Twos so soon?

Update on Joshua, the newly 2 year old:

• love of all things that "go" (trains, trucks, cars, planes, school buses, etc.)
• has finally passed 20 lbs on the growth chart!!
• has a very toothy grin
• likes to bound down stairs
• jumps into the pool if he can hold at least one of your hands
• play parroting games with his peers (or "do as I'm doing" mode)
  
• help me wipe up spills and move laundry from the wash to the dryer
• playing with the idea of using the potty
• will eat all fruits (seeds and all)
• gives goodnight hugs and kisses
• LOVES tomatoes, baths, and being outside
• will point out automobiles on the road around us with awe and wonder
• has discovered magical powers of band-aids
• plays well in nursery at church
• is always adding new words to his vocabulary
• lights up when his Dad comes home

We love him, and have loved watching him grow.

38.5 weeks

We're still here and we're still pregnant, too. Every time I see my doctor, she feels confident in saying she'll see me in the hospital before our next appointment. But that has yet to unfold. Things are progressing and my body is "ripening" to deliver this baby.

Joshua is getting ready for his new baby brother by helping to get his new room ready (Thank you Ginger for helping me get the fabulous paint on the walls, and Sarah, none of this would have happened without your drive to conquer the unbeatable!):

After some solid work and creative decorating:

We got to working in the nursery, too, with moving Joshua's "little boy" things out, and revisiting the "baby" theme, but I do not have pictures of that yet.

We've also celebrated Joshua's second birthday recently, and had a wonderful time with friends and family. Joshua got very spoiled with cars and trains and leggos and related books and puzzles. We have been playing nonstop with our new favorite toys since he received them. We are so blessed to have such good friends and family so close.

Heaton Beach Reunion

This summer, we've had a couple of great road trips. In June we went to Destin, FL area with all of the Heatons for the first Terry Heaton reunion. We loved being at the beach. Joshua enjoyed the sand and all the buckets and sand cars/trucks. It may be safe to say that Joshua took the very serious job of emptying the Gulf Coast one bucketful at a time, as he would fill a bucket, run 10 feet onto the sand and dump the water out. He would then return to the water to fill his bucket again.

While there, we got to spend time with Amber and Tim, with their girls. Brooklyn celebrated her 3rd birthday, and we got to play lots of games. One of the evenings consisted of a Glowstick Dance. I am excited to see how that tradition will grow in the years to come.

It was a terrific trip, and we loved everything about it. Plenty of good food, fun games, and family memories.

24 weeks pregnant

We had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! I woke up and had the entire kitchen and family room cleaned. It was a wonderful surprise and just what I needed. Benjamin knew just what I needed and would appreciate the most.

Other news, Joshua is suddenly interested in looking at pictures of our family and cousins, and pointing to the paper, then to the person. It is very fun to watch him recognize us when we are not there.

Pregnancy is starting to feel a little uncomfortable. I'm feeling like I'm leaning around something I'm holding on my lap. Joshua is noticing it's in his way when he sits with me. At times I think I need to grab Joshua's leg to pull him closer to the wall of his crib before I lean over and scoop him up. And the heartburn started last week. But there's still plenty of fun things to discover for the next few months as I continue to swell in different ways. But things are wonderful.

Just 2.5 more weeks of school for this school year. But who's counting!

Oh BOY!

Joshua will have a little brother.

Benjamin and I are thrilled to have another boy on the way! I can't wait to meet him and to watch Joshua be a good example. As I watch my sisters' sets of boys playing together, I think about how much fun we are going to have. Boys are wonderful, and I couldn't be happier.

We are bouncing around a few names, but nothing is decided yet. We are still open to suggestions, too.

Patience?

Have you ever just been too impatient to wait for the best thing EVER, and you know it's right there? What do you do about it? Sometimes, I take a nap to pass the time. Other times, I go for a walk. I might even try to clean my room a little bit. But this is what Joshua does:

Doesn't that face just say, "I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it, and I wanted it so bad, and there was nobody here to take my clothes off..."

I love to see the Temple

The Atlanta Temple has been closed for remodeling for the past 24+ months, and we got to attend the openhouse this past week! The dedication is scheduled for May 1, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to have the temple so close to home again! I have not attended a session in Atlanta since before Joshua was born...or before we left Provo...you get the picture. We are lucky that there are two other temples close enough to attend with a day's time: Columbia South Carolina, and Birmingham Alabama. But Atlanta is easier to accomplish with a babysitting schedule.

We also got to walk through the temple with Joshua. He enjoyed pointing at all the beautiful lights and naming Jesus in each of the paintings we saw in hallways and different rooms. Everything felt so bright and light in each of the rooms, and it really made me all the more excited for the temple to be dedicated so I can start participating in the work to be done, and feeling the blessings that are available within.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I know that families can be sealed together as families throughout eternity, even past mortal death. It is in Latter-day Saint Temples those ordinances (such as baptism and eternal marriage) are performed in behalf of those who did not have the chance to be baptized during their lives upon the earth. The Gospel is available to each of God's sons and daughters.

In temples, we can focus our attention on our relationship with the Savior without the distractions of the world around us. It is in the temple that I have felt the closest with Jesus Christ, as I reflect on the sacrifices that He made so that I can return to live with my Father in Heaven. I hope that I can teach my children to rely on the Savior, as well. I know that it is only through Jesus Christ that we can be found clean and pure in God's eyes.

I am thankful that I could show Joshua what different rooms look like inside the temple. Someday we'll be together inside again.