Thank you simply isn't enough...

Several of our closest friends threw me a surprise baby shower this weekend. A surprise it certainly was...but what a wonderful one. Mike and I are so blessed to have such wonderful people to share our lives with. We just can't thank you all enough for the support you've provided us not only with this pregnancy, but through the years.

Below are a few pictures Mike took of all the kids.

Left to right: Adam Powell, Cecelia Belt, Logan Heepke, Tyler Powell and Sidnee Schwarz

How exciting it is to think of all these kids growing up together...God willing they will have many more years of memories to come.

God bless you all,
Mike, Sara, Sidnee and "Peanut" Schwarz

Latest Poll Results...

The latest poll, "Would you take a 5 month old to DisneyWorld for a family trip?," had very mixed results.

50% of you suggested NO, if a trusted babysitter was available

30% of you suggested YES, we are a family

12% of you suggested MAYBE

We're still not 100% sure what to do yet, but think that in reality he could actually be easier than Sidnee on the trip. In addition, I neglected to mention that the family trip is 7 days long. I'm just not sure either Mike or I could stand to be away from him that long. Sidnee is 3 years old and we've never been away for more than 4 days with her. Thanks for the advice.

Weekly Visit Update

Good morning all!

I had my 3rd weekly visit yesterday evening and we're FINALLY seeing some progress. The other mommies out there know what I mean when you feel things changing and see/hear that there has been zero progress.

Since Sidnee was induced, I'm not fully sure what to expect in regard to key signs of labor. You can read all you want, but until it happens to you...there is always the unknown to ponder...and ponder...and ponder.

You all will be happy to know, however, that nesting has officially kicked in and I'm feeling quite confident we're ready for our new little peanut to come home. His room is ready, clothes are in drawers and I've even purchased some of the essentials (diapers, wipes, diaper cream, etc.). As for me...my bags are packed and ready. :-)

Let the games begin!

Baby name results are in...

Thanks to everyone that participated in our baby name poll. Mike and I need all the help we can get with this one. Either we can't agree, or it doesn't meet the criteria set (more than 1 syllable, even if shortened, and sounds good with Michael as the middle name).

The Results (total of 15 votes):

1. Connor - 35% (6 votes)

2. Owen - 29% (5 votes)

3. Quincy & Langdon tied at 11% (2 votes each)

Stay tuned for our final choice. For those of you that keep asking...we will not pick a name until we see him. :-) We just hope to have our final list shortened by then to a chosen few.

The next poll is up and running...we're looking for your advice.

Another weekly visit

Well...even though I thought my pelvis was going to split in half this week...there has been no new progress. He's head down and ready to go, but just chillin' for the time being I guess.

You all will be proud to hear that I am continuing to make some headway in my preparedness. I at least have some stuff out to pack for the hospital and I've washed his newborn outfits and even have two set aside to pack with my stuff. Isn't that what you'd call progress. :-)

On a more important note (just kidding), I did get Sidnee's closet organized with all of her new clothes from The Children's Place. It doesn't really matter that she won't wear any of them until this Fall...right? :-)

That's all for now...I'll be back soon.

Quality Time

Is there anything better than taking a time out and making your child the first priority? I know that may sound ridiculous, but for many of us the "little people" in our lives are the ones that take the brunt of our self-generated time constraints. Maybe I should speak for myself, but I often make sure all of my "other" duties are done first, rather than saying I'll take care of it later and spending some quality time with Sidnee.

Here are a few pics from an unselfish Sara moment. Sid and I spent some time reading this Fairytale book by CD. It was a good evening.

Shopping!

Calling all parents and off-season shoppers...The Children's Place at the Mill's is having a HUGE sale. Everything is ~$2.99 each. Having never been there before what a wonderful surprise it was to come upon. I love bargains!!! Who would of ever thought that one day I'd prefer to shop for someone other than myself. :-)

The Deals...
I scored huge for my Sid who is the queen of comfy t-shirts. The "C.P." had every color you could imagine in both solid, prints and screen prints. In addition, they had the most adorable velour separates. I'm praying I did OK in my selections because at 3 years old she now picks out every outfit she wears.

As for "Peanut," our son's current nickname, I grabbed warm-up outfits through 24 months. You can't beat Addias-like cotton/fleece pants and sweatshirts for $2.99. That's cheaper than Wal-mart for goodness sake. CAN YOU TELL I'M EXCITED! Best of all...they had "Tiger" orange. That was all I needed to say to get the final OK from Mike to spend $$$ (believe me ladies and gents...it's best I get a weekly allowance). He's set for at least the next couple years of basketball games.

I highly recommend checking it out as soon as you can. Can't be for sure when the sale ends exactly. Happy shopping!

Are you ever READY?

One would think that having child number two would be a piece of cake. I know...I know that all pregnancies are different, and this one definitely has been, but I mean the preparedness.

We didn't even start thinking about his room until after the holidays. Some would say..."that's not really a big deal," but those that really know me understand what a planning freak I am. Mike can attest to that...I'm already mapping out a landscaping project for next year. :-)

With the help of many, the boy will actually have some clothes. Having a child of a different gender threw me off my game. For the love of pete...we have one whole storage section full of clothes from Sidnee.

Finally, I have no idea what to do with those private personal parts. I HAD A GIRL FIRST...I AM A WOMAN...I know what to do with that. Boy stuff actually freaks me out a bit. Caring for him after a circumcision has me cringing already. Mike just looks at me like I'm crazy when I ask which way the "thing" should be pointed when changing a diaper.

You'll be happy to hear that I am coming at all of this with an open mind. Thank goodness we have plenty of friends and family with boys. We'll be looking forward in seeing your comments and advice.

All for now.

First Weekly Visit

We're officially 37 weeks along today and getting more and more excited to see our son. Sidnee, on the other hand, has become quite wishy-washy about the whole thing. One day she's really excited to see "her" new baby and the next she doesn't like him. :-)

Granted she has no idea how much her current world will be rocked, but I know she's going to be one of our best helpers in caring for her baby brother.

Current due date still 3/25/09.