the whole scoop

Since I'm not really feeling up to creative writing, here's a few bullet points highlighting what has been going on lately in Dankaville:

• For everyone who is asking and wondering how I am, I'm still morning sick. Well, morning, afternoon, and evening sick to be precise. The good news is that I've been able to eat food for the most part without my stomach deciding to reject it. Although I'm extremely picky about what I eat, and most things don't taste good more than twice. Smells are horrible, particularly the pizzas Joseph pops in the oven. I think I'm almost eleven weeks along, so maybe I'll get over this by the second trimester.
  
• I turned twenty seven last week. Not the most eventful birthday... However, Joseph was sweet enough to make stuffed grape leaves to satisfy my craving. That craving is definitely over now. Thanks to everyone for their birthday wishes, cards, and gifts. You are all so sweet!
• We almost have a move-in date for the house. The appraisal went fine, and we're in the underwriting portion of our mortgage processing, so we're hoping to close by the end of the month. Exciting! I'd better get this place packed up.
• Magnus is a doll. This age is so much fun! I've been so BAD at taking pictures of him, and I feel rotten about it, but creativity and inspiration are the first things that fly out the window when I get sick. He has started talking a lot more, saying things like "ice cube", "ice cream", "shoes", "auntie", "poopie", "I did it", and other cute words. He has also moved into the copycat phase. This became extremely evident when I noticed him trying to shave his legs in the shower with me! He puts his little foot up on the side of the tub like me and then runs his fingers up his legs. What a hoot! He's also very interested in trying to act out songs like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", "The Wheels on the Bus", "My God Is So Big", and others. He dances really well... twirling, stomping his feet, and bobbing up and down. I've got to get some video of that posted sometime.
• Speaking of missed photo opportunities, Joseph's grandparents sent us money to go get ice cream on Father's Day. We went to the Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen nearby... Magnus shared our ice cream with one of those tiny taster spoons. SO CUTE.
  

this old house

Joseph and I are waiting to close on our first house! We had been looking for rental homes earlier this spring, but we figured it made sense to just buy if we're planning on being here in Louisville another five years or so. After browsing through lots of online listings, we got in touch with a friend who is a real estate agent. The first home on his list was the one that we are now contracting on! It's SO exciting to think of having our own home! Here are some pictures from the listing...

Super cute Colonial two-story

Nice deck with wrap-around gated driveway

Spacious living room with central fireplace (which is going to be used to vent a wood-burning stove)
Big windows let in lots of natural light

Dining room with bay window overlooking back yard
Four bedrooms (two pictured below)
Cute old kitchen

1/3 acre fenced lot with 2-1/2 car garage

More on this later... just had to get some pictures up!

back in the saddle

I didn't much like riding this horse called Morning Sickness last time around. I'm not liking it this time either. The past week or so, I have tried to tough it out, but it looks like the nausea is just about as bad as last time. I thought some of the herbal supplements and other natural remedies would help, but the only thing that seems to let me keep anything down is Zofran. Some days are definitely worse than others, and I am grateful for the days I'm not regularly paying homage to the porcelain bowl.

Yesterday Magnus threw the most temper tantrums ever, and today he decided to throw a bottle of juice on the floor at the grocery store. Overall, he's been pretty good while his mommy lays on the couch half the day. I can't believe how much my little boy has grown over the last couple months. His vocabulary is increasing, bit by bit. Some words are his own interpretation of what it sounds like (e.g. "milk" is "ah-me"). Other words are pretty darn close... bear is "beer", lizard is "dihdah", open is "ahpen", cracker is "kah-khh". I am really enjoying this age: his earnestness, his sillyness, his sweetness. I can't imagine going through a sick day without his happy distractions... He's my little buddy.

Joseph has been a great husband-- helping with dirty dishes (*gag*) and dirty diapers (*super gag*). He often runs to the store to pick up my latest non-food-aversion craving. I couldn't be more blessed!

So here's hoping and praying that this pregnancy sickness will end sooner than last time, will not get as severe, and won't make me lose too much weight!

oh brother!

