Just {Leave}...

Well...first of all...I had a date with the paint brush on Friday and Saturday...so we could {leave} all of this behind...

We're pleased with the results...and I do not miss the dirty beige and greasy stains from the old flat paint!  Now it should be all ready in time for Elizabeth to throw her food on the walls...with easier clean up...I hope!

I like the way the plates turned out...I have some twine and still would like to make it look like this...but I had to at least get them up on the big blank wall!  Luckily...it's hard to go wrong when hanging basic white plates in a random pattern...so far, no swiss cheese!  Ha!  I would like to add a few more different sized plates to it, but I used what I already had, and bought the oval plates from Target.

It was a huge job...but finally worth it!  I only feel like I've been hit by a truck!  Dan painted all the trim, and I went around and painted over and under the cabinets...great work out...but not the easiest when you're 9-months pregnant!

And while Dan and I were busy making the kitchen sunny...Alex and Emily didn't mind to {leave} us to our work...

The leaves have really fallen this week...and the weather has been beautiful {until Thanksgiving...down to 35 degrees!} so what better time to enjoy a big leaf pile!

They must've spent hours out there running as fast as they could to leap into the leaves and then rake them all back up again!  However...I was vacuuming up leaves all evening that kept falling out of someone's clothes or hair! 

And...I really wanted to deck the halls today...but I think taking it easy is a better idea.  I've started to spruce up with a little bit of holdiay trim though...

...hopefully I can get it all up this week!  That's all I have left! 

If you don't hear from me in awhile...it's only because we will be getting ready for Elizabeth!  How can there only be a week left?!  This week is filled with more doctors and dentist appointments...and hopefully a stay in the  hospital!  My mom is hopefully planning on staying with us next weekend in preparation!  I need to catch up on the laundry and pack my bags!  So nervous...so excited! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all early!

Update from the Manor...

This little sweetheart is finally off the couch...

{She's extremely thrilled to have an early-morning picture!  But I had to get rid of the one with her wild hair!}

She's not 100%...she hasn't had her normal appetite for over a week.  I think she's lost some weight and she looks so pale...I'd say she's about 60%...but I'll give her another 10% because she does have enough energy to show a little attitude!

After visiting the walk-in clinic,  her pediatrician...and finally the ER on Sunday night...it was finally found that she had pneumonia, which I was concerned about.  The nurse practitioner asked me if I wanted her to have a chest x-ray...um...yes!  I know some parents are concerned about the risk/benefits of the radiation, but speaking as an x-ray tech...I know that the radiation is minimal and she had suffered long enough.  I wanted so bad to take the x-ray myself!  I really miss my profession...but am so grateful I'm been able to stay home and take care of my little Emily.  It's been hard seeing her this sick.  She's so independent and sassy, and to see that spark missing for a week was just not like her.  After missing school for six days...I told her the class will think she's a new student!  She was still a little tired and weak...but I think she was so ready to get back to her friends...and to catch up on her schoolwork.  It's been hard making it up at home.

On another note...Dan's been missing his projects...I have not!  So...Sunday afternoon he decided to grab some paint samples and start trying them out!  So now our kitchen and entry look like this...

{notice all the medicine on the counter...I feel like a mini pharmacy right now!  Alex is still finishing up his doses from a week and half ago too!  There's even some in the fridge!}

We've needed to paint since we've lived here...seven years ago...but we've put it off for so long because it's such a chore!  Look at all the holes he had to cover from my past experiments with what to hang on the wall!  Ha!  I told you...me and blank walls = swiss cheese!  I have an idea of hanging plates on the big kitchen wall next time...but I have trouble getting what's in my mind to the wall!  Something like this I hope...

I love the idea of simple white plates in different sizes and textures...

Kelli from RTSM gave me the inspiration here!  She just needs to come over and decorate my house for me!  Remember...she also gave me the idea for the mini art gallery in the basement too!  Thanks Kelli!

Now...we just need to accomplish this within the next two weeks...

...because that's all I have left before what's in here...

...becomes our newest addition to the Manor!

I'm feeling huge!  It may not look like it in the picture {or maybe it does!} but black is slimming...right?  Ha!

I think my face looks fuller and my ankles may be a little puffy...but thank goodness flip-flop season is over!  My mom told me I look big...but if your mom can't be honest than who can?!  It's all worth it, I know!

I'm still in disbelief that there are just two weeks left!  I'm ready to meet her and hold her and squeeze her...but I'm not ready for sleepless days and nights and infinite diaper changes again...but so excited for Alex and Emily to meet their little sister!

And...sorry...but this baby...is going to need to find a new place to sleep...

...sigh... what am I going to do with her?  So spoiled!

Stay tuned...

