Want to Venture a Guess?!?

The baby poll is up and running. Click here. The game name is "BabySierra3" in case you need to enter it. Winner gets bragging rights and a big hug from Gabbi.

Why You Won't See the First Picture of Baby #3 on My Fridge

Apparently this kid is an acrobat. It twisted and turned and flipped and punched and kicked its way through my ultrasound. So this is the one and only picture I have. On top, the sonographer did manage to get a view of its foot before it kicked the transducer. The bottom picture appears to show that the kid has at least one eyeball. 

In other news, I am taking any and all name suggestions. Lou and I haven't even discussed names, and I'm pretty sure we won't settle on anything anytime soon. We don't know what the gender is. (I didn't want to know, but Lou did. The sonographer told me that she was soooo relieved that I didn't really want to know because she couldn't have told me with all of its flippy flopping and general lack of cooperation.) So, send me any and all names you think of for this kid. Obviously, names that rhyme with "Sierra" are out. 

No Karas or Sarahs or Taras.

Thanks. 

Super Duper Busy Month

June has been super busy for us. (I actually wrote part of this post when it was still June, but only got to finish it tonight.) Here's a few of the things we've been up to...

Dutch Wonderland

Early in the month we took a trip with the Sierra side to Dutch Wonderland. (Gabbi keeps calling it Scotch Wonderland. I think a wonderland of scotch would be a whole different experience.) Despite it being really hot and poor Micah coming down with a fever, everyone had a good time.

Micah and Daddy chilling at the pool.

Gabbi would like to live at the hotel, especially when I let her eat oreos and watch cartoons in the bed.

Hooray for the choo-choo!

Charlie's First Birthday 

Mom & Tot's Camp

Shannon, Liz, Audrey and I loaded up our kids and drove several hours to Camp Hebron in PA. It was a nice mixture of mom time, kid time, and family time.

The kids were not invited to archery. 

This is prior to the super bumpy "Landon and Micah think they are going to die" tractor ride. Everyone is happily eating their cookies. 

It's Parade Time Again

Gabbi and Micah really enjoyed the recent Deptford Day parade, despite the ear piercing noise from the fire engines and police cars.

Micah is always happy if you give him a soft pretzel.

I would also like to show you an example of appropriate parade marching/dancing and less appropriate parade dancing. I'll let you judge which is which. 

Why My Daughter Loves Me...

Gabbi's preschool made Mother's Day cards this week. The theme was "I love my mommy because..." Here's what Gabbi had to say:

At least I know she's easy to please...

Helpful Hints for the Digestively Challenged

A good friend of mine recently started a blog on her journey with ulcerative colitis. Her diet used to consist of all of the things we all love - coffee with lots of cream and sugar, cookies, and your run of the mill easy to make dinners. After struggling with some digestive, uh, "complications", she decided that she needed to make some changes and she's seen great results. She thought that she would pass along some of the information that has been so helpful for her. If you or someone in your family also struggle with digestive issues, check out her blog here.
We know a little something about malfunctioning digestive systems in our house. Lou was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in his early 20s. After a successful resection of his small intestine and lots (and lots) of maintenance meds and vitamins, the disease doesn't really effect him on a daily basis. I haven't made much change to our diet, but I'm hoping to try to get our family to eat healthier at some point. (Seriously though, when I can't convince Lou that Totino's frozen pepperoni party pizza is a terrible choice for breakfast, I know that I won't have much luck eliminating most dairy, simple carbs, and processed foods. Baby steps...)
Hope this is helpful!

Where My Mother Fathers At?!?

We recently decided that it was time for a larger vehicle. Lou wasn't thrilled with the idea of a minivan, but I pretty much refused to drive a station wagon. We ended up getting a pretty sweet deal on a used Toyota Sienna (in gray! woo-hoo!). When I told my friend Shannon what we'd purchased I believe her words were as follows:

"You got the Sienna because you liked the Swagger Wagon video, right?"

The Swagger Wagon video? I hadn't heard of it, but thanks to the miracle of YouTube we can watch it over and over again. Love it. And even Lou is feeling less dorky about having a minivan in the family.

Now, does anyone want to buy a well maintained Honda CR-V?