Ain't No Brag...

2009 Nissan Quest

Mama's got a brand new van! (Duh na na na na, duh na na na na, HEY!)

We have truly succumb to the parenting lifestyle. And honestly, we really like it. When you are using seemingly contradictory phrases like "sweet ride" and "so much space" to describe your vehicle, you probably have two or more young children.

It's hard to believe that we 1) bought a new car and 2) it was a surprise to me. We've had our 2004 Highlander for a year, and it's been great. Sporty and dependable and a huge step up in reliability. But I was kicking myself for not looking at any used vans, especially now that we have another baby coming. I wasn't ready to accept being a mini-van driver.

What a difference a pregnancy makes. You go all crazy. Five years ago, we started out with two twin mattresses on the floor, and paid off $24, 000 dollars in debt in a year and half. We bought a $1500 Geo Metro (in a purple-ish tint) for Alex with cash at auction. No credit cards, nothing.

So, when Alex pulls up to pick me up from tutoring in a NEW mini-van, I was shocked. He had casually mentioned the good deals he was watching. We took in the Highlander for servicing earlier that morning. It never broke down on us, but we had taken it in a few times for various issues. A part that Alex had recently replaced had gone bad, and he mentioned leveraging his interest in a competitor's vehicle with Toyota. But I really didn't expect to be driving home in a different car.

Now, I guess I could have been mad for not being there and choosing the color and making a reasoned decision, but if my "baby daddy" wants to buy us a van, well, I'm okay with that.

So, I guess we have "suspended" our new-cars-are-the-devil's-handmaiden philosophy for the next 6 years.

I agree: Debt is still dumb, cash is still king; sorry Dave, but mama's gotta ride!

Trick or Treat?

Jay and Grandma

The three of us (plus my belly)

Firefighter

Jay and Daddy

At Elliott Farms

A little of both. We had grandparents in town, which is always nice. We enjoyed a big breakfast at Cracker Barrel (try the Apple Butter French Toast) and went to our church's Harvest Festival. Jay's still too little to play most games, but hey-- I got a funnel cake and a prerequisite Halloween ouftit photo of us.

The trick? Around 7 p.m. as I was lighting our jack-o-lantern, Jay opens his mouth and lets forth a mighty stream of yuckiness. Oh yes, projectile vomiting.

He seemed pretty unfazed by the proceedings, but was sick on the hour for most of the night, but at least was so exhausted that he went right back to sleep. I feel ill later that night and stayed in bed (when I wasn't running to the bathroom). I was glad that neither of us ran a fever. Alex got sick Monday. Of course, he was the most dramatic sickie of us all!

The crude is gone now, and hopefully Jay will work out this cough. Maybe we will all be able to attend church this weekend. I'll just keep my bubble in the car, just in case.

Did you happen to see?

The most beautiful girl in the world. The first picture is a profile view at 20 weeks. The second was taken today at 28 weeks. She is looking straight at the "camera". The sonographer could detect hair! She weighs 2.8 lbs. currently and looks healthy. She was covering her face with her hands at one point. What a marvel. Some people think that ultrasound pictures are too personal to share. I obviously am not one of them. Seeing a live ultrasound is indescribable. They should be public service announcements. They show life, Life, LIFE!

NYC Pictures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150683&id=562275959&l=ea83999b61

Pictures from the trip! We had a great time, mostly just being together in a different place. We got a City Pass which gave us admittance to 4 museums, the Empire State Building, and the Circle Line Cruise Tour. We were so tired we skipped the Guggenheim. You could spend a month in Manhattan and not experience all the sites you wanted. A week was plenty of time though.

Honestly, the most relaxing part of the trip was renting a comedy and belly laughing in our hotel room! I did love attending worship service at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. The music was so powerful, I had to hold back the tears during the rehearsal of their praise songs! The message was equally powerful.

No big shopping sprees, but we ate very well. We got Jay a little remote control dog from the big Toys R Us in Times Square and little Sarah got a princess dress from the World of Disney store.

Only regrets: couldn't get into see "The Rege" (we waited for stand by tickets at Regis and Kelly, but they book out 6 months in advance) and not seeing "Wicked"). The big shows like Wicked and Jersey Boys don't offer discount tickets. We put our names in for the lottery, but no dice. If I was still earning the big bucks (snark) as a full time teacher, I wouldn't have hestitated paying $300 for a pair. But not so.

We were so fortunate to have hotel points given to us and airline miles to off set the cost. We actually stayed in some pretty nice hotels. Our first hotel (The Barclays Intercontiental) had the Secret Service posted on every floor due the the proximity of the UN and the G20 being in town.

I would recommend staying in Times Square due to its proximity to shopping and Broadway. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square. Modern and very nice.

And I'd definitely recommend ordering big ticket shows in advance! And packing really good sneakers!

Just a thought...

Each step of life brings its own lessons and insights. Lately, I've thought about learning to walk. Jay is walking and falling and getting up and exploring and loving his new freedom. Today we went to the library and I didn't put him in a stroller. It took a while, but I held his hand (sometimes his wrist) and we walked in together. Once inside, I'd let him break free for a moment and he wanted to go in every direction. Later on at home, he walked around the cul-de-sac while I watched him. He waved to our neighbor's house, expecting to see the two little kids who live there. He pushed a walking toy. He bent over, his jeans drooping and showing off his little plumber's crack.

It's a cliche that children can bring you the most happiness and pain in life. Today, I was brought the most ordinary moments of laughter and pride.

The insight that dawns on me as I learn how to parent a toddler is the long-suffering and patience and good humor of the Lord for his own children. Walking from point A to point B would be a lot easier for the parent if the child was being carried. But the child wouldn't learn or have anything to accomplish. And so it's true for believers.

Thank the Lord for his patience!