Hello, 2015!

With a new baby due any day, it is impossible not to feel that this will be an exciting year.

I've never been very great at making New Year's resolutions...but I am going to try and keep this blog more updated.  It also happens to be January.  So I guess I can consider this a New Year's resolution.

January has been an eventful month so far.  Not to mention a beautiful one. 

Nell has finally begun ballet class - something she has been asking for for months now.  She is adorable, even if her ballet clothes are the brightest, most obnoxious colors!  I, unfortunately, allowed her to come with me to purchase them, so black and pale pink were not in the cards.

Jonas has been doing great at PT and can now balance with one crutch.  We have had a drawback however and the beginnings of a pressure sore appeared a week ago which we must monitor very closely...so he has not been able to wear braces for a week and we will have to keep it that way until new ones arrive.  Thankfully he was fitted for new ones fairly quickly and we rush ordered his new pair - but I hate to see him unable to work at standing and walking because he doesn't have the bracing he needs.  Better to have a break from them than to aggravate a sore!

  

Jonas is turning 8 at the end of the month but because I am supposedly having a baby around the same time, I decided to bump his birthday party up a couple of weeks.  He was so excited to have Soda Pop the clown back again.  He loves her so much! 

She was great with the kids and we had such a fun night with Jonas' friends from school, they are so enjoyable to be around. 

Her face painting skills are AMAZING!  Last year was Spiderman, this year is apparently the year of the tiger...

I doubt Jonas could tell you which was more exciting this week - his birthday party or meeting a 2 Star General. 

Jonas has been obsessed with soldiers since we lived in England and he was able to see the Buckingham Palace soldiers up close. To say he loved them would be a gross understatement.  That love has not faded even though we no longer live in England.  He still loves soldiers and will frequently ask Devin to drive him around the nearby National Guard base to look at the tanks and other military equipment.  Jonas rolls his window down, waves and says hi to every soldier he sees.  One day in early January, a colleague of Devin's happened to see them and asked what they were doing.  It is a bit odd!!  Devin explained and within a couple of days the colleague had lined up a meeting between Jonas and the General.  Jonas was thrilled to go and incredibly star struck.  Jonas had dog tags (or doggie tags as Jonas calls them) made for him as well as receiving a t-shirt, hat, sunglasses, backpack and coin. 

He is still sleeping with his "equipment" next to him and has told us "I love the General".

For a busy General, responsible for 7500 troops, I am incredibly grateful he took the time to meet with Jonas.  It was a true highlight for him and not something he will forget any time soon.  

Jonas receiving his coin

Amidst the excitement of ballet, birthday parties and meeting a General...I am still incubating.  I am now almost 39 weeks (due January 27th) and excited to meet this new baby.  Nell's voice is sure to be the most recognizable aside from my own for this little one.  She is constantly (NO exaggeration) talking to the baby, patting my tummy and telling the baby how much she loves him/her. 

 Some funny thoughts from Nell regarding her love for the baby:
"The baby only loves me"
"I love you mom & I love your baby" said in a deep and scary voice, very quickly (slightly creepy)
"You're a mean daddy (when being disciplined by Devin).  The baby doesn't love you anymore"

Peek!

But she is not the only one excited for the big arrival...Clara also loves cuddling up and rubbing the baby.  I am enjoying the extra attention I'm getting from my kids simply because I have the baby with me at all times. :)

I am excited for Clara, Jonas and Nell to have one more sibling, they are all so excited!

Until this baby comes, we are all trying to sit back and relax as we know life will change drastically soon enough!