Bad Hair...Pretty Sky

Last week Alex had a check-up with his allergy doctor...and came away with four prescriptions and a big hit to the wallet...ouch!  His breathing treatments are pretty pricey.  But he is doing much better...and his reactive airway disease usually reacts this time of year...so it's expected.  But I had to make the comment that Emily never gets sick...

...shoot...I had to open my big mouth...

She has had a fever and cough since Sunday and has missed school all week...poor thing...just look at that hair!  {I know I'm so mean to take her picture when she's not feeling good!}

The doctor didn't find anything wrong with her...but gave her some cough medicine...and her fever keeps lingering... sigh... 

She hasn't really eaten much all week either...but she finally ate Wendy's last night and seemed to be feeling better... we even went outside to enjoy the beautiful pink sky at sunset and the warm weather...

...then when I took her temperature, it had gone down...to 101 at least...she fell asleep... but then decided she didn't want the Wendy's after all...ugh! 

This morning was no different...we've been meeting around 3am every morning with Emily greeting me saying, "I feel hot."  Temperature...102.6  So we went back to the doctor {this time it was her pediatrician and not the walk-in clinic we went to before...thank goodness!} and she was given the pink antibiotic {that always goes down so much better!} and was told to take breathing treatments 3-4 times a day for the next few days for the wheezing in her chest...so glad those will be getting their money's worth!

...and of course...lots more of this...

Alex told me her friends are worried about her and have been asking him when she's coming back to school...so sweet.  And he's tired of bringing her homework home and taking it back to her teacher...ha!  I told him he gets the gold star this week for being such an awesome big brother!  Let's hope she can finally get back to school tomorrow!

...well...at least her hair is looking a little better!

{rarely}*Wordless Wednesday {Early Morning Visitor}

*{We love when we see deer in our yard!  We used to see one last year at the same time every evening and we named him George!  The kids get excited because they still think they belong to Santa and it's that time of  year when they start preparing to bring Santa back!  We saw this friend grazing in our yard early Sunday morning...see you again soon!}

It's That Time of Year Again...

...time for Christmas card picture torture fun!  I really wanted to try and get some good pictures of the kids and of all of us...it was a beautiful day, and I talked Dan into finally getting a family picture because it will be the last time we're a family of four!  {And I wanted one of me while it was still cute to have a big belly!} 

I didn't get as many as I wanted...but they were all so nice to please me and sit through a few pictures!

...and I was a little limited in poses of us together since I had to set the timer and run to get into position!

{I always seem to get more of Emily than of Alex...but he smiled a little...with arms crossed, of course!}

{And this picture is positively unflattering...but it made me laugh...and it was the very last picture, and everyone wanted it to be over with!  ...it will not be going on the Christmas card!}

I will hopefully get some with all three kids soon to include Elizabeth...but we all know how that goes!

Wordless Wednesday Thursday {Who Could Resist This Face?}

{...okay, it's not Wednesday...and it's not Wordless...surprised?!}

{While Dan and Alex attended the first IU basketball home game of the season...that left me and my favorite little big sister to spend some girly time together!  So, at her request...we made yummy mint-chocolate-chip shakes...and after she was all finished...I couldn't resist this face!  I love it!}

{Update} 4 Weeks...

...that is all I have left...or possibly sooner...until we meet Elizabeth!

I had my check-up this morning...and everything is still measuring as it should be.  Next week the doctor will start checking to see if Elizabeth is making any changes to start her debut!  I can't believe how fast the time has gone!  It all seems unreal...still...even to this point!  We will be a family of five!  She is moving all the time...and I love how excited Alex gets when he's able to feel her kick him...he's always putting his hand on my belly to see if she's awake!  I get so nervous and anxious when I start thinking about her arrival...I need to get the car seat in the car {once I clean off a seat for her!}...I need to pack my bag...I need to find a stroller...clean the baby swings and the bassinet {the cats have determined that the bassinet was for them!}...and so many other things that I'm not even thinking of right now! 

I've gained about 30 pounds...and surely will not gain one single pound more with all the Halloween candy we have and Thanksgiving around the corner...ahem...

And will almost definitely lose it all right away...even though Christmas is coming with all the yummy cookies, treats and chocolate that seems to find its way into our house...sigh... 

I told Emily she's about to have a neighbor soon...since their rooms are next to each other!  I hope that Elizabeth does not keep her up at night! 

So...the countdown's on!  I've done a tiny bit of holiday shopping...I was hoping to get a lot of it done by now...but who was I kidding...I'm the master procrastinator!  Oh well...I'm just going to enjoy these last few weeks...try to relax...spend extra time with Alex and Emily and snuggle with them a little bit longer at night when I tuck them in and read their books...and hopefully gets lots of sleep too!