A Bun in the Oven

We are so excited that we have a third little girl cooking and who should be fully baked around March 26th!  Norah and Etta have been amazingly sweet since they learned last week that they would be big sisters.  Etta immediately looked down my shirt and then looked at us like we were liars since there clearly wasn't a baby in my tummy.  Norah immediately started rubbing and kissing my tummy.  About ten minutes after finding out, she said, "It's so hard to wait for the baby to be born."  It's going to be a long 26 weeks!  Then she said, "I already love the baby."  I think we all feel that way.

(Photo below is how I told Nick back on July 20th.)

Sock Hop

Nick, Jen (the other Assistant Principal), and Robyn (the Principal) at Eldorado's fundraising sock hop.  

Hmmmm...

Nana got Etta up from her morning nap today and found Etta's babies in this position.  I'm hoping her babies are doing tumbling.  Otherwise, we may need to seek psychiatric services.

Goose Egg

Norah's school called me to pick her up yesterday after she tripped and gave herself an impressive goose egg. Even though it looked pretty bad, she didn't have a concussion.  We decided that she would probably feel better after some ice cream, though, and we were right.  

Football with Daddy

One of Nick's parents snapped a few photos of Nick and the girls when they visited him at a school football game.  

Cuddle Time with Popos

Sunday Sunbathing

After a great day at church with Moderator Heath Rada visiting Central, we went to lunch with the Radas and the McDonalds.  The kids weren't quite up to a Snooze-length brunch, so they spent much of the time drenching themselves in the fountains outside Union Station.  It made for a soppy bus trip back to the church. All in all, it was a great Sunday.  

Casa Bonita or Bust!

Since Nick had back-to-school night and Etta was having a sleepover, Norah and I had a special date last night...at Casa Bonita!  The place continues to serve the worst possible food, with the exception still being the sopapillas.  Norah loved the place until the gorilla show happened, and the gorilla ran by our table.  Then, she spent the rest of the night making me promise that the gorilla wouldn't come back.  She even asked me if he would "eat dessert and die."  (I assume she heard some kid at school say "eat dirt and die" and she misunderstood.)  I promised her that he would.  That did not reassure her.  She was so skiddish after the gorilla that we had to watch the puppet show while peeking from behind the rock wall.  She thought the cliff divers were okay, but she really loved the arcades, counting her tickets, and, ultimately, the puppet show.

Just Another Friday

Because Friday was so rainy and gloomy, the girls and Carter spent most of the day inside working on crafts.  By the afternoon, everyone needed a little freshening up, so they took a communal bath.

Labor Day and Etta's First ER Visit

We had an amazing, relaxing, beautiful Labor Day weekend in Buena Vista.  Some friends generously let us stay in their cabin. It had a deck with amazing views that allowed for leisurely morning coffee while the girls explored the property and had adventures.  For a reason I have yet to understand, Nick and the girls became adamant that we had to tour a goat farm.  I must admit it turned out to be pretty fun - especially learning about the guard lamas that will stomp mountain lions to death.  Who knew?  

After the goat farm, we took a hike, had a picnic, and waded in the very cold mountain run-off water.

And on the hike back to the car, as we were swinging Etta between us, she dislocated her elbow.  That earned her her first trip to the ER which was, inconveniently enough, 35 miles away on mountain roads. Fortunately, the doctor who treated her had seen the same thing in his own daughter six times, and he was able to pop her elbow back into place.  She was instantly better.  The photo of her sucking her fingers was a huge success because it meant that she could bend her elbow again.

 The hospital gave her a bear as a souvenir of her visit.  She named him Doc.

On Sunday, we took the girls on pony rides.  As much as Norah loved it, Etta hated it.  She only stayed on for a few minutes and then preferred to stand near - but not too near - her horse.  After pony rides, we went to the Ranch to visit the Burgeners and enjoyed lunch and ATV rides.  Again, Norah loved it; Etta hated it.

With everything we did this weekend, strangely enough, this dumpster became one of the highlights of the weekend.  It was part of the directions to get to our friends' cabin ("turn right at the dumpster").  For whatever reason, that got stuck in Norah's head, and every time we drove to or from the cabin, she would ask, "Have we passed the dumpster yet?  Where is the dumpster?"  So, we took a memorial photo in front of her favorite dumpster.