'm also reminded by the fact that I was a complete surprise for two teenagers back in the 80s and how grateful I am that my mother allowed that bond between us to grow and loved me even before she met me. For a woman who said she would never have any kids, I was blessed with one great mother (and now a great Gammy). She isn't perfect and she was not the perfect parent, but she was perfect for me and my siblings. Thank goodness there is no such thing as a perfect parent, because it takes just a bit of the worry away. And I'm thankful for this little scar on my belly that proves, no matter how crazy things may get between us or how we might bicker at times, that we once shared a bond so strong and important that it was what kept me alive and growing. I may be a grown adult now, but I was once dependent on her and relied on my parents for everything. Even as a child, it was their food, shelter, and love that kept me alive and growing.

Current Growing Belly!

And that's why I love belly buttons... They are a reminder of connections. That obvious connection from your belly to your mother in the womb, but also that connection to your parents, to your children, and ultimately, to all other humans. Plus, baby belly buttons are just so dang adorable... how could you not love them?!

Baby Belly!

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, 
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
~ Psalm 139:13-16

All Growed Up

HS Class of 2004

10 years later!

Can you believe that my 10 year high school reunion has come and gone? That is so crazy to me. Not only am I on the brink of 30, but I have officially been a high school graduate for ten years. Usually these two milestones bring up the lingering question, "What have I done with my life?" My "original" plans involved a lot more schooling and travel. My goal was to have my PhD and to be traveling the world by the time I was 30. I wanted to teach English overseas and, honestly, thought that stay-at-home moms led boring lives. God always has bigger and better plans for us, doesn't He? While my life is far from perfect, I find myself completely exhausted at the end of most days, and there are places I can't afford to travel to right now, I can say that I am currently employed in my favorite job!

I have learned to "never say never" because then it's like I'm just asking for it to happen! I said I would never even date a youth ministry major in college, let alone marry one. And I never thought I would want to stay home with my kids (at one point I wasn't even sure I would have any). Honestly, I wouldn't have my life any other way. I'm so glad that I have been open to God's direction in my life instead of trying to force what I thought I wanted. So, although what I REALLY want is to be six again when I had no worries, free shelter and food, and a scheduled nap time, I am learning to embrace each new challenge and blessing I am given on this journey.

Little Cowboy

To answer my "reunion question," I have done plenty with my life in ten years! I went to a great college where I met some of the best friends I will ever have. I graduated with two Bachelor's degrees and I haven't stopped learning since! I have had the opportunity to try out different jobs in the education field. Some great, some not so great. I will actually have my Master's degree completed before I'm 30 (if I can find time to work on my thesis with a toddler and a newborn!). I married a sexy man who loves God and loves his family, and we are about to have two beautiful baby boys that we get to call our own and are responsible for raising into strong young men. It's not without its stress worrying about finances and the perfect parenting practices, but it's my life and I love it. We all have our own personalized journeys and that's what makes this life so wonderful. My path and life decisions aren't for everyone, but I've found, to my surprise, that they are for me and I hope to keep following the direction God intends for me. Because that is where joy and peace lies, in the midst of both blessings and turmoil.

"A man's heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps."

- Proverbs 16:9

Day 1 of fever :(

Did I go to my high school reunion? Unfortunately not. I'm so thankful for Facebook because I never would have kept up with anyone from high school if it weren't for everyone's updates and pictures! Instead, I was at home with a sick little boy. Bennett got a sudden fever that week and it was as high as 105 at times. No others symptoms but a runny nose and fussiness so it was weird. After two days of his fever not letting up, I took him to Urgent Care and they diagnosed him with an ear infection. I thought it was weird because he didn't tug on or complain about his ears at all. I was worried so I took his first ever prescription for an antibiotic and filled it! Less than two days later, his fever was finally subsiding, but he broke out in a horrible rash! So... we go to his pediatrician who says he does not, in fact, have an ear infection, but instead his symptoms are closer to Roseola virus. Super. Not sure where he got it, but it is hard to pinpoint when the kid licks everything from the bottoms of shoes to the floor and playground equipment...

Now this is love...

He is good now! Finally! He was a horribly mean sick child. He threw tantrums and wanted me to hold him 24/7. I don't mind babying him when he is sick because I know he doesn't feel well, but there were times I just wanted to smack him! I gave him Benadryl for the first time because he was scratching his rash, and I will not be doing that again anytime soon! The side effects warned about "excitability" in children... more like "demonic activity!" It was like a demon had possessed my sweet boy! He went from being sleepy and cuddly to just screaming and crying and throwing his body around for no reason! He was also hitting and kicking me whenever I would try to console him. I think I was more worried about his behavior than I had been about the high fever before. Luckily, praise Jesus, we are back to normal! He is still his naughty, adventurous self, but the tantrums are almost non-existent and he's back to playing normal, being sweet when he wants to be, eating non-stop, and the ill-induced meanness that had possessed him is gone! That was only the second time he's ever been really sick and I sure hope it is not a look into the future because if so, he is one mean sick kid! Ugh!

