Catch-up!! (Part I)

So I'm obviously waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy behind on updating this thing. That's what vacation will do to you I guess. We had a blast! I'm working through our 500+ pictures we took and trying to figure out what to post. I'm going to try and put them in a special "vacation" category, so you can go straight to that and follow our adventure day-by-day if you want, while still staying updated on the main page too.

To catch up then...

We got back safe and sound late Tuesday night (7/6). I went to work the next day and discovered that the place of business was closing as of 7/15. Yep, as of that Friday, I am no longer working. Which has been so nice. Even though I was only working Wed/Friday mornings, I have learned of myself that I would rather be at home with my children than anything else in the world. Period.

Speaking of, we did not have our ultrasound that Thursday, due to our insurance being goofy. Apparently there are only 2 places in town that take it. So we waited until that following Monday (7/11) and went with the hospital radiology people. Not the greatest u/s I've ever had by far, but very reassuring - everything is where it's supposed to be and working (tummy was full at the start of it, and then at the end tummy was empty and the bladder was full! ;) ). The neatest part of it all was taking the kids. Even Azx4 seemed to understand and be engaged for a minute or two. Azx3 loved it! He remembered from when I was pg with his sister, so this was neat and exciting for him: I saw baby's hands! (they were up by his/her face - looked like we were playing peekaboo during the whole thing) I saw baby's feet and toes! I think that was by far the best part for me - watching my older 2 in awe of their new sibling. :D By the way, we didn't even have an option to check out the "goods" - so don't ask, we don't know.

The other thing I've been trying to prepare for (physically and emotionally) is that Azx3 starts Kindergarten in a little over 2 weeks. Here where I live, that is the first year of mandatory schooling - meaning my little baby is starting school this year. He is so ready, ready socially for little friends, ready mentally to learn, ready for the schedule, just ready. His mama ain't! No really, I am ready for him to go and quit tormenting his sister when she doesn't act like an almost-6-yr-old. I'm excited for him to grow up a little bit, and for all he will learn. I'm just not ready for the changes it means, for how it means our family is changing, growing older. He is my firstborn, the one who taught me how it is to be a mama, what it means to mother a helpless baby, what true unconditional love is and how it can be simply said with a toothless grin, and he helped me learn (whether I was ready to or not) how much strength and love I had inside me to give. He has shown me what an absolutely incredible gift God has given me in a son, what an amazing wonderful perfect-for-me man the Lord blessed me with in a husband, and how I need to tell them both this daily. Are you weepy yet? I am, just considering the enormity of what it is to send your child to school, and what it means for the both of you.

We have had a great summer looking back on it. We really have - we (meaning the kids and I and Daddy when his schedule allowed) went to family music classes as long as they were offered, we've been to playgroups, we've been to the park so often it has our footprints, we've been to the library and storytimes, we've swam in our pool, we've all just had a blast being our little family. And I am so proud, and thankful, and will cherish these memories the rest of my life of the last summer before my kids started out (one by one in their own times) into the great big world without their parents.

There's more to update, but I'm going to close this entry now. Just a note for me and a preview for you for next time - Azx4's second bday, my garden, and some more.