A Long Way to Go....

I was just doing some "blog-stalking" and read where one of them has been blogging for about 3 years- same as I have- and has over 200 posts...

I've got a long way to go...

Lately- my reasoning for not sitting down is that when I do sit down here at the computer- I'm gaining inspiration for all of my latest home projects...reading nook for the boys, laundry room make-over of sorts, new organization projects, nursery ideas, sewing projects...then I have to actually GET UP and do them!  I'm in the process of getting some things done, so that's good!!  Right now, Miss Molly Claire's (yes, that is baby girl's name!) nursery is a D.I.S.A.S.T.E.R. area and has yellow tape crossing the doors to prevent anyone from entering the scene except for me.  {okay, no tape- but Jared might appreciate it if there were}  I would take a picture and share it with you...but I really am rather embarrassed over the state of it right now!

Operation "Getting Ready for Baby Girl":
Step 1:  Name the baby girl.  Molly Claire is the name that we have chosen.  Jared still says he isn't for sure on it, but I figure if I keep going ahead with it and get things monogrammed he can't change his mind- right?  He says she has to be brunette to have the name "Molly"- he's so particular.  So, baby girl- you better come out dark-headed (and with hair like Owen pretty please so I can put a bow in it!)- because if not, you may be coming home nameless for a few days!
Yes, we will call her both names- "Molly Claire"
No, much to Miles' dismay, her name will not be "Jingle Wheeze (Jean Louise) Molly Pla-her"
No, there is no family significance to either name.  And even if there is a distant cousin twice removed I think I would rather not know at this point.  Jared and I purposely did not name her after anyone in either of our families simply to avoid hurting any feelings!  Maybe it's my overly-hormonal sensitive self, but both of the boys have family names and I absolutely love their names.  What if we don't have another girl and we used one side of the family's name and not the other's?  I don't think I could live with the life-long grief (self-imposed, of course).  And it would annoy me to no end.  Is this sweet little girl the last for the Darby clan?  I don't know, but I also know you can't predetermine gender of your future children!  (I read a most well-written article recently on mothering- it's here if you're interested)

Okay- off my soap box on that one...moving on...

Step 2:  The guest bed has been taken down, so if you were planning on coming for a visit, plan on sleeping on an air mattress!  And it will probably be taken upstairs {see beginning of post for this reasoning}

Yes...that's only two steps...

Step 3 I'm sure will involve actually purchasing some clothes for this child!!!  It would not behoove me to dress my little GIRL in blue sleepers with dinosaurs.  I have gathered all the boys' clothes that I'm ready to get rid of (taking out precious keepsakes, of course) and am ready to pass on, consign, etc...  I looked up information on a local consignment show and it completely overwhelmed me.  So I passed on that one.  It's a pretty big one, though, so maybe others aren't so intense??

In other news......

Soccer is almost back in full swing- summer training right now, regular season starts up in about a month.  So we've been glad to have Jared around the past couple weeks!  I tell you what...I'm learning some things about parents, folks.  I pray I never become an awful "sports parent" no matter what my kids are involved in.  Seriously.  It's ridiculous.  Lord, spare me the drama.  The junk Jared had to put up with the months of May and June was beyond ridiculous.

anyway.

Miles starts preschool in just a short month!!  I'm beyond excited about this for him!!!!  We got his supply list and welcome letter in the mail a couple weeks ago, and while I started making plans, Jared got a little weepy-eyed!!  Go figure!!  He is constantly impressing us with his vocabulary and spelling skills.  I'm not going to be able to spell things out much longer with him.  One of his favorite things to do right now while I'm cooking dinner or in the kitchen is to pull a chair up to the bar and stand there and talk my ear off- about anything and everything.  Some days, I can tell he is making up stories.  Others, he is talking to me about his friends or about what he and daddy will do when daddy gets home.  I love this precious time.  I know there will be days in the future that I'm dragging information out of him.  I hope he does know he can always come to me to talk, though, and that I'll always be approachable to him!

Our little explorer at the Butterfly Palace in Branson.

Yes, he is usually this happy!

Owen is into EVERYTHING.  I was with some friends recently- both who have one little boy each (and are ready for more children).  Owen was banging coasters on a coffee table.  One friend (hostess) said- oh I haven't child-proofed- we decided we would just train (child's name) not to mess with stuff.  Oh honey- I did the same with Miles.  That first child was so trainable!  The second one...ooooo-eeeee.  He's been a horse of a different color!!!  My sweet little mama's boy will hold his hand out for me to spank it as he is messing with whatever in the other hand!!  And he's so darn cute!  He is cutting about 7 teeth right now-- yes-- 7.  My usually happy-go-lucky-as-long-as-you-let-me-do-what-I-want baby boy is 17 months and has had 6 teeth up until about 2 weeks ago.  Then decided to cut all these teeth at the same time!!  I have to admit, I have babied him so much, so looking at him with all these teeth is almost sad for me!  He has been easy to baby!