Baby Bro's Bear!

Speaking of growing up, I celebrated my 29th birthday last week! Oh, joy. One year closer to 30. I keep telling Jeff that I want to turn 30 in Hawaii. Ha! A girl can dream, can't she? We took a trip to the city and stayed the night. We built a bear for baby brother, just like we did for Bennett before he was born. Hopefully he will love it just as much as Bennett loves his bear! We ate at Musashi's with Jeff's family and some friends. It was delicious! I miss access to good food like that! The next day we checked out the science museum and the cowboy museum. They were both a lot of fun and I think Jeff had more fun playing with the exhibits than Bennett. :) Before heading home we ate at the first restaurant Jeff and I ate at together (before we started dating): Toby Keith's Bar & Grill. So good!

Happy 29th Birthday!

My sweet boy

 It's been a month full of ups and downs, but overall a good one and not over yet. Next up is the town's homecoming parade and game, then we are taking Bennett to a pumpkin patch! I can't wait to dress him up for Halloween next month! You will just have to wait and see what he will be! ;)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths."

- Proverbs 3:5-6

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." 

- Jeremiah 33:3

Is it Fall Yet?

Bring on the crockpot meals, scarves, and everything pumpkin, this family is ready for fall! Football season has started,  I made our first pot of tortilla soup for dinner last night, and even made a cup of hot chocolate.

We had our 20 week ultrasound where they do a bunch of measurements and make sure baby is growing on schedule. Baby boy is looking good! His organs were all in place and functioning and it looked like he had some long legs on screen! He's only weighing about a quarter of a pound right now so he has lots more fat to put on before he gets here! I know people say that babies on ultrasounds look like aliens, but this little darlin' looks so adorable already!

Still playing the name game, but I'm sure our handsome boy could wear any name well! I always tell Bennett that he stole all our good genes and didn't leave any for his siblings, but I have noticed that younger brothers tend to be the heartbreakers in the family, so the ladies better watch out! If this kiddo is any cuter than Bennett, then we are going to have some girl problems when the boys get in high school! Uh oh!

While we are on the subject of cuteness and all things adorable, Bennett just impresses me each day with his growth, vocabulary, and crazy shenanigans. I feel like the kid learns at least three new words everyday! My new favorites are when he brings some of his animals up to me one by one, names them, and makes their animal noise. Like his "hi-on, roar!" He knows the colors "blue" and "red," and loves playing with his "oars" and "moos" that Jeff handed down to him. This little cowboy moos and neighs all day long. He still loves playing with his dogs, now "Mah" and "Nook." He may like them a little too much because he seems to be copying them by licking everything! He has actually licked the walls and dropped down onto our tile and started licking the floor in front of guests! I don't know where this kid gets this stuff!

This big boy also moved to a toddler bed a couple weeks ago and has, surprisingly, done awesome with it! Nap time is usually the hardest to get him to go to sleep, but he does so well at staying in his bed! He loves reading his books so after reading him two or three, he usually just reads them over to his teddy and then falls asleep. He gets up sometimes, but it's usually to get more books. He still doesn't like keeping his pants or diaper on, so that is usually our biggest battle! Boys...

Jeff had a mud wrestling back-to-school bash for the youth group and it was a crazy mess! I just took pictures... but the kids (and even adults) seemed to love it. The newspaper even showed up to take pictures!

As for me, I'm growing as well! :) My belly still has some growing to do as baby boy grows. I feel huge already, but comparing it to pics of my pregnancy with Bennett, it's really not too much of a difference. I can definitely say that I am much more tired this time around (you can tell in my pictures). It was definitely easier to just be working full-time while pregnant than to be a stay-at-home mom with a toddler and pregnant! There's no sick days or sleep-in Saturdays anymore! Not to mention the fact that I now live in a town with ZERO of my food cravings! It's rough. No Olive Garden. No Panera Bread. No Chick-Fil-A. No Indian food. And no wing place! I may or may not dream about food on a regular basis...

I also started my second to last term in my Master's program along with my thesis! It's exciting to be almost done and to be working on a research project where I get to choose the topic, but, boy, is it a project! I'm hoping to get as much done as possible before January gets here, but that is easier said than done.

Looking forward to my birthday! We are spending a night in the city (a big deal!), going to eat at some yummy places (did I mention I'm food deprived??), taking Bennett to the science museum, and building little brother a bear like Bennett's! Also, so excited about all of the holidays, birthdays (including a new birthday!), and family time that is coming up! Seriously, my favorite time of the year! Come on, cooler weather!

