Baby G. #3

We are excited (and a little nervous!!) to announce that baby #3 is expected to make an arrival in early December (hopefully not too much earlier!). We were a little surprised to find out, but we understand how that happens, haha:). I didn't think that going from 1 to 2 was that much of a transition (or I guess just easier than I expected), but I've been thinking that going from 2 to 3 will be a huge change--3 to get ready in the morning (good thing we don't normally have to be anywhere too early!), 3 to get into carseats in the car, 3 kids with only 2 hands and the list could go on! :) But so far since announcing it on Facebook, a few people (with 3 kids) have said that the transition from 2-3 isn't as bad as 1-2. So for now I'll just believe that they're telling the truth:). I'm really just praying for a healthy close to full term baby and that's really what matters! We'll deal with dealing with 3 kids when that comes:). I have not been feeling well, similar to my other pregnancies, but more similar to Layla's I think, so right now I'm trying to enjoy the time before baby comes and before bedrest, but at times that is easier said than done! Hopefully in another month or so I feel a bit better and hopefully soon I get some more energy back. Oh, and so for details, I'm 11 weeks, I'm due December 8 and no, we won't be finding out the gender this time. It was fun not finding out with Layla and it was fun in a different way knowing with Gibs, but this time since we have boy and girl stuff already and I honestly don't care what it is and really don't know what I want, I figure there's really no need to find out. We heard the heartbeat yesterday and it was 160. I don't believe in going by that though b/c both my kids always had similar heartbeats and whenever they'd hook me up to monitors I'd see the heartbeat go way up and then way down. I feel like it's a girl and feel like I should be right b/c I guessed correctly with both our other kids, but since I think that, I'm probably wrong:). Ok, I think that's it:).

Layla Lately

I was talking to my step sister on the phone tonight and somehow we talked about the silly things 2 year olds say and I thought about how I'm so bad writing them down and I basically don't remember anything I don't write down:). So this may be boring for others, but it's for my own memory (and for Layla some day). Here's some recent things she says that make me smile:).

Our cable company recently changed our On Demand and Layla could no longer watch Mickey or Diego on it, so we added more channels so that she can now get them again. So when the cable guy came yesterday he knocked on the door then said he would be working on our cable box outside first. So then Layla was asking what he was doing and I said he was adding the Mickey and Diego channels back and she responded with, "Where did he have them? In his pocket?". She couldn't quite make sense of how he was adding them back via our box outside:)

She loves to talk on her pretend phone to people. Sometimes I'll hear her say, "Hi, this is Meredith Geurink. Mmm-hmm. Yep. Okay. Thanks. Bye-bye." Or things like, "Hi Gavin, you going to Meijer? Okay. You need bread? Okay. Bye-bye." Or yesterday it was, "Hi Gavin, whatch you having at your birthday party? Oh, monkeys? Oh, cool! Hahahahahehe. Ok. Bye-bye." (even though he's not having monkeys--that was Gibson's first birthday theme) And then often the whole time she's on the phone she's at the counter "writing" notes from what she's talking about. She also loves taking orders like she's a waitress and writing them down. "Mommy, you want french fries? And coffee? Ok. And chicken nuggets? Ok." And the list goes on and on!

Tonight at dinner she randomly brought up that she was scared of Donald Duck. It confused us b/c she likes Donald and that was the animal Gibs got in Disney and she got Daisy (and she thinks it's funny when I do a . So we questioned her and she said she was scared of Donald on the show. So I assumed she meant Mickey Mouse Clubhouse which is completely not scary and I thought was strange. So then she also said that he got her wet and got her shirt with an "L" on it from Auntie Becky wet (Gavin's Auntie Becky made the kids shirts in Disney--pics to come). So finally after a few minutes we figured out that she was talking about the Philar Magic 3D show in Disney World where Donald does fly at you (in 3D of course) and get you wet. It's just so funny how she remembers things so much better than Joe or I do! Although with this, I guess she just couldn't get scary Donald out of her mind!

She also loves complimenting people. She worked on the garden with Joe this weekend and then he did a bit more after she came in so last night he was showing her what else he had done (and I'm sure he loved having someone that will listen to him tell about his garden:D) and she just kept saying, "Oh, that's wonderful." :). Most things she says I know they often come from me, but I'm pretty sure I don't often call things wonderful:).

Ok, that's all I can think of for now. I know there are many others, but I can normally only remember them for about a day:).

Tulip Time!

Tulip Time seemed to fly by for us this year since we were in Disney World the first part of it, but we were still able to take in a parade and one night of pictures and watchin Dutch Dancers, so at least we didn't miss out completely:).

We went to Wednesday's parade with Em and Gavin and it was HOT! I hate to complain about the warmth b/c it's been so cold this spring (and is back to being really cold!), but I really hate being so hot too! Where's the nice spring weather??

