Give me salt...

This is nuts.  All I want to eat is salty stuff.  I polished off 1/2 a jar of dill pickle slices yesterday, and today I can't stop crunching on a bag of baked potato chips.  Chicken and coffee (two things I loved about 2 weeks ago) still seem disgusting.  My tummy (even though baby is the size of a raisin) is poofing out and I am super tired in the mornings.  I think 1/2 the tired problem is going through caffeine withdrawal, seriously...I'm used to a cup of hot coffee in the mornings and I won't drink it now.  I have fallen asleep three times this past week on the couch with Calvin running around, I don't know what he does when I'm sleeping.  One time I woke up and he had lined up all the pencils he could find in the house on the floor in one big line.  Silly boy.

Expecting baby #4!

Yep, you read that right.  I'm pregnant!  I am 6 weeks right now, and this is the week I'm starting to feel like it.  All of a sudden, chicken seems disgusting and I am incredibly tired all the time.  Dave and I wanted a fourth blessing in the family and it seems to have come at the perfect time, Vanessa will be exactly 2 when this baby shows up.  Unless the Lord has other plans, this will be the last LaMarche baby.

Due date is May 17, 2012, according to my calculations!

Violet got her ears pierced

She has been talking about it for a very long time, but decided that she wanted to wait for many various reasons.  But the last few days she must have gotten a brave streak, because she decided on Wednesday of last week that she wanted to get it done Friday "because then she will just get it over with and not have to wait".  She asked me how much it would hurt and I pinched her earlobe with my fingernails really hard and told her there would be a sting and it would be there for 3 minutes.  She estimated based on my "pain guestimate" that she could handle it.  Dave and I were both OK with her having earrings, so when we made the trip to the Mall of America on Saturday morning (Kyle's wedding was 3:30 pm that day, so we spent the morning at the mall), it was the first thing we did.  We saw a Claire's store and went in.  Violet was very brave, and didn't even flinch.  Her eyes got wider on the second piercing, but hopped right down and smiled when she got to see them in the mirror.  She chose some little clear cubic zirconium studs.  She knows we have to clean them 3 times a day and reminds me frequently to get them cleaned.  Dave took a video clip using his phone, I will post it if I can figure out how to get if off his phone.

Vanessa, 15 month well baby check

I say "well baby" cuz that's what they call it at the doctor's office, but she's not a baby anymore!  Totally toddler, she is nearly impossible to take pictures of, because she's in motion 100% of the time she's awake.

At the doctor's office today, she weighed 21 lbs 6 oz, 31" long, and head measured 19 cm around.  Height (50-75th %) and weight (25th %) - my long and skinny kid.  However, her head was in the 95th %.  Big ol' noggin...

She got her last round of shots (3) and one more finger prick to test iron levels.  She screamed but was happy when I picked her up.  Calvin intently watched the whole process.  He is next up for his boosters when he turns 4. 

She got really uncomfortable when doctor checked her tummy and listened to her heart beat, but otherwise, was a happy kid.  Her ears, lungs and mouth all look great!

She can say:
-baba (blanket or baby)
-cheese (this sounds all muffled)
-mama
-dada
-uh-oh (if that counts as a word)

I did take a few good pics the other day.

 Vanessa modeling the winter hat I made her:

A first for Calvin - fell asleep on the floor

This is just something my kids never do.  I guess I can't say "never" anymore.  They don't usually just fall asleep anywhere other than in their beds and in their car seats on long drives. 

Today must have been exhausting for Calvin.  He was awake first as usual, went with Dave to the men's prayer breakfast at church, then joined me and the girls for lunch to celebrate Jay's first half marathon, then we had music practice at the church for 4 hours (took a really long time for some reason), then we got home and he crashed.  Upstairs in his bedroom on the carpet, he snuggled up with his favorite blankie and just fell asleep.  We left him there from 5-7 pm, and he woke up soaked through his undies and hungry. Poor kid!  He ate a big bowl of cheesy noodles and all 3 kids went to bed at 9 pm.

I did snap his picture, here it is:

"I can't wait to eat winter!"

I bet you can guess who said that.  Yep, Calvin.  He looked outside today after lunch, and said "Mom, when is it going to snow?" I told him the leaves on the trees have to change colors first, then fall off the trees, then it will be time for winter and the snow will fall.  He excitedly said "oh wow!  I can't wait to eat winter!"  He and Violet have been talking about eating snow the last few days, she always tells him its ok to eat snow if its not yellow.

Sewing projects lately

I picked up some fleece a few days ago and have made a few things. 

1.  A hot pink diaper cover.  This goes over prefold or fitted diapers as a breathable water resistant cover.  When I hold her I love how soft and squishy it is.

2.  White winter hat with a pink heart on it for Vanessa.  I traced the pattern of a hat I bought a few years ago and really love how it turned out exactly how I hoped it would.  I love this design of hat because it keeps their head and ears really warm and when the ties are tied, they can't pull it off their head.



 3.  Two fleece jumper dresses for Vanessa.  I traced the pattern of a dress that she already wears and came up with my own.  I also used pieces of a white bed sheet that had ripped in one place making it unusable on a bed...the inner lining of these dresses is buttery soft.  I can use these over long sleeved shirts in the winter.