My Boys and Summer Days

Our sweet baby boy

First, to get the big news out of the way - We are having another baby boy! Jeff and I couldn't be more excited! I'm sure Bennett would be excited too if he knew what was on its way. The boys will be exactly two years apart and I hope they will be best buddies! I think Jeff and I have it narrowed down to two names to choose from. They were both in the running with Bennett so it is kind of nice to be able to use one of them. I'm hoping to get that same feeling of "this is it" with this baby's name like I did with Bennett. As long as we make up our minds before January!

We originally weren't going to find out what we were having until my 20 week ultrasound. When Jeff got a call from the Air Force asking him to go to a six week training starting in August, I booked this elective ultrasound so that Jeff would be there to find out with me. When the Air Force failed to turn in Jeff's paper work on time and we found out that Jeff would not be able to go to this training and would have to wait until the next session next year (after we changed Jeff's birthday plans and everything), I was WAY too excited to cancel the ultrasound appointment and wait until 20 weeks. I barely slept the night before the ultrasound. I tend to get excited about surprises.

At the end of July we FINALLY took Bennett's 18 month pictures. He had that hand, foot, and mouth disease so I had to wait until the sores on his mouth went away. Then it rained for a week straight. Of course Bennett was not too excited about the whole picture taking thing and it sure was fun taking pictures of a toddler who doesn't want to cooperate! We managed to get some decent ones though. And, of course, Bennett is adorable no matter what face he's making. :)

We also realized recently that our Jeep Liberty is just not going to fit two carseats comfortably. The passenger seat is already scooted up way too far in order to accommodate Bennett's seat which has to be rear-facing until he is two. Anyway, we thought we found the perfect car in the city while Jeff was on orders in Enid for two weeks. We started all the financial paperwork and told the dealership that we were on our way to buy the thing. Well... two hours into Jeff's drive to go get it, they call and say that they sold the car! Boo! I call Jeff upset, it's raining, he's pissed, and he turns around to head back to his base. Shortly down the road, Jeff comes upon a bad accident. Being one of the first ones on the scene, he helped some other bystanders to pull two small children out of a smoking car. I am so thankful for Jeff's safety through all of that and that he was able to be of some comfort to some sweet little children. Those little ones lost both their mother and father in that wreck. They are just 2 and 4 years old and their parents were only 30 and 31. It breaks my heart for them, but also makes me cherish my family and how quickly things can change. Those parents were about the same age as Jeff and I and those kids are the same age difference as our boys will be. I love my family and I thank God for them everyday, but having Jeff be a part of an incident like that really opened our eyes to how truly blessed we are. It also reminded us that we are not guaranteed tomorrow and although I would give anything so that my children didn't have to live without their parents, it really got us looking into our life insurance policies and how we need to draft up a will. So drive safe, cherish your family, and be prepared for the worst (even if you are like me and want to believe that nothing bad will ever happen to your babies).

To move onto a much happier note and speaking of cherishing time with family, Jeff turned 30 last week and we had a blast celebrating it! Although our plans kept falling apart, I KNOW that even vacations can be "meant to be" and that things fell apart for a reason. For Christmas, I surprised Jeff with an Alaskan cruise to celebrate his 30th birthday! We actually canceled that because the cruise line said the ship couldn't reach certain speeds and they would be taking away some of our stops. They were going to give us $50 to spend on the ship to make up for it and they weren't going to repair the ship until 2015... No, thank you. I did not want to be stuck in the middle of the ocean if something more serious happened. Then... Jeff wanted to go back to the Dominican Republic, to the same resort we stayed at for our honeymoon. No biggie. Our families were going with us so we told them, Jeff's dad booked the Dominican right away and we looked for flights with our airline miles. That had its own issues because they weren't allowing people to book hotels with their miles because of fraudulent activity going on in the Dominican. Great... Then... Jeff got that call about training and he didn't want to go overseas and come back the day before leaving for South Carolina. So, we rented a house near Lake Texoma for the family instead. It turns out, as Tony found out the hard way, it was good that we didn't go to the Dominican because a hurricane came in last week and canceled everyone's trips there anyway! Never a dull moment for the Barros...

All that to say, we had such a great time on Lake Texoma. The house was awesome, our families were there, the fishing was good, and we had fun splashing in the lake (Bennett LOVED the water!).

So, that's been the end of our busy summer! On a side note, I'm starting my Master's Thesis THIS WEEK! AHH! I'm praying I can get it mostly completed before baby gets here! Oh! And Jeff got promoted to Captain! Go him! :)

Maybe I need to write more often because this turned out a lot longer than I intended...