Gibs waiting for the parade to begin...

Layla and Gavin waiting...

This is so typical...Layla was holding on to Gibs' shirt so that he wouldn't run away, she's such a good protective big sis:). And he really would have run if you let him...he'd love to join the band:).

They both look so hot!

Gibs pointing out something in the parade, he LOVES pointing at everything and gets so excited about it!

Picking on his big cousin:)...

After the parade we went to Gavin's for a bit to enjoy some fun outside and Gibs had his first ride in the Jeep. Maybe next summer he can drive it:).

Friday night we headed downtown to meet some people from church and first met up with Gavin for some pics of the kids in their costumes...

Such loving siblings (most of the time anyway:D)...

This is Layla's third year in this costume (every Tulip Time so far)! I just keep changing the hem line (which I should have let out the hem on the apron too, but figured since she was only wearing it once, it wasn't worth it). It's Auntie Rachael's costume from when she was little. The hat and top are getting a little small, but she could probably wear the skirt at least another year! Gibs' is from last year too, but I'm pretty sure he won't fit in his next year:).

Loving cousins...

Trying to get a good one of all three...

All smiling, just not at the camera...

Since returning from Disney, Layla LOVES to dress up. Here she is as Cinderella putting on all her pretties:)...we had a hard time in Disney telling her she could only pick out 2 items of jewelry, she wanted them all!

Happy Easter!!

We had a great Easter weekend with lots of time spent with family celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord!!

On Friday I decorated Easter eggs (well, mainly Layla did) for what I remember as the first time in my life. Maybe I did that when I was little, but really don't remember ever doing that. She had fun of course since she loves all types of crafts. She cracked me up every time she said "easter eggs" because she says it like "ooster eggs" for some reason:).

Stirring the dye...

Waiting for the eggs to dry...

Her princess eggs are all done!!

Ready for our Good Friday service at church! (and wearing her dress from Gigi from last year--not sure how it still fits!)

Saturday night we went out with Joe's family to celebrate mine, Joe's and Joe's brother's birthdays. Joe's brother's birthday was on Friday and Joe's is next week. Mine was in March, but my birthday dinner got cancelled a couple of times due to sickness and I forget what else, plus Joe's sister works every other weekend and Joe's brother and wife were in Florida one weekend, so suddenly, it was the end of April and almost Joe's and Steve's birthdays! It was kind of nice getting gifts late though, it was like my birthday lasted a month and a half:).

Ready to head out to eat!

The kids with Uncle Steve and Auntie Heidi...

Easter morning we went to church and then headed to my dad and Joyce's for a family lunch and Easter egg hunt for the kids. I told Gavin and Layla to show me their gifts and this is what I got:)...

Layla, Gibs and Gav with their Easter egg pail...

Opening their gifts...

Gibson wasn't thrilled to have to sit in the chair for a pic:). A little before this he had fallen off one of the chairs and skinned his ear and bruised his forehead. He's used to falling off of things or banging into things though and his head always has bruises on it...definitely all boy b/c Layla never was like that! Oh, and don't mind his shoes, I realized that morning that he had no cute shoes to match his outfit. Good thing garage sale season has started so he can get some more pairs:). He just has such fat feet, it's hard to find shoes that fit!

Layla finding an egg...

Gavin finding an egg...

Gibson only found eggs that you showed him where they were:)...

Gibson thought it was pretty exciting when he figured out that his necklace tasted yummy:).

I didn't get any good pics of the kids together, but oh, well, such is life (at this stage anyway).

Yum!

A failed family photo...I figure if we try at every Holiday, one of these days we'll have to get a good one, right? :)

The kids with Grampy and Gigi...

At night we headed over to Joe's parents to celebrate Easter with them. Gibs enjoyed a ride on the golf cart with Uncle Steve and Auntie Rachael...

Layla was excited about her princess bag filled with Easter presents!

Gibson may not look real happy here, but he loved his gifts too:)...

Sunday morning the kids got their Easter baskets from us filled with some things they can take to Disney World...

Oops, this is out of order, but just a cute pic of my boys from the other week...

Layla looking real happy to be opening her Easter basket:)...she was just a little sleepy b/c we had to wake her up for church and she had to quickly open it during breakfast....

Gibs liked his Elmo basket...he's holding a magna doodle type thing that I got him since Layla and him fight over the one they already had, but the new one doesn't work well at all compared to the 25 cent garage sale one I got them. Guess we'll have to look for a new one at a garage sale b/c the one he got in his basket doesn't erase! Just annoying when you buy toys that don't work!

The kids were outside playing for a bit before we left my dad and Joyce's and Layla was going a little too fast on her bike when she turned and therefore flipped the bike over and landed on her face and shoulder:(. Poor girl:(. This is probably her worst owie yet.