On our walks lately, Magnus has been demanding I allow him to push his stroller. I'm thinking in nine months or so he'll be pretty good at this...


Yep! We've got another little one on the way... due sometime mid-January! Last week after discovering a positive pregnancy test, I tried to come up with a creative way of telling the hubs. Last time around, I slipped a "You're going to be a daddy" fortune into his fortune cookie. This time, I was too impatient to worry too much about surprises, and with a crabby teething kid, didn't feel like messing around with making egg rolls. So I pulled out a Sharpie and decorated a little t-shirt for Magnus. After Joseph came home, I asked him to take off Magnus's long sleeve shirt (which was conveniently messy from dinner.) I waited for him to notice the "big brother" onesie. Nope. I even tried to nonchalantly comment on how cute Magnus was looking. Nothing. Eventually he read and comprehended the t-shirt message. He gave me the same excited response as with pregnancy #1: "Are you serious? Pregnant?! Really?" We're both thrilled to have another little blessing in our lives.


My only concern so far is the impending morning sickness, which I suffered from horribly last time (about five months of non-stop nausea and vomiting). Last time it hit me about six weeks. I have been attempting to be a little more proactive about the morning sickness this pregnancy by taking milk thistle (silymarin), dandelion root, and vitamin B6 before the nausea hits. Supposedly these herbs/supplements are helpful for morning sickness sufferers. We'll see!

a tale of the lost ring

I lost my wedding band. Not that it is studded with diamonds or anything, but the sentimental worth of that little gold ring is priceless. It was that ring Joseph put on my finger, it has been that ring that has traveled through these first years of marriage, and it was that dough-covered ring I happened to set on the counter three days ago. I was baking cookies for the hub, and I fatefully decided to place it aside when it was slipping off my finger into the dough. In my chocolate induced craze, I never thought to put it on again that night. I actually didn't notice it was missing till the next evening (even though I've never gone without it that long since we've been married). I tore apart the kitchen, looking under the fridge and stove, and finding several other missing items, but not my precious ring. The next morning, I resumed my search, thinking woefully of Magnus's propensity for making small objects disappear, imagining him dropping it down the toilet, swallowing it, or throwing it into the garbage. I showed him my bare ring finger, asking him if he knew where Mommy's ring is. Like I could get an answer from a one year old.

Needless to say, I hope there is a second chapter to this story... that it turns up sometime before we give in and get a new ring. In the meantime, I am certainly glad that my marital status isn't dependent upon a piece of metal.

about time!

The Daily Magnus has finally been updated with a couple weeks' worth of photos (back to about April 11).

slackety slack

So I've been pretty unmotivated about blogging lately. Not sure if that's partially due to the fact nothing super interesting has been happening, or that I've just been more interested in things other than blogging. Things such as...

• Stalking craigslist and the newspaper for a house for rent. Joseph and I both like our apartment on seminary, but a home in a nearby neighborhood would hopefully give us a little more room, provide us with a fenced yard for my wild child to run free, allow us the opportunity to plant a garden (and hang a clothesline)... We'll see what turns up!
• Chasing the wild child around. I love this age! He's now fourteen months and more paradoxically independent and cuddly than ever. My heart melted into a big mess when he spontaneously through his arms around me for a hug last night and planted his drooling mouth on mine. He still babbles quite a bit, but increasingly he is using actual English vocabulary to indicate his desires. Instead of signing "please", he'll say "pee". He says "apple" perfectly. Bubble sounds like "buh (pause) boh", kitty is "teeh-ee", more is "moe", and fishie is "tssssie". The only downsides to having a tot lately have been teething and tantrums, which very well may be related. No relation to the tantrums... I've been considering getting one of those kiddo harnesses. Anyone try them?
• Reading Martyn Lloyd Jones again. Several of the chapters on the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer have been very encouraging to me. I love how intensely practical Lloyd Jones makes the Scriptures. It seems he always answers the questions that I naturally come to. I could delve more into this, but I'll save it for later.
• Thinking guiltily about taking and posting some new pictures. I've got quite a few on the camera (and even some video), so maybe tomorrow or the day after? Sorry to keep you fans out there waiting!